The Villainous Merchant Gets Rejected
We relocated to a workshop within the academy grounds.
This place is typically used for magic tool classes starting in the second year, but we had obtained permission to borrow it for our purposes.
Inside, Lucina placed the weapon on the workbench.
"This is..."
Seeing the weapon for the first time, Connie seemed intrigued.
"Once it's completed, this will allow non-magic users to use magic."
"Wh-What!? Is that even possible?"
"It is. However, the key lies in its refinement."
I pulled out three small stones—blue, red, and green—from my pocket and placed them on the workbench.
"Are these... magic ores?"
"Correct."
Magic ores are items mined to aid daily life.
Red ones generate heat with minimal magic input, blue ones exude water, and green ones create a gentle breeze.
These are often used for cooking or as substitutes for wells, but their offensive capabilities are too weak to be practical.
However, with my magic tool design, I plan to amplify their power to rival combat magic.
For that, I needed expert input.
While reference books existed, my lack of practical experience left gaps in the process.
This was why I turned to Connie, who had broken the academy’s unspoken rule against admitting students with unclear origins.
After explaining everything, Connie silently picked up the weapon, examined it, then took a magic ore and began concentrating her mana.
"Hmm?"
"Oh?"
Both Lucina and I reacted simultaneously.
The rumors were true—what an extraordinary amount of mana.
It was so potent that it was visibly radiating from her body as a purple aura, like steam.
After a while...
"It's done."
"Huh?"
Her nonchalant declaration left Lucina and me dumbfounded.
"I refined it as per your instructions. How does it look?"
"I-I see... Let’s check."
Taking it in my hands, I found it perfectly crafted to my specifications.
Achieving this level of quality in such a short time... I had underestimated Connie Lyle’s magic prowess.
She is undeniably a genius.
—I need her! She’s a talent I must secure for my business!
"Excellent work, Connie."
"Truly... I’ve worked with many magic tools as a smith, but creating something of this caliber so quickly is nothing short of remarkable."
"T-Thank you."
Blushing from our unrestrained praise, Connie seemed overwhelmed.
—This is the moment! The air is thick with success!
I seized the opportunity to broach the other matter.
"Connie... I have one more favor to ask."
"Anything! I’ll do my best to help!"
Boosted by her recent success, Connie smiled confidently.
This is going perfectly. Surely, she won’t refuse a dance invitation now.
Filled with near-certain confidence, I asked, "Connie, about the upcoming welcome ball... Will you partner with me?"
Striking my best pose, I extended a hand toward her. Her response—
"I'm sorry!"
"... Huh?"
She turned me down.
… Wait, what? But the mood was perfect!?
Stunned, I couldn’t process it.
Then, as if to pour salt on the wound, an unexpected figure appeared.
"There you are, Connie. I’ve been looking for you."
A male teacher entered the workshop. I recognized him immediately.
His name was Craig Beckart, a professor of magic history and last year’s admissions officer.
I remembered him from the interview—his annoyingly handsome face was hard to forget.
Without hesitation, Professor Craig placed a hand on Connie’s shoulder.
To my surprise, Connie didn’t seem uncomfortable; in fact, she accepted it.
"Sorry, but Connie won’t be attending the ball."
"What?"
"She’ll be working on magic research with me."
"Y-Yes... That’s correct."
"With that, we’ll be taking our leave. Oh, and one more thing."
As he turned to leave, Professor Craig glanced back at me.
"A student with such a bad reputation shouldn’t be bothering Connie. Please refrain from approaching her in the future."
"What?"
What nonsense is he spouting? Anyway, Connie is—
"Pl-Please don’t speak to me anymore. You’re causing me trouble."
"... What?"
Bowing her head slightly, Connie’s words froze my thoughts completely.
I couldn’t respond.
All I could do was watch the two of them leave in silence.
What do you think about this chapter?
