Everyone was gathered in the magical engineering building, where large quantities of materials and resources could be used. Danjo’s exam was different from everyone else’s. As Magical Engineering wasn’t necessarily a combat oriented skill, there was no need to see an engineer’s combat talent.

The watching area was significantly smaller than before. Still, once again, it wasn’t like all that many people were interested in watching potential students make magical trinkets, especially considering how long a task like that could take.

“What do you think he’ll make?” Celeste mused, resting her chin in her hands.

They were sitting on a few chairs in front of a sizeable workshop-like setting with various crafting tables and tools. The smell of freshly cut wood, hot metal and smoke filled the air, mixing with the foul odours of oil and sweat. The ground was covered with sawdust, bits of scrap and other things, making a messy yet orderly room. One would think a place like this would have some sort of invention that would clean all these things up, but then again, it was part of the atmosphere.

The examinees were scurrying about, gathering tools and materials to assemble whatever project they had in mind. Prota yawned, trying to stay interested but finding it hard, especially since such a process took time.

“Did he say anything to you?” John said, also stifling a yawn.

“No, not really,” Destiny said, shaking his head. “I mean, he told us not to worry, right? So let’s just trust in his abilities.”

The dwarf did seem a lot more serious than usual, his usual nervous attitude replaced by one of focus and intent. He’d get flustered when grabbing a set of ores or a sheet of metal to use, but when he had his tools in his hands, it was as if he were in a domain under his command. Each cut, each solder, and each implementation of magic energy and ore were done with precision and grace. The teachers strolled through the area, checking each examinee’s progress, but even that wasn’t enough to snap Danjo out of his world.

It seemed Danjo was making a harness of sorts, just a rough endoskeleton made of metal tubes welded together to sit on the user’s back like some kind of backpack, with two lines running along the arms like a kind of sleeve with gloves that sat uncomfortably on one’s hands. A few ores and runes were being used for effortless fluidity and control, but what was interesting to both John and Destiny were the tubes running back and forth.

“...hey, isn’t that-”

“Destiny. Did you teach him about hydraulics?”

“Well, just the concept, but-”

“Isn’t that what he’s making?”

It wasn’t wholly a hydraulic system. Obviously, some things weren’t perfect, but at the same time, those errors could easily be replaced with magic and materials that didn’t exist on Earth. New liquids could provide a much larger force than oil, allowing for the thin tubes to provide massive amounts of energy that wouldn’t normally be possible.

John wasn’t a master on hydraulics and physics himself, and the introduction of unknown materials served to prevent him from understanding what was going on even further, but it was interesting to see no matter what. He looked around, seeing various devices such as improvements on water flow devices, heating devices, and various enchantments on weapons and tools, but they were all things that already existed. They were all things that were being used. In short, none of them were “inventions.”

“Magic has slowed down progress,” Destiny said quietly as he watched, coming to the same conclusion as John. “Since life is comfortable enough, there are no innovators. No inventors. Since artifacts can be found naturally, no one needs to craft them.”

“So Danjo is…”

“The first Artificer the world has seen in a while. Yeah.”

Prota eventually grew hungry, so they left to go get something to eat. When they returned, Danjo was just as focused as he’d been before. The frame and device were really coming together. The room, however, seemed less busy now. Some of the students were gone, presumably having finished or being sent out early.

Student after student left, leaving their finished products on the table. Soon, it was just Danjo.

“...kid, I hate to break your focus, but it’s just you. Are you sure you want to continue?” Orson Venomfang said, walking up. Standing in a stiff suit and tie, paired with his thin glasses and slicked back hair, he seemed more like a lawyer than a professor.

“Just a bit more,” Danjo muttered, tweaking a few components. “Just a little bit more.”

“What is that, if I may ask? It seems like an exoskeleton for a golem, but you are clearly intending to wear it. Besides, we have enchantments for golems already. What are you trying to make?”

Danjo looked up, putting the frame down.

“Well, sir, it’s a harness for ordinary people.”

“For ordinary people?”

“The average person can use mana reinforcement, but no matter what, their physical strength will never reach that of fighters. However, with this, the machine will support weight that even some talented fighters may not even be able to reach.”

“Oh?” Orson said, intrigued. “And how might that work?”

“Well…”

John tuned the explanation out. It wasn’t that he wanted to. It was moreso that he was forced to, the volume of the explanation forcibly getting muted. John could still see the mouths moving, and Danjo’s voice was still audible, but it was as if it were getting muffled through a pillow, distorting the words.

“...you don’t know how it works either, do you?” he muttered, stretching. Was the [Story] being written from his perspective, perhaps? Surely not.

Regardless, watching the whole thing had been mildly interesting and surprisingly helpful. Understanding the state of the world’s development was always something interesting, and knowing that the concept of “new inventions” was rather alien to the continent’s inhabitants was rather useful.

Moreover, John was really understanding what talent in Magical Engineering looked like. The Casting exam had students firing off fifth circle spells, or displaying chantless magic, or clever combinations of spells. The fighting exam’s students were proficient in melee combat, as well as their control of mana reinforcement and magic.

The Magical Engineering students, however, hadn’t done all that much. Maybe his standards were just too high, but it hadn’t seemed all that impressive. However, given the talent of the other students, John had to assume that this was something on a remarkable level. Some of the poorer looking students had been messier with their setups, but he still had no way of knowing whether or not that was impressive.

“...I understand,” John finally heard. Danjo’s eyes were shining as he finished his explanation. The boy really did turn into a whole other person the minute artificing was involved.

“Thank you, sir,” Danjo said, putting his creation down and running over to the group.

“Hydraulics, eh?” Destiny grinned, putting the dwarf in a headlock while rubbing his head. “How’d you even think of that?”

“Well, you gave me the idea. But isn’t it cool?”

“Hell yeah, it’s cool! But why a harness? What made you think of that?”

“Ah. Well…” Danjo grew shy, seemingly embarrassed.

“What?”

“It was actually John who gave me the idea.”

John’s head whipped around. He looked at the harness before looking back at Danjo.

“...me?”

“Yeah. Remember when you brought up a suit of armour that could be powered by magic? Something that even a caster could wear into battle?”

“I mean, I said something like that, but-”

“This is just the start. I can do it. I know I can.”

“Well… I mean, good for you, Danjo,” John said awkwardly.

He’d brought up a powered armour suit in passing, mainly as an idea that’d passed his mind while thinking about [Stories], but it seemed Danjo had enjoyed the idea. He shuddered while thinking about a fully armoured dwarf storming into battle with lasers and rockets. John didn’t know whether to fear it or look forward to it.

~~~

Everyone was done with their exams, but there were still a few days left before the portals would open up and people could go home. Destiny went out to try the training grounds, and Celeste followed him with nothing else to do. Danjo wanted to check out the blacksmithing grounds, so John and Prota were left alone.

“...what now?”

“Eat,” Prota said, standing up.

With her map of the island mostly complete, Prota knew exactly where she wanted to go and wasted no time in getting there. Heading toward a cafe, she walked in, looking around. John followed and was greeted with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and hot pastries.

“Hello there!” the man at the counter called out. “Ah, test takers, I see. Looking around?”

“Yeah, something like that,” John mumbled as he looked around the store.

It was cozy, with students sitting at tables, some chatting about in groups, or others hunched over papers, studying furiously. The walls and furniture were all some kind of wood, worn down and aged, infusing the air with oak and pine, giving the place a homey, warm kind of feel. Pastries were sitting on platforms covered with glass, revealing the pastries John had smelled while coming in. Prota stared at them with wide eyes, swallowing before looking up at John.

“...is there a way to buy these?”

“Ah, not really,” the man said apologetically. “I assume you’re not familiar with how things work around here.”

“Yeah. Can you explain?”

“Well, students are given tokens at the beginning of a semester. Y’can spend ‘em at the various shops around here. Since food is provided, tokens are just a luxury item, if you know what I mean. But I haven’t met a student who doesn’t want more of ‘em.”

“Right, got it,” John said slowly.

It was a good system. It encouraged students to have a competitive nature and do more than they were asked, but it wasn’t required to live an average life. One could eat and sleep well without ever using a single token during their entire stay.

“So us being here is pointless, I guess.”

“Ah, I’ll tell you what. You seem like good kids. One order, on the house.”

Prota’s head shot right back to the food items, her brain working furiously to decide what she wanted.

“John,” she finally said, pointing to a muffin. “That one.”

“I’ll get two of those. What kinda coffee do you guys have?”

“What kind d’ya want?”

“You got something vanilla flavoured? And iced?”

“Coming right up.”

The two muffins were promptly given to the duo, and Prota wasted no time taking a bite. Her eyes shone as she chewed. This didn’t tell John much, since the standards to satisfy her were relatively low, but upon taking a bite, he found the items to be incredibly satisfactory.

The pastry was light and fluffy, the dough chewy and sweet. Bits of chocolate and blueberry were buried inside, rich and decadent in flavour. It wasn’t so heavy that it was hard on the stomach, but at the same time, it was immensely satisfying.

“One iced vanilla coffee. Ah, I see you’re enjoying the food.”

“It’s good,” John said, staring at the half-eaten muffin with wide eyes. “What do you guys do to get it like this?”

“Ah, it’s just the ingredients given to us. The crops and animals raised here are pretty darn good, even compared to the stuff those royals on the mainland get.”

“I see…”

“You two have a good one.”

A bell rang as the two left the shop, John sipping on his iced coffee. He wasn’t a huge fan of coffee, but he had to admit that this drink was pretty good. Prota asked for a sip but turned away after trying it. Probably too bitter for her taste. Well, it wasn’t like she needed the caffeine, anyway.

“Oh, it’s you!”

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John turned around as a voice called out. Running toward them were the brother and sister Prota had fought against during her exam. Now that she wasn’t up in a mountain, fighting for her life, she could get a better view of them.

Both stood at the same height, about a head taller than her. The similarities between the two ended there.

The girl wore a simple blue dress, gold earrings hanging in front of her light blue hair, tied neatly in a ponytail. What stood out, though, was her incredibly cheerful smile. It was almost too bright, even for Prota. Her body was thin, yet elegant, akin to a dancer's.

The boy was wearing a uniform of sorts. His hair was spiky, but what stood out even more was the flaming red colour. There were a few scars on his face and hands, light ones, but they were noticeable. His expression was much rougher, but he didn’t seem to be looking for a fight.

“You’re the one we fought on that mountain, right?” the girl said. “You were crazy!”

“Hey, she beat us, don’t forget that,” the boy grumbled. “Why’re you being so friendly?”

“Well, we don’t know anyone here, right? Isn’t it good to make friends?”

Prota froze up, unsure of what to do. Why were these people approaching her? Did they want something?

“Ah, my name is Lilith. This here is Ryan. He’s my twin brother. Ignore his scowl, he’s actually a huge softie.”

“Hey-”

“What’s your name?”

“...Prota.”

Prota was incredibly nervous, to the point where she was freezing up. What was she supposed to do here?

“Prota? Well, Prota. Let’s be friends!”

John hadn’t been paying much attention to the conversation, but something had clicked as soon as Lilith had said the word “friends.”

Right. This girl had never truly had “friends” before. This world was different, but it wasn’t like action and fighting were the only thing present. Just because there was nobility, magic and all sorts of things didn’t mean people didn’t have normal lives. Even though the majority of them were [Characters] that would never show up, there were still people that ate, slept and had daily routines that didn’t involve the adventures typical of a story.

Prota had never had the opportunity to experience that. “Friends” weren’t a concept that were normal to her. Her only friends were those she’d met while fighting for her life. Destiny’s conditions were strange. Kit was a Mystic. Danjo was a captive they’d saved.

Not one of them could be considered “normal.”

And now they were in school. It was a school for the insanely talented, sure, but it was school nonetheless. There were bound to be ordinary people. Overachievers, maybe, or perhaps those looking to become the best of the best, but there were surely those also looking to make friends and enjoy life, right?

So how would Prota react to something like that?

“F-friends?”

“Yeah!”

“Lilith, stop bothering the poor girl. You’re stressing her out. Sorry about that,” Ryan said, grabbing his sister by the back of her dress.

“A- ah, friends… if that’s ok…”

Prota spoke before she knew what she was saying, but the expression on Lilith’s face brightened.

“Really? Great! Ryan, come on, you too-”

“We’re going.”

“Come on! I want to fight her again.”

“...fight?”

Prota tilted her head to the side. Fight? Surely they didn’t mean they wanted to fight in a literal sense, right?

“Don’t you want to see what she’s really capable of? I was watching you, you know? You’re incredible!”

“...me?”

“Yeah! Come on, I wanna spar with you. Please?”

“Lilith-”

“Oh, don’t be such a stiff. I know you wanna see it too, right?”

Prota looked up at John, only to find he was no longer behind her. Looking around, she found him sitting on a bench with an interested expression on his face, staring blankly into empty space. Probably using his system to read or watch some kind of video. She ran over to him, getting his attention.

“Huh? What’s up?”

She pointed back at the sibling duo.

“Huh? What, are you asking for permission?”

“Well-”

“Why’re you asking me something like that? I’m not your mom. You’ll have to get used to a normal life anyway, right? Go do whatever you think is best.”

“But John-”

“I’ll be fine. Seriously, you worry way too much about me.”

“John has… friends?”

“...does Zero count?”

“Zero is you.”

John rubbed the back of his head. He didn’t have a counterargument for that.

“I’m not the one who needs friends, Prota. Don’t worry about it.”

“But-”

“The less friends I have- ah, that’s a little cringe. It’s whatever. I’ll be fine, really.”

The twins seemed to be at a loss, but since Prota was spending more than just a few moments with John, it seemed that they knew each other. However, as they got close, they found that he was also someone they recognized.

“Ah, you’re that guy!”

“...that guy?”

“The guy with the strange magical devices. I was watching the fighter exam. You were… well, uh… interesting,” Ryan said, trying to find the right word to describe John’s actions.

“...thanks?”

Rose looked between John and Prota, trying to find the connection, but there was really little to see.

“Um… are you also friends?”

“Ah, I’m her brother.”

“Her- ah, I see. I’m very sorry!”

“Uh… yeah, no problem. What’s up?”

“Well, I was asking your sister if she wanted to spar, but it seems she was asking you for permission. So…”

John looked at Prota.

“You were asking me permission for that?”

~~~

Prota hadn’t thought she’d end up at the battlegrounds, but here she was, facing off against an enthusiastic Lilith, who was giving her two thumbs up. She looked back at John sitting on a chair nearby, but he just shrugged. She turned back to the fight. He made a good point. What was he supposed to do?

“Alright, then, let’s begin!”

Lilith held her hands out, her mouth moving. Prota couldn’t hear anything, but she was probably chanting a spell. Confused, she raised her hand and moved her mouth meaninglessly, firing off an icicle. With the speed at which she’d fired, Lilith was forced to cancel her spell to avoid the attack.

“Wow! Your casting speed sure is fast. I guess I’ll have to step it up!”

She chanted again, quicker this time, firing off an orb of water that flew toward Prota, but the smaller girl didn’t even dodge. Orb after orb flew toward Prota, but only a few of them needed dodging or blocking, while the rest could easily be avoided with a few minor adjustments.

“What… what the…”

Lilith was at a loss for words. To her, it was as if her attacks had been completely invalidated by some strange unknown magic. As someone who hadn’t genuinely fought against anyone, she had no idea it was possible to dodge like that.

“Well, that just means I have to try harder.”

Orbs of water began to form as Lilith took up her chant once more, but they weren’t being used to attack. Instead, they simply hovered around her, swirling around. Prota fired off another spell, but this time, it was intercepted by an orb of water that flew out and caught the icicle, rendering both forms of magic useless. She frowned, firing off a fireball, but that, too, was intercepted.

“If I can’t catch you with something small, then I just need to go for something bigger, right?”

Lilith grinned, pushing her hands outward.

“Water vortex!”

A mini tornado of water large enough that Prota couldn’t simply avoid it began to form. Seeing how fast the vortex was spinning, it wasn’t something she could take lightly, either. With only one option left, she turned and ran. It didn’t matter, though. The spell continued to follow her as if it had a mind of her own.

Gritting her teeth, she mumbled, casting a burst of air onto her feet, allowing her to leap away and gain a significant amount of distance. In the short time she had left, her brain ran through a dozen options and went with the one with the highest chance of working. Unfortunately, while her idea of placing an area of cold directly on the spell worked in a sense, all it did was freeze the water into ice, creating an even deadlier spell.

“Whoah!” Lilith exclaimed, staring at her spell. “I didn’t know that could happen! How’d you do that?”

Prota was a little too preoccupied to listen to her opponent. She threw a fireball at it, which chunked some of the ice out, but it wasn’t enough. Spell after spell was cast, chipping away at the threat, but it wasn’t enough. She started casting mana recovery, drawing mana out of her staff as she continued to replenish her strength, but another idea was forming in her mind.

She hadn’t been able to use Soul Steal during the exam. But there was no such restriction here, right?

She looked at Lilith and began reaching out, taking just a bit of mana. It wasn’t a lot, but it was enough to activate the requirements for Soul Copy, and that was all she needed. If the vortex wouldn’t stop chasing her, she’d just need something just as powerful.

Unfortunately, while she did acquire some water and ice magic, it was nothing impressive, maybe second circle magic at best. If her magic level was indicative of the level of magic she could cast, then it seemed that her Soul Copy level was indicative of the level she could copy.

Suddenly, she realized something. It was just the vortex coming after her. The caster was still watching on in awe, staring as Prota ran around.

If the caster was gone, surely the spell would disappear too, right?

It was worth a shot. Prota slowly gathered fire in her hands, getting fireball after fireball ready. While she flung one spell at the vortex, another spell was sitting in her hands, getting ready for the barrage. Soon, an immense heat was at her fingertips, ready to be cast. It’d taken a chunk out of her reserves, but it was fine.

“Go,” she whispered, her hands flying out as the seemingly endless stream of fireballs began flying toward Lilith.

The girl’s eyes widened as she held her hands up, chanting a spell just in time to block the attack. Unfortunately, her concentration had been broken, and the vortex chasing Prota was broken.

“W-wow,” Lilith muttered, falling to her knees. “It’s my loss. H-how’d you do that?”

Prota just shrugged. What had she done?

“You- your fighting. It’s like that of a fighter, but you still fight like a caster. It’s not quite a battle mage, but…”

She got up to her feet, dusting her dress off. Despite that, her eyes were sparkling.

“Wow! I’ve made a really impressive friend!”

Prota walked over to the chairs and sat down, tired. Despite having been in multiple life-of-death fights, she found that it was way more tiring to hold back enough to keep her opponent alive. It was the same with Hart. Her attacks were so oriented towards ending the fight as quickly as possible that it was actually harder to hold herself back enough to avoid seriously injuring her enemy.

“What kind of training did you do?” John said casually as Lilith sat down. She gladly accepted the water bottle Ryan handed her, gulping it down greedily before answering the question.

“Well, that’s… just some teachings from some professors here and there.”

“...were they any good?”

Prota smacked the back of his head, but it seemed that John was going to finally get to the “finding out” side of “fucking around.”

“Are you trying to say my sister’s weak?”

“Well, not weak, but definitely lacking in a few areas,” John shrugged. “Aim being one of them.”

“You-”

“Am I wrong?”

Some of Lilith’s cheerfulness went away, which was more than enough of an answer.

“Who are you to speak?” Ryan growled, getting up. He looked down on John, a scowl on his face.

“Well, it’s just my opinion.”

“Are you qualified to give said opinion?”

“...I don’t know. Am I?”

The fiery boy pointed to the field.

“If you’re any weaker than me, then no, you’re not qualified.”

“Oh, a fight?” John grimaced. He wasn’t fond of beating children. Granted, there was no guarantee that he’d win, but after seeing Prota’s fight…

“Really?”

“Really. I challenge you to a duel.”

With a long, drawn out sigh, John got up reluctantly.

“Fine. Let’s do it.”