Chapter 8 | The Assassin Promises to Meet Again
In the blink of an eye, Dia’s final day arrived. She was to leave that evening.
On the mountain behind the estate, we were testing magic designed to create alloys.
Up until now, we’d been able to produce only metals on the periodic table, but through modifying the formula for transfiguration, we succeeded in combining multiple metals—a very meaningful development.
Titanium was a high-quality metal. Its solidity was about the same as iron, and it was 40 percent lighter. It possessed a high melting point, enabling it to withstand very high temperatures, and it was very resistant to rust and corrosion.
It was just too bad that it wasn’t much harder than iron. On the other hand, harder metals were often either too brittle or too heavy. Thus, if you were to try to think of a better metal than titanium, finding an answer would be difficult.
A titanium alloy was a whole different story, however. It would allow you to keep all the strong points of titanium while increasing its hardness and sharpness.
By adding vanadium and aluminum, you got the beta titanium alloy.
While being twice as hard, it was still very light. It was also tough and degradation-resistant. In other words, it was the dream material. No other alloy could serve you better in a harsh environment.
Using magic, I combined titanium, vanadium, and aluminum into one. Just as I’d hoped, I produced beta titanium. I then transfigured the beta titanium into the shape of a knife. I wrapped the handle in leather and passed it to Dia.
“Dia, this is the fruit of our labor,” I said.
The girl slashed at a nearby tree.
“It’s light and really sharp! If we made swords with this and distributed them to our soldiers, we’d be unbeatable in battle!” she exclaimed.
“That would be a bad idea. We probably won’t cause much of a fuss if we use this purely for ourselves, but mass-producing them for others could lead to serious trouble… Worst-case scenario, we could end up being made slaves to produce those swords for the rest of our lives,” I refuted.
The majority of weapons in this world were still made of iron. If word got around that swords this strong existed, everyone would be scrambling to get their hands on one.
“Now that you say that, I get your point…but what if I only give one each to three knights whom I trust? I’m confident they can keep a secret, and I want them to have good weapons. I don’t want to see any of them die on the battlefield.”
Strong weapons to prevent people you care about from dying… I understood the feeling, and I was also a little jealous of those knights Dia valued so much.
“Even if you trust those knights, they likely have people they can’t lie to. The secret will definitely get out… But if you don’t tell anyone that they were made with magic, it should be okay. I’m repeating myself, but I want to keep these new spells we’ve developed a secret. Only use Gun Strike if you feel your life is in danger,” I cautioned.
“Okay, sounds good!” Dia nodded, then followed my example and performed the same incantation to produce the alloy. Her attempt turned out to be a failure, however. “Wh-what happened?” she asked.
“If I had to guess, I’d say it failed because your mental image of the alloy wasn’t strong enough. Unlike the spells where you simply produce a metal, when making an alloy, it’s important that you know exactly how you want to change the metals and exactly what you want the finished product to be,” I advised.
Unlike other spells, a caster’s mental image was important when creating an alloy. This was more complicated than simply changing a metal’s shape. It required a knowledge of the chemistry behind the concept.
“That’s impossible for me. I have no idea what to mix with what to create strong metals…,” Dia said dejectedly.
“I’d like to teach you, but first you’d have to know the basics of physics and materials science, so it would take a really long time. A month, at the least.”
That was taking into account Dia’s genius intellect. It would normally take five times as long.
“Aw, but I’m leaving today…,” she said with a frown.
“Can you extend your stay?” I asked.
“… I would if I could. I asked numerous times, but the answer is always no. I really want to stay here and keep making magic with you.”
I was happy to hear those words, so I decided to give Dia a parting gift. Conjuring up more titanium alloy, I shaped it into three copies of a kind of straight-bladed sword that was common to the region. As a bonus, I also created scabbards for them.
“You can take home the knife I gave you and these three swords as souvenirs. We’ll have to come up with an explanation for how you got them, though. Father will probably help us. Your father will likely find it strange that you brought home magic swords from the Tuatha Dé domain, and he’ll contact my father to ask if you stole them.”
“Hmm, yeah. That probably is what my father would do,” Dia replied. “Thank you so much for making these for me. You’re a really good kid, Lugh.” Happily, Dia hugged the swords.
“… They’re just a thank-you gift. If you hadn’t been my mentor, I wouldn’t have been able to become this skilled at magic in the first place,” I said.
“You have my thanks as well. If I hadn’t met you, I would’ve never thought to try creating new spells. I don’t think I’ve ever loved magic more than I do right now. I’m going to keep making new spells after I return home. You’re going to have to write them all down for me when we meet again!”
“That sounds like it’ll take forever, but I’d be glad to do it. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.”
I was certain that Dia’s ideas would be very different from anything I could ever imagine. It was sure to result in some really interesting spells. With her help, I would definitely be able to grow even stronger.
“Don’t think this is a one-way street, though! You have to teach me the spells you write, too!” Dia said.
“For sure. I’ll make new magic that’ll knock your socks off… Actually, I think I can use the eleventh spell you learned to make one with four hundred times the force of Cannon Strike.”
The idea was still in the theoretical stage, but if I could realize it, I’d be able to produce a very useful spell far stronger than anything else Dia and I had created thus far, and all it would require was an instantaneous discharge of my mana.
“… That spell already far surpasses the strength of ceremonial magic cast by a hundred people pooling their mana together, but I’m excited to see it. This was probably the most fun I’ve had in my entire life. I don’t want to leave, so let’s promise this won’t be the end for us.” Dia held out her pinkie finger, and I joined mine with hers. She smiled.
She was adorable. Perhaps this was love, or longing, or some other emotion I’d never experienced in my life. Whatever it was, the thought of Dia leaving pained me greatly.
I wanted more of these feelings that had been so absent in my first life.
Dinner was slightly earlier that evening, as the meal was meant to double as a farewell party for Dia.
Mother and I prepared a feast for the occasion, featuring the gratin Dia loved. A look of pure joy spread across the young girl’s face as she dug into the food.
“Dia, thank you so much for teaching our son magic over the last couple of weeks,” said my father.
“Lugh is a genius. He did most of the learning on his own. This is the first time I’ve ever felt jealous about someone else’s magical ability,” Dia replied.
“So Lugh is a naturally gifted mage as well. Our boy never ceases to make us proud.” My father laughed jovially and drank from his glass of wine.
“Um, Uncle Cian, while exploring the mountains with Lugh, I found these swords. Lugh said I can take them home as souvenirs. Would that be all right?” asked Dia. She and I then proceeded to explain to my father how we came by the weapons, sticking to a script we’d decided on earlier.
“Oh, that’s an unusual place to find swords. Mind if I take a look at one?” Father asked.
“Please,” Dia responded, handing him one of the blades.
Father removed the titanium-alloy sword from the scabbard and carefully examined it. His keen eye likely discerned the value of the magic weapon in mere moments.
“Huh, to think there was something so interesting just waiting to be found on that mountain. Perhaps there are more of them out there, maybe even buried in different mountains.” The intonation made it clear that my father was implying something.
Grasping the intent of my father’s words, I spoke up in answer. “Father, there are plenty more buried in that mountain. We should go search for them together next time. But I can guarantee you they are only on that one mountain.”
“I see. Only that mountain. If that’s the case, then I see no issue. I permit you to share these with these people you value, Dia.”
Essentially, my father had asked a coded message that inquired if I’d made the swords myself, if I could make more, and whether or not I was the only one who could make them. I’d answered affirmative to all.
“Wow, Lugh is giving a present to a girl! Our little boy is becoming so mature. Dia is so cute, too.”
“… Please, Mother, stop saying things like that.”
“Hee-hee-hee, I won’t stop. You’ve been getting cheeky lately, Lugh, and watching you squirm in situations like these has become too much fun. How about you become a child of this household, Dia?”
“U-um, yeah, I think that would be amazing.” Dia blushed and looked down. Mother was getting overexcited and saying embarrassing things again.
Still, I wasn’t about to object.
Dia was sure to grow into a beautiful woman, and she was superbly talented. Our development of new magic would progress much faster if we were together.
“I personally feel like that would be a bit hasty. In any case, I’m glad you became Lugh’s friend. The boy never goes outside, so I worry about him sometimes,” my father admitted.
He had a point. When I wasn’t training with my father, I was either studying or practicing my skills on my own. That was great for my physical and mental development, but it did nothing for my social skills. Perhaps making an effort to go outside and befriend other kids my age wasn’t such a bad idea.
“I’m happy to be Lugh’s friend. I’ll write to him after I return home, and I’ll visit as much as I can,” said Dia.
Mother and Father smiled pleasantly at us both, evoking a bit of bashfulness from me in the process.
With that, our last meal before Dia’s departure came to an end.
Later on, as the four of us were enjoying some tea, a servant approached and announced that Dia’s carriage had arrived.
The four of us went outside, and I watched as Dia climbed into the carriage. The horses took off at a slow trot.
“This was really, really fun! I’m definitely going to be back!” Dia shouted after poking her head out the window.
“I’ll be waiting for you,” I called back.
“Also, take this! Make sure not to forget me!” she said, and she threw me a pendant she often wore around her neck.
Attached to the necklace was a transparent stone. It shone with the purple mana stored inside it. I’d spent more than enough time with Dia to know what this was. She’d given me a Fahr Stone filled with her mana, even though the girl had previously said such a thing was forbidden.
“I won’t forget you!” I shouted.
“One more thing. Remember when you said you would do anything I want as thanks? I’m asking for that favor now. If I ever need to see you, promise you’ll drop everything and come running to me!” Dia proclaimed.
It was certainly no small ask, but I had no issue with it.
“I promise! I’ll come to you as quickly as I can!”
Standing outside, I watched the carriage until it had gone out of sight.
In these last two weeks, I learned how to use magic, developed my skill significantly, and acquired some very powerful new tools.
Resolving to do my very best, I was confident I’d create some really incredible magic that was sure to surprise Dia the next time I saw her.
That did raise the question of when I’d get to meet her again, though… Years could pass before we ever got the chance.
I didn’t want that. Regular meetings were better for my research. Also, I was going to miss her terribly.
The Viekone domain was over three hundred kilometers away, and the journey took you across two separate mountains.
Not only would I have to travel that distance on foot, but I’d also have to sneak across the border and then sneak into Dia’s estate without anyone noticing. Such a feat was sure to be difficult, but I knew it wasn’t impossible for me, and I could think of no better training.
This was something my first self would never have even considered doing, but I was beginning to enjoy this new side of me. I was no longer just a tool that lived to obey the orders of others. I did what I wanted of my own volition.
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