"I-I just wanted to see what kind of magic was placed on it..."

"Die!"

As Liam pummeled the solar plexus of the mage who caused the trouble, the Meister let out a sigh and spoke after watching the spectacle.

"Right. Let's let the robe slide. But did you really not lay a hand on the guest? Because to me, it looks like you're laying your hands on him right now."

"... This is an inspection requested by the guest."

At Liam's words, the Meister looked at me. It seemed to mean he was asking if that was true.

I closed my eyes and lowered my head slightly. Even if it wasn't as definitive as a nod, the Meister's quick wits would understand it as an affirmation.

"... Alright. I'm convinced."

It was the moment a misunderstanding that wasn't quite a misunderstanding was resolved.

"More importantly, how do you know the guest—"

"He's a workshop guest."

"... Right."

"Whatever, you. Give me the coat."

"Coat...?"

Although the Hero's party still hadn't grasped the situation, of course. They grew even more flustered when the Meister demanded my coat.

Their gazes gathered on me. Their eyes were asking if I would actually comply.

TOSS.

But the Meister and I already had a deal.

"Come this way when you're done. And don't hand the robe over to anyone else."

I tossed him the coat, which had returned to me at some unknown point. It seemed his plan to seal it to prevent the return function from activating and then observe it had failed.

THUD.

Regardless, the Meister who had stormed in like a storm left like a storm again.

The remaining people wore dejected expressions, like those who had suffered an unexpected disaster—though that might not be wrong. If it was a disaster, it certainly was one.

"... Um, Demon Knight. Is he someone you know?"

"D-Demon Knight. Did you perhaps know him before meeting...?"

'On a separate note, the Meister must be truly capable.'

'I had noticed it when even a Sage like Karl didn't treat the Meister carelessly... but to think he wouldn't be stopped even after acting like that toward another Sage like Liam.'

"Is the inspection done."

'Well, it wasn't important. The more capable the Meister was, the more it benefited me.'

"A-Ah, there is still some left."

"Then do it."

I urged the mages to finish the rest of the inspection, ignoring the words of the Hero's party as much as possible.

The bewildered Sage and mages hastily began to work.

* * *

Just because magic is mobilized doesn't mean results appear without a process. It just takes significantly less time than when magic isn't used.

Thus, Karl and the Meister took time to endure in order to reach a conclusion for the experiment.

As a bonus, they each did their own work during that time to prevent wasting it.

"Are you still clinging to something like that?"

However, as the Meister fiddled with his personal work, Sage Karl abruptly spat out those words.

The Meister's hands paused for a moment.

"Yes, I am clinging to 'something like that'."

Sage Karl was helpful in many ways, but he was not a good understander. The Meister clenched his fist, dwelling on that fact anew.

"I have no idea what you're looking at."

However, that didn't lead to anger. It was because he had realized long ago that he could not receive the understanding of others.

So, rather than getting hurt, he calmly let it slide. Along with a vow to one day illuminate their dark field of vision.

"More importantly, this thing... what really is it? I can't see its true nature."

"Not even with your boastful magic?"

"Yeah. What about your end?"

"How should I know when this thing disappears before I get a reaction."

"What. That thing you worship is ultimately useless too."

At the Sage's words, the Meister clamped his lips shut. He wanted to retort, but there was nothing he could say yet.

After all, mages were those who competed with results, and he had yet to produce a plausible piece of work. Even though a whopping nine years had passed since he shouldered the honor of Meister.

RATTLE, RATTLE.

Even in his resigned state regarding that fact, he inexplicably felt his temper flare. He put more strength into the work he was handling.

"Why don't you just give up."

"I don't want to."

"Honestly, nine years is a lot of wasted time. The mass distribution of magic. Such a thing is impossible. So..."

"For a mage to discuss impossibility first, how un-Sage-like of you. Should I tell the old man?"

"You know I didn't mean it like that."

"Oh, how surprising. To think the word impossible had another meaning that the people of this world didn't know about. Shall I share it with everyone right now?"

"Always so rude."

It was funny for a mage to be talking about manners.

The Meister flipped him the middle finger before taking his hands off his work. Formulas were densely carved into the object, whose purpose could not be deciphered from its appearance.

"Hah, if your research succeeds, I'll walk a lap around the outside of the Magic Tower on my knees."

"I wonder if there's any benefit for me in Sage Karl walking around the outside of the Magic Tower on his knees, but fine. There's no loss, so I'll accept that promise."

'I'll succeed if only out of spite.'

Wishing and praying for success inwardly, he held out his hand to Karl.

In theory, a tiny bit of magic needed to be injected at the very first moment for the formulas to activate smoothly.

"Try breathing some magic into it."

"You have no conscience."

"Then hand it over, the coat."

"You really have no conscience!"

At the Meister's threat, Karl screamed and snatched the object.

"Here."

Then he returned it shortly after. It felt as if it didn't need to take long, since he only had to breathe magic into it.

Although that was something forever impossible for the Meister, who didn't possess a single speck of magic—excluding the bare minimum amount a human is naturally born with, that is.

"Good..."

In any case, the magic that would act as a primer had been breathed in.

All that was left to check was whether this operated normally or not.

"..."

"..."

The perfectly still object rested silently in Karl's and the Meister's vision for a while.

"... The magic, it doesn't seem to be gathering at all."

"Yeah."

He didn't have the ability to feel and handle magic himself, but he did have an item that showed the flow of magic.

But even through those glasses, nothing could be seen. With Karl's official confirmation, it was even more certain.

"It seems like a failure, no?"

Yes, it was a failure.

"Damn it!"

He was sure it would succeed this time! The Meister hurled the object in his hands to the floor.

It was his two thousand two hundred fiftieth failure.

"Like I said, it won't work."

"Be quiet."

"Maybe if you mobilized expensive catalysts, but there's no way it's possible with such common materials."

"I said be quiet."

'I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it.'

He gritted his teeth and barely managed to cool his heating head. It was a familiar process, but it never got any easier.

Slumping into a squat, his hands roughly messed up his hair.

"... Just the function of gathering magic on its own can barely be made even if you lavishly use precious materials."

"Will you shut your mouth before I take the coat away, or will you just shut your mouth."

"..."

The Meister pushed back his bangs and swept back his fallen back hair as he caught his breath. "Ah, it disappeared." Karl made an unrelated remark from behind. It seemed the coat had disappeared.

"Aah, this is annoying. Do I have to experiment with it right next to that guy?"

'Who knows. Maybe.'

The Meister limply agreed internally. Even though he had tenaciously clung to it for nine years, it didn't mean that effort without an answer wasn't exhausting.

It was especially so right after a failure.

"Aren't you going to go get the coat back?"

"Go get it yourself."

"... Are you sulking?"

"What are you going to do if I am."

'Still, I have to find my strength again. The dream I embraced the day I realized I could never use magic for the rest of my life, I can't give it up like this.'

Firming his resolve, the Meister picked up the thrown object again. Then he pulled a cigarette from his inner pocket and placed it in his mouth. It was to relieve his frustration.

"You crazy bastard! Don't smoke in the lab!"

Sage Karl was appalled.

"Ah, don't be so petty."

"Go outside and smoke!"

"I got it."

'Well, it's not like I don't understand how he feels. I just didn't want to be considerate.'

CREAK.

Anyway, the Meister slowly walked out with the cigarette clamped in his mouth. His destination was the terrace connected to the hallway.

"What are you looking at. Keep your eyes down."

At his appearance, the mages passing through the hallway quickly vacated the area with pale faces.

Leaving aside how incredibly strong the cigarettes the Meister smoked were, if they caught him at a bad time, they would find out why his nickname was 'Mad Dog'.

"Give me a light."

Of course, some unlucky person was caught and had to serve as a substitute campfire. Even if they ran away as soon as they lit it for him.

"Um, Boss. How did you end up involved with someone like him..."

"Why did you give him the coat earlier?"

Setting that aside, there were people here who didn't know the reason why they ran away from the Meister.

"Boss."

"Demon Knight!"

The one with Karl's robe draped over his shoulders approached from the other side of the hallway, trailing the chattering people behind him.

It wasn't exactly that he was approaching the Meister, but since the terrace was open, they discovered each other halfway.

"What a colorful bunch of companions you have."

"They are not."

The knight holding a demon, the Hero's party following him, and the half-mage-cum-Great Master Craftsman who couldn't use magic stood in one place across the boundary between the terrace and the hallway.

"If not, whatever."

My wonder as to why the Meister was crouching in the hallway was brief. Discovering what was in his mouth, my lips twitched.

'Smoking in front of someone who finally managed to quit after turning 27. How inconsiderate.'

"What are you looking at?"

'On a separate note, does the Meister seem a bit more abrasive? His tone feels oddly prickly. Is it just my imagination?'

"Hmm... First of all, it is nice to meet you. It is an honor to see a Great Master Craftsman."

"... Yeah, sure. Hello."

With a flavor of rudeness different from my own, the Meister replied casually and continued to smoke.

COUGH, SNIFF. Having experienced cigarette smoke for the first time, the Inquisitor next to me coughed and stepped back.

"So, do you have business with me?"

"Uh, well. I do have something to discuss regarding our previous commission."

"Ah, you were a client."

It seemed he couldn't bring himself to keep puffing away right in front of a client.

The Meister snuffed out the half-smoked butt by rubbing it against his own robe, then stood up. He was tough beyond compare.

"Please show me the commission form first."

"Here it is."

"Great."

Proving that she had indeed made a commission, the Archmage handed him a scrolled paper. The Meister carefully unrolled it and opened his mouth.

"You go inside first. The coat disappeared again anyway."

I was wondering if I would have to stand here awkwardly, so this worked out well. Though it was somewhat a shame that the coat had vanished again in the meantime.

"Understood."

'More importantly, if this keeps up, am I going to have to stay on standby nearby from now on? That sounds pretty boring. I could read a book or something if I get really bored, but... still, it's kind of a waste of time. I wouldn't even be making money.'

"Wait. Do not go in yet, Demon Knight. There is still something you need to hear as well."

However, the Archmage stopped my steps toward the lab. I wondered what else she had left to say to hold me back.

'Ah, or is it that? Coordinating schedules?'

"Hmm, ah. It was this. The recipient is that guy?"

"That's right."

But judging by their reactions, that didn't seem to be the reason.

I looked at the Meister, who suddenly pointed at me, and then at the commission form he was holding. From my angle, I couldn't see what was written. That made it even harder to grasp the situation.

"Well, understood."

'What is it, what? Don't be cheap and just keep it between yourselves; tell me too.'

"... It is about your equipment."

Fortunately, before my eyebrows could furrow any further, the Archmage provided an explanation. That was baffling in its own right.

'Why is my equipment being brought up here?'

"A magic that filters divine power has been developed. If you wear an item enchanted with that magic, wouldn't it make things much easier for you when you fight? At the very least, you will take less damage from the Inquisitor's attacks."

'Ah, so she wasn't talking about my existing equipment, but a new piece of equipment she's going to gift me. And it's enchanted with magic that filters divine power?'

'... How and when did they even develop such magic? There's absolutely no benefit to filtering divine power. Unless you're a demon or a demon follower.'

"However, producing that item requires measuring your body. Well, since the Meister received the production commission..."

"I'll be the one measuring. Part by necessary part."

But why would the Archmage have any need to do a demon a favor? Ultimately, this... this magic... was for me.

I didn't know since when she had been preparing it, but while I was withdrawing my consideration to distance myself from them, the Archmage had prepared something like this.

"Please do not refuse it."

Because of that, my chest stung even more.

'Can I... really accept this? Is it okay for me to wear equipment that reduces my polar opposite, divine damage?'

"This is, yes. It is nothing more than an investment... an investment to make it easier for you to fight."

'What will you do if I become your enemy?'

"Demon Knight?"

'An investment, that sounds nice. Since an investment is the kind of remark that belongs in a business relationship.'

'But... in my eyes, this wasn't an investment. The Archmage's attitude as she gently hinted at it—looking to anyone as if that wasn't what she really meant—was one thing, but the aftermath this would bring was another.'

'If I wear divine power-filtering equipment, my daily life will become more comfortable, but it will become even harder for them to prepare in the unlikely event of a crisis.'

'And there's no way the Archmage wouldn't know the thoughts I just had.'

'Ultimately, the Archmage handed me this gift with a plausible excuse for my sake, even knowing all that. It was an obvious act of consideration.'

'... It was a goodwill that she shouldn't have extended.'

"Is this a pretext to hide your pity?"

I squeezed my tight throat and clenched my fist. CREAK. The gauntlet-clad right hand let out a sound of friction.

"Or are you truly foolish?"

'I was prepared for the Inquisitor and Deathbringer not giving up. Because they are ignorant and young.'

'Because of that, their blindness can't help but be immensely vast.'

"... Demon Knight."

"This is your last chance, Mage."

'But such blindness has limits.'

'The blindness of those who are meant to grow is something that inevitably gets corrected as they learn more, as their knowledge deepens, and as their eyes and ears are opened.'

"Do not cross the line."

'However, the trust of those who have aged is small but heavy, and just as hard as it is to forge, it does not easily change. It's all the more so because it's formed by piercing through the caution brought by long experience and time.'

"Never."

'Therefore, therefore it cannot be.'

'Archmage, even you shouldn't be like this.'

"Wait—."

'Because I am ultimately human too, so if you try to embrace me even knowing what I am, it makes me want to lean on you.'