Chapter 52 - Gift

Elior hammered the red, hot metal with all of his strength. The hammering sound resounded in the empty artifacing department in arithmetic intermission. To use his full capability today, he had put off the heavy training suit. The thing he was trying to make today will not be like the other time when he made the heavy training suit.

That was a thing that was used in training. It had no attack power and as a good defence as any bullet-proof vest, which was not a lot considering the monster he would be facing. Other than scribing the runes, everything was easy—well, the scribing was only difficult because he did not have enough mana, but the thing he was trying to make now would need more input than he was capable of outputting now.

He was trying to make a weapon, and the weapon took more effort in making than a terrible load that would make things difficult at every moment. Weapons were not like that. In a sense, it needed to be perfect. A penny of off-balance could fault the mana application in them, not to mention it might even be problematic to use.

He was making rapier today. Technically, he was making a twin rapier. Why make a rapier than a spear which he was most adept at? Well, there were two reasons for that. The prominent one was that spear was not a weapon applicable for all situations. It was godly when facing a single enemy at a time. Even a sword had limitations while facing someone with a spear, but dealing with a pack at the same time became tricky as with a spear. It was quite hard to injure over one enemy with just one swing of a spear.

Sword or a blade was better there, with just one full sweep, it could injure whoever came in the way. That was why he was making twin-rapiers that would come in handy whenever he was outnumbered.

And the second reason was more economical. To make a good weapon, he needed good metal and to get good metal; he needed credits. Even though Elior's pocket was heavier than any student in his years, it was not enough to make a good spear that would need almost ten times the credits he had. So he chose rapiers; with it, he would get more freedom in movement as a rapier would barely weigh any and he would be able to use it in short and fast motion with his ability.

The metal he chose for that was the top tier steel and heavy silver. Heavy silver was the finest metal that had a high conductivity of mana and would also give a certain weight to the weapon. And as for the runes, he needed to scribe hundreds of small connecting runes on it—and it would not be easier compared to the heavy training suit.

The weapon will have the opposite runes of the heavy suit. The most important attribute he wanted with this weapon is that high mana revolution speed and then attack power. To make that, he needed at least a week of time.

He hammered in one mind, ignoring if there was anyone in the room or not. His old mentor from the previous timeline did not even bother to come most of the day, while he did throw a few upperclassmen at him for teaching. Elior had successfully tackled them, showing his basic skills. The upperclassmen were good at finding that, as they would not have to teach any bothersome thing to the only student, so it was a win-win for everyone.

But thinking about his old mentor always makes him depressed. There was nothing he could do for him now, as the man was a closed book.

Elior sighed in relief looking at the alloy that blended well together. There were not many impurities left that could hinder him, so his job was almost done here.

"Wow," a voice said beside him. It was not from Professor Neldor, but his daughter, who was sitting in her father's seat with widened eyes. "I thought I could help you in the matters of artifacing with my knowledge, but it appeared there isn't much I could help you with."

Elior released tired air from his nostrils and mouth and sat in a seat. He removed the apron and found himself seething in sweat all over. He wiped from his face to neck nonchalantly from the staring gaze of the senior. She wore a white dress with a darker overcoat above it—not the code of the institute, but rather a casual one.

"Why are you here?" he asked at once.

"I came to give you these," she said, pointing to a dozen more books on the table. "I have written all my insights in artifacing in them with many other knowledge my father had imparted to me, though I don't know if it will be useful to you after seeing you hammering. You reminded me of my father when he is motivated."

"Professor Neldor could make things like this even if he is not motivated," Elior added, and he was not being humble. He could never manage to touch the level of talent of his old mentor in his lifetime.

"So will you take these?" she asked again. "I had already taken permission from my father. He will not mind."

"If you are thinking of making me the student president, then I'll not take it," Elior said straightly to the silver-haired girl.

"No, I'm not scheming to make you the next president with these bribes."

Elior looked carefully at her smug expression and said, "You are lying."

"Am I? Maybe." Aanya did not mind her trick to be found out. Her expression became curious even further. "That reminded me, I heard from Ileana you pulled quite a show the other day in the class."

"What are you talking about?"

Aanya looked straight into his eyes. "Tell me, you really do not lie?"

"If I was given a penny for every time someone, ask that question, I would have money to take you to lunch," Elior said with an annoyed expression. "Yes, I have never lied in my life."

Aanya's eyes widened, and they shone. Elior knew what this meant. It meant he had become an exciting puzzle to this senior, who might be considered a little weird.

"Do you look down on people who lie?" she asked again.

"I used to," he answered, standing up. He sighed and looked at the clock. It was just past five. "But not anymore."

"That's good to know," she said. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes, my business is done here," he said and collected his stuff with the purified alloy. "And I have other things to do."

"I see." Aanya nodded slowly. She gestured at the books and said. "Please take all these, other than the notes on artifacing, there are other notes on magic application, spells—it would be useful to you, Ileana, and others. You don't owe me anything, just take it as a gesture of friendship if you consider me as a friend."

Elior's face hardened. "You played the card of friendship that I won't be able to avoid," he said with a problematic expression.

He considered Aanya to be his friend not to say about the other timeline, his senior was a good-hearted person he had ever met and more she had sacrificed herself in great calamity in that tender age that made him revere her with a respect that he did not give to make.

"I'll take it then," he said, "but that still leaves me a little uncomfortable at heart. I should give you something as well, though I have nothing with me now that would be useful to you."

"Well, it does not have to be now. You have your time, but be sure to not give me something petty—I hate those," she said comically. "Look, I can be truthful too."

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