宅男天堂

Since winter break had already begun, there were barely any students around. Many teachers probably weren\'t coming in either.

The two were looking for Professor Binkis. Even if today wasn\'t one of her workdays, she would likely be in Constel. Her personality was that of a researcher, and Constel was the optimal place, fully equipped with her research and manufacturing facilities.

When they found Binkis\'s lab, it was someone else who greeted them.

"Oh? Frondier, Senior Quinie."

Slightly breathless from what seemed like recent work, with darkened hands and face, and beads of sweat.

Edwin von Behetorio was in Binkis\'s lab.

"What brings you two here?"

"Speaking of, what brings you to Professor Binkis\'s lab...?"

Frondier tilted his head and asked, to which Edwin replied with a smile.

"Ah, I was officially hired as an assistant."

"Assistant? Professor Binkis\'s?"

"Yes. This field overlaps a lot with my interests, and Professor Binkis said she needed my help."

Plus, there\'s the favor I owe her. Edwin scratched his cheek awkwardly as he spoke.

\'...Hephaestus is gone.\'

Frondier briefly observed Edwin. He could no longer sense Hephaestus\'s presence in him. This meant that Edwin probably couldn\'t use divine power anymore.

"I\'m sorry. Because of me, your divine power..."

"Ah, so it was you? I wasn\'t mistaken. You were the one who removed Hephaestus."

Oh no. Frondier was momentarily flustered. Edwin hadn\'t known that Frondier had made Hephaestus withdraw. It was an uncharacteristic mistake.

"But it\'s okay. I\'m rather grateful, in a way."

"Grateful?"

"My head feels clearer."

Edwin\'s face was refreshingly clear as he spoke.

"Before I met you, I was, how should I say, the epitome of despondency. My family was in decline, my family relied solely on me, and I lacked the immediate capital to utilize my abilities. I was frustrated and impatient because of the blocked situation where the order wasn\'t right. As a result, I even caused harm to you and Ellen."

"...That was the result of Hephaestus\'s intervention,"

"No."

Edwin shook his head.

"That was my doing."

"......"

"Well, maybe Hephaestus really did instigate me. He might have fueled my inferiority complex and impatience to lead me to something. But that was my action. Even if Hephaestus whispered something in my heart, I was the one who decided."

Edwin looked at his own hands as he spoke.

"As proof, my hands still tremble when I recall that day. I can\'t sleep due to guilt. It\'s all the god\'s fault. He controlled me. I wanted to escape by thinking that way, but I couldn\'t. In truth, I know. It\'s not a responsibility I can shift to others. My heart, my trembling hands tell me that."

Although Edwin seemed self-reproachful, the tone in his voice was truly calm.

Quinie, who had been listening silently, spoke.

"...The devil\'s whisper."

"Yes?"

"The one who overcomes it is a hero,

The one who is tempted is human,

And the one who entrusts their sins to the devil is also a devil."

Quinie recited the adage* as if it were a proverb and shrugged.

[T/N: a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth.]

"Well, Edwin followed the will of a god, not a devil, so it\'s a little different, I guess."

Looking at Quinie as she spoke, Frondier thought for a moment.

Perhaps, it\'s not that different.

To Frondier, who had a rough understanding of what the gods in this world were like, the adage Quinie recited had a different meaning.

Quinie continued speaking.

"Edwin didn\'t run away. Even though he couldn\'t overcome the god\'s interference, at least he didn\'t turn a blind eye to that sin. Well, it\'s not my place to say much, not being directly involved in the incident."

"That\'s right. I also think so. As someone directly involved."

Hearing Quinie and Frondier\'s words, Edwin smiled. It was a smile with a hint of apology and gratitude.

"Thank you. So, what\'s going on? Do you have business with Professor Binkis?"

"Ah, actually, it\'s because of this-"

Frondier briefly explained the need for a new artifact. Edwin was also someone who had witnessed Frondier using the Obsidian, so there was no need to hide it from him.

Edwin, lost in thought for a moment, spoke.

"Indeed. If it\'s that, I think the professor could do it. Though I don\'t know if she will."

Edwin smiled bitterly as he said that. Indeed, Binkis\'s personality was unpredictable, so it was uncertain whether she would readily create the artifact.

"And we\'ll need to apply security magic too, so it would be great if you could do that, Senior."

"Huh? Me?"

As Edwin asked back, seemingly caught off guard, Frondier and Quinie nodded.

It wasn\'t that they were suggesting it because Edwin happened to be there; they had been thinking of him from the beginning. Edwin was a genius in this area. By chance, and with the intervention of a god, he had managed to break through Professor Binkis\'s security magic.

They hadn\'t expected to find Edwin when they came to see Binkis, but it was fortunate that they could meet both of them together.

Edwin said, flustered.

"First, we should hear what the professor has to say,"

"I agree."

Someone cut off Edwin\'s words and placed a hand on his head. It was Binkis.

The timing was so perfect that it made one wonder if she had been secretly listening.

"I\'ll help. That artifact sounds interesting."

Binkis\'s reaction was unexpectedly positive.

However, the playful glint in her eyes hadn\'t gone anywhere.

"But, there\'s a condition."

"A condition?"

"Yes, follow me."

Saying that, Binkis walked ahead, leaving no room for further explanation.

Watching Binkis walk briskly, Frondier and Quinie turned their gaze to Edwin. He chuckled and gave a slight nod. It meant \'Don\'t worry and come along.\' He seemed to know what the condition Binkis mentioned was.

The three followed Binkis, and she went straight into the back of the lab and stepped onto the stairs leading downstairs.

Frondier followed behind, and when he saw where Binkis stopped, he finally had a rough idea of what the condition was.

"Here it is."

Binkis spread her arms wide and gestured towards the massive figure in front of her as if introducing it.

"It\'s Azier Mk. 3!"

The metal giant that Binkis introduced with such words was difficult to even call a golem anymore. It had elegant curves and sophisticated patterns engraved on it, and the joints and actuators were so similar and precise that they could almost be called imitations of humans.

However, it still carried that spear on its back, just like before.

Huh, Frondier let out a hollow laugh at the dramatically improved quality.

"How long will my brother be used as a model?"