Did I have my sword in hand? Was it on my waist, or hanging on my back? There's no time to draw it. No, there's no time to block it. Not even time to dodge.
Uh, this.
A situation where I can survive──
Suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder. His balance shifted. His legs floated, and the sky spun.
Vroom, the swinging paw of the bear grazed Edwin's nose tip.
"Frondier—"
Edwin, thrown backward, saw Frondier pulling him back.
But the bear's assault didn't stop. Its body was covered in minor wounds, and its bloodshot eyes saw nothing in front of it.
Likely inflicted by Quinie.
"Gasp!"
Frondier threw his dagger faster than the bear's next attack.
Clang!
The dagger, aimed with astonishing accuracy at the bear's forehead, was blocked by its paw.
Bad luck. It was blocked by a claw swung haphazardly.
'Dangerous.'
Quinie hurriedly extended her fan.
However.
Roarrrrrr!
The bellowing of the Red Bear.
Quinie's hand froze for a moment at that terrifying scream that shook the air.
Right beside her, all the hairs on Edwin's body stood on end.
Pwook!
But at that moment, a dagger embedded itself in the bear's left eye.
In the midst of that horrifying scream, Frondier alone showed no superfluous movement.
He had shot the second dagger amidst the roar of the Red Bear.
As if he knew the Red Bear would bellow.
"...What,"
What is that?
Can a human remain that calm?
The bear screamed in pain, and its movements slowed.
That was the end. Quinie had more than enough time to take its life.
Flutter—
Six blades shot from the end of the fan and embedded vertically into the bear's body.
All six were fatal, and at least two were sufficient to kill with just one hit.
The Red Bear died instantly, stood for a while, then collapsed after a while.
Boom, with an earthquake-like collapse, the leaves fluttered greatly. Quinie hurried over in front of the rustling leaves.
"Edwin, Frondier! Are you okay?"
"Ah, yes. I'm fine."
Frondier's calm voice.
He approached Edwin and reached out to him, who had already fallen.
"Are you hurt?"
"...Ah, no."
Edwin took his hand and stood up.
After lifting Edwin, Frondier discussed feedback about the recent battle with Quinie.
Meanwhile.
Edwin's eyes, looking at Frondier, were filled with an inexplicable annoyance and unbearable anger.
* * *
After the joint mission ended,
In Constel's private research room.
"I'll leave the supplies you mentioned here."
"Oh, Edwin. Always thankful."
Edwin placed a box full of various items on the desk.
Teacher Binkis, who had sent him on the errand, was busy with her research.
Binkis was a person very much like a researcher. To put it nicely.
To speak plainly, she was obsessed with her research.
She's a summoner.
Her talent specializes in 'observation'. She watches and memorizes the techniques of others, and applies them to her own familiars.
Her summoning structure is 'golem'.
Since Binkis assembles and constructs her own familiars, it is possible for her to imitate the techniques of others.
Binkis was currently in the process of creating a golem.
This time, it wasn't a familiar.
She was creating a pure golem that could move on its own.
"It's a little different from what I've seen before."
"Yeah, it's a metal golem this time."
A metal golem. In other words, metal.
A very familiar material to Edwin, who was favored by Hephaestus. Plus, it's a golem.
Edwin looked at Binkis.
"Is this, by any chance, for me?"
"Well, you said you wanted to see a real metal golem, didn't you? I'm also making this as a token of my gratitude for everything you've done for me."
Professor Binkis smiled shyly.
She was truly grateful to Edwin. His help had been a great asset to her.
He was especially talented with metal, fire, and golems, and he often gave her advice.
Edwin looked at the golem in awe.
Then, next to the golem, he noticed a huge spear that matched its imposing size.
"Is this golem supposed to use a spear?"
"Yeah. You saw Azier using a spear last time, didn't you? I was really impressed by that."
Edwin clenched his fist at her words.
Azier again.
Azier, Frondier.
The Roach family's been getting on his nerves lately.
Edwin's swordsmanship was average. Since he didn't have a talent for it in the first place, it was surprising that he was even at the second-year average.
Edwin thought to himself that no matter how hard he tried, he would never be as skilled with a weapon as Azier, even if he trained with a sword until the day he died.
But he didn't despair. Edwin wasn't particularly interested in fighting in the first place. His specialty was metalworking and golems.
However, golems required a lot of money just to attempt to make them. For him, a fallen noble, that amount of money felt like a distant dream.
Edwin looked at the metal golem in silence.
'If I had the money, could I make a golem like this?'
He was just looking at the golem with that thought in mind when it hit him.
'Huh?'
Edwin stopped dead in his tracks.
With his eyes that had been blessed by Hephaestus, he could see the structure of this metal golem at a glance. Everything from the joints, actuators, core, and mana circuits.
'...This golem.'
And the many signs of incompletion that were visible to his eyes. One of those signs caught his eye in particular.
'It doesn't have a master yet.'
A golem, which must always follow orders, must be inscribed with a spell in its design to designate its master.
That space was currently empty.
...In other words, if he wanted to, Edwin could become its master.
