I'm Not the Heroine-Chapter 71

Yawning, Lafiré disappeared into her room. Shortly after, Serelin and Aria also headed to their own quarters.

“Sis…”

“Nia, you should go to bed too.”

“No… I want to help you, Sis…”

Nia declared she wanted to assist me, even as she yawned louder than Lafiré.

“You don’t need to help today. I’ll call you when I need your magic, so take a break tonight.”

“Mmm…”

She seemed disappointed, probably feeling like she hadn’t contributed enough today. Her expression said it all. I led her to her room, gently laid her down on my lap, and helped her fall asleep.

Click.

“Louis.”

“Ah!”

As I was leaving Nia’s room, I bumped into someone. It was Aswell.

‘…Did he come to see Nia?’

It made sense. She’s a heroine, after all. Or perhaps he was on his way to see one of the others—Aria, Serelin, or Lafiré—whose rooms were in the same direction. Mine was the last room on this hall.

Throb.

“What brings you here…?”

“Oh, I was here to see you.”

Wait, what?

When Aswell answered, I couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore.

“H-Huh. I see. Why?”

“Well, I gave the Count a report on the repairs to the wall and today’s defense. He seemed very pleased with the results, especially about the repair work.”

So he came to tell me about the report and the Count’s reaction.

I listened to him intently, though I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of disappointment.

“…And he mentioned that if you’re willing to share your repair methods, materials, or techniques, he’s ready to offer appropriate compensation. Keep it in mind.”

“I see. I’ll… have to decline. The repairs themselves weren’t too difficult. I’ll write a letter about it and send it tomorrow morning.”

“That will certainly ease the burden on the citizens. …Well, that’s the official report. Now, I have a personal question.”

“Huh?”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“W-What?”

Suddenly, Aswell placed his hand on my forehead.

Thump! Thump!

“Well, you were hanging from a high place earlier. I wanted to make sure you hadn’t caught a cold or overexerted yourself.”

He wasn’t even wearing gloves, so it was his bare hand touching my forehead. Despite wielding a sword for so long, his touch was surprisingly gentle.

For a moment, I found myself captivated by the warmth of his hand.

But I quickly snapped out of it, stepped back, and spoke hurriedly.

“I-I’m fine. If I were sick, I’d have asked Aria for help, so you don’t need to worry.”

I awkwardly tried to fix my disheveled bangs, but it didn’t feel right. Perhaps it was because Lafiré, Aria, Serelin, and Nia had been taking turns styling my hair recently.

Finally, I gave up and used one hand to cover my bangs, retreating slightly.

“I’ll go back to my research now. Aswell, um, sleep well.”

“Pfft. Got it. Sleep well, Louis.”

I turned and quickly headed to my room, leaving Aswell and his faint chuckle behind. As I opened the door, I snuck a glance at him.

Aswell stood there, staring at the hand he had placed on my forehead, a soft smile on his face. Then he turned and walked to his room. I only closed my door after hearing his door shut.

“Haa…”

What’s been wrong with me lately?

Every time I’m near Aswell, my mind feels hazy and unfocused.

Come to think of it, there’s something that’s been bothering me recently.

The playful moments I used to see between Aswell and the other heroines have been happening less and less.

‘…Maybe I should help things along a bit more.’

Throb.

It’s the only way to trigger affection events at the right times and ensure the harem party progresses as it should.

Of course, I’m not a part of the harem myself.

Throb.

“…I should focus on my research.”

I turned toward the Master Key lying nearby and immersed myself in the study. Right now, I just wanted something—anything—that would take my mind off everything else.

***

Whirrr.

The Master Key’s computations finally concluded, and the "brain" of the mechanical soldier was completed in the early hours two days later.

“Mm…”

Having spent the previous day entirely in my room working on research, the air felt thick and stifling. I hadn’t even visited the wall. I slept slumped over my desk, and my meals were delivered by the servants. My whole body felt stiff and sore.

“Huh…?”

Feeling something draped over me, I turned my head slightly and saw a familiar cloak.

It was Aswell’s cloak.

“….”

It seemed he had stopped by while I was asleep. Honestly, I wanted to scold him for entering a lady’s room without permission, but at the same time, I couldn’t deny the warmth in his gesture.

Sigh.

I wrapped the cloak around myself and approached the Master Key, which had just completed its task.

It was done.

The device that would serve as the first mechanical soldier’s brain.

A contraption about the size of a modern melon, blending shades of platinum and brass in perfect harmony. Its shape was close to that of a regular dodecahedron, with a central core embedded as its "eye."

“Next is the body…”

The body wouldn’t be difficult. Dozens of ideas were already swirling in my mind, and as long as there was enough space for this core, there were no significant constraints.

With that in mind, I decided to finish the entire project right away and present it to my companions when they headed to the wall in the morning.

Pulling out my pen, I opened multiple subspaces, revealing an array of materials: mithril-like alloys, mithril, brass, platinum, and other ores.

“I’ll design it in a humanoid shape capable of wielding a weapon. The core will be encased in mithril for enhanced defense against monsters…”

The pen lifted the materials into the air, and I used a summoned temporary workstation to disassemble and reshape them.

Then, based on the Master Key’s computations, I molded the components into their proper forms and suspended them midair for assembly.

One by one, the materials were prepared.

Finally, it was time for the last step.

Carefully, I began assembling the pieces. From armor pieces as large as a human thigh to components as small as clock bolts, each was placed precisely. Between the parts, I added lubrication or imbued magical inscriptions to finalize the intricate work.

Piece by piece, I connected the arms, torso, and the mana engine—the heart of the construct. The last connection was the neck, linking the mana engine to the head.

And then, the head.

The overall design was inspired by beings from The Record. This mechanical soldier, too, had no facial features except for a single large eye. Its face resembled a regular octahedron, with four lines converging at the central eye.

Click.

After placing the head into its socket, I climbed down from the pile of books and magical tools I had been perched on.

“Haa…”

It was complete.

A mechanical soldier standing roughly 2.5 meters tall. As a prototype, it was skeletal in appearance, almost gaunt. Rather than emphasizing bulk, the design leaned toward speed.

But with a body of brass and platinum, and a spear tipped with mithril, it exuded an eerie presence.

If a giant, one-eyed mechanical figure swung a spear with cold precision…

‘…It would terrify anyone.’

If monsters could feel fear, this would certainly send them running.

The downside was that the guards might be just as startled.

Still, I believed time would solve that problem.

Click.

Whirrr.

When I activated the magical inscriptions near its heart, the mana engine began absorbing mana from both me and the surroundings. Mana flowed through its limbs and into the head, which began to function.

Clink.

With the characteristic sound of interlocking gears, light filled the mechanical soldier’s single eye.

It worked.

“Yes…!”

Unable to contain myself, I let out a small cheer and swung my fists excitedly in the air.

To be honest, I hadn’t expected it to work this smoothly. The joy I felt was greater than I had anticipated.

Whirr.

The lifeless gaze of the mechanical soldier followed my every movement as I bounced around the room. The "eye" was performing its role perfectly.

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Additionally, the magical inscriptions governing combat and routine actions were functioning without issue.

I approached the mechanical soldier and extended my hand. One of the pre-programmed commands activated, causing it to kneel before me.

“Friend identification is perfect…”

I softly patted the mechanical soldier’s head and spoke.

“Oplite.”

The name I had decided on for the prototype. It would also serve as the collective name for all similar mechanical soldiers I created in the future.

“Oplite.”

I began humming as I circled the soldier. Its single eye followed me intently, like a child following its parent in a game.

‘I might really be a genius.’

Pride swelled within me at having completed Oplite without significant help. The excitement made me mutter compliments to myself.

“The genius mage, Louis, creator of all things~.”

Humming and spinning, I sang my own praises.

“…Genius mage…”

Pfft.

“…!”

Suddenly, I heard stifled laughter. Freezing in place, I turned my head stiffly, like a rusty machine, toward the sound.

The door.

“Don’t laugh—! Pfft, Louis will sulk—!”

“R-Right… Mocking a companion is… Pfft… Hahaha…!”

“B-But Sis—!”

Aria.

Serelin.

Lafiré.

Niabella.

And.

“Don’t worry, Louis. Hahaha… I do think you’re a genius mage!”

Aswell.

“….”

They were all watching me.

Whirrr.

Beside me, Oplite’s friend-identification system hummed softly.

Ah.