The Mob Noble Who Got Reincarnated in a World Where Men Are Naturally Protected—So I Trained Like Crazy to Protect Girls Instead, But Their Love Got Way Too Heavy - Chapter 17: Striking the Gears

Chapter 17: Striking the Gears

After class, Aegis led us to a certain blacksmith’s workshop.

The front was a wooden shop packed with weapons, while the back opened into a stone forge. The building itself was old, yet because it was kept so neat, the whole place gave off a calm, settled atmosphere.

It reminded me a little of my master’s forge. And just as that thought crossed my mind, a voice called out from the back.

“Ohhh, Lady Aegis! And you’ve brought friends—oh ♡ wait, is that a boy with you!? Starting marriage hunting right from enrollment, huh? Off to a strong start, I see!”

The one who greeted us was a loli-dwarf blacksmith. Something about her felt oddly familiar, and I couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

Aegis answered her directly.

“This boy’s Tect. He’s your sister’s apprentice.”

“Ahhh! The peculiar boy she wrote about in her letters! So that means… you’re here to use our forge this time, huh!”

“That’s right. See, Tect? The talk went through in an instant.”

“Way too instant—it’s actually scary.”

No wonder she looked familiar—they were blood relatives. Come to think of it, my master had mentioned this before.

After that quick exchange, we finally introduced ourselves properly.

“Sounds like my sister owes you. I’m Flare. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, Miss Flare. I’m Protelclus. But just call me Tect.”

I shook hands with Flare, the blacksmith in charge of the academy’s forge.

Despite having such a loli-sized body, she wore nothing but a blacksmith’s apron—pretty daring, honestly.

I’d heard the rumors back home. My master, Ayla, and her younger sister, Flare.

Iron and fire. You couldn’t ask for names more perfect for blacksmiths.

“I’ve already heard about your skills from my sister! Use the forge however you like!”

“Thanks a lot. Oh, and could I buy some materials while I’m here too?”

“Of course! You’re practically family, so I’ll even throw in a discount.”

Flare grinned wide, that same generous streak her sister had shining through.

“Well, I’ll be the one footing the bill though.”

“My deepest thanks, Lady Aegis.”

“If you take me out on a date sometime, we’ll call it even ♡”

“That’s way too cheap for the exchange rate.”

Honestly, Aegis always acted spoiled, but to me she felt more like a little sister—someone I wanted to look after.

Still, since she used that as an excuse to cover all the costs, I couldn’t exactly argue.

Except… there was one person who clearly had complaints.

“T-T-Then I’ll pay half! A-And, um, a d-date… I-I’ll, uh, do that too!”

“What? One patron for Tect is plenty, and that’s me. Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong.”

Wiz tried to butt in, but Aegis cut her down without hesitation.

Watching the two of them clash left me baffled. Seriously, don’t fight over who gets to throw money at me.

Crossing her arms, Aegis turned to Wiz with a sharp, challenging glare.

“By the way, isn’t the Delphia family just viscounts? You even have that kind of money?”

“Y-Yes, we do! I’ve earned a little from selling inventions, so I can manage…”

“And how much would it cost to gather everything on this blueprint, Flare?”

At Aegis’s cue, Flare leaned over my design, studying it with keen eyes.

“Oooh, you’re trying to build something pretty entertaining here. Let’s see… ordinary rope won’t cut it, you’ll need reinforced this and specialized that… hmm…”

She tilted her head back toward the ceiling, fingers tapping the edge of the table as she ran the numbers in her head. Finally, she declared:

“About fifty silver coins, I’d say.”

“Fi-fifty…!?”

Wiz went pale, completely speechless.

Meanwhile, Aegis grinned like a cat that had just cornered a mouse.

“Exactly. That’s a pretty steep price for a viscount family, isn’t it? Of course it is—you’re just the daughter of some mid-level country lord. Dropping that kind of cash on the spot? Totally impossible~!”

“Ugiiiiiiih…”

“So, that settles it. I’ll be covering the costs. Which means the dates are mine too~”

Aegis clung tight to my arm and stuck out her tongue at Wiz, blatantly taunting her.

Wiz’s eyes welled up as she trembled like a cornered little critter.

I let out a sigh.

“C’mon, Wiz has helped me out a lot too. Going on a date or two with her sounds fine to me.”

“Tect! I knew it! You really are the best! There’s no one like you!”

“Wha—hah!? Tect, you cheater!”

“…You two seem to be having fun.”

After watching them for a bit, they almost looked… friendly, in their own twisted way.

Also—Aegis, quit using “pouting” as an excuse to rub your face against my stomach. And stop trying to suck up my abs already.

With the materials Aegis had bought, I moved into the forge.

I spread the blueprint open beside me. Wiz and Aegis immediately leaned over to peek in.

“So, Tect. What’s next?”

“First, I’ll make the mechanical parts. Then I’ll put them together into the launch-and-reel device.”

“Hmmm… in that case, I’m basically useless here.”

“Tect, once you’ve made the parts, I think I can handle the assembly.”

“Oh, seriously? Then I’ll leave that to you?”

“Yes! Of course! …Heh.”

“!? Tect! Tect, she just laughed at me through her nose! She’s got such a nasty personality!”

“W-What!? You’re the one who’s been mocking me nonstop this whole time!”

“Alright, alright, enough. Let’s just get started already.”

Even with just those two, the noise level was through the roof.

Thinking that, I focused on my work.

In this medieval-Europe-style world, making mechanical parts was no simple feat. Forging a sword and crafting precise machine components were on completely different levels.

That’s why I poured every bit of focus I had into it. To shape these tiny parts, I carefully heated small chunks of iron until they glowed red, then struck them with the hammer—boldly, yet delicately.

“Eh? T-The parts are that small? You were trying to make something that tiny all along?”

“Hey, gloomy girl. I figured Tect was doing something amazing, but… is it really that amazing?”

“I’m not gloomy! …And yes, it’s way beyond amazing. I thought the pieces would be at least ten times bigger. I had no idea this invention needed such precise, delicate work.”

Behind me, the two of them were chatting away.

But I was locked in full concentration, shutting out all the noise while I worked on the parts.

“Ohh, so you’re actually doing it. Looks crazy hard, but… wait, huh? Tect, what exactly are you making there? What is that?”

“See! I knew it! Even a professional thinks it’s weird, right!?”

“…My sister wrote that she was sending her fully-trained disciple here. Honestly, I thought she was exaggerating. She’s strict on herself and even stricter on others, so I figured she was just spoiling you because you’re a boy, but…”

I gave the small gear its final tap with the hammer, then quenched it in water to cool.

“One down.”

“““…!”””

All three of them held their breath at the sight.

Leaving assembly to Wiz, I kept forging each part one by one.

“…Yeah. This is the usual.”

“The usual? What do you mean, shorty?”

“We’re the same age, you know? …Anyway, this is just how Tect always is.”

“Always?”

“Yup.”

Aegis paused for a beat, then answered.

“It’s that whole ‘if only he weren’t a boy’ dilemma. Tect’s ridiculously talented—whatever he tries, he picks it up like it’s second nature. Give him a few years in any field and he’d be standing alongside the masters. For him, that’s just the norm.”

“Second one.”

I quenched the next part, set it on the assembly stand, and moved straight on to forging the third.

“““…”””

A strange silence settled over the group.

I didn’t notice at all—just kept working steadily.

“Now that I think about it… Tect really has it rough, doesn’t he? He’s got talent in fighting, blacksmithing, probably everything else too—but he was born a boy.”

“And since he’s also from a knight’s family, even as a man he’s stuck. Marriage will be a nightmare, thanks to that whole noble sons’ harem obligation.”

“…We’ve gotta find some way to help him.”

“Wow, for once we actually agree. …What, should we get strong enough to change the laws?”

“My family’s academic lineage doesn’t exactly give me much influence in politics…”

“And mine’s military lineage, so I’ve got pull in the army, but not when it comes to legal reforms.”

The two of them sighed together, both wearing unusually serious faces.

Meanwhile, completely oblivious to their heavy mood, I raised my hammer high—

And brought it down with a sharp, ringing clang.