After an All-Nighter

The world of magic items is endless.

Still, if I try hard, I can sort of read them now. Did I just pick up Magic-Item Crafting as a skill? I'm a genius. Thanks, Goddess.

"Want to make something too, Dea-kun? We don't have tools, so if you draw an array on parchment, I'll 'print' it onto wood."

"I want to try!"

"Great. There's parchment, ink, and pens in the pirates' house—use as much as you want."

We're just messing around, so duplicating stuff is fine!

We completely lost track of time tinkering with magic items.

 

*

 

"Karina-neesan, this next, please!"

"Ooh, what's this? Was this in the textbook?"

"I combined several arrays. It should make light spin around in a circle!"

"Awesome! Dea-kun, you're a genius! Output and… huh, it's not moving."

"Ah! Sorry, these lines got connected… I messed up."

"Let me just fix that part. Tweak, tweak… There! It moved! The light's spinning!"

"Yay!"

Caught up in the excitement, we hugged. Then Dea blushed.

"S-sorry, I got carried away."

It's fine! You're cute!

"But spinning light alone isn't useful."

"We could make a clock if we tuned the rotation speed just right."

"True. But the magic stone cost for a clock would be an issue—ah."

"Hm?"

"O-Onee-san! What about meeting up with my sister!?"

Gah! I glanced outside the storage room—early afternoon.

… We pulled an all-nighter! It's already past noon!

We didn't set a time, so… it's fine, right? It totally is, right? Eek.

"Q-quickly, Dea-kun! Your sister's probably here already!"

"Yes—um, you have ink on your face!"

"You've got ink on your hands and face too! Aaaand… mass ink-removal magic!"

After a whole night of summoning and erasing ink, I can target just the ink now—wahaha!

"Okay! Let's go!"

"Right!"

Dea took my hand.

Using optical camouflage, we teleported to the front of the lord's castle. I remembered Maria told us to come through the front entrance this time!

"Excuse me! I'm expected by—er—by the former lord's wife!"

"Hn? Who are—ah! My apologies, we were informed. An escort will arrive shortly!"

"Okay!"

Phew. We made it in time, and Maria had already notified the gate guards.

"We almost made my sister wait forever…"

"We were having so much fun we lost track of time, huh."

We laughed together. From his sister's perspective, probably not so funny—but please forgive us.

"By the way, I have more ideas I want to try—"

"Oh! Then let me show you an array I found during the Golem analysis—"

We were mid-conversation when one of the bathhouse aunties came to guide us.

"Kari-chan! I was afraid you weren't coming!"

"Ahaha, sorry, Auntie. We were up all night playing and only just realized the time—then rushed over. Let's go see his sister!"

"Good grief—pace yourselves. Hm? That one's an elf too… Well, if they're with you, I have no reason to refuse. This way."

Hm? Isn't Dea-kun supposed to be the main attraction here…? I looked at him again—still wearing a dress.

They haven't realized it's Dea. And Dea himself forgot he's wearing a dress.

My original plan was to have him wear the socks until the last moment, then dramatically remove them here to embarrass him while I collected them, but…

… This is way funnier. I'll keep quiet!! (Sleep-deprived brain at work.)