Ch.114Chapter 114 – The Explosion Accident at the Repair Shop

When I opened my eyes, I could see a white ceiling with a magic stone lamp hanging from it, glowing with light from the embedded magic stone.

“Are you feeling any better?”

As I turned my head toward the voice coming from beside me, I saw Elena looking at me with eyes full of concern.

“…As you can see, not particularly well.”

I tried to move my arms and legs, but they were firmly secured to the bed.

I couldn’t even stretch or bend my arms and legs.

Because… my limbs were in casts, splinted, and wrapped in bandages.

“What exactly happened to you?”

Mina, who was standing next to Elena, asked me.

To their question about what had happened that day, I had only one thing to say.

“There was a bit of an accident while preparing for the festival.”

Arms and legs wrapped in casts and bandages.

And me, lying in a pristine white hospital room.

To understand how I ended up like this, we need to go back about three days from now.

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<About three days ago, November 1st>

After being asked by the Chancellor to run one of the booths for the autumn festival, I decided on a concept.

‘Never before has such an ability existed. Is this repair or creation?’

This phrase was a slight twist on one from a movie I had enjoyed watching.

I recall that after the movie’s success, several catchphrases and advertisements using that line appeared.

So I deliberately named the booth this way to attract people’s attention.

For my booth, I planned to set specific times to demonstrate what my ability could do.

I planned to operate only three times a day, showing a different repair performance each time.

The autumn festival apparently starts around November 15th, runs for five days, and ends on the 19th.

So I decided to start operating my booth on the 17th.

Originally, festivals are fun if you visit the same booth for a day or two… but after three days, doesn’t it get boring?

So my booth would launch right in the middle, on the 17th.

Let’s think about this logically.

An ability user who received a viscount title for destroying a magic sword is personally demonstrating his abilities on various objects?

Moreover, someone officially recognized as a magic sword destroyer by the Great Goddess Order?

This is 100% going to be a hit.

Besides, this world, unlike the Earth I lived on, doesn’t have much in the way of cultural entertainment.

Cultural entertainment?

Just traveling troupes, bands, or circuses that might come once a year, if at all.

Novels? Comics?

Paper books are only available to nobles or the wealthy, so common people can’t even dream of such things.

The Academy, being a state-led institution, provides various paper textbooks to students.

However, they don’t mass-produce paper books enough for ordinary people to buy and read them on the market.

As a result, people naturally gather at taverns to share various stories, making taverns both places for information exchange and cultural spaces.

If someone makes a mistake and becomes a laughingstock, that’s the equivalent of watching comedy.

So I heard that the autumn festival hosted by Glesius Academy is a major event widely known throughout the Empire, with many people from surrounding areas flocking to Archenium to enjoy it.

‘I need to hurry.’

I would be giving nine demonstrations over three days.

For the first day, I prepared items commonly seen around us.

For example, “bread,” which had given me quite a bit of trouble.

And items ordinary people commonly encounter like axes, hammers, chairs, tables, pots, frying pans, and so on.

These are things people see and use frequently, so they can easily pique interest.

However, I couldn’t show something too impactful on the first day.

If I showed something powerful from the start, people’s interest might wane.

To maintain maximum interest, I needed to gradually increase the intensity.

So for the second day, I prepared more impressive items.

Broken swords, shields split in half, shattered armor, window glass, glass cups—relatively expensive items that are very difficult to repair—these would be showcased on the second day.

Of course, I wouldn’t show all of these at once.

For the second day, I would only allow people who hadn’t visited on the first day.

That way, I could focus attention on the first day’s items and then draw even more attention to the items used in the second day’s demonstration.

Then, on the final day, I planned to welcome everyone, including those who had come on the first and second days.

According to my plan, word of mouth from those who had seen my ability on the first and second days would spread, drawing crowds on the third day.

So on the third day of my booth, which was also the last day of the festival, I planned to hold the demonstration in a large circular tent provided by the Academy.

I had also thought about personnel to control the large crowds.

I had students from the Academy’s martial arts department whose swords I had repaired very cheaply with my ability.

I planned to ask them to provide security through the Chancellor.

Anyone training in martial arts at Glesius Academy has the potential to reach at least the level of a Sword Expert.

I wouldn’t pay them separately; instead, I’d offer to repair their armor or beloved swords for free when they broke during active duty.

“For the last day… should I try it on people?”

On the last day, I planned to use this ability on people.

After all, I already had two successful cases.

“Baldness.”

That’s right.

On the third day, I planned to cure baldness.

I had even asked the Chancellor to help me select ten people—five pre-arranged individuals suffering from significant hair loss and baldness, and five people who hadn’t been arranged in advance.

What would happen if people saw baldness being cured right before their eyes?

The circular tent would probably burst at the seams.

But there was also a possibility that not many people would come.

In that case, I’d actually be grateful.

From the beginning, this event was a potential jackpot if successful, and I’d break even even if it wasn’t.

“Heave-ho. Let me move this first and think about it later.”

So I was busy moving the items I had requested from the Academy.

These items were purchased from suppliers that regularly dealt with the Academy. While the items weren’t expensive, they were numerous and varied, so I had acquired them through a merchant.

Most of the items I bought were heavy, so I was moving them carefully when one of the sacks fell to the floor.

“Huh?”

It seemed to contain glass bottles, as I heard the sound of breaking glass.

As the bottles broke, liquid spilled out, and I could see the sack getting wet.

I tried to put down the other items temporarily so I could clean up the wet sack.

After placing my load on a mountain of stacked sacks, I walked toward the wet one, and that was the last thing I saw before opening my eyes here.

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“Then, wasn’t that essentially an assassination attempt?”

Mina exclaimed in surprise after hearing my explanation.

She seemed to think this incident was an attempt on my life.

“Has the Academy launched an investigation?”

“I heard an investigation is underway.”

I was told that not only the Academy but also the Imperial Palace had launched investigations into this incident.

In particular, His Majesty the Emperor himself had expressed anger and declared that the perpetrators would be severely punished.

“According to the Chancellor, the Imperial Knights have begun investigating. The Academy has also started investigating the merchant guild that supplied the items I mentioned.”

Ugh. Trying to explain makes my body ache more.

Of all times, this had to happen while Etherna was away.

Normally, Etherna would have rushed to my side immediately, but she had been summoned by the Sun Order due to reports of suspected heretical groups becoming active in various regions.

She had said a few days ago that she would send holy knights to guard me in her place, but then this happened.

“I’ll speak to my father and see what I can find out.”

“I’d appreciate that, but…”

Elena said she would ask her father, Viscount Ielron Sandrios, for help.

His assistance as an archmage would be welcome, but with the Chancellor already involved, was it necessary?

Oh, but my eyes keep closing.

It seems my body naturally craves rest for healing.

“Only ten days… until the festival…”

I succumbed to the overwhelming drowsiness and fell asleep.

And when I opened my eyes again…

“Lord Pathos! I’ve caught the culprit!”

I saw Etherna striking a triumphant pose, and a battered assailant, bound by holy knights, kneeling before me.

“…?”

What in the world is going on?