Ch.207Chapter 207 – The Repair Shop is Always Bustling

Today, the academy is as peaceful as ever.

“Come on, everyone! Line up, there’s room for everyone, so get in line!”

“Even if you come late, the line moves quickly, so no cutting—form a proper line!”

…….

Except in front of my shop.

News had spread throughout the academy that my repair shop would be reopening with renovations this second semester…….

And now, after every class, students come rushing with their equipment, asking me to take a look at it.

“It seems more people have gathered than expected, Count.”

The person standing before me now was the Disciplinary Committee Head, who had commanded students during last year’s festival, overseeing security for both the festival grounds and the academy.

The reason the Disciplinary Committee was here was, naturally, because of my sister.

When Regina heard about the flood of students, she asked the Disciplinary Committee to help me, offering special scholarships as incentive.

Of course, the Disciplinary Committee had eagerly rushed over at the prospect of special scholarships, but…….

What unfolded before their eyes was an enormous line of people waiting.

“I apologize, Count. There are just so many people gathering……”

The Disciplinary Committee Head apologized for the current situation where the crowd was completely uncontrollable.

In truth, he had no reason to apologize, but it seemed he felt responsible for failing to maintain order.

“It’s fine. By the way, could you find out how many people are in line right now?”

“Yes. I’ll check immediately.”

The Disciplinary Committee Head, along with his members, began counting the number of people standing in line to fulfill my request.

Starting from the front and going all the way to the back took about 5 minutes.

“There are about 400 people in line, sir.”

“That’s more than I expected.”

I thought there would be at most 200 people, but 400?

That’s truly a large number of students who’ve come to my shop for equipment repairs.

“Why are there so many?”

“Most are students who witnessed your skills last year, and the rest are freshmen who came on the recommendation of their seniors, visiting you for the first time.”

Hmm. So customers who experienced my craftsmanship last year have become regulars, and new customers have come through their recommendations.

They say regular customers bring more customers to hole-in-the-wall shops like mine, but isn’t this a bit much?

But thinking about it, with the academy’s craftsmen having quit, there’s no one else to repair equipment except me.

In other words, students have no one but me to entrust their equipment repairs to.

“Can you repair all these students’ equipment today?”

“There’s a way. Go distribute those sacks.”

I pointed to the pile of sacks outside the shop.

“Why are we distributing sacks?”

“If they put their equipment in the sacks, I won’t have to repair each item individually.”

“Pardon?”

The Disciplinary Committee Head showed a reaction indicating he didn’t understand what I meant.

Right. That’s the normal response.

“If I use my ability on the sacks containing equipment, everything inside gets repaired. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

“No… We thought you took out each item and repaired them one by one.”

“That might have been the case in the past, but my ability has grown now, so it’s possible.”

To be precise, it’s not my ability that’s changed but my understanding of it.

The Disciplinary Committee Head and his members began distributing the sacks I had pointed to.

“Write your name on the sack you receive, then open it, put all your equipment inside, and place it in the storage room next to the shop in order.”

“Understood!”

The second and third-year students who had previously used my services responded loudly to my instructions.

They did as I told them, writing their names on the sacks, putting in the equipment they wanted repaired, entering the storage room, and coming back out.

“Those who have been to the storage room, line up again in order. Otherwise, it’ll be troublesome when you come to retrieve your equipment later.”

“Did everyone hear that? Line up those coming out of the storage room in order. Begin!”

“Begin!”

The Disciplinary Committee members moved in unison at their leader’s command, lining up students who had exited the storage room.

After confirming that about 400 students had placed their sacks in the storage room and lined up outside again, I could finally smile with satisfaction.

“Everyone wait. I’ll finish this quickly.”

I approached the storage building, rolled up my sleeves, and took out the hammer made for me by the craftsmen of the Grendillet Mountains.

“You’re about to witness something quite extraordinary, so don’t be too surprised.”

Standing in front of the storage room, I raised my hammer and struck the building three times.

—Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of metal plates resonating could be heard, due to the space created for insulation.

But that lasted only a moment.

The entire storage building was enveloped in a bright light, which disappeared after just a few seconds.

After the light faded, I entered the storage room to check if the items had been properly repaired.

Opening a sack, I found a breastplate that had been dented and covered in dirt now gleaming as if it had never been damaged.

“Good. The repairs are complete, so enter one by one and take only your own sack. Oh, and just so you know, if you’re caught stealing someone else’s belongings here, it’s immediate expulsion, got it?”

I noticed someone flinch at my last remark.

“It’s best not to touch others’ belongings, even as a joke. Unless you want to be dragged away by the Disciplinary Committee members and hear a ‘sermon’.”

“If anyone wants to hear a sermon, step forward. The professor in charge of the Disciplinary Committee has been very bored lately with no students coming to hear his sermons.”

When the Disciplinary Committee Head mentioned the word “sermon,” all the students collectively gulped.

Just how terrifying must these sermons be for everyone to react like that?

“Now then, enter one by one and take only your own belongings.”

I opened the storage room door and guided the students to retrieve their belongings, then approached the Disciplinary Committee Head and asked:

“By the way, are the sermons from the Disciplinary Committee’s professor really that frightening? Why did everyone panic when you mentioned them?”

“The professor in charge of the Disciplinary Committee is an elderly priest. And his sermons… typically last at least two hours at the shortest.”

……Wow. Two hours is considered short?

“Then how long do they go when they’re long?”

“I heard he once gave a sermon for fifteen hours straight. He said he wanted the students to understand God’s mercy and repent for their sins.”

The moment I heard that, I got goosebumps.

I should definitely ask Regina to help me avoid ever having to listen to that priest’s sermons.

Seeing how well the students maintain order just to avoid sermons, he must truly be a terrifying person.

I observed the reactions of students as they retrieved their equipment from the storage room and opened their sacks.

“Wow! Everything’s like new!”

“The seniors were telling the truth!”

Those who opened their sacks with disbelief were probably freshmen.

“Hmm. The Count’s skills are definitely reliable.”

“Let’s hurry. Classes will start again soon.”

“Right.”

Students who had entrusted their equipment to me last year wore satisfied expressions as they hurried off to their next classes.

Seeing people so satisfied makes me feel proud without even realizing it.

“You’re truly amazing, Count.”

“It’s not me that’s amazing, it’s my ability.”

“Still, I never imagined you could use your ability in such a way.”

The Disciplinary Committee Head seemed quite surprised after seeing me use my ability.

Well, what repair person in this world would put items in a storage room and repair the entire storage at once?

Moreover, the items I repaired gleamed like new.

The freshmen who came on their seniors’ recommendations must have been very satisfied.

Furthermore…….

‘Starting this semester, equipment inspection is free.’

The large turnout of students was partly due to the free equipment repair service.

Most students usually spent their dignity maintenance allowance on equipment repairs.

Didn’t Mina also use her dignity maintenance allowance to repair the crystal orb attached to her magic wand?

“Come to think of it……”

I wonder what Mina is doing and where she is?

Both of them are second-year magic students and should have come for equipment repairs, but their absence makes me curious.

“Oh, by the way, Count. Have you heard the news?”

“What news?”

“One of the academy students apparently caused a major incident and got suspended.”

“What kind of incident?”

It must have been serious if it led to suspension.

“Well… during the break, while helping a professor at their external laboratory, they accidentally broke a vial, causing all the reagents under research to be lost.”

“Oh my……”

Who could have caused such a major incident?

“The person responsible is Mina Endras, a second-year magic student. However……”

I was surprised to hear Mina was involved, but I listened carefully to the Disciplinary Committee Head’s next words.

“There are some suspicious aspects to it.”

“Oh?”

Suspicious aspects… Could Mina have been falsely accused?

“If you’re interested, I can tell you more privately, away from the students. I thought I should tell you since you seem to spend a lot of time with Miss Mina. We’re just students without much power, but you have influence, Count. I thought you might be able to help clear up this injustice against Miss Mina.”

I nodded at the Disciplinary Committee Head’s words.

As time passed and all the students had left, the Disciplinary Committee Head and I walked to a small clearing behind the shop.

I needed to find out exactly what had happened to Mina.