I awoke.
To a sweet scent.
A gentle, beloved fragrance drifting through the haze of sleep.
"!?"
I opened my eyes, and there was a goddess before me.
The goddess had her innocent — one might even say childish — sleeping face turned toward me, breathing softly and steadily.
"Ohhh…"
I slowly slipped out of the blanket and sat seiza.
I pressed my palms together and bowed my head.
After all, she was a sacred being.
"Wait, could this mean…"
Something occurred to me, and I lifted the blanket draped over the goddess's body.
Just as I expected.
Just as I had guessed.
There, beneath the blanket…
Lay the naked form of a goddess!
"Ohhh…!"
A body so youthful it almost seemed too young.
A waist without any womanly curve to speak of.
It was dark and hard to make out, but was that a ushnisa on her chest?
Like the one on the Buddha's forehead?
No, it probably wasn't a ushnisa.
But it was certainly something just as sacred.
*Gulp*…
Would it be wrong to touch her?
There was no way it would be wrong.
After all, I had been chosen by a goddess.
I, the savior of the world — surely there could be nothing wrong with me touching a goddess.
That said, was it all right to touch her while she was in nirvana?
If I touched her here, would I take on so much karma that I'd never reach nirvana myself?
The moment I touched her, would a halo of light block my hand, and would I hear, "Begone, Mara!" before being purified on the spot?
My apostle was being far more pauline than this first thing in the morning.
"Mmm… cold…"
The goddess pulled the blanket toward herself, wriggled around to hide her body, and turned her back to me.
"Ohhh…"
How utterly divine!
The pale white nape of her neck peeking out from that light-blue hair!
A neck you couldn't exactly call alluring!
The hickey I'd left there yesterday!
Magnificent.
To be able to see something like this, I must be the happiest man in the world.
…Right. No good. There was no time in the morning — I had to wake her up.
"Roxy, please wake up. It's morning."
"Mmm…"
The goddess opened her eyes and slowly sat up.
The blanket fell away with a soft rustle, revealing the beautiful line of her back.
Behold — this is the dawn of humanity.
"…Good morning."
The goddess turned around sluggishly.
Sleepy eyes.
Two white ushnisa on her chest, and below them, a cute little belly button.
And further below, wrapped in a tiny pair of panties — a tiny red spider lily.
All of it, laid out before my eyes.
My stupa was bearing karma so heavy it felt like enlightenment was within reach.
"Ah…"
She picked up the blanket and hid her body.
In that instant, I understood that the goddess had withdrawn herself from my sight.
The light had been lost. A dark age had come.
"Why the long face?" she asked.
"I was just hoping to get a better look at Teacher Roxy's beautiful figure in better lighting…"
"…I don't see how that would be enjoyable."
"How can you say that? Come now, put aside that blanket and let this humble servant behold that magnificent sun of yours."
"Why are you so full of energy this early…? Well, if you insist like that, it's too late now anyway, so I suppose it's fine…"
Even as she said this, Roxy slowly let the blanket fall from in front of her.
And the world was bathed in light.
I saw the light, and I declared it good.
I had found light and darkness.
I would call the light Apollo, and the darkness Eros.
On the dark side, there was a navel.
And there were thighs.
This was the first day.
"That should be enough, right?"
And with that, the blanket closed before my eyes once more.
The age of darkness had returned again… though I suppose that was enough of that.
"Um, Rudy?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"Last night… thank you very much."
Roxy bowed her head, dipping her chin.
I recalled the days leading up to last night's activities with Roxy.
The plan had been that once the baby was born, Roxy would officially become a wife.
And yet up until today, Roxy and I had never gone through with it.
Partly because we'd been busy taking care of the baby.
Partly because Roxy had been holding back.
I understood, but I'm sure Roxy had been anxious too.
So I'd worked hard to put that anxiety to rest.
I'd treated Roxy like a princess as much as possible, and let her pamper me as much as she could.
I'd shown her the full essence of the Rudeus school of technique, practically shouting "accept my love."
Thanks to that, my jaw was still a little sore.
I'd overused my tongue.
Anyway, the love must have come through thoroughly enough.
Roxy had been satisfied too.
"Still, I had no idea there was such a… method? Technique? I never even knew."
Roxy said this with a red face, her eyes darting around.
"Hehe, the world is a wide place."
I had used every technique I'd cultivated over the years.
The kind that left Sylphie helpless and barely able to breathe.
I'd wanted Roxy to be barely able to breathe too.
This was the shortest route to fulfilling that desire.
Or so I'd expected — but Roxy turned out to be a little different from what I'd anticipated.
She kept asking questions at every turn.
"What should I be doing?"
Even in the middle of it all, she was serious and diligent.
Each time, I explained in detail and taught Roxy the technique.
"Next time, please teach me even more."
"No, Roxy — just lie back and leave everything to me, and I guarantee I'll perform flawlessly?"
"No, no. I want to improve these skills too."
Honestly, it was a little different from what I'd expected.
Not that it was bad.
Sylphie had Sylphie's way.
Roxy had Roxy's way.
Both satisfied me, and I had no complaints whatsoever.
"…We're going to be late for school."
Roxy turned away with a flushed face and climbed down from the bed in that slow, deliberate way of hers.
I maintained my seiza position without moving a muscle.
As for those cute little white cheeks — better to admire them from a distance in a well-lit room.
"Hm? What is it?"
"Oh, nothing."
When Roxy looked back, I pretended to be getting dressed as well.
"…"
I suddenly felt Roxy's gaze on my back from behind.
Should I raise my arms and strike some kind of muscular pose?
While I was thinking about this, Roxy came shuffling over.
She touched my back.
"I'm sorry. I think I scratched you. Does it hurt?"
"Hm?"
I craned my neck to look.
On the underside of my armpit, there were four worm-like welts.
When I touched them, they stung a little.
Roxy had left them there last night.
In other words — a man's medal of honor.
Ah, if I thought about the look on Roxy's face when she'd made these marks, I'd get all riled up again — no, no, no. No time for that in the morning.
"I'm fine."
"As long as it doesn't leave a scar…"
Roxy's face, as she said this, was completely crimson.
The fact that she didn't suggest using healing magic to make it go away meant she was probably remembering last night too.
When I looked at her face, our eyes met.
Beautiful light-blue irises.
My own face was reflected in them.
And then those eyes quickly closed.
A face waiting to be kissed.
If I kissed her now, round two would probably begin.
So I settled for gently stroking her cheek.
"…Let's get dressed."
"Y-yes. Right!"
Roxy hurriedly sprang away from me.
She then began putting on her clothes, starting with her bra.
I watched her finish before I began dressing myself too.
"Rudy, is anything out of place?"
After she finished getting dressed, Roxy did a little twirl in front of me, showing off her robe.
Her long braid swayed gently with the movement.
"You look perfect."
"Really?"
"Of course."
I sent her a warm reply.
If anyone dared say Roxy looked strange, I'd make sure they regretted it.
That was the intensity behind my words.
"This is my first day of classes, you know. I can't afford to fail."
Roxy clenched her fist with determination as she said this.
Starting today, she would attend the school.
Not as a student — as a teacher.
And starting today, I was a third-year student.
---
Now, before I talk about the first day as a third-year student.
Let me go back a little.
To the day Roxy became a teacher.
-- A few months earlier --
It was about a week after we'd returned from our trip.
Everything had settled down from the various whirlwinds of activity, and we were relaxing in the living room when Roxy brought up the topic suddenly.
"Rudy, I've been thinking about working at the Magic University. Would that be all right?"
"Huh?"
When I asked her to repeat herself, confused, Roxy looked down at me with her usual flat expression.
"Recently, I've been finding myself with too much time on my hands, and I was wondering if there was something I could do."
"Wait — do you mean becoming a teacher at the Magic University?"
"Yes, that's what I'm thinking."
Roxy nodded with a sincere expression.
It was true that Roxy had been looking idle lately.
Roxy's household skills weren't particularly high.
Having been a solo adventurer, she could manage the basics.
But compared to Sylphie, Eisha, or Lillia, she inevitably fell short.
With two maids in the house, there was little room for Roxy to contribute.
As far as work went, the most she did was serve as a substitute for my left hand.
Living without one hand was inconvenient in all sorts of ways.
Having her help me with changing clothes and meals was genuinely helpful.
But that was it.
"Hmm…"
A teacher.
I knew the happiness of being taught magic by her.
Moreover, Roxy was not someone who could be confined to being just my left hand.
There was no reason to refuse.
Rather than the selfish satisfaction of having Roxy all to myself, it was more important for a wonderful person like Roxy to go out into the world.
"Um, from Rudy's perspective, you probably think it's presumptuous of someone like me to teach anyone, but I really do enjoy teaching others."
"Presumptuous? I would never think that!"
I was genuinely offended.
A Rudy who thought Roxy was presumptuous didn't exist in any parallel world.
Across whatever world line, my respect for Roxy was simply destiny.
It was the choice of Steins;Gate.
"Roxy, you should absolutely become a teacher at the university!"
"That's very reassuring to hear. Well, it does make me a little bashful."
Good.
Now that it was decided, better to act quickly.
"Shall we go talk to Vice-Principal Geinus right now?"
When I said this, Roxy looked surprised.
"Wait, Geinus is the vice-principal now?"
"Do you know him?"
Roxy looked deeply troubled.
"…He's my master."
Come to think of it, Geinus was Water Saint-rank, wasn't he?
I'd thought he was Fire Saint-rank — had I been mistaken somewhere?
Well, even if you could use two types, they didn't call it "double" or "twin" or anything like that.
I just hadn't known, but Geinus could apparently also handle Water Saint-rank magic.
"We had a falling out years ago, with some rather harsh words exchanged. I've come to regret it as youthful foolishness…"
"It was in the past, so there's no need to worry about it."
The stories I'd heard about Roxy's master painted him as an arrogant and overbearing person.
But the Geinus I knew gave off the impression of a diligent company worker.
The Geinus I knew didn't match the image of the master Roxy had told me about from the past.
"But what if he still holds a grudge?"
"I'll make him let it go. And then make him forget it completely."
I owed Geinus quite a few favors already, but this was for Roxy's sake.
A few more wouldn't be a problem.
"Well, I'll leave it in your hands if it comes to that."
And so, we set off for the Magic University.
---
Geinus was buried under a mountain of paperwork as always.
"This is…"
When Geinus saw Roxy, he let out a bitter smile.
He was always a bitter-smiling sort of person, but today it was particularly pained.
"I'm sorry, Vice-Principal Geinus. Could we have a moment of your time?"
"Of course, Rudeus. Shall we move to another room?"
Despite how busy he must have been, Geinus generously made time for us.
Geinus always seemed busy, but if you asked, he'd always make time.
He wasn't a bad person.
We moved to an interview room.
It had been a while since I'd been in this room. Probably since the duel with Bardigaard.
"Please, have a seat."
With Geinus across from us, Roxy and I sat side by side.
"First of all… it's been a long time, Roxy."
"Yes, it has… Master."
"I thought you'd stopped calling me 'Master'?"
At those words, Roxy lowered her eyes and answered.
"I'm sorry about that. At the time, I was full of myself."
"We're even. My pride was too high as well."
The two of them bowed to each other.
I didn't know what kind of exchange they'd had in the past.
But time must have smoothed things over.
After ten years, people change.
A few seconds later, Geinus lifted his head as if composing himself.
"So, what brings you here today?"
"Yes, Master. After everything that's happened, I've come to understand the joy of teaching others, and I was wondering if I could take up a teaching position here."
"I see. So the same Roxy who said teachers weren't needed has changed quite a bit."
Geinus made a slightly sardonic remark and smiled bitterly.
Maybe he wasn't enthusiastic about it.
When I glanced at Roxy, she too was smiling bitterly.
There was a certain understanding shared in those bitter smiles.
What was going on? I suddenly felt left out.
If Geinus was going to object, I'd planned on pushing Roxy's case no matter what, but I got the feeling that wouldn't be necessary.
In fact, my presence might even be getting in the way.
"Teacher Roxy. Would it be better if I stepped out for a while?"
"…Huh? You're welcome to stay if you like?"
"I wanted to drop by and see an acquaintance anyway."
Roxy and Geinus.
Old acquaintances must have a lot to catch up on.
And for Roxy, she probably didn't want me around for stories of her younger, greener days.
Feeling a little lonely, I told them where I was heading and left the room.
---
I paid a visit to Zanoba's research lab.
He'd said he'd be back in two years, and it had only been six months.
Zanoba would surely be surprised.
Paul and Zenith's situation cast a bit of a cloud over my mood.
But I had no intention of dumping that onto him.
I'd stay bright and cheerful.
"Alright!"
I knocked on the door.
Without waiting for a reply, I went in.
"I've got big news, Zanoba! He's come back!"
"Wha—!?"
There was Zanoba, leaning over a life-sized mannequin with a rapturous expression on his face.
"…"
"…"
For several seconds, Zanoba and I stared at each other.
What was Zanoba feeling right now?
I could tell it wasn't about like or dislike.
I could tell.
"…"
I averted my eyes and silently closed the door.
From inside came rustling and clattering sounds.
I waited about ten minutes until the noises stopped.
Then I heard a voice say "Come in," and I flung the door open wide.
"I've got big news, Zanoba! He's come back!"
"Ohhh! If it isn't the Master!"
Zanoba and I embraced as if nothing had happened, celebrating our reunion.
There were no lingering feelings of awkwardness.
Zanoba and I were best friends.
I hadn't seen anything. Nothing had happened.
"You returned quite early. I was told it would take two years."
"Well, various things happened, and I was able to come back sooner."
"To return in half a time that would take two years — that's the Master for you!"
I looked around the room.
Rows of figures.
Ethnically colorful dolls and copper statues lined up everywhere.
I'd seen this lab of Zanoba's many times, but seeing it after a long while, it felt unexpectedly nostalgic.
Then again, quite a lot had accumulated in my absence.
Julie's desk, in particular, was covered in clay figurines.
She'd apparently been working hard while I was away.
"What about Julie and Ginger?"
"The two of them are out on a supply run right now. They ordered materials that can only be acquired in the evening, so they won't be back until tonight."
So that explained how he'd had time for a rendezvous with that lovely someone of his.
I felt a twinge of guilt for crashing what must have been a rare opportunity.
"Oh, Master, what happened to your hand…?"
Zanoba suddenly noticed my left arm.
With a clouded expression, he was staring at the arm that ended at the wrist.
"Lost it. Got careless."
"…Was your opponent so powerful that they could take a limb from you?"
"A Hydra that was immune to magic."
"A Hydra. Hmm, a formidable creature indeed."
Zanoba stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Come to think of it, what we'd really lacked was raw physical attack power.
If Zanoba had been there, maybe we could have taken down that Hydra more easily.
I should have gone back and brought Zanoba along at the time.
Not that saying so now would change anything.
"If magic was useless against it, even the Master must have struggled."
"Indeed. And it could regenerate its heads even after I cut them off, which made things even more troublesome."
"Oh, it could regenerate too? How did you manage to defeat it?"
"My father — the swordsman — cut off the head, and then I cauterized the wound."
"I see, I understand. Cauterizing the wound — that was the Master's idea, wasn't it?"
"I just happened to know about that strategy from past experience."
Thinking back on that battle made me sigh.
I'd known the strategy and still ended up like this.
The more I was praised, the more pathetic I felt.
"You don't look happy about it."
"I won, but I lost a lot in the process."
"Ah, I see."
Zanoba looked at my arm and nodded in understanding.
"If that's the case, this comes at the perfect time."
Zanoba grinned happily and walked over to his workbench.
He rummaged through the bottom shelf.
"Take a look at this."
What he pulled out was a model of a hand.
No — not quite.
It was a bit too crude to be called a hand model.
It wasn't entirely unlike a gauntlet, appearance-wise.
A glove model, perhaps?
"What is that?"
"Heheh, this is the fruit of my work over the past six months."
"Oh?"
"I wasn't merely playing around, you know."
Zanoba chuckled smugly.
Hugging mannequins counted as playing, actually.
No — that wasn't the case.
I hadn't seen a thing.
"So, what exactly is it?"
"Please, observe!"
With a confident expression, Zanoba raised the glove model, made a fist with his own hand, and thrust it into the model.
Then he shouted an incantation.
"'Earth, become my arm.'"
The instant Zanoba spoke, the arm model twitched to life.
The fist slowly opened.
Open, close. Open, close. He bent each finger individually.
Every movement was remarkably smooth.
"It's a magical tool that moves according to your will — an artificial hand."
"…"
"As the Master instructed, I focused on analyzing the hand, and with Cliff's help, I was able to complete the project."
"…"
"Master? Master?"
"Ah — sorry. I was too stunned to speak."
I truly hadn't expected this.
I'd told him to prioritize the hand, sure.
But I never imagined he'd make something like this.
"This is incredible. Honestly, I'm impressed."
"Heheheh — it's too early to be amazed yet. This magical tool can also suppress my superhuman strength."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Zanoba smiled softly, his eyes brimming with emotion.
His expression radiated pure joy.
If the curse of his superhuman strength could be controlled, he'd be able to work on figures properly.
He'd be able to create the things he loved.
With his own hands.
The joy that must have brought him was something I could barely imagine.
"'Arm, return to earth.'"
With Zanoba's words, the movement in the glove ceased.
It apparently had an on-off switch.
"Here."
Zanoba held the magical tool out to me.
"Please, give it a try. Put it on your arm and say 'Earth, become my arm,' and it will serve as your hand. To remove it, chant 'Arm, return to earth.'"
"Got it."
I did as I was told and thrust my left arm into the magical tool.
The arm with no hand.
Since it was designed with a fist as the premise, it was far too loose — it looked like it might fall right off.
"This feels like it's going to fall off."
"No worries. Try the incantation."
"Right… 'Earth, become my arm.'"
The moment I spoke, mana was drawn out of my body.
Not a huge amount — since even Zanoba could use it, that was only natural.
"Oh!"
The next instant, the cut surface at the end of my arm was firmly sealed against the interior of the magical tool.
The clinging sensation gradually faded away.
At the same time, the sensation of "fingertips" emerged.
"…How does it feel?"
I moved my left hand.
I opened the hand, then closed it.
Opening from the thumb first, closing from the pinky first.
The crude earthen hand moved as if it were truly my own.
"It moves! It actually moves!"
"That's not all. Try touching something."
"Right."
I picked up a small wooden carving nearby.
A horse statue about the size of my fist.
It felt slightly dull, and hard.
As if I were wearing work gloves.
But there was the sensation of something touching my fingertips.
"Amazing — I can even feel things with the fingertips?"
"Of course. Without sensation, one cannot create figures."
That made sense.
Subtle adjustments of force would be needed too.
If Zanoba had built this with that purpose in mind, it was an area where he couldn't compromise.
I tried using a small bit of magic through my fingertips.
A tiny water bullet, no bigger than a fingertip, formed without issue.
It seemed I could use magic through it without any problems.
He'd built this in just six months.
It couldn't have been easy.
This must be what they meant by "love makes the master."
"I wasn't sure it would work without a hand, but it seems there's no problem."
"Yes — it moves, and I can feel things."
"If you want to increase the power, just channel more mana."
"Oh?"
"Of course, if you channel the Master's full mana capacity, the hand itself might break. I made it harder than a human hand, but do be careful."
"Let me try."
Half-joking, I channeled some mana into it.
The weight of the wooden horse figure disappeared in an instant.
"This is incredible."
The moment I said that.
*Snap.*
There was a crack inside the hand.
"Ah!"
"Oh no!"
The leg of the horse statue had snapped clean off.
"A-ah… Master…"
Zanoba glared at me with a reproachful look.
"Sorry, I'll pay for it…"
"Ugh… That horse statue is a traditional craft of the now-defunct Gealart Principality… It may never be reproduced…"
"If — if you want, I can make a new one. It'd be in the earth-magic style, though."
When I said that, Zanoba's face brightened instantly.
"Oh! You make it sound as though I'm asking — I do apologize!"
Even as he said this, Zanoba tucked the statue away in his desk.
He'd probably glue it back together with some kind of adhesive later.
I hoped it would repair well.
Zanoba turned back to face me and spoke.
"I'll give you this hand. It's still a prototype, but it's certainly better than nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"With your help and Cliff's, a similar one could be made quickly enough."
Well, the research would continue from here on too.
I wanted to make the sensation — like wearing work gloves — even sharper.
If I could do that, I'd be able to enjoy groping breasts even more.
But it wasn't just about that.
This arm was an item that opened up a world of possibilities.
For example, making it modular with attachments could be interesting.
If I put a drill on the fingertips, it would be useful for figure-making too.
Making it into the shape of a gun barrel and having it fire magic projectiles — that could be fun too.
"…Zanoba, I think this is an amazing invention."
"So it is. Forgive me for saying it myself, but I'm quite proud of what's been created."
This wasn't just for making figures or using as a weapon.
It could be used for medical purposes too.
In this world, if you lost a limb, high-level healing magic could reattach or regrow it.
Injuries that would require specialized facilities in my previous life could be treated simply by using even basic healing magic.
Perhaps because of that — or perhaps for some other reason — prosthetic limbs and the like were rarely seen.
Even when they were, it was often just a simple wooden stick, like something Captain Ahab would use.
Once a limb was completely lost, treatment became difficult.
The number of people capable of casting the high-level healing magic needed to regrow a limb was small.
You could probably find someone in the Millis Holy Land.
But the cost of such treatment would be astronomical.
If you could sell this magical tool at a price these people could afford, it could become a source of money.
The Millis healers might lose business, but we were talking about opposite ends of the world — if you put the Magic University or the Magic Guild in between, it could work.
No — it could definitely work.
"This magical tool. What's it called?"
"It doesn't have a name yet. Neither Cliff nor I are particularly skilled at naming things."
"I see."
But leaving it nameless would be rather dull.
"Yes. Would the Master like to give it one?"
"Ah — sure, I guess."
I wasn't exactly skilled at naming things either.
But I couldn't say no when asked.
I looked at the hand that was now mine and thought.
A removable hand — the first thing that came to mind was obvious.
Rocket Punch or something.
But this hand didn't actually fly.
Well, it could probably be made to fly.
Then again, the phrase "Glory Hand" also came to mind.
The hand made of sallow wax from executed criminals.
The sweaty high schooler with a bandana and jeans had nothing to do with it.
Let's not take the name from that area.
This was surely the first of its kind in this world.
So it should carry the names of its creators.
"Zanoba, how about we take your name and Cliff's and call it the 'Zariff Prosthetic Hand'?"
"My name is not included in that, Master."
"That's fine. I didn't really contribute."
"…I would say you contributed a fair amount… but very well. Then this hand shall be the prototype number one of the 'Zariff Prosthetic Hand.'"
Zanoba said this happily.
And so, the magical tool known as the "Zariff Prosthetic Hand" was fitted to my arm.
It wasn't as nimble or sensitive as a real hand, but it moved as I willed and had sensation.
Channel mana into it, and the power was on another level.
I'd need a little training to get the force calibration right, but that was just a matter of practice.
My goal was to be able to gently grope Sylphie and Roxy's chests.
"There are still areas to improve, I think, but we must also continue our research on the automatic puppet. What would you like to do?"
"Yeah…"
There were apparently several problems.
The mana consumption, for one.
With Zanoba's level of mana, the device only lasted about two to three hours.
There were other issues too — the fingers were too thick and lacked elegance, the sensation was a bit dull, and so on.
Once those were resolved, the result would surely be something remarkable.
But this was only a byproduct.
Our goal was to build a moving puppet with our own hands.
It sold well, it was useful, and it could eventually be marketed, but spending too much time on that side of things wouldn't be ideal.
"No, our goal is still to create a moving puppet. We can't lose sight of that."
"Quite so."
"So prioritize the puppet's analysis over the prosthetic hand."
"I had a feeling you would say that."
Zanoba and I agreed on a new direction for our work.
The arm could be a side project.
---
After that, I spent a while talking with Zanoba.
The conversation centered on the figures I'd seen on the Begalit Continent.
When I told him about the glass figurines, Zanoba's eyes lit up.
"Oh, by the way, how is Julie doing?"
"Julie finished the figure of that person just the other day. She's probably eager to show it to the Master."
Hmm. So it was done. The Regeired figure.
I wanted to see it — I really did…
"Sounds great, but if they won't be back until evening, I'm not sure I'll be able to catch them."
"Hmm, do you have other plans?"
"After the interview with the teacher, I was going to drop by and see some of the others."
"Teacher?"
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Rudy, are you in here? It's this room, right?"
It was Roxy's voice.
She must have finished the interview while I'd been talking with Zanoba.
"Come in. As a matter of fact, we were just talking about the teacher."
"Excuse me."
Roxy entered the room.
She looked around cautiously, somewhat timid, bent slightly at the waist.
Then she slowly walked over to stand beside me.
"What a magnificent laboratory. Was it really all right for me to come in here? There might be things I shouldn't be looking at."
"There is nowhere in this school that Teacher Roxy is not welcome."
"That's not for you to decide, Rudy."
"True. But this room is fine."
While we were talking, I noticed that Zanoba had gone completely rigid.
He was trembling.
"Zanoba. Let me introduce you. This is Roxy M. Greyrat. My teacher."
"It's been a long time, Prince Zanoba. I'm glad to see you're doing well."
Roxy bowed deeply to Zanoba.
"O-o-o-oh…"
Zanoba looked at Roxy and was trembling violently.
He raised his shaking hands above his head.
"UWOOOOOOH!"
"Wha—!"
Zanoba let out a sudden war cry.
He leaped into the air like a frog and prostrated himself on the floor.
Roxy flinched and hid half her body behind me.
"It's been so long, Lady Roxy! Before, I didn't know you were the Master's Master — I was terribly rude to you!"
"Please raise your head! For a prince of a nation to bow to someone like me — how improper! What will people think!"
Roxy was bewildered.
Well, no helping that. I'd better step in.
"It's all right, Teacher. If anyone has a problem with it, I'll deal with them."
"Rudy, what are you saying too?!"
Roxy was flapping about in a panic.
There was no need to panic at all.
"Do calm down, Teacher. Of course Zanoba would prostrate himself before you."
"R-really? Why? Could you tell me the reason?"
"Right, Zanoba? It's obvious, isn't it?"
When I sought his agreement, Zanoba remained prostrated and spoke formally.
"Indeed. For she is the Master's Master."
See? Zanoba says so too.
"Don't just say 'of course' — tell me the reason!"
"There is no reason for what is natural. You need only remain composed, Teacher."
"But…"
"It can't be helped. Zanoba, get up."
This wasn't going anywhere, so I told Zanoba to stand.
Zanoba was tall, so he was probably looking at the top of Roxy's head right now.
He had the height advantage.
Oh well, the height wasn't something he'd chosen.
"So, how did it go? Did you get the position?"
"Yes. Vice-Principal Geinus… he recognized my abilities."
"He raised me, after all. It's only natural."
"Rudy, you raised yourself. It had nothing to do with my teaching abilities."
In any case, Roxy had apparently decided to become a teacher at the school starting next term.
This called for a celebration.
A celebration, huh.
Roxy's wedding celebration.
My sisters' tenth birthday celebration.
The celebration for the baby who would soon be born.
Maybe we'd have one big family celebration eventually.
Paul's letter had said something about wanting to do a joint celebration when we all got back together.
Well, eventually.
For now, we were busy, so let's wait until things settled down.
"Oh, right. I need to go say hello to the others too."
"Indeed. When they hear that the Master has returned, they'll be quite surprised."
Zanoba laughed cheerfully.
Smiling myself, I followed suit.
I was already looking forward to introducing Roxy to the others.
"Thanks for the prosthetic hand, Zanoba. I'll come by again."
"Please do. Julie will be happy to see you as well."
"Of course."
"If the prosthetic acts up, it may be faster to have Cliff look at it than me."
"Got it."
And with that, I parted ways with Zanoba.
---
A clicking sound echoed through the cold corridor.
It came from my prosthetic hand.
As I walked, I was calibrating how much mana to channel into it.
Every time I cycled through opening and closing the fist, the hand made a clicking noise.
It seemed the prototype was not exactly designed for silent operation.
"Is that prosthetic hand a magical tool?"
Walking to my left, Roxy asked suddenly.
"Yes. It's the result of Zanoba's research."
"That's amazing — to move with such precision."
"It really is. With this, it should be manageable without relying on Roxy for assistance."
"Ah… right."
I looked over, and Roxy wore the expression she made when she'd failed at something.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about Rudy enough. Going off to be a teacher when you'd be in such a difficult position without me…"
"It's about the left hand, Roxy — there's no need for you to worry about it."
It was helpful, sure, but it wasn't like I'd asked for it.
Roxy should prioritize what she wanted to do.
I wouldn't say it out loud — but she'd feel like she was just being used as a replacement.
Plus, there were plenty of people around me who'd help out in a pinch.
"Anyway, I'm glad the hand worked out."
"Yes. Now I can touch Roxy to my heart's content."
Saying that, I tapped Roxy's shoulder with my prosthetic.
Through her robe, I could feel Roxy's softness and warmth.
It could apparently even detect temperature.
High performance, this hand.
"Anyway, I want to introduce you to everyone, so come with me."
"Introduce… yes!"
Roxy nodded with a tense expression.
---
After that, we made the rounds and I reintroduced Roxy to various people, along with giving my return report.
Linia and Pursena.
Ariel and Luke.
And Nanahoshi.
I'd thought about visiting Cliff too, but I could hear a troubled voice coming from inside his lab, so I politely declined.
Each person's reaction was different.
Linia and Pursena's reactions were especially entertaining.
Just from smelling Roxy's scent, the two of them had frozen up.
I told the pair, who had their tails tucked, that this was the teacher I held in the highest respect.
They immediately bowed to Roxy in unison.
The beastkin must have been sensitive enough to sense it.
The sheer presence of someone you absolutely must not defy.
Ariel and Luke, on the other hand, were oblivious.
When I went to greet them, they gave me a little jab: "You could have at least come to see us when you got back."
They didn't say it in a blaming tone, though.
They'd been able to provide all sorts of support because I'd gone on my journey.
Having failed due to lack of preparation myself, I felt deeply apologetic.
So I apologized.
But anyway, that was that.
When I introduced Roxy, they looked blankly at each other.
They probably couldn't believe that the youthful-looking Roxy would be standing at a lectern.
Then again, Ariel was a princess of a nation after all.
She greeted Roxy politely as well.
A truly composed person.
Nanahoshi looked unwell.
Coughing and hacking as if she'd caught a cold, she looked at my face and said, "Now I can finally continue my research," looking relieved.
When I introduced Roxy and told her she'd be working as a teacher starting next year, I got a flat "I see" in return.
It was so curt that I went on to list Roxy's many fine qualities, only to get a grimace and the words "Lolicon. Gross."
Well, I suppose an ordinary high school girl wouldn't understand Roxy's greatness.
---
We'd finished our rounds of introductions.
Just as we were about to head home, Roxy pouted.
"Rudy."
"Yes?"
"I'm happy that you're introducing me, but I feel like you're overrating me a bit."
"I don't intend to be."
"Really?"
"The greatness of Teacher Roxy can't be expressed in words as inadequate as mine — what I said was still too little."
When I said this, Roxy pointed her finger right at me.
"That — that's it! Rudy, are you making fun of me?"
"Not at all. I have always respected you with the utmost sincerity, Teacher."
"Sigh. Every time Rudy calls me 'Teacher,' I get the feeling I'm being teased."
Roxy let out an exasperated sigh.
To me, it was a perfectly fair evaluation, but apparently it came across as excessive to Roxy.
"Setting that aside — you introduced me to so many people, and while you did say I was your 'teacher,' you never mentioned that I was your 'wife.'"
"Ah."
With those words, I realized my blunder.
An irrecoverable blunder.
That was right — Roxy was no longer Roxy Migurdia.
She was Roxy M. Greyrat.
I'd introduced her that way.
Roxy had introduced herself that way.
So I'd assumed it was unnecessary.
Ariel, for one, probably understood what that meant.
She hadn't complained, and I'd thought she'd accepted it.
But no — of course.
How could I have been so careless?
Roxy was a great person, and I sometimes felt she was too good to be my wife.
But yes — she wanted to be introduced as my wife.
The second wife was still a wife.
She could be the mother of my child.
"I'm sorry, Roxy, my sweetheart. But I truly love you.
If you want, we could go visit your parents and make it official."
"No — no, that's not necessary. It's far away, and it can wait for someday."
Someday.
I wondered if Roxy and Roxanne were doing well.
If I'd married Roxy, those two were effectively my parents too.
They'd shown me kindness before, and I wanted to see them.
If I went through a few of those teleportation circles, I could probably get there in about two months…
"Understood. Then someday."
For now, let it be.
Someday, when there was truly time to spare, the whole family could visit on a little trip.
Thinking this, I headed home.
School Rumors — Part 1
"The Boss's arm flies."