"The mana stone inside the generator is gone? What do you mean?"
"Right now, I can't sense any magic in the generator. Even if the generator isn't running, you should still be able to sense the mana stone's own magic."
But Dorothy's gaze was elsewhere.
"Wait a minute, Mr. Enon, don't tell me you were a mage?"
"No, I can just about see magic, that's all. I've never learned magic once."
"What on earth is your body... Anyway, let's dissect the generator a bit to see if the mana stone really is gone."
As Dorothy went to dismantle the generator, Vilt tried to stop her.
"Wait a minute, it could just be a bad connection line or something; isn't it too early to take the generator apart just on this gentleman's word? Taking the generator apart and putting it back together will take a good while too...."
Vilt glanced at a group of employees nearby, as if something were bothering him.
It looked like it was because of the pressure to restart the factory quickly and make up the workload.
"If there were a problem with the connections, we'd have found it long ago. If the whole area's machines are having a problem, then it's definitely the generator."
Even so, Dorothy stood firm.
After she prodded the panel here and there and opened the generator's rear casing, the space where the mana stone was placed was exposed.
"Empty, just as I thought. I can't believe you were right, Mr. Enon."
As I'd expected, the battery compartment where the mana stone should have been was empty.
"It looks like someone deliberately took the mana stone."
"What? But we haven't had any separate machine inspections."
"I'm saying someone stole the mana stone."
"Ah, r-right. But who on earth stole the mana stone?"
Dorothy, getting up, answered.
"There could be plenty of possibilities. Some people secretly pull mana stones out of machines like this to make money, and some developers like me steal them because they're broke."
"From the way you talk, you seem to have seen this kind of thing often."
"It's pretty common in Revendale. People who steal expensive parts and sell them on the black market to make money. Well, since there aren't any signs it was forced out, it doesn't look like the work of an ordinary petty thief.... Well, the police will investigate anyway."
Just as Dorothy repaired and built the city's machines, investigating crimes was the Police Bureau's job.
What followed went simply.
The Police Bureau officers who came on the crime report cordoned off the scene and began their investigation.
Naturally, the factory area where the mana stone had vanished didn't run that night.
Dorothy went to the Police Bureau as a witness in the case and only got out in the middle of the night.
"That took quite a while."
"Tell me about it. Haaam.... Thanks for waiting. It's late, so let's head back."
On the way back to the repair shop, Dorothy spoke first.
"...A body built with the highest level of science, and it can even see magic. What an incredible body."
"Flattery won't get you a look."
"Oops, busted. Hehe."
Smiling sheepishly, Dorothy abruptly offered a word of caution.
"Mr. Enon, there's one piece of advice I want to give you."
"Please, go ahead."
"From now on, you'd better not carelessly tell people that you can see magic and stuff like that."
"What's the reason?"
"It's just... we magitech engineers and mages don't get along. Just know that much."
I asked back as if I didn't know, but I knew the reason.
I wasn't a real mage anyway, and I hadn't even learned any proper magic.
'Being able to use magic would definitely be useful, though.'
There was nowhere to learn magic right now anyway, so I'd try learning it later if the chance came.
Setting those thoughts aside, I took a note out of my coat and handed it to Dorothy.
"What's this?"
"My second commission. I've written down some devices that could be fitted to the prosthetic."
"Oh? Got it. Then come to my repair shop tomorrow. I'll fit them to the prosthetic as soon as they're done."
***
The next day, on my way from a nearby inn to Dorothy's repair shop.
"You Enon?"
Two men who looked like gang members blocked my path.
"That's right, but what's this about?"
"The boss of our organization wants to see you. Come quietly, and nobody gets hurt."
To threaten someone on the street in broad daylight like this, it had to be quite a large organization.
'Don't tell me this is what Dorothy was warning me about yesterday.'
That guy Vilt had looser lips than I'd thought.
Well, he'd have no reason to hide information about me, so I suppose it was only natural.
'Picking a fight for nothing and making an enemy of an organization isn't great.'
There seemed nothing to gain by resisting, so I decided to follow them obediently.
As I followed them, I realized they were heading to District 3.
'An organization in District 2....'
Ah.
Come to think of it, not many organizations would go this far to approach someone just because he could see magic.
So if I think of another reason....
There really was only one.
The two men led me into a building in District 3 and all the way into a room.
"So you brought him? He certainly looks feeble."
A very small person... no, a dwarf with animal ears on his head and a full, grizzled beard was sitting in a luxurious chair.
Holding a long pipe in his hand, he studied me carefully, then continued.
"You. What did you say your name was?"
"It's Enon. I've heard a lot about you from Miss Edith. Mr. Brundehil."
At my answer, Brundehil's face froze for a moment.
Because the dwarf in front of me right now was the master Edith had talked about.
Brundehil, who'd nearly dropped the pipe he was holding, climbed down from the chair and came over to me on his short legs.
"How do you know Edith?"
"We're close comrades. Friends, too."
"If you're pulling some shallow trick, you had better come clean right now."
Brundehil growled and glared at me as if he'd been insulted.
But the more he did, the more calmly I reacted.
"Regrettably, it's the truth. I got a letter of recommendation from Miss Edith and came to scout Miss Dorothy. I have no other intentions whatsoever."
"You did quite a bit of digging before you came. But if you thought that would be enough, you are mistaken. Did you think I would not know you meant to use Dorothy to dig into my affairs?"
So that was the reason after all.
He'd misunderstood, thinking I'd dig up information on him through the people around him.
"Speak. On whose orders did you come to dig up information? Or shall I say it first? It is those Police Bureau bastards, is it not?"
"Why do you think so?"
"I saw you get out of the Police Bureau deputy commissioner's car. If that deputy commissioner, famous for being so strict, drove you in person, there must be something to it."
When had he even caught that?
It truly was the information-gathering power befitting Revendale's largest organization.
"Judging by your face, I have hit the mark."
"...Let me say this clearly. I've never received orders from anyone, and I didn't come to dig up information on you, Mr. Brundehil. So please let the misunderstanding end here."
Maybe he didn't like my answer, because Brundehil's face gradually crumpled.
It was happening while the gang members around him were gradually closing in on me.
"Grandpa! What do you think you're doing!"
Dorothy, who'd hurriedly kicked the door open and burst in, promptly yelled.
"Dorothy, step outside for a moment. I have not finished talking with this one yet."
"What did Mr. Enon do wrong for you to threaten and bully him like this? He's friends with Edith, I'm telling you. Look. Here's the letter of recommendation and the letter Edith sent!"
"...Is that true?"
Seeing the emblem stamped in red seal ink on the letter and the letter of recommendation Dorothy handed him, Brundehil set down the pipe he'd had in his mouth.
"This letter, Edith really gave it to you?"
"Yes. If you still don't believe it, send someone to Adeban and ask."
"...No. There is no need. A seal bearing this emblem is something only my apprentices can possess."
As he gazed steadily at the letter, Brundehil's eyebrows lowered.
"I failed to recognize a valued guest. I apologize for all the rudeness until now."
"It's fine. It's not as if you laid a hand on me."
"Judging by the way you say that, you seem to have some idea what kind of man I am. And yet you act boldly without a shred of fear, so there must indeed be something to you."
Having completely dropped his guard, Brundehil offered me a seat and treated me to a cup.
"So. How is Edith doing these days?"
"She's doing well. I'm not used to being a boss, so I owe Miss Edith a lot."
"Is that so? Well, even back then, Edith always did well with whatever she took on. Then she suddenly went back to her hometown, which was a real pity."
It seemed Brundehil had no idea that Edith disliked him.
"But I heard something big happened in Adeban recently. Will you tell me what happened?"
So that was what he'd most wanted to know.
'I suppose it doesn't matter if I tell him.'
Since Dorothy was beside me too, I told them truthfully what had happened in Adeban.
"I had heard the gist of it, but I did not know it was that serious a situation. Had I known, I would have helped somehow."
"The Resistance, that sounds really cool? If I join the Iron Factory, can I join the Resistance too?"
"The Resistance naturally disbanded once it achieved its goal, so that'd be hard, but it wouldn't be bad to call my Iron Factory employees the Resistance."
"Yes, then I'm in the Resistance now too!"
In contrast to Dorothy's delighted smile, Brundehil's face looked anything but pleased.
"About that. Must you really go to the Iron Factory, Dorothy?"
Sure enough, Brundehil didn't like me scouting her.
But Dorothy didn't back down from her position either.
"No way. I'm way past the age to go independent. How long are you going to treat me like a little kid? I'm already way past the age to be on my own."
"Of course I know your skills are outstanding, Dorothy. But where else would you come into full bloom? You must follow in my footsteps and become the finest mechanic in Revendale."
"That again? I'm not interested in that stuff, I'm telling you. That's why Edith couldn't take it anymore and went back to her hometown too."
So the reason Edith had left Brundehil was the pressure.
It was something the game hadn't covered, so I listened closely to the interesting story.
"You and Edith have the makings of the very best. Not making full use of that talent is an insult to that talent."
"There it is again, the insult-to-talent thing; I'm not interested in being the best or whatever. Any life's fine by me, as long as I'm having fun."
"But Dorothy, think about it. Will you live your whole life as an ordinary mechanic? Or will you make a name for yourself as the finest mechanic in this city and leave that name for generations to come?"
"I don't mind if nobody remembers me in the future. If I can remember my own life, even just by myself, that's enough."
When Dorothy refused to back down despite his continued persuasion, Brundehil let out a small sigh.
"...Let us talk about this later. There is something else to discuss."
"Fine. So what's the thing you want to discuss?"
"To be precise, it is not for you, Dorothy, but for you, Enon."
"...For me?"
I wiped the tea from the corner of my mouth; I'd been quietly listening to the conversation and savoring my tea.
"What is it you'd like to ask?"
"It is nothing else. Yesterday that fellow Vilt told me you have the makings of a mage."
I'd already known that Vilt was Brundehil's informant.
So I'd known Brundehil would have heard about it, but....
'What does he want to ask of me?'
Out of needless nerves, I quietly swallowed.
"I would like you to try solving these mana stone theft cases."
"...Pardon?"
What kind of out-of-nowhere request was this?
But just then.
[A new quest has been issued.]
[Mission – Uncover the truth behind the mana stone thefts occurring in Revendale.]
The system, which had been silent all this time, sent me a message.