Rayish
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Chapter 101
🕑 Added 2025-02-12 16:26:57 +0000 UTCMeanwhile, inside the Forge, Lefiya sat on a wooden bench with a panicked expression. Her hands trembled as she held the flat tire of her bicycle. Her eyes were teary, and her lips quivered softly.
"Oh no, why did this happen…?" she whispered, staring at the tire that had come off the rim. Sweat began to form on her temples, adding to the unease she felt. She bit her lower lip, trying to think quickly.
Upon closer inspection, she found a nail deeply embedded in the outer tire. Her heart sank. With reluctant eyes, she touched it gently, then took a deep breath. How deep did the nail go? Could it still be fixed?
"Shirou and I worked so hard to make this tire together…" she murmured, her voice filled with sadness. She felt disappointed in herself.
She recalled how she and Shirou had worked tirelessly to create this bicycle. Shirou diligently crafted the bike frame, while at another table, Lefiya used her alchemy skills to create the base materials for the tires. And now, in just one small incident, all that effort felt wasted.
A tear welled up in the corner of her eye, but she quickly wiped it away. No, I can't cry over this! I have to fix it myself. If I keep relying on Shirou, I'll never grow.
Lefiya immediately stood up and walked over to the toolbox, rummaging through it until she found a hammer. With slightly trembling hands, she placed the hammer on the nailhead and, tok! tok! tok!, she gently tapped it to remove the nail. The sound of metal hitting wood filled the room, echoing among the neatly arranged forging tools.
After a few taps, the nail finally came loose and fell to the floor with a small clink. However, when she saw the large hole left in both the outer and inner tires, her body stiffened.
"No… what do I do now…?" she muttered, panic creeping into her heart. Shirou will definitely be disappointed…
Lefiya clenched her fists, steeling her resolve. No! I won't let Shirou down. I'll patch it up myself, no matter what.
With quick steps, she walked over to her alchemy table. Her hands moved deftly as she opened several containers, searching for the base materials she had prepared earlier for the tires. After a moment, she smiled in relief.
"Thank goodness there's still some left…" she whispered, picking up the remaining slime-based material she had prepared earlier. Now, time to work!
She placed the material on the table and began mixing it with alchemical liquid to speed up the hardening process. As she waited for the material to be ready, she nervously gripped the hem of her shorts.
"I can do this… I have to do this…" she murmured, trying to reassure herself.
Outside the Forge, footsteps approached. Shirou and Aiz were now just a few meters away from the door. They had no idea that inside, Lefiya was struggling on her own, hoping to fix the problem before they arrived.
Shirou entered the Forge first, leaving the old wooden door slightly ajar behind him. The air inside felt warmer than outside, the scent of metal and charcoal mingling with the faint smell of burnt wood. Outside, Aiz remained standing near Lefiya's bike, observing it for a moment.
Her eyes quickly caught something unusual. The front tire of the bike was missing. Where did it go? she wondered. She then bent down slightly, looking at the pink frame of the bike, and her gaze stopped on a neatly engraved name on the body: "Faker II."
Aiz frowned slightly. What does that mean? She didn't understand why Lefiya had named her bike that. "Faker"... the word felt unfamiliar, but she wasn't sure of its connection to the bike. Aiz thought for a moment, trying to guess its meaning outside the Forge.
Inside the Forge, Lefiya was busy cutting the base material for the outer tire, made from a mix of dried slime and resin she had prepared herself. How do I attach this perfectly? she thought, furrowing her brow. She paced around the room, looking for something she could use as an adhesive. If I can't bond this material properly, the tire won't be usable again…
However, before she could find an answer, a familiar voice called her name from the direction of the door.
"Lefiya…?"
Instantly, her body stiffened. She turned quickly, and there stood Shirou at the doorway, looking at her with a concerned expression.
Lefiya was startled, nearly dropping the material she was holding. "Sh-Shirou?! W-What are you doing here?" she asked nervously, her face slightly red as she felt caught in this embarrassing situation.
Shirou stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room briefly before returning to her. "I was worried," he answered in a calm but clear tone. "You didn't come back after the race with Tiona and Tione, so I came looking for you."
Lefiya's eyes widened, and in an instant, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She bit her lip before speaking in a soft voice, "I'm sorry, Shirou… I ruined the tire on my bike. I fell earlier while trying to catch up with them…"
She lowered her head, feeling guilty. The bike had been made together with so much effort, and now she had damaged it.
However, Shirou's reaction wasn't what she expected. Instead of getting angry or disappointed, his expression turned even more concerned.
"I don't care about the bike," he said gently. "I'm more worried about you."
Lefiya slowly raised her head, looking at Shirou with teary eyes. There was warmth in his voice that made her chest feel lighter. She felt relieved but also a little guilty for troubling Shirou again.
Shirou then knelt in front of her, his eyes scanning her scraped knees. The small wounds, slightly bleeding, were clearly visible on her pale skin.
"Your legs…" Shirou murmured softly. Without hesitation, he closed his eyes briefly and projected a small bottle of disinfectant.
Lefiya blinked, only now realizing that she was actually injured. She had been too preoccupied with the bike to think about herself.
Shirou opened the bottle, poured a bit of the liquid onto a clean cloth he pulled from his pocket, and gently began applying it to Lefiya's wounds.
"Ouch…" Lefiya winced, feeling a sharp sting spread from the wound.
"Please bear with it," Shirou said softly, almost in a whisper.
Lefiya swallowed hard and nodded slowly. She could have used her own healing magic to fix the wound in an instant. But…
For some reason, she preferred it this way.
Shirou's careful touch, his attentive expression, even the way he knelt in front of her to tend to her wounds… it all felt so comforting.
Unconsciously, she smiled faintly. Maybe, as usual… she wanted to enjoy this attention a little longer.
"For the next three days, this should be enough," Shirou said, lightly tapping Lefiya's ankle. "By the time the bandage fades, your wound should be fully healed."
Lefiya looked at him with gratitude, remembering that Shirou's projections were only temporary. So when the bandage disappeared, it meant her wound was completely healed. She bit her lip, feeling both relieved and touched by Shirou's care.
After a moment, Aiz finally entered the Forge, her eyes immediately landing on the scene before her—Shirou crouching in front of Lefiya with a serious expression. With a slightly raised eyebrow, she asked in a confused tone, "Shirou... What are you doing?"
Hearing Aiz's voice, Shirou quickly stood up, still holding the remaining bandage he hadn't put away. "I was just treating Lefiya's wound," he answered casually.
Aiz glanced at Lefiya, who was now sitting on the wooden bench with an unreadable expression. "Are you okay, Lefiya?" she asked with a worried tone.
Instantly, Lefiya flinched. She didn't want to appear weak in front of her idol. Quickly, she hid her pain and put on a bright smile. "I'm fine! Shirou already patched it up!" she said, lifting her leg slightly to show the bandage.
Aiz observed for a moment before finally sighing in relief. "That's good."
Shirou, who had been watching their interaction, simply smiled faintly before changing the subject. "So, what's wrong with your bike tire?" he asked Lefiya, his eyes scanning the worktable filled with various tools and repair materials.
Lefiya hesitated for a moment but eventually picked up the inner and outer tires she had set aside earlier and, with a guilty expression, showed the damaged parts. A large hole was clearly visible, the result of being punctured by something sharp.
"Punctured?" Aiz asked flatly, observing the damage to the tire.
Lefiya nodded slowly, her face slightly flushed with embarrassment. "Yes... That's why I fell while trying to catch up with Tiona and Tione," she admitted in a small voice.
Shirou took the damaged tire from Lefiya's hands and examined it more closely. He ran his finger around the edge of the hole before sighing. "Wow... That's pretty deep," he murmured, flipping the tire to look at the other side.
Lefiya lowered her head, feeling even more guilty. "I'm sorry... I wasn't careful. I know this is the bike we made together, so I didn't want to ruin it..."
Shirou gently patted Lefiya's head, making her look up with wide eyes. "Don't worry. It's just a tire; it can still be fixed," he said softly, making Lefiya feel a little better.
Aiz, who had been silently observing their interaction, frowned slightly without realizing why. She then looked at the damaged tire and said, "In that case, why don't we fix it now?"
Shirou nodded firmly before glancing at Lefiya. "Okay, this should be quick. Can you grab the base material for the tire, Lefiya?" he asked casually.
Lefiya, who still felt a little guilty for damaging their bike, immediately moved without hesitation. She walked over to the table where she had prepared the materials and picked up the pieces of slime-based inner and outer tires she had carefully cut earlier. "Here," she said, handing them to Shirou with a hopeful expression.
Shirou took the materials, examined them briefly, and placed them on the worktable. With skilled movements, he attached the slime pieces to the damaged parts of the tire. "Now just a final touch," he murmured. Without hesitation, he activated Alteration Magecraft, and in seconds, the inner and outer tires were as good as new, as if they had never been damaged.
Lefiya stared at the result with sparkling eyes, her mouth slightly open in awe. "Phew... thank goodness you're here, Shirou. I really didn't know how to fix it earlier," she said, sighing in relief.
Shirou simply smiled faintly. "Actually, this could have been fixed without using magecraft. If you want, I can teach you how to patch it manually later," he offered in a friendly tone.
Lefiya immediately nodded enthusiastically, her guilt slowly turning into a desire to learn. "Of course! I'd love to know how!" she said eagerly.
Meanwhile, from the corner of the room, Aiz, who had been silently observing, couldn't ignore the strange feeling creeping into her chest. For some reason, seeing Lefiya and Shirou so close made her feel... uneasy. She didn't quite understand why.
Shirou picked up the inner tube and inspected it briefly before looking up. "Now we just need to inflate it, and it'll be done," he said, already preparing to project an air pump like before.
However, before he could do so, Aiz suddenly raised her hand. "I can inflate it with magic," she said quickly.
Lefiya immediately nodded in agreement. "Yes! Aiz can use Ariel! That'll be much faster!" she said excitedly.
Shirou turned to Aiz and raised an eyebrow but didn't object. He handed the inner tube to Aiz while giving a brief instruction. "In that case, make sure to press the valve first before inflating it," he said, wanting to ensure everything went smoothly.
Aiz nodded slowly, pressing the valve as Shirou had instructed. Once she was sure, she took a deep breath and began chanting softly. "Ariel."
In an instant, a strong gust of wind blew from her palm. However, instead of going straight into the tube, the overly powerful airflow scattered in all directions. Papers scattered on the table flew everywhere, small tools were knocked to the floor, and worse, Lefiya's and Shirou's hair was blown into disarray by the chaotic wind.
"Whoa!!" Lefiya shouted in surprise, covering her face with her hands to protect herself from the uncontrolled gust.
Shirou, who was standing not far from Aiz, had to half-close his eyes to avoid the dust and small debris flying around. "Err... Aiz, I think that was a bit too much," he said, trying to hold back a smile at the chaos that had just unfolded.
Aiz looked at her hand with a slightly surprised expression, then back at the tube that still hadn't been properly inflated. "I... overdid it?" she asked in her usual flat tone, but there was a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
Shirou blinked a few times, recalling something from the past related to Aiz's wind magic. He remembered how Aiz had used Little Ariel to help her float when Shirou taught Aiz how to swim in Melen. Back then, Aiz had easily controlled her wind, making it gentle and stable, unlike the wild gust that had just happened.
With that in mind, Shirou turned to Aiz, who still looked a little down after the incident. He slipped his hand into his pocket and said lightly, "How about you try Little Ariel this time?"
Aiz, who had been silent, raised her head slightly, her eyes meeting Shirou's with a serious expression. She didn't answer immediately but seemed to consider the suggestion.
On the other side, Lefiya, who was still busy fixing her light brown hair that had been messed up by the wind, frowned, feeling unfamiliar with the term Shirou had mentioned. "Aiz, Little Ariel? Is that a new technique?" she asked curiously.
Aiz simply nodded slowly without further explanation. She then refocused on the inner tube she was holding, her fingers gently pressing the valve as Shirou had taught her earlier. She took a deep breath and let her mind recall something that could activate the spell more stably.
Memories of her long-gone mother surfaced in her mind—her gentle smile, her warm, soothing voice, and how she used to pat Aiz's head with affection. A sense of peace filled her chest, and instantly, she felt lighter, ready to chant her spell.
"Little Ariel..." she whispered softly.
A gentle breeze flowed from her hand, calm and controlled, slowly filling the inner tube without causing any chaos around her. No papers flew, no hair was messed up—just the wind flowing perfectly as she intended.
However, as the wind flowed, her thoughts began to shift.
Memories of her mother were gradually replaced by another image—the image of a red-haired man who had filled so many of her memories over the past few months.
Shirou, who had patiently guided her as they swam in Melen, even though she was awkward in the water. Shirou, who with a serious expression practiced dancing with her in the library, their clumsy but enjoyable steps. Shirou, who had just pedaled the tandem bike with her sitting behind him, his eyes focused on the road while the wind brushed against both their faces.
Suddenly, Aiz's cheeks felt warm.
"Aiz..."
Lefiya's voice snapped her out of her reverie. Quickly, Aiz opened her eyes, as if waking from a dream. Lefiya was looking at her with a small smile. "It's fully inflated," the elf said, pointing to the tube that was now perfectly filled.
Aiz blinked once more, then turned to Shirou, who didn't seem to notice the change in her expression. With her usual flat face but a faint blush that was hard to hide, she handed the inner tube back to Shirou. "Here," she said simply.
Shirou took it without suspicion, examining the result with a satisfied nod. "Good, this is perfect," he said before turning to Aiz. "Thank you, Aiz. This time you controlled it well."
Aiz simply nodded, not saying much. But deep inside, she knew that what was stirring within her wasn't just because her magic had become more stable—it was because of someone who had unknowingly filled her thoughts more than she realized.
Comments
striker James
Aiz is starting 2 realize lefiya is her competition for shiro heart
