Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/822139844414118669/episodes/2912051595400066427
“Rio has always been such a kind-hearted child…”
Albert spoke quietly.
“Whenever she makes a magical artifact, it’s never for herself. She usually says she’s making it for someone else.”
Albert began speaking with a wry smile.
Though the smile on his face held a hint of bitterness, his eyes alone remained gentle.
He reached for the goggles perched on his head.
With a practiced motion, he removed them and held them up lightly.
They were rather ungainly goggles. The lenses were different sizes on the left and right, and the frame was warped. The leather strap securing them to his head was abnormally long—as if he’d repurposed a ready-made belt—and the buckle and slots were still visible.
By any stretch of the imagination, they could hardly be called a refined magical tool.
Albert stroked the goggles with his fingertips, as if they were very precious to him.
“You see, these are the first magical tool that child ever made.”
“The first, you say…?”
“Yes.”
Albert nodded quietly in response to Liene’s question.
“It’s a magnifying glass for precision work. She used to watch me squint whenever I handled tiny parts. —When she was about five, with her face covered in soot, she said, ‘That must be hard for you,’ and went off to make this.”
Perhaps recalling those days, his smile deepened.
At the same time, an air of pride seemed to seep through.
“When I actually tried it on… well, I was surprised. The construction was a mess, but the lens adjustment was strangely well-done. I could see the fine engravings and circuits clearly.”
Having said that, Albert chuckled softly.
“Still, look at how it looks. Rio always tells me, ‘Stop using that old failure already.’”
“…I suppose so.”
Somehow, I could easily picture the scene.
She was probably saying that with her lips pursed and her face flushed. Since she seems to have a bit of a perfectionist streak, she’d likely be even more against me using it.
I could easily imagine her like that, and a wry smile escaped me.
Albert must have been picturing something similar, because he shrugged his shoulders slightly and laughed.
“True, the craftsmanship is rough. The structure, too, wouldn’t exactly be something to brag about from a modern perspective—but even so, it serves its purpose. It’s been a great help to me. And above all…”
He slipped the goggles back onto his head.
The motion was so natural it was clear he’d been using them for many years.
“It’s the first magical tool she ever made for me.”
There was a hint of pride in his voice.
“……”
A moment of silence hung in the workshop.
Albert remained quiet for a while, but eventually his gaze drifted toward the back of the workshop.
There, various magical tools were piled up haphazardly.
Most of them served unknown purposes, but scattered among them were items that looked like magical tools from the game.
That said, most of them were likely unfinished.
For finished items, they were arranged in a rather haphazard manner.
“…That kid is a genius.”
A phrase I heard him say countless times through the screen.
As always, there was no hesitation in those words.
“The theory behind magical artifacts, the handling of magic, and her creativity—she’s superior to anyone I’ve ever seen.”
Albert let out a small sigh.
“Though, I’ve never actually told her that myself.”
“Huh?”
Liene let out a gasp, looking genuinely surprised.
Although she was trying to stay calm, to be honest, I felt the same way.
Every time we interacted in the game, he would almost always start bragging about his granddaughter.
I’d assumed he’d be the same even when Rio herself was present, but apparently, that wasn’t the case.
Seeing our reactions, Albert gave a slightly embarrassed laugh.
“That kid has always gotten a big head the moment you praise her. Even the slightest compliment makes her look smug… There’s no doubt that’s part of her charm, but… as an engineer, she lacks a bit of caution.”
His eyes narrowed as he gazed at the pile of magical devices.
“Invention is always a close call with failure. A magic stone might explode, or magic power could run wild. Malfunctions in devices aren’t exactly rare either… That’s precisely why engineers must always be cautious.”
Albert continued slowly.
“When she’s absorbed in her inventions, she doesn’t think much about the danger to herself. Even if she understands it intellectually, her body just won’t stop.”
He shrugged his shoulders slightly.
“She wants to create magical devices that help others. As her grandfather, I’m delighted by that sentiment, but as a fellow engineer, I can’t just let her be. …That’s precisely why I’ve been careful not to praise her technical skills, so she doesn’t get too carried away…”
As he said this, a shadow fell across Albert’s face.
He turned around on the spot, his gaze fixed on the blueprints lying on the workbench. What was drawn on the blueprints was likely—
“A teleportation device, is it?”
“Yes. …Apparently, it’s to reduce the number of people who lose their lives exploring the labyrinth, even if only slightly.”
Albert nodded in agreement.
“A teleportation device for escaping the labyrinth”—
After the mid-game event, this device finally made its way into the world. Following Rio’s death… Albert took over development based on the blueprints she left behind and completed it.
The realization of this device drastically changed how the labyrinth was conquered.
Retreat became easier, and total wipeouts caused by reckless exploration plummeted.
As a result—the number of survivors increased.
It could truly be called an invention that saved the lives of many Chosen Ones.
“If this is completed, it will save many lives. That girl was right…”
Albert said quietly.
“But to complete it—that girl is willing to risk her own life.”
Staring at the blueprints on the workbench, he continued.
“An invention isn’t complete just by building a theory on a desk. We have to actually use it in the labyrinth and verify whether the teleportation works—in other words, a field test.”
He exhaled softly and slowly shook his head.
“As an inventor, that’s probably the right thing to do. …But as a grandfather, it was something I simply couldn’t accept. …Of course. If it fails, that child might not come back.”
Albert gave a bitter laugh.
For a while, he just stared at the blueprint.
His wrinkled fingertips gently traced the edge of the paper.
As if to verify every single character left there.
Eventually, Albert slowly lowered his eyes.
“That’s why I tried to stop her.”
He let out a small laugh, somewhere between a confession and a mocking sneer.
“I said something I didn’t mean. —‘You have no talent,’ I told her.”
Those words echoed heavily within the workshop.
Albert lowered his gaze back to the blueprint.
“…But that can’t be true.”
He muttered that in a hoarse voice.
“If anything, I don’t know of anyone else with as much talent as that girl…”
Silence filled the workshop.
They were enveloped in a stillness so profound that neither the clatter of people passing by outside nor even their own breathing could be heard.
In that silence, I slowly opened my mouth.
“…Then, next time, please say those words to her face.”
Albert’s shoulders trembled slightly, and his dull, jade-green eyes fixed on me.
They were lifeless eyes. That somewhat listless, frail gaze closely resembled the way he looked in the latter half of the game.
…That said, there was one crucial difference.
Right now, he hasn’t lost anything yet. It means there’s still time.
“That she’s a genius, and that she’s brimming with talent. —Please make sure to tell her that. I’m sure… just that alone will make all her anger and sadness toward you vanish.”
Albert remained silent for a moment after hearing my words.
His wrinkled hand simply stroked the edge of the workbench slowly.
That gesture betrayed a sense of hesitation, yet at the same time, it held a cautiousness as if he were trying to confirm something.
“…Yeah, it’s not that simple.”
The voice that dropped out was terribly weak.
It sounded as if he were trying to convince himself.
“Once words are spoken, and once the hurt is done, they won’t just disappear.”
Albert laughed self-deprecatingly.
That smile was so fragile it looked as if it might crumble at any moment.
“Just because you can’t erase them doesn’t mean you have to give up on telling them, does it?”
“……”
“If you hurt someone, just admit it. If you made a mistake, just apologize. And then, why not tell them what you really felt?”
Albert said nothing.
He just stared at me with those dull, emerald eyes.
“It still reaches her. She might get angry, or she might stop talking to you. But at the very least… a future that’s far better than never being able to tell her again awaits. —That’s what I think.”
Silence fell over the workshop once more.
Liene didn’t interject either; she simply watched the situation unfold in silence.
In that silence, Albert exhaled a long, deep breath.
“…Really.”
Eventually, he let his shoulders slump slightly.
“Lecturing an old man—you’re quite a harsh young man.”
His tone was just a touch softer than it had been moments ago.
“I’ve acquired a fair amount of education.”
At that reply, Albert narrowed his eyes.
“…Hmph.”
A small, hoarse laugh escaped him.
It was different from the self-deprecating tone of moments ago—a smile that held just a hint of renewed strength.
“I see. Well then, in light of that education of yours… might I ask you to indulge this old man’s one small whim?”
“It depends on what it is.”
“…It’s a simple matter.”
Albert took his hands off the workbench and slowly straightened his back.
The strength had returned to his shoulders, which had been slumped just moments ago.
“…Go after that girl.”
It was a low, yet clear voice.
“If I go, we’ll just end up arguing again. She’s stubborn, you see… Once she gets fired up, she won’t stop easily.”
Saying that, Albert gave a wry smile.
“But she’ll listen to you guys. At the very least… you should be able to give her enough time to cool off a bit before she charges headfirst into the labyrinth.”
Hearing that, I shrugged my shoulders in response.
“…You sure do push people around.”
“My granddaughter’s life is at stake. I can’t afford to be polite.”
At that immediate reply, I exhaled and turned on my heel.
I walked with Liene to the entrance of the workshop, then turned around on the spot.
“…Please leave Rio to us.”
When I said that, Albert’s eyes widened for just a moment.
His dull emerald eyes looked straight at me.
The fragility that had been there just a moment ago hadn’t completely vanished yet.
Still—deep within them, a resolute determination lingered.
His wrinkled hand slowly clenched into a fist.
Eventually, Albert bowed his head deeply.
“…Please.”
Just one word. …But in that brief phrase, it felt as though everything—a grandfather’s prayer, his regrets, and his hopes—was poured into it.
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