Machinist of Mana Chapter 105 End of Year

A/N: Sorry for the delay everyone, was traveling and had some internet issues, dropping multiple today

Weeks passed without incident, turning into months. My infrequent breaks sadly didn't coincide with a good chance to return home. While I wasn't that far Rowenna was beginning to make noises and through letters I could tell that Kaylee didn't need my immediate help.

My personal project, the one I'd been working on in my basement for almost a full year finally finished as much as I could without returning there to test something I was more than ready to do, but didn't have quite the time for.

As for my time as school, it all but finished, classes wrapping up and beginning their reviews before giving us exam after exam. On our final break day of the year we all left tradition behind and studied rather than going out to town or visit someone. Third year was enough work for both my fellows and myself to not have that luxury.

Before I knew it I was sitting my exams, pen held between my fingers and I scribbled answer after answer to my many teachers questions. Even as I finished I had to admit that I probably hadn't done as well as I would've had I kept going to their classes, but I felt I'd done well enough. There were little bits here and there that I was missing, places from lectures I'd not seen biting me for not attending them, but it was okay, I still knew most of these subjects like the back of my hand.

Sir Kendrick had his own exam as well, pitting me against several of my instructors one after another as he had before. This served a few purposes for him I thought. Firstly it gave me a good chance to see how a large number of casters would try to fight, he'd even managed to find a priest for me to go against, something I didn't enjoy in the slightest. Second, it took me down several notches, for while I gave a good showing I only barely won any of the matches. Finally, it let my teachers expend a bit of their ill will at my having been excused from their courses, and it was easy for me to tell who'd taken that decision most personally as well. The math instructor in particular left me gasping for air on the ground for each and every match.

With all the examinations done we began our packing, not that I hadn't prepared that earlier. I was good and ready to get home, back to my family, back to the things I needed to do. Not everyone behaved the same though, the last afternoon we had I found Lucas sitting on the grass outside the school, staring wistfully at the various buildings.

“Something wrong there brother?” I asked him, plopping down beside my senior.

“You know, for the last four years this place has been home to me. I think I'll miss it a bit,” he replied.

“What?”

“This was always where I returned, always where I came back to. It's home now, or as close to it. Goodness I only spent a few months at our winter mansion, and I've not seen the summer house since I started my studies. I wonder if my room there is still the same as I left it, not that I can really remember all the details now.”

I blinked for a few moments, then thought back to it, back to my life on Earth. While I'd not gone to college beyond some certificate classes that must be what this felt like to him. This had been our home, almost our family. The Headmaster had even done everything he could to make it like our family, breaking us down to build us up, treating us like his little soldiers. It must be like leaving everything again.

“I... don't really know what to say to that.”

“Do you not like it here?” he asked.

“Neither like nor dislike, but it isn't my home. So what do you plan to do now that you're done?”

“Hadn't really thought of it. I'll probably spend a couple of years with the family, running to tourneys and building up some money so I can get my own place. Then... maybe get married if I can find someone.”

That sounds like a plan, maybe I'll do the same,” I observed, knowing that there was at least one knight who'd want me to continue my training.

“Pfft, at least I know where you'll be. Might hang around the city next year to keep an eye on you. Can't have you doing anything untoward with my sister now can I? You two need a proper chaperone for your little study dates.”

“I'll miss having you around here,” I told him, knowing that I had few friends.

“You too Percival, you too.”

For a time we sat in companionable silence, but all things had to come to an end, and so before I knew it we made our way inside, putting the last of our things away and readying for the morning.

With the sun came the carriages, one after another taking us home. Some celebrated, particularly among the seniors, some seemed a bit relieved, quietly tired, and some seemed wistful. Lucas put on a strong face, ribbing and laughing with us, though deep down I could tell he still felt a bit conflicted. We'd known each other or long enough hat that at least couldn't escape me, the small glances at the school, the sideways smiles now and then, but he was ready.

My own ride was one of the last, running a bit late for some reason. As I watched it make it to the front of the line there were only me and a few younger students left. A porter came to grab my bags but as he did I felt someone behind me and turned.

“Keep practicing over the break Percival, I'll have a whole new setup for you next year,” Sir Kendrick said with a laugh. “Maybe work on your observational abilities.

“Thank you sir,” I said, trying not to frown.

“Off with you lad, and enjoy the break.

I made it home as the afternoon sun hung high.

“Welcome home son, do you want some lunch?” mother asked as I came in.

“In just a bit, first I need to put my things away,” I told her, motioning to the stack of luggage.

“Very well, but do try not to take too long, your father said he wanted to speak to you this afternoon.”

That was a bit surprising, since our last conversation had ended with my blade inches from his face. After a few seconds of thought I nodded, preparing myself for whatever he had to say before heading to my workshop to deliver my newest bits to their place.

My bags of clothes could wait, but this I wanted done, so I slipped rods and pins into place, assembling parts that I'd kept in different drawers lest my mother stumble upon this creation while being nosy. The weapon slipped together like it had always been perfect, the bold sliding into place with a satisfying *chunk noise.

The beast weighted almost a hundred pounds without any ammunition in it, and stretched across one of my larger benches. Three boxes of the needed shells were waiting, prepared in their links for testing as soon as I could get somewhere to do it.

“Look at you beautiful, I always wanted one of these,” I murmured to it.

I heard the door to the workshop and saw a smiling Kaylee at the opening.

“It is good to see you my lord,” she greeted politely, careful in case someone else heard her. “Your mother asks when you'll be joining...”

The room shook as an explosion rocked the house. I made it to her and caught her before she could fall, but as the sound of the blast faded I began to hear screams.

“What was that?” Kaylee asked, her ears not as sensitive to the panicked people as my own.

“Nothing good,” I responded, feeling a bead of sweat roll down my neck.