The Academy’s Weapon Replicator - Chapter 100

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Academy Weaponsmith 100
Chapter 29: Second Semester
It was well past midnight when I arrived at the Roach Residence.
No one had come to meet me—which was just as well. Spared me the awkwardness.
But now I had another wall to climb.
“So you’re really going to do this?”
I asked Selena, who stood beside me.
“Of course. As a bodyguard, it’s more practical to have official recognition.”
“I’d think it’d be safer if you just stayed in my room and bolted for cover when someone showed up.”
“I’d rather not do that. I’m not doing anything dangerous, after all.”
A short breath escaped me at her words.
Strange. I could’ve sworn we were doing something incredibly dangerous just by being in the Roach Residence.
“You won’t regret this, right? We’re talking about getting your recognition from Father. You do know who the head of the Roach household is, don’t you?”
“Of course. Regardless, I have nothing to be ashamed of. I can stand here with my head held high.”
That wasn’t how this should go.
I exhaled slowly.
Right. Selena had never actually met Angen. Eventually, the day would come.
“Fine. I warned you fair and square.”
I led Selena into the residence.
I knocked lightly at Angen’s door.
“Father, it’s Frontdier. I’ve just arrived.”
The moment I spoke, the sounds from inside the room ceased. Then, slowly, a voice as heavy as stone drifted out.
“Yes. Get some rest.”
Rest—it was dismissal dressed in a kind word.
His son, whom he hadn’t seen in over a month, apparently held no interest for him.
“…Father, I’ve hired a bodyguard.”
“A bodyguard?”
“Yes. A skilled professional from Taeibun who saved my life. I’d appreciate it if you’d allow her to use a room in the residence. I’ll cover all other expenses myself…”
Each word I spoke was fraught with tension, yet Selena behind me stood perfectly composed.
Angen probably wouldn’t care whether I hired a bodyguard or not. I thought he’d likely say “do as you see fit” again,
‘Huh?’
Then I heard a scraping sound—the chair being pushed back. Heavy, deliberate footsteps approached the door.
And the door opened.
“……”
Our eyes met. The gaze that passed between us was far too charged with tension for a father and son to share.
I held his rigid stare for a moment before speaking.
“I’ve returned, Father.”
It was what I’d said through the closed door. Now I should have brought up the bodyguard. But somehow, I’d wanted to say this again.
“…Yes.”
Angen merely replied, offering nothing more. What that meant—or whether it meant anything at all—I couldn’t say.
“This bodyguard—is that her?”
“Ah, yes. Her name is Selena,”
I turned to introduce the woman standing behind me,
But Selena was trembling.
…What was this?
“Is she truly your bodyguard? The one who protected you in Taeibun?”
Angen’s brow furrowed. His gaze was deeply suspicious. Then again, looking at Selena now, I couldn’t blame him.
“Ah, yes, that’s correct. She’s saved my life countless times. I think she’s just nervous right now.”
Given the circumstances, I had to advocate for Selena’s approval with everything I had.
“—I see.”
Angen took a single, light step forward. In that instant, his aura exploded toward Selena with devastating force.
Snap! Whoosh—
Selena reflexively leaped back, putting distance between them. As she skidded backward, her hand darted into her chest.
By the time the sliding stopped, she was already in full combat stance.
Needles were clenched between all ten of her fingers, and her face was slick with cold sweat.
“…Hmm, satisfactory. You’ll handle your bodyguard arrangements yourself.”
Angen’s interest seemed to fade just as quickly. He turned and retreated into his room.
So it had ended as I predicted—”handle it yourself”—but at least I’d gotten his tacit approval after he’d seen Selena in action. That was something.
Thud.
At that moment, Selena sank to the floor. Not unconscious—just drained of strength.
I approached Selena and lowered myself to meet her gaze.
“I warned you.”
“I-I didn’t know it would be this intense…. The moment I saw it, I felt as though Mount Tai itself was crashing down on me.”
That’s a good way to put it.
“Frontdier. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Just then, a voice came from Angen’s room. Selena gasped involuntarily, drawing in a sharp breath.
“Yes. What is it?”
“Artzie is out. His temporary teaching duties at Constellation Academy have been postponed for the time being, so you won’t see him for a while.”
“…Did something happen with you?”
Artzie away on business, then. That meant I wouldn’t be able to have private training for a while. I’d wanted to test the Dual Sword Technique using Nil Jack’s Short Sword, but that would have to wait.
Angen spoke.
“Artzie is on a Professional assignment right now. A task that came down from the Imperial Palace.”
* * *
The next morning.
The Second Semester at Constellation Academy had finally begun.
During the break, students had spent their time in various ways.
Some had rested and enjoyed leisure, but most had devoted themselves to personal training to build their strength.
Their improved abilities showed in their faces and eyes—now brimming with confidence that hadn’t been there before.
-Did you hear about it?
And on this first day back, students listened eagerly to rumors circulating from all corners during the break.
-Aster Evans trained under Eden Hamlet, the top Professional.
-What? I thought Ellin was an Intern?
-That’s the thing—he trained under both of them. Apparently Aster asked. And here’s the crazy part.
-What?
-He mastered his Aura. And he can use it anytime he wants now.
Rumors, as always, spread fastest about the famous ones.
Aster Evans appeared most often as the center of these stories, though there were a few other names drawing significant attention as well.
-Elody succeeded in the Triple-Element Combination.
-What? Elody? I heard she was struggling with output control before.
-Apparently she decided to push her destructive power even higher instead. Word is she’s chasing someone—someone she can’t afford to fall behind.
-Who could possibly be ahead of Elody?
Rumors breed atmosphere. That gossip, whispered from mouth to mouth, gains weight and swirls around those at its center like wind.
“It feels like it’s been a while.”
Aster Evans, climbing the path to school that morning, tasted that very atmosphere.
His hair had grown longer. His expression now carried an ease it hadn’t possessed before—a composure born from genuine strength gained during the break. It was the foundation of his newfound confidence.
Aster glanced around. He’d missed this sight: students in uniform, all the same age, walking together down the path.
He could feel the gazes of those passing by. He’d grown somewhat accustomed to the attention before the break, but today’s glances carried a different heat—a different intensity.
‘It’s because of the rumors.’
Aster was naturally aware of the stories circulating about him. And they were true.
Aster could now wield his Aura freely and at will. It was thanks—no, it was because of the rigorous training from Eden Hamlet and his sister Ellin.
And these rumors floating around now were likely mostly true.
The subjects of rumors during the break tended to be people Aster knew, and from his perspective, their stories weren’t particularly outlandish.
And yet.
-Did you hear about it?
Rumors always tend toward exaggeration and inflation.
Behind every great truth, countless gossip stories are born.
-The Barrier in Taeibun has been rebuilt.
-Apparently it’s been restored to its original form?
The Barrier in Taeibun had been rebuilt. This was undeniable fact. Aster himself had verified it through the news feeds.
There was something in that dazzling restoration—something that stirred excitement even through the screens beyond the feeds.
-But whoever restored it….
-Nah, no way. I’ve heard the rumors too, but that doesn’t make sense.
-Why would he have gone to Taeibun during summer break?
But rumors, as ever, mixed truth with exaggeration.
As Aster climbed the long slope toward the main building of Constellation Academy, he reflected on this.
The monumental fact: the Barrier in Taeibun had been restored. And on its heels, countless swelling rumors.
Among them, the most outlandish and talked-about story had apparently become the hot topic within Constellation Academy these days.
──Did you hear about it?
And then Aster saw it.
“…Yeah.”
After Aster, or perhaps because of that absurd rumor, there was a man whose name had become the talk of the school.
──That fellow, I mean.
“Oh, Aster. Hello.”
The subject of the rumors raised a hand in greeting, as he always did. Aster raised his in return.
“You were alive. Frontdier.”
“Did you really think I was dead?”
He offered the quip lightly enough, but his gaze drifted naturally to a single point.
──He’s been seen with a woman, they said.
Aster had witnessed it himself. And this was the moment he could verify the truth of the most plausible rumor circulating about him.
“So, who’s the person beside you?”
Aster asked him, while looking at the woman in a school uniform at his side.
“Ah, yes. She’s my bodyguard. She’s enrolling at Constellation starting today.”
The woman bowed her head. She spoke in a voice that was somehow suggestive.
“Hello. My name is Selena. I look forward to working with you.”
A gesture laden with allure, a smile. And a figure that was visible even beneath the school uniform—or rather, one that the uniform seemed deliberately cut to display.
“……Ah, I see. A bodyguard.”
Despite this appearance, she was supposedly a bodyguard.
‘Frontdier de Roach has been seen with a woman.’
At least one of the most trivial rumors seemed to be proving true.
* * *
“……A bodyguard, is it.”
In the Staff Office, Jane looked back and forth between Frontdier and Selena with cold eyes.
She’d heard that someone was stirring up rumors like the wind on the very first day of the Second Semester.
But she never imagined that wind would blow my way.
“Yes. If possible, we’d prefer to be in the same class.”
“Even if you say that, it’s not something I can decide freely.”
Classes were assigned first to those with insufficient numbers. If she began to indulge the preferences of each new student on which class they wanted to join, there’d be no end to it.
Frontdier seemed to be thinking something, and his eyes moved briefly to the side before he spoke.
“……Aten seemed to choose freely.”
“Hey, don’t say dangerous things like that, will you?”
Jane exclaimed in surprise. True, Aten had wanted to go to Class 5, where Frontdier was, and that’s exactly where she’d ended up.
But Aten was of royal blood. Before that, school rules became trivial.
“Then where will Selena end up?”
“Who knows. Right now, Class 2 is the one short on numbers.”
Class 2. Where Aster, Elody, and the other major named students had gathered.
Frontdier’s mind worked quickly. Come to think of it, the role of bodyguard didn’t hold much meaning within Constellation. If that was the case, wouldn’t it be better to send her to Class 2 and have her relay various pieces of information to him?
Besides, if she were in the same class, there was already Aten to contend with, and having someone as visually striking as Selena beside him would only shatter what was already a poor reputation into even smaller pieces.
……Though it already seemed pretty shattered, some band-aid patching was still necessary.
“Class 2 would be fine.”
“……All right. Frontdier, you head back to your class. And Selena, come with me. I need to hand you over to the Class 2 homeroom teacher.”
“Yes. Thank you for your kindness.”
I was the one who said it. I stood from my seat and waved at Selena to encourage her. But Selena’s eyes moved rapidly between me and Jane.
“……Really, I’m going to a different class? Me?”
“That’s what I just said.”
……
I didn’t understand why she was asking again, but since there was nothing more to say, I just shrugged.
As I left the Staff Office, Selena watched me with eyes that betrayed a profound unease.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————