The Academy’s Weapon Replicator - Chapter 132

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Academy Weapon Duplicator Episode 132
Chapter 41: School Trip (4)
And so.
I stood on the athletic field, waving my hand as I sent off every bus. Kora was doing the same beside me.
“……They’re all gone.”
“Yeah, they are.”
I was relieved that Kora was speaking more naturally now.
When she first spent time with me, she trembled while using formal speech she wasn’t comfortable with. Unaccustomed to the formal register, she’d make mistakes and then tremble even more.
I didn’t try to persuade her into anything—I just let her be.
In time, the fear she felt around me would fade anyway. She didn’t even know why it existed.
If things continued as they were, the day I’d see her chattering away like before didn’t seem far off.
……Was that a good thing?
“I wanted to go, though. To Cropol.”
“We can go next time. We can go separately if we want.”
I patted Kora’s head.
No bus would come for me. We weren’t going to Cropol.
We’d move toward that area, but not by bus. A different vehicle was waiting for us.
Vroom—
Just then, a small car pulled up and stopped in front of me.
The window rolled down, and inside was the teacher Isamaya.
“Get in.”
“Yes.”
I sat in the passenger seat, and Kora took the back. The car departed without delay.
As we drove, Isamaya glanced at me briefly from the corner of her eye.
“You alright?”
Isamaya asked.
“About what?”
“The school trip. It’s one of the few events in precious school days.”
“Ha ha ha.”
I laughed aloud. Isamaya really did seem like a teacher in moments like these. Naturally, of course.
“I’m fine.”
As I spoke, a smile came naturally to my face. I could feel the Yuryeol dwelling within my body.
“Besides, I have something more interesting to do.”
[Main Quest: Indus Suppression Operation]
• Description: Indus’s plan has been revealed. Stop the plan and neutralize the members of Indus.
• Objective: Neutralize Indus members and leadership.
• Reward: Differential payment based on the number of people neutralized.
• Failure may result in entering an Anarchy State.
The Indus Suppression Operation.
An event that must eventually be carried out, even in the game.
An event that, if failed, will race directly toward Game Over.
Players might console themselves by thinking only the emperor would change, but that isn’t the case.
“Frontdier. You said Indus’s goal was to collapse the hierarchy.”
“Yes.”
“If that actually succeeded, what would happen to the world? Would things work out the way Indus wants?”
Isamaya still seemed to harbor doubts about Indus’s plan.
Well, they were attempting something so massive, after all.
And Isamaya’s intuition was correct.
“No, Indus will fail. Even if we enter an Anarchy State, there’s a problem.”
“Even in anarchy? Why?”
Isamaya tilted her head. She probably thought it was difficult to enter anarchy in the first place. Of course, she was right about that too. Indus bringing down the throne was itself only a possibility. The quest implied as much.
But even if it succeeded, Indus would fall.
Indus had overlooked one thing in their ‘revolution.’
The existence of Mancok.
“Teacher, do you know anything about Mancok?”
“……It’s more surprising hearing that from your mouth.”
She seemed to know something about it.
Unlike Indus, Mancok didn’t hide their identity.
Those who knew about Mancok all knew exactly what kind of place it was.
I spoke.
“Indus won’t be able to contain Mancok’s flame. The Anarchy State is a situation where the Empire has weakened beyond measure. Of course Mancok won’t just stand by and watch.”
“You’re saying Indus didn’t anticipate Mancok attacking?”
“No. They simply underestimate Mancok.”
Like Indus, Mancok’s true scale is impossible to measure.
Yet it’s clear the two despise each other. You need only look at the contempt Selena and Kraken hurled at one another.
And beneath that hatred lies unmistakable disdain—which is precisely what strangles Indus.
“So Mancok and Indus are fighting for control of the Empire’s government?”
“I don’t believe so. Mancok has no interest in power.”
“Then what?”
“What Mancok wants is simply revenge.”
Isamaya tilted her head at my answer.
“Then Mancok has no reason to attack Indus, right? They already brought down the Empire.”
“In Mancok’s eyes, Indus is still Empire personnel. Indus seeks to seize power for themselves, but Mancok wants the Empire’s utter destruction.”
From that perspective, Mancok is perhaps closer to a true class revolution.
The conflagration they devour the Empire with spares neither noble nor commoner.
Of course, that’s Game Over.
“……Well, for now our best move is to stop Indus. We’ll worry about Mancok later.”
“That’s the wisest course. Once you stop Indus, Mancok won’t move.”
For now.
I glanced briefly out the window at the passing landscape.
We were heading for the Aerial Railway now—two distant cliffs connected across empty air by that suspended track.
While the students crossed in the train, the teachers would confirm everyone passed through safely, in case Indus had truly gone mad.
During all my repeated playthroughs, Indus had never detonated the train, but I understood the teachers’ unease. Reality could unfold differently.
And that’s where our operation would truly begin.
But before that.
“Isamaya.”
“What?”
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it? If it’s about the operation, you’ll have to tell the Headmaster. I’m driving right now.”
“No. This is something I can only tell you.”
“Only me?”
Isamaya wrinkled her nose and glanced sideways at me.
The other teachers weren’t around, and apart from Kora, there was no one else to hear.
I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
“I—”

* * *
As students filed sequentially onto the train, Malia checked her Sense Sharing ability.
‘The Headmaster seems to have already arrived, and Jane is in the rear cars.’
Though they were responding to the Indus threat, the school trip itself had to proceed without incident, so Constellation Academy’s teachers had split into two teams.
One group to escort the students, another to handle the response against Indus and execute the operation.
Malia grasped the overall situation of the students and trip, relaying it all to Headmaster Osfreeth—making her the effective commander of the escort team. This was made possible by her ability: Sense Sharing.
‘I really should have extended Sense Sharing to Frontdier as well.’
Malia’s Sense Sharing was capable, but there was a limit to how many people she could link at once. After distributing it among all the key personnel, she’d lost track of Frontdier.
Osfreeth had assured her that Frontdier would be performing his task in an extremely safe location, which was some comfort, but worry remained.
“Um, excuse me, teacher.”
As students boarded the train, Aten approached Malia.
“Is Frontdier in the next car?”
“Oh, right. Frontdier’s on a completely different schedule, so just think of it that way.”
“……I see.”
Aten suppressed her disappointment and stepped into the train.
Shortly after, Saiber came over and asked.
“Teacher, which car is for Class 5? Is it okay if I move seats?”
“Oh, you can ask the teacher in charge about seat changes.”
“Got it. Thank you~”
Saiber replied with courtesy and charm, then turned to leave. Malia watched her back for a moment, then spoke.
“Just to make sure—Frontdier’s not there.”
“Huh?”
“He’s doing volunteer work. He’s going on a different car from us.”
Saiber’s eyes widened in surprise as she turned back to look at Malia, then quickly regained her composure and spoke.
“Oh, haha! No, teacher, it’s not because of Frontdier. Why would I? I just wanted to talk with the Class Five kids.”
Malia de Roach smiled warmly at that.
“I see. Get along well with them.”
“Yes, yes ma’am.”
And Saiber went inside.
After that, Aster, Selena, Runia, and even Rohwald came by in turn, each asking about Frontdier. Malia de Roach gave nearly identical answers as she sent the students on their way.
‘Why is my son so popular?’
The reputation she heard and the reality were vastly different. She still caught wind of talk about Frontdier now and then, but nothing seemed to have changed from before. To most students, Frontdier was still a human sloth.
And yet, could it be that someone was noticing something?
“Um, teacher.”
Just then, another student approached Malia de Roach.
This time it was Elody.
Malia de Roach answered almost by reflex.
“Frontdier is on the next car.”
“……Huh? Yes?”
“Oh dear, I’m sorry. Was that not what you wanted to ask?”
Elody tried to make sense of Malia de Roach’s words, but her face flushed crimson in an instant.
“Why would you think I’d ask something like that?”
“……Just a guess?”
Everyone who knew Frontdier came by asking exactly that, so it was only natural.
At Malia de Roach’s response, Elody’s face grew even redder.
“Why would even you, teacher, say such a thing…….”
Elody recalled the conversation she’d had with Aster just moments before.
Aster had also answered with something like, “Well, why did he?” and now Malia de Roach too?
What is this? Why are they all bringing up Frontdier when they talk to me?
“Mmm, I’m sorry. So what were you trying to ask?”
Of course, Malia de Roach couldn’t possibly know what Elody was thinking, so she asked again.
“Oh, um, yes, that is, where is the restroom?”
“……We showed you where the restroom was during the waiting period before boarding the train.”
“Oh! Right! Thank you so much!”
Elody bowed her head quickly and walked away fast. She didn’t go to the restroom—she simply boarded the train.
She moved with the speed of someone nearly fleeing.
“Not going to the restroom? Though I suppose there isn’t much time left.”
Some students, being nervous, feel an unnecessary urge. They’d already sent the students to the restroom once during the waiting period, so Elody was probably fine.
[Attention, passengers. The train bound for Cropol will depart shortly. Please ensure all passengers have boarded the train.]
An announcement echoed through the station, and Malia de Roach boarded as well.
The escort teachers checked the passenger count for each class in the train, and made an OK sign with their fingers before their eyes. Malia de Roach confirmed it through Sense Sharing. All clear.
Clang—
A heavy metallic sound rang out as something dropped. It was the sound of the train departing.
With that, tension settled over the teachers’ faces. There was no turning back now.
This train would head toward the Aerial Railway. Frontdier had said there would be no problems, but from a teacher’s perspective, that was merely a hope.
‘So the Headmaster must be…….’
Malia de Roach sat down and checked Osfreeth’s point of view through Sense Sharing.
‘……Huh?’
But the scenery looked strange. The trees were far too low, and there was no sign of a path. It was difficult to tell where Osfreeth was standing now.
After observing Osfreeth’s view for a long while, Malia de Roach soon realized.
‘……He’s floating in the sky. Far above the Aerial Railway.’
It seemed Osfreeth, too, was fully prepared to welcome their visitor.

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