The Academy’s Weapon Replicator - Chapter 147

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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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The Weapon Duplicator of the Academy — Episode 147
Chapter 46: Suspicion and Demons (2)
Something came flying toward Kraken’s Residence.
The members inside knew what it was and waited without interest. Kian even furrowed her brow slightly.
A soft impact and vibration shook the front door of the residence. Shortly after, someone opened it and stepped inside.
“……You’re a bit late.”
It was Zodiac Heldrey.
He had bandages wrapped around both his arms, and they were far from thin.
As Heldrey entered, he spotted Lenzo and his eyes narrowed.
“……Lenzo.”
“Yeah, yeah. Old man. Long time no see. What happened to your arms?”
“……Frontdier’s doing.”
“What?”
At Heldrey’s answer, surprise flickered across Lenzo’s eyes.
When Lenzo had encountered him, Frontdier had been nothing but a half-grown child.
It wasn’t his place to speak, given that he’d lost an arm himself, but Lenzo had never intended to kill Frontdier in those days. The former princess Elisia had even ordered as much.
Yet Heldrey would have no reason to let Frontdier live. And yet he’d been wounded like this.
Frontdier was a clever schemer—he must have lured Heldrey into lowering his guard. On top of that, he’d probably imposed several disadvantageous conditions on the old man.
Even so, to inflict wounds of this severity on a Zodiac.
Lenzo’s lips curved slightly upward.
‘Now that’s a target worth killing.’
Meanwhile, Heldrey approached Kian cautiously.
“Kian. My granddaughter. About what happened last time……”
“Drop it.”
Kian shook her head.
Heldrey had fled, leaving Kian behind last time. He was burdened by guilt over it.
But Kian had no intention of bearing a grudge against him over that matter. Nor did she plan to grow close to him. There were far more pressing concerns now.
“All that’s left for us now is revolution.”
At Kian’s words, everyone except Lenzo nodded.
The operation had failed, their leader Heldrey was wounded nearly to the point of incapacity, and trust between them lay shattered.
Yet they could not stop here. If anything, having suffered wounds of this magnitude, they had no choice but to make the revolution succeed.
Too much time and effort had been poured into this. And above all, too much “sin” had accumulated. They’d come too far to turn back.
“Even if things have come to this, we still have to do what we must do.”
Skyler nodded in agreement.
“Then what about Frontdier?”
Everyone fell silent at the question, lost in thought.
Frontdier had originally been slated for kidnapping. But the operation at that time had underestimated him far too much. If they truly attempted to kidnap Frontdier again, they might have to overhaul the plan entirely.
“The revolution can succeed even without a ‘vessel.'”
“Right. Frontdier was only added to the plan partway through anyway. Let’s stick to the original strategy.”
Skyler and Thompson spoke.
Their words carried a certain persuasive weight. Kian lowered her head as if considering it.
“Ah, wait.”
That was when Lenzo raised his hand.
As all eyes turned to him, Lenzo spoke.
“I don’t care what your plan is. Like I said before, my lifeline is in Kraken’s hands right now. I have to follow whatever orders are given.”
Having just torn out Thompson’s Artificial Arm, Lenzo spoke brazenly.
Naturally, Kian’s eyes hardened.
“So?”
“What I want is simple. I’m going to kill Frontdier. Don’t get in my way.”
At those words, the veins stood out on Thompson’s neck once more.
“You bastard, you can’t just do as you please.”
“Hold on.”
It was Kian who stopped Thompson.
A thought flashed through her mind in that instant. She looked at Kraken. To the others, it appeared she was trying to persuade him, but the truth was different.
Kian threw a meaningful glance at Kraken. Perhaps only Kraken could read her thoughts in this moment.
‘……Ah, I see.’
Kraken read Kian’s intention and let a faint smile play across his lips.
Kian spoke.
“Yeah, I think that’s for the best.”
“What?”
Thompson’s expression darkened.
“We have to admit it. Frontdier is our greatest threat. It’s not just a matter of strength or weakness. We don’t know how much he knows about us, and we fell completely for his schemes.”
“If we’d only been more careful—”
“But you weren’t careful. You got arrested and nearly dragged away. This time, listen to me.”
Kian spoke.
After Frontdier fired the Firecracker, it was Kian who extracted the arrested Skyler and Thompson. She’d been the only one capable of using Portal at that moment.
And though she hadn’t told them, Kian could only rescue the two because of Frontdier. He had spared her life.
If Frontdier hadn’t saved her then, Kian would have been dead or captured. If that happened, Indus would be utterly annihilated.
She still didn’t know Frontdier’s true intentions in saving her, but if even her rescue of these two was part of Frontdier’s plan—
Then Frontdier’s threat level had reached its peak. He was not someone who could be ignored or overlooked.
But Thompson, unaware of the full situation, still wasn’t convinced.
“That octopus bastard spilled everything!”
Thompson pointed at Kraken and shouted. He remained suspicious of Kraken. In fact, most of the people here had placed high odds on Kraken being a traitor.
Yet Kian shook her head.
“Stop. That talk is meaningless now. We don’t have time. The Revolution must proceed.”
“If we’re leaving Frontdier to Lenzo, then our role is—”
Skyler’s words trailed off. Everyone understood what he meant.
To confirm it, Kian spoke.
“There’s only one target now. The Emperor’s head.”
Bartelo Therst.
Only his death would save Indus.

* * *
The last day of the school trip. The day the Constellation Academy students were to return.
At the train platform, Aten was protesting.
“This is strange.”
Aten’s eyes burned with suspicion.
She glanced back and forth between Frontdier and Jane, who stood awkwardly beside her.
“Why are you taking a separate return train? The volunteer work is finished.”
That was true.
Frontdier had arranged to take the next train back rather than the same one as the other Constellation students.
Aten’s suspicious gaze fixed on Frontdier.
Frontdier shrugged.
“I bought a round-trip ticket.”
“A round-trip ticket…?”
“It’s cheaper. You probably have one too, don’t you?”
The reason was simple. Simple enough that it was difficult to refute.
Aten’s lips closed slightly. It seemed impossible to discern Frontdier’s true intentions.
Aten’s head whipped toward Jane, and Jane’s head whipped away to look elsewhere.
“You’re not planning anything strange, are you?”
“How could I be? Frontdier just said so—he bought a round-trip ticket, so there’s nothing he can do about it.”
“Why are you avoiding my eyes?”
“Because your gaze is too intimidating.”
In this particular case, Jane had nothing to feel guilty about.
Because Frontdier had genuinely bought a round-trip ticket.
When he came to Cropol, there was plenty to hide, so there were vulnerable spots. But now he was simply speaking the truth as it was.
“…All right. But Frontdier.”
Aten looked at Frontdier again. Her jewel-like, transparent eyes fixed on him.
“The next time I check, if you have even a single scratch, I really will freeze you.”
“Does that mean you’ll treat my wounds? Lower the heat and stop the bleeding—”
“Exactly. When something’s frozen, there’s no heat and no bleeding.”
Aten was serious. Frontdier raised both hands lightly as if in agreement.
“All right. I’m just taking the next train back. It was the same when I came, wasn’t it? I arrived late from learning about the volunteer work, and I actually worked as a Lifeguard in Cropol.”
“…I suppose that’s true, but—”
“You’re too suspicious, Aten.”
Frontdier placed a hand on Aten’s head. With her lips closed, Aten watched him for a moment. As he lowered his hand, she turned away.
“Then I’ll see you at Constellation Academy.”
“Yeah, sure.”
And so, having barely sent Aten off, Jane let out a sigh.
“Frontdier, you’re really well-loved. By so many people.”
“……Aten’s genuinely angry.”
“How can you tell?”
“Her expression and tone haven’t changed, but she is. I’m absolutely certain—don’t let her catch on.”
Jane tilted her head. From what she could see, Aten’s expression and manner of speaking hadn’t altered in the slightest. Did Frontdier know something only he could perceive? Was it his keen eye for detail, or was it something about Aten herself?
“We have some time before the next train arrives. Go find somewhere to rest.”
“All right.”
Frontdier replied and turned to leave. Jane watched as his shoulders rose slowly, then fell. He was taking a deep breath.
‘Why?’
What reason did he have to take a deep breath now? The work was finished.
Jane’s head tilted in puzzlement.

* * *
The next train arrived, and I took a seat, gazing out the window.
Most of the instructors had already departed on the earlier train with the other students.
There weren’t many Constellation Academy instructors here, and none of them were in this car. Keeping students and instructors together constantly puts undue burden on the students.
Since I appeared to have been through an ordeal with the Lifeguard work, they were granting me whatever little freedom they could.
‘Indus’s revolution will likely fail even if I do nothing from here on.’
With their plan to target Osprite completely thwarted, their entire scheme was already half-collapsed.
Even if they couldn’t kill Osprite, if they’d managed to wound him, or if their second plan to kidnap me had succeeded—if they’d salvaged anything at all, the revolution might yet have succeeded.
But they gained nothing, and in the process, the seeds of suspicion I’d planted had grown to a level they couldn’t ignore.
Zodiac Heldrey’s injuries wouldn’t heal anytime soon either. Likely he’d never fully recover.
If his luck was truly terrible, he might lose the use of both arms and become crippled. But he’s Zodiac Heldrey—that won’t happen.
‘All that’s left now is to touch the Imperial Palace.’
A true revolution—severing Bartelo Therst’s neck. Then, by claiming the throne by force and manipulating the lower-ranking Indus members I’d placed there, shifting public opinion toward Indus.
Neither will likely succeed. Reaching Bartelo’s neck will be difficult enough, and even if I did kill him, citizens wouldn’t side with Indus in the resulting anarchy—not unless Bartelo were a tyrant.
So from here on, I can drop it entirely and the quest I received earlier will still succeed on its own. The Imperial Palace knights will suppress them.
But it would be a waste to leave this quest as it is.
[Main Quest: Indus Suppression Operation]
• Description: Indus’s plan has been exposed. Stop their scheme and suppress the Indus members.
• Objective: Subdue and apprehend Indus members and leadership.
• Reward: Distributed proportionally based on the number of individuals subdued.
• Failure may result in descent into Anarchy.
The quest reward is distributed based on how many people I personally subdue.
Even if I step back now, my contribution will receive some recognition.
But that’s not enough. So far, I haven’t actually subdued anyone myself. I’ll only get partial credit.
……So.
When exactly will he arrive? Lenzo.
‘Given Kraken and Lenzo’s temperaments, it should be soon.’
I’m not staring out the window because I’m lost in melancholy.
I’m simply looking out the window—that’s all.
And just as the train began rolling along the Aerial Railway once more.
“……There it is.”
Before I could see it in my vision, I felt an enormous presence ahead. It seems I’ve grown quite accustomed to sensing someone’s killing intent.
Only one person is exuding that aura. There’s no need to confirm.
“Frontdieeeeer──!!!”
The voice of the one infused with Aura reverberated throughout the entire train car.
It was a voice I missed, strangely enough—even oddly welcome.
“Come out! Let’s go at it one more time! There’s no one else! It’s just me!”
Lenzo was already certain I was inside the train.
I looked out the window. Lenzo was standing in mid-air. Quite a confident stance.
He might have been flying on his own, or he might have been standing on some thread with Kian’s assistance—but it was probably the latter.
Despite his immense strength, Lenzo wasn’t meticulous or refined. He wouldn’t be able to use advanced techniques like Flight. Not that he needed to.
“The countdown runs until this train passes the Aerial Railway! If you don’t come out by then, I’ll blow the entire train to pieces! You’d know—you know whether I can do it!”
I know all too well.
I smiled wryly.
The instructors will be here soon, having heard Lenzo’s voice. I should go out before they arrive.
I opened the window.
“No! Stop, Frontdier!”
That was when Jane’s voice rang out. This was unexpected—faster than I’d anticipated. Had Jane sensed something?
“I cannot simply stand by and watch a student die.”
Jane’s eyes were blazing with tremendous force. I could feel her resolve—she would never let me go.
“If I don’t go, it won’t be just me who dies. Everyone will.”
At my words, Jane bit her lip.
Osprite isn’t here now. Everyone who could have stopped Lenzo has already boarded the earlier train.
Even if Osprite learns what’s happening and rushes here, he likely won’t be able to stop the train from falling.
“Just pretend you didn’t see me for a moment.”
At my words, Jane’s pupils trembled.
“How can you do this? How can you? Everyone judged you as nothing but incompetent and lazy. How can you act as though it doesn’t matter?”
“But it does matter.”
I spoke, a smile crossing my face.
“Saving hundreds of lives with one life—even someone incompetent can do that.”
I offered the excuse and leapt out through the window. There was no time left.
Jane’s cries echoed from inside the train, but I ignored them and climbed onto the roof of the car.
“Frontdier!”
Lenzo spotted me and shouted. His face was flushed with exhilaration.
I stood atop the moving train and looked directly at Lenzo.
“That’s love, Lenzo. That degree of devotion.”
Though what we each meant by it was surely different.
Lenzo and I looked at each other and smiled. Smiling as our killing intents collided.
And every bit of it was genuine.

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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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