The Academy’s Weapon Replicator - Chapter 66
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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 Academy’s Weapon Replicator — Episode 66
Chapter 19: Level Up
A few days later, morning at Constellation Academy.
Students arriving for classes witnessed a sight that made their eyes widen.
“Oh, good morning……?”
“Good morning…….”
“Ah, um, good morning.”
Each student who passed by opened their eyes wide and bowed respectfully before hurrying on.
The figure they greeted gave no response, yet the students never failed to offer their salutations.
“Rector, it’s time.”
“Mm.”
Malia de Roach, standing beside him, announced the hour.
The figure was none other than Rector Osprit.
Osprit, who rarely exposed his face in public, stood before the academy gates.
He was here to receive someone—someone of sufficient stature to warrant his personal welcome.
And then, from a distance.
The engine of a sedan rumbled, slowing as it came to a halt directly before the gates. A middle-aged man stepped out from the driver’s seat.
“……!”
Every student passing through the gates froze in place.
Not only students—academy staff, passersby near the entrance—all came to a standstill, their eyes drawn to him.
From a distance came cheers that resembled female screams, while male students exhaled gasps of genuine awe.
They understood now. Why Osprit stood at the gates. What reason compelled his appearance.
His footsteps fell with a weight that seemed to press the very air downward.
Only Osprit and Malia stood unaffected by the presence that radiated from him.
“It has been long.”
His voice was cool and grave.
Most would have felt their spirit waver at those words alone, yet Osprit received him with calm composure.
“Good to see you, Anferre.”
Anferre de Roach.
He had come to Constellation Academy.
Shortly after, the three sat facing one another in the Rector’s office.
Osprit dismissed his secretary and gave orders that no one was to enter the office without his express permission.
“You’re being excessive. Whoever comes, I won’t harm anyone.”
“That’s not something you can guarantee.”
Malia answered in his stead, offering him tea. It was rare indeed to see her serve refreshments to a guest.
As Malia watched Anferre drink, she posed a tentative question.
“Anferre, won’t you join Zodiac?”
Anferre’s brow twitched slightly.
“You’re asking me to become the Empire’s guard dog?”
His retort could have been taken as an insult to Osprit himself.
By calling Osprit, who already belonged to Zodiac, the Empire’s guard dog, he had done exactly that. Yet Osprit received it without concern.
“Were we not all once guard dogs of the continent?”
“……That was in the past.”
Those currently in Zodiac and Anferre had shared the same era. And in that time, they had faced a catastrophe of enormous scale.
Battles against the External Monsters—creatures that resembled the recent attack on Constellation Academy, yet far more vicious.
Each time the monsters encroached upon humanity, humanity’s borders trembled. There had been small gains, but ultimately, the lines of human territory shrank relentlessly.
It was Anferre and the members of Zodiac who solidified those borders.
They erected walls and barriers at the boundaries of human territory and assigned major nobles to hold those lines.
As a result, Anferre took command of the Northwest Region, while Reedwi von Urfa of the Urfa Family was assigned the Northeast Region.
Only the North was exceptionally staffed by those unaffiliated with Zodiac, while the East, West, and South all belonged to Zodiac members.
“We are ultimately feral creatures. That’s our nature. We need conflict, and we need something to be loyal to. Isn’t that true for you as well?”
“It was once, but not anymore.”
“The more you speak lies, the worse your health becomes. When you reach my age, you’ll understand.”
Osprit let out a rare laugh befitting his years as he spoke.
Anferre shook his head.
“I have Artzie now.”
“……Artzie. Yes, of course.”
Osprit nodded. This attempt to recruit Anferre into Zodiac, as always, was thwarted by Artzie—who ironically was hailed as Constellation Academy’s finest output.
“Before long, Artzie will surpass me. He will become humanity’s new banner. And when that day comes, reclaiming the lands that humanity has lost will no longer be merely a dream.”
“Are you truly certain? That Artzie will surpass you?”
“He’s already beginning to show his mettle.”
Osprit scratched his temple with a wrinkled finger. He knew Artzie’s skill well enough—he’d seen it himself.
But one thing was certain: Anferre was simply obstinate. Or perhaps he’d already forgotten who he used to be in his prime.
“So you’ve come today because of Artzie?”
“Half of it, yes. I came to see how the provisional teaching post is progressing.”
Half? Then what was the other reason?
Osprit felt the question form, but set it aside for now.
“Artzie’s a fine teacher. The students speak well of him. I worried that someone so accustomed to actual combat might struggle with instruction, but he’s managing surprisingly well.”
“Of course. That’s only natural.”
Yes, definitely obstinate.
“Now that I think about it, why did you send Artzie in the first place? So suddenly. Was it simply because the combat instructor position was vacant? There must be more to it than that.”
“I thought Artzie would be necessary for Constellation. For the students’ growth as well.”
“You mean danger is coming? Something too demanding for the current students?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of danger?”
“Just… a hunch.”
A hunch.
But when Anferre spoke of hunches, one couldn’t dismiss them lightly. More than that, it was surely never just a ‘hunch’ alone.
“Then what is this other half—the other reason you’ve come?”
The other half of Anferre’s visit, the reason besides Artzie.
Anferre, who had answered without hesitation until now, suddenly fell silent.
He seemed displeased about something, his brow furrowed as he took a sip of tea.
Osprit was beginning to suspect what that other half might be, but he held his tongue for now.
“…The other half concerns my other son.”
Just as he’d thought.
“Frontdier?”
Malia asked. Anferre nodded.
Malia’s lips tightened. ‘Another son’—said as if the very name were awkward to speak.
“I heard my son placed sixteenth in the midterm examination.”
“Is that so? Malia?”
Osprit couldn’t possibly know the midterm standings of every first-year student. At his question, Malia nodded.
“Yes. His written score was perfect, but most of the practical points went to Aster Evans.”
“Hmm. Even so, that’s a respectable ranking. Why mention it?”
Anferre answered.
“Wasn’t the difficulty of the midterm examination rather shallow?”
Osprit’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t displeased that Anferre was finding fault with Constellation’s examinations.
It was the intent behind Anferre’s words that seemed suspect.
“In other words—you’re saying you’re dissatisfied with Frontdier’s high ranking?”
At this, Malia too turned her gaze toward Anferre. He closed his eyes briefly, then spoke.
“That’s correct.”
“…Anferre.”
Malia called his name. It was a kind of warning.
Frontdier faced expulsion if he didn’t place in the top ten overall by semester’s end. Malia knew this condition.
But she had always believed it was meant to foster his ambition—she’d never taken it as sincere.
What father would genuinely wish his own son’s expulsion?
“I understand the final examination is coming soon.”
“It is.”
“When it arrives, I hope for a properly rigorous test.”
Frontdier’s high ranking was simply because the test was easy. It was Frontdier’s good fortune, nothing more. There was no other explanation.
Looking at Anferre’s certainty, Malia felt her temper rising for the first time in a while.
“…Regardless of how difficult any test might be, Frontdier will meet the condition. If the exam is harder, all the students will find it harder.”
“Malia.”
Only then did Anferre turn his gaze toward her.
The looks they exchanged were far too ominous for a husband and wife.
“Has Constellation’s standard fallen so far?”
“Anferre.”
“Even if Frontdier performs decently and places in the top ten…”
Malia understood where Anferre was going. Her expression hardened. Anferre’s gaze remained steady, unshaken.
“Frontdier’s expulsion is already decided.”
* * *
[Analysis Complete]
[Target Skill: Weaving]
[Viewable]
Returning to the mansion and freshening up, I heard a welcome notification.
The analysis that had dragged on for days had finally finished.
I opened my smartwatch to review the details of the Weaving analysis.
[Weaving]
– Unique skill of Frontdier de Roach.
– Possesses the functions of ‘Workshop’, ‘Replication’, ‘Modification’, and ‘Restoration’. The ‘Restoration’ function is currently locked. Level Up required.
– Currently, skill application is limited to objects. Level Up required.
– To Level Up, attempt more simultaneous Weaving operations or Weave higher-grade targets.
──Caution──
– Currently has a ‘Thanatos Descent’ trigger attached as an option unrelated to the original skill.
– The trigger activates if Weaving affects reality for the first time.
– The trigger activates if Weaving damages External Monsters.
– The trigger activates if Weaving damages a god.
“……?”
The Analysis skill had yielded only a single line from Nils’ Short Sword, but this time a considerable amount of information flooded the screen.
That was good, but too much data at once left my head spinning.
“Wait, hold on. Let me just… take a breath.”
One thing at a time. Step by step.
First, the newest discovery.
Weaving also has a ‘Restoration’ function.
Beyond simply taking the image and information of a target into the Workshop and replicating it, I can actually ‘restore’ things as well.
For some reason, that restoration function is currently locked. I need to Level Up.
And second.
When it says the skill’s application is currently limited to objects, that actually means Weaving can operate far beyond just objects.
……And third.
This skill has a ‘Descent’ trigger embedded in it—one unrelated to the original skill itself. A god must have done this. Thanatos, the first god I ever faced.
When I used Heukcheon to create Gram, he appeared before me. Because I’d triggered this trap.
If Weaving grows stronger and I manage to wound an External Monster—
If I hadn’t known about this trigger, I’d be dead without question. The Analysis skill saved my life.
“I need to remove the trigger.”
At the very least, before I face External Monsters.
I have the Modification skill, which I gained by leveling up Weaving.
Since the trigger is attached to Weaving as an option, ‘removing the option’ should work—
But Weaving still only targets objects.
So what I need to do now is Level Up Weaving to expand its target beyond objects to skills themselves, then use Modification to remove the trigger from Weaving.
And to Level Up, I need repeated simultaneous Weaving and high-grade targets.
In the end, my task hasn’t changed. I’ll just keep doing what I’ve always done.
But there’s real value in knowing clearly what I stand to gain.
First, simultaneous Weaving.
I have plenty of weapons stored in the Workshop. I’ve swallowed weapons from all over—the Imperial Palace’s arsenal, Nils’ smithy, countless arms collected along the way.
I need to reach the point where I can Weave all of it at once.
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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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