Chapter 18 of the Weapon Replicator of the Academy

Chapter 5: Test (2)

"Such a beautiful view, no matter when I see it. Especially the layout of the mansion and the inner courtyard... Huh?"

Ortel was admiring the well-maintained landscape of the Loach mansion when he noticed something.

Elodie also directed her gaze there.

"That man over there, isn't it Frontier?"

"Y-Yes?"

They tilted their heads in confusion, not expecting Frontier to be outside.

Frontier was standing in the middle of the open space of the mansion.

His still sleepy eyes showed a rare hint of tension.

Then,

"......!"

Elodie felt it.

Frontier was drawing up mana.

His jet-black hair fluttered lightly.

Though she didn't know what magic he was about to cast, it was a considerable amount of mana.

'Is Frontier's mana that much?'

It seemed that Frontier's mana capacity was greater than what Elodie knew.

Not very accurate, as she hadn't paid much attention.

But what mattered was not the total amount of mana, but how much he could use at once.

Magic couldn't be cast by simply pouring in mana.

For a basic spell like 'Flame Strike,' adding more mana wouldn't increase its power; any excess would just dissipate.

In other words, using a lot of mana meant it was a high-level spell.

'What spell does Frontier know that requires this much mana...?'

Elodie and Ortel watched Frontier with a mix of tension and anticipation.

Finally, Frontier finished channeling his mana, and a light began to emanate from his fingertips.

And then,

Nothing happened.

"......Huh?"

Even rubbing their eyes, they saw no change.

Whether Frontier did something or not, the open space remained the same.

Absolutely nothing.

* * *

I don't know what kind of magic circle this is.

Menosorpo.

I came out to the open space of the mansion to test this magic circle I got as a reward for clearing the dungeon.

Activating the magic circle requires a considerable amount of mana, but even after engraving it on the ground and activating it, nothing changes.

It's much larger than it looked, so I had high hopes.

I scratched my head.

"Am I destined to see things that are invisible?"

"What do you mean by that?"

A voice flew over. Turning around, I saw Elodie.

Next to her was her father, Ortel.

I bowed my head.

"Greetings, Lady Risha."

"Ah, it's you. What are you doing out here?"

Ortel said, sounding a bit impressed.

The original Frontier would have stayed in his room in the mansion and never come out.

"I've been feeling stifled in my room lately."

I gave a plausible excuse.

Elodie, standing next to me, furrowed her eyebrows and pressed.

"What do you mean by that? Being destined to see things that are invisible?"

Of all things, she had to hear that.

I quickly thought.

"......Oh, you didn't hear? A few days ago, when I went to the dungeon, I saw a ghost."

Good, a brilliant quip.

Seeing the ghost Slev was not a lie.

"......Really?"

"It's true."

Elodie's suspicion didn't seem to disappear as she pursed her lips and scrutinized my face.

But all she saw was my lazy expression.

"Hmm, well, whatever. You've been to the dungeon and seem enthusiastic. The joint mission should be fine."

"Joint mission?"

"Yes. A team is formed with one student from each of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades to perform a mission in the field."

"......Oh."

Now that I think about it, there was such a thing.

When dealing with monsters, students usually move in teams, so it's important to know their skills and positions in advance.

However, a team composed only of 1st graders is too risky, so a trio of 2nd and 3rd graders is formed.

1st graders learn from their seniors, and seniors teach their juniors, indirectly experiencing what it's like to be a pro.

...But in the game, the joint mission wasn't a big event.

Because I was Aster Evans.

I was the standout among 1st graders, and with 2nd and 3rd graders around, it was a smooth event.

But now I'm Frontier.

Anything could happen.

"You said you need to be in the top 10 of your grade, right? The joint mission also has bonus points."

She heard that too.

My goal of being in the top 10 of my grade aside, the bonus points Elodie mentioned were real.

The joint mission is right after the pro experience. I need to train until then.

At least to avoid embarrassment.

* * *

On the day of the joint mission.

All the students of Constel gathered in the field.

The 'field' is a dedicated space created by Constel for students to practice real combat.

The field is a managed area within a certain range, its size comparable to a village.

Here, students perform various tasks such as tracking, eliminating, and capturing monsters...

After the teacher's detailed explanation on the podium, I drew a piece of paper from the box.

Group B.

I silently looked at the paper I drew.

I can't help but wonder.

Did the original Frontier draw this paper? Or did I choose it by my own will?

...It was a silly thought.

"Oh?"

"Eh."

Looking around, I noticed something.

Quinie de Vieux.

Quinie, holding a piece of paper with 'B' written on it, looked at me.

"We meet often."

"Indeed."

Quinie's expression in response to my greeting was somewhat subtle.

Ah, she must have come back from the pro experience. Should I ask?

"Was the information helpful?"

"......Yes, more than I thought."

Quinie hesitated but answered honestly.

"Um, um......"

And another person.

I'm a 1st grader, Quinie is a 3rd grader.

So, there's still a 2nd grader in Group B.

"Is this Group B? Nice to meet you."

A man with a somewhat weak voice approached.

Dark hair, short sports cut, a cool hairstyle, and a gentle face.

He seemed somewhat timid, with narrow shoulders and a hunched posture.

I greeted him first.

"Yes. I'm Frontier. Nice to meet you."

"Uh, I'm Edwin. I'm a 2nd grader."

I stopped when I heard his name.

A name I couldn't forget.

"......Edwin, are you from the Behertio family...?"

"Huh? You know my family?"

Just as I was surprised by Edwin's response, a loud voice came from the front of the field.

"Alright, now that you've found your groups, let's start the mission! As mentioned, the time limit is 3 hours! The field is the 'Temperate Forest.' The monsters were placed here a day ago! So, if you look around the field carefully, you'll easily see the traces left by the monsters. The seniors will lead the tracking and instruct the methods! The evaluation of the seniors will depend on how the 1st graders you teach perform."

The method of tracking monster traces is taught in theory, but it's different from practical application.

Many students are taken aback by the gap between theory and reality and can't perform to their full potential.

The job of the seniors is to eliminate this confusion.

If they remain calm and recognize the difference between theory and practice, they can apply what they've learned.

"Then, let's start!"

Some teams quickly ran off, while others were still discussing.

"Let's go. It's not necessarily better to go fast, but it's frustrating if the monster we track is caught by another team first."

Quinie led the way leisurely.

Frontier followed, and Edwin trailed behind with hesitant steps.

'......Edwin von Behertio.'

To be honest, I didn't know it was Edwin. I thought he was a commoner.

His clothes were shabby, and his posture was timid.

But he is not a commoner. He is not an ordinary noble.

He is one of the characters with 'Divine Power.'

Edwin von Behertio, a fallen noble.

Edwin is a rather peculiar character.

Players often hear his name because of his Divine Power, but he is almost impossible to find in the game.

While Frontier is a character who leaves the story midway, Edwin is definitely in Constel but hard to find. His presence is that faint.

"Hi, Edwin. I'm Quinie."

"Y-Yes......"

Even as Quinie spoke warmly, Edwin's voice grew quieter.

This personality contributed to his faint presence.

"Here is the Temperate Forest. Frontier, stay close to me. I'll teach you the tricks of finding traces and tracking."

For some reason, Quinie is being kind to me.

I don't know why, but it's not bad, so I'll listen attentively.

While listening to Quinie's explanation, I glanced at Edwin.

He seemed to be diligently looking for traces.

Edwin is a pretty good character.

Like Quinie, he belongs to the 'Light' faction, and most importantly, he has Divine Power.

That alone increases his value.

Edwin's Divine Power is 'Hephaestus,' the Greek god of blacksmiths.

He excels in handling metals and is familiar with 'fire,' an essential element for blacksmiths. He can also create golems using metals in the future.

A character with great potential, Edwin naturally rebuilds his family as the game progresses. Though he may not be noticeable, it