Chapter 24 of the Weapon Replicator of the Academy

Chapter 6: Golem (5)

The golem now completely ignored Edwin’s will. It launched attacks without any hesitation or guilt, completely disregarding Edwin’s reluctance.

“Hey, wait! Stop!”

It seemed as if the golem didn’t hear Edwin’s shouts. It was as if it was listening to a voice far more authoritative than that of its ‘master.’

Bang! Crash! Boom!

The earth was gouged by the wildly swinging spear. Unlike before, its movements were drastically different from Azie’s spear techniques.

However, these crude attacks were incredibly fast and powerful, making it difficult to find an opening.

If I could just make it pause for a moment, this would be the perfect opportunity—

At that moment,

as the golem’s arm swung up into the sky once more,

Crack!

A sword pierced the golem’s arm.

‘Elin’s sword!’

Elin had thrown her sword.

The handful of stamina and mana she had gathered while I was fighting. She had put everything into that one move.

It would have been too much for me, but from Elin’s perspective, such a crude attack was all too easy to predict.

An opening I couldn’t afford to miss.

I gripped the necklace. The black gemstone necklace given to me by Quinie.

This necklace has the property of absorbing any liquid it comes into contact with. To store liquid inside, you just need to place the necklace on top of it.

Additionally, it has a spatial expansion enchantment, allowing it to hold much more than it appears.

Then, how do you extract the liquid?

It’s even simpler.

Crack.

Just break it.

Weaving, Black River.

Rank - Legendary

Gram

The black liquid, Black River, instantly took shape in my hands, becoming the sword Gram.

At the same time, dizziness and fatigue washed over me, indicating that my mana was nearly depleted.

I thrust the sword, which pointed straight to the sky, downward with lightning speed.

However, the attack was slightly delayed, and the golem’s spear met it head-on.

At the moment of contact, the blades did not make a sound.

“...!”

At that moment,

I saw the purple mist inside the golem.

What I had only guessed to have a form now clearly manifested,

and I met its gaze.

[Do you know why you lack divine power and talent?]

[You dare to imitate a hero’s weapon.]

[All the gods will curse you, you wretched thing.]

That voice seemed to come from a frozen moment in time.

I guessed its identity.

The purple mist that had moved from Edwin to the golem.

The corruptor who had led Edwin astray.

The irresponsible power that had given the golem to him and made him bear the sin.

—Now you reveal your true form.

Hephaestus.

[I saw that technique before.]

[What can you do with a technique that only allows 3 seconds?]

Before, he said.

Indeed, it was as I suspected.

It was strange to suddenly encounter Slev in the lower dungeon.

It was your doing.

That was all he said. Time resumed its flow.

At that moment, the golem’s spear moved strangely.

With a sound like burning wood, it simultaneously rotated and struck.

Whirr—

Gram flew out of my hand into the air.

Azie’s technique.

A mysterious move that, by engaging weapons with the opponent, causes them to lose their grip.

‘Disarm.’

“Ah!”

I heard Elin’s short exclamation from a distance.

This technique, which perfectly deflected the opponent’s decisive attack and made them drop their weapon, could only be done by Azie. If the golem was modeled after Azie, it would naturally desire such a skill.

That’s why I,

had anticipated this technique from the start.

Swish, the golem’s spear was thrust at me again. I immediately dodged by leaning away.

Before the golem used ‘Disarm,’ I had already let go of Gram. This allowed me to maintain my balance and dodge the spear.

Dodging like this would be a death sentence against Azie, but

it works against you.

You fake.

Gram, spinning in the air, remained intact.

The weaving did not unravel. The 3 seconds had already passed.

Hephaestus only knew that much. He believed Gram would disappear after 3 seconds.

However, I had undergone repeated mana depletion training and was wearing the ring given to me by Quinie.

‘I extended it by 2 seconds, you fool.’

I caught the falling Gram, and the blade pointed upward from below.

What I was doing was just an imitation. Just like the golem in front of me.

If Azie saw this, she would probably tut and find it pitiful.

But the enemy is a copy of Azie.

‘Then you should be prepared to face the consequences.’

Azie Spear Technique Basics

Frondeur-style Sword Technique Variation

Diagonal Slash

Swish—!

The diagonal line Gram carved.

The golem’s body fell precisely along that line.

* * *

Clank.

The metallic sound was harsh.

The golem, which had seemed like a ferocious monster just moments ago, now made a sound like an empty can when it was cut.

I stood with my shoulders slumped.

...I won.

Only then did I realize the sound of my heart.

“Huff... huff...”

My hands trembled. The mana depletion was severe.

Even though I had extended it by 2 seconds, I might have used more time than I thought. Or perhaps I unconsciously consumed more mana.

Gram had already returned to its liquid form and flowed away.

Clatter, the sound of glass pieces colliding. The broken necklace reassembled itself, returning to its original form.

The necklace given to me by Quinie has a restoration enchantment.

So, whenever I want to use Black River, I just need to break the necklace, and when it restores itself, Black River will be contained within.

Quinie really gave me a great item.

I named the necklace ‘Black Chain.’

“...Now.”

I forced my face, which barely moved, to look up.

The purple mist that remained after the golem was defeated was still there.

Hephaestus.

One of the Twelve Olympian Gods, the god of blacksmiths and fire.

To him, my ‘weaving’ must have been extremely displeasing.

[You deserve to die.]

Hephaestus’s boiling voice echoed.

What did you see? You, a mere human, dared to peek into a god’s past—!

Hephaestus, clearly flustered.

I chuckled. It seemed I had indeed left a mark.

[How much must you mock the gods to be satisfied—]

Despite his rage, Hephaestus’s voice gradually faded.

Without a place to channel his divine power, he couldn’t sustain his presence.

“...Go away.”

My voice was dry.

It felt like I was pouring out my exhaustion through my voice.

After Hephaestus’s voice completely disappeared,

I stood in the quiet wind.

“...Frondeur.”

I turned my head. Elin was standing beside me.

She was holding her side, but she seemed to have recovered significantly.

“What will you do about Edwin?”

Elin’s voice was as lazy as always, making me even more sleepy.

Edwin was slumped where he had been standing.

It didn’t seem necessary to worry about him now that Hephaestus’s interference was gone.

“...Senior Edwin will be fine.”

“...I see.”

Elin nodded quietly.

She seemed to understand my meaning.

* * *

This scene would likely become one of the moments Elin would never forget.

A sword suddenly appeared in the boy’s hands. With that sword, he cut down the golem.

Until the moment of the cut, the scene was like a single spell.

After the fight, the boy just stood there.

His hands were spasming, and his whole body trembled slightly with every movement.

His eyes, which seemed to be looking at something, still shone brightly even after the battle.

His face, drenched in fatigue and exhaustion, but his eyes still gazed somewhere.

Elin stood up and walked over.

His appearance, bathed in moonlight, was breathtakingly beautiful. To confirm that this was reality, Elin walked over.

“...Frondeur.”

She called his name.

Frondeur looked at Elin.

-What will you do about Edwin?

-Senior Edwin will be fine.

Even as this conversation took place, Elin still felt like she was talking to an illusion.

Even though she was looking at Frondeur,

even though Frondeur was looking at her.

So, Elin asked the biggest question on her mind.

“...Why did you save me?”

You don’t know me.

Even if you did, it’s not a reason to risk your life.

The moment she was protected.

The voice that shouted to Edwin.

A fight she had never seen before.

All of it felt like a dream.

Frondeur.

Who are you?

“...You are someone who shouldn’t die.”

With those words, Frondeur

lost his balance.

“...!”

Elin caught his falling body.

Finally, Frondeur turned from an illusion into reality, lying in Elin’s arms.

His steady breathing.

His peaceful face, unguarded and visible to her.

“...”

Elin poked his face once, just to check.

A definite sensation.

Elin blinked a few times and let out a breath that sounded like a sigh.

Her lazy eyes reflected the moonlight.

Elin smiled.

“Sleeping people are heavy.”

It was a comment that didn’t quite suit her.

* * *

...When I regained consciousness, I was in the infirmary.

I opened my eyes quietly.

A teacher in a white coat was sitting beside me.

She had a refined face. Her brown hair was lightly wavy, and her calm gaze rested on her long lashes.

I knew who she was.

Maria de Roach, the school nurse of Constell.

But the most important information for me was that she was Frondeur’s mother.

‘...What should I do?’

Naturally, I had never spoken to Maria before.

Maria doesn’t live in the Roach mansion.

Her role as a nurse is for the students, but her main work is in magic research.

Her research facility has a complete sleeping area, so she spends most of her time there.

She was quietly reading a book.

...Should I try to surprise her?

Would that help break the ice and make the conversation easier?

Just as I was about to speak,

without looking away from her book, Maria spoke.

“Did you sleep well? Frondeur.”

“...How did you know?”

“Mom knows everything.”

...Was that a joke?

It felt real and was a bit scary.

“Your girlfriend brought you here. You should thank her later.”

...Girlfriend?

Oh, she means Elin.

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Mom is happy. Actually, I thought it was a bit late for you, given your looks.”

Are you listening?

“Um, Mom. Did any other male students come here besides the girl?”

“Ah, yes.”

Maria nodded.

Her expression was indifferent and calm, much like Frondeur’s lazy one.

“He confessed.”

“...What?”

“He admitted to stealing the golem and using it to attack the students. It’s probably on the news now. Do you want to see it?”

“No, no.”

Maria’s voice lacked any tension.

“By the way, did anyone... die?”

“No, they didn’t. It’s fortunate. They also found evidence that the students had gathered intentionally to torment him, so the punishment might not be too severe.”

Hearing that, I felt relieved and buried my head in the pillow.

I see. Edwin was still Edwin after all.

Without Hephaestus’s interference, he was indeed the Edwin I knew.

‘...Hephaestus.’

The scene Hephaestus showed me, or rather, the one I had peeked at.

The bow and arrows.

—It’s likely that they are definitely ‘Artemis’s Bow.’

A set of bow and arrows is stored in my ‘workshop.’ To weave them, I would need as much or more mana than Gram.

And one more thing.

‘...Weaving two weapons ‘simultaneously.’ I need to learn this quickly.’

I can only weave one item at a time.

During the fight with the golem, I could only throw a dagger once, which was frustrating.

I eventually won, but the mana limit was dangerously close, and I fainted because of it.

And most importantly,

if I can weave Artemis’s Bow and Arrows.

I would need to hold each in my hands.