Chapter 25 of the Weapon Replicator at the Academy

Chapter 7: The Disciplinary Committee

Edwin was sitting in a chair.

His mouth was dry, and cold sweat trickled down his back.

In front of him, the famous teachers of Constel were looking at him.

Surrounded by them, Edwin sat like a criminal.

No, he was a criminal.

Right now, he was attending the disciplinary committee.

"…Edwin."

"Yes, yes!"

The white-haired man sitting opposite Edwin had a fierce gaze in his wrinkled eyes and wore a long robe that concealed his build.

He was the ultimate authority and highest-ranking official at Constel, the Chancellor, 'Zodiac' Ospriete.

"There's no need to explain the circumstances. Since you turned yourself in."

"…That's right."

Edwin silently nodded.

The young man on the right side spoke in a gruff voice. It was Ares, the teacher in charge of basic combat techniques.

"You unilaterally assaulted the students. Some of them were seriously injured! In particular, Gary is still hospitalized with a broken jaw! This is by no means a light offense, even though you turned yourself in!"

"I think the fact that he turned himself in is more important?"

The one who answered was Jane, the teacher in charge of basic mana theory and practice.

The teacher who led the lower dungeon expedition for the Frondier group.

Her lively face still stood out in the committee room.

"Before Edwin used the golem, he himself was the one being unilaterally assaulted. The injured students all belonged to the commoner group 'Actober,' and it has already been confirmed that they were systematically bullying Edwin."

"But even so! They didn't hurt Edwin to that extent, did they!"

"That might be because Edwin took defensive action. It's not right to describe it as 'unilateral assault' when it should be considered 'excessive defense.'"

Both Jane and Ares were permanent teachers at Constel, teaching first-year common courses. They had taught Edwin and Gary when they were first-year students.

It was around that time that the conflict between commoners and nobles intensified.

Jane tried to distinguish individuals within the conflict, but Ares had always been on the side of the commoners.

He himself was a prime example of someone who had risen from the commoner class through diligent and persistent effort.

The prejudice against fallen nobles is even stronger than the prejudice against nobles.

Many teachers and students knew that Edwin didn't fully belong anywhere and was always on the periphery.

However, Edwin had steadfastly moved forward and had never been involved in any incidents until now.

Therefore, Jane believed Edwin in this incident, while Ares thought this was the time Edwin had finally crossed the line.

"Both of you, calm down."

An elegant voice. It was the school nurse, Malia de Roach.

It was odd that Malia, who was just a nurse, was attending the disciplinary committee, but no one dared to question it.

"We didn't bring Edwin here today because of the assault incident, right?"

"That's correct. The golem is the issue."

Ares answered, seemingly satisfied.

Jane pursed her lips.

In fact, from the perspective of the teachers at Constel, this issue was more problematic than the assault incident.

Even Jane, who wanted to defend Edwin, had little to say about this matter.

"Edwin, you stole Professor Vinkis's golem and used it to assault the students. Do you agree?"

Ares's question was malicious.

As he said, Edwin had confessed to this before.

Edwin closed his eyes and answered.

"Yes, that's correct."

"The dates of the golem theft and the assault incident are very close. It seems you stole the golem from the beginning to assault the students. Do you agree?"

"Professor Ares!"

Jane shouted. Ares's statement was based on mere speculation and coercion.

However, Edwin's posture and expression since he first arrived here were already withering under a sense of guilt.

Such coercion could work.

"Why are you silent? Do you agree, or not?"

"Professor Ares! Your words are too harsh!"

"I didn't ask you, Professor Jane!"

Ares stood up from his chair.

His slow, indifferent approach was itself intimidating.

Approaching Edwin, Ares intimidated him.

"Answer me, Edwin! If it wasn't to attack the students, why did you steal Professor Vinkis's golem! Your series of actions were clearly intentional!"

Edwin still had his eyes closed.

Ares's intimidation didn't shake Edwin's heart. He was just shaking himself, being shaken by himself.

─He did something even worse.

Beating the students could have been defended with some excuse.

But he had tried to silence his close friend, Ellyn, and Frondier had genuinely tried to kill him.

That unknown anger had no clear origin, but it was undoubtedly his will.

─Have you really fallen so far, Edwin?

Ellyn, you were right.

It's ridiculous to deny it.

"Answer me! Edwin!!!"

Ares's outburst.

Edwin slowly opened his eyes.

Yes, everything seems intentional. It's right to admit it. Edwin von Beherti has fallen.

Slowly, his mouth opened,

Squeak!!!

A sharp sound filled the entire meeting room, hitting the walls and ceiling.

Everyone turned their gaze toward the source of the sound.

"…Professor Vinkis?"

Ares tilted his head in confusion.

Professor Vinkis's hands were clasped together.

She had clapped her hands.

"Ah, I finally understand."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Hey, I couldn't understand why Edwin was here, acting like this. I watched the situation for a while, and now I see. So, Edwin is being scolded, right?"

Looking at Edwin's expression, it didn't seem that way.

"Huh, expression?"

Ares sneered.

"Where did the proud 'logic' and 'speculation' you were just giving Edwin go? Suddenly, you're talking about expressions? Has Mr. Ares now learned to read people's hearts just by looking at their faces?"

"Professor Vinkis! Even so, giving a metal golem as a gift to a mere student, how can that be reasonable?"

"Are you unaware that you're making an even more unreasonable claim?"

"An even more unreasonable claim…?"

In response to Ares's suspicious question, Vinkis looked around the room. When everyone focused on her, she smiled haughtily.

"Let me ask you the opposite. You think Edwin stole my golem, right? How did he steal it?"

"…Well, by sneaking into the laboratory."

"By sneaking in?"

"…Huh."

All the teachers understood Vinkis's meaning. They also understood her intention.

Vinkis was determined to protect Edwin, no matter what.

And it was impossible to dismantle her logic.

"My golem has multiple layers of security and encryption. No one here, not even the Chancellor, can interfere with its design without me."

No one could refute her statement.

They knew the weight of her words, that even the Chancellor, Ospriete, couldn't break the encryption.

On the other hand, Ospriete showed no reaction. It seemed both to affirm and ignore Vinkis's statement.

Vinkis looked at Ares.

"Let me ask again. Is it more likely that I gave a metal golem to a student, or that a mere student broke the security of a golem that no teacher here could crack?"

"…Professor Vinkis, such coercion…"

"It's not coercion on my part."

While these words were being exchanged,

Edwin just heard their conversation as background noise.

Guilt welled up, and shame clouded his vision.

Professor Vinkis was protecting him. The one who had betrayed her, who had stolen her golem.

Vinkis, one of the few allies Edwin had in the midst of the prejudice against fallen nobles. Edwin had betrayed her, and she had once again trusted him.

This single fact made his entire being tremble.

Edwin bowed his head.

Feeling wretched, he didn't know what face he was making and just looked at the floor.

Ospriete saw this.

He saw Edwin gripping his knees, his trembling shoulders, and his lowered head.

'…Beherti.'

The Beherti family was already thought to be completely fallen.

The golden age, when the Beherti family head and Ospriete were at their peak, seemed so long ago.

I thought they would grow old together as the times changed.

What was so urgent? What greed and stubbornness tempted you to fall so far?

I thought you would wither too quickly to rise again.

"─Professor Malia."

Ospriete, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.

"Yes."

"At the scene where the golem was destroyed, I heard that Edwin went to the infirmary with a male and a female student."

"That's correct."

"Did they have anything to say?"

"Ah, yes."

Edwin's eyes widened. It was about Ellyn and Frondier. When he raised his head, he met Malia's gaze.

"Edwin, this is what they want to tell you."

"Yes, yes?"

"First, the male student, Frondier de Roach, said—"

Malia's expression was unusually gentle. Her eyes seemed to warmly embrace Edwin.

"I'm sorry for breaking the golem without permission. Please convey that."

"…!"

Edwin listened to the words, his expression lost. Tears finally flowed from his endlessly trembling eyes.

"And this is what Ellyn wants to say."

Edwin didn't even think to wipe away his tears, and his dry face was soaked with them.

Seeing this, Malia rarely smiled with a playful look.

"I didn't know because I was asleep."