Chapter 36 of the Academy's Weapon Replicator

Chapter 10: The Empress's Eye (2)

Ainen was shopping frantically at the department store.

After buying clothes, cosmetics, and accessories that she usually wanted, there was still money left on the gift card.

It was quite a substantial amount for a gift card won by answering a quiz question.

She was on her way down to the basement to buy groceries.

“?”

While turning a corner, someone walked alongside her.

She thought they would pass by, but they matched her pace.

“……???”

She glanced to see if she knew them, but it was someone she had never seen before.

Although his face was hard to see because of his suit and sunglasses.

“Ah, excuse me?”

“Shh.”

The man spoke quietly.

“There’s someone waiting for you, Miss Ainen. This way.”

The man gently guided Ainen in the direction he was going.

His guidance was not forceful but polite.

Ainen could have resisted if she wanted to.

“Who’s waiting for me?”

“You’ll know when we arrive.”

“Why not tell me here, where no one is around?”

In response to Ainen’s question, the man leaned in closer.

He whispered in her ear.

“Lady Phil Terst is looking for you.”

“Phil Terst... Could it be the Empress...!”

“Shh.”

The man warned her, and Ainen closed her mouth.

Perhaps because she closed it too quickly, she hiccuped.

“Why me?”

Ainen asked in a faltering voice.

“No matter how suspicious it seems, I can’t refuse the Empress’s summons.”

The man seemed prepared to give no further answers.

Ainen, being led by the man, thought hard as she walked.

‘Phil Terst, the Empress of the Empire!’

She was far too high a person for Ainen to approach.

Ainen was not a combat instructor at Constel, just a librarian.

She couldn’t fathom why the Empress would be looking for her.

‘Moreover, why is she moving so secretly?’

If she were the Empress, she could just command it.

“Ainen Float, come to me immediately and receive my order!”

One word like that would have been enough, without all this complicated process.

‘There must be some awkward reason why she can’t appear openly, or she doesn’t want the palace to know...’

Either way, it was a daunting situation for Ainen.

The man led Ainen through a ‘No Entry’ door, turned right inside, opened another door, and then went down a staircase past a ‘Under Construction’ sign.

Finally, they walked down a one-way escalator in reverse.

‘Old-fashioned...’

It seemed to be thoroughly designed to prevent intrusion, but it also felt a bit cheap.

When the man finally opened an iron door,

“...Wow.”

The place they arrived at was clearly not a department store.

There were lavish jewelry and artworks, as if taken from inside the palace.

‘Come to think of it, Phil Terst is said to like warm colors.’

Reflecting that taste, the room was filled with red, orange, and yellow.

After walking a bit inside, she saw a table.

Cups of tea were already set on the table.

“Please wait here.”

The man left after saying that.

Ainen looked around the room in a daze.

‘...Should I run?’

She thought about it for a moment, but it was impossible.

No matter how suspicious, she couldn’t refuse the Empress’s summons.

And she didn’t have the chance.

“Wow, you’re here, Miss Ainen.”

A warm voice echoed.

A tone and manner that made people feel at ease.

As Ainen quickly stood up to kneel,

“Ah, no, no need for that.”

The woman waved her hand in a relaxed manner.

“Sit down, sit down.”

Only then did Ainen get a good look at her.

White hair that resembled eyes.

A face so youthful it was hard to believe she was Ainen’s mother, and slightly open red eyes.

The atmosphere somehow felt cozy.

‘...A cozy air.’

Thinking of coziness, the sloth from Constel came to mind.

He always had a cozy look, almost sleepy.

But unlike Frontier, Phil had a bright and warm presence.

It wasn’t coziness from being sleepy or tired.

It was a warmth that seemed to permeate the surroundings, bringing peace.

“You must be quite surprised? I’m sorry. I really wanted to meet you somehow.”

“Me, you mean...?”

Ainen’s tone became strange.

She had never conversed with royalty before.

Phil smiled.

“Just relax. Here, I’m just like anyone else.”

That’s easier said than done.

Ainen, unable to find the right words, sipped her tea.

Phil asked,

“Did you enjoy using the department store gift card?”

“Huh?! Cough, cough!”

Surprised, she gulped down the tea.

Ainen coughed, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“Cough, how did you...?”

“Actually, the quiz was set by us.”

“By the Empress...?”

Phil nodded with a smile.

“We found you because of that. We didn’t expect anyone to answer the expert question.”

“So, then, the reason you’re looking for me is...”

“Yes, it’s because of the quiz.”

Ainen nodded blankly at Phil’s straightforward answer.

At least her thoughts were starting to clear up.

She had wondered why the royal family would look for her, who had no connection to them.

It was because of the quiz.

‘They were looking for the person who answered the expert question.’

Wait.

Then what the Empress really wanted to know was...

Phil smiled subtly and leaned in closer.

“So, Miss Ainen.”

“Yes, yes?”

Her voice cracked.

Phil, undeterred, asked,

“How did you know about the information on the Dragon Heart?”

* * *

I had a not-so-good dream.

Or was it a memory?

I saw the residue of the knowledge absorbed from Frontier.

It was too fragmented and blurry to understand clearly.

Someone had secretly given Frontier information about the ancient language.

But no matter how I searched my memory, I couldn’t identify who that person was.

‘...This is probably because Frontier himself doesn’t remember it clearly. What he said, what his voice sounded like, what he looked like.’

From the fact that I called him ‘that guy’ without realizing it, he seemed to be a man.

In any case, the past Frontier had listened to some strange words from that guy and devoted himself to interpreting the ancient language.

It must have been a way to nullify Elody’s divine power.

‘From the fact that Frontier managed to interpret the ancient language, he’s not stupid. The guy’s words must have been convincing.’

Or maybe he was enchanted by magic or hypnosis.

In any case, I needed to be cautious about that man.

──So, where am I having these thoughts?

“Mmm... Nya.”

I was in a hospital bed, looking at Siebel, who was sleeping on her side.

I felt heavy in my stomach while sleeping.

Siebel had been sleeping soundly, oblivious to the world, and I didn’t know how long she had been there.

She looked so comfortable that I felt bad about waking her up.

...I’m the patient, but anyway.

Creak-

At that moment, the door to the hospital room opened.

“Oh, Mr. Frontier. You’re awake?”

“Huh?!”

It wasn’t me but Siebel who reacted to the nurse’s words.

She opened her eyes wide and quickly straightened up.

The nurse smiled.

“Your girlfriend has been very devoted since yesterday.”

In response to the nurse’s words, Siebel, still sitting up straight, said,

“N-no, she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Siebel, pronunciation.”

“Eh, ahh.”

At my correction, Siebel pressed her cheeks with both hands.

...Would that improve her pronunciation?

“Siebel, your hair is on your lips.”

“Oh, r-right.”

“Saliva on your chin.”

“Huh?! R-right.”

“Runny nose.”

“Liar!”

“Yeah, liar.”

I stopped because it was getting fun.

Siebel looked at me with a pitiful expression.

“Hmm.”

Another person entered the hospital room.

She approached me and smiled.

...Her expression was similar to Siebel’s.

“You’re awake, Frontier.”

“Yeah, Elody.”

──After that.

I heard the situation from the two of them.

First, Serp’s death was confirmed.

He died instantly from a head wound.

Although the weapon was not found, it was assumed to be Siebel’s magic arrow.

And the other leader, Grobel.

I had wondered why they only mentioned Serp when they were in the forest, but Grobel had been knocked out by Serp’s earlier ambush.

Serp had intended to control Rockbell.

He must have judged Grobel as an obstacle.

Grobel was sent to ‘Teyvon’s Wall’.

Teyvon is a frontier region of the Urfar family’s territory, completely opposite to our family’s territory, Yelanhess.

The area managed by Lead Urfar is more dangerous than Yelanhess.

Unlike Yelanhess, where my father Angfer’s excellent leadership and management had prevented all monster invasions, Teyvon had failed to do so.

In winter, the monsters outside become even hungrier, and they slowly crawl in, smelling the scent of prey.

This results in brutal battles in Teyvon every winter.

To prepare for the winter defense, Grobel would be honorably ‘used’ as one of the soldiers.

Grobel’s situation was worse than his actual crime.

Even though he was unconscious, he was the surface leader of ‘Aktor’.

He had made his brother act, and committed arson, assault, and attempted murder.

Moreover, he had tried to harm the children of two powerful noble families, me and Elody.

Severe punishment was inevitable.

I asked,

“When can I be discharged?”

“Today. The cause of your fainting wasn’t serious, and there should be no aftereffects.”

“Hmm, what was the cause?”

“...Mana depletion.”

When Elody said this, it was as if she were delivering a death sentence.

Why would she say it like that?

Mana depletion isn’t that serious.

I nodded.

“Of course, that’s what I thought.”

I said it without much thought.

But in response, both Elody and Siebel bowed their heads.

...What is this atmosphere? What’s going on!

Then Elody, as if remembering something, said,

“Right, Teacher Ainen said to thank you when you wake up.”

“Teacher Ainen?”

“Yes, you helped her with something? A quiz, I think.”

“...Ah, that.”

She must be talking about the Dragon Heart question.

“Thanks to that, she received a department store gift card. From Terst Department Store.”

“...Terst Department Store?”

Terst Department Store.

The name is easy to remember, and it’s a department store under the royal family’s jurisdiction.

‘Adventure quiz, the last question no one would know, Terst...’

I had a bad feeling.

Ding-

As if in response to my thoughts, my phone on the table rang.

I took it from Siebel.

It was a text message.

[Hello, this is Phil Terst.]

...What?

Who is this?

While my thoughts were still processing, another message arrived.

[Let’s meet soon, okay?]