Chapter 40 of the Academy's Weapon Replicator

Chapter 10: The Queen's Eye (6)

Aten and I sat side by side in the library.

We received quite a bit of attention on the way here, but it seems that, being a library, people's interest quickly faded.

Since Aten has been following me around since yesterday, those who know will understand.

"Are you really going to teach me?"

"Yep."

Aten looked at me with a doubtful expression.

Or rather, there wasn't much change in her expression, so maybe I'm just imagining it.

It might just be my imagination.

"I'm doubtful."

It wasn't my imagination.

Does she have a personality that needs to express everything on her mind to feel satisfied?

I brushed it off and opened my notebook.

Then I opened the lecture content I had replicated so far in the workshop.

Aten won't be able to see this, but I'm copying the content into my notebook.

"…What are you doing?"

"To be honest, it's impossible to teach you everything from scratch and help you avoid failing the midterm."

It's not a matter of the difficulty of the exam.

It's a matter of the scope.

Aten has been living in the royal household, learning etiquette and skills, so she knows almost nothing about school lessons.

This is information I'm sure of from the game.

'After all, all the written exams in Constel are essay-type.'

The game doesn't make players take exams, but I've heard that's how it is.

If I just copy the content from the workshop, that would be a problem.

It's not just about memory.

It would be considered cheating, and I'd have no defense.

So I need to rewrite the lecture content from the workshop to fit my style.

What I'm writing now is a summarized version.

After writing a full page, I handed it to Aten.

"Here, memorize it."

"…What is this? Did you just make it up?"

"If I made it up, wouldn't that be even more impressive?"

"But you're writing it directly in your notebook without even looking at a textbook."

"Sure, I am."

I'm copying it from the workshop.

"Could you really remember all of the midterm exam content?"

"Sure, something like that."

The workshop is mine, after all.

While answering, I was writing the next page.

Aten looked at it for a moment, then focused on the paper I had given her.

It seems she realized I was serious.

After that, it was a quiet time.

I was copying the content from the workshop, and Aten was concentrating on reading the paper I gave her.

Seeing her draw lines under parts she thought were important, it seemed she was taking it seriously.

Eventually.

"I'm done."

I handed the last paper to Aten.

This summarized the midterm exam content.

While rewriting it to fit my style, I also gained something.

Aten took the paper and looked at it blankly.

If I've done this much, she should realize I didn't just write nonsense.

Aten opened her mouth blankly.

"I heard you were lazy…"

"I've been reborn as a new person."

Well, it's not exactly a lie.

* * *

At night, Aten was studying at the mansion.

She only had a short time to study at night because she had been chasing Frondier all day.

I thought it would be impossible to cover the exam content with such a schedule, but now it seems possible.

"…It's real."

Aten compared the paper Frondier gave her with the textbook content.

…Not a single word is wrong.

Even the spelling of difficult words is perfect.

"Is this the kind of memory a person can have?"

Of course, the paper doesn't contain all the textbook content, but it has all the important parts.

That only proves she has a thorough grasp of the entire content.

Beep beep beep beep

At that moment, Aten's phone rang.

It was a loud and urgent sound, as if a disaster alert had been issued.

Aten picked up the phone.

"Yeah, Mom."

-Aten~ You worked hard today. Are you doing well?

Phil's warm voice came through.

"Yeah, just fine."

-How are you getting along with your classmates?

"Um, not really."

-Oh! I told you to make friends, didn't I? At your age, studying is good, but friends are the most important.

"Just a little with Frondier."

-Well done, my daughter! …No, wait, that, that's right?

Mom, you just let your true feelings slip.

Why can't you hide your thoughts?

I must never be like that.

-Then, did you ask him?

"Dragon Heart?"

-Yeah, yeah.

"No, not yet."

-Right. Do well. When the boy is completely infatuated and dazed, then ask him.

…Dazed.

Aten thought for a moment.

If I wait for that, I might never ask.

Phil suddenly seemed to remember something.

-By the way, the midterm exams at Constel are coming up soon.

"…Yeah."

Of course, Aten knew that this wasn't something Phil had just remembered.

-There's a midterm exam, right? The practical part can be watched by outsiders, right? I want to see my daughter's performance.

"Are you coming here?"

-Yeah, with your sisters.

Aten's expression stiffened.

Her sisters are coming.

The reason she accepted the transfer to Constel so easily was because of those sisters.

Sigh, Aten sighed.

"Okay, I got it. But don't come for the written exam. You won't be able to see anything anyway."

-Right. Your mom is busy too? I'm making time to come for the practical part.

"Got it."

After a few more exchanges, Aten hung up and sighed.

Her sisters are coming.

People who are more troublesome than her mother.

She glanced at the paper she had been reading.

The paper Frondier wrote for her.

"…I'll try my best."

After saying that, Aten picked up the paper.

* * *

Midterm written exam.

After writing all the answers, I left the room.

I was worried that the content stored in the workshop might not be enough, but it wasn't.

Is this the power of a cheat sheet?

It feels like I'm cheating in this world for the first time in a while.

I was the first to leave the classroom.

No one seemed to find it strange.

They probably think I wrote down random answers or turned in a blank sheet.

It doesn't matter what they think.

Today is the day to test 'Wizagram'.

I didn't get a chance to use it before the midterm, but now that the written exam is over.

As I hurried toward the mansion,

Squeak-

A car stopped.

"…?"

It's a very high-end sedan.

Just by owning it, one can guess the owner's wealth.

The window on the back side of the car opened.

"Hello~"

A woman greeted me lazily.

White hair, red eyes.

I know that face, which looks harmless like a rabbit.

Phil Terst.

She came to see me.

"Get in. I have a place to go."

"…"

I opened the car door without a word.

There's no way to refuse.

It's the Queen's request.

Phil is just an uncomfortable person to deal with, not a villain.

There's no reason for me to be afraid now.

…Though she's almost gray.

As I sat in the back seat, the car started.

It seemed she had a destination in mind.

"Why didn't you reply to my text?"

"I thought the Queen was joking."

I hoped it was a joke.

Of course, if the Queen suddenly says, 'Let's meet soon,' it would be natural to think that.

Phil tilted her head.

"You must know why I contacted you."

"I have no idea."

"Ahahaha."

Phil laughed out loud.

Then she opened her red eyes, which had been hidden by her smile.

"Lie."

"…"

"You know, don't you?"

I deliberately remained silent.

Phil dislikes people who are needlessly kind to her or seem easy to handle.

Out of fear of her position as Queen, one can't have a proper conversation with her.

"How do you know about the Dragon Heart?"

Phil asked.

Different red eyes from Aten's.

Her eyes and expression, and even her tone, seemed genuinely curious.

I looked at her straight and smiled.

—Lazily.

"Who knows."

"Have you seen it somewhere?"

"Maybe."

"How do you know that eating it makes one a shut-in?"

"It's a secret."

My answer was as good as not answering.

Phil chuckled.

"If you die here, are you curious about what will happen?"

Her left hand now held a dagger.

She gently pressed it against my neck.

I looked at the dagger.

It naturally contained the content of the workshop.

[Terst Royal Ritual Dagger]

- A dagger necessary for various royal rituals.

- It has no killing power as it is for rituals.

Well.

Even if the blade isn't sharp, it can still kill if pressed against the neck.

Looking at it this way, my smile and Phil's are quite similar.

"I'm curious. What will happen to the Queen?"

"…"

Phil's expression stiffened slightly at my words.

"To get the information about the Dragon Heart, you created a strange event like a department store quiz, sneaked around here and there without the royal family's knowledge, and made your daughter meet a man she had never seen before."

I closed the distance between us.

I didn't care about the dagger at my neck.

Phil stepped back.

"If that man dies in this car, and all your hard work that you didn't want the royal family to see goes to waste, I'm very curious about what will happen to the Queen."

"…Frondier de Loach."

"Yes, that's my name. You're correct."

"What do you want?"

Indeed, Phil Terst.

Her judgment is quick.

I said,

"I want to see the real Dragon Heart."

"…Hmm. Is just seeing it enough?"

Phil asked.

Oops, a mistake.

My smile deepened.

"Indeed, even the Queen must think that's not enough."

I heard Phil's hollow laugh.

Since you said that.

Let's get a bonus.

"Let me choose a weapon from the royal armory."

Actually, choosing a weapon from this offer has little meaning for me.

The important part is to see the armory.

I was just thinking the weapons in the workshop were insufficient.

But if I just say I want to see it, it might raise suspicion.

"…Sigh. Alright. You're different from what I thought, Frondier de Loach."

Phil sighed and muttered as if it was boring.

I'm glad I'm Frondier.

Thanks to my bad reputation, I was able to draw out Phil's mistake.

"Still, it's good. I was planning to bring you along from the beginning."

"Where to?"

At my question, Phil said nonchalantly.

"This car is heading to the palace."