Chapter 79 of the Academy's Weapon Replicator

Chapter 24: Teibun (1)

For several days, a strange silence had settled over the Loah family mansion.

Because Ampere had been so distant lately, all the servants were maintaining a consistent silence on their own.

Somehow, the rumor had spread, and most people knew that I was going to Teibun.

Every time a maid passed by me with a sad expression, it made me feel strange.

However, the training with Atzie continued without fail. If anything, it intensified. I wasn't going there to play; to others, it looked like I was going to die. Training was never enough.

By the way, the sparring with Atzie was starting to feel more like a proper sparring session. I wasn't sure if it was because my skills had improved or if I had just gotten used to Atzie.

“Prondier.”

In the middle of sparring, Atzie retracted her spear and said,

“You asked me to demonstrate the Nokjang before.”

Oh.

I looked at Atzie, eager to hear what she would say next.

“It's faster to experience it than to just see a demonstration.”

“Are you going to teach me?”

“Your body seems to be ready now. You'll need all the preparation you can get for Teibun.”

That was a fair point.

Atzie gently extended the tip of her spear to me.

“But I bet you've already tried the Nokjang, haven't you?”

Atzie spoke as if she already knew what was inside me.

Since I had actually tried it, I couldn't refute her.

“How was it? Did you succeed?”

“I succeeded to some extent.”

“To some extent?”

“I made my opponent drop their weapon, but I dropped mine too.”

I had attempted the Nokjang on Renjo.

I did make Renjo drop his greatsword, but when I tried the Nokjang, my body screamed in pain, and I ended up dropping my weapon as well.

Atzie's eyes sparkled with interest at my words. What was it? Had I said something strange?

“If that's the case, show me now. The Nokjang.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

I extended my dagger to the tip of Atzie's spear. By the way, this dagger is a genuine one made by Nil Jack.

The moment I performed the Nokjang as I had done before,

Atzie's spear flew out of her hand, and I was still holding my dagger.

“...Huh?”

I had succeeded. Easily.

Atzie looked at me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“A moment ago, you said you dropped your weapon too. Was that because of the pain?”

“Yes. So I thought I would fail this time too.”

“The pain was because your body wasn't ready yet. If you made your opponent drop their weapon, the technique itself was a success. And your body is different now compared to then.”

My body is ready. Atzie said so.

Atzie had predicted from the beginning that I would succeed.

In other words,

“You can now use the ‘Nokjang.’ Though it's still clumsy.”

Atzie, who always had to add a comment, was a bit annoying.

* * *

And on the day of the closing ceremony.

Surprisingly, quite a few people came to see me off for my trip to Teibun.

Even teachers like Jane and Vinkis stopped by to say a few words.

While it was partly because Elody had spread the news throughout Constel, I didn't mind it.

The only thing that bothered me was how everyone seemed to be sending me off as if I were about to die.

“Prondier.”

After Jane's brief speech, Aster came to the classroom.

Aster shook his head, seemingly in admiration or perhaps in exasperation.

“You can't win. You're really going to a place like that?”

“I don't know. If I don't come back, you'll win by default.”

At my words, Aster averted his gaze, as if it might really happen.

It was a joke, though.

“Where are you going, Aster?”

During the break.

Aster, being the protagonist, can have his plans freely set by the players.

Of course, in terms of efficiency, it's limited to a few cases, but the current Aster wouldn't and couldn't consider such things.

Aster replied,

“I'm going to learn swordsmanship from my sister.”

“...Ellyn? I thought she was going to become a pro intern.”

When I heard from Ellyn, she was going to become an intern in Ed Hamelot.

Aster answered nonchalantly,

“Yeah. So I'm going there too.”

I opened my mouth in surprise.

A pro intern position isn't easily given. It's a precious opportunity only granted to those who have proven their skills and grades, even among the third-year students.

Not only Ellyn, a second-year, but also Aster, a first-year.

“It seems Ed Hamelot doesn't care about such things.”

“...That's true, but...”

“Huh? Do you know something about Ed Hamelot?”

“No, just from rumors, it seems like he wouldn't care about such things.”

I brushed it off, but of course, I knew. Ed's personality.

Ed is currently the top pro and has held that position for a very long time.

However, he has a very ordinary appearance. His demeanor is also ordinary unless he's in a fight.

His personality is laid-back, simple, and optimistic. In short, he seems to have taken all the plain traits.

When this plainness reaches its extreme, it gives you a sense that something isn't quite right.

A laid-backness that could make him sit in the royal palace, a simplicity that wouldn't mind living on the streets, and an optimism that would keep him calm even if the world were to end tomorrow.

Ed's mental fortitude is like the deep sea. No matter how fierce the waves are on the surface, he remains calm like the deep sea.

But this time, that almost abnormal 'calmness' was helpful.

Aster, in this world, has a very protagonist-like, righteous, and youthful appearance. Ed and Ellyn would surely guide Aster to the best path.

“Anyway, Prondier.”

“Yeah?”

“Did you fight with Elody?”

“Why?”

“Your face always looks grim when people talk about you.”

I couldn't deny or confirm it.

After I told Elody I was going to Teibun, I hadn't seen her since.

It was normal not to see her since she usually came to find me, but it was strange that I hadn't even caught a glimpse of her.

I wondered if she was sick and hadn't come to Constel. She hadn't shown up at all.

But seeing Aster say this, the conclusion was clear.

Elody was avoiding me.

“Hmm, we didn't fight. She never really liked me much anyway.”

“Eh...?”

Aster tilted his head in confusion.

It was as if he was thinking, 'What kind of nonsense is this?'

* * *

- No, I'm going to Teibun.

Prondier said this with a peaceful face.

His lazy expression showed no change, making Elody think that 'Teibun' might be some famous vacation spot.

Teibun.

Walking into a living hell by choice.

“What are you thinking?”

Elody was on the rooftop of one of Constel's buildings.

It was the same place where they had wiped out a large group of monsters not long ago.

That was at Prondier's request. She had tried to understand Prondier through that fight, but now she understood even less.

Elody slowly traced Prondier's recent activities after the monster attack.

Fireworks... final exams... teaming up with Aster...,

...Manjok.

The ominous echo of Manjok lingered in her mind.

The content she had overheard in the infirmary was incomprehensible, but it was clear that something was off.

However, Prondier remained the same as always.

It was this sameness that made Elody realize she knew nothing about Prondier.

She couldn't tell if he was exhausted from mana depletion, if he had been to Manjok, or if he was planning to go to Teibun.

She had believed that he would still be the same Prondier she knew, just because his face looked the same.

...She knew nothing.

The Prondier she thought she knew never existed.

Creak—

Clank.

The metal door on the rooftop suddenly opened.

But Elody wasn't surprised. She didn't expect anyone, but she knew who it was.

“I've been looking for you.”

Sure enough, it was Prondier.

“What for?”

Elody asked curtly. To be honest, she didn't want to see Prondier right now. In fact, she hadn't wanted to see him for the past few days.

“I wanted to receive a farewell from an old friend.”

“Who's the old friend?”

Even though it was true, she felt like denying everything right now.

Hmm, Prondier made a troubled sound.

“I'm going to a dangerous place.”

She couldn't hold back at his words.

Whirl! Elody turned around, her eyes blazing. Literally, the 'Igni' spell activated, and flames flickered in her eyes.

“You know it's dangerous and you're still going?!”

Her voice, like a lion's roar, struck Prondier's eardrums, and something brushed past him.

The long trail that Elody left, racing past Prondier, turned into a path of flames.

Prondier blinked and saw the burning flames to his left. Indeed, it was an attack he couldn't have dodged.

Elody walked over, her arm shaking, and smoke billowed out.

In other words, the flames just now were the result of controlled output.

Prondier was genuinely scared.

“Teibun? Teibun?! What are you thinking, going to a place like that? Do you think the ‘outside’ is a joke?! Have you become so strong that you can't see anything else?! I've been trying to understand what you're doing with superhuman patience, but I really don't get it! Hey! What kind of old friend are you?! You only think of me when you need me! You never talk about important things first!”

As Elody poured out her feelings, she experienced an indescribable emotion.

Before she started, her mind was a mess, and she didn't even know what she was feeling. But after shouting, her mind began to clear.

Elody, who had approached Prondier, was on the verge of tears. In fact, tears were already forming at the corners of her eyes, but the intense heat evaporated them instantly.

It made her feel a bit less embarrassed.

“You said you're like me!”

Elody said, remembering the words Prondier had once said.

As 'Risha,' as 'Inies,' she was a small pillar of support for the girl who would make loneliness a shadow in her life.

“What do you mean by 'like me'? I don't understand at all! I don't know anything about you!”

Elody tapped Prondier's chest. The flames had subsided, leaving just a girl standing there.

“I don't understand. You, where you're going, what you're trying to do.”

As she spoke, Elody realized her true feelings.

Elody was worried about Prondier. It wasn't just because he was going to Teibun. That was just the trigger.

Elody felt that Prondier was constantly reaching out to danger. She didn't know his purpose, and if he really got into trouble, or if something happened to him...

“Prondier.”

Hearing Elody's cry, Prondier calmly said her name.

“Why? You firefly.”

“I meant it when I said you and I are alike.”

“So you're not alike at all.”

“That's because I'm not as strong as you.”

Elody looked up in surprise. Prondier seemed calm, as if he was stating the obvious.

“You don't need to rush. You're already strong, and that talent will lead you to the light. But I'm not. I have to do whatever it takes to win, and I will. Teibun is the same. It's definitely dangerous, but it's worth it.”

“...Why are you so hasty? Everyone else at Constel is diligently training. Why do you have to go to such extremes?”

During the final exams, Elody was certain.

Prondier had definitely surpassed the average level at Constel. The growth rate was enormous since he had escaped his laziness.

So she believed Prondier would be satisfied now. She thought he had pushed himself so hard to catch up with the other students.

But Teibun.

“It's something I need to do. That's all.”

“...Is that all? Are you prepared to die?”

“Who's going to die?”

Prondier said this calmly, as if he was just stating a fact.

“I'll come back without any problems.”