Chapter 84 of the Academy's Weapon Replicator

Chapter 24: Taebeon (6)

Sanders saw the scene clearly.

The moment he shouted "Fire," something too massive to be called an arrow pierced the monsters with such force that it was almost intimidating.

The monsters from 'Outside' are different. Even if they are low-level, it's not easy for ordinary soldiers to cut their skin.

Thus, the archers' shots only slightly delayed the monsters, and did not significantly reduce their numbers.

But what is that?

It's too large to be an arrow, and too ornate to be a ballista, yet it pierces the monsters and disappears.

Sanders looked at the origin point. He saw a man who, in a single shot, pierced a monster and was preparing for the next shot.

I thought he was just a kid. A young boy who couldn't tell the difference between heaven and earth, coming here to die.

I thought I would see the body of a child who hadn't even reached adulthood. That's what I thought.

But at this moment, the boy stands more proudly and nobly than anyone else.

And also,

he looks really sleepy.

Meanwhile, Selena tried hard not to show her surprise.

'This is completely different from what I heard...'

The information was entirely wrong.

Prondier was supposed to be lazy, incompetent, and full of inferiority complex.

The information from Manjip had never been wrong.

So by Selena's standards, this is the worst day ever. The information was utterly useless.

'I thought it was just a feeling in the guest room...'

Selena remembers the killing intent Prondier showed in the guest room.

Of course, it was scary. Not terribly, but a bit.

But the source of that fear was the 'fireworks.'

Manjip had suggested the possibility that Prondier was the owner of the fireworks seen in Constel, but no one really believed it.

But Prondier mentioned the 'fireworks' in the guest room.

He showed her an arrow right in front of her eyes.

'What do you mean by incompetent and inferiority complex?'

These words were far too distant from the Prondier she saw now.

However,

'...he does look sleepy. Yeah.'

At least the laziness part was somewhat predictable.

* * *

It was possible to eliminate all the invading monsters now. I have the 'fireworks.'

The monsters are still in small numbers because their goal is to hinder the repair of the barrier. Therefore, it was easier to kill them all.

"Die! Cut down everything in front of you!"

"Damn, these pieces of trash!"

I didn't do that.

The prisoners below the barrier were already in a battlefield where blood and flesh were flying.

The gate was open. The barrier's condition was so bad that it was better to open the gate and guide the monsters' path. This was only possible because the monsters were still in small numbers.

My current goal is to level up the weaving itself. To do that, I need to weave high-level new weapons or perform multiple weavings at once. So the 'fireworks' weren't very efficient.

Moreover, most of the prisoners here are 'death row inmates.' They were just going to die anyway.

I glanced at the prisoners, wondering if my heart would change as I witnessed many casualties.

'...I don't know.'

I don't know. People are dying right in front of me, and I can hear their screams. I don't know if the ripples in my heart are due to the shock, or if I'm just pretending they aren't there.

But I made a discovery that was completely different from my original intention.

Among the prisoners, who had nothing to do with me, there was one familiar face.

'...Grobelle.'

The mercenary Grobelle, hired by Seraph of Indus, who aimed to eliminate discrimination, was there.

Grobelle was the nominal leader during the cabin incident and thus bore most of the blame. This is the result.

"Gah! Huh! Huh...!"

Grobelle was fighting like a madman. He held a scimitar in his right hand, a curved blade about the length of his arm.

It was a highly curved blade, commonly known as a crescent moon shape.

So much time had passed since the cabin incident, yet he was still alive. That's quite an achievement in Taebeon.

Grrrr-!

Then, a giant creature entered through the main gate of the barrier.

It was as tall as two adult men, with green skin and strange lower teeth protruding from its mouth.

It was a troll.

"Kill it! Cut down everything in front of you!"

The prisoners, whether following orders or shouting to themselves, rushed forward.

Grobelle did the same. He moved to get in front of the troll's right leg.

Naturally, he didn't see the club the troll was holding above him.

"Ts."

I clicked my tongue and used weaving to create a 'Gram' and shoot it. A large amount of mana was drained, but this would send the troll flying in one hit.

Gram spun and cut through the troll's neck, then embedded itself deeply into the gate and disappeared.

The troll, who had suddenly collapsed, left Grobelle confused. He checked the severed neck and looked around.

As he surveyed the area, Grobelle suddenly looked up. His gaze met mine.

Though his expression was hard to see from a distance, he clearly recognized me.

* * *

After all the monsters from Outside were dealt with, the remaining knights checked the casualties.

It was a struggle to find human bodies buried under various monsters at the main gate.

Most of the dead were prisoners. The survivors were dragged back to the prison under the control of soldiers and knights.

Grobelle, who had somehow survived, was among those being dragged back. While the other prisoners looked like they were already dead, Grobelle's eyes were still sharp.

Perhaps his resolve is what kept him alive.

"Well, you had some faith in me."

A knight approached me. It was the man who had bet on my death today.

"You look happy. You lost your bet, didn't you?"

"Yeah. I lost the money. Still."

The man looked around. He saw knights examining the bodies, managing the prisoners, and checking the weapons.

"Nobody died, really."

"..."

That's right. Nobody died. At least not among the knights.

So far, I'm winning the bet.

"There are already some close friends in the knight order. I thought of it as a small price to pay to see them again tomorrow."

The knight chuckled and left.

Still a crude laugh, still a crude tone.

I asked him as he walked away.

"...Sorry, what's your name?"

"Huh?"

The knight didn't stop walking or turn his head as he replied.

"Hector Dutoit. A name that will be remembered across the continent."

Hector... Hector.

I tried to recall if I knew the name.

And then I remembered.

Hector the White Lion.

Hector introduced himself as 'Dutoit,' but he is definitely the son of Ridwi von Urfa.

He took over Taebeon after Ridwi stepped down.

From roaring at the sight of large monsters to now, Hector the White Lion.

As he said, it's a name that will be remembered across the continent.

* * *

I headed to the prison.

"Visiting?"

The warden seemed to think I was joking.

"Yes. Is it not allowed?"

"No, it's not that, but it's just that knights don't usually visit."

It seems I'm already known as a knight in the prison.

Probably because I participated in this battle.

"Who are you visiting?"

"Grobelle."

"What's your relationship with him?"

I smiled.

"A mortal enemy."

"Haha, I see. This way."

The warden led me in without hesitation.

I was honest, so it's not my fault.

Sitting on the other side of the glass, I soon saw Grobelle enter.

Grobelle frowned the moment he saw my face.

He walked over and sat down, then picked up the phone.

[What do you want, young master?]

You remember me. I smiled.

"You're still alive."

Though I wasn't teasing, Grobelle glared.

[Did you think I would die? I have a little brother. I won't die in a place like this.]

Right, that's true.

This guy has a little brother named Rockbell.

Rockbell, who stabbed me with a knife, was found not guilty when it was revealed that Seraph had manipulated him.

However, by the time the trial was over, Rockbell had already been sent to Taebeon.

[After being caught, I was immediately brought here and had no idea what happened to my brother.]

"He probably went to an orphanage."

I heard that Grobelle and Rockbell had no parents. Grobelle was the only one raising Rockbell. With Grobelle in prison, it was natural for Rockbell to be sent to an orphanage.

[I can't believe it.]

He spat out the words, grinding his teeth.

I tilted my head.

"The treatment of children in Constel is quite good. Besides, Rockbell was found not guilty. There shouldn't be any problems."

[That's not the issue. Gregory is the problem.]

Gregory.

The name sounded familiar, and then I remembered.

He was the one responsible for reconnaissance and espionage in Indus. He could control animals and gather information through their eyes and ears.

"How do you know Gregory?"

Grobelle was just a mercenary hired by Seraph. He shouldn't know Gregory, who was a member of Indus.

[Seraph introduced Gregory to us when he hired our mercenary group. He said Gregory's abilities would help us escape if needed. Of course, I know now it was all lies.]

Grobelle clicked his tongue.

I asked again.

"Why Gregory? He was just controlling crows at the time, and he was in a safe place. Is he back in Indus?"

Grobelle countered my question.

[Don't you know? Gregory didn't know Seraph was dead and went to his residence, where he was discovered. Of course, it was the crows that were caught. They're looking for him, but he hasn't been caught yet.]

He hasn't been caught.

I frowned at that.

[So he's a fugitive. Indus is good at cutting off loose ends, so they won't take him in.]

During the cabin incident, the Indus members were only Seraph and Gregory.

Seraph is dead, and Gregory is on the run. Indus won't let Gregory, who knows their secrets, go unchecked. He's probably being pursued by both the police and Indus.

[That's right. At least he's definitely in the central area.]

Gregory, who can gather information from his surroundings, also knows where to avoid being seen. He probably uses animals to stay out of sight.

"So you think Gregory will try to approach Rockbell?"

[Yes. The money Seraph gave me as a commission is now gone. I'm the only one who knows where the money is. But Gregory doesn't know that, so if he's desperate for money, he might think of the money I received and come looking for my brother.]

That bastard, I never liked him from the start. Even when he was just muttering through the crows, I didn't trust him... Grobelle was talking enthusiastically, even though I didn't ask.

He talks more than I expected.

He came to Taebeon mostly because of me, yet his hostility towards me was lower than I thought.

Or maybe he's so focused on his brother that he can't think of anything else.

Hmm. I thought for a moment.

Grobelle seems very worried about his brother, which makes him a good trading partner for me.

However, the phones in the visiting room record all conversations, so I can't say anything reckless.

But Grobelle is from the underworld. He probably has a good method.

I used the 'Analysis' skill to look at Grobelle.

[Grobelle]

- Former leader of the mercenary group 'Regid,' hired by Indus member 'Seraph Daniel.' Currently imprisoned.

- Loves his younger brother 'Rockbell' dearly.

- Learned 'sign language' and 'whispering techniques' for secret communication with Indus members.

As expected.

I slightly moved my head to hide my face from the guard behind Grobelle.

I moved naturally, but if I keep this up, I'll be caught, so I need to hurry.

-Grobelle, want to make a deal?

I moved my lips without making a sound.

Grobelle's eyes widened.

-I'll protect your brother if you help me escape the barrier.