Chapter 85 of the Weapon Replicator of the Academy

Section 25: Wall (1)

The invasion of the monsters continued.

It was only natural, given the monsters' objective to hinder the repair of the wall.

However, even though they were prepared, the human side's casualties kept accumulating.

The enemy was the monsters outside. No matter how few in number, casualties could not be avoided.

Humans could become disheartened just by seeing the death of someone right next to them.

Moreover, these people had been fighting continuously even before Frontier arrived.

Their fatigue had already reached its peak, and their spirits were collapsing.

However, those who seemed about to fall at any moment were still holding on.

The reason was because of Frontier.

"Hold on!! Focus only on what's in front of you! Get rid of the 'birds' from your mind! They're just a pack of dogs!"

The situation changed with Frontier's participation, most noticeably in the aerial combat.

The knights and soldiers, who were not slaves, suffered the most from the attacks by the 'winged ones.' The monsters could attack from above the wall.

Ordinary arrows could not easily penetrate the tough skin of the monsters, and it was already difficult to aim at them.

When such monsters attacked the knights and soldiers stationed on top of the wall, it was utter chaos.

Even if they managed to suppress all the monsters before they reached the wall, there was no guarantee that it would always be the case.

In other words, all the combatants had to deal with the monsters in front of them while being constantly on edge, fearing an attack from above at any moment.

Thud! Smash!

However, Frontier alone had crushed all the annoying wings.

He almost single-handedly dealt with all the flying monsters, and even if he missed a few, the remaining forces could easily handle them.

"Frontier! Move to the left! Try to make the monsters land in the area where they will fall!"

"I'll do my best."

With the situation like this, Sanders gave specific instructions to Frontier.

It was also a way to acknowledge Frontier's abilities, and Sanders's loud voice was meant for the prisoners and soldiers below to hear.

Giving instructions to Frontier also meant that he was still in good condition.

The soldiers fighting on the ground had gained confidence. They were certain that as long as Frontier was participating, there would be no attacks from above.

And there was one more thing.

'While I'm in Teyven, no knight will die.'

Frontier's statement gave the knights more strength than they had expected.

The most casualties in this battle were among the prisoners, but the life of one knight was more valuable than all of them combined.

Knights could partially command prisoners and soldiers, face multiple monsters alone, and their morale did not easily drop on the battlefield.

A hole in the ranks of the knights meant that the balance of the battle itself would be shaken.

However, surprisingly, Frontier's words from the bet were still holding true.

It had been ten days since Frontier arrived in Teyven, and no knights had died yet.

'Hmm, that kid woke the knights up.'

Hector, who had been talking non-stop next to Frontier, thought.

Before Frontier arrived, the knights were also heading towards despair. They had come to accept that some of them would die.

But then Frontier said,

-Who here thinks they will die? Is there anyone who wants to die so badly?

Someone would die. It was inevitable on this battlefield.

Then, who would it be?

When faced with this question, they would inevitably realize that it could be them.

"Kill them! Cut them down without leaving a single one! The monsters outside are skilled in deception!"

But today,

"Smash the heads of the fallen! Don't turn your back carelessly!"

And even now,

"Bring the wounded who can walk here! Clear away the bodies of the monsters quickly! Look for anyone who might still be alive!"

No knights had died.

* * *

The knight meeting attended by Lord Ridway and Princess Atene.

"'Outside' is nothing special after all!"

"Originally, we were supposed to hold them off at the gate, but now we're trying to push them back!"

"I thought we were advancing or something."

"Hahaha!"

Of course, before the meeting, the knights were excitedly discussing the battle.

"Frontier was amazing. He took care of all those annoying things!"

"At first, I thought some inexperienced kid had come."

"But, he's inexperienced, so he fights better! His blood is boiling!"

The praise for Frontier continued.

Fewer people had died since Frontier arrived.

That simple fact alone was enough to change Frontier's evaluation.

Frontier was still winning the bet, and in fact, the bet itself didn't matter anymore.

"......Hmm, yes. Today can be called a successful defense. What do you think, Frontier?"

Sanders, who had been listening to the knights silently, asked Frontier.

Finally, Frontier, who had been just holding his place, was given a chance to speak.

This was also a recognition of Frontier's contributions over the past ten days.

The casualties among the prisoners and soldiers were minimized, and no knights had even been seriously injured.

It was a tough fight, but it wasn't bad. Frontier, who had achieved remarkable results, slowly opened his mouth in front of the highly spirited group.

"The situation is not good."

"......"

Frontier's words chilled the atmosphere and shattered the mood.

It wasn't just that he lacked tact; Frontier's expression was too serious.

"By the order of Commander Sanders, I inspected the entire wall from the left side."

Frontier pointed to the map on the central table.

"Here, the right corner is already in a situation where it cannot hold."

This was the result of Frontier's 'analysis,' and it was almost certain.

The right side of the wall was as precarious as the last block in a Jenga tower.

"Even in the midst of the busy battle, you managed to check the wall's condition visually?"

"Yes."

Frontier answered calmly. But the content was so unbelievable that Sanders turned to Atene.

"Princess, what do you think? You inspected the wall, didn't you?"

Atene furrowed her brow and brought her hand to her mouth. She was also surprised by Frontier in some way.

"......It's true that the part Sir Loach pointed out is the weakest point of the wall. However, whether it will collapse immediately as he says......"

The atmosphere became even more solemn with Atene's answer.

Even if it wasn't certain to collapse immediately, the credibility of Frontier's statement increased because both he and Atene pointed to the same spot.

Ridway said,

"Then we have no choice but to lure the monsters to one side. Gather the prisoners. We've been doing that so far."

Lure the monsters away from the weak part of the wall. Place archers on the opposite side and open the gate to send the prisoners outside, and the immediate crisis could be averted.

But Frontier shook his head again.

"That won't be easy."

"What do you mean?"

"The part I said is precarious is completely different from the weak points of the other walls."

"How different is it?"

"......I see. For example,"

At that moment, Frontier swept his hand over his mouth, as if pondering how to phrase it.

"Right now, if you hit any part of the wall, the right wall will collapse."

"......!"

The room turned cold at his words. Some were startled by what it meant, their eyes widening.

It meant that the wall was at its limit, like a sandcastle that would collapse if a single pillar were hit by a wave.

And the starting point was the right wall.

"......Isn't that too pessimistic? Could you have made a mistake?"

Sanders said.

"The reduced casualties have made me complacent. I neglected to thoroughly check the wall."

Everyone recalled the past ten days upon hearing Frontier's words.

Although Frontier blamed himself, in fact, it was the responsibility of all of them. They had become complacent and negligent.

"......However, actual combat......"

Sanders spoke again.

The reason he kept raising objections was not because of the facts but because of the morale.

Everyone was listening to Frontier's words. There was a risk that morale would be shattered before the battle even began. Even if he was stating the facts, it had to be overlooked for now.

Understanding this, Frontier nodded.

"Of course, there is a plan."

"A plan?"

"There is a plan?"

Sanders and Ridway asked simultaneously, unable to see any solution from Frontier's words alone.

"Yes. If the wall is in danger of collapsing, we need to rebuild it. Even if it's temporary."

After saying that, Frontier looked at Atene.

"First, I need the Princess's help."

"......Ice, I see."

Atene guessed the answer.

If there was enough time to deploy the necessary magic, covering part of the wall with ice was possible.

Moreover, this place was extremely cold in the north, so the ice would form without much difficulty.

......The only problem was mana.

"......At most, 30 minutes, I think."

Atene gave her answer based on her calculations.

The knights' expressions did not brighten much. 30 minutes. It was far too short a time to withstand the monsters' assault.

"Yes. That's why we need one more person."

"One more person?"

"Yes. Even if they can't start from scratch like the Princess, someone who can add mana to an existing spell will suffice."

"......Is there such a person?"

Frontier spoke as if it were easy, but adding mana to a spell someone else had cast was a sign that one had surpassed the level of a beginner mage.

"There isn't one yet, but there is someone who can do it in a short time."

"Such a person...... Ah."

Atene also guessed and nodded slightly, as if confirming it was the right answer.

"Sibel. He can do it. I think he can learn it in about five days."

Huh, Ridway, who had been listening, couldn't help but challenge the absurdity.

"Five days? Is Sibel some kind of prodigy? Just feeling and controlling mana takes months for an ordinary person, and you think he can inject mana in five days?"

Of course, from the perspective of someone like Ridway, who understood the principles of magic and was very practical, it was an absurd story.

But I had only one answer.

"The word 'prodigy' is too weak to describe Sibel."

"......"

Ridway was stunned, blinking at me before turning to Atene.

Atene nodded without any expression, meaning my words were quite obvious.

"──Assuming that's possible, what about the remaining five days?"

This time, Hector spoke.

The cycle of the monsters' invasions was getting shorter. Hoping that no monsters would come in five days was beyond optimistic; it was a delusion.

Of course, my answer was very straightforward.

"I'll take care of it."

"......Eh, what?"

Hector asked very innocently in response to my words.

So I explained a bit more kindly.

"I'll eliminate all the monsters before they reach the wall."