Chapter 95 of the Academy's Weapon Replicator

Chapter 27: Fake Threat

Mangot wants the 'ancient language interpretation ability' of Frontier.

In other words, if Frontier does not relay the content of the ancient language after interpreting it, it will be of no value to him.

If Frontier tries to hide the content of the ancient language, you must extract it by threatening him.

This was the directive given to Selena, and it was also the directive given to Hagley before her.

Show the difference in power. Correct Frontier's arrogant misconception that he is in a superior position. When that time comes, throw away any respect or humility towards him.

‘……Can I, this man…….’

Selena swallowed. She was the one threatening, but she was also the one feeling afraid.

Before she knew Frontier, she thought it was an easy directive. The Frontier she knew from information was nothing but a scoundrel.

She even hoped that such a day would come soon, so she could shed the annoying formalities and pretenses and threaten Frontier.

However, now.

Selena felt cold sweat trickling down her back.

‘Will threats work on this man?’

The needle was at Frontier's throat, a situation overwhelmingly in Selena's favor.

But Frontier's lazy and indifferent eyes made her feel no sense of superiority.

"Selena, take the needle away."

"That's not a position for you to be saying that. Look at the situation—"

"You're the one who doesn't understand the situation."

It was then. Selena sensed Frontier's mana manifesting. There was no visible change, but he was clearly about to do something.

"Whatever you're trying to do, stop it."

"It would be faster to just stab you with this needle."

"……"

Selena bit her lip. Indeed, half-hearted threats don't work on this man.

The reason Selena preferred needles was not only because they suited her skills but also because they were more effective than knives or magic when it came to threats.

Threats work better the easier they are to imagine.

It's easier to imagine the pain of a knife piercing the heart than a bullet through the head.

And it's even easier to imagine the pain of a needle digging under the fingernails than a knife piercing the heart.

‘I can't kill this man.’

But a threat that doesn't work is not a threat. An ordinary person would tremble and spill all the information, real or not, in this situation, but Frontier knows his own worth.

The directive to make Frontier talk through threats and torture also means he must not be killed.

The only reason she could threaten his life now was because of the surprise attack.

To torture, she would need to restrain him first, but Selena lacked the confidence to do so in a direct confrontation.

‘Still……’

Still, she had to. Just as Frontier would be worthless if he didn't speak, she would be equally worthless if she couldn't make him speak.

She didn't know how long this standoff would last, but from now on, it was a battle of patience.

However.

"……Fine, Selena."

"What's fine? I absolutely—"

"I'll tell you. What was written."

Frontier said something strange.

"I know my life is precious, and I might really die if this continues."

Frontier raised his hands as if surrendering.

Selena's expression hardened. Was he telling the truth? Was the content of the ancient language nothing special? Then why did he hide it?

Selena's mind was a jumble of questions, but Frontier continued.

"The ancient language was written like this……"

Selena waited in silence for Frontier to continue.

"Selena, that's your name."

"……?"

"Your parents gave you that name."

At first, Selena didn't understand what he was saying.

But soon, she grasped the meaning, and her eyes blazed.

"How dare you spout such lies……!"

"Does it sound like a lie? Your parents raised you without any lack. It was natural, as they were nobles."

With a thud, Selena grabbed Frontier's collar and pushed him over.

Though she didn't know why he didn't resist, it wouldn't have made a difference even if he had.

Frontier remained calm, as if it were nothing.

"If you don't shut up right now……!"

"Selena, your parents were nobles. Their family name was 'Vanie.' Since they were in the west, it would have been 'de Vanie.' Your name is 'Selena de Vanie.' Doesn't that ring a bell?"

Bark.

Though she dismissed it as nonsense, her intuition, or rather her soul, was screaming a sense of familiarity, a massive déjà vu.

"……That's all."

Frontier ignored Selena's confusion and continued.

"That's the sentence I translated from the ancient language."

"……!"

Selena understood what Frontier meant. Of course, this wasn't the translation of the ancient language. That kind of thing was no longer important to her.

"If you doubt it, go to Mangot and tell him what I said. He'll know if it's true or not."

* * *

Selena's combat skills were indeed remarkable.

She fell over in the blink of an eye. Even if she had tried to resist, it wouldn't have made a difference.

But after I spoke, Selena froze. She just repeated rough breathing and trembling.

Swish—

I gently pushed the trembling Selena off me. If I hadn't, she might have kept trembling indefinitely.

While I stood up, dusted myself off, and straightened my clothes, Selena remained slumped, her pupils darting around.

She seemed to be thinking hard, but that wouldn't bring back lost memories.

‘But from the way she's reacting, the memories haven't completely disappeared.’

Everything I said was true. I saw it through 'Analysis.' It required a significant amount of mana, as I had suspected. Fortunately, I had amplified my mana with the Dragon Heart.

I had actually hidden something. The last line I saw through Analysis. I didn't say that.

─Selena's father was killed by 'Mangot.'

Just that one line.

I couldn't say it. It would only lose her trust. Besides, I didn't know what she might do if she heard it.

I looked at Selena, still slumped on Cassian.

"Get on. We've wasted a lot of time. I can't just let you go after you threatened me with a weapon, but this isn't the place to punish you."

"……Yes."

Selena nodded obediently and climbed on behind me.

Cassian galloped back into the forest, and I fell into thought.

What to do with Selena was a problem for later. More serious issues filled my mind.

─To bring down the gods, for the giants.

I recalled the sentence Merlin showed me.

In the world of Ethius, 'giants' are ancient beings.

Like the 'Titans' in Greek mythology and the 'Jotuns' in Norse mythology.

Giants aren't necessarily large in size, and in fact, 'size' is meaningless to the beings of ancient times.

……The problem is that giants were beings that threatened the gods, essentially the gods' archenemies.

But the sentence King Arthur gave to Merlin.

‘……Perhaps.’

Maybe I misunderstood something about this world.

Even though I delved deeply into the game Ethius.

Perhaps I was mistaken from the very beginning.

* * *

The troops at the barrier were experiencing hell.

They thought they had been rolling in the depths of hell all along, but it wasn't the case.

Without Frontier, they were truly struggling in the maw of hell.

"Aaaah!!!"

Amidst the chaos of the surrounding monsters, a companion beside her was suddenly snatched and lifted into the sky.

A creature resembling a pterodactyl had pierced the soldier's shoulder with its claws and flown high into the sky.

The soldier was dropped from the sky by the monster and fell to his death, and the remaining soldiers heard his screams for a long time.

"Damn……."

Sanders spat curses as he surveyed the chaotic battlefield. He kept checking the barrier.

……The barrier, however, had not yet collapsed.

"Sanders! Keep an eye on the front! You'll know if the barrier breaks!"

"Yes, yes!"

Ridway urged Sanders.

As the head of the family, Ridway judged that he couldn't retreat and entered the battlefield himself.

He held a long staff, and every time he swung it, lightning split the monsters on either side.

The destructive power was considerable, but it wasn't enough to handle the sheer number of monsters.

Most importantly, some of the monsters outside could withstand even the lightning.

"Ugh……, I must be getting old……."

Ridway wiped the corner of his mouth. He thought it was saliva, but it was blood. He hadn't thought he was overexerting himself, but his body was honest.

Boom!

An earthquake shook the barrier. Ridway, standing on top, staggered and almost fell.

A giant monster was pounding the front of the barrier. An ogre. The massive creature was slamming its head into the barrier. Ridway's forehead veins bulged.

"Stupid brute……."

Ridway's hand moved to his staff. Sparks flowed from his eyes and fingertips.

Crack! Lightning pierced the ogre's head. Unfortunately, its body slowly leaned against the barrier.

"Oh dear,"

The ogre's body pushed through the weakened barrier, causing cracks to spread.

Just as it was about to completely collapse.

Ice Magic Formula 3

Instant, Range, Amplification

Glacial Fog

Sizzle, the ogre froze solid. The barrier, about to collapse, was now reinforced with ice.

"Better this way. The wall is thicker now."

The protagonist was Athene.

Ridway chuckled at the sight. 'The little princess is putting on a show…….' He muttered, but very softly.

"Snicker…… Snicker……."

Meanwhile, behind the barrier, Cybel gritted her teeth and took deep, rough breaths. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her beautiful face was a mess, drenched in sweat and blood, with her hair sticking to it.

"……Cybel."

"Ah, ah. I'm fine. Completely fine. Nothing's wrong. So, can you stop calling me? It's hard to answer."

Cybel replied calmly to Athene's worried tone.

Athene built the barrier, and Cybel infused it with mana.

Originally, they planned to take turns infusing mana after building the barrier, but that didn't happen.

Part of the barrier was already breached, and Athene had to cover the gaps with ice.

The number of times the monsters had broken through the ice wall was now uncountable.

Each time, Athene had to rebuild the ice wall, so infusing mana became solely Cybel's responsibility.

Athene couldn't waste her mana recklessly, not knowing when the wall might collapse.

‘Cybel is already at her limit.’

Cybel wasn't just reaching her limit; she had already surpassed it.

Athene felt a sense of wonder at how far Cybel, who wasn't a mage, had managed to hold on.

"Frontier…… if you come, you'll really…… die, you……."

Cybel muttered, looking as if she might die first. Her eyes, however, still burned fiercely.

Athene asked.

"Do you still believe, Cybel?"

"……Huh……?"

"Do you still believe that Frontier will come?"

Cybel seemed to catch her breath for a moment.

Then she replied as if wondering why she was being asked such a thing.

"Of course. You do too, don't you?"