The Academy’s Weapon Replicator - Chapter 222

Chapter 71 Butterfly Effect

“Yeah, I like it. So what was the question?”

“…Mr. Philly, how did you know that there was a dark side behind it?”

Frondier said, now half giving up.

The title he originally called ‘Mr. Philly’ was a warning to Philly when he first met her.

At that time, Fili clearly saw Frondier as easygoing, so he pointed his dagger at Frondier and threatened him. And that too with a sword not for killing.

Of course, Frontier had no intention of disobeying the Empress, but he wanted to gain the upper hand at the time.

Fili really wanted information about the Dragon Heart, and Frondier had no intention of giving it away.

But I never thought it would come back like this and be used by Philly to make fun of Frontier. It is also worth considering that the empress is not overly authoritarian.

“…Are you going to keep calling Mom that?”

The one I couldn’t get used to the most was Aten.

Fili smiled brightly.

“Of course, Aten. “Who else would call this mom like this?”

I asked Frontier, and Fili answered.

“Oh, that’s right. “I realized it was an undercover person.”

After saying that, Fili smiled awkwardly.

“Actually, I don’t know what to say, but…”

Fili scratches his head in embarrassment.

Of course, Frontier couldn’t tell if Fili really felt that way even if he looked like that.

The rule of thumb when dealing with Fili: Don’t believe that the facial expressions and movements you see from her are the truth. There are probably only a handful of people on this entire continent who can see the true meaning of it.

“I haven’t used Dragon Heart yet.”

“…yes?”

“Mr. Frontier taught you how to use it, right? But I haven’t been able to touch it since then.”

Those words reminded Frontier of the past. Now that I think about it, I haven’t heard any news that the dragon heart sleeping in the imperial palace was used.

Of course, the Dragon Heart itself is a secret of the imperial palace, so there is no way to know what happened to the Frontier outside, but if you use something like that, there should be some result.

“I think it’s been almost a year since then, but you haven’t written it yet?”

“yes. “Because my associates made such a fuss.”

Fili sighed.

“The way Frontierer said, you have to destroy the Dragon Heart in the end, right? I don’t think I can accept that. What if you don’t get anything and only lose hearts? Where on earth did you hear such suspicious information? Ugh, it’s frustrating. “If you leave things rotting that you can’t use, it’s just trash rolling around.”

Frondier laughed bitterly at Fili’s lament.

Now that I think about it, I didn’t pay much attention to it, but the dragon heart is a treasure of the imperial family. Of course, even if not many people know of its existence, if it disappears, someone will naturally notice. The aide that Fili mentioned might be one of them.

‘…I guess it’s Sir Robert, Philly’s direct knight.’

He is close enough to Fili to know the existence of the Dragon Heart, and judging from the imitation of what Fili was saying just now, there is a high probability that it is Robert.

“More than anything, setting up a barrier to prevent the mana from escaping after destroying the Dragon Heart is more difficult than expected.”

Frondier nodded. I already knew about him. In fact, he guessed that if it took a long time to use Dragon Heart, that was probably why.

While playing as the main character Aster, Frontier succeeded in absorbing the dragon heart into his body. That’s why he knows how to use the Dragon Heart.

However, as Fili said, it was quite difficult to trap all the mana of the once destroyed Dragon Heart within the barrier.

The barrier must be perfect, without even the slightest water leakage, and mana control must be excellent enough to withstand the power of the Dragon Heart.

‘The only one who could do that was Runia Freecell.’

Runia Freecell, who is close to the official heroine of the game Etius.

Runia is a character who is close to the opposite situation of Elodie. While Elodie can produce ridiculous destructive power with the combination of her enormous magical power and divine power, and is poor at controlling her power, Runia is close to perfect when it comes to mana manipulation and mana control, although it is impossible to use magic on such a large scale.

Runia’s delicate manipulation is almost an innate talent, so if she were told how to do it, it would be possible to create a barrier to confine Dragonheart.

‘The problem is that right now I have almost no contact with Runia.’

When you play as Aster, Runia is the character you are more familiar with than anyone else in this game, but ironically, she is the most unfamiliar character to the current Frontier. Even though we were in the same class as second graders, we hardly ever talked.

And even if Runia offered to help, there was no way Phil or anyone else would approve of bringing her into the imperial palace.

“So I often talked to my associates about the Dragon Heart, and then I discovered it.”

“What?”

“Signs of a break-in. When my entourage and I go to see Dragon Heart, we always follow a certain routine. “You can check other traces.”

At those words, Frondier and Aten opened their eyes wide.

“It’s very gutsy of you to come see Dragon Heart on your own without getting my permission, but there aren’t many people who can do that in the first place. A person who might know the information about Dragon Heart, a person who needs it, and a person who is secretive enough to sneak in. “Within the imperial palace, all circumstances have no choice but to point in one direction.”

“…I see.”

Frontier nodded.

Dragon Heart is a very easy-to-understand goal.

“The shadow is planning to use the dragon heart’s mana to create a mana injection.”

“yes. But I still don’t know how to use the Dragon Heart, so I think I just checked the location and went back.”

Frontier knows the power of Dragon Heart better than anyone else.

Frontier, who was still inexperienced, used his power to cut off one of Renzo’s arms. Even when I have full mana, I still use Dragon Heart occasionally.

Dragon Heart was always needed to do more than just the mana he had.

That power is put into injections and injected into humans. If that’s really the purpose of the dark side, if it succeeds, it won’t be at the level of a weapon.

‘Mana injection collides with the original mana of the person injected, resulting in stronger power. The concept will be completely different from how I absorbed Dragon Heart’s mana when I played as Aster.’

An incomparable explosive power will be created, and the person injected with it will most likely not be able to control it.

The dark side wants to somehow inject humans with dragon hearts to create tremendous power, but the overflowing magic power is not a weapon, but a disaster.

If there is a use for it, it could be dropping the created human into the middle of the monsters beyond the wall. You could try to target Dong Gui Jin in that way.

“I want to use the Dragon Heart first before the shadow takes it first, but as I said before, that is not an easy problem.”

Fili, unusually, sounded somewhat grumpy.

‘…I would like to make a suggestion.’

Runia’s participation. That’s the only thing that increases Dragon Heart’s chances right now. In the current situation, Fili will do whatever it takes to persuade his associates.

If consuming Dragon Hearts is somehow necessary for Fili, it becomes an issue for Frondier to worry about as well.

Fili almost always acts for the Empire. If the plan is big enough to require Dragon Hearts, it will also benefit Frontier.

“…I would like to ask.”

Therefore, Frondier cautiously opened his mouth.

“Does Fili really need a Dragon Heart?”

Previously, Fili said that she would use Dragon Heart to increase her precognition to the maximum.

That’s not a lie. In fact, in the game, Fili uses Dragon Heart to increase her precognition.

Of course, not now, but much later. Fili in the game doesn’t yet know how to use Dragon Heart at this time.

There are two things players have seen so far. Either Fili can use Dragon Heart to further increase his precognitive ability, or he can’t use it until the game is over.

But players don’t like it both ways. I don’t like not being able to use Dragon Heart because it’s obviously a loss, and I don’t like it when it increases my precognition ability.

‘After that, Fili becomes almost like a machine.’

The current Fili has humanity, even if he is an unknown person. Even if it is infinitely gray from the player’s perspective, in reality, all people are gray. You can’t always be a good character or a bad character.

In that sense, Philly was a familiar figure to players. In the end, there are quite a few people who prefer the character of Fili because it is about working and dedicating one’s life for the empire.

However, Fili, who has developed foresight, makes all future thoughts and decisions based on foresight. There are thoughts and decisions of rationality itself, without the will of Fili himself, the will of his daughters like Aten or Sela, or even the will of the empire.

Players want Philly to be a leader, not to step out of the role.

‘What is Philly like now?’

Frontier is definitely one of them. I hope Philly becomes a good man.

To that end, he helped Fili, gave her information, and most of all, saved his first daughter, Elysia. He could have killed her as many times as he wanted, and it was right to not leave behind any regrets, but he did not kill Elysia to prevent Fili from going astray.

“…I am.”

Fili blinked for a moment at Frondier’s question, then opened his mouth.

Depending on what he says next, Frontier’s resolve will be renewed.

Should I use Dragon Heart or is there any room for concern? As a frontier, he cannot stop Fili from developing his precognitive abilities.

There is no good reason to do so, and from the perspective of humanity as a whole, it is beneficial. After gaining complete foresight, Fili’s decisions are always reasonable.

But that will make Philly closer to a machine. Frontier must be prepared to accept it.

“I definitely need the Dragon Heart.”

“…okay.”

Is that so?

Frondier gathered his slightly confused thoughts.

I felt similar to hearing Philly’s predictions in the past.

Despite Frondier’s efforts, Etius’ tragic future continues as he knew it would.

Even in this world, isn’t it possible to prevent Fili from becoming a machine?

“I have to save my husband.”

“…yes?”

Frontier asked back. An unexpected sound was heard.

Fili tilted his head as if asking why he was surprised.

“Didn’t you see my husband earlier? I was so weak that I needed help just to move a few steps. As his wife, I want to help him. “After listening to the doctor, he said it was due to a chronic lack of mana.”

Frondier blinked blankly at Fili’s explanation.

Dragon Heart to save Bartello? It was something I never thought of.

“Then Yeji…?”

“──Aha. “So you’re surprised, Frontier.”

Fili seemed to have finally realized this and raised his voice and laughed.

“Ahaha frontier. Don’t you remember? “I told you so.”

Fili raised a finger. He pointed alternately at Frontier and Aten.

“I don’t get an ominous feeling when the two of you are together.”

“…!”

Frondier’s eyes widened at Fili’s words.

It was like that. Fili felt ominous when he saw Aster and Aten together, so he cast a suggestion spell on Aten to keep them away from each other.

In the original game, the hint is eventually resolved and Aten ends up with Aster.

So Philly has no choice but to continue to feel that ominous premonition.

“uh? “What are you talking about?”

Of course, Aten didn’t hear this and was overly concerned about Fili’s words.

“The reason I tried to develop my precognitive abilities at that time was because the ominous feeling never ended. But now Aten is by your side, right? So there is no need to cultivate foresight.”

Yes.

Fili is always there for her daughters. Because the safety of the empire is the safety of my daughter. It means working wholeheartedly for the empire.

Originally, Aster and Aten were always a team.

That’s why Fili’s foresight is always sharp.

That’s why Philly is trying to develop his precognitive abilities.

If you’re Fili, who has a keen sense of foresight, you’ll feel it intuitively. What will happen to you after you develop your foresight ability? However, despite knowing this, Fili tried to use the Dragon Heart to increase his intelligence.

But today’s Philly is not like that. Because I don’t think it’s necessary.

“Right now, my husband’s safety is more important to me than wisdom. “Because Saleh is still young and the citizens of the empire still need Bartello.”

“….”

After hearing those words.

Frondier did not know what emotions were welling up inside his body.

“Frondier?”

Even when Aten looked at his face and called out to him with concern, Frondier did not answer.

‘…always.’

He didn’t know what expression he was making. What kind of face they are standing on, whether they are smiling or crying.

‘I wanted to know if what I was doing was right.’

Frontier fell into the world of the game.

A world that he has never cleared and that no one has ever cleared.

A world where even if you tried everything you had, nothing worked.

Dropped into this place where only memories of failure remain, he has lived as a character, not even the main character.

It was a world where death was determined.

Frontier doesn’t know how Etius will end. Because it was different every time he played.

There’s only one thing he knows.

The ending of it all was a miserable death.

So, if Frondier falls into this world, he will also meet his death.

In a world where if nothing is done like this, all of humanity will surely face a miserable death in the distant future.

‘Because there is no guarantee that things will turn out well even if you struggle.’

Even if you succeed at something.

Even if you somehow overcome adversity and hardship.

I wonder if it is just a dust-sized wave that has nothing to do with the tragedies of this world.

Or rather, it might be a comical play played in the face of an even more miserable tragedy.

“under…!”

Frondier lowered his head. A deep breath was exhaled.

Fili does not become a machine because he does not need foresight.

Because Aten was by Frondier’s side, her ominous predictions disappeared.

A world where the possibility of Fili taking a more proactive approach and the aging Bartello gaining strength again and living is open.

──The butterfly effect does not always cause a typhoon.

‘Haha, it looks like a fucking mangame…!’

Even as Frondier cursed under his breath, an unconscious smile appeared on his lips.

“Thank goodness…”

Reassurance that he is still on the right track and

knowing that his presence here has meaning.

Frondier quietly muttered something that Aten and Fili could not yet understand.