The Academy’s Weapon Replicator - Chapter 225

Chapter 73: Convocation (2)

I repeatedly took deep breaths in my heart.

All members of the Zodiac are summoned. This is natural because the issue is such an issue, but it means a lot to me.

‘People who are comparable to or better than Heldre gather here.’

The reason I was able to confront Heldre when I confronted him was because I brought Heldre into my area of operation.

They were able to gain the upper hand by attacking their opponents with information they did not know and exploiting loopholes.

Besides, it was Renzo who finished the match, so it’s okay to say that I beat Heldre.

‘Though I think I’ve grown a lot since then.’

Through the training I’ve done so far, my close combat skills have improved considerably, and more than anything, I’ve gained a lot from Jeranhes’s defenses. The amount of black heaven has increased incomparably, the chronic mana shortage has been resolved with Helheim’s mana, and even a ‘sixth sense’ has been obtained.

However, I could not objectively judge my current skills. Even when they opposed Eden, they didn’t fight properly.

‘How would I compare myself now to Zodiac?’

You will soon find out.

Jerk.

The sound of footsteps coming from far away, as if reading my thoughts.

At first, what felt like a single sound of footsteps gradually grew into many.

“Look, this is the right place. “You idiot!”

“You said you thought it was the conference room at first?”

“That’s because you speak so confidently! “Everyone in the Zodiac was standing in the conference room blankly because of you!”

“Not everyone. Because there was no Lidwi.”

“That means—.”

A pair of men and women walk from the front, bickering and fighting in a somewhat light atmosphere.

“Are you okay, Your Majesty? “It’s hard to suppress your impatience.”

“How many times are you asking this? “I heard one of Constell’s students did a good job blocking it.”

“You won’t believe it until you see it for yourself!”

“Okay, okay.”

Behind him, an enthusiastic man and another man ignoring his words.

“I heard that the face of the boy who blocked the surprise attack was quite worthy of admiration?”

“Oh my gosh, Lili. “He is Monsieur Ampere’s son.”

“Eh. no. “It wasn’t called Ajie!”

“So, second son. What did they say? “Frontier or something.”

“Frondier frontier.”

A somewhat seductive voice and a slightly gruff voice holding it back. There was even one other person who meddled.

Each person was approaching this place, having their own conversation.

‘It’s heavy.’

I felt this in the past at the mansion during the nobles’ meeting, but when it comes to nobles from prestigious families or the Zodiac, there is tremendous energy overflowing. Even back then, my body felt heavy due to that terrifying force, but this time it was all of the Zodiac.

Except for Ridwi, all 11 people stood in front of me.

Although each person is doing their own thing, the power felt from the original strong man is not hidden at all, and he knocks on the entire room as if he has no intention of hiding it.

“So, is it this guy?”

Among the pair of men and women in the lead, the woman looked at me and opened her mouth. Naturally, all the Zodiac’s eyes focused on me.

Every time I take a breath, their auras seem to mix together and pierce my lungs.

I smiled as I endured that enormous pressure.

“–Nice to meet you.”

Their expressions changed slightly as they reacted to my response and voice. But I didn’t care.

I fought Renzo and defeated Heldre. Against Eden, we secured a complete victory.

Unlike when I first came to this world, I was so used to the atmosphere of the powerful.

“This is Frontier de Roach.”

* * *

This place where Bartello, Zodiac, and Frondier gather is the emperor’s sleeping quarters.

Usually, when the Zodiac is called, they gather in the imperial palace conference room, but since this case involved a direct attempt on the emperor’s life, the meeting was moved. Because the emperor’s bedroom is the safest place in the palace.

Bartello is lying in his bed and undergoing a careful examination by a doctor. Even though Frontier blocked it well, they may have been hit by an attack they didn’t know about.

Zodiac and Frondier removed all the decorations from the long table and brought chairs to sit down. After all the Zodiacs gathered, the imperial knights stepped down and now the Zodiac, Frondier, and a retainer are sitting on this chair to explain the situation to the Zodiacs.

Fili also wanted to participate, but since there is no way the enemies targeting the emperor would not target the empress, Fili has also moved to a safe location.

“so.”

After hearing the entire explanation, one of the Zodiac men spoke.

“This frontier is the only one here that can find monsters?”

The man in the lead when he first came in was Ludovic de Fabre.

Some Zodiacs are as old as Heldre or Ridwi, but there are also quite a few who are much younger than that.

The Zodiacs are 12 combat weapons assigned to protect the empire. This number ’12’ is guaranteed to be kept, so if any member of the zodiac dies, another person will take their place within a certain period of time. Just as Ridwi filled Heldre’s place after his death.

Therefore, even if you are young, you can become a Zodiac if you have skills and a reputation that is recognized by the citizens of the empire. Like Ludovic.

‘Before Ludovic Eden, he was the number one pro, but he earned the position of Zodiac and became the head of the family.’

Ludovic is currently the matriarch who guards the coastal defenses of a region called Babia in the southern part of the empire. In other words, it does something similar to what Lidwy and Ampere do.

Babia is not an area where monsters often come in large numbers like Yeranhes, but the things that crawl out from the depths of the sea sometimes appear to be ridiculously scary.

Therefore, Babia is optimized for responding to a single large and threatening monster rather than annihilating multiple monsters.

Ludovic’s specialty is also better suited to catching one monster rather than many.

“How on earth do you find that monster?”

Ludovic asked me as if I were some kind of weirdo.

I thought for a moment and then spoke.

“…I find it with my senses.”

There wasn’t anything particularly wrong, but Ludovic’s eyebrows twitched quickly.

“Do you want to make a joke on me?”

“It’s not a joke. “I don’t know why I’m the only one looking for him.”

I didn’t bother to tell you that the konjac monster was from another world.

Amper and Atzier understand what I did in Gheranhes, so they understand. It’s not a story worth telling to others.

“I don’t know why…”

This time, someone else spoke up. This is the woman who was arguing with Ludovic. This woman’s name is Daisy Foster. There are currently only two women in the Zodiac and this is one of them.

“Then maybe there is someone among us who can sense that monster?”

“…yes. I hope so too.”

I answered yes, but I know the chances are slim. I sensed that guy because I had Helheim’s mana in my body.

“Hey.”

And another woman who spoke to me in a somewhat tickling voice.

“I heard you’re the only one who’s ever really dealt with that monster. Did you find out anything?”

“….”

I didn’t answer him right away, but looked at the woman for a moment.

To be honest, I don’t want to be taken by this woman.

The woman’s name is Leah Reese. Players just call her ‘Riri’. There are a few people in this world who call me that.

Lili reminds me of the demon ‘Lilith’, as if that name was created on purpose. She has a very bewitching face and body, and her voice and facial expressions are all beautifully decorated.

To put it bluntly, if the ‘acting’ that Selena was trying to do when seducing me becomes nature itself, I would become Lily. She is a mysterious woman whose age has not yet been estimated.

Unlike Selena, she really identifies with men and likes them. In fact, since her own abilities are outstanding, it is said that men’s abilities are good and she only looks at appearances.

If you are criticized by this woman, either in a good way or in a bad way, you will end up very tired. So, I don’t want to be noticed by this woman as much as possible.

“huh? how is it? “I think it would be good to have more information.”

I sighed inwardly as Lily continued to press me with her questions.

Anyway, sharing information is necessary. This is not a problem that can be ignored just because you don’t know. It’s best to know as much information about that monster as possible.

“When I fought, it felt like the monster had just been born.”

“…just born? Does this mean you can’t control yourself properly?”

I shook my head at the other man’s question.

“I realized this when I stabbed him in the back.”

At that time, the konjac monster was stabbed in the back by me and fell to the floor. My sword penetrated the floor, pinning my body almost completely.

But for a moment, I struggled to get out of there as if I didn’t know the pain.

“…Screamed?”

“yes. I wondered if the scream itself was a curse with some kind of effect, but that wasn’t the case. “There was nothing wrong with everyone at the time.”

“So it’s just a simple scream?”

“yes. “What’s puzzling is why the screams didn’t start until it was too late.”

There is one thing I guessed there.

Wasn’t that guy imitating every single thing that humans did at the time?

“When that monster first tried to attack you, it had no face. Only after I blocked it did the face pop out and try to imitate the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. I remember those eyes were on your majesty.”

“…It’s not just a simple imitation. “It actually mimics the function.”

“yes. At that time, he couldn’t make any sound with his mouth. “I think it was only after I stabbed him in the back that he started screaming long after that he learned how to scream.”

“…is it a monster that learns its surroundings at a rapid pace?”

As I nodded at those words, the others were lost in their own thoughts.

A creature that can imitate even the sounds of its eyes or mouth. Even if you don’t know what’s inside, you can assume that most things can be imitated.

I said.

“I’ve never seen a mechanism that works like that, so I can’t say for sure, but learning usually presupposes high intelligence.”

“…He also has that level of intelligence?”

“It’s one possibility. And if that intelligence is comparable to or exceeds that of humans.”

I’ve been thinking about this ever since I found out he had that potential.

If I were that monster, what would I do now with that learning and copying ability?

The answer came quickly.

“He might imitate me.”

“…!”

From the moment it appeared, it created a head, eyes, nose, and mouth.

It was clearly intended to imitate humans.

I am near the emperor because I can find him.

If the imitator becomes indistinguishable from an ordinary human being, there is a high probability that he or she will imitate me.

“What if that’s true?”

Lili asked me.

Somehow, it seems like there’s an added sparkle in the way he looks at me, but let’s ignore it for now.

“Nothing will change.”

“Nothing needs to change?”

“yes. If that monster’s imitation of me is indistinguishable from the real me, then of course it will try to target Your Majesty. In that case, please punish him without hesitation. “If he’s a fake, he’ll be killed just like that.”

The Zodiacs who were listening to me fell silent for a moment. Soon everyone realized what I meant and looked at me with puzzled faces.

I just said. If he is a fake, he will be punished as is.

In other words, to put it the other way.

“Wow.”

Lily said with her eyes shining.

“Are you really saying that you won’t be harmed?”