The Academy’s Weapon Replicator - Chapter 94

Academy’s Weapon Replicator Episode 94

Chapter 26 Sacred Forest (6)

A misty wind blew where Frondier left.

Merlin stood with his back to Nimue.

Nimue couldn’t see Merlin’s expression. It was so unsettling I couldn’t bear it.

[…Merlin.]

Nimue called, but Merlin did not answer.

However, he tilted his head slightly. Merlin’s profile appeared gray to Nimue.

However, his face was shadowed by his hair and his expression was still not visible.

[Nimue. Why did you trick me?]

There was no pitch in Merlin’s voice. I couldn’t even tell if he was angry or disappointed.

Nimue kept her mouth shut, thinking she was about to say no. Now even Merlin knows. All you can do is be honest.

[…It’s all you.]

Nimue’s sincere voice trembled rather uneasily.

[I was afraid she would disappear.]

[….]

Only then did Merlin see Nimue.

Nimue said earnestly.

[I am afraid that if you find out that King Arthur is not there, you will lose your purpose and leave…]

The Merlin that exists here is only a guide to guide King Arthur.

Without King Arthur, his existence has no meaning.

Merlin’s wrinkled eyes sank even deeper. Nimue swallowed. I had no idea what Merlin would say.

[I see.]

Merlin ended with just that one word.

I walked with my back to Nimue again.

Slowly, one step at a time.

Nimue stared blankly at the scene.

The distance from Merlin gradually increased. He had no intention of stopping.

[…Merlin!]

Nimue finally realized what Merlin meant and shouted urgently. Her lips trembled.

But Merlin didn’t stop. His steps remained unchanged, as if he had not heard Nimue’s voice.

[I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Don’t go, don’t go, Merlin!]

Despite Nimue’s earnest cry,

Merlin walked at the same pace until the figure disappeared completely.

* * *

I ran through the forest. Selena occasionally looked back.

“Do you care? “Those two?”

“…You’re not going to die, Nimue, are you? To Mr. Merlin?”

haha.

I laughed to myself.

Merlin cannot kill Nimue. No, I could kill him, but I wouldn’t do that.

Passs –

Then I heard the sound of trees rustling.

Someone appeared in front of me. It was Merlin.

He walked out from behind the tree slowly, just like when we first met.

‘hmm.’

Merlin had no intention of attacking me.

I stopped Cassian and came down.

He said as he slowly walked towards Merlin.

[Mr. Frontier, may I ask you one last question?]

“What is it?”

I somehow expected Merlin’s question. As expected, he asked.

[Why didn’t King Arthur receive a second sword? Why couldn’t you come to the lake?]

Merlin is still here and Nimue has Excalibur.

That means King Arthur never received a second sword.

This is where the Arthurian legend here differs most from reality.

“I don’t know that either.”

But unfortunately, this part remains uncharted territory even for gamers.

No matter how much you look at the game, the legend of King Arthur is the realm of ‘history’. Because gamers couldn’t go to the past.

[I see.]

Merlin nodded. He didn’t even seem disappointed. Because I live in this era, it doesn’t make sense for me to even know such things. In fact, knowing this much would be surprising to Merlin.

[What should I do?]

This time it was a quite difficult question. That tone, which somehow mixed with a sigh, was the most emotional voice I’ve ever heard from Merlin.

I asked.

“You mean about Nimue?”

[Yes.]

“Are you blaming her?”

When Merlin heard my question, he raised his head as if to confirm his feelings.

[I’m not even sure about that. Am I right in blaming her?]

I’m not sure.

Merlin said he didn’t know, but I somehow thought that answer was very befitting of the wise man Merlin.

“All I can say is”

So I said something that might be of some help to both of them.

They both knew this anyway, but Merlin needed to be convinced.

“If it weren’t for Nimue, you would have been dead a long time ago.”

“…?”

Next to me, Selena tilted her head. He looked like he didn’t know what he was talking about.

“You said it yourself. “How can ‘humans’ maintain a world of illusion for so long?”

“Oh, then that’s it.”

Yes.

It was probably Merlin who installed the dream in the first place.

It was the power of the fairy Nimue that maintained it to this day.

[That’s right.]

Merlin knew. Nimue sacrificed all of her magic to maintain Merlin’s dream.

To be with him. Even if it is an ‘illusion’.

“Mr. Nimue could have gotten rid of you at any time. Or he could have used it to blackmail you. But looking at you, I don’t think that’s the case.”

As a result, I ended up defending Nimue. It was something that could not be helped. I also hope that Merlin doesn’t disappear yet.

“And I personally hope Mr. Merlin is still here.”

[Why? Your business is done.]

I can now duplicate Excalibur. With this alone, it can be said that the purpose of coming here has been achieved.

So what I am saying is that it is not my business.

“Someday someone will come here.”

I told Merlin the story of ‘Aster Evans’.

“That man is a much better fit for Excalibur than someone like me. “He is worthy of that status.”

[Do you mean to hand over the sword to the man?]

“You can see for yourself and judge for yourself.”

[You mean to judge someone after knowing who they are?]

I laughed.

[You’ll know that when you see it yourself.]

What I have is King Arthur’s first sword. What Nimue has now is her second sword.

I wanted to know how the two swords differ when seen with the naked eye, but even if not now, there will come a day when I will cross swords with Aster.

[…You might know.]

“You know?”

Merlin suddenly said. This was something completely unexpected.

[King Arthur once gave me this sentence.]

He waved his hand once, and a sentence was engraved on the floor between Merlin and me.

[I couldn’t understand it even after looking at it, so I just kept it in my mind as an image.]

A single line of sentences that is slowly engraved into my mind. When the form was completed, my eyes widened.

[Can you read it?]

“….”

I widened my eyes and looked at the sentence. I didn’t have time to control my expression.

The sentence was written in ‘ancient language’. I don’t know how King Arthur learned of this sentence and gave it to Merlin, but it was clearly an ancient language.

That fact alone was surprising, but what made me excited was the content.

The sentence Merlin gave was just one line.

─For the giant who will bring down the gods.

…It was written like that.

* * *

Nimue stood the whole time looking in the direction Merlin had left.

It felt like if I looked away, Merlin would never come back.

Even if we keep doing this, I don’t know if Merlin will come, but still.

Merlin waits for King Arthur at the lake. She also just waits for Merlin in this lake.

[…Ah.]

And then Merlin walked slowly from afar.

[Merlin.]

[Nimue.]

Merlin looked straight at Nimue.

It was difficult for Nimue to look at those straight eyes, but she somehow managed to make eye contact.

[sorry. I tricked you]

[Nimue. I have something to ask. Could you answer honestly?]

Merlin asked. Nimue nodded deeply.

[all right. I will never deceive you now.]

[Okay then.]

Merlin closed his mouth for a moment and looked into Nimue’s eyes. It was as if he was looking into Nimue’s eyes and digging into them.

[Can you kill me at any time?]

Merlin asked. Nimue opened her mouth for a moment in surprise, but then bit her lip.

[What does that mean? So, I’m not going to lie, but still.]

[They said it’s thanks to you that I’ve survived until now. Then, the moment I break the spell, I will disappear. Isn’t that right?]

Merlin still couldn’t figure out what was going on. Nimue clenched her fists and trembled. I was very resentful of myself for not telling a lie.

[…That’s right.]

Nimue kept her promise.

[Merlin, the original designer of the dream, ran out of magic a long time ago. What is maintaining this forest and you right now is my magical power. I am a fairy, and I can receive magical power from this lake alone.]

Nimue hated saying this.

A threat that makes it seem like he holds the power over Merlin’s life and death. This kind of threat doesn’t work on Merlin in the first place, and Nimue doesn’t want it either.

That’s why I’ve been hiding it, but now it’s in vain.

[Then I have a favor to ask.]

[…something.]

[I felt my own ignorance and mistake through this incident.]

Merlin smiled. The wrinkled eyes slowly subsided.

[When I make a wrong choice or walk down the wrong path.]

It was like a smile of self-deprecation or a smile of relief.

[Won’t you kill me?]

[….]

Nimue blinked blankly at those words.

Merlin asks her to kill him. That itself was unheard of. Because she couldn’t make that choice.

So, one clear fact touched Nimue’s heart.

[…By my side.]

[Hmm?]

[Are you going to stay by my side?]

[….]

[Are you not going to leave?]

That’s exactly what Merlin said.

That fact was the only thing that lingered in Nimue.

Merlin said.

[You have to see me make mistakes.]

He nodded.

[That’s right.]

After hearing that clear confirmation.

Nimue hesitated, then nodded.

[──Okay. I will do that. When you are wrong When you make a mistake. I want you…]

Although I didn’t say everything.

For Nimue, the answer was a lie that would never exist again and that she would protect until the end.

* * *

“──Selena.”

Frondier called Selena in a cold tone.

“What are you doing?”

There was a sharp needle at the end of the neck.

Selena glared at Frondier as if he had suddenly changed. The needle in his hand trembled.

“What was that just now?”

“What do you mean?”

“You just said that sentence was ‘ancient language.’”

Selena looked.

Frondier’s face looked unusual when he saw the sentence that Merlin showed him.

Frontier nevertheless said, ‘I don’t know.’

Even after parting ways with Merlin and racing again on Cassian, Frondier remained silent.

‘Of course.’

Selena thought.

I don’t know how to interpret ancient languages, but I know what they look like.

And the sentence that Merlin showed earlier was very similar to the shape of the ancient language.

“What did it say there?”

“I couldn’t interpret it.”

“lie.”

The needle pierced Frondier’s neck. Blood soaked and flowed down Frondier’s neck.

Frontier’s eyes grew cold.

“…Selena.”

“I was sent from Mangot because of your interpretive skills.”

Selena gritted her teeth and glared at Frondier.

“Don’t delude yourself into thinking that you are important.”