THE ACADEMY’S WEAPON REPLICATOR

‘Ria Lis…’

Robert’s actions, and the premonition Philly felt. Perhaps this was its true nature.

‘Not that Ria Lis is in danger, but that she’s going to be rescued…’

If it had been a message about Ria Lis being in danger, they could have discussed countermeasures together.

However, Frondier said he would go to rescue her.

This meant that Lily was Frondier’s ally. There was no room for negotiation on whether or not to save her, and there was no need to doubt that Lily was an ally.

Moreover, it was probably true that Lily was a devil. It was surprising, but considering Lily’s various characteristics, it was understandable.

‘If this is the case, then Frondier seems to have made some sort of resolution.’

A resolution to be wrongly accused.

Until now, Frondier had tried to break free from the shell of speculation, contempt, and ridicule that had been poured upon him, but this time, he might have to wear that shell again himself.

‘Then what I have to do is…’

Philly thought. What would be the best way to handle this situation? If Frondier had decided not to change public opinion, what could he do while being seen as a ‘devil’?

A moment of silence.

While Philly was carefully reading the next move, Pascal examined Philly’s face.

‘…Are you alright?’

While Pascal was running away with Philly, the Imperial Palace moved in a different direction instead of capturing him.

In other words, Philly’s thought was correct. Robert was the enemy.

Robert had been by Philly’s side for a very long time. During that long time, trust in each other must have been thick.

What was Philly thinking now?

“…I don’t know.”

Then Philly tilted her head.

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t know what Frondier’s plan is right now.”

Philly’s brows furrowed.

The trust Philly had in Frondier was deep.

It wasn’t trust that Frondier was a good person or that he was doing the right thing.

It was trust that he was the most rational person she knew, and trust that he would not be defeated like this.

That’s why she thought he was moving because there was a way out of this situation. That there would be a strategy good enough to be okay with being misunderstood as a devil.

However, Frondier hadn’t said anything about it.

‘Did he expect me to move on my own? I don’t know what it is.’

Even from this location far away from Frondier, Philly could roughly guess the current situation Frondier was in.

If the Imperial Palace tried to capture Lily, they would definitely use the Zodiac, and especially Ludovic was likely to cooperate.

If Frondier sided with Lily, Ludovic would be convinced. That Frondier was a devil.

According to his testimony, the rumor that Frondier was a devil would soon become truth, and within the Empire, Frondier would become a target that must be eliminated.

To prevent this flow, Ludovic had to be killed. Ludovic and all the Zodiacs there.

Whether it was possible or impossible, if he really did that.

‘…I don’t know.’

Frondier kills the Zodiac. Would he really do that? Was that the only way? No, even if that way was the only one, would Frondier choose it?

Could Frondier see something that I couldn’t?

‘…If so, what the hell is this ominous premonition that doesn’t fade away.’

Philly’s premonition reacted as loudly as if it was spitting out all the times it hadn’t worked in the past. This clear and persistent premonition was the first.

“…Does Frondier have a plan?”

Pascal asked back at Philly’s question.

Philly said.

“He will.”

Looking at her asserting, Pascal thought.

‘I know Frondier is the type who uses his head well. I realized that ability during the war. But…’

The current situation was different from then.

At that time, Frondier was responding to a considerable number of cases in advance, and he had enough pieces to carry out his operation.

And above all, when Frondier made a plan, the most dangerous thing was always Frondier himself.

Pascal, who dreamed of becoming Philly’s escort knight, knew.

The way Frondier used his head was different from Philly’s way.

‘Her Majesty the Empress chooses the operation with the highest probability of success. Also the safest one. Because she knows very well how important her life is in the Empire.’

However, Frondier chooses the ‘most effective operation’. No matter how dangerous it is.

That was partly due to Frondier’s past where he failed the game despite numerous repetitions, and partly due to the habit of not valuing his own life.

Of course, Pascal didn’t know these things, but at least she saw Frondier walking into the jaws of death with his own feet.

‘Maybe this time is the same.’

Philly didn’t know exactly what the ominous premonition she was feeling was, but.

To Pascal, a certain outcome was already visible.

Philly finally shook her head as if giving up her lingering attachment.

“It’s no use. No matter how much time we waste here, we won’t be able to know Frondier’s thoughts, so for now, we should find the real culprit.”

“Isn’t Robert the real culprit?”

“He could be, but it’s too bold for Robert.”

Philly wasn’t as shocked by Robert’s betrayal as Pascal was worried about.

Robert was a model of an Imperial Palace knight. He served Philly because she was the Empress, not because she was Philly.

As long as Philly was the Empress, it didn’t matter which side he was on, but in the end, Robert followed the orders of the Imperial Palace.

Instead, Philly had to prepare for the next shock.

The powerful person who could move Robert without Philly’s knowledge. There were less than three of them.

“…In the end.”

Philly murmured, already feeling tired.

“It seems like I have to have another tiresome family fight.”

* * *

Lily’s room could no longer be called a room.

As if someone had ripped off a corner of the mansion, Lily’s room no longer had a boundary to distinguish it from the outside.

“Huff, huff…!”

However, the atmosphere here was still ominous.

The Zodiacs surrounding Frondier, they glared at Frondier, breathing roughly. Ludovic was the same.

But they were in a situation where they couldn’t move easily due to frequent injuries and battle fatigue.

If they showed any gaps, weapons could strike from all directions at any time. Frondier was the person with the most attack variations among the enemies they had faced.

And that Frondier,

“…As expected of the Zodiac.”

Was maintaining a moderate distance, in a physical condition not much different from theirs. He also had numerous wounds all over his body, and although there were no fatal injuries, he was quite exhausted.

The situation had become like this because their powers were equal.

Everyone thought so.

Except for Ludovic, who had confronted Frondier head-on the most.

‘What is this?’

Ludovic felt a sense of incongruity in this situation.

It wasn’t a matter of the result. The Zodiac was strong, and they had been extremely cautious in dealing with Frondier.

Frondier was a much trickier opponent than they had thought, but no one had lost their fighting power yet.

However, for some reason, this result looked artificial to Ludovic’s eyes.

He didn’t know how the outcome of this fight would turn out. They might have succeeded in capturing Frondier alive, or they might have killed him.

Or maybe Ludovic or someone else from the Zodiac had fallen, or maybe Frondier had overwhelmingly defeated all of them. They hardly knew Frondier’s full strength.

But seeing the situation turn out like this, it felt like Frondier had deliberately led it to ‘this result’, so.

“What the hell are you up to, Frondier…!”

Ludovic, indignant at the thought of being played, put strength into the hand holding the sword.

He didn’t have much Aura left, but neither did Frondier. This equal balance wouldn’t be shaken yet.

“I’m not up to anything.”

“Alright. I’ll catch you and make you spit it all out, whether you like it or not!”

Ludovic once again charged towards Frondier with momentum.

However, unlike before, Frondier jumped back.

‘Running away?’

Ludovic made a quick judgment and infused his feet with Aura.

He couldn’t fly because he wasn’t a mage, but his speed surpassed that of a clumsy magic.

Kwadadduk!

“Ugh!”

But then Frondier’s Obsidian wrapped around all sides.

The moment Ludovic stopped to prepare for a counterattack, Obsidian attached to Frondier’s back, stretching out like wings.

And in an instant,

Kwaaaa-!

Frondier levitated into the air and flew away at high speed. It was a speed that Ludovic couldn’t possibly follow.

Ludovic stood still, staring blankly at the absurd escape speed.

Ludovic’s doubts grew to an unprecedented level.

‘If he had that kind of skill, he could have run away at any time.’

As far as Ludovic could see, the flight just now was possible because the entire wings attached to Frondier’s back served as propulsion. No human could follow that speed.

Then another Zodiac member said.

“He ran away. Damn it, if we had fought a little longer, we could have caught him.”

A voice filled with frustration.

Ludovic’s face contorted, finding it hard to believe.

‘We could have caught him?’

Was there such a difference in perception between those who fought Frondier directly and those who didn’t?

Looking around, it seemed like the other Zodiac members had similar thoughts.

Just a little more.

In other words, in their eyes, Frondier seemed to have been cornered and forced to flee.

If that was what Frondier was aiming for.

‘What’s the benefit of that? It only makes his situation worse.’

Now the Zodiacs would announce to the Empire that Frondier was a devil. There was no way for Frondier to stop that. He had to kill all the Zodiacs before it came to this.

In other words, conversely.

‘Frondier had no intention of stopping that from the beginning.’

Realizing something, Ludovic opened his mouth to address the Zodiacs, but closed it again.

He was the only one who noticed. Besides, there was no point in saying it. Frondier must have known this too.

Maybe.

The thought that he had made a huge mistake was approaching him, unavoidable.

* * *

When Frondier passed through the portal he had set up in advance,

Lily was already there.

“…Frondier.”

Lily naturally didn’t know where the portal Frondier had set up led to.

She just did as she was told.

Lily, who arrived first, couldn’t understand the sight in front of her and just stood there blankly.

“What the hell is this?”

Lily asked Frondier, who came through the portal.

“You stayed put.”

“…I couldn’t think of moving.”

Frondier lightly stroked Lily’s head.

And he walked with heavy steps and looked at the woman in front of him.

“Congratulations, Sale.”

The location of the portal Frondier had set up was, surprisingly, inside the Imperial Palace.

Moreover, it was the Emperor’s bedroom, the most important place in the Empire.

Bartello was lying quietly on the bed as if asleep, and Sale was sitting next to him, dazed.

Sale looked at Frondier.

“No, I shouldn’t call you Sale.”

Visible only to Frondier’s eyes, a purple haze rose.

“Frondier de Roach.”

Sale’s mouth moved, Sale’s voice came out, and pronounced.

“I’m tired of your insolence.”

However, it wasn’t Sale.

Frondier said a different name instead.

“Odin.”

Sale’s eyes widened. As if he hadn’t expected him to say his name.

In front of such Odin, Frondier said calmly.

“You win.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!