The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Angus saw Dier's innocent smile as a sign that he didn't fully grasp the situation.

He must have thought that since the student council president brought him here, even if he was restrained, there wouldn't be much danger.

But Dier said.

"Of course I know."

"You know?"

"Yes. It's a place where they research mana injections, right?"

A clear and cool answer. Angus's eyes widened at those words.

"...How did you know?"

"There are a lot of rumors circulating about Constel lately. Plus, there was someone who came to scout me a while ago. They called me the 'best candidate'."

"Then why do you look so happy? Don't you feel it's dangerous?"

"Dangerous? Why?"

Dier tilted his head as if he didn't understand.

"If I get a mana injection, my mana will increase, right?"

"...Of course."

"There's no one who would refuse to become stronger!"

"You refused when they scouted you?"

"At that time, I couldn't understand how they were going to make me stronger, but if there's such a clear answer, it's a different story."

At those words, Angus stared at Dier for a moment and then burst into laughter.

"Yes, that's right! That's it! You're really wise and excellent at the same time. Hahaha!"

Angus walked towards the device for scanning Dier. As he pressed the button, the plate Dier was stepping on emitted light.

"Please wait a moment. The scan takes some time."

"Yes."

Dier answered like a loyal subordinate and then leisurely looked around.

He looked at Ellen.

"If I knew it would be like this, you wouldn't have needed to restrain me, senior."

"...I didn't know you'd react like that."

Ellen said to Dier as if she was dumbfounded.

Ellen had heard quite a bit about Dier. In fact, more than his wisdom, it was his competitive spirit and kindness that shone within that wisdom that caught her attention.

But Dier now didn't have that appearance. He just looked like one of the many fools who wanted to get a mana injection to become stronger. Did she see him wrong?

'Well, I'm not one to talk.'

Ellen let out a small sigh.

──It had been quite some time since Ellen received the antidote.

Since receiving the wrong mana injection, Ellen had been going through days of alternately receiving the injection and the antidote.

She herself didn't know where the mana injection and the antidote were located. She just followed orders, received the antidote, and immediately after, received the mana injection to threaten her.

However, Ellen at least didn't receive orders to harm people. She would rather choose death than receive such orders.

Even when she fought Frondier, she had no intention of killing him, and she predicted that even without him, there wouldn't be much damage to the students. Just like Frondier had done.

Above all, she had wanted to die by Frondier's hand at that time.

But kidnapping Dier clearly crossed the line. It was an order that Ellen would never follow. If it were a normal day.

'What are you thinking, Frondier.'

Today, a crow delivered a note to Ellen. It was a note from Frondier.

The content was simple.

I hope you will follow any orders today without resistance. I will take care of it, a statement that was either irresponsible or overflowing with responsibility, she couldn't tell.

'So when I came here, I thought Frondier would arrive first.'

Ellen narrowed her eyes slightly. Gradually, she could feel her body temperature dropping. The moment she needed the antidote was approaching.

"──Senior."

At the sound of a voice, Ellen looked at Dier.

"You look tired."

"..."

Dier's words seemed to pierce through Ellen's physical condition. Dier smiled and said.

"I've always wondered. Why did you become the student council president, senior? I don't think it suits you."

"..."

Ellen didn't answer him.

Angus also listened for a moment but soon ignored it. He felt like Dier was just spouting nonsense.

"You were originally famous for sleepwalking, right? To recharge your stamina while walking, you made it so you could sleep while moving when it wasn't an emergency. I couldn't understand why someone who values their stamina management so much would do something other than swordsmanship. Especially being the student council president, which is a very tiring job."

"...So?"

Ellen started to become somewhat wary of Dier. She couldn't predict what Dier would say next.

But Dier dropped the bomb without fail.

"That was a signal, right? Your SOS signal."

"..."

"Even though you look fine on the outside, you were telling everyone around you that your current situation is very bad, right? If you were just an ordinary Constel student, you could somehow hide it even if you died, but if you're the student council president of Constel, attention would be drawn to you if something happened. It was the minimum safety device to avoid death."

"Hey, you..."

"You bastard, what are you talking about!"

Angus interrupted Ellen and became indignant. Even a fool could understand the meaning of Dier's words.

"Ellen senior."

Dier completely ignored Angus and said.

"You look more and more tired."

"!"

"This guy, I thought he was reasonable, but he's just crazy! Guys, shut him up!"

At Angus's order, the men who were on standby jumped out.

Since this place wasn't conducting legitimate experiments in the first place, there were always combat personnel on standby in case of sudden situations.

These people weren't as good as the pros led by Eden, but they were still quite skilled.

They slowly approached the bound Dier. Dier, restrained and not particularly skilled in pure combat power to begin with, seemed to have no chance of winning.

But.

Crack, snap!

The handcuffs that were restraining Dier's arms from behind were easily broken. It was something that couldn't be done with ordinary strength.

His mana burst forth with explosive power.

"Wh-What, you!"

Dier's appearance was almost identical to Ellen's.

Dier pulled something out of his pocket.

It was a syringe filled with liquid.

"You, when did you get that!"

At Angus's shout, Dier looked at the syringe with amusement and said.

"Hahaha, I was so curious about this."

Thud!

In an instant, Dier moved at an unbelievable speed.

As Dier took a step, the combat personnel who were approaching him moved as well.

Even though Dier's mana had grown, these people were also experienced veterans. Surrounding him from all sides, they completely encircled Dier.

However.

"Huh?"

"What?"

Dier perfectly grasped the gaps between their approaching hands and feet and slipped through them.

Now, Dier's body could finally keep up with his eyes. And from his dynamic vision, the movements of the combat personnel were too slow.

Dier wasn't faster than them. He was simply moving with maximum efficiency in the shortest amount of time.

"H-Hiik!"

Dier grabbed Angus. Angus tried to escape somehow, but Dier's eyes clearly saw where he was trying to go, so Angus easily gave Dier his back.

And the needle of the syringe entered his neck.

"How about it, Mr. Angus? Do you want to become stronger too?"

"Gasp, gasp!"

Angus wasn't a combat personnel in the first place. Even if his mana increased here, he wouldn't know how to use it properly.

In other words, the mana injection Dier was holding was nothing but poison to Angus.

"Well, answer me, Mr. Angus."

Dier scattered a chilling murderous intent along with his rising mana.

"Where is it? The antidote."