Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Unemployed Life (2)

Knowing that I couldn’t find out more with my analysis skills, I decided to move to a different location.

The destination was Obsidian.

I planned to talk to Hagley, who was still imprisoned.

Honestly, I didn’t expect him to provide proper information, but it was the only method I had at the moment.

‘Hagley is the one who brought Selena to Mangot. Of course, he must have contacted the Vanier family.’

With that thought, I went to Amper and asked to borrow a  vehicle,

“No.”

“…Father.”

“I can’t allow it.”

Suddenly, my plan fell apart.

Amper shook his head firmly.

I was a bit flustered and said,

“Father, Obsidian is not as dangerous as you think. Director Esther is a trustworthy person, and I have no intention of causing trouble,”

“What are you talking about?”

Amper looked at me as if I were saying something strange.

“Do you think I’m stopping you for that reason? Have you forgotten that your every move is being watched?”

“…Oh.”

“If any vehicle from our mansion leaves, all sorts of reporters and paparazzi will chase after it. Even if the car arrives and everyone gets out, they’ll linger around for a long time, wondering if someone is hiding in the trunk. If you get into Roach’s car and go somewhere, the moment you’re seen, it will cause a huge commotion. Especially if it’s Obsidian, the problem will become very serious.”

Obsidian is the prison that holds the most dangerous criminals in the empire. If I’m seen there, it won’t look good at all.

‘That would be troublesome. It’s not a place I can fly to.’

The reason I could fly to the shores of Agoris was that once I took to the skies, I had no idea where I would end up.

It was in the middle of the sea. It was not a place where anyone could physically find me.

But Obsidian is clearly a place where people pass by. No matter how I depart from here, I will inevitably be seen the moment I arrive.

“Prondier.”

Anfer said to me, who was lost in thought.

“How about getting a license this time?”

“…What?”

“If you buy a vehicle that you can drive yourself, you can avoid the eyes of the reporters. Get a license and have your own car. If you keep the garage in a different place, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

I opened my mouth at Anfer’s words.

Yes, that was an option. If the reporters were monitoring all the  vehicles of the Roach mansion, I could use a different car.

Flying is certainly a convenient means of transportation, but it is difficult to avoid the eyes of others. I needed a means of transportation that could move normally.

“But.”

I suddenly became worried and said to Anfer.

“Aren’t cars expensive?”

“…”

Anfer just kept his mouth shut and looked at me.

* * *

“Yes, yes, yes! I’ll take care of it!”

Getting a license was secondary; there were a few things I needed to take care of for the future.

When I contacted Quinier for that purpose, she came to the Roach mansion shortly after.

Since my whole family was out, I naturally became the one to greet her.

As soon as Quinier saw me, she bowed her head politely.

“Thank you for always using the Viet Trading Company.”

Quinier said with a sparkling smile. I gave a bitter smile.

“I haven’t used it that much.”

“What are you talking about? You are a child of the Roach mansion. I am greeting the entire Roach family. Don’t you know how closely tied the Roach family and we are in business?”

“Is that so?”

“Well, of course, I did show off my connections a bit. That too is practically my asset.”

“Connections? Whose connections did you show off?”

“Uh? Of course, yours.”

“…….”

I held my head with my hand as it started to ache a little.

“……So, you appealed to my father about your acquaintance with me? I don’t think that would work.”

“Well, it works really well, you know? Of course, Mr. Amper doesn’t show it on his face, but as a result, we were able to quickly establish a distribution line with Roach.”

I’m glad this conversation came up when Amper wasn’t around.

Come to think of it, Quinier once said that I was her connection. I never thought she would use that connection with my family.

“Yeah, I heard the gist of it. You want a car?”

Quinier took out a notebook with a familiar gesture and was writing something with a pen. Was she making an estimate?

“Yes. I will have to visit several places in the future, and I can’t travel by flight to places with many people.”

“Hmm. Since everyone knows the cars of the Roach mansion, you want to buy a new car and use it? Then what about the garage? If the car goes into the Roach mansion, people will eventually find out about it.”

“That’s why.”

I lightly cleared my throat.

Then I reached out my hand and activated a skill.

It was ‘Portal.’

Dwoong─

A portal suddenly appeared next to Quinier and me. Quinier stopped writing and stared at it blankly.

“Let’s move to another place first.”

There are several differences between a portal and a gate, but the easiest way to distinguish them is that a portal is one-way.

The portal I use always leads to Roach’s annex, the cabin.

No matter where I am, I can go to the cabin, but once I arrive at the cabin, I can’t return to where I was. That’s the characteristic of a portal.

This cabin was originally rebuilt after being burned down by Indus in the past, but people only know that it was ‘burned’ and don’t know that it was ‘rebuilt.’

So, I was able to keep Elodie and May, who had been lost, safe for a few days.

“So, I plan to build a garage here.”

I pointed to the empty lot next to the cabin.

“…….”

But Quinier barely glanced at the place I pointed to and soon turned her gaze away. Her eyes sharply scanned the cabin and its surroundings.

“……This place is good.”

Then she recited a line that someone on an outing might say.

“It’s quite far from the mansion, the entrance is naturally hidden by the forest, and although the road isn’t paved, it’s not impossible for a car to come and go. It’s located in the middle of the forest, so it’s not visible from outside, and since there was originally an annex here, it must be private property. Then, there would be no problem installing perception-inhibiting magic for security purposes…….”

“Um, Ms. Quinier?”

Suddenly, Quinie reached another mental world and muttered to herself.

She seemed dazed, but her eyes were sparkling.

‘Ah.’

I know this face of Quinie.

“Frondier!”

Quinie looked at me with that same face and shouted.

“Shall we make a hideout?”

This is the face of ‘Little Devil Quinie.’

* * *

“Frondier. Do you know about the Odyssey?”

Quinie approached me and asked while painting my face. It was a transparent liquid, but it dried quickly upon contact with my skin. The feeling was quite peculiar.

Even if I changed my expression or frowned, the dried liquid did not stiffen or crack. It felt like a very thin and soft rubber. So, even while she was painting my entire face, I had no discomfort in speaking.

“Yes. It’s the monster handling squad, right?”

“Oh, that’s a simple and clear explanation. Yes. A knight order established to handle monsters beyond the barrier. Terst and Palma are struggling to expand their respective territories.”

“Why do you ask?”

“From what I see, it doesn’t seem like it will go well.”

At those words, I blinked and sighed.

“That’s a big problem. I was looking forward to it.”

“We don’t know yet. My eyes could be wrong.”

“That can’t be.”

Quinie’s intuition at times like this is never wrong.

Of course, her premonitions are not always correct, but she doesn’t tell others about her predictions unless she is certain.

And for her, certainty is at the level of proving that the Earth is round.

“Why do you always say such pretty things?”

Quinie said with a sly smile.

“The monsters outside are quite smart. The fear that humans feel towards the monsters outside. The monsters know that too. They will know that humans are not yet prepared. If they advance recklessly, there is a risk that the army’s weaknesses will be exposed and they will be counterattacked.”

“Is that related to making this place a hideout?”

“Not yet. If you want it to be, it will be.”

Then she brought her hands to my ears and lightly placed them on the dried liquid that had now become like a mask.

“Now, crumple it.”

“Wrinkle it?”

“Wrinkle your face. With all your might. I need to check your facial muscles.”

“I’ll look ugly.”

“That’s exactly it.”

Exactly it, huh.

I looked into Quinie’s expectant eyes and, having no other choice, I grimaced.

It’s not my face anyway. It’s Frondier’s face. I consoled myself with that thought.

I wrinkled it with all my might.

“…Pfft, hahahahaha! Ahahahaha!!”

And then Quinie burst into laughter.

I had a feeling this would happen.

“You were teasing me, weren’t you?”

“Hahaha! No, no. It’s a necessary process for making the mask. Usually, I can hold back my laughter with customers, but this time I couldn’t. Ahahaha!!”

Making a mask.

That’s why Quinie was applying the transparent solution to my face.

Even if I get a new car, if I’m discovered inside, it’s all for nothing.

So, I decided to buy a mask along with the new car. According to Quinie, the mask’s performance has improved. Now, no one can forcibly remove it, and unless I confess, no one will know it’s a mask.

But to make the mask, they need to check the person’s original face. The position of the features, the shape of the muscles, and how they pull. That’s why I had to wrinkle my face just now.

“Alright, next is a smile.”

“Do I have to smile too?”

“Of course. When you smile, the muscles pull in the opposite direction.”

“This is the last one, right?”

“Yes, yes. Now, smile~”

Quinie said to me in a somewhat gentle tone.

A smile, huh.

Smiling isn’t hard. I’ve learned a thing or two.

So, I smiled at Quinie.

“……”

“……Is it done?”

As I relaxed my expression,

“Ah, no. Okay, shall we try one more time?”

“Sure.”

And then, another smile.

“Is it done?”

“Oh, come on! You keep stopping too soon! One more time!”

…I thought I was smiling as much as when I frowned a moment ago?

“One more time!”

“……”

“Just one last time!”

After that, I smiled about five more times.