Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Odyssey (16)

Elodie hates the Magic Tower.

When I was at Constel, I visited this place every vacation, but I never liked it.

Research at the Magic Tower is tedious, headache-inducing, and above all, dangerous.

Magical research is similar to chemical reactions; you can infer the results when increasing formulas or combining elements, but you can’t be certain. If combined incorrectly, it can cause a massive explosion like in cartoons.

And in such situations, it was usually students like Elody from Constel who were put in.

Because it would be too wasteful if the scholars of the Magic Tower were severely injured or killed. That’s the reason.

And above all, the Magic Tower has never participated in a war until now.

From the past to the present. Of course, it was the same in the War of the Manfort and Ragnarok, the war with the gods.

In fact, the Magic Tower has never interfered with the Empire’s affairs, let alone war.

Clearly, the Magic Tower belongs to the Empire, and all the costs used for various research and materials are invested by the Empire.

Receiving an abundance of money and resources to conduct research comfortably,

Yet when danger arises, no one is willing to get hurt,

While Osprit mastered great magic and Elody learned the combination of the four elements, the institution remained with only bad practices without producing a single proper result.

This was Elody’s perception of the Magic Tower,

And it hasn’t changed at all.

Bang!

Elody forcefully opened the entrance of the Magic Tower.

The Empire’s Magic Tower is a building 21 stories high from the ground and goes down 6 floors underground. From a distance, it stands tall in a conical shape, with the area of each floor decreasing as it goes up.

And accordingly, the number of people using each floor decreases. The topmost floor is used by only one person, and currently, it is Osprit’s place.

The Magic Tower has two staircases. One spirals up in the center, and the other is attached to the outer wall of the building, following the conical shape.

The central staircase connects to each floor, but the outer wall staircase goes directly from the top floor to the first floor. In other words, it is a staircase exclusively for Osprit.

“Miss Elody, if you open the door like that, it will soon…”

A scholar approached Elody, who was walking not just confidently but stomping.

Elody silenced the scholar with just a fierce glance.

“Where is the headmaster?”

“He, he’s on the top floor.”

“Good.”

As soon as she heard that, Elody flew up. Bang, her flight was violent, and the papers piled up on the first floor scattered.

Since there is nothing in the central part where the central staircase is installed, Elody could fly straight up, and most people here are wizards, so they often adopt such a method.

But there is no need for the flight to manifest while wrecking the first floor.

It was clearly a tantrum, but the people of the Magic Tower couldn’t say anything.

‘Hmph. Those who survive thanks to the Chancellor.’

After the war, Elody’s hatred for the Magic Tower reached its peak.

During the Mangot War, it was just a nuisance, but after Ragnarok, the very reason for the Magic Tower’s existence became doubtful.

During the Mangot War, the Magic Tower had a justification.

The justification that their research and magical achievements should not disappear. There was a belief that if they continued their magical research and made further progress, humans would be safer from all kinds of threats, including war and monsters.

So, at that time, Elody couldn’t accept it, but she understood. She believed that their research would shine someday.

However, after Ragnarok, Elody realized.

It started, of course, when she worked on making her metaphor a real model.

Elody, who started this project with Osprey, naturally got to use Osprey’s research space in the Magic Tower.

In other words, she returned to the Magic Tower after a long time.

But the Magic Tower was exactly the same as it was after the Mangot War, not a bit improved.

The scholars who used to act high and mighty in Constell in the past, all avoided her gaze and ran away as soon as they saw her return.

──They couldn’t even imagine how much patience Elody had to muster at that time.

‘There was a war.’

There was the Mangot War.

And at that time, many people in the Empire became aware. The Knights, the Imperial Palace, and Constell instinctively knew that if they didn’t become stronger, it could really become dangerous.

The citizens also felt that ominous wind, and that’s why there were constant voices about who would become the Zodiac, and what would happen to Frondier.

The only ones who didn’t become aware were these people.

The reason is simple.

Because they thought the war was someone else’s business.

How could there be no change after the war, until the next war?

There must have been very minor changes. Things that could be called progress if you stretched the definition.

But such minor progress didn’t even reach the level of the ‘three-dimensional map’ that Hitchcock Company was about to release.

Even after taking the Empire’s money, this is what they were like after seeing the war?

The ones who used to boast every vacation, all avoiding Elody’s gaze and running away.

Knock, knock.

Elody carefully knocked on the door of the top floor.

Her attitude was completely different from what was seen on the first floor. It was only natural.

“Come in.”

Osprey’s voice was heard from inside.

When Elodie opened the door, Osprey was already deep in work.

“Elodie, come on in…”

Osprey started to greet Elodie warmly, but his eyes widened slightly, and then he burst into laughter.

“You’re all puffed up with anger again.”

“…I’m not angry.”

“Would you like to look in the mirror?”

“When I come to the Tower, this is just the expression I get.”

In other words, the Tower is angry.

Osprey nodded with a smile, as if he understood.

“Yes. It must be disappointing. Especially for you.”

“I’ve been coming here every vacation. Long before I even entered Constell. Half of it was my father’s suggestion, but I also had a strong desire to learn magic properly.”

“But now that you see it, is it different from back then?”

“No. It’s the same. That’s what makes me angry.”

Elodie walked in, took off her coat, and hung it on the hanger. She put on the gloves she had placed on the table and approached the model.

“It feels like the scholars here are arbitrarily stealing the rewards that the real wizards who were dedicated to past research should receive.”

“That’s quite a harsh criticism.”

“Don’t you think so, Principal?”

“I just sometimes see them as pitiful mice.”

…That’s even harsher, Principal.

Elodie was saying this with her eyes, but Osprey just laughed.

“Elodie, not everyone in the Tower is like that. Most of them are, but not all.”

Osprey spoke as if he were discussing politics.

“We have our work, and there’s nothing better than the Tower’s facilities to do it. You may say there’s no progress, but the Tower still spends as much money on magic as it receives. Thanks to that, you and I are able to meet and conduct this research, aren’t we?”

“…Well, that’s true. But that’s something anyone could do, not just a wizard.”

“Yes. But it’s a fact that we are benefiting from it. Let’s focus on our current work for now. We can think about fixing the Tower later.”

“I want to destroy the Tower.”

“Alright. Then let’s think about destroying the Tower later.”

…Is that how it works?

Elodie felt like she had been appropriately placated, but Osprey was right.

The rise and fall of the Tower no longer had anything to do with Elodie.

“You know this is much more important.”

“…Yes.”

“How about it? Shall we check again?”

At Osprey’s words, Elodie glanced at the model.

The metaphor she held, ‘the universe’. The image of planets and stars always orbiting the black night at the same speed. A model made to see that with the eyes.

Elodie looked at it briefly and shook her head.

“No, I’ve checked. It’s the same.”

“I see. Then…”

“Yes.”

Elodie’s eyes turned downwards to the right. Her eyelids drooped accordingly.

“…The day to use the Four Elements Combination again is not that far off.”

The Four Elements Combination requires ‘chance’.

More precisely, the success rate is determined by factors that an individual cannot control.

Even Osprey does not know exactly what those factors are.

But even without knowing those factors, Elodie knows when the Four Elements Combination can be used.

When the planets in her metaphor align in a row.

That is when the Four Elements Combination is possible.

“You said you moved a planet a little when you tried to bring out Frondier from the world of salvation, right?”

“Yes. I don’t know how I did it myself, but at some point, it happened.”

At that time, Elodie thought there would be no day to use the Four Elements Combination again.

She had touched something close to ‘chance’ herself.

But now, upon checking, the result was the opposite.

“The speed of one planet increased, resulting in more frequent alignments…”

“I didn’t expect it to be this fast, though.”

Ha, Elodie sighed.

“No matter how many times I checked, the result was the same. The speed of the planet that sped up does not decrease. Besides, I don’t even know how to touch the planets anymore.”

Elodie put her hand on her head. A gloomy voice leaked through her half-covered face.

“…I have to let it go.”

“….”

When the Four Elements Combination is possible.

It is soon time to let Frondier go.

Very few people know that the current Frondier is a fake. Except for the gods.

Elodie herself, Azje who met the real Frondier, and Osprey.

Osprey roughly noticed when he used the great magic to go outside the world, and he was convinced when Frondier defeated Moirai.

“Frondier is not from here. At most, three years. He must have far more memories from his original world. There, he would have his real family and friends.”

What Elodie regrets the most.

Is that it is impossible to even slightly imagine what kind of world Frondier lives in.

“Three years is just a small part of life for a twenty-year-old… No, we don’t even know if Frondier is the same age. More importantly.”

More importantly, she still doesn’t know his name.

Elodie often couldn’t understand what Frondier was thinking, and she had told him that many times.

But looking at it this way, it was natural.

He is a person from a completely different world. It was inevitable that she couldn’t understand.

Osprey asked.

“Don’t you want to let Frondier go?”

“I want to. Because I want Frondier to be happy.”

Elodie said.

And then,

“…I don’t want to let him go.”

She said again.

“Because…”

Elodie mumbled. She soon bit her lower lip.

“Because I’m a bad person.”

“Elodie…”

“I guess I don’t want Frondier to be happy.”

That’s why she doesn’t want to let him go.

Because she doesn’t know what face to say goodbye with.

When going to Teivon, when leaving for Nastrond, when trapped in the world of salvation.

Whenever Frondier was heading somewhere, she fought with him, argued, and eventually sent him off without understanding.

…If it happens again.

She will never see Frondier again, if they part like that again.

“…I don’t have the confidence to choose the last face I’ll show.”

“Elodie.”

At that sight, Osprey spoke.

“Why don’t you ask?”

“…What…?”

Elodie lifted her head blankly.

Osprey asked again.

“Did you ask Prondier?”

His eyes were infinitely serious.

“Whether he really wants to go back.”