Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Odyssey (20)

An army turned into monsters.

There is a certain distance limit to their cohesion.

Centered around the commander of the army, if they get too far away, they lose their sense of belonging to the army.

Of course, as monsters, they become hostile when humans approach, but otherwise, they mostly stand there blankly. They probably solve various physiological needs like hunger similarly to monsters.

This was similar to a typhoon. Centered around the eye of the typhoon, the soldiers were affected by the winds starting from the eye, and if they got too far away, they were out of the typhoon’s influence.

In other words, Frondier’s inference was correct.

The soldier he was chasing was moving to report, and Frondier, who tracked him without being noticed, finally reached the enemy’s headquarters.

The soldiers in the attire Frondier had seen were lined up, and at the center was someone who looked unmistakably like the commander.

“……Damn.”

But when he arrived at the enemy’s base, Frondier realized a few things were wrong.

‘As expected, the soldiers at the main base are stronger.’

The peril of the monster army, vividly conveyed through Frondier’s intuition.

Of course, the number of soldiers wasn’t very large. Like the scouts or skirmishers Frondier had seen, the cohesion of the army had been dissolved, or they had simply died and continued to dissipate over a long period.

But each one of them is dangerous.

Even when facing the scouts, it was deemed dangerous, but those with greater skills are densely packed in that army.

And there, in the center, stood a man.

‘…Is that man the former lord… Selena’s father?’

Sergio de Vanier.

He was a man of considerable stature.

The power emanating from that physique alone would be formidable, but the aura he possessed was extraordinary.

Since becoming a monster, perhaps due to lack of care, his hair was disheveled and his beard tangled, but just standing there, he was enough to make the space heavy.

However, he can be killed.

‘They haven’t discovered me yet. If I strike from here, he will surely die.’

If the soldiers turned into monsters here are truly influenced by the army, eliminating that focal point would scatter them. It is more dangerous for them to be gathered.

Killing him here would spare Selena from witnessing a cruel sight, reduce the danger of the monsters, and make the Odyssey’s journey easier.

Everything is advantageous.

Only one thing, Frondier must keep it hidden.

Selena’s father became a monster, and it was Frondier who killed that monster.

If he just keeps his mouth shut.

Then no one would be sad.

There are wounds that do not need to be overcome.

“…Alright.”

Frondier spread his hands. To hold the hammer and sword.

But then.

“…?”

Frondier saw something strange.

Sergio raised his hand and gestured to a soldier, and as the soldier approached, he tilted his head slightly towards him.

His mouth opened and moved.

It couldn’t be heard well from here, but it was clear.

‘…Is he speaking?’

He is speaking.

The one who became a monster.

From the moment he realized that, Frondier’s hands wandered aimlessly.

Does speaking mean that conversation is possible? Could it be that he still has reason?

No, even if that’s the case, what difference does it make?

The opponent is a monster. Not a human. He must be killed now.

“……Kuh.”

In the end, Frondier clenched his fists and lowered them.

“Alright. Let’s confirm just one thing.”

Is he really speaking?

Is the monster merely mimicking based on past memories?

Even if that’s the case, does he still have proper reason left?

Frondier spread his wings. In the form of a demon, he soared high into the sky.

“I can’t deal with all those soldiers.”

From high above, Frondier confirmed Sergio’s location.

Then, like a bombardment, he plunged his body down.

Boom─!

Although he protected his body with aura, the landing was rough. In an instant, Frondier reached Sergio’s eyes.

The soldiers were pushed back by the wind pressure, but some managed to withstand it. Sergio barely moved.

“Sorry. I have something to ask.”

Frondier’s index finger and thumb opened. A small magic circle was born there.

“Let’s change the location.”

Menosorpo

Domain Expansion

Workshop

Wave

A magic circle formed between Frondier and Sergio. The magic circle quickly grew, enclosing Frondier and Sergio within the workshop and pushing everything else out.

Inside the workshop. This is a domain where nothing from the outside can intrude.

Frondier looked at Sergio.

Sergio, who had barely moved until Frondier arrived and created the workshop.

“Hello.”

Frondier smiled as he spoke.

Until now, Frondier had always greeted in this manner, but now there was clearly provocation in it.

At the same time, Frondier thought.

Please don’t answer.

But Sergio looked at Frondier with those noble eyes.

“Who are you?”

he asked.

“……”

Frondier’s smiling face hardened.

Not only did he speak, but he was no different from a human.

If one didn’t know the situation, they would have mistaken him for a human.

“I am Frondier de Roach. And you are?”

Frondier introduced himself. He wanted to see how much composure this man could maintain. How much conversation was possible.

“I am Sergio de Banier. The head of the Banier family.”

Surprisingly, he did not forget himself.

Frondier asked again.

“Why are you here? What do you plan to do with the soldiers?”

“You’re asking something strange.”

For a moment, a murderous intent flickered in Sergio’s eyes.

“To kill everything that invades this place.”

“……To protect those who are evacuating.”

“That’s right.”

Frondier’s expression became serious.

Ironically, in this calm dialogue, he was convinced that this man was a monster.

‘This man set out with the army a long time ago. Yet he continues to guard this place. His thinking ability and reason are no different from a human’s, but the paragraphs before and after don’t match.’

Perhaps he stays here as if that command is his only mission.

For this man, it no longer matters what happens before or after guarding this place.

He just guards. As he always has, and will continue to do so.

“In that case, isn’t killing me what you should be doing now? I also invaded.”

“Of course. But.”

Sergio looked around.

“This area, it’s not the kind of place I can leave. I don’t think my army can come in either. Being trapped in an unknown space, killing its owner is the dumbest way to go about it.”

“…You are indeed wise.”

“And you don’t seem to have any intention of killing me either. No, at first, I felt a murderous intent, but now I don’t. What do you want? There must be a reason you created this space and kept me here.”

He senses intelligence from the monster.

Ha, Frondier sighed.

He lowered his head, his hair falling down, hiding his expression from Sergio.

“…Perhaps.”

Don’t ask.

“Do you know the name Selena?”

If this man gives the wrong answer to this question.

“…Selena?”

He won’t be able to fight.

“How do you know my daughter?”

“…”

Frondier closed his eyes deeply.

No one was fighting him, but he was cornered alone.

“…You remember.”

Frondier’s fingertips trembled.

He shouldn’t have asked.

He should have attacked him with his sword as soon as he saw him, knowing nothing.

What did I come here for?

What did I expect from talking to this man?

“Speak.”

Sergio raised his sword and pointed it at Frondier.

His expression had changed.

“How do you know Selena? What is your relationship?”

“Selena is currently working as my guard.”

“Guard…?”

At Frondier’s words, Sergio paused with his sword in hand.

His eyes, which seemed to be contemplating something, widened.

“Has it grown that much already?”

He said.

His eyes were filled with surprise and joy.

Frondier’s breath trembled just as much.

“A guard, you say. Then… then he must be walking well!”

“…Yes, he is.”

“All ten fingers are intact, right? He doesn’t stutter, does he? How about reading?”

“…There are no problems.”

Frondier answered very simply.

He couldn’t speak lightly, nor could he speak heavily.

No jokes came out.

“Then why isn’t he here? If he’s a guard, he should be by your side, shouldn’t he? You aren’t trying to deceive me, are you?”

At those words, Frondier slowly drew a small sword.

“…Don’t you understand why?”

Frondier looked at Sergio with a devastated heart.

“I didn’t want to show him the current you.”

“Indeed.”

Sergio saw the murderous intent rising again from Frondier.

He saw the drawn small sword.

Yet his expression remained calm.

“Selena is with a good person.”

“Ha.”

Frondier let out a hollow laugh.

The emotions surging inside him resembled vileness.

“To kill one’s own father, and you call that a good person.”

“What do you mean by that? You are only killing a monster.”

“….”

This man, he knows he is a monster.

Frondeer felt disgusted by the fact and frowned as he asked.

“Who turned you into a monster? No, not just you, but why did the entire army become monsters? Whose doing is this?”

“Hahaha.”

Sergio laughed at that moment.

I thought it was not a time to laugh at all.

Instead, Sergio asked.

“Who do you think it is?”

“……I don’t know.”

“I gathered soldiers to stop the invasion of monsters. To protect the territory. The villagers all evacuated, and it was clear that the village would soon be destroyed and devastated by the monsters.”

“……No way.”

“We knew we were going to die. At the same time, we knew that the people of our territory would never come here again. We had only one thing left.”

Sergio pointed to himself with his thumb.

“It was me, Frondeer.”

Sergio spoke with a transparent face.

“By the will of myself and all our soldiers, we became monsters.”

The lord and the soldiers.

They fought to stop the invading monsters.

Death was something they had prepared for long ago, and they knew they couldn’t stop it even if they were prepared to die.

That meant the destruction of this village.

If the monsters were going to narrow the empire’s territory and there was no chance of recovery, the citizens would never set foot here again.

This place would become the land of monsters.

So, we decided to become monsters too.

We would become monsters that kill everything within this territory, and kill the monsters.

“Frondeer, what you are killing is not me.”

“……Sergio.”

“I already took my own life long ago.”