The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Chapter 445 (2) – The Academys Weapon Replicator

Pielott’s eyes widened at those words, and his expression quickly turned grim.

“Y-Yes, sir.”

Basileo, still not understanding, opened his mouth.

“Master, what do you mea- mph!”

“Just shut up and let’s go!”

Pielott quickly covered Basileo’ mouth and dragged him out.

That was the moment Basileo’ life was saved.

“……”

“……”

Of course, Aias and Glaucus, who had heard the entire conversation, felt their fear skyrocket.

The two, who had been on the verge of fighting just moments ago, looked at each other.

Their eyes silently conveyed the message, ‘Is it okay for a teacher to say something like that?!’

As the two moved away and disappeared from sight, Frondier looked down at the remaining two again.

“Glaucus.”

“Yes, sir.”

Glaucus replied, extremely tense.

“Push it away.”

“……!”

At those words, Glaucus put strength into his arms once more. However, the obsidian that hadn’t budged before wasn’t going to move now.

“Ugh… Gah…”

Watching this silently, Frondier slightly reduced the amount of obsidian pressing down. Glaucus’ shoulders and lower body were freed, leaving only his back pinned by the obsidian.

“How about now?”

“……Haaah!”

This time, he even used his legs, but it was still not enough.

The amount of obsidian decreased once more. Now, only the center of Glaucus’ back was being pressed down.

“Last chance. Push it away.”

“Ugh!”

As expected, it wouldn’t budge.

Glaucus realized then. Posture aside, his full strength was simply not enough to push away this obsidian.

“Glaucus.”

“Yes, sir.”

“What were you planning to do just now?”

“J-Just now, you mean…?”

“Right after you called Aias ‘the weakest’.”

At those words, Glaucus’ face turned pale, and he lowered his head.

“You were planning to fight Aias from the start. You were aiming for an opening when he was consumed by anger. It could have resulted in serious injuries.”

Aias looked at Glaucus.

“What… the…?”

He hadn’t noticed at all. He had thought those words were spoken without thinking, and that Glaucus would naturally be the one to initiate the fight.

But on the contrary, Glaucus had intended to attack him from the start?

“And then you were going to appeal to me with self-defense. You were going to claim that Aias attacked first, so you were not at fault. Trying to pull such a petty trick in front of me.”

“……I, I…”

“Yes. What’s your next line? Let’s hear it.”

“……I’m sorry.”

Glaucus closed his eyes. He admitted his intentions.

“I’ve heard a lot about Senior Aias. That he’s the strongest senior in Atlas. So I wanted to fight him. I wanted to see what would happen if I provoked him and exploited the opening that followed.”

“Glaucus.”

Frondier called his name.

“Know your place.”

His voice was ice-cold.

“Don’t you dare try those childish tricks in front of me. Don’t presume to judge me based on the meager glimpse of my power you’ve felt.”

“……Yes, sir.”

“I’m letting you off with a warning this time because you’re a student. I’ve decided to give students one chance.”

Frondier completely released the obsidian that was holding Glaucus down.

“But there won’t be a next time.”

“Understood.”

“Go. Today’s lesson ends here. Go home and reflect on your actions.”

With that, Glaucus bowed his head and left, his face etched with shock.

Only Aias remained.

“Aias.”

“……Yes, sir.”

Frondier released the obsidian that was pinning Aias down.

“Get up.”

“……”

Aias hesitated for a moment before getting to his feet.

Frondier spoke,

“What did you learn from our previous spar?”

“……!”

“Or when you were knocked unconscious by Pielott?”

“Ugh…”

“Or when you forfeited during the class representative selection?”

Each of Frondier’s words pierced Aias’ heart.

The truths he had been desperately trying to ignore.

The moments when his pride had been utterly crushed, Frondier ruthlessly reminded him of them all.

“Are you incapable of learning?”

“T-That’s not true!”

“Why are you here?”

“W-What?”

“You asked Glaucus the same question. Why he was here. So tell me, why are you here? Did you come here to pick a fight in front of me?”

Aias turned his head away.

“……I wanted to see your techniques, Teacher. I wanted to learn from you…”

“Learn to do what?”

“……I want to become stronger.”

“I see.”

Frondier nodded indifferently.

“Because you are weak.”

“……!”

Aias clenched his fists.

He was certainly unfamiliar with defeat. He wasn’t used to humiliation and shame. That’s why his mental state had been greatly shaken.

However, there was another kind of urgency that gnawed at him.

He felt like he had been eliminated from the stage. He didn’t know where this feeling stemmed from, but it became clearer with each passing day.

A destiny where he would amount to nothing. As if the path laid out before him led to such an end.

“Teacher, I…”

“……Sigh.”

Frondier let out a sigh.

“You’re being foolish.”

“W-What?”

“You have the potential to be a hero. I thought you, of all people, would know that.”

Aias looked up in surprise at Frondier’s words.

A hero. Originally, he had believed that he would become one without a doubt.

However, he never expected Frondier to say those words. And with such an indifferent expression, no less.

“Was I wrong about you? Are you content with being mediocre?”

“No! I, I just…!”

As Aias tried to protest, Frondier asked with genuine incomprehension,

“Why haven’t you made a decision?”

“……A decision, sir?”

“The decision to become a hero.”

Aias blinked several times at those words, his eyes slowly widening.

“The decision… to become a hero?”

“Yes. It’s obvious, isn’t it?”

Frondier spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“To become a hero, you have to choose that path. You can’t just keep putting it off indefinitely.”

“……”

Putting it off.

The choice, the decision, had already been presented to him, yet he was delaying it.

As if he didn’t even realize he had to make a choice in the first place.

And so, Frondier said,

“One does not become a hero by chance.”