Chapter 20 (1) - The Academy's Weapon Replicator
That\'s because the second dagger, which Azier made me drop by using \'falling edge\', was a fake made by \'weaving\'.
Weapons made by weaving cannot interfere with reality.
In other words, I can hold a real weapon and a weapon made by weaving in one hand. Because a weapon made by weaving can pass through objects.
The dagger that Azier discarded was the one I had made with weave.
The moment the two made contact, my weave, which had appeared in reality, was blown away by Azier\'s falling edge, but I still had the real dagger in my hand.
I threw that dagger at Azier\'s head.
\'That was dangerous….\'I said it calmly, but cold sweat was pouring down my face.
I threw the dagger the moment Azier took a stance, but I almost ended up being slower than Azier.
Honestly, at the end, the fatal blow was completely invisible to my eyes.
“……How did you do it?”
“Do what?”
I played dumb. I couldn\'t explain weave.
However, Azier, who I thought would be upset, nodded as if he understood.
“I see. It must have been because you had such a secret technique up your sleeve that you challenged me. It was presumptuous of me to ask you to reveal it.”
Azier said that and looked at me.
His gaze seemed gentler than before the fight.
…Azier de Roachch.
He is strict with others, but even more strict with himself.
“I lost, Frondier. I will teach you \'battle technique\'.”
Just like that.
I barely managed to secure a way to improve my combat abilities through sheer luck.
…Things worked out well, didn\'t they?
* * *
The next day, Edwin was walking through the campus grounds when he heard faint whispers.
“Is that him?”
“Yeah, I think that\'s him.”
He had been hearing whispers for a while now, but he didn\'t think they were directed at him.
“Didn\'t a first-year save him when he almost died?”
“Yeah, the second son of the Roach family.”
“……!”
Edwin turned his head in the direction of the voices. The gossiping students pretended not to see him.
However, the taunts directed at him continued.
\'What the hell.\'
It wasn\'t that Edwin had done something more shameful than the other students. He was just an easy target.
Edwin, the son of a fallen noble, had no place among either the commoners or the nobles.
To the commoners who resented the nobles, he was the easiest target.
\'…If I activate the golem right here and now.\'
What would happen?
It was a masterpiece that Professor Binkis had created through his dedicated research.
Only a handful of students would be able to deal with it properly.
There would definitely be a bloodbath.
Students nearby wouldn\'t even leave a mark, and even if they ran, one by one,
"Hey."
"Gah!"
Edwin was startled.
When he turned his head, Ellen was looking at him.
"What are you standing there for?"
"Oh, nothing."
Ellen\'s voice snapped Edwin back to reality.
\'What am I thinking.\'
Such crazy thoughts.
Lately, it\'s been hard to control my anger.
Is it because I have this powerful weapon called a golem?
No, if I trace it back, did it start when I met Frondier?
...Are you suffering from such an inferiority complex, Edwin.
"Are you on your way to eat? Let\'s go together."
"Oh, okay."
Edwin followed behind Ellen.
The Evans family, commoners but renowned due to the younger brother Aster. The Behetorio family, nobles but fallen due to business failures and lack of talent.
Thus, the relationship between Ellen and Edwin is both close and distant.
They have known each other since the first year.
Ellen\'s brother Aster aside, Edwin can open up to only a few people like her.
"...Ah, really."
Ellen\'s eyes darkened as they walked.
She heard mocking whispers about Edwin.
"So that\'s why you were standing like that earlier."
"...Yeah, something like that."
Edwin honestly admitted.
"Ignore them. Idiots put all their effort into acting like idiots. They need a target for their anger."
"I need one too. A target for my anger."
"...Edwin."
Ellen looked at Edwin. Her gaze was as cold as it was serious.
A clear warning.
"Hey, fallen noble sir."
A smug voice hit Edwin\'s ears at a very bad time.
Edwin turned his head, anger on his face, and saw a familiar face.
Gary Clatt. The representative of the commoners\' group.
"Gary. Don\'t start trouble and just go."
Ellen spoke up to Gary first. Normally, she would have left it alone.
Edwin would have handled the situation himself. But today, Edwin was off.
"...Gary. Is it your doing, the kids whispering? Did you say something to the commoners\' group?"
"Commoners\' group? Call it \'October\'. And what do I have to do with it? It\'s your doing. You did something pathetic. Idiot."
Gary kept provoking Edwin.
However, Edwin soon turned his anger elsewhere and closed his eyes.
Seeing this, Gary\'s eyes twitched.
That\'s what Edwin does when he\'s trying to control his anger.
Tsk, Gary clicked his tongue.
This poor noble, if anything, must be recognized for his patience.
"Gary."
But today,
For today, Edwin and Gary were on the same page.
"When do you want to die?"