The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

News of the devils spread throughout the Empire within a few days.

There were eyewitness accounts of devils flying in the sky and testimonies from knights who had gone to scout towards Manggot.

And then there were rumors that the countless devils had changed course and were heading somewhere.

The Empire now knew of the devil threat, and the war had stopped without their knowledge.

And the one who had stopped this war.

Empress Philly was waiting for that very person.

"..."

Tap, tap.

With a very complicated expression.

Philly, uncharacteristically, had her arms crossed and was tapping the floor with the tips of her toes.

Her always gentle face was coldly hardened.

With that same expression, she opened her mouth.

"Ednet."

"...Yes, Your Majesty."

Before her, Ednet was kneeling and bowing down on his own.

Ednet had been called by Philly and knelt down as soon as he arrived.

Philly spoke.

"You believed that Frondier was threatening, coercing, or something of the sort to Elysia, right?"

"...Your Majesty, as I mentioned before, we wanted to eliminate even the slightest anxiety for the safety of the Imperial Palace,"

"So what happened now?"

"..."

"I asked what the situation is now."

"...The First Princess Elysia is coming here. To receive a reward for luring the devils with a rune and ending the war before it even began."

Philly sighed.

The report that had flown from Ria Lis a while ago, and the news from the knights that had come in before that.

After investigating and combining those facts, they had seen countless devil corpses at a point not far from Manggot, and traces of a rune were also found at the center.

The one who drew the rune, the one who activated it, it was all Elysia. There was no doubt.

This was not something that could simply be praised as well done, it was an enormous achievement.

Of course, it was also a happy occasion for Philly. Philly had been worried about Elysia, who had originally fallen to the status of a commoner, and had been keeping an eye on her.

It wasn't just Elysia herself who dreamed that someday she would be able to return to the Imperial Palace. Philly had also been dreaming of it.

However, Philly knew all too well that this achievement wasn't just Elysia's own doing.

'...You've been drawing this picture since then, Frondier.'

When Frondier had found Elysia and brought her back to the Imperial Palace.

Frondier had shown Elysia to Philly through his eyes. So that Philly could clearly see that Elysia was by his side.

'What Elysia did was definitely Rafflesia. A rune that attracts the corresponding monster if there are materials. To use it to attract lower-level devils...'

And besides using it, the aftermath was the problem.

Rafflesia literally just attracts. It's not like 'charm' or anything. If anything, it's like a mosquito buzzing around a person's ear.

It's easier to understand if you amplify that annoyance by several dozen times. It's true that humans are attracted to mosquitoes, but that doesn't mean the mosquitoes are safe.

The same goes for Elysia. She wouldn't have expected to be safe after attracting that countless number of devils.

Naturally, she wouldn't have done it alone, and Frondier would have been by her side. The only one who could single-handedly slaughter that absurd number was Frondier.

It was because of one line that the investigation team reported that she was sure of it.

──Various types of wounds were observed on the bodies of the devil corpses. The devils died from various causes of death. Blunt force trauma, blade wounds, electrocution, etc. From this, it is inferred that there were multiple engagements.

'That's why it's Frondier because they're all so different!'

Elysia wouldn't have prepared a force to respond to the devil army. If the dead bodies were beaten to death by different weapons, that was clear evidence of Frondier.

'It's just speculation, but even drawing and activating the rune doesn't seem to have been Elysia's will.'

Frondier treated Elysia like a servant. Accordingly, Philly also treated Elysia like a stranger. She thought she shouldn't carelessly show affection to Elysia, who was being punished as a commoner.

So, even beyond the barrier, Frondier would have treated Elysia like a servant, and this must be the result.

'The one coming is my daughter Elysia, but I feel Frondier's shadow.'

Philly sighed again.

She spoke to Ednet with lowered eyes.

"That's enough. Go back."

"...Your Majesty, our Shadow Unit is always for you and the Imperial Palace,"

"I understand, so disappear from my sight."

At that, Ednet rose from his knees, but still bowed his waist and head as he backed away step by step.

Philly, who had been watching him quietly, spoke.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes, what is it?"

"If you ever again try to hide and watch me greet my guests,"

Ednet's shoulders twitched. He was so startled that he gasped.

It was when Frondier had come. Ednet had been caught hiding by Frondier and had put Philly in a difficult position.

Ednet could feel Philly's sharp gaze even though he couldn't see it.

Philly finished her sentence.

"I'll make sure you're the only one who survives."

"...Yes. I'll keep that in mind."

Ednet clearly understood what Philly meant. He retreated with cautious steps.

"...Phew. I hope they won't try to eavesdrop again this time."

Warning Ednet was, of course, a punishment for his past mistakes, but it was also to avoid the risk of being eavesdropped on in the future.

In that sense, it was fortunate that Frondier was the first to catch him. No, it wasn't fortunate at all, but thanks to that, Philly could prevent any information she might accidentally blurt out from reaching the ears of the Shadow Unit.

But still, this method was just a stopgap measure. Philly was slowly realizing it. That the Shadow Unit was trying to cross the line.

In fact, the current Shadow Unit was scattered and disorderly in many ways. It was understandable since the leaders who had firmly held their positions at the top were all dead.

But the leaders of that time, although more vicious and cunning, knew how to keep the line. They knew better than anyone what would happen if they underestimated Empress Philly.

Philly was a patient person, but the punishment that would be inflicted the moment her patience broke was terrible. Knowing that, the Shadow Unit kept the line, and as long as they kept the line, Philly left the Shadow Unit alone.

But the Shadow Unit these days was completely the opposite.

They were trying to subtly cross the line, but they weren't doing anything particularly evil. This was what annoyed Philly.

Knock, knock.

As Philly was lost in thought about the treatment of the Shadow Unit, a calm knock sounded.

"Your Majesty, Elysia Terst has arrived."

"...Yes. Tell her to come in."

At the servant's voice, Philly felt that what was coming had come.

It had been decided that Elysia's return to the Imperial Palace would be very quiet.

Although Elysia's achievements were great, before that, Elysia had already committed a serious crime.

From Philly's perspective, the balance between the two was roughly even, but the citizens of the Empire would be confused. Philly wanted Elysia's return to be glossed over if possible.

Creak.

The door opened carefully, and peek, Elysia's white hair and eyes were seen first.

"...I am Elysia. Your Majesty."

"..."

As Philly said nothing, Elysia hesitantly stepped inside and bowed awkwardly, neither greeting nor standing properly. She was awkwardly respectful.

"I, I am, that, Elysia. I have just arrived at Your Majesty's command."

Elysia realized that was all she could say to introduce herself and her lips thinned.

She also couldn't properly look at Philly for fear of seeing her frosty gaze.

"Why wouldn't I know that."

Philly then spoke.

With a warm gaze, with a kindness that seemed to bring back Elysia's long-ago memories.

"My daughter, Elysia."

Upon hearing those words, Elysia's expression went blank, then she bit her lip, then glared, then looked at Philly again, and soon her eyes distorted,

"...Mom!"

She ran towards Philly and hugged her tightly.

"Mom, sob, sob, uhh..."

Philly silently accepted Elysia and carefully cast the magic 'Wind Whisper'.

Elysia didn't know it, but with truly amazing timing,

"Sob, uwaaaang, uwaaaaang!!"

She cried so loudly that the Imperial Palace shook.

Stroking Elysia's head like that, Philly let out a sigh, the umpteenth time today, but.

Still, this sigh was calm and low, enough to exhale Philly's troubled heart.

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