The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Chapter 161 (2) - The Academys Weapon Replicator

A short time passed.

"Ta-da! I'm here, Frondier!"

Sybil, with a bright smile, appeared in the research lab.

"Hey, you should greet the teacher first."

"Ah, I apologize. Hello, Teacher Binkis."

Sybil quickly offered a polite greeting.

Behind her, her father, Daud Forte, emerged.

"Hmm, nothing's changed here."

Daud, with his usual gruff expression, glanced around the research lab.

Binkis sighed and said, "Daud, you too, greet people when you arrive."

"Yo, Binkis. Long time no see."

Daud gave a casual wave with one hand. It was a gesture that could easily be mistaken for that of a thug. Binkis and Daud seemed to be acquainted.

Frondier, curious about their relationship, bowed deeply to Daud first.

"Sir, it's been a while."

"Hmph, you young rascal. Using me as an excuse to meet my daughter, eh? You think I wouldn't notice..."

"Dad! I told you it's not like that!!"

Daud's words were cut off by Sybil's exclamation.

'If that's what you think, why did you bring your daughter along?'

Frondier had only invited Daud. It was Daud who had brought Sybil along.

"So, what do you need me to do?"

Daud asked Binkis.

"We're about to show you that."

"What's that?"

In response to Daud's question, Binkis simply walked towards a certain device without answering. She performed a unique gesture in front of it, and the floor in the center lit up with a soft hum.

"Alright, Frondier. Stand in front of the area where the light is shining."

Frondier followed Binkis's instructions and stood on the illuminated floor.

"In front of you, within that glowing area, you can draw lines using Mana. The lines themselves have no effect and are simply visible. It's a device for drawing 3D schematics."

Frondier nodded and experimentally extended his hand, swirling Mana in the air. A strand of Mana, originating from his fingertips, was drawn in the empty space. It remained perfectly suspended, neither falling nor wavering.

"Erasing is the same as drawing. Just remove the Mana. It might be a bit confusing at first, but you'll get used to it quickly."

"Yes."

"Frondier, are you good at drawing?"

"...I'm not sure."

"It's alright. As long as you can draw the schematics, even if they're a bit rough, I'll be able to understand them. I have a grasp of the structure of magic engineering devices."

Frondier nodded in agreement.

Sybil, who had been quietly observing, asked, "...So, he's going to draw a 3D schematic here? Frondier?"

"Yes."

"With what blueprint?"

"It's in his head."

Quinie's reply caused Sybil's expression to shift into something quite peculiar. But, in truth, most of them wore similar expressions.

'Drawing a 3D schematic is difficult even with a blueprint. He can do it just from what's in his head?'

Binkis also found it hard to believe.

Frondier had suggested bringing in a Rune technician to observe as well, so they had agreed, but no matter how he thought about it, it seemed like an overly challenging task.

If it weren't for her trust in Frondier and the confidence she saw in that calm expression, she would have stopped this whole thing long ago.

'Alright, then.'

Frondier stretched out his hand.

His Weaving ability converted objects into images and stored them within his Workshop.

As Frondier had confirmed in the library before, the images within the Workshop were structurally identical to the real objects. That's why the replicated weapons possessed the characteristics of the original weapons.

Naturally, Frondier could see that structure. A perfect X-ray vision of the object.

He brought forth the X-ray image of the armband Elodie used.

'I might not be good at drawing...'

But this wasn't drawing.

It was simply tracing over the visible lines, a task even a child could do.

Slowly, Frondier's hand moved.

"...Unbelievable."

Binkis let out a gasp as she watched the 3D schematic gradually taking shape within Frondier's hands.

It was astonishing enough that he was drawing the schematic without any reference, but what was even more surprising was the way he was doing it.

'He's crazy. Looking at the order he's drawing in, I get it now. He really does remember it 'perfectly'.'

Frondier was drawing without following any of the basic principles of schematic design. There was no distinction between the central core and the surrounding areas, no separation between the base plate and the components.

He would switch from drawing the exterior design to a component, then abruptly jump to drawing a circuit, and so on.

It was as if he were simply drawing from memory. Drawing in such a manner would normally lead to the schematic falling apart quickly, with inconsistencies in component spacing, length, and size appearing somewhere along the way.

However, there were no such inconsistencies. Despite the chaotic order, the schematic was being completed with astonishing accuracy.

"Wow, that's amazing. Right, Dad? Dad, are you watching?"

"Yeah, I'm watching."

Responding to his daughter's urging, Daud briefly recalled a past event.

'...As I thought, that time wasn't a coincidence.'

Daud had witnessed something similar before. It was when Frondier was drawing a Rune in the open space in front of his house.

Back then, Frondier had done the same thing. He completely disregarded the order and rules that needed to be followed when drawing a Rune. Yet, the form of the Rune had been flawless.

Now, he was doing something even more complex: a 3D schematic. Yet, Frondier's expression revealed no hint of difficulty.

"...Frondier."

Edwin, who had been silently observing, called out to him.

"Yes?"

"By any chance, is that divine power?"

There was a playful tone to the question, reminiscent of Edwin's initial question when they first met, tinged with a hint of inferiority. However, the meaning behind it now was entirely different.

Therefore, Frondier offered a different response than his usual 'It's a secret.'

"No."

Because Edwin had overcome his feelings of inferiority, Frondier could smile and say,

"I don't possess anything like divine power."