The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

“A, a month…?”

“If you don't want to talk, think about it deeply for a month. That should be enough time.”

“…”

Fortunately, Laurie didn't ask about things like water or food to last a month. If she had been that stupid, things would have gotten really tiring.

“I hope you don't think I'm lying. It's tiring to convince you of that too. It's almost certain that you're targeting my father. Even if you don't reveal everything, just restraining you here is enough for me.”

Whether Laurie was acting alone or there was someone above her, it didn't matter.

Either way, just having Laurie captured would be a significant loss for the enemy. If Laurie was acting alone, then this was the end of the situation.

If Laurie's goal was to assassinate Enfer, I would have washed my hands of the matter. That kind of act wasn't something an individual or a single organization could accomplish.

Enfer might not belong to the 'Zodiac', but that was simply his choice. If someone tried to kill Enfer, I would just laugh at their stupidity.

“So, I'll ask one last time.”

“…”

“What is your purpose? Why did you attack me?”

I didn't include any hostility or murderous intent in this question.

It wasn't actually a threat. I was telling the truth. This was the last question, and if she didn't answer, I would leave this place.

As I told Laurie, I wouldn't be gone for a month, but even just holding her captive for a week would be quite beneficial.

“…”

A look of contemplation appeared in Laurie's eyes, but her lips remained sealed.

'Hmm.'

That was my impression. Laurie chose not to answer. That information was input into my mind, and I simply acted accordingly.

I turned around and headed towards the entrance.

Since I had captured Laurie, I needed to take precautions against someone else approaching Enfer or me. First, I would tell Gregory and then…

“W, wait.”

Laurie's voice reached me when I had the door half opened. Did she wait until the last moment, hoping against hope? Did the light leaking through the door in the pitch-black darkness change her mind?

“Saying 'wait' won't do anything.”

“I, I'll talk. About my purpose, and why I attacked you.”

“It would be better to just spill the information before saying 'I'll talk'.”

I opened the door wide. Laurie might be trying to buy time. Perhaps she had requested backup through a contact I didn't know about, so it was best to be swift.

I stepped outside the Workshop and checked the surroundings. Hmm, nothing within Menosorpo's range yet.

But that didn't change anything. If Laurie's information was useless, I would just leave like this, but…

“I, I witnessed monster worship beyond the barrier of Yeranhes!”

Halt.

I stopped there.

It seemed Laurie possessed more useful information than I expected.

“I was dispatched to confirm if it was Enfer's doing, kyaak?!”

I deactivated the Workshop. Laurie, who had been hanging on the wall, plummeted to the ground along with the weapons.

This released her restraints, but I always kept my end of the bargain. Laurie must have realized she couldn't escape from me anyway. If she tried to run again, the 'without injury' condition wouldn't apply next time.

“Monster worship? You're saying humans are worshipping monsters beyond the barrier?”

Were there humans living somewhere out there where monsters swarmed? My heart pounded at the possibility as I asked.

But Laurie's answer brought me some disappointment.

“No, the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

“When I said monster worship, I didn't mean humans worshipping monsters. The monsters were worshipping something.”

“…This brat.”

Daring to confuse me?

Laurie hurriedly waved her arms upon seeing my expression.

“I, I didn't lie! I just summarized it that way because I was in a hurry!”

“That's a lie, who uses the term 'monster worship' like that?”

“…I, I see. I apologize.”

Laurie apologized as if she were truly sorry.

She had become somewhat honest after being released from her restraints. Though her strangely stiff way of speaking remained.

“So what were the monsters worshipping?”

“I don't know.”

“If you answer like that one more time, I really have a way to make you know nothing at all.”

“It was a giant block of ice! No, a glacier! A massive glacier that rose like a mountain. I saw them bowing down, shivering in the cold land where even monsters freeze. The inside of the glacier seemed filled with something pitch black.”

…Obsidian. No, a fragment of Helheim.

The monsters outside were worshipping a fragment of Helheim.

“How big was it?”

“The glacier? It was enormous. It really was like a mountain.”

Prison Warden Esther had said it was 'a giant lake slumbering within the glacier'. It seemed her words weren't an exaggeration.

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