Chapter 426: The Academys Weapon Replicator

The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

As Frondier had expected, Bune was strong. No, he exceeded expectations.

The golem prototype he created was the masterpiece of Instructor Binkis. Having surpassed the time when he imitated Azier’s techniques, it was now complete as a warrior that most humans couldn’t even compare to in battle.

However, Binkis had aimed to complete this golem anyway, and hadn’t even thought about mass production.

So even if she was told to make the same thing again, it probably wouldn’t be easy. She must have repeated a tremendous amount of trial and error.

But for Frondier, it was possible. His Replication didn’t require machines for mass production.

‘Exactly seven. He smashed them all.’

Frondier thought it was excessive even when he dispatched seven. Even the Zodiacs, fully prepared, would have a hard time dealing with them, but Antero’s body had considerable damage and aura loss.

Nevertheless, Bune overcame it. This alone made him worthy of being called a Zodiac.

Indeed, the name Paladin was not an exaggeration. Frondier liked it very much.

Even if Bune was a devil.

“There’s a lot I want to ask you. Really.”

[……I’m sure there is.]

Bune said, feeling half resigned.

Frondier reached out his hand in a guiding gesture and said,

“Here, sit down.”

[Sit down? Where?]

As Bune said that and looked around, a chair was created next to him.

[……It’s like I’m inside someone else’s dream.]

“Haha. Not so different.”

So the two sat facing each other. As soon as Bune sat down, his shoulders slumped deeply.

They had actually been fighting for a very long time, and there was no time to rest. No matter how much of a devil he was, he must be tired. Perhaps his human body was at its limit.

[This guy, he’s going to scream when he wakes up.]

“Where’s it broken?”

[No. It’s just that this guy is a whiner.]

Bune, strict with the one he gave his power to. Frondier tilted his head at the sight.

“So in the end, why is a devil lending his power to a human? Like,”

[Like divine power, you mean.]

Frondier nodded.

Just as Pandemonium emerged when the devil’s power clashed, Pandemonium also emerged from those who used divine power.

That’s how he knew that the devil’s power and divine power weren’t much different.

‘Both Gods and devils are powerful beings. They say that the Seven Deadly Sins are all on par with any god. The 72 devils will also defeat any incompetent gods. Of course, it would be difficult for a devil to defeat the highest-ranking gods.’

When he listened to Arald’s explanation before, he heard that the Seven Deadly Sins didn’t have an overwhelming leader who commanded them all. In other words, there wouldn’t be much difference in power between Belphegor, whom Frondier had fought, and Lucifer, whom he hadn’t even seen yet.

On the other hand, Greek mythology and Norse mythology clearly have a king of the gods. Zeus and Odin are like that.

They have overwhelming faith and recognition from humans. That’s where the devil’s discomfort must lie.

‘I understand why Arald needs a devil king. Perhaps not only Arald, but many devils want it.’

The birth of the king of devils.

Arald didn’t know why he wanted it to be Frondier, but he knew that a king was needed.

“From my point of view, gods and devils are the same. I wish both of them would stop interfering with humans and just go away. In that sense, gods and devils are similar. What do you gain from lending your power to Antero? Is that the will of all devils? Or even further, is the purpose of the gods similar to yours?”

That’s what Frondier was really curious about.

If he knew Bune’s purpose and intentions, wouldn’t that be a clue to figuring out the gods’ intentions?

At that, Bune lowered his eyes slightly.

[Frondier, it’s just a matter of perspective. What I’m doing is something you already know.]

“Something I already know?”

[A devil lending power to a human. There’s nothing strange about that. You’ve already seen something similar.]

A devil lending power to a human.

Frondier thought for a moment, then realized and said,

“……A contract.”

[That’s right. Devils are beings who are eager to lend their power to humans.]

Devils covet human souls. That’s why they make contracts.

“So you’re saying Antero has promised to give you his soul?”

But to Frondier’s question, Bune shook his head.

[No, that’s impossible.]

“What?”

[Trades where one sells their soul to the devil are extremely rare. Or just fairy tales. Even if you’re out of your mind, you can’t do that. If you just live a normal life, you can experience a better afterlife, so why would you do that?]

Ah.

Frondier nodded as if he understood.

‘It’s a world that firmly believes in the afterlife. It’s only natural to believe in the existence of souls. So contracts involving souls are much heavier than in the world I was in.’

So even if humans want to borrow the power of a devil, they don’t offer their souls.

“Then how is the contract made? How does the devil intend to take the soul?”

[We don’t try to take the soul just through the deal. Usually, the goal is to corrupt that soul.]

“Corrupt?”

[That’s right. When a devil and a human make a contract, they are temporarily connected to each other for the duration of the contract. That’s why humans and devils faithfully fulfill their contracts with each other. Because otherwise, there’s a price to pay.]

Contracts weren’t originally designed to be advantageous to devils. This was something Frondier realized as well.

However, since devils knew more about contracts than humans, the ones who were more likely to deceive others using contracts as a tool were devils. Humans could also deceive devils. If they devised a strategy that surpassed the devils’.

Frondier glanced to the side for a moment and thought.

“……They say that devils don’t keep their promises even while taking human souls. I originally thought it was a serious bad taste, but there was a reason for it.”

[From a devil’s point of view, a human who contracts with their soul at stake is rather frightening. Ordinary humans don’t have that kind of determination. A soul that makes such a contract is rather likely to be noble. Even if they receive such a soul as a price, clumsy devils can’t even swallow it.]

Even devils couldn’t handle noble souls.

In other words, most devils didn’t want such souls. They wanted souls that they could handle, souls that weren’t noble, souls that they could easily corrupt.

“……I see. So that’s the difference from divine power.”

[That’s right. Gods want strong humans and empower them, but we want weak humans. That’s where the power gap arises.]

“So, whether or not a human puts their soul on the line in the process of a contract, the process of corrupting the human is essential for the devil.”

[That’s right. And in contracts where humans offer their souls as collateral, low-level devils don’t even come. Because there’s a high probability that it will be a contract they can’t handle.]

In a contract with a devil, the soul wasn’t always put on the chopping block.

It was an unbearable tragedy for humans, so a contract with such a price was inevitably powerful and dangerous.

‘It makes sense that Satan appeared when the assassins in the Imperial Palace offered their souls.’

Frondier finished his thoughts and asked,

“Then what kind of contract did you make with Antero? No, how did you even make a contract? Antero didn’t seem to know you.”

[Can’t you tell by looking at the situation? Everything I’m doing right now is what Antero wants.]

Frondier tilted his head at those words.

Then his expression crumpled.

“Don’t tell me, that Antero guy, while wishing to become a Paladin,”

[He wants to forget about my existence. He wants it to feel like he did everything himself.]

“Is that even possible?”

[It was a rather absurd story, but there were two reasons why it was possible. One was that the content was simply advantageous to me.]

“Advantageous? Forgetting about you?”

[Of course. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Humans and devils, while making a contract with each other, are also enemies who must endlessly suspect each other. But if one side completely forgets about the other, the side with the memory has an overwhelming advantage. If I were to make this proposal, the contract would become extremely difficult, but it was the human side that asked the devil. So, in terms of contract conditions, the difficulty actually decreases. Because the human himself imposed a disadvantageous restriction on himself.]

Frondier’s eyes cooled indifferently.

He had wondered if Antero’s arrogance and incompetence were due to the devil’s influence, but it seemed to be the guy’s true nature after all.

[And another thing, this guy is the medium that summoned me.]

“A medium. That’s right, a gate that connects us. Something like a Dragon Heart?”

[That’s when I have to cross worlds with magic. I don’t need that kind of medium. I was already on this continent before I made a contract with Antero.]

That’s right. The devils Satan had gathered to attack the Falind Continent. Bune was among them.

[But it was a valuable item in its own right.]

“What was it? The medium Antero used?”

[He had ‘Getia’. Do you know what that is?]

At those words, Frondier’s jaw dropped.

“……A grimoire that records the 72 devils. You’re saying it contained texts about Solomon’s whereabouts? That it actually exists?”

[Ah, that’s not it. That’s a distorted rumor.]

Bune shook his head.

[Getia is not a single, complete book. That’s just human delusion. There’s no such thing as a book that contains all the perfect countermeasures against all 72 devils.]

“Then what is Getia?”

[It’s like an encyclopedia. It’s like a huge database themed around the 72 devils. It’s a collection of knowledge and experiences that humans have about the 72 devils throughout history. Not only does it contain incorrect information, but there are also devils with no countermeasures at all. It’s not a book that you can just glance at and deal with devils like Solomon did.]

“It’s strange to hear a 72 devil say that.”

[All 72 devils have memories of being defeated by Solomon. From my point of view, the Getia that Antero has is actually of much lower quality than Solomon’s.]

Hearing that, Frondier was a little disappointed.

The 72 devils included not only Bune, but also Baal, whom Frondier had met, and even devils like Asmodeus, who shared a name with one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

If Getia was what Frondier knew it to be, it would have been helpful in dealing with them.

[Anyway, the Getia that Antero had was genuine. It may be genuine, but it’s not as great as humans imagine, it still has its own value. That’s why I was summoned. To fulfill his petty desires.]

“Then when does this contract end?”

[What Antero wanted was to become a Paladin and have seven wives and concubines. Surprisingly, the latter was more difficult. This guy wasn’t popular enough with women.]

Not a bad look, though, Bune muses, tilting his head.

[Still, I thought I could manage at least three using his status and money, but you interfered.]

“You’re surprisingly faithful to the contract. I thought the goal was to twist the contract and lead humans to tragedy.”

[That’s only when it’s necessary.]

Bune shook his head.

[His soul is already corrupted. It will be mine when the contract ends.]