The Academy’s Weapon Replicator - Chapter 415 Part 1 - The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

Machia (4)

Giotto resisted at first, but eventually, he began to spill the beans.

Whatever his relationship with Carla was, it was one where they shared something as unsettling as eavesdropping. It couldn’t have been a relationship of such strong trust.

At first, it was mostly what I knew or expected.

The listening devices were already planned to be installed in the speakers when Atlas was built, and Giotto was one of the first teachers Carla brought in.

Within Atlas, only Giotto knew about the existence of the listening devices, besides Carla. Even Giotto only knew because Carla had told him.

“Why did Carla tell you?”

“To use me. I was tasked with sorting through the information from the listening devices, at her command. It was too much for her to handle alone.”

“Why were you chosen?”

“Chosen? I was caught. She found leverage.”

“You must have done something you shouldn’t have. Something Carla overheard through the listening devices.”

Giotto averted his gaze at my words. That was an answer in itself.

“What exactly were you threatened with?”

“….”

“I would have asked you to tell me everything, wouldn’t I? I’ll find out anyway when I check the data collected by the listening devices. What good will hiding it do now?”

Giotto sighed at my words. Then, his jaw tensed for a moment, and his mouth slowly opened.

“…It was about a woman. And something illegal.”

“…Right. Let’s move on.”

I had a hunch when he showed interest in Elodie, but it seems Giotto has quite the eye for women. To think he’s so reluctant to talk about it, it’s probably not the illegality that’s the problem, but the shame of the story.

Giotto changed the subject again.

“Anyway, I gathered information that could be traded, as Carla instructed. Students prefer to talk about those around them rather than themselves. Naturally, it was easy to gather gossip that would be useful to the nobles.”

“Were those her only orders? To gather information to trade with the nobles?”

“No, she also told me to collect anything related to ‘curses’ or ‘devils’. But there was hardly any real information on that front. Just stories confined to ghost tales.”

Curses and devils.

Devils were originally the information Carla was collecting through trades, and I have a rough idea about the curses.

‘Carla must be Medusa. So she’s looking for a way to break the curse.’

But if that’s the case, it’s strange that Carla is looking for information about devils rather than curses. Carla herself is closer to a monster than a devil. Moreover, in her dealings with the nobles, she was gathering information about ‘devils’, not ‘curses’.

A thought suddenly occurred to me.

“Come to think of it, I heard Carla used to be quite docile. What made her suddenly take action?”

“I don’t know about that either. But there’s one thing I can say.”

Giotto said with a tense expression.

“There’s a mastermind.”

“….”

“There’s a mastermind! Someone pulling Carla’s strings!”

A mastermind controlling Carla.

In short, the real mastermind that Lady Achaea suspects is me, actually exists.

“It’s true! I’m not just making things up!”

Giotto shouted, his face frightened as he saw me fall silent.

I said,

“Believe it or not, I was expecting such an existence.”

Carla, who is said to have kept a low profile until she became the headmistress.

She must be as desperate as a devil to keep her identity hidden. She wouldn’t move recklessly.

However, Carla suddenly switched from hiding to revealing herself. She made contact with the nobles and made deals, attracting suspicion.

In other words, there was a trigger. A trigger that forced Carla, who needed to stay hidden, to move.

If that trigger is the mastermind behind Carla, it makes sense.

However.

“But before that, let’s confirm one thing.”

“W-what is it?”

“If Carla is being manipulated by a mastermind, and it wasn’t her intention, why did she install listening devices in Atlas?”

“Carla was terrified of her identity being exposed. She was afraid that suspicions about her would arise among the students.”

“So, at that time, the listening devices weren’t intended for information gathering or trading? Can you be sure about that?”

“Don’t ask me! Carla herself would know! I can’t read her mind completely! I just did as I was told because of the threats!”

It’s a cliché and shameless excuse, but Giotto is right. There’s no point in asking him about Carla’s true intentions.

‘A mastermind…’

Both Giotto and Lady Achaea predict the existence of a mastermind. Of course, Lady Achaea believes that mastermind is me.

‘If there really is a mastermind, there’s a high probability that they have more information than I do.’

Especially about Carla. Just as Carla used Giotto’s information and exploited him, the mastermind would know that Carla is a monster and be using that fact.

So, it’s best not to make any moves until I know the mastermind’s identity.

However, that’s only if I prioritize Carla.

‘In the end, all I want is the information Carla possesses. About Poseidon and Athena.’

And there’s a much easier and simpler way to get that information than becoming Carla’s ally.

Just like the mastermind did, I can threaten Carla.

‘Whether Carla is a monster or a devil, she doesn’t want to be found. She’ll readily provide information to prevent that.’

Moreover, if it’s similar to the myths, Carla is likely to hate them. She might even tell me without any conditions.

However, if that happens, I’ll be left in the dark about Carla’s mastermind and their true purpose. I won’t know the real reason why Carla is seeking information about ‘devils’.

If this mastermind later becomes my enemy, wouldn’t it be better to find out now?

I can’t guarantee they’ll be my enemy, but still.

—Frondier, are you weak to women?

‘…I don’t want to hear that again.’

I sighed, and Giotto in front of me flinched as if he had guessed my thoughts.

‘Whatever. I won’t hear that this time.’

More than anything, it’s Carla who will be taking the most dangerous path in the plan I have in mind this time.

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