The Academy’s Weapon Replicator

The idiot drew his sword and attempted to strike me from behind. It was an outrageous act for a knight, and even as an ordinary person, it was a blatant transgression against someone who wasn't even an enemy.

'...They're definitely not normal.'

Whack!

"Ugh!"

I swung my Obsidian like a club, striking the back of his ankle. His body briefly lifted into the air, and I followed up with more blows.

Thwack! Whack!

I continued to strike him with my Obsidian, hitting him all over his body. With each upward strike, he danced awkwardly in the air, taking the blows.

"Ugh! Argh! Ack! Hmph!"

I wasn't using aura, but I wasn't holding back either. With each hit, he let out strange cries.

He resembled a tissue dancing in the air – like the game where you blow air to keep a tissue afloat. Of course, instead of air, I was using my Obsidian to keep him airborne.

"This bastard!"

Unable to bear it any longer, the surrounding knights also drew their swords and charged at me.

In that brief moment, my eyes narrowed, and I let out a small sigh.

——Are you still not coming out? Ria Lis.

"Stop! That's enough!"

As I expected, a sharp voice rang out from the main gate.

Upon hearing that voice, the knights who were attacking me instantly dropped to their knees and bowed their heads deeply.

Thud

"Ugh, ugh..."

The knight I had been hitting also crashed to the ground and, despite his pain, managed to kneel.

"Sorry, Frondier. I forgot to inform the knights about you."

Lily apologized with an awkward smile.

Her words were probably only half true.

She did fail to inform them about me, but it wasn't due to forgetfulness.

Lily wanted to see it for herself. Whether the prowess I displayed during the devil incident at the Imperial Palace was genuine, and how I compared to back then.

...However, these knights are too weak to reveal my true abilities.

Perhaps what Lily truly wanted to see wasn't my strength but my 'choice'.

What choice would I make when the knights provoked me? In other words, she wanted to know 'what kind of person' I am.

"I see. It seems there was a misunderstanding."

I replied with a smile.

"So, starting today, you'll be my knight for a month, right? Frondier?"

"Yes, that's right."

"You said you'd become a dog if I told you to and die if I ordered it, right?"

"Of course."

Seemingly satisfied with my answer, Lily grinned and nodded.

"Then, Frondier, please take your position before me. Just like the other knights here."

Lily said, spreading her arms wide.

Just like the other knights – meaning I should kneel on one knee and show her my loyalty.

Without hesitation, I knelt on one knee and lowered my head, just like them.

At that moment, I felt strangely like I had become Selena. Selena, who had bowed her head before me.

I understand how Selena must have felt.

'It doesn't feel like anything in particular.'

Selena, too, probably felt nothing at all.

* * *

I received a tour of the mansion guided by Lily and was shown the room I would be staying in.

The room was very clean and spacious. Although it wasn't as big as my room in the Roach Mansion, it was more than enough for a mere knight.

"Then take a break for now. Your first day's mission is to get used to this place. Since there was an awkward situation as soon as you arrived, they probably won't call you today."

"Thank you."

As I nodded my head in appreciation of Lily's consideration, she smiled and left the room.

I continued my thoughts while organizing the luggage and clothes I had brought.

There was one thing I was sure of after listening to Lily's explanation and looking around the mansion.

I knew it from the beginning, but as expected, Lily has no family.

It's the biggest factor that makes it hard to guess Lily's age.

If you look around at the families and relatives, you can roughly guess Lily's age, but Lily is wandering around the large mansion all alone.

No, to be precise, with her knights.

'Lily's full name is Ria Lis, but there's a high chance that she made up the surname 'Lis' herself.'

There are a few families or clans called Lis, but none of them have anything to do with Ria Lis.

In other words, Lily is completely alone on this continent. Without any exaggeration.

'In that sense, she's like me.'

'Frondier de Roach' has a family and a clan in this world, but that's not me. I, who came from another world, am an outsider. In this respect, I guess I'm similar to Lily.

Well, if you want to check if Lily really has no family or relatives, you can use the 'Analysis' skill.

But the analysis surprisingly consumes a lot of mana. Especially if you want to look at someone like Lily who is at the Zodiac level. If I use that much mana, I'll obviously get caught.

"Age unknown, a face without a wrinkle no matter how much time passes. The probability of the name being a pseudonym is high, and she is perfectly alone, without relatives or family. The only ones around her are the knights who follow her."

Listing all this information, there is only one thought that comes to my mind.

'...Is Lily really human?'

When I played the game, I just felt that she was a very 'game-like character'. There wasn't much information to know, and the brief description of 'a face whose age cannot be known' gave off such an atmosphere.

However, when I enter this world and face reality, Lily is an overly suspicious character.

Now that I know that the 'Seven Deadly Sins Demon' actually exists, it's even more so.

The nickname 'Lily', her outstanding appearance, the knights who liked men and spent time with her, transform into people who swear loyalty to her in just a few days.

All these elements remind me of a certain character.

...The demon, Lilith.

Given the precedent of Belphegor, it's not possible to think that Lily is just a human.

'Lily must be certain. That I will also become her knight.'

That's why she was so happy when I mentioned the 'one month' period. A month was more than enough for her, no matter what method she used.

'And considering she didn't tell the knights about me today.'

Lily is also doubting me. At least she senses that I didn't come without any thoughts.

So, this one-month period, which seems like a promise between Lily and me, is actually closer to a confrontation between us.

Will I fall for Lily's unknown trick and swear loyalty to her?

Or, will I reveal Lily's identity before that?

"......To be honest, I wish she was just an ordinary human."

It's not yet determined that Lily is a demon. The transformation of the knights is not necessarily because Lily did something to their minds. The fact that there is no physical resemblance or blood relation is also not impossible in this world where magic exists.

I sincerely hope that Lily is a human.

Because I don't want to kill her.