Chapter 327

After experiencing a humiliating incident, I found myself a free man. As soon as I regained my freedom, the first thing on my mind was one thing.

To find Jane, who had been out of touch for a while. Despite the silence, I believed she must have survived the collapse of the Academy.

Even during the casualty reports right after the Academy’s collapse, Jane was absent. So at least I knew for sure she hadn’t died.

When I headed towards the Olympus Mountain Range, I didn’t say much, but it was quite likely that Eli had passed some word along.

Now, it was time for a long-overdue visit to check on her face and her progress.

‘She must be entering the final stages by now.’

If I hadn’t received any support, it would have taken at least another year. She probably completed her work in Santia.

But if that happened, it would be like having all her research achievements and inventions snatched away in broad daylight.

That would lead to her true downfall and her turning to the demons. In fact, the demons would have effectively utilized Jane’s talents.

‘Looking at this, humans aren’t any better than demons.’

That’s what False said. He claimed that human greed knows no bounds and ended up tearing off its own wings.

Humans have no wings. However, they went so far as to create wings for themselves and conquer the highest skies.

Looking back, False had made many significant statements. They couldn’t just be ignored.

Moreover, Rize, who usually spoke casually and threw insults at the hero, treated False with utmost respect.

‘Today feels calm.’

Just as I was nearing Jane’s workshop. Maybe it was because of the vacation, but the usual sound of hammering was absent.

Could she be taking a break today? I pondered this as I slowly opened the door.

The door opened smoothly, confirming someone was inside.

-Wheeeing!

“Huh?”

As soon as I opened the door, a racket filled my ears. I stared ahead with a puzzled expression.

In front of me, something that looked like a cannon was aiming straight at me. The light glowing from that cannon was just an added bonus.

–Bang!!

“Whoa?!”

As the light shot from the cannon, a huge impact struck my abdomen. The speed was so quick that I couldn’t react in time.

The force was so powerful I not only got pushed back but slammed into the wall. Fortunately, I didn’t crash through it.

“Ugh…”

“Uh, uh? Sivar?!”

As I clutched my stomach and staggered, a familiar voice pierced through my ears. She sounded taken aback.

Looking up, I saw Jane, in a somewhat disheveled state, rushing towards me. She was in her work clothes.

“Are you okay?! I had no idea you were coming! I’m so sorry!”

“No, I’m fine. But what was that just now?”

I felt more dazed than pained. I mean, even if I got hit by a real cannon, I wouldn’t feel like this.

I should have at least seen the cannonball coming to either dodge or block it. But that didn’t happen.

It was an entirely unexpected situation and the speed was extraordinarily fast.

“Well… I was just a bit bored and making a toy, you know?”

“A toy?”

“Yeah. More like a little project with some leftover funds… Hehe.”

Jane scratched her head, looking a bit sheepish. She probably didn’t have that much leftover funding.

Normally, I would have scolded her for making something weird, but because it was Jane, I let it slide. I was curious about what she made.

“Let’s check it out first. What on Earth is it?”

“Would you like to see?”

Jane’s eyes sparkled. Maybe it was the disheveled appearance, but the sparkle in her eyes stood out all the more.

I followed her as she led me to the object that had just struck my abdomen. Overall, it looked like a miniature cannon.

It was too large to be considered a gun, yet too small to be a proper cannon. If I had to compare, it was somewhat reminiscent of a grenade launcher.

“Is this it?”

“Yes! You could say it’s a separate component I extracted from the original design!”

Jane started diving into a detailed explanation of her invention. I listened quietly to her insights.

In this world, cannons are almost useless outside of siege warfare. Plus, with magic existing, they have nearly become obsolete.

Still, under the pretense of conserving magic, they’ve been pushing to advance it, albeit at a painfully slow pace.

“This weapon is more portable than a siege weapon. It helps convert simple magic into firepower.”

“A portable cannon?”

“Yes! It should be user-friendly for both knights and regular soldiers!”

“Hmm…”

After hearing that explanation, I picked up the item that, no, was more accurately a grenade launcher-like device.

This world has seen slow scientific development due to the existence of magic and magic power. Even Santia is limited to steam engines.

However, Jane had invented a weapon that far surpassed those limitations. It felt like a fantasy, but Jane was making sci-fi on her own.

‘But this feels familiar…’

I scratched my chin as I examined the weapon closely.

Before long, I realized where I had seen it before; it was a weapon invented by future Jane.

To be exact, it was created by the Jane who had turned to the demon side. A weapon that elevates demons and monsters to a terrifying level.

Goblins and orcs aren’t scary. But a goblin wielding a gun or an orc with a grenade launcher would be a whole different level of menace.

‘That’s just… yikes…’

Just imagining it was terrifying. Someone once said this.

A gun is a weapon that can even kill a hero with just a child grasping it. Jane’s invention runs on a similar premise.

No matter how strong someone is, they can die if their head becomes a target.

“Where did you get the inspiration?”

“It was based on what Sivar had shared with me before. You know, that thing that shoots out from the hand?”

Jane mimicked stretching her arms with excitement. I kind of got the gist of it.

Could that really be enough? I thought, but considering Jane’s talent, it was not impossible.

The desperation and malice might have faded, but it looked like she had gained peace of mind. I guess when people find peace, they start to think of other things.

“And you know about the ruckus at the Academy, right? That’s when a monster broke into my workshop.”

“A monster? Out here in the middle of nowhere?”

“Yep. It surprised me at first. But!”

Jane emphasized the last word and walked off to somewhere. She came back with something attached to her arm.

Just judging by its appearance, it looked like something straight out of a movie. It was just a bit clunky rather than slim.

There was a hole in the palm, which probably meant that energy was emitted from there.

“I was able to take down the monster with this. Originally, I had planned for it to be some flying control device, but it unexpectedly turned out to be powerful.”

“Well, it would shoot something out, for sure.”

“So! I made this in the meantime. With this, even ordinary folks should be able to handle monsters!”

Jane’s loop of hope and logic spun on. It tied closely to the structure of this world.

The farther you move away from the capital or town, the more you become vulnerable to safety, especially against monster threats.

However, with this weapon, even a small militia should be able to match its capabilities, and casualties could be reduced.

‘But it will inevitably be used for war.’

That has been the case since ancient times, and history proves it. Anything powerful will inevitably find its way into warfare.

At least the only silver lining is that it couldn’t be mass-produced. Also, only Jane could create it.

While design plans do exist, her inventions require magic stones without exception.

Jane may have created an alternative to magic stones, but for now, magic stones will still be the main resource used.

“How much power does it have? I just got blasted away over there.”

“What just happened was a boost to the impact. Professor Godin taught me some great magical theory. Look here.”

I turned to where she pointed. There was a tiny joystick for adjustments.

Since the writing wasn’t in Santia’s language but in a common tongue, I could read it: Penetration, Explosion, Shock, Safety.

With four settings, it seemed to boast more outrageous capabilities than expected. What on earth has she created?

“Ah! By the way, the performance was modeled after you, Sivar!”

“Me?”

“Yes! The red magic you shot! I did my utmost to replicate the incredible penetration and explosive power!”

Jane explained proudly. Seeing her like that made me feel a bit uneasy.

Of course, it would fall short of the red magic’s power. But it seemed she had crafted something similar.

“Have you thought of a name for this yet?”

“No, I haven’t. Do you have any ideas?”

“How about Grenade… um, wait, Magic Shell Launcher?”

“Magic Shell Launcher! That’s an excellent name!”

As Jane reveled in excitement, I examined the Magic Shell Launcher in detail. Even though it was a cannon, it had an uncomfortable feel to it.

I used to be in the army after all. I started tossing around suggestions as I looked it over.

“Isn’t there a trigger? It should be placed down here…”

“Yes, yes! Any other suggestions?”

“How severe is the recoil?”

“I can handle it just fine!”

A weapon that even the fragile Jane could handle. But its power far exceeded imagination.

It seemed best to use it solely for self-defense. And I should probably get one for Eli too.

It could serve as an excellent tool for non-combat roles. But if it falls into the hands of the demon side and gets produced on a massive scale…

‘Ugh, that’s terrifying.’

At any rate, this aside, one important thing remained.

After telling Jane about the need for a trigger and a sturdy stock for support, I asked her.

“What about the Steel Suit? Have you finished making it?”

“Hehehe…”

At my question, Jane let out a mischievous laugh. Yet, because of her disheveled appearance, the malice felt more like a goofiness.

After a moment, she pushed her fallen glasses back up and proclaimed confidently.

“Of course! I even got to use it briefly when the monsters attacked the Academy!”

“Oh. How was it?”

“I can confidently say it’s a masterpiece!”

“Let’s go take a look.”

“Yes!”

As soon as Jane’s spirited shout echoed, she took a step forward.

-Kaboom!

Jane fell right over.

“…?!”

What the heck.

*****

While Sivar was left stunned by Jane’s fall, Rod was enjoying the ultimate comfort of a vacation, however not without a care.

He had to think carefully about which incoming new students to watch out for. Thankfully, none of the new students caught his attention this time.

‘At most, maybe the princess of Frozen.’

Rod sipped his tea as he scanned the list. He had heard about Reina, the princess of Frozen, through Sara.

She hadn’t completely gotten the hang of the common language yet, making communication tough, but aside from that, she was said to be fiery and passionate.

Frozen was as cold as ever, but the princess’s personality was said to be hot-blooded. In other words, a bit of a firecracker.

‘She should cause less trouble than Sivar.’

Rod’s standards were measured against Sivar. As long as she didn’t cause weird incidents like Sivar, he would be fine.

Was it because of that? The more peaceful it was, the more unsettling it felt.

And strangely enough, this unsettling feeling often turned out to be spot on. Rod pulled his gaze from the list and spoke up.

“Eli.”

“Yes?”

Eli had practically become his personal assistant by now. She turned her head towards Rod at his call.

“Do you happen to know where Sivar is right now?”

“Um… not really?”

Eli tilted her head and replied to Rod’s question.

“Maybe he’s the guy who drops something from the sky later on?”

“…”

Rod couldn’t help but be left speechless. Eli had described Sivar just too accurately.

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