The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City

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Unfortunately, our hope of not being caught has only been half realized.

What has been thrust in front of me now is a tablet. On the screen appears a small mushroom cloud.

“It’s what happened on 43rd Street. Do you know why I called you?”

The day after we visited Enrique in the hospital, the Scholarship Officer in the hospital room summoned us.

Beside us, Older Sister Sophie was glaring with a look saying, “You’ve caused another incident,” making the back of my head tingle.

The mushroom cloud that had risen in the park. We were suspected because we had just visited a nearby hospital. Let’s deny it for now.

“I didn’t do anything!”

“I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“No! I don’t know! A mushroom cloud? Could it be that an Apostle appeared?”

As I desperately denied it, Trinity, oblivious to the situation, poured cold water on things.

“That’s right! I caused the explosion! Boom! Isn’t it cool?”

“Uh…”

Sophie chimed in.

“Violet, there’s no way they would have called us without any evidence. Look at this.”

As the tablet screen switched, a nearby CCTV camera was captured.

Before the explosion, our figures could clearly be seen heading toward the park, crackling on the screen due to the influence of Ether.

“Wow, that’s someone who looks like us!… Uh, that’s us…”

“Do you really think this is all they have? This is the movement path of the tracking device attached to Enrique. It shows we left Central Hospital and headed toward the park. And you can see us exiting again after the explosion.”

“Gah…!”

Seijis sighed.

He looked at us like a mother watching a child who spilled the pot while trying to secretly make ramen. Embarrassed, I didn’t know where to look.

“Honestly, just tell me. What were you doing over there?”

“…I was practicing hunting with Enrique.”

“Of all places…? Ah… Why did you have to do it there?”

Perhaps feeling pity for me being interrogated by the Scholarship Officer, Enrique suddenly stepped in.

“Uh, Officer. It was my idea to go to the dungeon! It’s not Violet’s fault.”

Seijis groaned as he slowly got up from the hospital bed. His tired eyes were filled with incredulity and frustration. Maybe he was displeased that we blew up the park.

“I lost control of my power! I’ll be careful next time!”

“Right. I’ll also make sure to take shelter and not recklessly enter dungeons when the emergency alarm goes off next time.”

“That’s not the problem, Violet. You know about the Tea Time Agreement, right?”

“Yeah.”

If you don’t know about the Tea Time Agreement, you’re clearly an alien in this city.

“Even aliens know? Now that I think about it, I feel like I knew about the Tea Time Agreement back during the Apostle era!”

“I didn’t ask. Unit 2501.”

“Ugh…”

The official name is the Clan-Federal Joint Prosperity Agreement.

Once, the Clan and the Federation stood on the brink of a significant conflict over various issues, retreating just before crossing the line in their agreement.

I believe the agreement includes the reestablishment of relations between the Clan and the Federation, the expansion of Clan privileges, and the nurturing and securing of talents.

Strangely, the ending of the words changes depending on who calls it.

On the Clan side, it’s called the Tea Time Agreement, while on the Federation side, it’s referred to as the agreement. I wonder why that is.

But why bring this up now?

“According to Article 7, Clause 1 of the agreement, the Clan cannot possess any type of weapons of mass destruction using the principle of mass-energy equivalence. Things like nuclear weapons. Upon a breach of the agreement, the Federation’s naval fleet would mobilize and make mincemeat of the offenders. And, you’ve seen Enrique’s abilities, right?”

“Ahh, that’s right.”

I let out a short scream like someone just waking up. How could I have not thought about that?

“If it were just ordinary explosives or magic, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. It’s entirely possible to cause that level of destruction if one puts their mind to it. The problem lies with Enrique’s constitution. Due to the large amount of radiation detected at the explosion site, the Inspection Bureau and the Federation side have cautiously raised the possibility of nuclear weapons.”

Upon hearing the word radiation, Enrique hiccupped in surprise.

“Right now, it’s being treated as a unique dungeon with no major issues, but the Federation could have developed suspicions and tracked you down or used the Tea Time Agreement as an excuse to imprison or conscript Enrique. A rather troublesome situation could have unfolded.”

“Gah… I hadn’t thought of that.”

We seemed to have been too reckless. While I remembered Enrique’s abilities, why did I forget about the Tea Time Agreement?

“If those Federation scurrying little rats would have tried to conscript her, they would definitely have dragged her off to their military academy.”

“Calm down, Violet. Seijis is just trying to scare you. It’s probably not that serious regarding the Tea Time Agreement.”

Sophie, who had been watching with her arms crossed, handed a glass of water to Enrique.

“According to Article 7, Clause 3 of the agreement, the Tea Time Agreement only regulates ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ The abilities of Awakened Ones and relics, or magic, are exempt from regulation. An elite unit like Vanguard or a Grand Mage cannot be regulated, right?”

“Ah, that’s true! Thank goodness!”

“I’m not getting dragged away, am I? Yay!”

While we were rejoicing, Seijis rose an arm in frustration, rubbing the back of his neck in annoyance.

“Ugh, Violet. Enrique! I’m not finished talking. Just because of this, you can’t go shooting magic around wherever you want like last time. What’s important is not the agreement itself. Enrique is still just a child without any identity. If you’re not affiliated with the Academy, the chances of the Clan taking you away recklessly increase. Just think about getting caught on CCTV like this without being careful. For now, it’s better that Trinity’s constitution and abilities remain unknown.”

Ugh, I had overlooked a more serious issue. Enrique’s identity and position are a blank slate. Once she gets into the Academy and becomes a student, it wouldn’t matter, but in her current state, she’s like an expensive bill in the street, up for grabs by anyone.

“Ugh… Got it, Officer. But I want to practice magic…”

“I want to too! Enrique’s abilities are incredible! Plus, if we practice often, we’ll be able to control our power!”

At the mention of power control, the Scholarship Officer closed his eyes for a moment, muttering something.

“Power control… the need to continuously release power… collapse… well, we can’t just leave it to chance.”

“Uh? What?”

“It’s nothing major… I’m not saying we should ban going out. Just don’t go causing problems like last time without any measures. Until Enrique enters a proper academy.”

We promised not to act recklessly or cause significant explosions.

While the CCTV evidence would be appropriately handled internally by the Scholarship Officer and Older Sister Sophie, we must be cautious for the time being.

“And it’s not over yet. Violet, if you want to go out with Enrique, it’s best to have at least one, preferably two guardians accompany you. Got it?”

“Guardians?”

In simpler terms, it means there will be surveillance. Having guardians is so troublesome.

“And later, I’ll inform you about anything related to Enrique. Keep that in mind.”

“Got it…”

So many lectures.

**

As early April sped by, the Violets pondered how to spend time with their new friend.

This was happening while Bernike was finishing preparations to leave for the southern research institute.

“Sister, did you find Enrique’s research institute?”

“I found it. The problem is, there’s nothing left.”

Unfortunately, the research institute where Enrique had been trapped for over ten years was literally empty.

All important databases had been erased by pre-activated security systems, and some were burned or completely destroyed.

Paper documents were as if a swarm of locusts had swept through; nothing remained.

The related personnel had either died or gone missing without a clear path forward.

Though it’s not urgent at the moment, without research materials or information about Trinity’s friends or drugs, there will inevitably come a day of trouble. We must hurry to find something.

Luckily, Enrique mentioned subsidiary research institutes, which provided a clue.

“In a dungeon?”

“Yeah, I don’t know which dungeon, but there was a research institute I often visited. The manager said they kept copies of important data there.”

Trinity noted down what Enrique described about the interior of the dungeon.

Based on that, they decided to ask people they knew to help find it.

“Irene, please! I’ve also talked to the broker and asked other acquaintances, but the onsite experts are the fastest for this kind of thing.”

“Got it, I’ll do my best to search. By the way, Violet, you brought that woman home? Was everything alright?”

“Yeah. Why? Did something happen after I sent her away?”

Irene, after receiving Trinity’s testimony, walked off in a somewhat displeased manner in one direction.

As she entered the hangar, Professor Bernike was arguing with people in front of a gigantic humanoid machine.

“Just trust me, will you? At least regarding that robot’s neural coordination system, the spinal manipulation connection mechanism was developed based on my patent! You said something felt off, right? I’ll just have to check and open that Stregonics brain hatch or whatever. Hurry up!”

Irene shook her head, seemingly exasperated.

“I called you here to see if you could take a look at our father’s issue since you’re the expert. I think you could fix the synchronization problem. You’re a smart person, but… there’s something a bit pathological about it.”

As expected, whether it was the impulse to disassemble Irene’s father or her anger over patent infringement, the older woman was pouring out words in an agitated tone.

“The Magnavis fools you brought over aren’t bad, but they just mechanically follow along and repair things. They’ve got no understanding at all. Hey, Chief Morgan. You mentioned that robot is in sleep mode, right? I’m ready to start immediately. I need to see how you perfectly control that massive robot without side effects. The synchronization problem? It’s my specialty, and I’ll solve it to the best of my ability.”

“Hey, lady. Watch your mouth! The Commander isn’t a ‘robot’!”

“How rude! Call me ‘Professor’! Chief!”

Ugh, her bizarrely excited demeanor brought to mind memories of when she was trying to crack open our heads.

I couldn’t help but wonder how she was still alive after dealing with that kind of attitude elsewhere.

“Just to be safe, I contacted the Scholarship Officer, and I heard everything is fine, but I can’t shake off my anxiety. She wouldn’t do anything strange to my father, right?”

“…Guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

Well, Helios will handle Helios’s issues.

What I need to do now is have fun with Enrique.

“Firepower!”

“Explosion!”

As the Scholarship Officer pointed out, Enrique’s constitution is unique.

Thus, whether she enters Aegis or Vesperia Academy, she’ll need to get her student ID and have the academy support her before rumors start flying around, or things could turn troublesome.

The clans will cling to her like mayflies on the roadside.

Still, Enrique, who had only been at home, felt a bit bored. I, too, was eager to witness Enrique’s explosions.

We decided to practice in an uninhabited area.

“This is Violet’s island? So it’s not a deserted island?”

“That’s right, it just doesn’t have anyone living on it. It’s actually under the jurisdiction of the Federation or the academy city. Strictly speaking, this is considered illegal occupation.”

“Hehe…”

This little outing had two guardians accompanying us.

Older Sister Sophie and Daphne were exploring the deserted island, which only had rocks, sand, and a few trees.

“This is fantastic to have a helicopter, isn’t it?”

With a means of transportation, we could go anywhere in no time, which was very convenient.

-Boom!

Soon, colorful explosions soared above the surface from the beach.

The arrows and fireballs launched by Enrique flew under a blue glow, and incredible explosions created pillars of water that shot up one after another.

“Wow!”

In addition to showing off the power of the Violet Army, I had to demonstrate our firepower as well.

“What do you think of my magic?”

“Enrique! Awesome!”

“…More amazing than I expected.”

Daphne, clapping with half admiration and half surprise, glanced at the various artillery positioned on the hill of the deserted island—mortars, artillery, and various rockets.

“Did you make these yourself?”

“Yeah, they’re V-Series rockets!”

“You’ve been slacking on studying, but where on earth did you get all this…”

In a world dominated by superhumans and monsters that withstand extreme environments and bullets flown through, one clear fact remains—ranged combat is favored.

Of course, the mightiest hunters are masters of close combat. Monsters are also adept in close combat and possess the endurance to withstand ranged attacks.

“That’s right! And it feels way more fun to slice the enemy with a sword. Charge is the best! We’ll become swordsmanship masters! Just like this—”

-Thunk!

“Graaaah! I’m dying again!”

But no matter how sturdy an Awakened One is, unlucky circumstances can lead to losing their life from a single massive bullet or an arrow imbued with magical power.

Just like how Unit 2214 got a hole in its chest while working overtime in the dungeon moments before!

Even the sturdy armored knights of Restraid would paint camouflage patterns on their armor if necessary, and even monsters would launch ranged attacks when capable.

The battlefield, where chivalry and rogue camaraderie have faded, is unforgiving.

Those who have only learned close combat tactics are at a disadvantage compared to those who can employ long-range shooting or unique abilities, thus receiving better remuneration or employment.

In alignment with the latest trends, we Violets have continually introduced various ranged weapons. Recently, the Violet artillery units achieved two developments.

One is the Violet cruise missile made from a propeller fighter jet that came over to the side of Helios.

The aircraft, stripped of all essential gear like weapons and radios, was filled entirely with explosives, showcasing satisfactory performance.

Essentially, we have developed a weapon system capable of striking anywhere within the federal city islands in no time.

And the other is—

“This is the V-3 rocket!”

“V-3?”

While examining the weapons alongside the guardians, intrigue flickered in Enrique’s eyes. It was as if she sensed the thrilling explosions and fiery energy contained within.

“Yeah, it’s our third self-made rocket!”

Proudly, the V-Series rockets had evolved once more. Having learned welding and various technologies, the Violets have managed to capture all three hares: productivity, range, and firepower.

“A new rocket? You made it yourself? I heard about it last time, but…”

“Yes! Sister! What do you think?”

Older Sister Sophie looked perplexed, unsure of what to say.

“Uh, um. Violet has impressive craftsmanship.”

“Hehe…”

Encouraged by her praise, we got to work.

On a makeshift launch pad we crudely welded together, we stacked rockets taller than the Violet herself.

Starting from the V-3 rocket, it was designed based on vehicle operation, allowing multiple launches at once.

“Launch!”

The area was enveloped in a deafening roar and smoke.

Dozens of V-3 rockets soaked in the blood of hundreds of Violets soared into the sky.

Traces of smoke adorned the skies. The rockets, spitting flames, shot up beyond the blue skies, before landing in the distant sea.

-Koo-bang!

Enrique laughed and cheered as she watched the massive pillars of water rise from the surface.

“What do you think, cool, right?”

“It’s super fun! It’s not as good as my magic, but I love the smashing sounds!”

Before we knew it, Enrique and I had clasped hands and were facing each other.

“Wow! This feeling is the best!”

“Hehehe!”

I noticed that Older Sister Sophie and Daphne were watching us with strange expressions, but I decided to ignore it.

After experiencing one explosion outdoors, we could no longer hold back.

“I want to try it out in real combat! In the dungeon. The researchers praised me while watching. They said I was super strong.”

At Enrique’s words, I brought out the prepared photos to show her.

“Yeah, I’ve thought about where to go. This time, I’ll show you something different!”

With my bomb vest and radiation buff combined, it should be hilarious.

I was bubbling with curiosity about what kind of power the Violets engulfed in blue light could unleash.

And there were also people I wanted to introduce.

“Oh, and I know someone. She’s coming with us too, how about that?”

“A friend?”

Now that the academy was in a leisurely phase, we could smoothly sneak out for a personal excursion.

“She wants to see me, Violet friend. Does she like explosions too?”

“I don’t know about the explosions, but you’ll hit it off quickly when you meet her!”

“Alright!”

Thus, a few days later, I was set to introduce Trinity to a new friend before entering the dungeon.

“Ah, hello! I, I’m Levy!”

“I’m Enrique, Enrique Meitner! Call me Trinity!”

A girl with a giant bag and another girl in protective gear waved their hands at each other with bright smiles.

At that moment, as I witnessed the scene, a realization struck me.

“That’s…”

“The meeting of ballistics and physics!”

Beyond this world, a plump anti-democratic man dressed in black was smiling kindly and waving his hand.

“Opening the gates of destruction!”

This hunt was bound to be incredibly entertaining.