The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City-Chapter 70: Running Violet! (1)

When you’re busy with everyday life, everyone occasionally has such a thought.

‘It’d be great if I had more than one body!’

Especially when assignments pile up or work overwhelms you, you desperately crave someone who could do your tasks for you.

There’s so much to do, so much you want to do, but only two hands.

In the end, you can’t do everything.

But I was different.

If I had the will, I could do anything.

In this reality where dreams had become possible, our efforts weren’t limited to building bombs or crafting trivial plans.

Currently, I was training in two places simultaneously.

First, at the academy’s indoor training hall, Violet No. 24 was getting pummeled by Instructor Frederick.

Standing before me was a pitching machine usually used for baseball practice.

I was frantically dodging the high-speed balls it launched.

“Focus! Do you think the ball’s just going to avoid you on its own? Run!”

“Ugh, ack!”

I focused all my magic into my body and ran madly in every direction.

At the same time, at a private training ground located some distance from the school, Irene was charging fiercely at Violet No. 65 with her sword.

-Clang! Clang!

“Arghhh!”

“Focus on the spar, Violet!”

“Got it! I’m coming again!”

Rolling, tumbling, and falling over repeatedly.

But it was fine.

This was training, after all.

“You’ve got guts, at least. Bite down and get ready!”

“I’m fine, okay? Here I come again!”

At the same moment, in both locations, the Violets were setting aside their embarrassment and getting back on their feet, charging in again, falling again, and tumbling again.

Let’s rewind time and go back to a few days ago.

Through past experiences, we’d realized the importance of training.

「Numbers matter, but we need to improve the quality too.」

「We can’t just get wiped out helplessly like last time!」

So, what was the most certain way to improve our skills here?

Training.

Fortunately, in this messed-up academy, there was someone who could teach us.

「Let’s go to the instructor!」

After all the classes ended for the day, I headed to the training hall where I took my close-combat lessons.

Inside the gymnasium, Instructor Frederick was still there, inspecting various training weapons and checking around the hall.

“Instructor! Please teach me!”

“…You little brat. Up until now, you’ve barely been paying attention in class and even skipped one of them. What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

Under the instructor’s reproachful gaze, I was at a loss for words.

I felt guilty.

After all, I had indeed skipped a class once because I wasn’t feeling motivated for a few days.

“And what do you want me to teach you? I’ve already covered the basics of melee weapon handling in class.”

“Not that. I want to learn how to control magic! I want to learn body-strengthening techniques!”

Frederick’s eyes crinkled as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard.

The scars on his face deepened as wrinkles formed, making him look slightly intimidating.

“Right now? Didn’t you look at the syllabus? You’re going to learn it in a few weeks during class anyway. Got it? Now scram.”

“Yes… but, can’t you at least give me a tip for now?”

Frederick snapped.

“Do I look like your private tutor?”

“…Ugh!”

“I get why you’re so eager. It’s probably because you got into a fight, right? I heard about that duel with that crazy fourth-year delinquent. You’re wondering how I know, huh? The rumors spread so much that even I, your instructor, heard about it.

Duels are pretty common, but I didn’t expect the protagonist of the story to be one of my first-year students.”

Frederick’s eyes narrowed, casting deep shadows.

“You got beat up real bad, didn’t you? Well, it’s a relief that you won… But, brat, you think the world’s easy just because you’ve got an innate ability? You pulled out some sword energy and thought you could smash through anything blocking your path, didn’t you? Tsk, tsk…”

“…”

“And let me tell you, body-strengthening is on a whole different level from just emitting magic. If you try to learn it clumsily, you’ll ruin your muscles and nerves. It takes at least a few weeks of practice to even start getting the hang of it. Just learn it when everyone else does during class. Most importantly, I’m an instructor. I can’t spare extra time to give you special treatment. It wouldn’t be fair to others. Got it?”

I was at a loss for words.

“I’m sorry.”

“…At least you know to apologize. Now get going. It’s getting colder out.”

I was rejected flatly.

As expected, trying to push my luck didn’t work.

It was unreasonable to begin with.

Frederick returned to his small office inside the gymnasium.

「Should I learn from someone else?」

「I’m not sure.」

Unfortunately, Irene didn’t have the ability to teach someone else.

She was smart and talented, but being smart and being able to teach were completely different matters.

“Look, you just have to channel your magic this way and send it over here.

What’s so hard to understand about that?”

“I have no idea what you mean by ‘this way’!”

The same went for Daphne.

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“Violet, did my explanation help? Do you understand the theory now?”

“Ah… yeah, I get it!”

“You didn’t understand, did you? Oh dear…”

I even took the time to ask Kalia, but there was another issue there.

“Ah, Violet. Sorry, but this is beyond me too.”

Kalia used her unique ability, the Flame of Resolve, to naturally perform body strengthening and magic release like breathing.

The techniques an average Awakened person had to learn through training were as different from her innate abilities as sharks and whales.

It wasn’t something she could teach.

Unique abilities, like my Clone Technique, were like second nature to their users.

For Kalia to teach me body-strengthening would be as pointless as an eagle teaching a wolf how to flap wings.

Everyone around me was just too talented.

「Should I look for someone else?」

As I walked toward the gymnasium exit, contemplating whether to seek out another teacher, the door suddenly swung open, and a stranger entered.

“It’s been a while, little junior. Is Vulture here right now?”

“Who are you?”

“Oh, you don’t know me.”

The man glanced around briefly before rubbing his face with his hand.

His sharp, middle-aged features came into view as he adjusted his glasses.

“Professor Albert!”

“That’s Professor Albert sir to you! Still as rude as ever, aren’t you, kid?

…Frederick! Frederick! Where are you?”

Hearing his name, Frederick stepped outside, his eyes widening to the size of saucers.

“…Egret? Damn it, what are you doing here?”

“Let’s talk, you bastard. Right now!”

As I watched dumbfounded, the two men disappeared into the office.

Soon after, I heard an indecipherable shouting match, followed by loud crashes, bangs, and the sound of things breaking or exploding.

「Is this the Polaris way of greeting each other?」

About ten minutes later, the door burst open, and the two men stepped out.

“I’ll confirm the details tonight, but still…”

“Yeah, I’ve got nothing to say for myself… but, hey? Why are you still here?”

“Did you eavesdrop on us?”

Sensing the tense atmosphere, I immediately shook my head.

“No! I just came here to ask the instructor to teach me something.”

Professor Albert adjusted his glasses slightly.

“Alright, what is it?”

“Body strengthening… I don’t know how to do it.”

“What? That again? Why are you still here instead of heading back…”

As Frederick pointed his finger at me, Albert interrupted him.

“It’s nothing complicated, is it?”

“What’s your deal now?”

The two older men started whispering to each other.

“Hey, you idiot. This is basic stuff! Just teach the kid!”

“What did you say?”

“You’ve got plenty of time, and the kid is eager to learn. Why reject them?”

“I’m not some private tutor. There’s no need for extra lessons…”

“Extra lessons, my ass! Back in our day, we already covered magic release and body strengthening by now.

Didn’t the academy lower the standards and adjust the curriculum because they had to?

And honestly, how many first-year students in this madhouse are actively asking questions to learn besides this one?”

“…Hmm…”

“You weren’t like this before.

Where’s the instructor who used to spend day and night teaching kids? What happened to your sense of responsibility as a teacher?”

“Responsibility? That’s rich, coming from you…!”

I had no idea why Professor Albert was suddenly taking my side, but I decided to look at him with hopeful eyes.

Frederick finally changed his stance.

“…Fine! Fine, I’ll do it.

Albert, we’ll talk later.”

“Yeah, we will! Good luck, junior.”

Professor Albert raised his head confidently and looked at me.

“Be grateful, junior.

Thanks to me, you’ll now learn what you need from that old instructor!”

“…You damn bastard.”

“See you this evening.”

As the professor left, the instructor didn’t bother to hide his irritation.

“Damn it, why does Egret have to show up now of all times…”

“Instructor! So, you’re going to teach me right away?”

“Yeah. We’ll start now. I’ve got an appointment tonight, so we’ll wrap it up in about an hour.”

I didn’t know why the instructor’s attitude changed so suddenly.

But isn’t it better this way?

At the same time, Irene and Violet No. 65 were preparing to finish their sparring session outside the school.

They had even rented an entire private training ground for it.

“Alright.

Until you’ve properly mastered magic usage, I won’t use any body strengthening either.

Ready?”

“Yep! Come at me with everything you’ve got!”

Irene, unlike her usual school uniform appearance, wore a black coat, vest, shorts, and various protective gear.

I was dressed in my specialized black uniform used for infiltration.

“A sword? I thought your main weapon was a spear.”

“It’s not like I can’t use it.

I’ve practiced enough to reach a basic level.”

While Irene was checking her gear, I rummaged through my inventory.

As I tried to retrieve a sword, I grabbed something I’d never seen before.

When I pulled it out, a flaming red rapier appeared before my eyes.

This was… the weapon Martina used during our last duel.

“This is…!”

「The Blade of Radiant Flame? Why is this here? When did I pick it up?」

「Are you sure it’s the real one? Check it!」

I brought up the status window for the first time in a while, holding the item in my hand.

The words [Blade of Radiant Flame ☆☆☆☆☆] gleamed vividly in front of me.

The five stars glittering beside the name burned into my mind.

「A five-star weapon… finally!」

「Did that person drop it?」

「Let’s try replicating it!」

The other Violets immediately began cloning the five-star weapon.

A much cruder version of the rapier appeared, named [Deteriorated Blade of Radiant Flame ☆☆☆].

「What’s the difference?」

「The reduced stars must mean lower performance.」

“Violet? What are you doing? That sword…”

“Nothing!”

Using such a rare five-star weapon felt wasteful, especially since I didn’t know how to wield it properly.

I put the rapier back into my inventory and retrieved the practice one-handed sword I’d been using all this time.

“I can only check your basic swordsmanship and movements. The best I can do is be your sparring partner. Got it? Alright, come at me!”

“Here I go!”

I mustered everything I’d learned so far and charged at Irene.

“Ughh!”

But with a simple twist of her blade, she made me drop my sword.

“Reckless. Don’t just swing aimlessly. Watch your opponent’s movements. Got it?”

“Got it!”

And so, Violet’s training began.