The Academy’s Weapon Replicator - Chapter 197

Chapter 64: The weakest team (4)

Dier’s team passed Frondier’s test.

Aten was the first to notice this. Because she kept looking at the left exit.

‘Finally passed my first pass!’

I was worried that Frontier might have caused excessive injuries to the students, preventing them from passing, but the students who passed did not appear to have any particularly serious injuries.

A few bruises were noticeable, but since it was a skill test, no matter who the person in charge was, there would be some bruises.

However, the steps of all five people were heavy as they seemed completely exhausted. Aten could also be seen sighing when he saw the door to the third stage.

You might be thinking, ‘Step 2 was so difficult, will I be able to pass Step 3?’ It must be a sigh born of anxiety.

‘Will you come to me?’

Aten waited for them with a slightly pounding heart.

Because Frontier eliminated all students from the second stage, there were fewer students taking the third stage than originally expected.

Therefore, not only Aten but also other level 3 personnel were waiting without testing.

‘If you come, let’s talk and ask about Frontier.’

It’s not just freshmen who don’t know much about Frontier.

Even people who are relatively close to us, like Aten and Cybel, still don’t know much about Frontier.

In particular, the only person who knows about Frontier’s activities during winter vacation is Selena. Other people were very interested in Frontier, whose mana had grown incomparably compared to before.

Winter is incomparably harsher than summer.

Frontier heading towards the barrier once again. Aster suddenly turned down the Magic Tower job and went on to work as an Elodie professional intern who toured dungeons in the center of the continent, as well as training in a closed house.

What these three came back with during their vacation was already a matter of interest not only to the second year students, but to the entire Constel.

There is a high probability that the person who knows Frondier’s current skills best was the Dier team they just fought with. If you ask them, you might be able to catch the changes in Frontier.

…Of course, that was Aten’s wish.

“ah.”

Unfortunately, the Dier team headed to another testing site. The trudging gait was the back of someone who had already sensed failure.

“It’s a shame.”

Meanwhile, another team entered Aten’s testing site. Aten got up from the chair he had been using while resting and greeted them.

“Welcome to Level 3.”

Let’s put off Frontier’s work for later.

Now is the time to be faithful to your duties.

* * *

“Huh…?”

Dier pressed the last button and looked back. I checked with other team members.

A mission that requires pressing the buttons of the five worlds sequentially and having all five people press the buttons.

The hands of all team members were pressing the buttons precisely.

Pielot Homas Roxy Nether were all fine, although their breathing became somewhat rough. They were all looking at each other with puzzled expressions.

“congratulations. I passed stage 4. “Everyone is doing well.”

Runia, the person in charge of the level 4 test, applauded and praised them.

“Are you passing?”

“huh. In particular, Pielot’s movements are unique. It’s just like I heard. It’s surprising that they’re already using Auras. Even among second-year combat students, there are many who are not good at it.”

“…thank you.”

Pielot answered somewhat dryly. It wasn’t that I was ignoring my senior’s words. As he had an ambition to prove his skills in this test, he was honestly happy with the tester’s praise.

If only I could be honest.

“Hey, senior.”

Roxy, who was next to me, spoke carefully.

“huh?”

“Did the difficulty of the test decrease while we were doing it? Was there a student injured?”

“huh? “No, there’s nothing like that?”

Despite Runia’s words, the team members looked shocked.

Runia tilted her head.

“You really think I watched?”

“….”

“I heard that this year’s new students are quite confident. Especially Pielot von Libance. “Why do you underestimate yourself, contrary to what you hear?”

“Is that so?”

“okay. You guys did a great job. “I did my best and no one looked down on me, so rest assured and be confident.”

Runia tapped her teammates on the shoulders.

Yes. They passed step 4.

I forced myself to pass the 2nd stage of Frontier, which seemed impregnable, and went into the 3rd stage scared by how difficult the next exams would be.

The team members, who had already become accustomed to planning their strategy around Dier after being harshly scolded by Frondier, easily passed the third stage.

Until then, they thought this way.

─Stage 3 is a resting section!

Stages 1 and 2 were not that long, so the challenge was how well I could manage the stamina consumed in those two tests while solving the relatively easy stage 3. Even though Constel seems to have a ruthless side, she secretly cares about her students!

But after passing step 4, I felt strange. It was definitely a bit more difficult than step 3. The skills of the upperclassmen in charge were also outstanding.

However, in the first place, it was a 5:1 fight and all five buttons had to be pressed. Conversely, from Runia’s perspective, it meant that she had to look at all five buttons.

Dier quickly caught the difficulty and succeeded in confusing Runia’s eyes by disrupting the timing in the last half.

“Now next is step 5. Congratulations Aster and Elodie. “I’m sure we can meet one of them.”

“…thank you.”

They left the test stage of stage 4 side by side, still unable to figure out the answer.

Next was the waiting room. There was no one else in the waiting room except them. This meant that there were very few people who passed step 4.

“…okay.”

Dier opened his mouth as if he suddenly remembered something.

“huh?”

“If there are 5 people on a team, of course it’s a 5-on-1 battle.”

“Well, that’s right.”

“So, it’s normal for missions to be designed to give the upperclassmen an advantage.”

Steps 3 and 4 were like that. Stage 3 was like a simplified version of stage 1, with several obstacles flying in and the team had to move forward while avoiding them. Of course, upperclassmen played a role in hindering that. Step 4 already had to lose power in that each person had to press and hold a different button.

“…Of course, the easier the mission, the better we are. No matter how advanced you are, it’s a 5 to 1 fight. It’s not a fight where we risk our lives and hurt each other. All you have to do is complete the mission. Of course, the five sides have a significant advantage.”

“What do you want to say?”

“Only the second stage mission was actually more advantageous for us.”

Everyone’s expressions changed at Dier’s words.

Conditions for the 2nd stage mission. Touch the key hanging high. Because whatever happens is fine.

“…Isn’t that because it’s stage 2? “The mission must gradually become more difficult.”

Nether, who was listening, spoke.

“Yeah right! The mission has become increasingly difficult! While going from stage 2 to stage 4!”

“…?”

Dier’s excited voice raised questions among others. Why are you so excited?

Pielot, who watched this, sighed and said.

“So what this guy is saying is that the reason our perceived difficulty level is strange is not because of the mission.”

“what?”

“We didn’t realize it at the time because we were trying our best, but think about it calmly. As long as you ‘touch’ the key hanging on the wall, no matter what you do, the mission will be successful. Who can’t do that? “No matter who is in front, there are five of us.”

“…But we had a really hard time.”

“okay. Because the person in charge of testing was a ‘sloth’. There is no way that anyone can achieve such a mission. Right after we beat stage 2, we thought this was Constell’s level, but if you think about it calmly, that’s nonsense. “There’s no way a skill like ‘Sloth’ is that common.”

Inside of Pielot, there was a feeling of resistance, saying ‘I can’t be that weak’ due to his high self-esteem, but the content itself was not wrong.

Dier also nodded.

“…In other words, only senior Na-tae can do a mission like that.”

“…It was a mission just for that one senior?”

“It might not have been like that at first, but as we continued to adjust the level of difficulty, it ended up like that.”

Everyone was nodding their heads as if they understood Dier’s words.

And in the meantime, Dier did not say anything, but one more thought developed.

‘If Constell had known that Sloth senior was that strong, he wouldn’t have placed Sloth at level 2.’

From Dier’s experience, he hasn’t knocked on the door of level 5 yet, but level 5 may have been a possibility.

‘When I first met Senior Sloth in Stage 2, I wasn’t surprised. Although Sloth was famous, there was no perception that he was incredibly strong. In other words, the views and evaluations of sloth by the entire Constel and freshmen are almost no different.’

Constell was unable to fully check Frontier’s level. So, it was placed in stage 2.

Constel evaluates students’ level through multiple tests and training. So there are plenty of places and opportunities to show off your strength. Nevertheless, Frontier is level 2. This was undoubtedly intended by Frontier.

‘If it was Senior Na-tae’s intention to be placed at level 2, then of course he would have moved in line with his setting of ‘level 2 person in charge’ during the test.’

As Dier’s thoughts progressed, his eyes became increasingly clearer. A sparkling thought reaches my eyes and my heart beats bigger.

‘So, in other words, at that time, senior Sloth didn’t use any of his strength, and that was what he assumed to be ‘stage 2’…!’

Beep –

Then I heard a notification sound calling for the next person.

Dier woke up from his brief thoughts.

“…come in.”

“They asked me to come in?”

“Take the lead.”

“no. why me?”

The team members hesitated to step forward.

There are two doors in front of them. Coincidentally, both are empty, so you can go anywhere.

It is unknown who is waiting inside the door. Aster and Elodie. One of them is inside the left door and the other is inside the right door.

Jerk.

At that time, Dier stepped forward.

He had dreamed of meeting Aster ever since he took this skill test. I looked forward to receiving some inspiration from seeing Constel’s bright future ahead of him with his talent and ability. A strong yearning led him to Constell.

But it’s a little different now.

To him now, whether the person on the other side of the door was Aster or Elodie was not that important.

Right now I’m just clearing stage 5 with my team. No matter who your opponent is, if you do your best, the results will follow.

“Okay, let’s pass step 5!”

Dier shouted loudly.

* * *

Flutter.

The final gateway to the 5-step skill test.

What they met was Elodie de Inies Richae.

“great job.”

Elodie looked down at the Dier team and spoke calmly.

“Thank you for your hard work…”

Dier tried to answer sincerely even with his grandson stretched out, but the words did not come out well.

It was a complete defeat. I clearly realized the difference in skill.

The five-step test was simple. Time limit is 5 minutes. In it, the team must reach Elodie’s head or torso. Elodie’s clothes are imbued with a detection magic, so they automatically make a loud sound when touched.

But no one could touch a single hair of Elodie’s hair. It couldn’t even touch Elodie’s fingers, let alone her torso.

‘still.’

However, in the midst of Dier’s crushing defeat, heat was somehow boiling up inside his body.

“thank god.”

The heat flowed out as a voice.

“As expected, Constel is strong!”

Everyone heard that voice. The team members looked at Dier blankly for a moment, then dropped their shoulders and sighed.

“That’s why you lost, you idiot.”

“I lost so coolly that I’m speechless.”

Elodie looked around at the team members who were talking like that. Coming this far, there are many teams that have creaks and conflicts even though they each have different skills, but this one seemed to be well-integrated.

Elodie walked to Pielot first.

“Pielot von Libanche.”

“Yes yes.”

“Using aurors is great, but you shouldn’t move with momentum. “Especially when working as a team, if unexpected behavior becomes frequent, team members become anxious.”

“…yes.”

“When you were training at your family, did you secretly use your auror to get off easily?”

“Ugh.”

“It’s not a matter for me to get involved in teasing, but if you smoke, your skills at teasing will improve. “You have to be careful about that.”

Pielot nodded. In the face of such an overwhelming difference, not even a sound came out.

Close combat is basically the domain of swordsmen. For a wizard, this room is not that spacious. Nevertheless, Elodie’s inaction was unwavering.

“And Roxy.”

“yes!”

In this way, Elodie informed each person of their shortcomings and areas for improvement. Whether it was magic or combat, his extensive knowledge and insight pinpointed their problems and the explanations were easy to understand.

Everyone who heard nodded their heads in admiration. Because this is possible, it was placed at level 5, and this also applies to Aster.

“And Dier.”

“…yes.”

Elodie approached Dier, who was still out of breath.

“You have a good head. And I like fighting with my head.”

“….”

Dier couldn’t answer and kept his mouth shut.

In fact, calling Dier ‘good-looking’ wasn’t a pleasant thing to say.

He knows his own weaknesses well. The eyes are good, but the body cannot respond to what the eyes see.

It’s good at hiding its presence, but even if it gets right in front of you, it’s not enough to rip the monster’s tough hide with one hit.

The fact that he used his head was the result of someone who had nothing trying to take a step forward, and it was no different from the meaning of having nothing else.

“Why do you think you lost?”

“…Because the senior is strong?”

“lie.”

“….”

“I could answer better.”

Elodie squatted down and got close to Dier’s eyes. Dier stood up and stretched out his body. He lowered his eyes and said.

“…I like rock-paper-scissors fights.”

“Hey.”

“Rock, paper, scissors is of course a game of chance, but no one always produces rocks. If this continues, no one will be able to win. “Why would you do that?”

“Because everyone knows that he only produces rocks.”

Dier nodded in response to Elodie’s answer.

“If that happens, it’s not a game of chance. I like to know the opponent’s information and tendencies in advance and read the opponent’s psychology in the process to fight. But there are cases where such a fight itself does not work.”

Of course, rock-paper-scissors only works within the rules of rock-paper-scissors.

“How can I fight if my opponent’s scissors not only beat my scissors but also the rock? That’s my loss. “The strongest card I have can’t beat Elodie’s weak card.”

Elodie heard Dier’s words and looked into his eyes for a moment.

…Yeah, too.

This one is different from Frontier.

“You’re a nicer kid.”

“yes?”

“I think he’s the kindest of all the smart kids.”

What is this? Is this a compliment?

“But you’re wrong. “That’s not your loss.”

“No?”

“I’m talking about the rock-paper-scissors example we just gave, but there is one more condition for winning rock-paper-scissors. Do you know what it is?”

Dier tilted his head at Elodie’s words. Is there such a way?

“The other party is not paying anything.”

“…yes?”

“No matter how strong the opponent’s rock-paper-scissors is, what’s the use if you don’t pay? “If you don’t score, you lose, and if you score late, it’s a foul.”

“Oh no, but it’s usually mine, right? of course.”

“Ahahaha. “That’s because it’s like rock, paper, scissors.”

“…ah.”

Dier made a sound as if he guessed something from those words.

Elodie narrowed her eyes and laughed.

─I remember seeing that smile.

“Hide the cards I have, lie about the numbers, exaggerate or reduce the effects. Acting like you’re weaker than anyone else in the world and bragging like you’re immortal. Sometimes, you actually do something like that to intimidate the other person. “If you really want to play rock, paper, scissors, you should do that.”

I remember seeing that smile.

There was a sense of déjà vu in this tone.

That’s why Dier knew.

“…senior.”

“huh?”

“That’s not your story, is it?”

Elodie’s eyes widened slightly at those words. Soon a smile appeared in his eyes.

“It was you. “The one on the far left passed stage 2.”

“yes?”

“You met Frontier, right?”

“…yes.”

“You passed the test. Did you feel like you won?”

“….”

Dier shook his head.

Hehehe, Elodie laughed like a mischievous person. Dier was surprised to see that.

“Of course it’s different from Frontier. He only thinks on his mind and his words and actions are completely different. “You must be insidious.”

“…oh.”

“Learn that too?”

“If it helps you get stronger.”

At those words, Elodie’s hand stroked Dier’s head. Dier’s face turned red with shame and embarrassment.

“I do not recommend following Frontier.”

“Is that so?”

Dier asked again. Elodie, who answered him, spoke with a somewhat lonely expression on her face.

“This is not the path for people to take.”