Replicator | Chapter 11 – Manipulating Fate (3)

“Hmm, it’s not going as planned.”

Sybil murmured, her mind immersed in contemplation as her fingertips grazed her lips.

‘Aster Evans…….’

His divine power was renowned far and wide.

While most people bestowed with divine power would go to great lengths to hide them within their families, once the owner of those powers reached a certain level of prominence, there was no need for such secrecy.

In fact, it was more advantageous for them to be widely known, benefiting other Houses and Institutions. Thus, Aster’s divine power was known to all, whether he wanted it to be or not.

On top of that, he possessed a strong reputation, diligence, talent, and captivating looks.

‘I want to make him mine.’

But things weren’t going as planned.

After Frondier left to recruit Quinie, Sybil made considerable efforts, or so she thought. Yet, she was met with a gentle refusal, accompanied by a tender smile.

‘I put so much thought into my proposal, from my facial expressions to my gestures and tone of voice.’

With each step she took, Sybil’s movements gained a rhythmic quality, as if she were performing a subtle dance.

She had rarely faced rejection in her life. The world always catered to her desires.

Hence, she struggled to fathom the plight of less fortunate individuals. She couldn’t comprehend the efforts of others.

It’s not that she was belittling their efforts or their hard work, but rather a genuine lack of understanding on her part.

She genuinely believed that everyone possessed equal luck, and talent, and invested the same measure of effort as herself.

To someone like her, the concept of ‘rejection’ remained unfamiliar and undesirable.

Creak.

Creak. Creak.

Ah, she heard it – the harmonious sound of fate aligning; the resonant cadence of cogs gradually shifting in her favor.

Of course, Sybil was aware that this sound was but an illusion—an auditory manifestation of her own imagination.

– Fate doesn’t make a sound.

Without any such omens, fate had already laid its plans for her.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

In the dungeon that I was about to enter, there lay a ‘Sanctuary.’

For those with divine powers, it provides an opportunity to briefly encounter the owners of those powers, the gods themselves.

These gods granted simple wishes and bestowed even greater strength with but a single word spoken.

It was a perfect place for someone like Aster. Aster. And so, according to the original game, Aster would find his way there and come face to face with Baldur.

This gives him the opportunity to increase Baldur’s power even further.

“I have no need to go there.”

As someone with no divine powers, it was undoubtedly useless for me.

I should just explore to some extent and witness Aster’s participation in the Sanctuary event.

“Oh.”

As I arrived at the main gate of Constell, Quinie stood there waiting for me.

I felt a slight relief. Though it seemed unlikely for Quinie to be absent, there was still a lingering doubt after our agreement.

“You’re early.”

Quinie waved her hand upon seeing me. Her expression was subtle.

“Frondier, why did you participate in this dungeon raid?”

“Oh, I wasn’t planning on joining, but I got picked out by Aster.”

“Aster Evans? Hmm…….”

Quinie looks at me, surprised. It was as if she was saying, ‘You’re friends with Aster?’

“Huh? Wait, am I late?!”

I heard a cheerful voice from a few feet away and saw Sybil rushing over in a fluster.

“No, you’re not late.”

Following closely behind her, Aster calmly spoke with a composed voice.

Breathlessly, Sybil caught up to us, her face flushed from exertion. “I-I’m not late, am I?”

“Even the teacher hasn’t arrived yet, so it’s fine.”

“Oh, I see. That’s a relief.”

Sybil breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, she noticed Quinie and respectfully bowed.

“Hello, I’m Sybil Forte. I look forward to working with you today.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Quinie de Viet.”

Quinie nodded kindly in response. Although it seemed like their first meeting, they conversed effortlessly.

From the start, both possessed adept social skills and a friendly nature. They also shared some similarities, forging a connection between them.

Okay, now here comes someone who was a little uncomfortable for me.

While I bring Quinie along, Sybil and Aster were tasked with fetching the teacher.

“Have you all been waiting long?”

A composed yet gentle voice resounded.

Teacher Jane.

The woman I met as soon as I came to this world.

That’s right, the one I vehemently insisted was not Mistilteinn when I saw the branch in WizardView.

I knew she held no favorable sentiments toward me.

“I’m Jane, your leader, and guide for the day. Shall we proceed without delay?”

Jane smiled. Her face, directed towards me, appeared flawlessly pristine.

……or so it seemed to me.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Frondier and the others embarked on their journey by car. It was about an hour’s drive to the dungeon and since it was a relatively short distance, everyone felt at ease.

Students from Constell who entered the dungeon were granted leave depending on the size and danger level of the dungeon.

This time, they were given a three-day period. Within that time, they had to complete the dungeon raid.

“We have arrived.”

After stepping out of the car, Jane surveyed the area around the dungeon entrance.

“Hmm! Excellent, excellent. This dungeon has an authentic and mystical ambiance.”

The entrance to the dungeon was a rectangular stone walkway with a staircase leading downward. This entrance was the easiest way to recognize a dungeon.

Once the terrain transitioned into the dungeon, its shape would change, becoming noticeably distinct.

It was as if it welcomed people inside.

“Heh, so this is the dungeon…,” Sybil remarked, her eyes sparkling as she surveyed the entrance.

She had never seen a dungeon before.

Frondier, however, wore an expression devoid of excitement.

“Now, Aster, Fondier, and Sybil, I want you to observe as much as possible, while I and Quinie take on the dungeon.”

For first-year students, dungeons were dangerous.

In truth, it was not the monsters themselves but rather the traps lurking within the dungeon that posed a problem.

Constell was a place that trained combatants, so they could handle monsters to some extent, but traps were relatively more challenging.

I will lead the way, and Quinie, I’ll leave the back to you.”

“Yes.”

From the front to the back, the order was Jane, Aster, Frondier, Sybil, and Quinie.

To anyone’s eyes, Frondier’s position seemed to be the safest. It was a judgment based on reputation and skill.

“Let’s go.”

As they descended the stairs, a wide cave appeared before them. It resembled a natural cave, with sporadic flowers blooming amidst moss and rocks, and countless stones littered the floor.

If it weren’t for the entrance, it would be difficult to believe that this was a dungeon.

“Stay alert as we proceed,” Jane said in a lowered voice.

She then drew a wand from her pocket and illuminated the area with its light.

In truth, Jane wasn’t particularly nervous. There was no real danger in a low-level dungeon if she was present.

However, since the students were with her, she had to maintain an appearance of tension to ensure they stayed on guard. 

Meanwhile, Quinie observed the entire group from the rear.

‘…Frondier seems surprisingly relaxed,’ she thought to herself as She saw him from the back.

She noticed Frondier’s gait, which seemed to resemble those of someone simply taking a stroll, unlike Aster and Sybil’s brisk movements.

Was it just his nature?

Is it really possible to be so laid-back just by being lazy?

While Jane walked to the front, she noticed a hidden trap trigger within the floor. It was an old-fashioned trap, but within this natural cave-like setting, it was difficult to detect.

Jane halted her steps.

“Aster, Frondier, stop for a moment… Huh?” Jane paused and turned back.

Frondier had already stopped walking. From the sight of him gripping Aster’s arm, it seemed he had halted Aster’s steps even before Jane could give a warning.

“…Did you know what’s ahead of here, by any chance?”

“I didn’t know, I just saw it,” Frondier replied, pointing at the floor with his finger. There was an unnaturally protruding stone. It was the trap trigger that Jane had discovered.

“You have keen eyes, Frondier.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It was pure luck,” Frondier replied modestly to Jane and Aster’s praise.

In truth, he might have just said it briefly because he found it bothersome.

Quinie watched the whole thing in silence.

Seeing the trap trigger that Frondier discovered, it was clear that with enough attention, it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed.

‘Hmm, was it really just luck?’ Quinie wondered. But then, something caught her attention.

‘……?’

Frondier’s gaze was directed towards the floor where the trap was set, but it shifted to the right, focusing on the wall; it was a simple wall unrelated to the path they were supposed to take.

Frondier’s glance lasted only for an instant, but there was a definite sense of discomfort.

“Now, let’s avoid this part of the floor, as Frondier suggested,” Jane guided, and Quinie and the other four slowly moved away from the trap.

However, Quinie stopped in front of the floor.

….Even with her eyes, which are equipped with the trap-disarming skill, she couldn’t exactly tell how the trap would activate when stepping on this floor.

But there was Frondier’s gaze from earlier – the gaze that fell upon the right wall.

“…….”

Quinie unfurled her fan and stomped on the stone.

Boom!

An arrow flew out from between the stones on the right wall.

Klang! Quinie deflected the arrow effortlessly with her fan.

Jane shouted in surprise.

Jane exclaimed in surprise, “What… What are you doing, Quinie?!”

“I’m sorry. I thought it would be better to disable it in advance. We might have to pass through this way again.”

“…Sigh. I’m glad you didn’t get hurt, but next time, tell me about that stuff beforehand.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry again.”

Quinie replied with an apology, glancing at the arrow that had fallen to the ground.

‘……It really did come from the right.’

At the end of the gaze that Frondier followed, on the right wall, an arrow flew exactly from there.

Does Frondier have a more advanced trap-disarming skill than her? Or has he mastered such knowledge?

Quinie looked at Fondier. He was looking at her, too.

Only Fondier would know the true nature of Quinie’s behavior. He smiled, the tiniest of smiles, as if he had discovered her secret, then turned his gaze forward once more.

Quinie covered her mouth with her fan.

It was a habit of hers to casually do so when she laughed.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Afterward, Quinie observed Frondier’s every move with even greater attention to detail; but Frondier did nothing.

It was a party consisting of a third-year student and a professor venturing into a low-level dungeon. There was no chance for Frondier to shine, let alone an opportunity to show his skills.

After Quinie deliberately triggered the trap, Fondier was even more reluctant to step forward.

“Haahhh.”

Sybil clasped her hands together and placed them behind her head.

Aster, who was beside her, warned her, “Sybil, stay alert.”

“But it’s so boring. The traps are immediately detected by the professor, and the monsters that occasionally appear are nothing to worry about.”

This was Sybil’s first time in a dungeon, and she had quite high expectations.

It stimulated her sense of adventure and curiosity, but she also wanted to witness Aster’s prowess. However, he hardly did anything.

The traps were disarmed in advance, and when monsters approached, Jane would swiftly eliminate them if they came from the front, while Quinie took care of them if they came from behind.

‘This wasn’t what I was hoping for.’

Sybil glanced ahead at Aster. Aster didn’t seem particularly bored. Occasionally, he would examine the surroundings near the walls as if checking the terrain, but that was about it.

──Boring.

Sybil’s excitement dwindled.

She had persuaded Aster to join the dungeon exploration because she wanted to know more about him and get closer to him.

So, even if it was forced, it would be logical to have him participate and satisfy her curiosity, right? There should be something interesting here.

Something, anything.

Creak, Creak, Creak.

Make me happy.

Just then, Frondier touched the wall. Sybil and Frondier were very close at that moment.

His hand sank into the wall.

“Huh?”

Frondier’s body tilted. The problem was, Sybil’s body tilted along with his.

“Kyah, aaah!”

The trap was simple.

When Frondier touched the wall, the two-meter wall within about 2 meters of him collapsed forward. Naturally, Sybil, who was with him, was swept along as well.

At the same time, the floor they were standing on rose up. The wall became the floor, and the floor became the wall as if a revolving door had been installed in the ground.

“Ow, ow…”

Sybil rubbed her head, which had hit the floor. Looking around, there was no one but Frondier.

They were beyond the wall. The trap had separated Frondier and Sybil from the remaining three.

“Uh, what do we do…….”

Sybil pounded on the wall that had been on the floor.

“Teacher! We’re here! Can’t you hear us?!”

Once activated, the trap had no intention of moving again.

Sybil was scared. Being alone with Frondier in a place like this was unsettling. Frondier, whose true intentions she couldn’t fathom, was merely a subject of caution to her.

While she wouldn’t lose in a hand-to-hand fight, if she were caught off guard, she would have no chance in a struggle of brute force.

“Sybil.”

“Ugh, huh?”

“I don’t think they can hear a thing over there, so we’re on our own.”

“……Uh, yeah.”

However, contrary to what she had feared, Frondier was acting normal(?).

Sybil watched his back as he moved ahead, inwardly releasing a relieved sigh.

──Of course,

Frondier triggering the trap was an intentional act.

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(End of chapter……… Thank you for reading…………)

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