Chapter 55 of the Weapon Replicator of the Academy

Fishing (4)

"Mr. Ares."

Ares turned around at the voice coming from behind.

Frondear was standing there.

Ares waved his hand without hiding his annoyance.

"What is it, Frondear? I said I'll pay you back later,"

"I found the rat."

Ares' hand stopped.

He looked at Frondear with a stern face.

Frondear's expression remained unchanged.

The same lazy, sleepy face.

He took a step closer to Ares.

Ares frowned and asked,

"What do you mean by that?"

"I found out who the traitor in Constel is."

He said that.

Ares' eyes widened.

He lowered his voice and asked,

"Is that true?"

"Yes. This is not the place to talk. This way."

"Hmm."

As Frondear led the way, Ares followed behind.

Creak—

The door to the empty classroom opened lightly, and Frondear stepped inside.

An isolated building, a corner classroom.

"Cast a soundproofing spell."

"Please do."

Frondear stopped walking halfway into the classroom.

Without turning his head, he said,

"Mr. Ares."

"What is it?"

"There's no need to do that."

"What do you mean?"

Frondear turned his head to look at Ares.

He had a faint smile.

"You don't need to draw your sword."

As Frondear said, Ares' hand was on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Finding the traitor.

That's impossible.

The traitor is Ares himself.

If Ares is the traitor, telling him that the traitor has been found is absurd.

Frondear had made a mistake.

However, if he had some reason to be certain of the traitor, there must be a reason.

If that reason involves Ares himself,

And if it endangers the princess,

"Frondear, don't blame me too much. You're the one who put your hand in the fire."

"Mr. Ares."

Frondear called Ares softly.

An unguarded posture.

A lazy voice.

"There's no need to be on guard."

"…What do you mean?"

Ares' face was tense.

Frondear chuckled.

Then Frondear said something unbelievable.

"I'm a rat too."

As he said this, Frondear raised his right hand.

On his index finger was a ring that only four people in the royal family possessed.

'The princess's ring…!'

Ares' eyes widened.

* * *

After talking with Filia on the rooftop,

I glanced at her.

Filia, as befitting a queen, was adorned with various luxurious accessories.

What particularly caught my eye was the ring on her index finger.

I asked,

"About Filia's ring."

"Yes?"

Filia used honorifics with me again.

It seemed her honest demeanor was only temporary.

I felt a bit disappointed but didn't mind as I asked,

"Is it true that you and your children all wear the same ring?"

"Yes. I gave these to my daughters… Oh."

Filia stopped answering and seemed to understand.

The conversation had revealed my intention.

Her eyes narrowed, her hand went to her mouth.

"…Indeed. I understand what you mean."

"Are the rings exactly the same?"

"Exactly the same. The texture, the shine, the patterns, everything. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference just by looking."

"I'll use this to catch the traitor in Constel."

Filia examined the ring made of Black River again and chuckled.

"It should work."

* * *

Ares trembled as he pointed at the ring I showed him.

"How did you get that ring…!"

"I received it. I thought you wouldn't believe me just by my words."

Ares would understand the significance of this ring.

"No, even if that's true, still…!"

Ares seemed confused.

The fact that I was wearing this ring.

Ares didn't know the connection between me and Filia.

Even if he did, he wouldn't think Filia would give her ring to me.

Actually, this is a weaving product, not given by Filia.

"Did Lady Elysia really give you this ring?"

"Yes."

"I can't believe it."

"Would you like to see it for yourself?"

I extended my hand.

Ares, who had been ready to kill me a moment ago, flinched and pulled back.

Still, his eyes carefully examined the ring on my finger.

Well, even the owner, Filia, couldn't tell the difference.

Ares wouldn't be able to either.

"…But you interfered with Renzo's plan! How could you be Lady Elysia's subordinate!"

That's the problem.

The fact that I, who interfered with Renzo, am on Elysia's side doesn't make sense.

This is where it gets important.

Ares called me 'the one who interfered with Renzo's plan.'

If he knew I had cut off Renzo's arm, he wouldn't have said it that way.

In other words, Ares believes the false information I sent to Constel.

This is Ares' weakness.

During the midterm practical exam, Renzo replaced all the drones around to prevent his kidnapping of Athene from being discovered.

As a result, no one in Constel witnessed Renzo's crime.

No one at all.

Not even Ares or Elysia, who were on Renzo's side, saw what happened.

"That's not true."

"What, what did you say?"

"Lady Elysia suspected Athene's kidnapping from the moment she confirmed that I was acting with Athene. But she wanted a more certain method. So she brought me to her side to minimize the possibility of anything going wrong."

"…But the plan failed."

"Yes, it did. It was discovered by Professor Ed Hamelot. Why do you think that happened?"

"Why…?"

Ares' flustered face was a sight to see.

He rolled his eyes at my words, then suddenly opened them wide as if he had realized something.

Finally, Ares had reached the fake truth I created.

"…No way. No, that can't be. Lady Elysia wouldn't…."

"…."

I remained silent for a moment.

I knew it would make the bluff more effective.

Then I slowly spoke.

"Lady Elysia suspects you."

"There's no way! You're lying!"

"The only one who could ruin this plan, which was supposed to be flawless, was you. The only one who knew all of Lady Elysia's plans in advance."

"That's the same for you!"

"Everyone knew I was acting with Athene. And most importantly, I could inform others of Renzo's sudden intrusion without being detected by Renzo. Do you think that's possible?"

Ironically,

This clumsy lie was originally created to hide the fact that I had cut off Renzo's arm.

Now, I'm using its clumsiness to pressure Ares.

"…I'm not. If Lady Elysia hears my story directly, she'll understand."

"Lady Elysia said she needs clear evidence."

"What kind of evidence?"

"Are you really Ares?"

"…What do you mean?"

At Ares' question, I narrowed my eyes.

"Lady Elysia suspects that you were 'replaced' at some point."

"Replaced…?"

"Are you really Ares?"

The world of Etius is advanced in both magic and science.

Changing one's face and body to impersonate someone else. It's not easy, but it's certainly possible.

In other words, Ares was replaced by someone else without Elysia's knowledge.

The real Ares is either trapped somewhere or dead, and the current Ares is a third person unknown to Elysia.

…That's the fake scenario I created.

"Nonsense! I am Ares!"

"Then you must know about the plan."

Of course, I know all of Elysia's plans.

The problem is, the reason is 'I played a game.'

This reason wouldn't convince anyone in Constel.

So the one who needs to convince the teachers of Constel is Ares, not me.

──Speak, Ares.

Choose the easier path.

I'll create a grave like a cradle for you.

Ares clenched his jaw as if grinding his teeth.

He spat out his words with passion.

"Of course! It was an 'attack'!"

"What kind of attack?"

"Bringing in monsters to attack Constel!"

"How?"

"Setting up a large-scale magic circle, 'Laphelia,' to lure monsters into Constel!"

"Why?"

"To exclude Athene Terst and Rodrick Terst!"

After Ares' loud outburst, there was a brief silence.

Finally, I got it.

Elysia's 'attack plan'.

As Ares said, Elysia used Ares to set up a magic circle to summon monsters to Constel.

Once the magic circle was activated, the monsters would attack Constel indiscriminately.

All the students inside would be in danger, including Athene.

Elysia knew that if Athene was in danger, Rodrick would come to save her.

She planned to push them both into the wave of monsters and kill them at once.

That's right.

The quest alert that appeared on my smartwatch before.

Elysia's plan is the main quest, 'Attack'.

Even if I'm the one being targeted, the reason Ares can freely reveal the plan is that he trusts the soundproofing spell he cast.

That was Ares' final mistake.

I glared at Ares for a moment.

This is the final stage of the act.

I smiled as if relieved and said,

"That's a relief. It seems Lady Elysia's worries were unfounded."

"…Of course."

"Then I'll be going. Please proceed with the plan as usual, Mr. Ares."

I said this and walked past Ares out of the classroom.

The fact that I 'walked past' Ares is important.

Ares just missed his last chance to kill me.

When I opened the classroom door,

"Ares."

Two women stood at the entrance.

"Let's talk."

It was Malia and Jane.

"Wh…?"

Ares was momentarily flustered by their appearance but soon regained his composure and said,

"What do you want to talk about?"

Ares was putting on a show.

He trusted the soundproofing spell he had cast in the classroom.

Malia smiled and covered her ears.

"Forgot my ability?"

Malia's bloodline ability, 'Sensory Sharing'.

She can share one of her five senses with someone else.

If she shares her hearing, she can hear what the other person hears.

In this case, the soundproofing spell loses its meaning.

What I hear is what Malia hears.

Ares, not understanding the situation, finally realized it and his expression was truly remarkable.

"You… you bastard…!"

What did you hear just now?

Not a bastard, but a rat.