ã€ŠMesugaki Tank Enters The Academyã€‹


 Chapter 0

    Ordinary people quit a game after enjoying its content and go y another game.

    How many fun games are there in this world?

    It is much more enjoyable to feel the emotions of various games while doing this and that.

    However, veterans are different.

    People who have spent hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of hours on a single game live in inefficiency.

    They shout, ¡°Oh, this is so boring. There is no content at all.¡±

    And go back into the game to find something else to do.

    This is because the game has already be their life.

    Why do I know so much?

    Because I am a person involved in it.

    There is a game called Soul Academy that dominated the gaming scene and became the GOTY of that year.

    As with all games that are selected as GOTY, Soul Academy has good graphics, good music, a good story, and it is a game that is not at all an exaggeration to call it a god game because it is fun to y.

    I still can¡¯t forget the emotion I felt when I first encountered this game.

    That emotion at that time is what made me y Soul Academy even after all these years.

    Having yed Soul Academy for over ten thousand hours, I had already enjoyed everything there was to do in the game.

    This did not simply mean that I had seen all the endings.

    I had finished the achievements in an instant, and had tried concept ys, unarmed ys, speed runs, and clearing the game using only certain techniques.

    I had tried everything there was to do in the game.

    I had even tried almost all the mods that users had created.

    Regardless of whether they were good or bad, I had tried everything that was avable.

    In that situation, unless Soul Academy DLC or a sequel was released, there was no content I could do in the game.

    I had turned on the game out of inertia, and after quietly watching the title screen, I turned it off again.

    Then I went into themunity to check if there was any news about a sequel to Soul Academy.

    As always, the developer of Soul Academy remained silent.

    At this point, they probably had no intention of releasing one.

    I knew that very well, but I could not give up hope.

    Ten years had passed since Soul Academy came out.

    At first, everyone expected a sequel to this game.

    This wasn¡¯t an ordinary game, but a GOTY game that made a lot of money, so they thought it would naturally have a sequel.

    That¡¯s what everyone else did.

    That¡¯s what all game developers did.

    But the developer of Soul Academy always kept quiet.

    They didn¡¯t even give a small hint.

    One year passed, two years passed, and several years passed.

    Whenever there was any hint, themunity would go aggro and spam for Soul Academy 2 but, would get tired and disappear.

    What was once called a god game became a ruined game over time.

    Like all ruined gamemunities, Soul Academy¡¯smunity had long since died.

    It was a ce where only the people who were always there were visible, and only a few posts were posted per day.

    The only time this ce became active was when a newbie showed up.

    When a newbie who didn¡¯t know anything showed up and asked questions, themunity¡¯s only function was to drive them away from this ruined game by shouting ¡°You smell like a newbie!¡±

    But today was different.

    Strangely, Soul Academy¡¯smunity was active.

    What?

    Another dirty newbie?

    I thought, but no.

    This time, it was a user advertising a mod he had made.

    ¡°I made a Mesugaki mod, want to try it?¡±

    What is Mesugaki mod?

    I couldn¡¯t hold back my curiosity, so I clicked on the post and eximed in admiration as I read the user¡¯s carefully written post.

    The quality of the mod was good.

    Most mods made by users are usuallyndmines.

    If there are a thousand mods, there are probably only ten worth salvaging.

    However, this user¡¯s mod was different.

    First, you could see that he had put a lot of thought into the character modelling.

    Red twin tails, mischievous eyes, and an annoying smile.

    And the fangs.

    Just looking at him made me want to punch him in the face, and that look really showed off Mesugaki¡¯s character.

    The skills that matched the Mesugaki concept were also good.

    [Mesugaki]

    [This damn brat always ignores his opponents and uses provocativenguage. This little brat, who finds joy in making others angry, seems unaware that he could be taught a lesson at any time.]

    [Physical abilities are set lower than usual.]

    [The angrier the opponent, the higher the character¡¯s ability.]

    [It bes harder to gain the favour of other characters.] It bes easier to be attacked by enemies.]

    (If you are pushed back, your ability will decrease sharply.]

    It is a restriction skill that clearly has good strengths but big weaknesses.

    It seems that they put a lot of effort into setting it to fit the concept.

    Ordinary users will reject this skill as trash, but veterans usually get excited by this.

    It bes easier to be attacked by enemies.

    If you make enemies angry, your ability will increase.

    The concept is perfect.

    It is a trait made for tanking!

    Even watching the video below of the user who created the mod ying it himself, I felt good.

    It is a bit annoying to say things like ¡°sloppy-weak¡± in front of a monster, but that is no penalty to a veteran who is dying from ack of content.

    I checked the reviews of people who yed it directly.

    Everyone said that the quality itself was not bad.

    However, some users said that the concept was too nerdy, but that was not a problem for me.

    I am a nerd!

    I downloaded the mod and applied it to the game.

    Isn¡¯t the game broken?

    Who is the creator of this mod?

    I¡¯m seeing this for the first time, but it¡¯s so awesome.

    I¡¯ll have to help them out with moneyter.

    I went into the character creation stage and immediately applied the Mesugaki trait.@@novelbin@@

    Then, the character next to the ability window changed into Mesugaki¡¯s appearance.

    Can¡¯t I touch the karma value here?

    That¡¯s a bit disappointing.

    Maybe it¡¯s because of the penalty of the [Mesugaki] skill, but the character¡¯s ability was lower than average.

    At this level, I should be able to show off my bare-handed restriction y.

    That would be fun in its own way, but let¡¯s take it easy when you first y.

    You can enjoy hardcore y from the second ythrough.

    Since I¡¯m going to raise him as a tank, I¡¯ll put in [Iron Wall], which reduces damage when holding a shield,

    [Unbreakable Will], which prevents instant death, and [Oveing Fear], which reduces the penalty of the Mesugaki skill.

    Since the base specs are too low, let¡¯s also add [Genius], a skill that increases stat increases by 1.5 times so that you can raise them.

    And if you look at the skill description¡¯s provocative nature, it seems like you¡¯ll be beheaded by a noble the second I speak if I make her amoner, so starting as a noble is a must.

    Considering the penalty of the Mesugaki skill.

    Alright, Then let¡¯s begin.

    The moment I pressed character creation, smiling at the thought that I¡¯ll be able to y a refreshing game for the first time in a long time, a light leaked out from the monitor.

    Hey. This. Wait a minute.

    This is fucked¡­

 Chapter 1

    (A few dayster)

    I opened my eyes, clutching my head that felt like it was going to burst, and a message window greeted me.

    [Enter the Academy.]

    [If sessful: ??]

    [If failed: Game over]

    I¡¯m asking for time to calm my troubled mind.

    I closed the message window and got up, and the room caught my eye.

    A gorgeous room with frills everywhere a teenage girls dream, making me feel like I was going crazy.

    I wanted to take off all the frills and throw them away, but I was holding back because I thought the people in the mansion would say things like, ¡°Our youngdy must havepletely lost her mind.¡±

    My reputation was already at rock bottom, and I didn¡¯t want to know that there was an even worse bottom below.

    ¡°Excuse me, youngdy.¡±

    When I rang the bell next to the bed, the door opened as if it had been waiting, and a maid came inside dragging a tray.

    When I first got possessed, I didn¡¯t know this, so I just opened the door and went outside.

    I still remember the maid¡¯s shocked face at that time.

    I was so flustered that I didn¡¯t know what to do, and then I just banged my own head, and I wondered why.

    Today, the maid¡¯s face was clearly tense.

    She came in front of me and lowered her head while holding her trembling hands.

    ¡°You sloppy maid.

    Can¡¯t you act right?¡±

    I tried to use afortable voice to appease her, but the body I was in moved its own mouth, creating a sharp voice.

    I could see the maid¡¯s shoulders flinching as she lowered her head.

    That damn [Mesugaki] skill.

    Here we go again.

    When I chose the [Mesugaki skill, I didn¡¯t know it, but this skill had a special additional effect hidden inside.

    That was that it forced the user to speak and act like Mesugaki.

    Whether I wanted it or not, I would always use an arrogant tone and act in an overbearing manner.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.

    Raise your head.¡±

    ¡°Heh.

    Are you going to keep looking at the ground?¡±

    ¡°No!

    So¡­¡±

    I looked at the attendant who couldn¡¯t keep her eyes still in embarrassment.

    I should have just said nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!

    I¡¯llb your hair first!¡±

    The attendant¡¯s voice was filled with urgency as if she had taken my thoughtless actions as a reprimand.

    I was about to unconsciously answer, but I quickly covered my mouth with my hand and sat down in front of the vanity.

    The mirror on the vanity showed the character I had created, Lucy Allen.

    With long, dark pink hair and mischievous eyes, the little girl who seemed to have a provocative smile was more beautiful than what I had seen in the customization window.

    If it weren¡¯t for the fact, I was the little girl herself, I would have simply admired her for her beauty.

    But now that I¡¯m actually her, all I can think of how fucked up she is.

    Three days have passed since I became a girl named Lucy Allen.

    At first, I was so embarrassed that I did all sorts of strange things, but now that a few days have passed, I¡¯ve calmed down a bit.

    In the process, I also learned several facts.

    First, the fact that the brat named Lucy Allen had already be a public enemy in the mansion before I possessed her.

    I had no choice but to act in a high-handed manner because of my [Mesugaki skill, but our Countess Allen, who was a brat who thought and acted beyondpare, mistook the power her father had for her own power and acted as a tyrant in the mansion.

    The number of times her personal servants were reced was more than ten, and dozens of people ran away from the mansion because they couldn¡¯t stand the brat¡¯s bullying.

    Her teacher had already changed four times, and the current teacher always carries a resignation letter in her bosom.

    At this point, the word ¡°bitch¡± would be a polite expression.

    Wouldn¡¯t the words ¡°crazy pyscho bitch¡± be more appropriate?

    If Lucy¡¯s parents were normal, they would have raised their child well before this happened, but Lucy¡¯s father, who treasured his only daughter very much, was far from normal.

    Didn¡¯t I say that Imitted many strange acts on the first day?

    But even though he saw it with his own eyes, heughed and said,

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±

    No matter how precious his daughter is, if it¡¯s like that!

    No matter how much I think about it, it seems like Lucy became a mess because of her father¡¯s influence.

    A brat who grew up selfishly under parents who always said yes and no.

    It¡¯s really disgusting.

    If I met them in real life, I would have said harsh words to them.

    But that¡¯s me?

    Damn it.

    Anyway, my reputation is the worst because of what my original body did.

    If I didn¡¯t have the title of noble, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if a witch hunt happened at any time.

    Given the situation, my reputation must have hit rock bottom not only in the mansion but also in other ces.

    I don¡¯t know because I haven¡¯t been out in high society yet, but aren¡¯t there voices criticizing Young Lady Lucy Allen¡¯s evil deeds here and there?

    More than eighty percent of the reasons why people start out as nobles at Soul Academy are because of the reputation benefit, and to start off with the reputation at the bottom?

    I¡¯m not a person who cries often, but I¡¯m about to cry.

    I¡¯m going to hear all kinds of criticism when I enter the academy, right?

    Most of the characters in Soul Academy are good-natured or value noble duties.

    The contemptuous gazes of many heroines¡­

    This might be a good thing?

    No.

    No.

    It¡¯s okay when you see it on the screen, but it¡¯ll definitely be heartbreaking when it bes reality.

    In fact, there was another problem that was more important than this.

    It was unclear whether I would be able to enter the academy or not.

    I could ovee it somehow if I took away my feelings, such as reputation and such.

    However, entering the academy was apletely different matter.

    Since Soul Academy starts as a student at the academy, I didn¡¯t know how the academy entrance exam was conducted.

    So, the moment that message came to mind, I immediately looked into the academy entrance exam.

    Soul Academy¡¯s entrance exam is divided into a written exam and a practical exam.

    The written exam is 400 points, and the practical exam is 200 points.

    The total score is 600 points, and the cut-off score for passing is usually 427 points, and the highest cut-off score for the academy exam so far was 453 points.

    But you know.

    In the character¡¯s dialogue, it was mentioned that the main character¡¯s ss was the best ss in history and broke the highest cut-off score?

    So at least 453 points.

    Considering how much they made a fuss in the game; I think it would be safe to say that they got over 460 points.

    Whether the cut-off line is high or not, they would say that as long as they did well on the test, it would be fine.

    I thought the same at first.

    I knew all the settings of Soul Academy.

    No matter how difficult the written test was, I thought I could quickly ovee it with a little studying.

    That was my mistake.

    All I knew was the game¡¯s settings.

    It had nothing to do with what I was studying at the academy.

    How could I know the achievements of the third king of the Sdin Kingdom?

    What else was it?

    The equation for Meskedina¡¯s fire magic?

    How am I meant to know that!

    There were other subjects that were on the academy exam, but they all made my head spin.

    I never thought I would be happy to see mathematical forms in my life.

    I was somewhat familiar with them.

    Of course, being familiar with them didn¡¯t mean I could solve them.

    I was in a liberal arts school and it had been over ten years since I had studied math.

    I had no idea about what they were talking.

    There was only one thing for sure.

    This wasn¡¯t something that a possessed person like me could solve by studying for the remaining three months until the academy exam.

    If I had that kind of brain, would I have spent over ten thousand hours ying a game with no news of a sequel?

    On the other hand, the practical exam was rtively familiar.

    There were two subjects: training and exploring dungeons created by the academy.

    This was something I had done tirelessly in Soul Academy.

    That doesn¡¯t mean it was easy.

    I¡¯m an ordinary person who has never even swung a fist properly.

    How good would I be in a fight?

    I used to be so scared of catching chickens now that I had to fight other people with weapons and go into a dungeon to hunt monsters.

    Is easier said than done.

    It was obvious that I would be too scared to do anything in a real fight.

    Sigh.

    In fact, even if it weren¡¯t for that message window, there would have been no reason to be chased like this.

    Since I was the daughter of a noble, there were plenty of ways to live well without having to enter the academy.

    However, the message, especially the word ¡°game over if you fail,¡± was the problem.

    In a game, game over meant death with a high probability.

    I said high probability because I wanted to deny reality, but in reality, game over meant death.@@novelbin@@

    It was bad enough to be possessed by Mesugaki without even ying it yet, so you want me to live like this and die in vain after three months?

    I can¡¯t do that.

    Absolutely not.

    No matter how urgent it was, the fact that it was impossible to pass through normal means didn¡¯t change.

    That¡¯s why I desperately searched for a way to survive, and at the end of my efforts, I was able to find one way.

    A special admission for excellent practical students.

    It was a system where three people who showed particrly outstanding performance in the Soul Academy practical exam would pass regardless of their written scores.

    This was also almost impossible.

    The other people who took the Academy exam had been preparing for the Academy exam for years.

    Of course, they would be much more familiar withbat than I was, but there was one thing.

    There was one thing I was confident I could do better than anyone else.

    Dungeon exploration.

    Who am I?

    A veteran of over 13,000 hours of Soul Academy!

    I memorized all the types of dungeons that appeared in the Academy exam.

    I could draw a map with my eyes closed!

    I was confident that I would excel in dungeon exploration if I could secure even the minimumbat ability.

    So, it was clear what I had to do in the remaining three months until the Academy exam.

    Spec up.

    No matter how bad I was at fighting, I had to obtain overwhelming specs that would cover it all.

    And this was an area was confident in.

    What do you think I focused on the most while holding onto Soul Academy for several years?

    If I were to give you a spoiler, it would be spec up.

    No matter what character you y as or how you y, spec up is essential to clear the game.

    Since I haven¡¯t entered the Academy yet, my means are limited, but that doesn¡¯t matter.

    There are still plenty of ways to increase my specs.

    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s over.¡±

    When I came to my senses, I had already finished getting my hair done.

    Already?

    Lucy Arlen¡¯s hair is incredibly long.

    No matter how small Lucy is, her waist-length hair is not light.

    However, the maid seeded in the feat of neatly organizing her hair in a short period of time.

    How could this be?

    I couldn¡¯t even think of touching my hair.

    ¡®She¡¯s really great.¡¯

    ¡°Not bad.

    For a sloppy maid.¡±

    I unconsciously let out a voice, so I thought I was in big trouble, but fortunately, my words and actions came out soft for what was equivalent to a scalpel.

    She wasn¡¯t scared this time, was she?

    I thought to myself as I looked behind me, and the maid was looking behind me with a stern face.

    What¡¯s wrong?

    Was my tone a bit too much this time too?

    My worries were unfounded.

    The maid quickly regained herposure and bowed deeply.

    ¡°Thank you, mydy!¡±

    After finishing my meal, I immediately stood in front of the office door where Lucy¡¯s father was to take the first step of my grand n.

    I felt ufortable because I had such an important and difficult task ahead of me that would put my dignity on the line.

    However, I couldn¡¯t help it.

    This was the easiest and most efficient way for me to improve my specs.

    I took a deep breath and knocked on the office door.

    ¡°Stupid father-¡±

    Operation the beginning of the Mesugaki-style aegyo (cute acting).

    Shit.

    I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up even after I say that.

 Chapter 2

    As soon as I knocked on the door, a solemn voice came from inside.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    I pushed open the door that seemed to be twice Lucy¡¯s height, and my breathing became ragged.

    This monstrous father.

    How much must he have exercised for his body to be like this?

    After taking a few deep breaths to calm my breathing, I went inside and saw Lucy¡¯s father, Benedict Allen, who had been working on paperwork, raising his head.

    Slightly raised eyebrows and expressionless eyes.

    A stylish beard covering his mouth and a sharp facial line.

    Benedict, who looked more like an orc or troll than a human, made eye contact with me and soon gave a shabby smile that did not match his face at all.

    ¡°Lucy. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Benedict, who was called the Iron-Blooded Knight and was feared by others, was nothing more than a foolish father to Lucy.

    There was no reason Lucy could be the tyrant of the mansion otherwise.

    Who could possibly scold Lucy when this scary guy keeps asking her toe and go!

    ¡®I just wanted to see you.¡¯ (Attempted speech vs actual)

    ¡°Father, you idiot. Why do I need a reason toe see you?¡±

    ¡°I see! Our Lucy doesn¡¯t need a reason toe see me!¡±

    Look.

    He doesn¡¯t know what to do with himself even after being called an idiot by his daughter.

    This guy would definitely be happy even if Lucy said things like ¡°foolish¡± or ¡°stupid.¡±

    Benedict, who had been smiling faintly, put down his quill and spread his arms wide.

    When he first possessed Lucy¡¯s body, he didn¡¯t know what that action meant, but now it¡¯s different. Having been tormented by that idiot troll for the past three days, I know what that troll wants.

    I don¡¯t want to do it, and I think it would be better to bite my tongue, but right now I¡¯m in the position of asking Benedict for something.

    I have to make that troll feel as good as possible so that he¡¯ll be more likely to grant my request in the future.

    Yes.

    This is inevitable.

    I have to do it for my life.

    Thinking this to myself, I closed my eyes tightly and jumped into the troll¡¯s arms.

    I didn¡¯t worry about anything going wrong.

    Even if I mmed my body with all my might, I wouldn¡¯t be able to inflict a single scratch on the troll¡¯s body.

    Benedict easily caught me andughed heartily.

    ¡°Lucy, no matter what, it¡¯s dangerous to jump in with your eyes closed.¡±

    ¡®I trusted you.¡¯

    ¡°Foolish father.

    Are you a cker who doesn¡¯t have the confidence to ept me?¡±

    ¡°No way.

    Who am I?¡±

    Benedict smiled and stroked my hair with a handrger than Lucy¡¯s face.

    He didn¡¯t look delicate at all, but his touch was incredibly gentle.

    Even aplete stranger like me could tell that Benedict cared for Lucy.@@novelbin@@

    ¡®Excuse me.¡¯

    ¡°Foolish father.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Lucy?¡±

    ¡°I have a favour to ask.¡±

    ¡°Tell me.¡±

    ¡°In a few months. The academy exams areing up soon, right?¡±

    I am a cute daughter.

    I am this troll¡¯s cute daughter.

    Can a troll have a cute daughter?

    I don¡¯t know.

    Don¡¯t worry about that.

    Right now, just think about what Benedict likes.

    ¡°I¡¯m worried about that¡±

    Lucy or me is pretty.

    Even when I act quite cringey, I looks cute.

    For example, when I sit on Benedict¡¯sp and kick my feet like I¡¯m ying in the water, I really looks like a girl with no worries!

    ¡°So?

    What do you want me to do for you, as your dad?

    I¡¯ll do anything I can!¡±

    Benedict, the doting father, fell for me so easily.

    He lifted his chin as if he thought I had serious worries and spoke as if he were making a statement.

    It¡¯s not my ce to say, but can you do this?

    It¡¯s not easy to say you¡¯ll do anything!

    I don¡¯t mean to stop you, though!

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course!

    When has this dad ever lied?¡±

    I can¡¯t help it.

    I can¡¯t not ept what you give me.

    He wants to act cool as a father, so I have to let him feel good.

    ¡°Then can I take what I need from the storage?¡±

    ¡°Is there anything you want there?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Yes.

    Then take whatever you want.¡±

    Benedict smiled as he confirmed, so Iughed along.

    You clearly told me to take whatever I want?

    Now, no matter how much you take from there, it¡¯s not my fault.

    It¡¯s your fault for allowing it.

    After getting Benedict¡¯s permission, I tried to cheer him up, but as soon as I left the office, I felt nauseous.

    The mental damage was severe.

    I never thought that the day woulde when I would act cute to a fellow man.

    I had decided that I would give up my dignity for survival, but this was a bit mentally damaging.

    Just now, I was grateful for the [Mesugaki] skill.

    If the skill hadn¡¯t forced my actions, I would have copsed a long time ago.

    Still, I gained a lot.

    I could take whatever I wanted from the storage of the Allen family.

    It¡¯s time to show off the farming skills of a Soul Academy veteran.

    The dog god who put me in this Mesugaki¡¯s body.

    Please let me farm righteously today.

    I said that, but I don¡¯t n on sweeping up everything in there.

    No matter how much Benedict dotes on Lucy, there must be a limit.

    I n on taking only a few essential items.

    I said the necessary items would cost a lot, but Benedict is a big shot, so it¡¯ll be fine.

    Probably¡­

    I got permission to go into the storage, but I couldn¡¯t go there right away.

    The key to the storage wasn¡¯t with Benedict, but the butler of the mansion, so I had to go to him first.

    While I was walking down the hallway looking for the butler, I saw a maid cleaning the window and spoke to her.

    ¡®Over there.¡¯

    ¡°You, over there.¡±

    As soon as the maid heard my voice, she froze and turned her neck like a robot.

    What¡¯s with that expression, as if she had seen a monster?

    Do you hate Lucy that much?

    I admit it.

    If I, were you, I think I would have really hated her.

    But you can¡¯t show it on the outside.

    If it were the previous Lucy, she would have immediately found fault with her and fired her.

    ¡°Do you know where the butler is?¡±

    ¡°Yes! He¡¯s supervising the cleaning of the first-floor lobby!¡±

    ¡®Thank you.¡¯

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Is that so?¡±

    I still don¡¯t know how this Mesugaki trantion works.

    Where did the thank you, part go?

    Is expressing gratitude to a maid something that shouldn¡¯t be done in Mesugaki?

    I sighed inwardly and headed to the first floor, where I met the butler who was directing the cleaning in the lobby.

    Unlike the maid before, he was visibly polite to me.

    ¡°What is it, Miss?¡±

    ¡®To the storage¡­¡¯

    ¡°I want to go into the storage.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss.

    That requires the Count¡¯s permission.¡±

    ¡®I have permission.¡¯

    ¡°Clumsy butler, do you think I¡¯m being unreasonable without permission?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you have permission.

    I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    Even though a girl who seemed to be about up to his waist was talking to him in a harassing manner, the butler¡¯s expression didn¡¯t waver one bit.

    This is¡­

    the dignity of an adult?

    The butler gave his maid some instructions and led me toward the warehouse.

    The warehouse of the Allen family was quiterge, as expected.

    I knew this would happen.

    In the game, you can get a lot by raiding a count-level family.

    Most of them were items with real value, like gold or jewels.

    They seemed expensive, but cash was meaningless to me right now.

    If I had a lot of money, there was no way to use it.

    After all, I could have as many of those things as I wantedter.

    What I needed right now was something that could be of immediate use.

    I looked around for a while, but it wasn¡¯t easy to find what I wanted in the warehouse where there were so many items lined up.

    If this were a game, it wouldn¡¯t matter since I could tell what it was just by looking at it, but when I tried to identify it with my own eyes, I couldn¡¯t tell what it was.

    This is why I¡¯ll get an identification skillter or something.

    For now, I¡¯ll just ask the butler to find it for me.

    ¡®Butler¡¯

    ¡°Shoddy butler. where¡¯s the elixir?¡±

    The elixir.

    An item that the veterans of Soul Academy were desperately trying to find.

    The elixir¡¯s effect is simple.

    It permanently increases a specific ability simply by consuming it without any conditions.

    In order to quickly raise the physical abilities of the truly shoddy Mesugaki, the elixir was needed.

    I did a quick experiment yesterday, but Lucy¡¯s body was currently unable to hold a weapon, let alone run outside.

    What¡¯s the point of training when your body is so exhausted that your lungs are about to burst after running for about 20 seconds?

    Ihave to be able to move normally before I train!

    So, give me the elixir.

    The elixir.

    There must be two or three stored in the Count¡¯s warehouse.

    ¡°Why are you looking for the elixir?¡±

    The butler answered my question with a question.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to drink it.

    Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­Miss, the elixir will definitely make you stronger, but there is a price to pay.

    If you drink it, you will experience the pain of your body twisting.

    Are you saying that knowing that?¡±

    The pain of your body twisting?

    There was no such description in the game.

    Aha.

    Butler, the elixir is such a precious item, so you are trying to scare me into not taking it.

    How sinister.

    But I¡¯m afraid I would be fooled by that.

    I¡¯m a veteran of Soul Academy!

    Do you think I don¡¯t know anything about this game?

    ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯

    ¡°You poor butler.

    Just hand it over properly.¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­ I understand.¡±

    The butler hesitated for a moment, then nodded and brought me the elixir.

    ¡°This is a potion that increases strength, and this one increases stamina.¡±

    There are two potions that increase stamina that I absolutely need right now.

    And one more potion that increases strength.

    When I confirmed that, I let out a scream.

    I thought it would be nice to have just one potion that increases stamina, but there are two of them!

    And the potion that increases strength is also something I absolutely need!

    If I were to choose the happiest moment in the three days that have passed since I became Lucy, I would confidently say it is now.

    ¡°Which of these would you like to take?¡±

    ¡°All¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡®I will take them all.¡¯

    ¡°Clumsy butler, are you deaf because you are old? I told you I would take them all.¡±

    The numbers are perfect!

    At Soul Academy, you can only take three potions a year.

    But the butler happened to have three.

    This is a destiny given by the heavens.

    So, I have to take them all.

    I didn¡¯t feel guilty.

    I need these to survive, so what guilt is there!

    As anoriginal veteran I have to eat all these things!

    NEXT CHAPTER

    TL note: In case it wasn¡¯t noticed ¡®This refers to what Lucy is trying to say¡¯ and ¡°this is what is actually said.¡±

 Chapter 3

    One thing I regretted after entering this world was that there was no status window.

    In games where you can say status window, it¡¯smon for a window to pop up.

    It¡¯smon to think about how to grow while looking at it.

    Why don¡¯t I have a status window?

    On the first day I possessed Lucy¡¯s body, I firmly believed that I would have a status window and went through all sorts of struggles.

    I thought to myself, spoke, shouted, wrote, and asked the maid what the status window was because I wondered if I should use thenguage of this ce.

    I tried everything I could, but even while I was writhing in shame, the status window didn¡¯t appear.

    Now, three dayster, I¡¯ve given up.

    Yes.

    The status window might not appear.@@novelbin@@

    But that doesn¡¯t mean the skills I put in when I created my character disappeared.

    Right?

    They didn¡¯t disappear, right?

    They didn¡¯t disappear except for the Mesugaki skill, right?

    In any case, assuming that the skills were still there, I had a set task to do.

    Be stronger to defeat the monsters that appear in the dungeon.

    With Lucy¡¯s current body, she wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat even one goblin that appears in the dungeon.

    How could she clear the dungeon with her body panting so much that it was hard to even climb the third floor of the stairs!

    It¡¯s fortunate that when I first created the Mesugaki character, I put in a lot of skills with the intention of having fun.

    If I had decided to y as a veteran like I usually do, what kind of disaster would have happened?

    If I didn¡¯t put in any skills that would benefit this weak Mesugaki¡¯s body, and only put in a lot of penalty skills?

    Wow.

    If that were the case, I would have made a rope with the frills in Lucy¡¯s room.

    While thinking about that, I took out the elixir I had received from the butler andid it out on the dresser.

    The elixir in the ss bottle didn¡¯t look delicious no matter how I looked at it.

    If I had to use a metaphor, it looked like a powdered medicine mixed in water given to a child who couldn¡¯t take pills.

    ¡®If you take the elixir, you will feel a twisted pain in your body.¡¯

    No way.

    You can¡¯t tell just by looking at it?

    It¡¯s a lie to scare me.

    Let¡¯s not pay attention to it.

    I opened the lid of the stamina-boosting elixir and sniffed it.

    There was no smell.

    It was as if I was saying that what was inside was just in water.

    That made me even more anxious.

    Why was that?

    Just as the night before a storm is the calmest, wouldn¡¯t this odorless elixir give me an extreme experience the moment I put it in my mouth?

    I hesitated for a moment, but I had no other choice.

    I had to drink it anyway.

    Don¡¯t be childish.

    With a firm resolve, I drank the liquid in the battle in one go.

    Surprisingly, the elixir didn¡¯t taste like anything.

    Is this really an elixir?

    It¡¯s too ordinary for an elixir.

    The change came suddenly.

    A second after I drank the elixir.

    My body suddenly twisted.

    It wasn¡¯t just one or two ces.

    Pain came all over my body.

    It felt like someone invisible was squeezing my muscles, as if my flesh was being torn apart.

    The pain was so intense that I couldn¡¯t even scream.

    All I could do was roll around on the floor.

    How much time had passed?

    When I came to, I was crawling on the floor.

    F**k.

    What?

    What the hell.

    There was no description of pain when taking elixirs in the game!

    But why does it hurt so much?!

    Huh?

    Is something wrong?

    Is this really an elixir?

    The butler didn¡¯t give me poison as an elixir to screw me over.

    There¡¯s no way.

    If anything happened to me, Benedict, who loves his daughter so much, would cut his own throat not before taking the butlers though.

    He wouldn¡¯t take that risk.

    I staggered up and looked at Lucy in the mirror.

    Her hair was all messed up and her eyes were bloodshot from crying so much.

    Her hands were shaking, and her legs were weak and about to copse.

    Her clothes were dishevelled.

    Was she really that Mesugaki who looked like a brat?

    F**k.

    I couldn¡¯t stop swearing.

    The pain I had just felt wouldn¡¯t leave my head.

    I once identally burned myself.

    It wasn¡¯t my intention,

    I went camping and made a bonfire, but I tripped on something and rolled over the fire.

    It was horrible to have my flesh roasted in the fire.

    It felt like someone was repeatedly cutting my body.

    The fire went out quickly and I wasn¡¯t seriously hurt, but the memory of that day remained as the worst pain of my life.

    And today, the worst pain was renewed.

    The pain I had just experienced was even worse.

    My breathing became ragged, so I held my face with both hands and took a deep breath.

    I wanted to throw it all away and lie down on the bed.

    Thinking that it was really horrible,

    I wanted to close my eyes and dream about the fun times I had in the past.

    But I couldn¡¯t.

    I had something to do.

    It was strange.

    If I were my old self, I would have definitely copsed at this point.

    I was never a strong person.

    But, today was different.

    My heart kept telling me to do it.

    It¡¯s okay.

    I won¡¯t die.

    I¡¯m not dead.

    It just hurt.

    It¡¯s okay.

    I raised my head after controlling my breathing again.

    There were still other elixirs left, but there was something I had to check before taking them. I had to find out if they were really elixirs or not.

    I had suffered so much pain that I thought I would die, how frustrating would it be if they weren¡¯t elixirs?

    The easiest way to check was to try to move my body myself.

    I had just taken the elixir of stamina increase, so if it had worked properly, my stamina should have increased.

    The method of verification was simple.

    Go up to the third floor from the lobby on the first floor of the mansion.

    Before taking the elixir, I would have been exhausted just by going up to the top floor, but if my stamina had increased, the results would have been different.

    As I was leaving the room and going down to the first floor, a maid spoke to me.

    However, I ignored her.

    I didn¡¯t have the energy to answer.

    Just moving my body was too much for me right now.

    When I arrived on the first floor, I climbed the stairs one step at a time.

    My body felt lighter than usual.

    As if I had taken off a sandbag that I had been carrying around.

    Was it just my imagination?

    To check properly, I ran up the stairs as if I was running with all my might.

    Normally, I would copse from exhaustion after climbing one floor, but this time it was different.

    Even after reaching the third floor, I only felt short of breath, and I wasn¡¯t as exhausted as before.

    The elixir was working properly.

    There was no room for doubt.

    After confirming that, I returned to my room and quietly looked at the two elixirs on the dresser.

    If I drank those, I would get really sick.

    When I didn¡¯t know anything and ate them, it didn¡¯t matter, but now that I knew how painful it was, I was afraid to touch them.

    However, thinking about the future, I absolutely had to take those two elixirs.

    If I had known this would happen, I should have just swallowed all three at the beginning.

    Then I wouldn¡¯t have had to worry about this.

    While I was fighting with the still ss bottle, I shook my head wildly and stood in front of the dresser.

    Then I grabbed the ss bottle.

    To be exact, I tried to grab it.

    My hand wouldn¡¯t move.

    My body was remembering the pain from just now, and my trembling hands were refusing to take the elixir.

    It¡¯s okay.

    I remembered the pain I had just experienced.

    It¡¯s okay.

    The pain of my entire body twisting and tearing and being reassembled anew.

    It¡¯s okay.

    It wasn¡¯t okay at all.

    If I ever experience that kind of pain again, I¡¯ll go crazy before I even take the Academy exam. I can¡¯t.

    I.

    Huh?

    The moment the fear of pain gripped my entire body, the word fear suddenly disappeared from my mind.

    I hadn¡¯t ovee it.

    It was as if someone had reached into my brain and stolen my emotions.

    What happened?

    A possibility came to mind in my head, which had be moreplicated than before.

    Oveing fear.

    The skill I had set when I created the Mesugaki character.

    That had activated.

    It must have erased the fear from my head.

    Other skills besides Mesugaki were also activating just fine.

    I never thought I¡¯d be able to confirm it like this.

    Good.

    That was great.

    Thanks to that, my hesitation in my thoughts disappeared.

    I¡¯ll probably regret itter.

    Drinking this won¡¯t kill you, right?

    It¡¯ll just hurt so bad.

    I can endure a moment of pain for the sake of the future.

    I opened the lids of both elixirs and poured all the liquid in the bottles into my mouth.

    This time, just like before, I didn¡¯t taste anything from the elixir.

    And soon after, pain came to me, and when I came to my senses, a day had passed, and it was evening.

    I unintentionally wasted a day, but the elixir¡¯s effects were definitely taking hold in my body.

    My stamina and strength had both increased significantlypared to before.

    I felt fine even after going up and down the stairs several times, and I could easily open the many heavy doors in the mansion that I had to struggle to open.

    With this, I had passed the first gate that I had in mind, so I came to find the supplies to proceed to the next stage.

    The weapon that I would use.

    The game called Soul Academy had a good bnce between weapons.

    There were some that were rtively good and some that were bad, but there was no trash that waspletely unusable.

    So, when I was choosing the weapon I would use, I only thought about how well I could use it rather than its performance.

    First, I was sure I would be holding a shield in one hand.

    With the Iron Wall, the pinnacle of shield skills, not using a shield would be a crime.

    So now I had to choose a one-handed weapon to hold in my remaining hand, and there were only three options.

    Spear, Sword, and blunt weapon.

    No matter how much I thought about it, it wasn¡¯t a sword.

    There wasn¡¯t anything wrong with the sword.

    What could be wrong with a sword that was cool and also high-performance?

    I just didn¡¯t have confidence in handling the sword well.

    The closest thing to a sword I¡¯ve ever swung in my life is a kitchen knife.

    I hardly ever cooked, so I¡¯ve only ever held it a few times.

    Could I handle a difficult weapon like a sword well?

    No way.

    Spears were also rejected.

    Spears are originally considered the best weapon for beginners to handle, but that¡¯s only when fighting in open areas.

    Most battles in Soul Academy take ce in narrow passageways.

    Could I handle a spear well in such a ce?

    I could clearly see myself crashing into a wall and dying without being able to do anything.

    That left me with only one choice.

    ¡°What weapons are you looking for, Miss?¡±

    ¡°A mace and a shield.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you deaf? I¡¯ll say it again. A mace and a shield.¡±

    The soldier guarding the armoury double-checked to make sure what he had heard was correct.

    It seemed strange that a girl like me would ask for a mace.

    It certainly wasn¡¯t a suitable weapon appearance wise.

    A mace would feel out of ce for a kid who was less than 150 cm tall (5ft).

    But right now, whether it suits me or not doesn¡¯t matter at all.

    So, give it to me.

    The soldier didn¡¯t ask three times, perhaps because he didn¡¯t want to upset the ill-tempered youngdy.

    Instead, he ran inside and brought the shield and mace in the armoury that were in the best condition.

    ¡°But Miss Lucy, these are a bit heavy.¡±

    ¡®Just give them to me.¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re a sloppy soldier, aren¡¯t you?

    Just give them to me if I tell you to.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The shield and mace the soldier handed me were quite heavy.

    If it were me before, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold on properly and would have dropped it.

    But now that I¡¯m doped with elixir.

    This is easy!

    The soldier blinked in surprise when I stood still with a mace and shield in both hands.

 Chapter 5

    That day, Erin was waiting in front of Lucy¡¯s room, ready since dawn as usual.

    If Lucy woke up and Erin wasn¡¯t there, she would find fault with her for days.

    Ever since she got badly scolded that day, she made Lucy wait for about a minute, Erin would alwayse out early and wait in front of Lucy¡¯s room.

    For an hour, or two hours.

    If she waited like this, she would hear a bell ring inside and go into the room at that time, but that day was different.

    While Erin was waiting outside, Lucy suddenly opened the door and came out.

    The moment she saw Lucy¡¯s face, Erin thought this.

    She didn¡¯t hear Lucy ringing the ball.

    That¡¯s why she was angry.

    Before Lucy could say anything, Erin bowed her head.

    She apologized.

    She hoped that her anger would subside even a little.

    But Lucy didn¡¯t scold her.

    She just looked at Erin with a bewildered expression.

    It was an unusual behaviour for Lucy Lucy¡¯s entricities didn¡¯t stop there.

    That day, Lucy did many things she would never do normally.

    She ate everything without finding fault with anything.

    She lightly scolded the maids when they made a mistake and let it go.

    She listened to the teacher¡¯s lessons She locked herself in the library and read several books.

    As these behaviours continued, the maids even started talking about whether or not Miss Lucy had a serious head injury.

    However, no one thought Lucy had changed.

    There was no way someone who had been acting like a rascal for over ten years would change in a day or two.

    Erin thought so at first.

    However, as Lucy¡¯s change continued for a day, then two days, then three days, Erin began to tilt her head.

    The other maids, who tried to avoid sewing Lucy as much as possible, said that Lucy was the same as before.

    She was finding fault with them less than usual, but her characteristic arrogant attitude and tone were still the same.

    But Erin, who was always by Lucy¡¯s side, thought that Lucy had changed.

    Unlike before, when she was impatient because she couldn¡¯t put down everything around her, Lucy learned to be rxed.

    She scolded her less.

    She got angry less.

    She let Erin do what she did.

    She started saying things that were close topliments.

    ¡°Not bad, for a sloppy maid.¡±

    Erin couldn¡¯t forget that moment when Lucy, who always said something was wrong here and something she didn¡¯t like there, smiled afterbing her hair.

    Because Lucy had piled up so much work, people didn¡¯t believe her no matter how much Erin said that Lucy had changed.

    Even if they did believe her, they were certain that the change wouldn¡¯tst long.

    However, Erin didn¡¯t think so.

    It was hard to exin the reason, but Erin still believed that Lucy¡¯s change wouldn¡¯t end in a day or two.

    ¡°Sloppy maid.¡±

    Erin flinched at the voice of the youngdy she had been thinking about just a moment ago.

    ¡°I¡¯m thirty, bring me water and a towel¡±

    ¡°Misa Erin handed Lucy the water and towel that she had cooled with her only magic, ice magic.

    Lucy frowned at the sudden coldness for a moment, but soon smiled faintly and wiped her face with the cold towel.

    Erin liked this moment.

    Lucy, who usually only had a pouty or squeaky expression, smiled slowly as if she was happy.

    She was really pretty when she smiled like that.

    ¡°You sloppy girl, why are you smiling so disgustingly? it bothers me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    But if you¡¯re going to change, why don¡¯t you change your tone as well?

    Six days after I started running, Benedict came to me out of the blue.

    It wasn¡¯t unusual for a father toe see his daughter.

    Benedict, who was doting father, hade to see me out of the blue a few times before.

    ¡°My daughter! it true that you ate all three elixirs in the warehouse?¡±

    However, the words Benedict spoke as soon as he saw my face were problematic.

    Did he really eat all the elixirs in the family?

    Even if the Allen family was arge count family, the elixir would be a valuable item.

    But what can I do?!

    already poured it all into my mouth.

    Now, I can¡¯t spit out that which has already seeped into my body.

    So, l nodded shamelessly, and Benedict opened his eyes wide.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    ¡°But what?¡±

    When I nodded again, Benedict bent down and carefully examined my body.

    ¡°Does anything hurt? It must have hurt a lot when you took the elixir, but how did you endure it? And¡­¡±

    At first, I thought he would scold me, but I was wrong, Benedict only said things that worried me.

    What?

    ¡®Aren¡¯t you going to scold me?¡¯

    ¡°Idiot father, didn¡¯t youe to scold me?¡±

    ¡°Why should I scold you?¡±

    ¡°Because I drank all the elixir.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal about taking that little elixir! Rather, I¡¯m proud of you for drinking it all! It must have been very painful, but you endured it¡±

    ¡°Then why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I came to check on my daughter in case something was wrong with her body¡±

    He was a fool who lost his mind over his daughter¡¯s love.

    Who would have thought that he had monopolized all the estates elixirs and all he could say was praise and concern?

    Benedict must have thought that I had taken the potion because I was feeling burdened by the Academy exam, so he grabbed me and nagged me with affection.

    No matter how worried you were about the Academy exam, you shouldn¡¯t overdo it.

    it was okay if you failed the exam.

    Your body was more important than that.

    The nagging went on for more than ten minutes, thirty minutes, and soon it was almost an hour.

    At that moment, I had to make a decision.

    If I kept going like this, I thought I would be stuck with this troll all day.

    ¡®Um, I understand, so can you stop?¡¯

    ¡°Stupid father, It¡¯s annoying Stop it¡±

    Uh.

    I didn¡¯t mean to say that.

    I looked at Benedict¡¯s expression, flustered.

    His face was from like a statue.

    Even though he wouldugh offments like ¡°stupid and sloppy, he seemed hurt by the word ¡°annoying.¡±

    Benedict soon hesitated and stepped back, then apologized and ran away somewhere like a wounded girl in the end, it turned out as I wanted.

    but I¡¯ll have to apologizeter.

    If Benedict gets upset, it¡¯ll be difficult in many ways.

    After that, I left the mansion and went to the training grounds of the Allen family as usual.

    I started running around the outskirts of the training grounds with my mace and shield in hand.

    At first, I started running to recreate my in-game build, but it was different recently.

    I was enjoying running, in reality, it wasn¡¯t easy to feel a change just by running for a day or two.

    It was only after a month or two that I could guess that my stamina had increased.

    However, it was different here.

    Every day.

    No, not even every day.

    I could feel my stamina increasing after just running for a couple of hours.

    Just like hunting monsters in a game gives you experience points and level up, running made me feel like my stamina level increased immediately.

    The reason people are reluctant to exercise is because it¡¯s hard, but it¡¯s also hard to feel the changes, but since can feel the changes in real time, I couldn¡¯t help but enjoy exercising.

    Afterpleting my goal of tenps, I was taking a short break when the knight who helped me when copsed approached me.

    ¡°Miss Lucy, you¡¯re working hard today, too.¡±

    Even after hearing my harsh answer, the knight continued to pay attention to me.

    I was grateful for his consideration, but honestly, it was suspicious behaviour.

    Why would he approach the countess Allen, who has a bed reputation, a bad personality, and who never once says thank you no matter the circumstances?

    I felt this was impossible unless he had other intentions.

    I guessed that there were two most likely possibilities.

    Either this knight is hoping that Lucy, the Count¡¯s only daughter, will like him and turn his life around.

    Or this guy is just a crazy masochist who enjoys being beaten by a Mesugaki.

    Common sense tells me that thetter is unlikely, so I had to assume that this guy is an ambitious man who wants to be a male version of Cindere.

    There was a very, very low possibility that this guy was just a noble knight, but I thought that was impossible.

    An NPC who doesn¡¯t even appear as a supporting character couldn¡¯t possibly be a noble knight.

    ¡°You seem to have gained a lot of stamina as expected, you are the daughter of the Allen family.¡±

    ¡®Thank you for thepliment.¡¯

    ¡°You call that apliment?¡±

    The words that were meant to express gratitude turned into a quarrel, but I didn¡¯t get angry because I was used to the distortion ofnguage in the Mesugaki skill.

    ¡°Of course, how could I make fun of your passion?¡±

    Despite that, the knight smiled coolly and epted my quarrel.

    He must have been spouting harsh words inside.

    His facial expressions were no joke.

    Is this the level you need to be to dream of turning your life around through marriage?

    No matter how hard I try, I don¡¯t n on marrying you.

    Shit.

    Even if I be a Mesugaki, I don¡¯t n on dating a man, right?

    It¡¯s already frustrating enough to be a Mesugaki, but you want me to date a guy?

    In that case, I¡¯ll just bite my tongue and die.

    Seriously.

    The knight awkwardly smiled and brought up a different topic, perhaps because he saw my hostility in his gaze.

    ¡°Miss, do you know that the Knights will be entering the dungeon next week?¡±

    ¡°A dungeon?¡±

    Dungeons are one of the central settings of Soul Academy.

    The dungeon itself isn¡¯t much different from other games.

    It¡¯s a ce where monsters and treasures await.

    They appear and disappear without any specific rules.

    If you leave it alone for too long, the monsters inside will pop out, so you have to defeat them quickly.

    They¡¯re divided into several levels, and depending on the level, the size of the area and the enemies that appear will change.

    If there¡¯s one thing that¡¯s different from other games, is that the subjects of the dungeon raid are the nobles?

    In Soul Academy, dungeon raiding is the right and duty of the nobles.

    Just as you have to protect your people from outside enemies, if a dungeon appears in your territory, the nobles who own the territory must subdue the dungeon.@@novelbin@@

    Of course, they don¡¯t deal with all dungeons themselves.

    If the dungeon is low risk, the rewards thate out of it are mediocre, so they entrust the dungeon clearing to mercenaries called adventurers.

    However, if the dungeon isrge, it¡¯s different.

    If a dungeonrger than a certain size appears, the nobles of the territory will personally lead their own private soldiers and go on an expedition.

    But this article just now said that the knights led by Benedict are going into the dungeon.

    That means that a dangerous dungeon has appeared in the territory.

    ¡®Is it really dangerous?¡¯

    ¡°What kind of ce is it? Is it big enough to make a sloppy knight tremble?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, no. We don¡¯t always go to dangerous ces, such high-level dungeons don¡¯t appear easily. This time, we¡¯re going to a medium-sized dungeon to train.¡±

    Somehow, even though they were going to the dungeon, they didn¡¯t seem tense.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know, but we¡¯re going to a ce called Evans, there¡¯s a dungeon there that doesn¡¯t disappear.¡±

    ¡®Evans?¡¯

    ¡°Evans?! You sloppy knight, are you serious?!¡±

    I shouted as I abruptly stood up.

    The knight nodded, bewildered.

    There¡¯s only one dungeon near Evans that doesn¡¯t disappear.

    But I know about the dungeon near Evans.

    I can¡¯t not know it.

    A legendary mace is hidden there.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°You¡¯re going to the dungeon, but you want to practice before that?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The knight nodded as if he understood after hearing my exnation.

    ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡±

    ¡®Thank you.¡¯

    ¡°A sloppy knight, know that it¡¯s an honour for you.¡±

    The knight confidently answered, grabbed a wooden sword, and headed to the training ground inside the training grounds.

    ¡°First, try attacking here, I need to see how well you¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°With this mace?¡±

    ¡°Hit me with this weapon?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡®Are you serious?¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy knight, are you crazy?¡±

    The trantion made the words sound a bit harsh, but it wasn¡¯t wrong.

    The knight was currently wearing the same cloth clothes he had worn when he was training earlier.

    In fact, it would be okay to look at him as naked.

    If I hit the knight with my mace without a single piece of armour, it would be a disaster.

    The knight¡¯s head would definitely be shattered like the wooden dolls I had been destroying.

    Despite my bewilderment, the knight just smiled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no matter how hard you hit me, I won¡¯t get hurt, just swing once.¡±

    The knight confidently shrugged his shoulders and told me to hit him.

    There was no way a knight who had been through many battles wouldn¡¯t know the dangers of a mace.

    Was he really saying this because he was confident, he wouldn¡¯t get hurt?

    If we think about it from the game¡¯s perspective, the knight is fine.

    A knight of the Count¡¯s family is an NPC of about level 50 in Soul Academy, and I¡¯m a level 0 cker right now.

    It¡¯s normal for someone to not be scared of a child no matter how desperately they hit you.

    That¡¯s what I thought, but when I saw a person in front of me, I hesitated.

    The feeling of hitting a wooden doll and hitting a person werepletely different.

    Swinging a weapon at a person was much more burdensome than I had thought.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t even do this, it¡¯s difficult, you have to kill real, living monsters when you enter the dungeon.¡±

    I made up my mind at the knight¡¯s words.

    Yes.

    It¡¯s not good to be scared to this extent.

    If you think about the scenario of Soul Academy, you¡¯ll have to deal with monsters as well as people, so you can¡¯t hesitate over something like this.

    If it really seemed like it was going to go wrong, you wouldn¡¯t say something like that.

    No matter how strong the knight is, he¡¯s a human, so he might get hurt.

    I raised my mace.

    The move I¡¯ve been doing tirelessly for the past few days.

    A technique of mming the mace down from above.

    A head smash.

    As I watched the mace heading toward the knight, I was convinced that I had perfectly performed the technique.

    However, that confidence crumbled the moment the mace touched the knight¡¯s skin.

    It felt like I had hit a huge rock.

    It felt like I had swung the mace at a rock that couldn¡¯t even scratch it no matter how desperately I struck it.

    In reality, the knight was still smiling as if it hadn¡¯t really been hit, and instead, it was my hand that was hurting.

    ¡°See? Is everything okay?¡±

    ¡®Are you a human?¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy knight, Are you half monster?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too much, I¡¯m a pure human.¡±

    Human?

    Really?

    Are all the knights in Soul Academy like this?

    Then just how strong is Benedict, who leads those knights?! Next time you act up, I¡¯ll just hold back a little longer.

    ¡°I was worried since you practiced alone, but your skills are pretty good, your mace swinging skills are better than those of an average soldier.¡±

    ¡®Is that so?¡¯

    ¡°Huh, of course.¡±

    There really is a difference in efficiency between knowing the proficiency system and utilizing it and training normally.

    If a knight can say something like that.

    ¡°But maybe because you don¡¯t have much experience, you hesitate a lot when attacking.¡±

    There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.

    I¡¯m just an ordinary person living in the modern era.

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯ve ever harmed someone with a weapon.

    Of course, I¡¯d hesitate.

    ¡°Keep attacking, until you get used to it but, this time, I will attack too, so be careful.¡±

    ¡®Understood.¡¯

    ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±

    I continued to attack as the knight led me.

    The mace I swung with all my might sometimes hit and sometimes missed, but it was no threat to the knight.

    Dodging everywhere! Oh really, how can I notnd a single blow?

    The moment I thought that, the knight suddenly swung his wooden sword.

    The moment I saw the attack, my mind went nk.

    What should I do?

    I have to raise my shield.

    I must move my shield to block it.

    As soon as I made that determination, a method to block the attack came to mind.

    Not simply blocking the attack with my shield but intervening in the middle of the sword to interrupt the opponent¡¯s attack and reduce its power.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    The movement was so excellent that even the knight who hadunched the attack let out an exmation of admiration.

    I thought to myself that this wasn¡¯t simply because my shield proficiency had increased.

    Even though my shield proficiency had increased while running, it still wasn¡¯t that high.

    There¡¯s no way I could pull off such an incredible move.

    Perhaps it¡¯s the effect of a skill.

    The shield skill [Iron Wall] might be giving a beneficial effect.

    I don¡¯t know why a skill that used to reduce damage by 15 percent would change like this, but other than that, there was nothing else I could guess.

    ¡°It¡¯s much better than I expected.¡±

    ¡®Right?¡¯

    ¡°Ha, a sloppy knight, what did you think of me? You don¡¯t have much insight, do you?¡±

    ¡°You still seem rxed, so I¡¯ll go a little harder.¡±

    Huh?

    No.

    Excuse me?!

    I wasn¡¯t the one who provoked you just now?

    The Mesugaki skill tranted it on its own?!

    It¡¯s not my fault! So, calm down!

    Ugh! I blocked the sword that was swung again with my shield.

    I didn¡¯t have time to think.

    If I didn¡¯t follow the instincts that came to my mind, I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with the sword¡¯s speed.

    Stop it!

    Stop it!

    This isn¡¯t sparring, it¡¯s harassment!

    Be honest with me!

    You¡¯ve been getting annoyed by my Mesugaki behaviour!

    You¡¯re just letting it out now!

    Comints arose naturally, but they could note out of my mouth.

    I was so overwhelmed by blocking the wooden sword swinging by the knight that I could not find a chance to raise my voice.

    As the sword swings by the knight became fiercer and fiercer, I missed what my intuition was telling me.

    The shield stopped, losing its ce to go, and the sword flew straight along its path without any obstacles.

    It would hurt.

    I closed my eyes without realizing it at that thought, but I was not shocked.

    When I slowly opened my eyes, I saw the wooden sword stopped right in front of me.

    ¡°You are talented in shield-wielding, if this is the level you are at when you first start handling a shield, I can¡¯t even imagine how good you will be when you practice.¡±

    The knight was clearly praising me with his words, but his eyes were different.

    His eyes looking at me were clearly reprimanding me.

    ¡°However, it is disappointing that you gave up on defence and closed your eyes at the end, which was the worst thing you could have done. If this had been a real fight, you would have died for sure.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    ¡°Huh, what do you want me to do?¡±

    This was clearly my fault, so I tried to apologize obediently, but the Mesugaki skill said something else.

    Even at a moment like this, I¡¯m sorry.

    I¡¯m sorry.

    Can¡¯t I apologise?!

    Rather, the knight¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly at my appearance of getting angry

    ¡°Let¡¯s try again,e.¡±

    The training the knight gave me maintained a certain intensity.

    So, it was consistently tough.

    There was no room to swing the mace.

    If I didn¡¯t focus on moving the shield, I didn¡¯t know when the sword would go past the shield, so I had to focus all my nerves on the shield.

    Thanks to this, my shield proficiency was increasing rapidly, but it was difficult to feel it with my body.

    When I became better at moving the shield, the knight swung his sword more fiercely. After desperately blocking the increasingly fierce wooden sword strikes, I was exhausted after thirty minutes.

    It wasn¡¯t that I had reached the limit of my physical strength.

    Compared to my usual running, this level of difficulty was nothing.

    What exhausted me was the knight¡¯s attacks.

    The attacks were so unseen that I couldn¡¯t even see them, and if I missed even one of them, the sword would reach my neck.

    Even though I knew that the opponent wasn¡¯t going to attack me, the threat contained in the sword was eating away at my nerves in real time.

    That¡¯s because the sword contained a clear murderous intent that even a beginner like me could sense.

    I have a rough idea why the knight keeps training like this.

    He probably wants me to get used to the attacks.

    He¡¯s helping me respond without closing my eyes to any attacks.

    I had a vague idea of that, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel angry.

    It felt like I lost a bet with a friend and kept ying around for thirty minutes, wondering if I should hit him or not.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel angry.

    ¡°Are you giving up already?¡±

    I won¡¯t deny that it was good training.

    It¡¯s true that my shield handling skills have improved a lot thanks to it.

    I¡¯ve also gotten used to seeing you attack.

    But you know, after getting hit over and over again, I¡¯ve started to want to hit you once.

    ¡®Are you really having a hard time, you knight? Saying things like giving up.¡¯

    ¡°A sloppy knight, is it because it¡¯s hard? If it¡¯s hard, you can give up, if you¡¯re a sloppy guy who¡¯s less physically fit than a girl, then-¡±@@novelbin@@

    Iughed at the knight¡¯s words directly, and his expression hardened.

    It was effective when I spoke with the intention of provoking him in the first ce.

    For a guy who usually wouldn¡¯t budge no matter what I said, his face hardened to that extent.

    ¡°I¡¯m not having a hard time at all.¡±

    ¡®Really? Then let¡¯s do it again¡¯

    ¡°Then let¡¯s do it again, I never gave up, you sloppy knight.¡±

    ¡°Do whatever you want, I¡¯ll be with you until the end.¡±

    The moment the knight made that firm statement in a firm tone, I felt strength rising in my body.

    Are you really angry?

    Right?

    You¡¯re pissed off, right?

    Otherwise, there¡¯s no way the Mesugaki skill would activate.

    The only buff effect of the skill is a penalty.

    The angrier the opponent gets, the higher their stats go.

    I don¡¯t even know how much the stats go up.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a fixed number or a percentage.

    I don¡¯t know much about the Mesugaki skill.

    But I do know one thing for sure.

    If I keep making this sloppy knight angry, my stats will go up even more, and then the probability ofnding a hit on him will increase.

    (Notice that inner name for knight has changed to sloppy knight)

    Even if my physical specs go up, the difference between me and the sloppy knight is still overwhelming.

    The difference in physical ability.

    The difference in battle experience.

    That¡¯s why I have to provoke him even more.

    I have to make this sloppy knight lose his senses.

    I have to make the Mesugaki skill work at its best.

    I never thought I¡¯d say this with such sincerity.

    You really can¡¯t predict what¡¯s going to happen in this world.

    ¡°Sloppy Knight-You didn¡¯t say something to yourdy just now, did you?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so sloppy, a knight who talks back to his master is disqualified as a knight¡±

    With each word he uttered, he felt his body fill with more strength.

    Mesugaki skill.

    The provocation effect is no joke?

 Chapter 8

    I stumbled to my feet as I fell to the ground.

    How many times did the sloppy knight attack me because he couldn¡¯t control himself when I hadn¡¯t Tevennded a single proper attack?

    I¡¯m sure it was at least ten times.

    I had counted until then.

    After that, I stopped counting because it was too much trouble.

    I took a deep breath, brushed the dirt off my face, and raised my head.

    The knight standing opposite me couldn¡¯t hide his frown.

    No matter how angry he was, shouldn¡¯t he control his expression in front of the youngdy?

    He really was a sloppy knight.

    Is that the only way he could turn his life around like Cindere?

    ¡°Give up, youngdy.¡±

    ¡°Try giving up, you sloppy knight.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get hurt if you keep doing this.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to subdue a girl without getting a scratch. You¡¯re really sloppy¡±

    The knight bit his lips at my provocation.

    Ahaha.

    I¡¯m going to hit you seriously.

    Huh?

    What kind of noble knight is that guy?

    The only person who suits that guy is a knight of eunuchs.

    I let out augh and took a deep breath.

    It had been quite some time since I had started sparring with this sloppy knight.

    I don¡¯t know exactly how long it had been.

    However, judging by the increasing number of onlookers, including knights, soldiers, and maids, it must not have been a short time.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you stop him?¡±

    ¡°I would, but the youngdy ordered me not to touch them.¡±

    ¡°But.¡±

    ¡°Just wait, the knightmander is¡­¡±

    I had never been more grateful for Lucy¡¯s notoriety than today.

    She had been acting so viciously that those who should have stopped her from getting hurt were hesitating.

    If Lucy had been just an ordinary girl, others would have stopped us before things got too heated.

    If that had been the case, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve my goal of dealing a blow to the sloppy knight.

    My breathing had calmed down somewhat.

    My body was still heavy, but thanks to the physical training I had done not long ago, it wasn¡¯t so heavy that I couldn¡¯t move.

    Even now, I could swing my mace.

    I gritted my teeth and ran forward.

    The knight was sloppy in many ways, but he was still a knight.

    Even though he was incredibly angry because he was provoked, he taught me how to fight as if he was trying to fulfill his duty.

    You must not stop moving your feet.

    You must always think about what your opponent will do.

    Look at your arms and body instead of your opponent¡¯s hands.

    You must never miss your opponent¡¯s movements.

    You must keep watching your opponent.

    Etc.

    He taught me many things that I absolutely had to follow, even though I knew nothing about actualbat.

    His methods were by no means mild, but it was true that my skills improved a lot thanks to him.

    If youpare me now to the me who swung my mace recklessly this morning, I would be no different.

    Even so, I was still useless to this damn sloppy knight.

    The sloppy knight was strong.

    He pressed me without giving me a chance to attack, and even when I swung my mace frantically, I responded lightly as if I had known in advance.

    I don¡¯t want to admit it, but the sloppy knight was an overwhelming opponent that I could never win against now.

    Even though I kept provoking the sloppy knight in the ongoing duel and raised my stats by a lot, it was still like that.

    How great would it have been if this was in the game?

    If so, I would have defeated this sloppy knight with the techniques typical of veterans.

    Even though I reached the sloppy knight, the sloppy knight didn¡¯t move his sword.

    It had been like this since some time ago.

    The sloppy knight was intentionally holding back his attacks.

    Maybe he was worried that he would fail to control his emotions and make mistakes.

    That¡¯s why I could swing my mace freely, unlike before.

    The sloppy knight silently epted the mace I swung.

    Sometimes he dodged, sometimes he parried, his movements were so refined that he was perfectly blocking my attacks.

    If I kept going like this, I would continue to attack like before and fall on my own.

    That¡¯s why I had to create an opening.

    And I had already thought of a way to create an opening.

    ¡°What! Sloppy knight, are you just going to block?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    ¡°Ha, you¡¯re in a hurry to block the attack. You¡¯ve be weak?¡±

    The sloppy knight¡¯s eyebrows slightly tense up, and the speed of the wooden sword he was swinging increases.

    Even if there is a lot of provocation in the Mesugaki skill, isn¡¯t it too easy to get through?!

    The knight¡¯s offensive begins.

    The continuous strikes that I can barely endure because my stats have increased a lot continue to strike the shield.

    Are you really showing no mercy?!

    The middle of the shield is dented!

    How much strength did you use?!

    I was blocking the knight¡¯s attacks as the Iron Wall skill said, and I seized my opportunity.

    The moment the angry knight swung his sword with more strength than usual.

    The moment he moved his sword assuming that I would block it.

    I was certain that I would not be able to stop that sword easily, so I lowered the shield that had been protecting me.

    Then I saw the knight¡¯s bewildered face.

    He swung his sword, assuming that I would block it naturally.

    Even though he adjusted his strength, he struck hard enough to make my defence difficult.

    In that situation, I suddenly lowered my shield.

    He was the guy who never let his sword touch me even when he was attacking me before.

    He was the guy who held back from attacking me out of fear of making a mistake.

    So, if I was going to get hit by his sword, he would somehow stop it.

    It was clear.

    This was a gamble.

    A gamble I took, believing in the knight¡¯s skills and that he could still control his emotions.

    A gamble that would definitely hurt me if I failed.

    At that moment, I could hear the people around me holding their breath, but I wasn¡¯t scared.

    Look.

    Just as you had hoped, I¡¯m not closing my eyes even though the sword is right in front of me.

    It¡¯s your achievement.

    You should be happy.

    A sloppy knight.

    While the knight stopped swinging his sword, I raised my mace.

    Crushing heads.

    A move I had repeated thousands of times over the past few days.

    A move I had even repeated in my dreams yesterday.

    The knight, who was desperate to stop the sword, couldn¡¯t dodge even as he saw me swinging the mace.

    Bam! It was very satisfying.

    The knight who had been hit by the mace frowned and stepped back.

    It was a sess.

    Finally, I seeded.

    I seeded innding a blow!

    As I looked at the scowling face of the sloppy knight, I covered my mouth with my hand holding my shield and let out a sort of deration of victory.

    ¡®Inded a blow.¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy trash who got toyed by a girl?¡±

    As soon as he heard the sarcasm, the sloppy knight suddenly rushed towards me.

    I couldn¡¯t keep up with my eyes.

    The moment he lifted his feet off the ground, I had already lost sight of the knight¡¯s new form.

    What the?

    While I was feeling embarrassed, the Iron Wall skill was ring at me.

    I shouted to raise my shield.

    My instincts, which had been sharp from the battle just a moment ago, followed the Iron Wall skill¡¯s orders.

    Kwaaaaang!

    The knight¡¯s fist pierced the spot where the shield was.

    My body floated into the air.

    It wasn¡¯t a matter of blocking or not.

    The power contained in the knight¡¯s fist was not something I could withstand.

    As I was pushed away by the punch, I looked into the knight¡¯s eyes.

    I saw those eyes that were so rage-filled that they couldn¡¯t think of anything.

    It¡¯s dangerous.

    I flew straight up and rolled on the ground several times, but I quickly got up while feeling severe pain in my arm that had blocked the attack.

    My instincts were telling me that I would die if I didn¡¯t move.

    My instincts were not wrong.

    The moment I raised my head, the knight was right in front of me.

    He lost his mind and raised his fist.

    What would happen if I got hit here?

    I don¡¯t know.

    But it would hurt.

    It would really hurt like hell.

    Maybe even more than when I took the elixir.

    The moment I had that thought, Oveing Fear stole the fear that was in my heart.

    Ha.

    The skill is doing its job well.

    Okay.

    I¡¯ll let you hit me once.

    I was the one who provoked you and created this situation with my stubbornness to hit you once.

    So, the result of Mesugaki¡¯s provocation was a real lesson in the end?

    As I was quietly waiting for the knight to open his eyes and throw his punch, someone suddenly came between me and the knight.

    A middle-aged man with a bodyparable to Benedict blocked the knight¡¯s punch with one hand.

    ¡°Why on earth did you do that, Karl?¡±

    At the words of Possell, the knightmander of the Allen family, Karl looked up at the handcuffs on his wrists.

    Possell frowned and kept his mouth shut.

    The atmosphere he gave off was so fierce that anyone could tell he was very angry.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I stopped it, so it ended in an attempt. If not the youngdy would have been seriously injured.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°So, let me ask, why did you do that? It¡¯s not like she¡¯s been using harshnguage for a day or two.¡±

    Instead of answering, Karl lowered his head.

    ¡°Karl.¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    Possell bit his lips at the absurd answer and struck the iron bars that were blocking Karl and him with his fist.

    Then, the iron bars that didn¡¯t even budge even when dozens of knights rushed at him bent.

    ¡°It was your doing, and if you didn¡¯t know, who would know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I really don¡¯t know.¡±

    Despite Possell¡¯s murderous voice, Karl couldn¡¯t answer.

    Even he himself couldn¡¯t understand why he did that.

    Karl was born and raised in a family of knights.

    He had heard from his father since he was young what a great knight was, and he had decided that he would be a great knight like his father.

    That¡¯s why he trained without missing a single day, and he graduated from Soul Academy with excellent grades whilepeting with many high-ranking nobles in the academy.

    Thanks to that achievement, he was able to be a knight of the Allen family, which many knights admired.

    Even after bing a knight, Karl never forgot what his father had said when he was young.

    He had worked hard to be the ideal knight he dreamed of.

    The reason he first approached Lucy was to be a noble knight.

    Even though he knew of Lucy¡¯s previous atrocities.

    Even though his colleagues warned him that people don¡¯t change easily.

    Even though he was hurt by Lucy¡¯s sarcastic words, he approached Lucy because he believed that if someone from the family he served tried to be a better person, he should help them as a knight under them.

    However, what started out as a favour has now led to a disaster.

    How could he swing his fist at someone he was supposed to protect!

    No matter how much Miss Lucy kept saying bad things, how could he not control his emotions!

    After the incident, many people got angry at Karl for doing that, but Karl could not answer them.

    The person who could not understand Karl more than anyone else was Karl himself.

    ¡°Master, you may not believe me, but I do not get angry easily.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°I endured insults from many nobles during my time at the Academy, I never made a mistake because of my emotions when I went out to battle and fought other mercenaries and knights.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t stand her sarcastic remarks.¡±

    Lucy¡¯s sarcastic remarks were not that harsh.

    Compared to the many insults he had heard on the battlefield, that sarcasm was mild.

    It wasn¡¯t even that darkpared to the criticism he had heard from the nobles of the Academy.

    Nevertheless, Lucy¡¯s sarcasm easily blew away Karl¡¯s reason.

    He couldn¡¯t figure out why.

    No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t figure out why it had be like this.

    That¡¯s why he was writhing in self- loathing.

 Chapter 9

    Possell looked at Karl, who had lowered his head, and rubbed the back of his neck.

    ¡°What you¡¯re saying now is that you seem to have been blessed by the youngdy?¡±

    A blessing.

    A special power given by God to enable a person to fight against monsters in a dungeon.

    Now, Karl was saying that he felt like he had been influenced by it and made a mistake.

    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not serious, are you? I want the actual reason for what you did.¡±

    Karl couldn¡¯t answer Possell¡¯s harsh words.

    He knew that no matter what influenced him, he couldn¡¯t justify his mistakes.

    However, part of him hoped that it wasn¡¯t entirely his fault.

    He wanted it to be a sin he had no choice but tomit because he was swayed by Lucy¡¯s power.

    If not, he would be a piece of trash who couldn¡¯t control his emotions and ended up beating his master.

    Possell¡¯s sigh broke the long silence.

    ¡°Ha, for now, you¡¯ll have to stay here until your punishment is decided.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Behave well.¡±

    After Possell left, Karl looked at the handcuffs that bound his arms, then held his face with both hands.

    ¡°They¡¯re just minor wounds.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    ¡°Miss, I¡¯m so d!¡±

    She frowned at the maid who was relieved by the doctor¡¯s words.

    I told you from the beginning.

    You don¡¯t need to go to the doctor.

    This kind of wound will heal in a day or two.

    When I showed my irritation openly, the maid who was happy began to watch my every move carefully.

    Seeing the maid who had shrunk just like when I first saw her, I felt sorry for her again.

    Haa.

    Right.

    What could be wrong with you?

    It¡¯s natural to worry about the person you serve.

    I sighed, took my gaze away from the maid, and asked the doctor.

    ¡®Then can I go back?¡¯

    ¡°You sloppy doctor, it¡¯s okay for me to go, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss Lucy.¡±

    After asking permission and leaving the infirmary, Benedict was standing next to the door, arms folded and tapping his arms with his fingers

    What was he doing here?

    ¡®Benedict.¡¯

    ¡°Idiot father.¡±

    ¡°Lucy! Are you okay!? Are you hurt anywhere?!¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, why are there so many cuts on your skin? Doesn¡¯t it sting? It must hurt.¡±

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any scars, I¡¯ll have my personal doctor get some medicine!¡±

    Why is this guy so upset?

    The kid might have done something and scratched her skin a little.

    It¡¯s not like I was seriously hurt.

    When I see Benedict acting up, I feel like I¡¯ve been hit by a truck.

    ¡°I heard that Carl hurt you, I don¡¯t know why he did this when he usually doesn¡¯t, but he hurt you, so he deserves to pay for it.¡±

    ¡®Excuse me, calm down.¡±

    ¡°Idiot father.¡±

    When I cut him off in a cold voice, Benedict, who had been talking nonsense and getting excited, shut his mouth and looked at me.

    I know this person is worried about me.

    I appreciate that.

    But there is a limit to worrying.

    You¡¯re going to make him pay?

    What are you talking about?

    He swung his fist at the master he was supposed to serve, so he could be punished, but that¡¯s not enough to be punished.

    After all, it¡¯s not only the fault of the sloppy knight who swung his fist, but also my fault.

    I wanted to hit him, so I provoked him with my Mesugaki skill.

    Strictly speaking, it¡¯s mutual fault.

    You can¡¯t just me the sloppy knight.

    ¡®Benedict, as you can see, I¡¯m fine.¡¯

    ¡°Idiot father. Are your eyes blurred? I¡¯m fine.¡±

    This man loves his daughter too much.

    That¡¯s why Lucy became a bitch.

    No matter how precious your only daughter is, it can¡¯t be like this.

    ¡®If you punish the knight too much, I will hate you!¡¯

    ¡°If you do something excessive to him, I won¡¯t even look at you, idiot father.¡±

    ¡°But Lucy.¡±

    ¡®Do you understand?¡¯

    ¡°Idiot father, answer me.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand, but he has to be punished for the sake of the discipline of the Knights, understand this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡±

    If the person who should be punished doesn¡¯t get punished, there¡¯s a chance that they¡¯ll say something unnecessary, so there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.

    Was it because I spoke too strongly?

    Benedict was visibly dispirited.

    The sight of the troll, who I had to look up at for a long time, slumping his shoulders, was beyond words.

    Ah.

    Seriously! This guy is so annoying.

    ¡®Benedict, have you had dinner?¡¯

    ¡°Idiot father, have you eaten?¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, not yet.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s eat together.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah! When you¡¯re hurt, you have to take care of your health! Let¡¯s go to my personal chef.¡±

    ¡®Please calm down.¡¯

    ¡°Father, you idiot, you¡¯re disgusting, so just be gentle.¡±

    Karl, who was looking down at the stone floor and ming himself, raised his head at the sound of heavy footstepsing from afar.

    There were only two people in the Allen family who made such footsteps.

    One was the Knight Commander, Possell, and the other was Benedict Allen, the head of the Allen Count family and a man who earned the nickname of the Iron Count after fighting in many battles.

    The moment Karl saw the giant figure walking from afar, he quickly got up and saluted Benedict.

    Benedict didn¡¯t react at all to that and silently walked to the front of the prison where Karl was.

    ¡°Karl.¡±

    Karl swallowed at the heavy, serious voice that resonated through the floor.

    Benedict was a legend to the knights.

    He had finally stepped back from the front lines to focus on his family¡¯s affairs, but he had aplished many feats while he was on the front lines.

    He single-handedly defeated the vampire who had terrorized the continent, called the Bloodsucker.

    He subdued the dragon that had invaded the territory of the Allen family with his own might.

    He was a knight among knights who had made great contributions to subduing the S-ss dungeon that was expected to destroy the kingdom.

    That was Benedict.

    Even though it had been a long time since he had been on the battlefield, Benedict¡¯s majesty was still intact.

    Karl felt suffocated just by standing in front of him.

    The pressure that Benedict unconsciously exuded was weighing on Karl.

    ¡°Do you have anything to say about what happened today?¡±

    ¡°No, my lord, it was all my fault.¡±

    ¡°It was a great sin to harm someone you were supposed to serve.¡±

    ¡°I know, I will dly ept any punishment.¡±

    ¡°I should have punished you ording to the rules of the knighthood, however.¡±

    The moment Benedict stopped speaking; the infinitely heavy pressure dissipated for some reason

    ¡°Lucy herself does not want to punish you, so I will substitute your punishment with confinement in prison.¡±

    Miss?

    Karl doubted his ears.

    That was how unrealistic Benedict¡¯s words were.

    There was no reason for him to receive Lucy¡¯s leniency.

    No matter what the process was, he had sincerely intended to hit the person he was supposed to protect.

    Especially in the case of Lucy, who was the person involved, she must have felt extreme fear.

    That thedy wanted to forgive me.

    This was a favour.

    It was mercy given to Karl, who would not have been surprised if he had been stripped of his knighthood right away.

    And it was proof that Lucy, who had spent her whole life tormenting others, had changed.

    Oh.

    Thedy was worried about me being punished, but I wanted Miss Lucy to be hurt.

    What kind of knight is this?

    Nobility?

    There was nothing like that in Karl now.

    He was just a low-quality person who did not know how to admit his own mistakes.

    Rather, the person who was more knightly was Lucy, not Karl.

    ¡°Karl.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±

    ¡°Just now, it was my decision as the head of the household. However, as a father, I am different. I have not forgiven you yet.¡±

    Benedict said that and opened the closed iron door and entered the prison.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll give you one chance.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand, my lord.¡±

    ¡°Bite your teeth.¡±

    Karl felt death for a moment as he watched Benedict clench his fist.

    What Benedict was preparing was not a simple fist.

    The fist, which had concentrated the magical power of a man who had fought a giant in the past, was already like a great magic.

    ¡°You won¡¯t die.¡±

    Benedict swung his fist.

    ¡°Countess Lucy.¡±

    I nodded and came to my senses when I heard a voice calling me.

    Harne, Lucy¡¯s teacher, looked at me with mixed emotions and sighed.

    ¡°There are less than three months left until the academy exam, you have to work hard.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Today, there was no word of apology in the Mesugaki trantion.

    If I said I was sorry, you would be called a crazy bitch.

    Thanks to this skill, Harne¡¯s forehead wrinkled even deeper.

    I¡¯m sorry.

    Harne.

    If there are more wrinkles on your face, half of them will be Lucy¡¯s fault.

    But you know that there¡¯s nothing I can do.

    I¡¯m not doing this because I want to.

    I¡¯ll get the elixir of youth and bring it to youter, so please forgive me.

    ¡°Did you not sleep wellst night?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Did you have a bad dream?¡±

    No, but something happened.

    Well, I was sleeping soundly when I heard the sound of a bomb exploding in the middle of the night.

    Even though I look like this, I was a proud active-duty soldier in the Republic of Korea, so I know how powerful a bomb can be.

    The thunderous sound and the shaking of the floorst night were definitely the effects of the explosion.

    Do you know how panicked I was while I was sleeping?

    I thought something had happened, so I ran out of bed and asked the attendant what was going on.

    But the attendant was calmer than I thought.

    Despite all the nonsense I was saying in panic, she told me to calm down and that it wasn¡¯t a big deal.

    However, when I asked her to exin what was going on, she remained silent.

    You said it wasn¡¯t a big deal?

    Why can¡¯t you tell me?!

    Anyway, after the explosion, nothing happened, and I stayed up all night for about an hour before finally falling asleep again.

    When I exined this to Harne, she burst intoughter.

    What?

    What?

    No way.

    ¡®Do you have any idea about the explosion?!¡¯

    ¡°Idiot Harne, you know something about the explosion?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, is what I said a secret? After ss today, go to the Knights then you¡¯ll know.¡±

    Knights?@@novelbin@@

    When you say go to the Knights, does that mean there was some kind of battle yesterday?

    Judging from Harne¡¯s lighthearted reaction, it doesn¡¯t seem like a big deal.

    Did you do some kind of training?

    I wish you could just tell me honestly, but Harne just said it would be faster to see for myself.

    There¡¯s nothing I can do.

    After ss, I¡¯ll go back to the Knights or something.

    ¡°Then, since you seem to be awake, shall we start ss again?¡±

    Harne¡¯s lips trembled slightly as she said that with a big smile.

    Harne.

    This scary woman.

    She stubbornly continued teaching even though Mesugaki was so eager for her.

    It was the tenacity of a teacher who hadsted the longest under Lucy.

 Chapter 10

    Harne¡¯s sses aren¡¯t fun.

    It¡¯s not that she can¡¯t teach.

    It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have the basic knowledge, so I can¡¯t understand what Harne is saying.

    Isn¡¯t this how a math dropout feels when they take a math ss?

    Now I understand why they slept during every ss.

    I can¡¯t understand a single word they¡¯re saying, so what else can I do besides sleep.

    I somehow persevered in Harne¡¯s ss, but all I learned during that time was one thing.

    As expected, there¡¯s no solution to the written exam.

    All I have left is dungeon exploration.

    After spending time nkly staring off under the guise of ss, I came to the training grounds as if it were my daily routine.

    Normally, I would have warmed up and started running, but before that, there was something I had to check first.

    I had to find out what the hell I heardst night!

    As I walked inside the training grounds for that, I naturally met other soldiers and knights.

    Normally, they would have just politely greeted me and ran away, but today was different.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Lady!¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your mercy!¡±

    They suddenly started saying thank you loudly.

    What?

    Why on earth are you saying that?

    What did I do to make you say that?

    All I did yesterday was spar with a sloppy knight.

    Is that something to be thankful for?

    As I was feeling bewildered by the iing gratitude, a knight walked up to me.

    He had several minor scars on his face and a clean head that seemed to be hated by his hair.

    His sharp eyes and his body were bigger than that of an average adult male.

    He was a knight who could be described as fierce.

    He blocked my path without saying a word.

    ¡®What.¡¯

    ¡°What, Bald knight!¡±

    What the hell, a bald knight!

    Mesugaki skill, can¡¯t you read the mood?

    What are you going to do if you provoke this person?!

    Of course, he won¡¯t touch me because I¡¯m a member of the family, but there¡¯s always the possibility!

    ¡°Lady Lucy.¡±

    ¡®Yes!¡¯

    ¡°What!¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much for saving Karl!¡±

    The fierce knight knelt on the ground with a restrained movement and buried his head in the ground.

    ¡°I thought I would never see Karl again! But I can thanks to you, youngdy!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, youngdy, showing mercy!¡±

    As soon as the knight finished speaking, a soldier ran up next to him and buried his head in the ground with him kneeling.

    No.

    Why are you doing this?

    While I was flustered, unable to understand the situation, the number of people kneeling before me began to increase.

    Karl?

    When you say Karl, you mean that sloppy knight, right?

    When you say mercy, you mean when I told Benedict not to scold him so much?

    Is that something to be so thankful for?

    But you know what?

    Calm down!

    You scum!

    I can¡¯t say anything!@@novelbin@@

    While I was at a loss for words, the man who had protected me from Karl¡¯s attacks walked up to me from afar.

    Was it the knightmander, Possell?

    ¡°You guys!¡±

    ¡°The youngdy is flustered!¡±

    ¡°Get out of the way!¡±

    The entire training ground shook as Possell shouted.

    Wow.

    How can someone be so loud?

    With that much power, he could probably kill someone with his vocal cords.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one who was intimidated by the voice.

    The people surrounding me also stepped back as Possell told them to.

    As expected of the Knight Commander!

    Thank you!

    I can¡¯t say thank you because of the trantion in Mesugaki, but please know that I think so!

    ¡°Miss Lucy, are you okay?¡±

    ¡®Yes, I¡¯m okay, but why is everyone acting like this?¡¯

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m okay? Why on earth are these idiots acting like this?¡±

    Possell didn¡¯t answer, even though I wanted an exnation.

    Instead, he knelt down like the knight had done the first time.

    How tall was this old man?

    How could his gaze be higher than mine when he was kneeling?

    ¡°Miss! I, Possell, would also like to thank you, miss! Thanks to your lofty mercy, a knight¡¯s future has been preserved!¡±

    Ha.

    Damn.

    Right.

    This guy was the leader of many knights.

    Then of course he was just like everyone else.

    ¡®Knight Commander.¡¯

    ¡°Possell, you rascal.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡®Disperse everyone here right now. Before I take back what I said.¡¯

    ¡°Resolve thismotion right now. If you don¡¯t want to see swords flying because of you guys.¡±

    After some time had passed and the situation had calmed down somewhat, I was finally able to hear the whole story from Possell.

    Possell said that as a knight, it was the worst thing to do to strike someone you served.

    Of course, you would be held ountable and kicked out of the family.

    It seemed like the dishonour would follow your name like abel, so you would never be able to act as a knight again.

    Then why not just be a mercenary?

    I thought, but that was just what an ordinary person like me thought.

    Most knightsmit s*****e because they can¡¯t stand the humiliation.

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh when I realized what it would have ended up like if I hadn¡¯t said anything to Benedict.

    No.

    It might have been worse.

    When he came to see me, Benedict¡¯s eyes were incredibly fierce.

    ¡°Karl is usually a really good guy. Yesterday, he made a mistake for some reason, but I will educate him well from now on. So please don¡¯t change your mind.¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t have any ill feelings toward that guy.¡¯

    ¡°Why do you think I would care about a sloppy knight? I don¡¯t care about a piece of shit.¡±

    I understood that what he did was a big deal.

    But it was all my fault.

    Judging from the fact that the knights and soldiers, including themander, gathered together to defend him like this, Karl must be a really good knight.

    Then there¡¯s only one reason why he lost his senses.

    It was because of my [Mesugaki] skill.

    That means he really wasn¡¯t at fault, so there¡¯s no reason to expect him to be punished.

    By the way, how good is the provocation effect of the Mesugaki skill?

    It¡¯s enough to make a noble knight go crazy with rage.

    I originally thought that Karl was a person who had trouble controlling his emotions.

    Usually, if the level difference isrge, it¡¯s hard to affect skills.

    But if that¡¯s not the case¡­

    Mesugaki skill.

    It might be a much more fraudulent skill than I thought.

    ¡°Really?!¡±

    As I was thinking to myself, Possell suddenly thrust his face in front of me.

    Whoa!

    I was startled.

    It was really embarrassing when arge man suddenly thrust his face in front of me.

    Why are there so many scary-looking people in the Allen family?

    Did the head of the family, Benedict, look like a troll and be the orthodox head of the family?

    Karl is definitely a strange person.

    But he looks fine.

    ¡®Yes, I don¡¯t have any thoughts, so could you please move your face?¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any thoughts, so could you please move your disgusting face?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Possell justughed heartily despite being called disgusting.

    Was he really that happy that his subordinate waspletely forgiven?

    He looks fierce, but he¡¯s a good-hearted old man.

    ¡®Ah, Commander about yesterday¡­¡¯

    ¡°Idiot Possell, do you know anything about the explosion that happened yesterday?¡±

    ¡°That? Ah.¡±

    Possell, who had been lightly talking in excitement, btedly came to his senses and shut his mouth, but it was already toote.

    You knew?

    Right?

    ¡°Karl.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Punishment.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to tell?¡±

    ¡°¡­Um. Can you keep it a secret that I said that?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will.¡±

    ¡°Okay. So, tell me.¡±

    ¡°That was the sound of the Count swinging his fistst night.¡±

    What?

    ¡®A human fist made that sound?¡¯

    ¡°Are you kidding me? How can a human fist make that sound?¡±

    ¡°It makes sense. At least for the Count.¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem to be joking.

    Even though Soul Academy is a fantasy world, how could a person throwing a punch make the sound of a bomb exploding?

    I was dumbfounded, but if I thought about it carefully, it was entirely possible.

    The protagonist of Soul Academy also does all sorts of ridiculous things towards the end.

    It¡¯s only his fists that make the sound of bombs exploding.

    That¡¯s unusual.

    Just how strong is Benedict?!

    If he¡¯s that strong, he¡¯s a famous powerhouse even within the Soul Academy universe?!

    The cool nickname ¡°Iron-Blooded Knight¡± wasn¡¯t given to him for nothing!

    Why didn¡¯t I know about this character?

    I know all the major NPCs in Soul Academy by heart.

    Is it because Benedict was born with Lucy?

    But you know.

    Why was Lucy, the daughter of such a monster, so weak before I possessed her?

    Usually, physical abilities are inherited.

    Just like the children of athletes be athletes, and the children of martial artists be martial artists.

    If only she had a tenth of Benedict¡¯s abilities!

    Then I wouldn¡¯t have started as a munchkin from the beginning!

    There was no need to worry about what to do when you¡¯re OP!

    Thinking about it, it¡¯s so unfair.

    While I was internallyining, a thought suddenly urred to me.

    What happens to someone who gets hit by a human who shakes the earth with his punches?

    ¡®Knight Commander, is Karl, okay?¡¯

    ¡°Possell, is the sloppy knight alive?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s alive. He¡¯s a bit battered, though.¡±

    After saying that, Possell said that I would naturally understand when I saw him and took me to the prison of the knights.

    Although it was called a prison, the atmosphere there wasn¡¯t as strict as I had imagined.

    Rather, it was quiet and calm.

    Perhaps it was because it was a ce to punish those who caused trouble within the knights.

    ¡°This is the aftermath of the fist he swung.¡±

    There was a hole in one of the prison rooms.

    It wasn¡¯t a small hole.

    The entire wall had been blown away, so it looked like the ce had been built that way from the beginning.

    The aftermath of the punch wasn¡¯t limited to that.

    Beyond the gaping hole in the wall, there was a long trail of destruction.

    It looked like a disaster caused by a monster shootingsers in a movie.

    Hmm.

    I should live gratefully for the fact that Benedict is a doting father.

    If Benedict was merciless to his own children, I would have died a long time ago.

    But you know what?

    How can someone who gets hit by a punch like this be okay?

    ¡®Where¡¯s Karl?¡¯

    ¡°Where¡¯s the sloppy knight?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in the next cell, should I show you?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Karl was better off than I thought.

    There was a big bruise on his face, but that was it.

    Considering that he got hit by only that punch, it was safe to say that he didn¡¯t have any other wounds.

    This guy is a real monster.

    He got hit by a punch that left such a bad aftereffect and still came out okay.

    Then what would have happened to me if he got hit by a punch that was really serious?

    If I had done something wrong, I would have really died.

    ¡°Miss! I¡¯m sorry! Imitted a great sin! As a knight, trying to harm my master!

    It¡¯s a sin that deserves death!¡±

    I hadn¡¯t really thought much about it until now, but now that I know that he was really in danger, I feel regret.

    I can¡¯t tell Benedict, because I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll do something weird again.

    Hmm.

    What should I do?

 Chapter 11

    I was already thinking that I needed a knight who would follow my orders.

    There are many reasons, but the most important thing was that I needed a knight to secretly go to the Evans Dungeon¡¯s Ruel¡¯s Trial.

    Think about it.

    I¡¯m a countess¡¯s daughter even though I look like this.

    Even if I somehow managed to enter the dungeon, would people really leave me alone?

    There¡¯s no way!

    There would always be soldiers and knights to guard me.

    No matter how much I try to be a jerk, I can¡¯t be alone.

    This is a safety issue.

    It¡¯d be better to endure my frustration than Benedict¡¯s anger.

    Why can¡¯t I just go in where everyone is and im it was a coincidence?

    That¡¯s impossible.

    The ce where Ruel¡¯s Trial is hidden is a remote ce where you have no reason to go unless you go there on purpose.

    Let¡¯s say I went there by force.

    But then identally entered Ruel¡¯s Trial in that situation?

    If you were sane, would you believe that?

    That¡¯s where Karles in.

    With this guy who is highly respected and trusted by people by my side, I should be able to move around quite freely.

    Furthermore, I could exin Ruel¡¯s trials quite well if I just took in this sloppy knight.

    ¡°Commander of the Knights, excuse me, but can I talk to Miss Lucy alone for a moment?¡±

    While I was cheering in my heart at the good fortune that had rolled in, Karl spoke to Possell.

    ¡°It¡¯ll only take a moment.¡±

    ¡°If Miss Lucy allows it, I¡¯ll leave.¡±

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    Huh?

    What¡¯s going on?

    You want to talk to me alone?

    Alright!

    I was going to ask you a secret favour anyway.

    ¡®Commander of the Knights, could you step out for a moment.¡¯

    ¡°Idiot Possell. Stay out.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Miss. Then I¡¯ll wait outside.¡±

    After Possell¡¯s footsteps faded, I asked Karl.

    ¡°Knight, what do you want to say?¡±

    ¡°Sloppy knight, what are you going to ask me?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a blessing, Miss?¡±

    Blessing.

    The name of a skill that NPCs use in Soul Academy.

    We understand skills as a system in the game, but the characters in the game are different.

    They don¡¯t know the concept of skills, so they consider it a blessing from God.

    ¡°I want to know. Was it simply my own shorings that I tried to harm the youngdy yesterday, or was it some other force at work?¡±

    Karl¡¯s voice was filled with tension and self-loathing.

    As the perpetrator, I didn¡¯t think much of it, but Karl was different.

    He was epting what he had done as a great sin.

    ¡°I know that asking you to tell me about your blessings is extremely rude. I also know how trashy it is for a beast that tried to kill the youngdy to ask something like this. But please, just once. Just once! I will believe you no matter what you say!¡±

    That was what Karl was hoping.

    That his mistake wasn¡¯t entirely his fault.

    That he had someone else to make excuses.

    That he had an excuse for his mistake.

    When I saw Karl banging his head on the stone floor of the prison, I unconsciously stepped back.

    I was pressured by Karl¡¯s tenacity, as if he would give up his life if what he had done was entirely his.

    ¡°Please!¡±

    It¡¯s not that hard to talk about skills.

    I don¡¯t know what people in the game think, but to me, skills are just skills.

    They ¡®re not something special, they¡¯re just tools that you gain and lose based on practicality.

    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t feel bad about telling others.

    More importantly, if I leave here without saying anything.

    He¡¯ll really kill himself.

    So, I¡¯ll tell him, but I can¡¯t do it for free because he almost hurt me.

    I definitely have to get something in return.

    This is a deal that¡¯s advantageous to me.

    I¡¯m A and the other person is B.

    In this case, I first ask the other person to give me something ridiculous and then gradually reduce it.

    All I want is help in Evans¡¯ dungeon, but it wouldn¡¯t be bad to get more than that, right?

    So, first¡­

    ¡®Okay, But there¡¯s a condition!¡¯

    ¡°Okay, sloppy knight I¡¯ll tell you. But there¡¯s a condition.¡±

    ¡°What is it? I¡¯ll do anything I can.¡±

    ¡°Swear to the God of Oathst that you¡¯ll be my loyal knight.¡±

    Karl froze for a moment after hearing my words.

    Surely, he never thought I¡¯d make such a request.

    Swearing to the God of Oaths at Soul Academy means dering that you¡¯ll keep your promise in past, present and future.

    If you break this oath, the oath symbol that¡¯s engraved on your body when you make the oath will turn ck.

    That¡¯s the end of it.

    It¡¯s nothing special.

    The characters in the game mention things like your soul being tainted or being dragged to the abyss, but there are no actual penalties.

    At best, your reputation might drop.

    That¡¯s how it is for the yer, but for Karl, who actually lives in this world, it¡¯s different.

    Because breaking an oath is considered a huge dishonour.

    Could Karl, who agonizes all night because of his misbehaviour as a knight, endure dishonour?

    No.

    So, the offer I made to Karl would sound like this.

    Be my loyal ve for the rest of your life.

    No one in their right mind would ept such an offer.

    So, I waited for Karl, who was keeping silent, to reject it.

    To make another offer.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    But what came out of Karl¡¯s mouth was an answer different from what I expected.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I swear to the God of Oaths.¡±

    No.

    Huh?

    Is he really saying that?

    How could someone who has lived his whole life in this world not know the meaning of an oath?!

    Karl, who had been kneeling on the floor, got up from his position and stood in front of me.

    Then he bit his thumb with his lips and drew a line on the back of his hand with the blood from it.

    ¡®Wait a minute!¡¯@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Hey! Wait a minute! You sloppy knight! Stop!¡±

    No.

    Shit.

    I can¡¯t go in there to stop this because of the iron bars.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you to stop. So, stop it!¡±

    Should I call Possell?

    If it¡¯s themander of the knights, Possell, he should have the means to open the door of this prison.

    Yes.

    Let¡¯s go call Possell.

    As I was about to move my body in a hurry, a voice leaked out of Karl¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°God who governs the oath.

    I stand here as a knight.¡±

    Karl¡¯s usually soft voice gained strength.

    His voice filled with magic stopped me from moving.

    Damn it!

    What kind of magic density is this high?!

    I can¡¯t move!

    ¡°I will put the days of my past to be a knight in this circle.

    I will put the present of my life as a knight in this circle.

    I will put the future of living for my dreams in this circle.¡±

    As I struggled to escape the magic, I soon realized that escape was impossible and watched Karl swearing his oath.

    I engraved in my mind the sight of him mortgaging his life.

    Ha.

    Damn it.

    Yes.

    Do whatever you want.

    You¡¯re the one who¡¯s getting screwed, not me.

    ¡°Great Gods.

    Everything about me is contained in this circle right now.

    So, I swear by this.

    I will live as a loyal knight of Lady Lucy Allen from now on.¡±

    After finishing all his words, Karl ran his hand over the line drawn on his hand.

    Then, a light appeared on the back of his hand, and the line of oath was engraved.

    After the series of events were over and I regained my freedom, I quietly looked at Karl¡¯s hand, then raised my head and shouted with all my heart.

    ¡°Karl! Did you go crazy after getting beaten by my father?!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to do it?¡±

    ¡°What kind of crazy guy actually swears an oath just because you told him to do it?! You piece of trash!¡±

    Yes.

    I did tell you to do it.

    But swearing to the God of Oaths isn¡¯t such a light thing, you crazy person.

    Why are you looking at me like you¡¯re doing something crazy and then asking why?

    Huh?

    This really pisses me off.

    Seriously.

    ¡°Since I was saved by your mercy, isn¡¯t it natural for me to dedicate the rest of my life to you? I intended to do that from the beginning. The oath just got added on top of that.¡±

    He spoke so calmly that I briefly wondered if my knowledge was wrong.

    So, I thought back on the various quests I had in Soul Academy.

    The conclusion I came to was this.

    Nothing was wrong with me.

    The only thing that was wrong was this person whose head was twisted in a strange way.

    Benedict.

    How hard did you hit him?!

    How hard did you have to hit him to make him a mental cripple!

    ¡°Would you like to tell me now?¡±

    After seeing him swear in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but listen to what he had to say.

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I have the blessing to provoke others.¡±

    ¡°Then the reason why I couldn¡¯t control my emotions.¡±

    ¡°It must be because of the blessing.¡±

    ¡°I see. My guess was right.¡±

    My head started hurting as I watched Karl mutter to himself as if he was relieved.

    Is it right to swear an oath just because of that?

    I can¡¯t understand you with my head.

    Lucy was a crazy bitch before she was possessed, but you seem to be just as crazy.

    ¡®Are you satisfied?¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy knight, are you satisfied that I found out that you are not an idiot?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you, mydy. I will continue to aid you in activities as a knight in the future.¡±

    As I looked at Karl, who bowed his head politely, a thousand thoughts came to mind.

    If I only consider the results, I have a skilled knight who will follow my every word for the rest of his life, so why do I feel so ufortable?

    Haa.

    I don¡¯t know.

    Karl swore to be my loyal knight that day, but that didn¡¯t mean his punishment would end.

    Karl had to stay in prison until just before leaving for the expedition.

    I had to find another knight who could match my sparring.

    In the end, I had to go through Ruel¡¯s Trial alone.

    No matter how much Karl followed my orders, if I wasx in my preparations, I would fail.

    That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t rest even for a moment.

    So, I asked Possell to find someone to help me, and Possell replied,

    ¡°In that case, I will help you!¡±

    It was a wee offer for the knightmander to personally spar and gain experience, but for some reason, I felt ufortable with the offer.

    Think about it.

    Why did Karl, a knight of the Allen family, train me so hard on the first day?

    Of course, it must have been because he was treated that way too.

    Then who made Karl treat me that way?

    Of course, it must have been this knightmander who shouted that he would help me.

    I was sure that the Spartan-esque education would go on beyond my imagination, so I declined, saying that Possell would have a lot to do, but Possell was stubborn.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay! If it¡¯s for you, youngdy! I can train you as much as you want!¡±

    Unlike Benedict, who was easily fooled by his daughter, or the other people who could be suppressed by my status as a Countess, Possell, the knightmander, was someone who could ignore my wishes.

    Possell, who had thus acquired the position of my sparring partner, said,

    ¡°Okay, youngdy! You were really good at blocking with your shield and then pushing away to create openings! Let¡¯s do it again!¡±

    He created a bootcamp training program that made me lose my mind.

 Chapter 12

    With the skill of Unbreakable Will, I didn¡¯t think I would lose to anyone else in terms of tenacity.

    However, I found out today.

    That themon sense of Earth didn¡¯t apply here.

    The stamina that Possell possessed was beyond myprehension.

    How did this damn old man teach me for 6 hours straight and still be so energetic?

    What on earth is his stamina stat?

    The hand holding the mace was shaking.

    The arm holding the shield didn¡¯t listen to me well, perhaps because it had blocked too many attacks.

    My lungs were about to burst because I had been moving without rest, and my head had long since stopped thinking.

    The skill was forcibly lifting me up, but right now I was more like a zombie than a person.

    A zombie who moved his body slowly ording to his instincts.

    ¡°Miss?¡±

    But that was also reaching its limit.

    I think I held out really well.

    As I said before, will is just will.

    When my body reaches its limit, I have no choice but toply.

    What are you trying to say?

    ¡°Possell.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now, so don¡¯t touch me. You crazy training addict.¡±

    You are a seriously bad training addict.

    That evening.

    Possell, who was making himself a drink in his room, raised his voice at the sound he heard outside the door.

    ¡°Your Majesty. You can juste in.¡±

    ¡°Ahem. How did you know?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°You weren¡¯t nning on hiding it, were you?¡±

    Benedict opened the door and appeared.

    Possell wasn¡¯t at all flustered by his sudden appearance, even though he usually stayed in his office untilte at night.

    He had known he woulde in the first ce.

    ¡°You came because of Miss Lucy, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, may I sit down?¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    When Benedict sat down across from Possell, both sides of the desk were full.

    For ordinary people, two couldfortably sit on one side, and three could sit although cramped, but with the two big guys sitting next to each other, the table looked like it was for two.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink together after a long time.¡±

    ¡°What kind of drink is it?¡±

    ¡°I stole it when I raided the vampire¡¯s castle a while ago. When I showed it to a guy who knows a lot about alcohol, his hands started shaking.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the name?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember. I only remember that guy being shocked by the drink and fainting, so I can¡¯t remember the name of the drink.¡±

    Possellughed heartily and joked that it must be delicious because it was so precious.

    While Possell got up and looked for a ss, Benedict spoke up.

    ¡°Did you know I wasing?¡±

    ¡°Everyone in the mansion knows that the Count can¡¯t help but be picky when ites to Miss Lucy.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ahem.¡±

    Benedict coughed in difort but couldn¡¯t bring himself to deny Possell¡¯s words.

    He couldn¡¯t deny it because he hadmitted so many wrongdoings because of his love for his daughter.

    ¡°What do you think of Lucy?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s talented.¡±

    Possell answered without even thinking for a moment.

    He had taught many people so far.

    From geniuses who were famous in the world to durds who had no talent but became knights through hard work.

    In Possell¡¯s eyes, Lucy was definitely a talented person.

    She had more than one or two talents, but the most outstanding of them was her ability to handle a shield.

    Usually, people who first pick up a shield use it only for defence.

    They focus too much on the word ¡°shield¡± and be anxious to block the opponent¡¯s attack.

    However, Lucy was different.

    She knew how to draw out the potential of the shield.

    She didn¡¯t just block it, but sometimes she would intervene in the opponent¡¯s attack to cut off the flow, push them back, and harass them.

    Even while doing that, she didn¡¯t neglect her defence.

    This wasn¡¯t an ordinary talent.

    It was a God-given talent.

    Even though she hasn¡¯t received proper education yet, she¡¯s at this level.

    What kind of monster would emerge if she kept honing her talent for months and years?

    ¡°I guess the blood of the Allen family can¡¯t be fooled. If it were up to me, I would like to continue to train her from now on. Miss Lucy will definitely make her mark in history.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for praising my daughter, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking about.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I understand.¡±

    Are you talking about Miss Lucy¡¯s changes?

    The youngdy has changed drastically in the past few days.

    One knight said that she wouldn¡¯t change like that even if she died and came back to life.

    Originally, Lucy was far from being a person with tenacity.

    She was so weak that it was hard to believe that she was the daughter of the Iron Blood Lord, who would quickly throw away her studies, exercise, or anything else if it was even a little difficult.

    No wonder other nobles who saw Lucy asked if she was really the daughter of the Iron Blood Lord.

    However, she changed one day.

    Possell witnessed the change firsthand when Lucy starteding to the training grounds.

    The word that represented her, appearing in the training grounds with her mace and shield, was tenacity.

    No one could deny her tenacity in training every single day, to the point where even the most skilled knights would be amazed.

    Although her methods seemed bizarre to the average knight, she clearly achieved results with her own methods.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a positive change. If you asked anyone else, they would give the same answer.¡±

    If you asked who was better, the Lucy of the past or the Lucy of the present, everyone would unanimously say the Lucy of the present.

    It¡¯s true that her words and actions are still not noble, butpared to the evil she used to do, it was nothing.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Are you worried about something?¡±

    ¡°To be honest¡­ yes.¡±

    Sudden changes didn¡¯t always lead to a good oue.

    Even if she looked fine on the outside, she might actually be rotting and decaying inside.

    Benedict, who had experienced something simr, was not entirely happy about Lucy¡¯s change.

    ¡°As you know, my daughter was very twisted because of this ipetent father.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    When Benedict med himself, Possell nodded his head coldly.

    ¡°After the wife passed away, I kept pestering the youngdy, and she became an incorrigible person.¡±

    Lucy certainly made many mistakes.

    However, if you ask if it was all her fault, it wasn¡¯t.

    After all, the fault of a child is the fault of its parents.

    If Benedict had raised Lucy a little more strictly, Lucy¡¯s tyranny might not have gotten so bad.

    ¡°For a child like that toe to her senses overnight. That¡¯s not normal.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea? Didn¡¯t you watch Lucy all day today?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Count¡¯s job to figure that out.¡±

    Benedict looked away as Possell offered sincere advice.

    Benedict still didn¡¯t have the confidence to face his daughter sincerely.

    Possell sighed as he saw the hopeless father who clearly cared for and loved her, but at the same time was afraid to approach her sincerely.

    Wasn¡¯t it because Lady Lucy lived like a rascal that she didn¡¯t resemble the Count?

    He shook his head wildly, drank the wine in his ss in one gulp, and spoke.

    ¡°The Lady may have been blessed.¡±

    ¡°Blessed?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That idiot Karl said that after hearing Lady Lucy¡¯s provocation, he had difficulty controlling his emotions.¡±

    Although he made an indelible mistake once, Karl was a great knight until then.

    He was a trustworthy person who calmly carried out what he had to do without making a single rash move in any extreme situation.

    It wasn¡¯t for nothing that everyone in the knighthood hoped that he wouldn¡¯t be punished.

    If that guy couldn¡¯t control his own feelings, the excuse Karl made yesterday might not have been an excuse at all.

    ¡°Blessed.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough for a person to change in an instant?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    It¡¯smon for God¡¯s blessings on humans to change people overnight.

    There have been more than one or two such cases.

    If Lucy had been blessed as Possell suspected, her change was likely rted.

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, there¡¯s no need to worry too much, but¡­ Is it a blessing?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing? Miss Lucy will also have to inherit the family and fulfill her noble duties one day. It will definitely help.¡±

    Benedict didn¡¯t answer Possell and snatched the wine bottle from his hand and poured it into his own ss.

    Benedict took a sip of wine and frowned at theplex aromas that spread through his mouth.

    ¡°It seems to be high-ss. But it¡¯s not to my taste.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a noble, so why can¡¯t you deal with wine?¡±

    ¡°I like the beer that Dwarves drink much better.¡±

    When Benedict grumbled, Possellughed and poured wine for himself.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to Evans¡¯ dungeon in a week from now.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of your daughter until I get back.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re going to Evans Dungeon because of any danger. Nothing will happen.¡±

    One day, after spending a few hellish days with Possell, I came to the training grounds and saw Karl warming up.

    He was running through the training grounds carrying a load that must have been twice his size.

    Judging by the way he was sweating like he was in a pool a second ago, it didn¡¯t seem like he had been running for ten or twenty minutes.

    Since he came out of prison, isn¡¯t his punishment over?

    Why is he doing that?

    As I was warming up and watching him, a bald knight who had been acting like he knew me a lot sincest time approached me.

    ¡°Ah you¡¯re here today too, youngdy?¡±

    ¡®Hello, sir.¡¯

    ¡°Hello, baldy, you are still shiny today.¡±

    ¡°Of course! I clean it every day!¡±

    This knight, who was proud of his clean head, was a unique person who took the word bald as apliment.

    Thanks to that, no matter how many times I insulted him in Mesugaki, he didn¡¯t suffer any damage.

    ¡®Sir, why is Karl doing that?¡¯

    ¡°Bald knight. Why is that sloppy guy doing that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s being punished.¡±

    The bald knight exined that confinement was simply a punishment given by his family.

    It seemed to be separate from the punishment given by the knights.

    Was that punishment the running he was doing now?

    In military terms, it was like running around the parade ground carrying a military uniform.

    ¡°How long is he going to do that?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll continue doing it until he leaves for battle.¡±

    By ¡°continue,¡± you mean excluding the time he spends sleeping and eating?

    Right?

    Right?

    They wouldn¡¯t make him run without sleep.

    ¡°I think he¡¯ll keep doing it.¡±

    Wow.

    Maybe because it¡¯s a game, the level of punishment is no joke.

    Do you want him to do that all day?

    You¡¯re just telling him to run and die?

    That¡¯s not good.

    He¡¯s my subordinate.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve done that for over a week before.¡±

    ¡°¡­How are you still alive after all that?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a knight.¡±

    Was the existence of a knight in Soul Academy different from what I remember?

    ¡°More than that, youngdy. There is something Possell wanted to tell you.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°He said to warm up and thene to the training grounds. He said that you should experience actualbat before going out tomorrow.¡±

    Actualbat?

    In this training ground?

 Chapter 14

    <em><u>Shoutout to Justin Sanchez for proofreading.</u></em>

    With Possell¡¯s deration, the pressure seemed to be released, and the orc fell forward, barely regaining his bnce.

    Then, he turned his head here and there, looking around, and spotted me.

    The orc¡¯s raw gaze met mine, and the orc let out a huff.

    Even in the autumn weather, his breath was hot enough to show white smoke.

    At that moment, I felt it.

    That the orc had defined me as weak.

    That he would rush toward me to escape.

    As soon as I realized this, I raised my shield.

    I looked at the orc.

    I saw the muscles of his legs, trained in the wild, moving.

    I saw the movement of the guy running at the speed of a wild boar.

    Simple.

    But that¡¯s why he was strong.

    His movements, running without any other tricks, relying solely on his own body, could be truly strong because he had no grappling technique.

    I knew that such a simple charge could be avoided.

    I had learned the method by rolling around avoiding Possell for the past few days.

    However, my body did not move well.@@novelbin@@

    Is this what realbat is all about?

    A moment of hesitation can be fatal in battle.

    Before I knew it, the distance between me and the orc was close.

    I couldn¡¯t choose to evade now.

    If I moved clumsily, I would get caught up in the orc¡¯s charge.

    Then what I had to do was simple.

    If I couldn¡¯t dodge, I had to block it.

    I was a tank with a shield.

    Iron Wall told me to raise my shield.

    Put strength in my legs.

    Grit my teeth.

    The opponent¡¯s moved in a straight line, so if I used that, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to block it.

    I followed Iron Wall¡¯s instructions.

    I watched the distance narrowing and focused on my timing.

    Three.

    Two.

    One.

    Right before the orc touched my shield, I stepped forward and dug into the Orc¡¯s body.

    Then I raised my shield diagonally and took the orc¡¯s shock.

    Kwang!

    The shock momentarily took my breath away.

    If I let go of my legs like this, the orc would crush me.

    So, I had to hold on.

    I clench my teeth and braced my back.

    It¡¯s not about holding on with just the strength of my legs.

    It¡¯s about nting my entire body into the ground and bing a single tree.

    The orc who had recklessly charged without thinking about what was in front him couldn¡¯t control his body.

    The orc who had hit the tilted shield was unable to control his body and flew past me backwards.

    I felt my arm holding the shield go numb, but now was not the time to worry about him.

    The battle wasn¡¯t over yet.

    I saw the orc who had fallen far away staggering back up and ran.

    When we had just collided, I was certain that the orc¡¯s body wasn¡¯t that strong.

    It wasn¡¯t like Possell or Karl who wouldn¡¯t get hurt even if you hit them with all your might with a mace.

    That orc was just an ordinary creature that would feel hurt if you hit him.

    When you say it like that, I can¡¯t tell which one is the monster¡­

    The orc quickly got up and swung his fist at me who was charging at him.

    A simple and ignorant punch made up of the strength unique to monsters.

    There¡¯s no reason to take the hit.

    There¡¯s no reason to block it.

    You can just avoid something like that.

    As I bent down, the orc¡¯s fist brushed past my hair.

    I dug into the orc¡¯s body like that, but I couldn¡¯t aim for the head.

    The height difference between the orc and me was too great.

    But it didn¡¯t matter.

    The abdomen, where the organs are, is also one of the great vital points.

    I added strength to the hand holding the mace and struck the abdomen.

    Whack!

    The mace with iron shards at the end was not a simple blunt weapon.

    It was a cold weapon that dug into skin and tore it apart.

    Blood spurted out and the orc¡¯s scream rang in my ears.

    Now was my chance to attack.

    I had to apply more pressure when the opponent was terrified.

    As I struck the mace again, the orc hesitated and stepped back.

    Perhaps because of the excitement of the battle, he looked forward, gasping for breath.

    Fear filled the orc¡¯s eyes.

    The orc, who had defined me as weak, had now transformed into a weakling in front of me.

    ¡°What are you doing? Are you going to run away? You sloppy orc.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Come at me. You disgusting piece of trash!¡±

    The provocation that worked on the more monstrous figure of Karl could not help but work on this sloppy orc.

    The orc shouted and ran forward as if it had forgotten the fear it had been holding.

    The orc, who had been reckless and unruly even before, ran blindly, controlled by its own anger.

    My body was filled with strength thanks to that anger.

    I raised my mace again, feeling the unique sense of omnipotence and excitement that came with the buff of the Mesugaki skill.

    There was no need to raise a shield.

    The Iron Wall was saying the same.

    There was only one thing I had to do.

    To drive the mace into the face of the orc that was running toward me.

    The orc who had lost his thoughts in anger was nothing more than a moving target.

    It was too easy to aim for him.

    The iron shards of the mace shattered the orc¡¯s face.

    No matter how sturdy the orc was, it seemed that he could not withstand the shock that shook his head and fell to the ground just as he had been charging.

    The fallen orc did not move at all.

    The only movement that could be seen was the small sound of breathing as if he was crawling.

    ¡°This is your first real battle! You were so great. I can¡¯t help but admire you!¡±

    ¡­Is that so?

    Ha, of course.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s wrap things up¡±¡¯

    Wrapping things up?

    The moment I heard those words, a sense of reality that I had forgotten because of the excitement of battle washed over me.

    I had just swung my weapon at a living being.

    It desperately hoped that it would hit and kill me.

    And now, I had to end things for a dying orc.

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    ¡®I know.¡¯

    ¡°I know, you idiot!¡±

    It¡¯s right to defeat monsters.

    That¡¯smon sense in this world.

    Monsters are beings born to harm humans, so humans killing them is nothing more than a desperate attempt to survive.

    That¡¯s called self-defence.

    I¡¯ve done it countless times in games.

    The number of monsters I¡¯ve killed must be close to the millions.

    Are they just monsters?

    Is there anything I haven¡¯t killed in games?

    People.

    Dragons.

    Spirits.

    Fairies.

    Gods.

    I was nothing but a murderer, having experimented with what would happen if I killed every NPC in the game.

    So, I shouldn¡¯t hesitate at this point.

    I¡¯ve killed hundreds of millions of orcs, so why should I be scared now?

    I raised my mace.

    At that moment, the orc and I met eyes.

    They were pitiful eyes mixed with anger and fear.

    I bit my lip and repeated the movements I had practiced countless times before.

    What is the means of transportation in a fantasy world?

    It¡¯s a carriage!

    Horse-drawn carriages are a regr feature in medieval fantasy, and it¡¯s no different in Soul Academy¡¯s world.

    Having never ridden a carriage before, I was excited when I heard that I could ride one to Evans.

    Listening to the rustling sound and leisurely looking out the carriage was truly romantic!

    I willingly climbed onto the carriage with a pounding heart.

    After a few hours, my fantasy was shattered.

    The carriage was the worst.

    The ride was ufortable, so my butt and waist were really sore, but the biggest problem was that there was nothing to do.

    The carriage ride was boring.

    Just looking at the scenery outside the window was only for a minute or so at first, but after an hour or two of the same forest scenery, I couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a forest again?¡±

    Chatting with the maids was also short-lived, and there was no topic for me and the maids to talk about for a long time, so I had to just nk out for a long time.

    That¡¯s why I brought up the fact that I was bored during a short break.

    Possell, the biggest training addict of the Allen family, didn¡¯t miss what I said.

    ¡°Are you bored in the carriage? Then why don¡¯t you train with the knights on the way?¡±

    The training Possell was talking about was running beside the horse.

    I wondered if there was any point in preparing the carriage, but I thought it would be better than nking out inside, so I epted Possell¡¯s offer.

    And as I found out, horses were really fucking fast.

    I couldn¡¯t feel it when I was riding inside.

    Because from the inside, the horses in the carriage appeared to be walking leisurely.

    But when I was in the position of catching up with him from the outside, I could sense the horse¡¯s speed.

    The horse¡¯s trotting pace was simr to my speed at running at full speed.

    It was really hard to move my legs to catch up with him, to the point where I would curse.

    After running for about ten minutes, I thought I would fall behind, but the knights, including Possell and the bald knight, wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.

    They pushed my back and made me catch up with the carriage by force.

    Thanks to that, I had to chase after the carriage until I copsed from exhaustion.

    Possell wasn¡¯t the only training demon.

    The guys who had endured so far under him were all the same.

    I would rest in the carriage, get off when I gained strength, and run repeatedly until it was already evening.

    I was extremely hungry because I had been running around like crazy during the day, but I couldn¡¯t touch the meat on the te.

    I could eat other vegetables and soup, but I was reluctant to touch the meat.

    It has been like that since yesterday.

    To be exact, since the evening I crushed the orc¡¯s head with my own hand.

    Why am I so weak-willed?

    Usually, when I see possessed people, they don¡¯t hesitate at all when hunting monsters.

    Is it because I¡¯m a coward who trembles in fear of even cockroaches?

    While I was stirring the meat with a spoon, I felt a presence behind me and turned my head.

    It was Karl.

    ¡°Miss, do you not like the food?¡±

    He asked as he sat down next to me.

    ¡°No, not really.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you eat?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t answer.

    If I said it was because I kept thinking about the scene after killing the orc yesterday.

    For a knight like Karl, hunting monsters was just something he had done over and over again.

    How funny would it be to see him worry about such things from that perspective?

    ¡°Is it because you¡¯re thinking about the orc you killed yesterday?¡±

    Karl pointed out the problem precisely even though I didn¡¯t say anything.

    When I flinched at his sharp point, Karl smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯re a delicate person, too, Miss.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, You sloppy knight.¡±

    Even with my sharp answer, Karl didn¡¯t flinch at all.

    Before I made the oath, he had shown signs of being offended, but now he wasn¡¯t like that.

    Was he enduring it?

    Was he used to it?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much, Miss, that¡¯s normal.¡±

    Normal?

    ¡°Everyone is like that at first. No matter how much of a monster you are, you are still a living creature. Everyone worries, hesitates, and wanders. I was like that too.¡±

    Then¡­

    ¡°Then how do I ovee this?¡±

    ¡°Time will solve it. It bes dull as time passes.¡±

    Ha.

    What is this?

    In the end, you¡¯re saying there¡¯s no way to ovee it.

    A useless, sloppy knight.

    I thought you were talking usibly, but it¡¯s no help at all.

    When I opened my eyes, Karl pulled away and spread out both hands.

    As if he had made a mistake.

    ¡°Karl!¡±

    Just as I was about to provoke him, Possell called out to Karl.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Captain¡­¡±

    ¡°Your training isn¡¯t over yet! If you¡¯re done eating, go for a run around the forest!¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Are you dissatisfied?!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Then go!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    After Karl ran far away as ordered, Possell¡¯s expression changedpletely, and he looked at me with a soft smile.

    ¡°Finish your meal and rest. You must take good care of your body until you enter the dungeon.¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Even after Possell left, I stared at the meat for a while and then took a bite.

    Ugh.

    What is this?

    It¡¯s tough, smelly, and salty.

    Are all camp meals like this?

    This is really horrible.

 Chapter 15

    ¡°Miss, I think we¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    After hearing the maid¡¯s words, I staggered up.

    Looking out the carriage window, the scenery that had been moving ceased to move.

    Finally, did we arrive in Evans?

    This journey was really hard.

    I never thought I would feel the saying that leaving home is a struggle so keenly.

    The sleeping conditions are poor.

    The food is tasteless.@@novelbin@@

    I can¡¯t wash properly.

    All I can do is run around as Possell tells me to.

    The worst of all were the bugs.

    No matter how well I prepare, we have to camp with torches lit, right?

    Then, bugs are bound to swarm me.

    But the bugs in this damned fantasy world are more vicious than modern bugs.

    Just thinking about it is terrifying.

    When a knight set up a magic circle that repels bugs, the bugs that had been quietly staying outside the magic circle left¡­

    Until now, I wondered if I really needed to learn magic.

    Since I had decided to be a tank, I didn¡¯t really need to take up the magic tree.

    But this time, I changed my mind.

    I need to learn magic, even if it¡¯s just for the bug-repelling magic circle.

    Even if it¡¯s while I¡¯m staying at the academy, after I graduate, I¡¯ll have to go camping a lot, and it¡¯ll be horrible to think that there won¡¯t be a bug-repelling magic circle.

    Anyway, after suffering like that for about two days, I got sick of camping.

    I didn¡¯t want to go camping again, since I lived in an environment worse than when I trained in the military.

    I guess I can sleep indoors today.

    Since I¡¯ve arrived at the vige, I can sleep here, right?

    Right?

    I got out of the carriage and looked ahead, and I saw Possell talking to the vige chief of Evans.

    I couldn¡¯t hear the conversation well because it was far away, but judging from the bright expressions on their faces, it seemed like things were going well.

    ¡°Miss, did you get some rest?¡±

    A voice came from behind me as I stretched.

    There was Karl, carrying a load that must have been twice his height.

    Karl¡¯s punishment didn¡¯t end withst night.

    The level of his crime was too serious to be punished for a day or two.

    After all, he had attacked the nobledy of the family.

    He was continuously called out for various dangerous tasks.

    He was always called out when there was guard duty.

    He was the first to be called out when there was a beast attack.

    Even in normal times, he carried most of the knights¡¯ luggage.

    It was closer to the life of a ve than a knight.

    Having lived that kind of life throughout his journey, his expression should have been bad, but his face was still bright.

    It was something I couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Miss, were you able to rest well?¡±

    ¡®A little.¡¯

    ¡°The carriage was trash, but I was able to rest a little.¡±

    I had just been marching with the knights outside, but I copsed from exhaustion and was now in the carriage.

    The carriage was so bumpy that it was hard to rest, but it was better after I caught my breath a little.

    ¡°How was your trip? Was it worth it?¡±

    ¡®Do you call that a question?¡¯

    ¡°Are you really saying that seeing how I am?¡±

    Would you have done it?

    This trip was definitely the worst trip I¡¯ve ever been on in my life!

    It¡¯s the same even if you think of it as training instead of travel!

    I¡¯d rather have the winter training I did in the military!

    ¡­

    No, maybe not.

    Anyway, if you expected me to say something nice, you were very wrong!

    I¡¯m confident I canin about the trip all day long now!

    ¡°Ahaha, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t go out much, Miss, it¡¯ll all get easier once you get used to it.¡±

    ¡®It won¡¯t get easier as time goes by, will it?¡¯

    ¡°F**k, will it get easier!? The reason you think that is because you¡¯re stupid.¡±

    You¡¯ll get used to it eventually.

    But it won¡¯t get easier; it¡¯ll just get a little less shitty.

    Getting easier means technological advancement.

    The carriages will get morefortable, the camping facilities will get better, and the food will get better.

    Will these things improve within my time?

    Of course not.

    Well, it will get easier after a long, long time from now.

    About 300 years, I guess.

    But by then I will be old and worn out, so it will be meaningless.

    Right?

    When I gave a sharp answer, Karl avoided my gaze.

    He said he was being yful, but it didn¡¯t seem like he really thought that way.

    ¡®Still¡­¡¯

    ¡°Still, today will be fine. I can sleep in a bed.¡±

    ¡°In bed? Oh. I guess you can do it alone, Miss?¡±

    ¡®Yes?¡¯

    ¡°Huh? Just me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Our knights are going to camp near the dungeon.¡±

    Karl said that Evans, although arge town, couldn¡¯t amodate knights.

    They would be a threat to the people if they entered the town, as the military of the Count¡¯s family. Since the knights came not to work but to train, they couldn¡¯t harm the people of the territory, so they seemed to be going to camp near the dungeon.

    Eh.

    Hmm.

    In that case, should I join you in camping?

    If the Countess were to fall in a vige like this, it¡¯d be chaos.

    But I have to stop by the vige, right?

    There¡¯s one thing I have to get from Evans Vige.

    This is difficult.

    ¡°You can sleep in the vige, youngdy.¡±

    I turned my head in surprise at the voice that came out of nowhere, and Possell was standing behind me.

    With that size that made the ground shake every time he moved, he could still move stealthily.

    I¡¯m really impressed.

    ¡°You got amodation in the vige?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you must have been tired from camping all the time, so take a rest for a day.¡±

    ¡®Then wouldn¡¯t the people in the vige be ufortable?¡¯

    ¡°Do I have to sleep in such a shabby vige?¡±

    The words I spoke out of consideration for the other person turned aggressive because of my skill.

    No, if I say something like this.

    I panicked and looked around urgently.

    I wondered if the Evans vige chief who had just been talking to Possell was nearby.

    ¡­Ah.

    He was.

    Behind Possell, he saw the vige chief with a stiff smile.

    A vige chief would be someone who had great affection for the vige, but to openly call it a shabby vige in front of such a person.

    How should I handle this?

    No, is this even possible?

    ¡­

    Oh my.

    What if it can¡¯t be handled?

    Are those guys crazy enough to mess with the Countess?!

    If they want, they could try revolting!

    ¡°Please, it¡¯s better for the knights that way.¡±

    The knights did take good care of me whenever we went camping.

    Since I¡¯m from a family they serve, they pay a lot of attention to me.

    Should I just quietly leave?

    That way, the knights can rest for a while.

    Possell looked at the knights, for them to agree.

    However, the knights shook their heads desperately while standing politely.

    What?

    Do you think it¡¯s better for you to be with me?

    You seem really desperate, considering how much you¡¯re watching my every move.

    Why?

    ¡°Okay Miss, if you follow the vige chief, he¡¯ll show you where to stay.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡±

    However, since Possell showed rank and forced a decision, I had no choice but to nod.

    How could I refuse when that fierce-looking big guy pushed his face in and asked me?

    No matter how much I¡¯m in a higher position, there¡¯s nothing I can do if he threatens me with that face!

    When I said I¡¯d sleep in the vige, frustration was etched onto the knights faces.

    Why on earth are they doing that?

    What¡¯s going to happen if I¡¯m not there?

    After asking for my permission, Possell introduced the person behind him.

    ¡°This is the vige chief of Evans Vige.¡±

    I know.

    I¡¯ve seen him in the game.

    He was the one who gave out various small quests.

    However, he wasn¡¯t an NPC that I looked for unless I was in a hurry, since none of his quests were important.

    ¡°Hello, Countess Lucy. My name is Panata, the vige chief of Evans Vige.¡±

    Vige Chief Panata bowed his head deeply as if embarrassed.

    He should have been angry after hearing the insults to his vige just now, but he didn¡¯t show it at all.

    It must be because I am the daughter of the Allen family.

    He must be cursing me inside.

    Lucy Allen is arrogant and presumptuous, just like the rumours say.

    Ugh.

    It feels like I can hear Lucy¡¯s reputation plummeting.

    ¡°I came here today to serve you, youngdy.¡±

    ¡®I am Lucy Allen. Please take good care of me.¡¯

    ¡°So you know who I am? Serve me as the you best you can, you sloppy vige chief.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Of course, I will.¡±

    I felt d that I started out as a noble.

    If I had said such things as amoner or a wanderer, I would have met with trouble a long time ago.

    They say that to end a brat, strict education (military) is needed, but I don¡¯t want to go through that again, not like it¡¯d change me due the Mesugaki skill.

    ¡°Oh, and youngdy, is there a knight you want to bring along?¡±

    ¡°A knight?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Ah.

    An escort knight?

    Well, I do need someone to protect me.

    I¡¯ll have a dedicated maid apany me, but she won¡¯t be able to act as a deterrent if something happens.

    If something happens to me.

    Who knows what Benedict might do?

    I need an escort to prevent such an unfortunate event.

    An escort.

    Hmm.

    There¡¯s only one person I can take as an escort.

    ¡®I¡¯ll take Karl.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this cker and use him.¡±

    It would be fine to take someone else, but in this case, it would be better to take someone who would sacrifice his life for me.

    Karl would throw himself away to death¡¯s clutches to keep his oath.

    ¡°You mean Karl? This guy is currently under observation.¡±

    ¡®So¡­¡¯

    ¡°So, you can¡¯t? You idiot Possell. He told me to take whoever I want.¡±

    Possell looked at my expression as if it was difficult, then shrugged.

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason why you can¡¯t. Take him.¡±

    Evans Vige isn¡¯t a particrly important ce in Soul Academy.

    The only reason this ce exists in the game is the dungeon near the vige and a few hidden elements.

    After you take care of all of those, the vige¡¯s existence is practically meaningless.

    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t pay much attention to the vige chief¡¯s exnation of Evans Vige.

    After finding Mace in the dungeon, I wondered why I would care about a vige I wouldn¡¯t visit again.

    ¡°Countess Lucy! Wee to Evans!¡±

    However, the moment I set foot in Evans Vige, I realized that I had been mistaken.

    Children chasing each other and raising their voices near the vige entrance.

    People chatting near the well.

    People working while sweating profusely.

    They weren¡¯t the NPCs that stood nkly in the game.

    They were people living their own lives.

    That¡¯s right.

    This was a world inside a game, but it was also reality.

    While I was nkly watching the scene, the vigers looked at my face and began to kneel one by one.

    Huh?

    Why are they all acting like that?

    Why are they scared?

    What did I do?

    ¡®Chief, why are those people acting like that?¡¯

    ¡°Panata, why are they acting like that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Countess Lucy, if it makes you ufortable!¡±

    The chief shouted his response, causing the small fear to grow and seep into the people.

    As I watched the people with pale faces and burying their heads in the ground, I couldn¡¯t help but think that I would have a hard time in the vige for no reason.

    What rumour about Lucy Allen spread that made people act like that?!

 Chapter 16

    The next morning, I woke up and tried to ring the bell next to my bed but failed miserably.

    That¡¯s right.

    I didn¡¯t sleep in the mansion yesterday.

    I hadn¡¯t been sleeping in a bed for so long that I had mistaken it.

    After stretching and getting up, I briefly felt peaceful as I looked at the clean wooden room.

    Yes.

    This is a room where people live.

    How can a room like Lucy¡¯s room in the mansion, full of frills, be a room where people live?

    Someday, I¡¯ll be prepared to be treated like a crazy woman by the people of the mansion and rip off the frills.

    I got up from the bed and opened the door quietly.

    If it was the maid I remembered, she would have been waiting at the door before I even woke up.

    ¡°Are you awake, mydy?¡±

    My guess was right.

    The maid was waiting for me early in the morning as usual.

    But there was someone else there.

    Karl.

    He was waiting at the door, wearing armour and holding a sword.

    ¡°Karl, what are you doing here?¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I was guarding the youngdy.¡±

    ¡°Since when?¡±

    ¡°Since the youngdy went into the room. There were no intruders until Miss Erin came here this morning.¡±

    You were guarding without sleeping?

    I didn¡¯t even ask you to.

    I understand that you swore to be a loyal knight, but isn¡¯t this a bit too much?

    Where would you find a crazy person who volunteers and stays up all night?

    I understand that you¡¯re doing things for me, but honestly, it¡¯s a bit burdensome.

    Hey.

    Are you saying that there¡¯s danger somewhere in this vige?

    Isn¡¯t this stalking rather than loyalty?

    I red at him, but Karl didn¡¯t flinch at all.

    It must be because he was convinced that what he did was necessary.

    I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned the oath back then.

    That¡¯s why that annoying guy followed me.

    No.

    Do you think he would have just stayed still because I didn¡¯t mention the oath back then?

    The fact that he swore as if he had been waiting for me to say it means that he had nned to do that from the beginning, right?

    Recently, seeing Karl showing a bit of excessive loyalty, such suspicions naturally arose in me.

    Haa.

    Who cares?

    What does it have to do with me that this guy wants to suffer?

    If he wants to suffer, then do it.

    If he stays like that all day, it¡¯ll be hard, but I¡¯m the one who¡¯s having a hard time.

    ¡®Maid,e in.¡¯

    ¡°Clumsy maid,e in.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Miss, would you like me to put on your armour?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡¯

    ¡°Why are you asking when it¡¯s obvious?¡±

    The day to enter the dungeon has finallye.

    As soon as we finished preparing, we headed to where the knights were staying.

    I wonder what the knights are doing now.

    They must be training as soon as they wake up in the morning.

    I¡¯m sure they are.

    That guy Possell gets sick if he makes those under him rest for even a second.

    Poor knights.

    Why did you join the Allen family in the first ce?

    A doting father and a training-addicted knightmander.

    Isn¡¯t this a truly horrible workce?

    If I were you, I would have resigned right away?

    After riding the carriage waiting in the vige for about an hour, I could see a campsite built in the distance.

    Unlike the makeshift campsite we made while camping on the way to Evans, the one set up near the dungeon was a proper one.

    It felt simr to the houses of Mongolian nomads on TV.

    It was definitely built with the right shapes and design, so it was fine.

    Wouldn¡¯t it have been okay for me to stay there?

    It was nice to have a proper wash, a proper meal, and a good night¡¯s sleep after a long time, but considering the mental anguish I had all day, it would have been much better to just stay at the campsite.

    ¡°Miss wee, did you have afortable night?¡±

    ¡®Thanks to you, it was fine.¡¯

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad for a shabbymoner¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d.¡±

    Possell greeted me with a big smile.

    That smile that seemed so relieved made me nervous, so I quietly turned my gaze to the other knights.

    They were paired up and sparring, and they all had dark circles around their eyes.

    As expected, they were training.

    This is an addiction.

    Addiction.

    Good and bad things are good in moderation, you monster.

    By the way, there seem to be fewer people than usual.

    Is it because I¡¯m imagining it?

    As I was quietly counting the number of people, Possell, who sensed my intention, spoke first.

    ¡°They went into the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°Yes. What would we do resting? We¡¯ve been taking turns going in and out sincest night.¡±

    I sensed a kind of madness in Possell, who said that they weren¡¯t here to y, but to train, and that they couldn¡¯t rest even for a moment.

    ¡°For a knight of the Allen family, it¡¯s okay to not rest for a few days. You have to let them experience extreme situations in advance during training so that they can deal with the situation without difficultyter on.¡±

    So, you¡¯re saying that we should train like a real battle?

    Hmm.

    Right.

    Does that make sense?

    Hey!

    What if the Knights of the Allen family rebel?

    If you treat people like this, when a real battle breaks out, they¡¯ll attack their superiors before the enemy!

    Of course, neither Benedict nor you are people who would fall if attacked, but you have to do it moderately!

    What if the resentment you¡¯ve built up against mees back to me!

    ¡®Commander of the Knights¡­¡¯

    ¡°Idiot Possell, if you keep doing this, the sloppy knights will fall before you clear the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Miss, when we clear the dungeon that we have to enter someday, there will be countless situations that are more difficult than this. This is just a taste.¡±@@novelbin@@

    I know what you¡¯re saying.

    The dungeon that the knights of the Count family will have to clear someday is at least a ss A disaster.

    It¡¯s a hell where you¡¯ll die the moment you let your guard down.

    I thought back to when I first entered an A-ss dungeon when I was still ying Soul Academy.

    I had prepared thoroughly, but I almost broke my keyboard because of the constant nagging.

    Later, as I gained experience, I was able to clear an A-ss dungeon with bare stats, but that was because I was a yer who could keep challenging it.

    I was someone who had memorized the structure and strategy of the dungeons that would appear from now on.

    However, those who live in this world are different.

    They have to go in without knowing anything and rely only on their own bodies.

    In such a situation, resting¡­ would probably be a luxury.

    No matter what I said, it didn¡¯t seem like Possell would back down.

    What was engraved in his eyes was a heavy will that was difficult for me, who had lived an ordinary life, to understand.

    Just how many battles had Possell gone through before he became themander of the knights?

    And how did hee to this conclusion?

    There must be a reason why the normally nice guy turned into a demon only when he was training.

    The knights who were sparring behind Possell were looking at me with eyes filled with anticipation, but this time there was nothing I could do.

    The cause was Possell, so how could I break his will?

    ¡°Okay, do whatever you want, idiot Possell.¡±

    When I nodded, the knights behind me were visibly frustrated.

    This must be very difficult.

    But what can I do?

    This is the order of knights you chose!

    Endure with brute force!

    Think of this as a good experience and work hard.

    They say if you can¡¯t avoid it, enjoy it, right?

    I can¡¯t enjoy it, but I believe you knights can do it.

    ¡°What? But what the youngdy said wasn¡¯t wrong. You should rest when you have to.¡±

    Possell smiled, shrugged, and turned his head to the back.

    ¡°Knights!¡±

    The thunderous voice that came from his diaphragm shook the grasnd.

    Why did it feel like the ground was shaking just because he shouted loudly?

    ¡°It¡¯s the Lady¡¯s mercy! You¡¯ll be allowed to rest for two hours from now! Show your gratitude to the Lady!¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much!¡±

    The sight of dozens of adult men, muchrger than average, bowing their heads and shouting was, to be honest, a bit burdensome.

    I told them to just rx since I understood, but the knights couldn¡¯t rest easily.

    It seemed like my very existence was quite burdensome.

    If I had the sense, I should just disappear.

    Since I¡¯m already a training addict, I should take the old man with me.

    ¡®Commander¡­¡¯

    ¡°Possell, where is the entrance to the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°If you want to see, follow me. I¡¯ll show you right away.¡±

    Possell seemed to have noticed my intentions and led me without a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    As I followed Possell, the entrance to the dungeon in the middle of the campsite appeared.

    It looked just like I had seen it in the game.

    A stone door standing out in the middle of an empty field.

    I didn¡¯t think much of it when I saw it in the game but seeing it in person gave me an eerie feeling.

    Why do I feel fear from a stone door without any decoration?

    While I was quietly observing him, the dungeon door suddenly opened.

    ¡°Hic!¡±

    What¡¯sing out?!

    A monster?!

    That¡¯s the only thing that coulde out of a dungeon door!

    ¡°Huh Miss, when did youe?¡±

    Four knights, including the bald knight, appeared through the door.

    Haa.

    What¡¯s going on?

    Were youing out after finishing a conquest?

    This is really bad timing.

    You surprised me, you idiots.

    The bald knight greeted me, checked my expression, and smiled.

    ¡°Miss, are you really surprised?¡±

    That demon.

    You feel so much better now that I¡¯ve gotten you rest?

    Right?

    How dare you pick a fight with the high-ranking countess?

    ¡°You finished a conquest, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, Miss.¡±

    ¡°Then go to the campsite and rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    When I told them to rest, the knights asked me back as if they couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°The youngdy asked me to let the knights rest for a while, so I allowed it.¡±

    When Possell confirmed this, the knights¡¯ expressions turned astonished.

    What on earth does rest mean to the knights of the Allen family?

    I just told them to rest for a while, and they made expressions that seemed to be filled with nationalism.

    Oh.

    Is this the first time you¡¯ve seen this?

    This is rest.

    Huh?

    Rest?!

    There¡¯s no way something like that could happen¡­

    ¡°Really?! Thank you, youngdy!¡±

    ¡®Except you.¡¯

    ¡°Bald knight. Excluding you.¡±

    ¡°Huh?! Why me?¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s for teasing me.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s for not understanding your ce as a sloppy knight!¡±

    The bald knight¡¯s face hardened at the provocation, but he had no means of resisting him.

    What if I tease him?

    I¡¯m the youngdy of the count, and you¡¯re a knight of the count¡¯s family.

    It¡¯s fun to bully others.

    Maybe I can understand a little why Lucy usually acts like that.

    ¡°Miss Lucy.¡±

    As I wasughing at the bald knight who was trembling, Possell spoke to me.

    ¡°Since the dungeon is empty, let¡¯s go inside and take a look.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Finally, let¡¯s go into the dungeon!

    Since everyone worked hard, I¡¯ll go in with Karl from now on.

    ¡°The members should be the people here. Karl, Pervi (bald knight), the youngdy and I (Possell) the four of us should be just right.¡±

    Uh.

    That¡¯s a bit difficult.

    I don¡¯t know about that bald knight, but I can¡¯t leave Possell behind even if I want to.

    But I¡¯m not going to let you act on your own either.

    ¡°Do we really need to go in with that many?¡±

    ¡°Usually, dungeons are entered as a team of four.¡±

    I know that.

    In Soul Academy, we went in as a party of four with NPCs.

    But that¡¯s only for dungeons of the appropriate level.

    This is overpowered.

    Evans¡¯ dungeon is a small to medium-sized dungeon that you can conquer in the early stages.

    It¡¯s a weak ce that can be devastated even if Karl enters alone.

    Going in there with Possell, who is stronger than Karl, and Pervi, a bald knight simr to Karl.

    That¡¯s not training, it¡¯s me sightseeing.

    When Iined something like that, Possellughed and added,

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss, you¡¯re not going to enter the dungeon just once anyway. You¡¯re going to go through it so many times from now on, so think of it as an experience for the first time.¡±

    I was relieved that I would have more than a single chance, but then suddenly a chill ran down my spine.

    How many times do you n on going back and forth in this dungeon?

    Evans¡¯ dungeon isn¡¯t a ce suitable for farming!

    The structure isplicated and the rewards from the monsters that appear aren¡¯t good, so after you farm Ruel¡¯s Mace, there¡¯s no reason to go back there!

    Grinding in a ce like that!

    As a veteran, I can¡¯t stand it!

    I thought to myself, but I couldn¡¯t say it out loud.

    You can¡¯t say things like farming, rewards, and grinding to people living in the game.

    My image in the knights has gotten a little better recently, but I don¡¯t want to be treated like a crazy woman again.

    So, I nodded quietly without saying anything.

    Anyway, a dungeon is a dungeon.

    Let¡¯s level up and go.

    The scenery changed as we passed the entrance to the dungeon.

    The bright grasnd that swayed in the autumn breeze had gone, and darkness had fallen, making it difficult to see even an inch ahead.

    Only after one of the knights lit a torch did the damp and gloomy cavee into view.

    Maybe it was because I had seen too many dungeon scenes through the monitor.

    Even though I had actually entered the dungeon, I didn¡¯t feel surprised.

    All I felt was a familiar, if not boring, feeling.

    ¡°Okay Miss, we¡¯ll take care of the front and back, so you can inspect the dungeon from the center.¡±

    The knights, including Possell, had been having a trivial conversation until they entered the dungeon.

    However, as soon as they entered, they had serious expressions on their faces as if they had changed.

    It was awkward to see their serious faces, as if they wouldn¡¯t let their guard down even a little.

    Anyway, you guys could probably clear this dungeon on your own, right?

    Do you have to be so nervous?

    Oh.

    Is it because I¡¯m here?

    ¡®Captain, do you know the way?¡¯

    ¡°Idiot Possell, do you know the path?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly yet, but I¡¯ll figure it out soon, youngdy. Remember, even for the same dungeon, there are dozens of patterns. Even if you¡¯ve cleared a dungeon before, you shouldn¡¯t be overconfident in your memory.¡±

    I know.

    I¡¯m the one who has experience writing walkthroughs for every dungeon in Soul Academy.

    At the time, I wrote it with the intention of attracting as many newbies as possible to this ruined game, but who would have thought that experience woulde in handy one day.

    ¡°There are nine different path patterns in Evans Dungeon. This is how to tell them apart¡­¡±

    No.

    There are a few paths that look simr at first nce, so they¡¯re easy to get confused with, but if you look at the patterns, there are twelve in total.

    Two of them are more difficult than the others, but they offer better rewards.

    In my opinion, this dungeon seems to be one of those difficult cases.

    ¡°The monsters that appear are mainly goblins. However, you shouldn¡¯t ignore them. They are scary when they form a group.¡±

    This is true.

    asionally, strange guys will pop out, but the mainstay of Evans Dungeon are goblins.

    Unlike the ones that appear in the field, the goblins in the dungeon are threatening.

    If you look at them individually, they are the weakest monsters, but it¡¯s a different story when they form a group.

    The goblins, who know how to hunt enemies in groups, are merciful and give newbies who don¡¯t know anything a chance to get a retreat.

    ¡°Since today is your first time, please watch us and learn and follow us.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Hmm.

    If this is the case, I guess I should give up on going into Ruel¡¯s Trial today.@@novelbin@@

    It¡¯ll be hard to make any sudden moves while Possell is here.

    And since the map is difficult, you never know what variables might arise.

    I guess I¡¯ll just have to settle for quietly experiencing the dungeon.

    I also need to check how different the actual dungeon is from the dungeon I remember.

    The knights who raided the dungeon looked more like butchers than explorers.

    When a goblin appeared in front of them, they would cut the goblin in half with its armour.

    They would just rush through the traps prepared by the goblin with their bodies.

    They would even take magic or arrows with their bodies as if they didn¡¯t care about them.

    They were just relying on their specs to force their way through.

    Even while doing this, the knights taught me the basics of dungeon raiding, but since they themselves do it, it wasn¡¯t very convincing.

    Teachers.

    I don¡¯t know how to teach well, but I think this is a bit strange!

    ¡®Knight Commander¡­¡¯

    ¡°Idiot Possell, is this how you train when you destroy everything?¡±

    This was a question I asked out of genuine curiosity.

    Does destroying everything while breaking it all down help you train?

    In that case, wouldn¡¯t it be much more beneficial for you to just spar with each other in the knights?

    Your levels are already so high that you won¡¯t gain any EXP anyway.

    ¡°We¡¯re only on the first floor of the dungeon, so we¡¯re doing this.

    Since the dungeon is too weak for our level, we¡¯ll just skip over the first and second floors.¡±

    The difficulty of Evans¡¯ dungeon increases from the third floor, but isn¡¯t there a big difference between here and there?

    Well, if you guys had always done it that way, I¡¯d understand.

    ¡°Commander, since it¡¯se to this, how about letting the youngdy experience clearing the dungeon?¡±

    While I was talking to Possell, Karl made a suggestion.

    ¡°You mean clearing the first and second floors?¡±

    ¡°Yes, isn¡¯t it best to experience everything firsthand? Since we¡¯re here with her, there¡¯s no danger, so I think it¡¯s the best opportunity.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see, that¡¯s a good idea. Youngdy, what do you think?¡±

    Oh.

    So, you want me to be in charge of clearing the first and second floors?

    Haha.

    Isn¡¯t that too easy of a request?

    I¡¯ve cleared Evans¡¯ dungeon several times.

    Every time I raised a blunt weapon character, I woulde here and destroy them, so that number of attempts alone would easily exceed a thousand.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll lead the way. Follow me, you idiots.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a sloppy trap on the right. Don¡¯t step on it and just blow it away.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯ll be four stupid, smelly goblins around the alley who don¡¯t even know they¡¯ve been caught. Idiot Possell, run towards them like animals and destroy them.¡±

    ¡°Baldy, there are perverts waiting for a surprise attack behind you, so take care of them.¡±

    Lucy, who led the dungeon raid, was a skilledmander.

    She always found the right path without a single mistake, never had trouble finding traps, and never missed a single ambush or surprise attack by monsters.

    She wasn¡¯t a typical explorer.

    It was more like a prediction or prophecy.

    At first, even the knights didn¡¯t trust Lucy¡¯smand.

    There was no way she could properlymand a dungeon raid since it was her first time.

    Naturally, she would experience many trials and errors and fail again.

    That was normal.

    The fact that Karl had suggested Lucymanding in the first ce was because he was prepared for this kind of failure.

    Where else would you have the chance to experience failure in a safe situation and learn better methods from an expert?

    The knights nned to sacrifice their hardships for Lucy¡¯s growth.

    That¡¯s why when Lucy¡¯smand hit the mark the first time, the knights thought it was beginner¡¯s luck.

    They were lucky.

    They thought it was a coincidence.

    But it happened twice.

    It happened three times.

    Sess followed sess after sess.

    It wasn¡¯t luck.

    No matter how lucky you are, it¡¯s impossible to choose only the right answer from many choices.

    Even if one sess was a coincidence, if it continued, it was inevitable.

    In other words, the continued sess was clearly Lucy¡¯s skill.

    ¡°Hey Karl, did she receive some kind of blessing rted to the dungeon?¡±

    Pervi, who Lucy called the bald knight, was inwardly amazed whenever Lucy¡¯smand was given.

    Such clear and definitemand was something only a few experienced knights could do.

    For ady who was entering the dungeon for the first time to show it!

    This was something that couldn¡¯t be exined in ordinary words.

    Unless it was a blessing that was truly a miracle from God.

    ¡°That might be so.¡±

    Karl agreed with Pervi.

    Receiving two blessings at once was a very rare thing, but otherwise, it would have been an iprehensible situation.

    If you really had two blessings, you might be a hero who would go down in history.

    Among the countless famous heroes in history, weren¡¯t there many who had two blessings?

    When Lucy began tomand and had cleared half of the first floor, Possell spoke up.

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    ¡°What idiot Possell?¡±

    ¡°Would you like to participate in battles as well asmand?¡±

    ¡°You want me to fight?¡±

    ¡°Yes, at first I thought it would be difficult for you to just observe the flow of the dungeon. To be honest, you showed more than I imagined. The talent you showed seems to be greater than mine.¡±

    ¡°Idiot Possell. Isn¡¯t that because you¡¯re sloppy?¡±

    Possell froze for a moment at Lucy¡¯s sharp remark, but he soon smiled gently.

    Compared to the talent that Lucy had just shown, he was definitely nothing noteworthy.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s go to a more advanced level, I will create a battle that suits you.¡±

    On the outside, Possell seems like a thoughtless and cheerful knight, but in reality, he is different.

    He is a more experienced warrior than anyone else.

    A middle-aged man who has survived countless dungeons and battlefields for a long time is someone that cannot be ignored on this continent.

    That is why he usually does not let those who enter a dungeon for the first-time experience realbat.

    They cannot properly demonstrate their skills until they adapt to the confinement and fear that a dungeon gives.

    However, Lucy was an exception.

    Lucy had adapted perfectly to the dungeon in less than an hour since entering, and she was already capable of doing the job of a person.

    ¡°Let¡¯s gain experience against goblins.¡±

    So Possell decided to let Lucy experiencebat.

 Chapter 18

    Dungeons are ces where battles ur without warning, but Evans¡¯ dungeon has a higher frequency.

    Because it is a ce where goblins live.

    With more goblins than other monsters, this ce was a ce where battles urred every few minutes.

    That is why Lucy¡¯s opportunity to experience battle came soon.

    Lucy predicted the monsters¡¯ attacks urately like before, and soon enough, she was in a battle with a group of goblins as she had said.

    To knights, goblins were creatures that would die if they were provoked, so the battle was over in an instant.

    However, this battle was different from the previous ones.

    Two goblins were intentionally left alive.

    In order to have them fight Lucy.

    ¡°In dungeons, you often have to fight multiple enemies alone. So try fighting two of them. I believe you will do well.¡±

    Lucy clenched her shield and mace tightly after hearing Possell¡¯s words.

    Lucy stood in front of the goblins, but they did not move easily.

    They must have been scared because of the knights¡¯ massacre.

    Since it was a situation where they wouldn¡¯t be able to have a real fight, Pervi whispered to Karl.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we making too much of a mess? She won¡¯t be able to practice against those guys.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°The youngdy will take care of it.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t difficult for Lucy to inspire her opponents¡¯ fighting spirit.

    She had a blessing.

    A blessing that even the skilled knight Karl and the Commander Possell would have a hard time resisting.

    ¡°What is it? A smelly goblin: Are you scared of a girl? Ahaha. You¡¯re so ugly.¡±

    As soon as she taunted, the goblins¡¯ eyes rolled back.

    The fear that had been inside them just a moment ago had transformed into anger.

    Lucy wasn¡¯t flustered by the direct emotions directed at her.

    She simply raised her shield with a rxed expression.

    The weapons the goblins were holding weren¡¯t clubs or anything like that.

    Those were weapons used by goblin tribes living in the grasnds.

    The goblins in the dungeon all used iron weapons that they had obtained from some unknown source.

    The two standing in front of Lucy were the same.

    One was a mace the size of a goblin¡¯s head, and the other was a spear that seemed to have been made for goblins.

    Either weapon could inflict fatal wounds on Lucy with just a touch.

    An ordinary person would have retreated at the sight of the shing iron, but Lucy was different.

    Having trained forbat so tirelessly, she stood still and watched the goblins do their thing.

    Soon enough, a goblin holding a spear charged at her.

    The move he chose was the obvious stabbing.

    Lucy saw him and dodged the spear with her footwork by moving forward.

    Then she hit the goblin in the face with her shield.

    The shield Lucy was holding was a terrible weapon for a goblin with a childlike body.

    The goblin that was hit by the shield flew backward.

    As soon as he saw hisrade fall, the goblin holding the mace let out his characteristic cry and swung his mace.

    However, that attack, which contained a fatal blow, was blocked by Lucy¡¯s shield so vainly.

    Thud!

    As it was an attack with all his might, the recoil was also severe.

    The goblin¡¯s body was left vulnerable as the mace bounced off, and Lucy did not miss him.

    Crunch.

    Lucy¡¯s blunt weapon shattered the goblin¡¯s head.

    Lucy, who had ended the goblin¡¯s life, ran towards the goblin who was trying to stand up while staggering.

    The goblin tried to grab his spear in a hurry, but Lucy¡¯s mace was already above his head.

    The goblin was unable to resist and fell down.

    That was how Lucy¡¯s first real fight came to an end.

    Karl could not help but admire the series of battles.

    He had believed that she would do well, but not to this extent!

    The way she neutralized one enemy first and then dealt with another was already worthy of being called a skilled warrior.

    Who would have thought that Lucy, who fought this battle, had only trained for two weeks?

    I would consider her a person who had never moved her body properly until a month ago.

    If someone had said that to him, who had no idea what was going on, Karl would have told them to stop joking.@@novelbin@@

    Weapon proficiency.

    Handling a shield.

    Fighting something alive.

    It wasn¡¯t something that could be easily improved.

    If anyone could grow like that, why would noble families spend a lot of money to raise a standing army?

    They could just conscript whenever necessary.

    Lucy¡¯s talent was extraordinary.

    She must really be a descendant of the Allen family.

    If the youngdy hadn¡¯t just started training recently but had been holding a weapon since she was very young, how monstrous would she have been?

    What if someone who could grow to this extent in just a month had gained years of experience?

    Karl was certain that Lucy¡¯s name was engraved among the names of many promising people on the continent.

    Lucy, who had finished off the two goblins, wiped the blood off her face with the back of her hand and took a deep breath.

    Who could have imagined that behind that unchangingplexion, there was a frail person who hadn¡¯t been able to eat meat for days because she had killed an orc?

    Karl observed her from behind, and when he saw Lucy¡¯s hands trembling, he approached her tofort his master.

    Wiping the blood off my face, I thought that if I let my guard down, I would unburden my mind.

    The anger of the goblins heading towards me.

    The weapons that would inflict great wounds on me if I made a mistake for a moment.

    The sensation and screams I felt when I struck the goblins¡¯ heads.

    The disgusting smell of the blood that sttered on my face.

    No matter how positively I thought about it, it wasn¡¯t a good experience.

    I had been feeling disgusted when I saw the knights taking care of the goblins, but after taking care of the goblins myself, I couldn¡¯t calm down.

    Shit.

    It seemed like it would take a long time to get used to harming living things.

    Let¡¯s think about something else.

    If I keep thinking about this, the situation will only get worse.

    I have something to think about.

    The moment I defeated the two goblins, I felt something flowing into my body.

    It was different from the buff effect of the Mesugaki skill.

    What should I say?

    It felt like something was filling my soul.

    I had a guess about this.

    Leveling up.

    If you feel stronger after killing a monster, then leveling up is the only way.

    But why did I level up already?

    To go from level 1 to 2, you have to kill about twenty goblins.

    Killing two goblins and one orc is not enough experience.

    Am I being treated as part of the same party as the knights right now?

    So, I¡¯m sharing the experience points they hunted?

    That could be true.

    It was a very possible story.

    No, if I just assumed that the feeling I had just had was a leveling up, then it was safe to say that there were no other possibilities.

    Haha.

    Crazy.

    The day I get to ride the bus at Soul Academy!

    I always struggle to level up NPCs, but now that I get to get it from an NPC, it feels different.

    Hmm.

    Wait a minute.

    If I can ride the bus with the knights and level up, doesn¡¯t that mean I can reach level 10 in this training if I do well?

    Possell said that this training willst about a week, so let¡¯s assume that we clear this dungeon once a day during that time.

    I know the experience gained from clearing Evans¡¯ dungeon in the shortest time possible with a party of four, so if we calcte based on that.

    It¡¯s possible.

    If we clear Ruel¡¯s Trial tomorrow and get the Mace.

    As I said before, Ruel¡¯s Mace has an increase in experience gain.

    If we can just get that effect, it won¡¯t be hard to get to level 10.

    Since I know what it feels like to level up, I can tell the level I¡¯ll have if I don¡¯t get confused.

    That means I can control my level up, so there¡¯s no reason to hesitate to level up anymore.

    Okay I still think that repeating Evans¡¯ dungeon is the height of inefficiency, but if I can take the busfortably, it¡¯s a different story.

    If I just get to level 10, I can n a growth path that will be the most efficient in the two months left until the Academy exam.

    I¡¯ll have to think about optimizing it, but it¡¯s not that hard for me, a veteran of Soul Academy.

    It was good that I followed the knights.

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    I was pulled out of my thoughts by a voice calling me.

    When I raised my head, Karl was looking at me with worried eyes.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Are you okay?

    I¡¯mpletely fine!

    As a veteran of Soul Academy, where could I be happier than this?

    I kept worrying about whether I would do well in the Academy entrance exam, but if I keep going like this, I¡¯ll have special admission as a given!

    Maybe I¡¯ll just repeat the cliche of Academy stories.

    Defeating an incredibly strong person in a duel and getting everyone¡¯s attention.

    The main characters of Soul Academy showing interest in me!

    Just imagining it is fun.

    Who would have thought I¡¯d be looking forward to the Academy exam?

    ¡°Your hands are shaking.¡±

    Karl¡¯s lips stiffened slightly at his words.

    That¡¯s where it showed.

    I see why he¡¯d ask with this expression.

    Things like my face and general actions will be okay since they¡¯ve been adjusted by the Mesugaki skill.

    I tried it before, but my face always had a mean smile on it because of the Mesugaki skill.

    I don¡¯t know what would happen if she were in an extreme situation and terrified, but it¡¯s not like that right now.

    So, I¡¯m okay, right?

    Maybe?

    I turned the shield around and wiped the dark blood away and looked at my face reflected in it.

    I was still smiling meanly.

    As expected, it¡¯s the Mesugaki skill.

    There¡¯s no w at all.

    But if there¡¯s no w, you should havepensated for her shaking hands a bit.

    Look.

    The hand holding the shield is shaking, so the me reflected in the shield looks like I¡¯m trembling.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m worried.

    ¡°Would you like to take a short break?¡±

    On top of Karl¡¯s worries, Possell¡¯s worries were added.

    Hmm.

    Did they find out?

    Well, how many times has Possell seen someone like me with no experience trembling?

    How could I fool that old man with so much experience?

    If that were the case, I would have been an actor instead of a game addict.

    Still, I don¡¯t feel bad about being worried.

    When I first possessed Lucy¡¯s body, I never thought I would have others worrying about me.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    I¡¯m being honest.

    I get why you guys are so worried, but I¡¯m a really weak-willed person.

    If I thought I couldn¡¯t hold out, I would¡¯ve given up a long time ago.

    Whether it¡¯s the effects of my skills or something else, I¡¯m here because I can hold out somehow.

    ¡°Really.¡±

    So don¡¯t worry.

    ¡®Commander of the Knights¡­¡¯

    ¡°Idiot Possell, what would you do if I were another rookie knight?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I would¡¯ve pushed you so hard that you wouldn¡¯t be able to think. It would¡¯ve gotten harder if you had the time to think.¡±

    ¡°Then do the same for me. Don¡¯t do anything weird, you idiot.¡±

    It¡¯s something you have to get used to if you want to survive in this world of Soul Academy.

    There wille a day when this bes less shitty.

    Just hold on until then.

    Since you have an unbreakable will, you can do that, right?

    Possell listened to me quietly, then slightly opened his eyes, smiled, and nodded.

    ¡°Understood. If you wish.¡±

    ¡­

    Oh.

    Hey.

    But you¡¯ll leave me room to breathe, right?

    Right?

    You¡¯re not going to treat the countess like some other knight without letting her sleep, are you?

 Chapter 19

    Ominous predictions are never wrong.

    I had forgotten about it when I was briefly distracted after dealing with the goblins, so I asked for further training.

    But Possell was the Knight Commander.

    I was crazy, asking someone who makes a living bymanding knights to train me!

    From the moment I brought it up, he sent me to hell without any hesitation.

    Am I exaggerating?

    I wish I were exaggerating.

    Seriously.

    What happened specifically was that Possell cancelled his original promise to only traverse down to the second floor.

    So, I suddenly ended upmanding three other knights from the beginning to the end of the dungeon.

    Up until that point, it was fine.

    Leading people and clearing dungeons was something I had done countless times in games.

    I could handle it, except for the fact that my head was about to burst from thinking about the 2D on my monitor suddenly changing to reality.

    But then he made me do the fighting.

    After ying a goblin, I was trembling, so how can you force me to fight?!

    You want me to die a weak youngdy?

    Anyway, Possell only gave me two or three opponents at most.

    I could handle that many goblins.

    I had a lot of random thoughts, but that was something I had to get used to.

    But he also made me dismantle various traps.

    On top of that, the guys who were going slowly at first out of consideration for me suddenly increased their speed, so I had no time to think about catching up.

    To be honest, thanks to that, from the middle of the dungeon, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else but how hard it was.

    That¡¯s how I passed the 2nd floor, then the 3rd floor, then the 4th floor, the 5th floor, the 6th floor, and finally arrived in front of the boss room.

    Haha.

    I can finally see the end.

    If I just get past this point, it¡¯s over, right?

    It was really fucking hard.

    How much did I have to suffer to be already level 3?

    There was no ce on my armour, weapons, or clothes that wasn¡¯t stained with blood.

    I was so busy with the strategy that I¡¯m sure I smell really weird right now.

    I should take a shower as soon as I get out of the dungeon.

    ¡°We¡¯re already in frront the boss room, Commander. Even by our standards, isn¡¯t this fast?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fast, even more so when you consider that I moved with the youngdy. It just shows how excellent hermand is.¡±

    Ha!

    Of course!

    Who am I!

    The veteran with 13,000 hours of Soul Academy!

    How could I not be fastmanding when I¡¯ve memorized every dungeon in Soul Academy?!

    You don¡¯t know how much effort I put into optimizing myself to set a Soul Academy speedrun record!

    ¡°Miss Lucy.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    While I was secretly delighted by the knights¡¯ praise, Possell spoke to me.

    ¡°The dungeon boss fight is dangerous, so please just watch from behind.¡±

    ¡®Understood.¡¯

    ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±

    Rest?

    Understood.

    I¡¯m not the kind of person who would refuse an offer to rest.

    There are no threatening bosses in Evans Dungeon, but they are still bosses, so you guys figure it out among yourselves.

    Since I will gain experience points even if you fight without me, I will just quietly ept the bus.

    When Possell opened the dungeon door, the boss waiting inside revealed itself.

    It was a being without its own will.

    It was created by someone long ago but was forgotten and locked deep in the dungeon.

    It was made of rock and had no heart, so it could only follow the orders of its creator.

    Golem.

    Should I say it was lucky?

    Golem is a rare boss in Evans Dungeon.

    It is more difficult than regr bosses, but it gives good rewards, not as good as Ruel¡¯s Mace but still worth it.

    Anyway, when you meet a golem, you usually cheer.

    It was the same way when I was ying Soul Academy.

    It wasn¡¯t easy. It had great smashing power but was slow.

    Life isn¡¯t all that hard!

    Well, just by being possessed by Mesugaki while ying a game, I¡¯ve already been through several years of misfortune!

    If I had bad luck, how could I live without feeling wronged?

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Golem.¡±

    ¡°Captain, would you like to do as you always do?¡±

    ¡°Yes Pervi, get its attention.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    The bald knight ran forward at Possell¡¯smand.

    The speed that started with his heavy footsteps that made the stone floor crack with every step was amazing.

    The distance that must have been several tens of meters narrowed in an instant.

    Then, the golem, sensing its opponent, raised its arm.

    The golem¡¯s movement was too simple.

    Smashing downward from above.

    Kwaang!

    What the golem shed down on was nothing more than the afterimage of the bald knight.

    The moment the dust scattered, Karl and Possell rushed after the bald knight at the same time.

    The golem swung his remaining arm to keep the two at bay when he saw them.

    Even though Karl and Possell could have easily avoided it, they didn¡¯t.

    Instead, they charged toward the arm.

    The moment the two men seemed about to collide with the golem¡¯s arm, Karl in front swung his sword.

    It was obvious what would happen when a huge fist the size of an adult male¡¯s torso collided with a thin sword.

    However,mon sense wasn¡¯t very useful in the fantasy world.

    The sword and the golem¡¯s arm collided, and the sword won.

    The golem¡¯s arm flew up and the golem¡¯s body opened.

    Possell maintained his running speed and jumped onto the golem¡¯s arms, and he punched it with the jump¡¯s momentum.

    Kwaaang!

    The moment Possell¡¯s fist touched the golem, the entire dungeon shook.

    Perhaps because of the aftereffects, I was hit by a rock that fell from above, and I rubbed my head and groaned in pain before barely raising my head.@@novelbin@@

    There was a golem that had beenpletely destroyed by one punch.

    He¡¯s really fucking strong.

    Golem is not a boss with weak specs because its pattern is simple.

    What level would Possell be in the game?

    At least, it seems like it would be at the level of an NPC that appears in thetter half of the game.

    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s safe now, so you cane.¡±

    Yes.

    It looks that way even without me saying anything.

    As I slowly approached Possell, the body of the fallen golem scattered, and a door appeared in the middle of the floor.

    It was a door that led back to the entrance of the dungeon.

    And at the same time, a table appeared in front of the door.

    Is this how the clear rewards given in dungeons are implemented in reality?

    What could it be?

    Usually, the rewards given after defeating a golem are only good.

    What was on the table was a brooch.

    That¡¯s the brooch given by the golem in Evans Dungeon, right?

    A guardian brooch.

    An item that breaks when the wearer is in danger and takes the damage for them.

    It was an item that was a necessity in Soul Academy.

    It helped me ovee a crisis that would normally result in a game over.

    There were a few tricks using this, but I wonder if it would work in real life.

    It¡¯s a hard item to obtain because it¡¯s so effective, but who would¡¯ve thought I¡¯d see it here?

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a Guardian¡¯s Brooch.¡±

    ¡°Idiot Possell, do you know what this is?¡±

    ¡°I do, many people¡¯s lives are saved on the battlefield because of this.¡±

    Really?

    It works properly in real life.

    I don¡¯t know how, but it seems to save the wearer¡¯s life.

    Then, for now, you guys who have to experience realbat often should take this.

    ¡°You take it, youngdy.¡±

    ¡°Me? This kind of thing suits you, you sloppy guys.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I have a lot of simr items. Think of it as amemoration of your first dungeon clear.¡±

    The other two knights nodded in agreement with Possell¡¯s words.

    Heh heh.

    If you want, I won¡¯t refuse.

    The more Guardian¡¯s Brooches you have, the better!

    By the time we finished clearing the dungeon and came out, the sun was right in the middle of the sky.

    We went in early in the morning and came out in the afternoon, so it took about three or four hours.

    It took a long time even though we ran at maximum efficiency.

    When we returned to the campsite, the knights who had been resting there were still asleep, just like when they had copsed when we left.

    No matter how hard it was, we finally got some time to rest, so is it okay to just sleep?

    Don¡¯t you want to do something other than sleep?

    When I was working hard in the past, I never felt more resentful when I lost all my rest time to sleep.

    ¡°Wake up!¡±

    As soon as Possell shouted, the knights suddenly got up.

    They looked truly miserable, waking up in a hurry like puppies waking up to the sound of their master.

    ¡°Did you get enough rest?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll eat and then start training again! Prepare the meal after you¡¯re ready!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    I watched those who were moving busily, then headed towards the maid who was standing quietly in a tent in the campsite and greeting me.

    Now I should wipe the blood off my weapons and armour, wash, eat, and rest.

    But, then Possell greeted me.

    ¡°Miss Lucy?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Where are you going? You have to train, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask to be treated like the other soldiers?¡±

    Of course, I did say that.

    I did, but that was in the dungeon.

    Now that you¡¯ve treated me so well, my mind has calmed down, so I think it¡¯s okay to rest a little.

    Can¡¯t I take a breather?

    I¡¯m really having a hard time.

    I looked at Possell with those thoughts in mind, but Possell only responded with a smile.

    No?

    No?

    Really?

    The next day, I entered the dungeon again with Possell, Karl, and Pervi.

    As you can see from the members, it wasn¡¯t the formation I had hoped for.

    I wanted to go in alone with Karl.

    That way, it would be easier to find the ce where Ruel¡¯s trials were.

    If I went in with Karl and forced him to be loyal and shut his mouth, it would be perfect.

    I even had my own justification.

    If I go with you guys, the training won¡¯t work.

    If we want to do more realbat, I think I should bring only Karl, the minimum safety measure, inside.

    I was going to resolve the issue by being stubborn like this, but Possell wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    If I were in perfect condition like yesterday, then that would be fine.

    He said that I couldn¡¯t do that when I¡¯m tired like this.

    To be honest, I felt wronged.

    Who made me like this!

    You were the one who started yesterday afternoon and worked me untilte at night!

    Of course, thanks to that, I didn¡¯t have time to think about anything else all day yesterday.

    Even when I slept, I copsed as if I had fainted as soon as I touched the pillow, so I didn¡¯t even dream.

    Yes.

    That¡¯s true!

    Ugh.

    It¡¯s annoying!

    Anyway, I couldn¡¯t convince Possell that he wouldn¡¯t die due to Benedict if I got hurt.

    It doesn¡¯t matter.

    It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no other way.

    It could be a little dangerous, so I tried not to use it as much as possible, but Possell is so stubborn.

    Do you understand?

    Possell.

    If I¡¯m in danger, it¡¯s because you didn¡¯t give me permission!

    ¡­Isn¡¯t that a bit far-fetched?

    Anyway, so what is this method?

    It¡¯s using the traps in the dungeon.

 Chapter 21

    As soon as I stepped onto the stairs, the stone statue moved, closing the path.

    Darkness fell for a moment, but at the same time, light came on from both walls.

    Thank goodness this was just like in the game.

    I almost regretted not bringing a torch.

    The only sound I could hear was the sound of me trudging down the stairs.

    When I reached the end, apletely different ce than the damp cave just before unfolded.

    There was nothing in the temple that hadn¡¯t worn down over time.

    Cracked pirs and a floor covered with unnamed nts.

    A wall that once had a beautiful painting and a statue of a goddess in the middle.

    This was where Ruel¡¯s ordeal began.

    Before approaching the statue, I took out the potions I had bought from Evans thest time I visited.

    Various potions that gave temporary buffs.

    As expected from potions sold in small towns, they weren¡¯t very effective, but it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be prepared.

    The moment I gulped down the potion, my mouth was filled with a bitter taste.

    It felt like I had just poured the powder medicine I was given to mix in water when I was young into my mouth.

    They say that what is bad for your tongue is good for your body, but isn¡¯t this a bit too much?

    Still, after drinking the potion, I felt strength rising in my body.

    After finishing my preparations, I stood in front of the statue.

    If this ordeal was like the game, it was time for the voice toe out.

    ¡°Are you the one requesting the ordeal?¡±

    The voice of an old man, which did not match the merciful appearance of the goddess, leaked out.

    When I first heard this voice, I was very surprised.

    That was understandable, because the voice of an old man flowed out from the statue of such a pretty goddess.

    It was so out of ce that I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you sloppy old man.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Good.¡±

    Oh.

    I think he paused for a moment.

    Was it my imagination?

    ¡°There are various ordeals prepared here to test your faith. All of this is to push you to the limit and see if your beliefs are true. The difficulty of the trials is by no means light.¡±

    ¡®I understand, so let¡¯s move on.¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy old man, I understand, so shut up. I can only hear your voice, but I reckon you smell like an old man.¡±

    Oh.

    That was a mistake.

    The old man¡¯s words were too long, so I couldn¡¯t control my gamer-specific skipping instinct.

    No, he was repeating the same story I¡¯d heard hundreds of times.

    I used to get so upset because I couldn¡¯t skip the old man¡¯s lines when I entered the trials.

    When I was speed running, I would always say to myself, ¡°I understand, so shut up.¡±

    | never thought that because of that habit, I would end up saying, ¡°Move on,¡± in real life, and in Mesugaki.

    What¡¯s wrong with being a little aggressive?

    The voice that tells you about this trial is just a voice.

    No matter what I say, you¡¯ll just silently proceed with the trials.

    I kept my mouth shut and waited for the voice to talk about the trials, but there was no answer.

    ¡­

    Huh?

    What?

    Did that voice announcing the ordeal have a personality?

    In the game, it only talked about the content of the test without any emotion.

    Did this change because it is now reality?

    No way.

    ¡°I understand, since you seem confident, I¡¯ll go straight into the test.¡±

    The voice talking about the test was full of anger.

    This is fucked up.

    This is really fucked up.

    No, there was no personality or nonsense in the game!

    There wasn¡¯t even a story rted to that voice, so it wasn¡¯t worth more than a real narration!

    How could I possibly think there was a backstory behind it!

    This is ridiculous!

    ¡°The first test is the test of protection. Those who hold the shield under God must know how to protect what they must protect without breaking in any situation. I will test that.¡±

    The voice stopped exining and closed its mouth.

    As if it had said everything it wanted to say.

    Hey, Grandpa?

    You should have told me more about the exam.

    You¡¯re just a useless old man.

    But why are you stopping talking like a child?

    ¡­

    I think I did something wrong.

    But you¡¯re not going to put weird things in the exam because you¡¯re upset, right?

    I¡¯m level 3 right now, and I know whates out in Ruel¡¯s trials at level 3.

    Just try to say something weird.

    The legendary knight Ruel will have rumours spread all around the neighbourhood that you¡¯re a petty old man.

    I didn¡¯t know how things would change if I said it out loud, so I keptining to myself internally, when I heard a giggling sound in the darkness.

    It¡¯s goblins.

    I¡¯ve really been sick of them for the past two days.

    You damn goblin idiots.

    I counted the number of goblins by eye.

    Twelve in total.

    A group of goblins with spearmen, shield men, archers, and even magicians.

    It¡¯s the same as what I know.

    Thank goodness.

    He wasn¡¯t that petty.

    The goblin group is the same as I remember, but it is still not an easy opponent.

    Goblins in a group can be more cunning and threatening than any other monster.

    This is especially true for me, who has not experienced much in actualbat.

    To be honest, I am not sure that I can achieve a perfect victory against those twelve.

    But that is okay.

    I do not necessarily have to win.

    The condition for passing this test is to protect the stone statue behind me for a limited time.

    And that is the type of event that I am most confident in.

    With my Unbreakable Will, I will not give up under any circumstances.

    I am an iron wall, and no matter what attackes, I can move in the best way to block it.

    And with the provocation ability of the Mesugaki skill, I can limit their attack target to only me.

    The conditions were perfect.

    From now on, what was important was my control.

    Now that it is reality, it is not control but fighting skills.

    I raise my shield and look at the goblins approaching me.

    ¡°You sloppy goblins, you¡¯re scared even though you outnumber me? Ahaha. Sloppy, shitty. trashy goblin mobs¡±

    I took a deep breath as I felt the direct killing intent directed at me.

    It¡¯s really strange.

    When I first received the killing intent of the orcs, my mind went nk, but now I don¡¯t feel that nervous even when I receive it.

    Maybe it¡¯s because I spent the whole day yesterday receiving the killing intent.

    Possell is definitely good at training people.

    I¡¯m not going to thank him for that though because the painful memories of yesterday came back to mind.

    ¡°Come at me, you EXP-giving trash.¡±

    The moment the goblins raised their weapons, my body gradually gained strength.

    I learned this while fighting multiple people in the dungeon yesterday, but the buff effect of the Mesugaki skill doesn¡¯t just target one person.@@novelbin@@

    That means if you make multiple people angry, your stats will increase by that much more.

    At this very moment, I¡¯m probably three times stronger than usual?!

    ¡°If you¡¯re a trash mob, sacrifice your life like a trash mob and be my experience.¡±

    The moment the goblin archer drew his bow from afar, the Iron Wall skill told me.

    To raise my shield.

    I followed its call without any hesitation and moved my body.

    Then, the arrow flying towards me was blocked by the shield and bounced off.

    At that moment, my movements stopped.

    The goblins holding spears stepped forward with fierce momentum.

    Their spear technique was sloppy.

    It was to the point where I thought it would be simr if I gave spears to farmers in the territory.

    There was no need to go along with such an obvious and weak attack.

    When I hit the spear shaft with my shield, the goblin staggered, unable to bear the weight of the spear.

    I took advantage of the gap and dug in.

    A spear is definitely a threatening weapon, but it¡¯s only effective when there¡¯s a distance between them.

    Once the distance is narrowed, a spear is nothing more than an obstacle that gets in the way.

    Especially when the allies and enemies ovep.

    Arrows and magic are the same.

    Where among the goblins would there be a great wizard or a divine archer?

    Targeting me while I¡¯m in close proximity to their allies means that they are likely to kill teammates.

    I learned this from Possell.

    He may not know about anything else, but he is a reliable person in this field.

    I smashed the head of the goblin in front of me and rushed to the goblin behind him.

    The opponent was flustered after seeing me, as if he had not thought that I would attack him.

    By the time he got his bearings, the mace had already reached his head.

    Crack!

    Here.

    Two of them.

    The moment I tried to move my body again, the Iron Wall skill warned me.

    So, I gave up on attacking and immediately raised my shield.

    At that moment, I saw a fireball flying past the shield.

    They made a quick decision!

    Considering how long it would take to cast a spell, you were just nning on roasting me along with the other goblins?!

    You must have gotten angry.

    I forced a smile, holding back the stinging pain from my skin touching the heated shield.

    ¡°You sloppy goblin. Your magic is so bad. Well, there¡¯s no way a retard like you could use magic properly.¡±

    As soon as I taunted, the goblins surrounding me rushed to grab me.

    At the same time, an arrow was shot above me, and the goblin wizard immediately cast the next spell.

    Ahaha.

    You¡¯re angry?!

    You¡¯re really angry!

    But what should I do?!

    The angrier you get, the stronger I be!

    I covered my front with my shield and put strength into my legs.

    I felt it just now when I took the fireball.

    If I left the wizard alone, I would definitely get hurt.

    So, what I had to do now was simple.

    Run towards the group of goblins who were desperate to capture me.

    They were nothing much in my eyes though.

    They attacked with the intent to break through at all costs.

    Their carelessness was my opportunity.

    I had to break through that carelessness and get to the goblin wizard.

    I took a deep breath and put strength into my legs.

    A fierce charge without thinking about what would happen next.

    If I stopped midway, I would give the goblins a chance.

    However, I was confident.

    The training I had done so far.

    The potion I had just consumed.

    My Mesugaki skill gave me confidence.

    Even though the goblin that was rushing at me collided with my shield, I didn¡¯t slow down.

    Forward.

    If there was anything blocking me, I would blow it away and then move forward again!

    The goblin archer fired arrows in a hurry, but it was meaningless.

    Do you think that such a crude bow could prate my armour and shield?!

    Even as I reached the wizard in front of him in one go, the wizard hadn¡¯t finished casting.

    My eyes met with the goblin reciting the spell.

    Iughed as I saw fear forming on the goblin¡¯s face.

    ¡°Just go away, trash¡±

 Chapter 23

    I stared nkly as the shield in front of me and the Minotaur dissipated.

    The Guardian¡¯s Brooch must have activated as well as hitting the time limit.

    The voice of the grandfather was in the distance.

    You didn¡¯t say anything, so I guess you have a guilty conscience?

    You petty, trashy old man.

    Just wait and see.

    I¡¯ll go to the academy and spread rumours about what kind of person Pdin Ruel is.

    You can look forward to it.

    You may not know it, but I¡¯m a possessor.

    Spreading usible rumours to other people is nothing!

    Just wait for the day when your honour falls to the ground!

    I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to pull you down from your position as a hero!

    After the Minotaur disappeared, my skills started working again.

    My Unbreakable Will skill forced me to move my body.

    Oveing Fear drove away the fear of the pain I would feel in the future.

    Thanks to that, I was able to force myself to get up.

    The first thing I did after getting up was to vomit.

    Something kept rising up from my throat, and I couldn¡¯t bear it.

    When I got hit by the Minotaur, I wondered where my internal organs were damaged.

    When I vomited out my stomach, blood came out along with what was in my stomach.

    If I finish this ordeal and meet Possell, I¡¯ll get scolded.

    No.

    My condition is so serious that he¡¯ll take me to the doctor before he can even scold me.

    It would be fun to imagine Possell carrying me and running at full speed.

    I wonder how fast he¡¯ll be.

    I don¡¯t know for sure, but I think it¡¯ll be faster than a horse.

    ¡­

    Ah, but wouldn¡¯t Karl be punished to death?

    He didn¡¯t protect me properly.

    If that happens, I¡¯ll have to defend him, saying that you guys wouldn¡¯t be any different.

    After all, he was the one who got caught up with me.

    He shouldn¡¯t get in trouble.

    After calming down a bit, I took a deep breath and raised my head again.

    I wandered over where my shield and mace were.

    I won¡¯t be using them in the uing ordeal, but I still wanted to take them because I¡¯m attached to them.

    As I turned my head to find my weapons, I found a potion in front of me.

    The liquid inside was glowing a faint red, and starlight was embedded in the liquid, swaying and shining.

    Is this the one I know?

    There is only one liquid that looks simr in the Soul Academy game.

    A potion containing the miracle of healing.

    This potion is far from an ordinary HP potion.

    It is a god item that removes all status abnormalities and restores 50% of lost health.

    Why is this here?

    Did the old man give it to me?

    He summoned the Minotaur and almost killed me, and then gave me this to heal me?

    You crazy bastard.

    This isn¡¯t like giving a disease and medicine.

    I almost died just now.

    If I hadn¡¯t identally gotten the Guardian¡¯s Brooch yesterday, the Minotaur¡¯s fist would have made me a blood clot.

    But you¡¯re going to just let this go with a potion?

    Unfortunately, I might not be able to use it in the future

    If I get seriously injured, I wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the dungeon while I was being treated normally, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to level up anymore.

    Ugh.

    My n to reach level 10 would be in vain.

    But I had no choice.

    It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.

    I didn¡¯t want to take risks in a reality where there were no save routes.

    I put the potion in my pocket and searched for my shield and mace.

    I could find them without much difficulty.

    The shield was dented and had a dent in the middle.

    The dented shield was already in a state where it couldn¡¯t function properly.

    The mace was the same.

    The weapon, with its handle and head split in two, was nothing more than a burden.

    Either way, it was clear that it would only be a burden if I took care of them.

    Both things were equipment I had grown attached to over the past few weeks, but now I had to let them go.

    I couldn¡¯t carry them around when I had difficulty walking.

    Goodbye, friends.

    In your next life, be born as a legendary item made of precious materials.

    I limped past the two and headed toward the open door.

    It was my turn to face the next trial.

    The room beyond the door was not much different from the previous one.

    The only difference was that instead of a stone statue, there was a stone b in the middle.

    ¡°This trial is a trial of divinity. It is to test the faith you hold within you¡­¡±

    I listened to the old man¡¯s ramblings and headed toward the stone b.

    The writing on it was an anecdote about Armadi, the Creator God and Lord of the Gods.

    The content was as follows.

    While Armadi was enjoying a banquet with the gods under hismand, all the wine ran out.

    Then Armadi ordered his servant to bring water, and when the servant brought a jug of water, Armadi dipped his hand into the jug.

    Then the water slowly turned red and turned into wine.

    As you can see, it was one of the anecdotes from the Bible.

    And under the anecdote, the following text was written.

    ¡®Summarize this anecdote in one sentence.

    This was the question.

    This question was unusual among the trials of divinity.

    You can find the answer to the question in the game, but you can also find it outside the game.

    This question is based on an anecdote by the French poet Byron.

    Naturally, the answer to the question is the same as Byron¡¯s answer to this anecdote.

    ¡°Think carefully before answering.¡±

    ¡®The water met its Master, and blushed.¡¯

    ¡°Clumsy water blushes in its sloppy way when it meets its master.¡±

    That¡¯s sloppy.

    Clumsy.

    Can¡¯t I just say it normally?

    Sigh.

    At least I said something simr.

    When I suddenly said the answer, the old man stopped talking.

    Grandpa.

    This is the correct answer.

    I¡¯ve memorized all the questions in this ordeal, so where are you trying to pull on threads (nit-picking)?

    Just admit it and move on.

    Just say no.

    Then I¡¯ll ask you what the correct answer is.

    As I was staring at the direction of the voice with sharp eyes, the voice continued with a cough.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    At the same time as that, the door leading to the next room opened.

    How nice it would have been if this had been done earlier.

    Let¡¯s finish the next trial quickly.

    I can feel my condition getting worse.

    Even now, I can barely stand because of my Unwavering Will, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange if I copsed at any moment.

    My body is already at its limit.

    I¡¯m holding on with my mind, but that time is running out.

    At the very least, even if I copse, I have to copse outside after the trial ends.

    That way, Possell or Karl will find me.

    I limped into the next room, and this time, a temple in its entirety came into view.

    The walls and ceiling were painted with magnificent murals.

    Chandeliers hung overhead and chairs lined up like a chapel.

    As I walked forward along the path in the middle, a stone statue of the goddess greeted me.

    ¡°Thest trial is a trial of patience. From now on, you will face the nightmare that lies deep within you.¡±

    ¡®Let¡¯s hurry up!¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy old man, shut up and hurry up.¡±

    When I urged him, the old man shut his mouth.

    Are you upset?@@novelbin@@

    What do you want me to do?

    What else are you going to do?

    Why don¡¯t you summon a Minotaur like in the Trial of Patience?

    This is a trial in the spiritual world anyway, and there¡¯s nothing you can do about it.

    So, skip the exnation.

    I feel like I¡¯m going to copse any moment now.

    ¡°Understood, let¡¯s start the trial.¡±

    As soon as the old man spoke, my vision went dark.

    When I came to my senses again, I was standing in the middle of a fancy banquet hall.

    Where am I?

    It looked like a party of nobles in a fantasy world.

    The people in the banquet hall were all gathered together in neat suits and fancy dresses.

    Everyone was smiling and talking, but I was the only one left alone.

    What is this?

    This is so different from the Trial of Patience I know.

    The one I saw in the game was a more cruel, disgusting, and dizzying nightmare.

    What the hell did grandpa do again?

    Anyway, I¡¯m telling you, he¡¯s a narrow-minded person.

    While I wasining and looking around, a voice came to my ear.

    ¡°Is that the woman? The spoiled brat of the Allen family?¡±

    ¡°Ahaha. The spoiled brat. How dare you use such a vulgar word.¡±

    ¡°But that word fits her perfectly.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a better word than that. The disgrace of the Allen family.¡±

    ¡°Huh. Disgrace. Isn¡¯t that worse?¡±

    The criticism pouring out from those around me was endless.

    It was to the point where I could feel that the manor was filled with nothing but criticism.

    As I watched the scene indifferently, I realized that this wasn¡¯t my nightmare.

    If it was my nightmare, there would be no way this kind of banquet hall would appear.

    If it was my nightmare, it would be that Soul Academy 2 was announced and it turned out to be a bad game.

    Or it would show me re-enlisting in the military.

    Or it would show me when I first got out of the orphanage and wandered around aimlessly.

    I was sure of it.

    This was Lucy¡¯s nightmare.

    I was now seeing with my own eyes what Lucy had feared the most.

    Was this something Lucy had experienced in her past?

    I didn¡¯t feel any sympathy for her.

    After all, this was probably the result of Lucy¡¯s umted karma.

    What bothered me as I watched this scene was something else.

    If this was something Lucy had actually experienced.

    How low was Lucy¡¯s reputation?

    If she was hearing such things in a public social setting, she was practically a public enemy.

    Is this¡­ bullying?

 Chapter 25

    Possell readily epted my story that I had received Ruel¡¯s Mace by chance after undergoing his trial.

    I thought it was too big of a deal to be treated as a coincidence, but Possell didn¡¯t say anything.

    He simply nodded with an expression on his face as if he had realized something, saying ¡°I didn¡¯t think that statue was there for nothing, but it was waiting for its owner.¡±

    It seemed like he was making a serious misconception, but I didn¡¯t bother to correct him.

    It would be better to be misunderstood than to make excuses and raise questions.@@novelbin@@

    It was fortunate that I met Possell in good health.

    How would he have reacted if I had met Possell in that miserable state at the end of the trial?

    I don¡¯t know for sure, but I don¡¯t think he would have been gentle.

    Nothing much happened after that.

    I spent my days training with the knights and entering the dungeon as I had nned on the first day, repeating the process.

    It was really hard, but I thought I could endure it, perhaps because I had been through a near-death experience.

    After a day or two, when thest day of the Knights¡¯ training came, I was able to reach level 10.

    It was definitely a good thing that I went through all that trouble to obtain Ruel¡¯s Mace.

    If I hadn¡¯t obtained Ruel¡¯s Mace, I would still be at level 7 or 8.

    However, other than the level-up effect, it was difficult to feel any other effects.

    Additional effects such as faster increase in Mace proficiency or skill corrections.

    It¡¯s understandable since I can¡¯t see the status window, but isn¡¯t it strange that I can¡¯t feel it at all?

    Did something change when this became reality?

    Well, even if those additional effects disappeared, it wouldn¡¯t have been a big problem.

    I could just fill it with something else.

    As long as the amount of experience gained increased, that would be enough.

    Afterpleting thest dungeon and going outside, Possell told me to take a break, saying that I had worked hard.

    It was definitely not something Possell would say.

    This guy.

    Isn¡¯t he something else in the shape of Possell?

    Honestly!

    Where did you hide our Possell?!

    When I asked him questioningly, Possell waved his hand in embarrassment.

    ¡°Youngdy, I¡¯m just trying to give you a rest.¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t talk nonsense! You wouldn¡¯t tell me to rest!¡¯

    ¡°Idiot Possell, do I look like a fool who believes what you say? Why are you talking nonsense to me?¡±

    What¡¯s the truth?

    I haven¡¯t spent much time with you, but I know you.

    You¡¯re a person who can¡¯t be satisfied unless you push people to their limits!

    You¡¯d better tell me what your intentions are.

    And most of all!

    I don¡¯t want to go to Evans!

    If I go to the vige, the people of Evans will tremble at me, and I don¡¯t want to see that kind of sight.

    ¡°I¡¯m giving orders right now, answer me honestly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth, youngdy?!¡±

    This guy.

    How shameless.

    How dare you lie to me, the Young Lady!

    Do you dare tell the truth only after I twist your true feelings?!

    But would the shapeshifter scream if I attacked him?

    ¡°Miss, the captain just wants to give us afortable rest.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, on thest day, everyone usually rests. You never know what might happen on the way back.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to take a shower and sleep in bed?¡±

    The knights, who couldn¡¯t stand to see me continue to question Possell, came to me and pleaded that Possell¡¯s words were true.

    Hey, you brats.

    I¡¯m doing this to save you.

    Don¡¯t you understand the deeper meaning of this training maniac¡¯s actions?

    I¡¯m not doing this to make things worse before we leave?!

    At first, I thought this and ignored the knights¡¯ opinions, but after hearing them all say the same thing, my thoughts changed.

    If they¡¯re all saying this, do they really want to rest?

    Are they booting me to Evans because it¡¯s hard to restfortably when I¡¯m here?

    Am I being tactless and acting like a brat right now?

    ¡°Youngdy, you should rest in the vige.¡±

    This suspicion became certain the moment Karl spoke to me.

    Sorry.

    It seems I was stubborn about not wanting to go to Evans.

    This time, I will sacrifice myself for yourfort, so you can restfortably.

    If you get caught talking behind my back because I am not there, I will crush you, so please be careful.

    Leaving the camp behind, I returned to the vige with Karl and the maid, and sighed again as I looked at the terrified people.

    Every time I see this, I be more and more afraid of the day I enter the academy.

    I can¡¯t get a game over, so I will go in, but I wonder how much I will be criticized there.

    If I experience something like the illusion I saw in the trial of patience, I will really cry.

    If I see this scenery any longer, my heart will only get heavier, so let¡¯s quickly go to the room.

    I haven¡¯t been able to sleep properly because I have been training under Possell, so let¡¯s spend today lying in bed.

    I will be azy youngdy for the first time in a long time.

    Rather than running around unnecessarily and terrorizing the vige, wouldn¡¯t it be better for both of us to rest in our rooms?

    ¡°Young Lady Lucy!¡±

    While I was thinking about that, someone came running towards me, calling my name.

    The woman¡¯s face looked like something I¡¯d seen somewhere.

    Where had I seen her?

    The woman didn¡¯t reach me though.

    Before she could, Karl drew his sword and aimed it at the woman.

    Normally, I would have stopped in front of the fierce de, but the woman was different.

    She moved towards the sword as if telling me to stab her.

    The moment I saw the woman¡¯s face full of determination, I realized that the woman wasn¡¯t crazy.

    Her trembling eyes and flowing tears told me that she was afraid.

    The woman knew well about my notoriety.

    She knew that the sword in front of her could cut her.

    Despite that, she was trying to approach me.

    At this point, I became curious.

    Why would that person risk her life?

    Karl opened his mouth and put strength into his hand after seeing the woman¡¯s provocative behaviour.

    I knew that if this continued, blood would flow, so I stepped in front of Karl and blocked him.

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    ¡®Karl, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy, don¡¯t do something you weren¡¯t told to do.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    As soon as the sword was put away, the woman who approached me knelt on the floor and began to praise how merciful and kind I was.

    However, that wasn¡¯t what I wanted to hear.

    I interrupted her and asked her a question.

    ¡®What business do you have with me?¡¯

    ¡°Shittymoner, do you have something to say to me?¡±

    ¡°I know this is a bit embarrassing, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Get to the point. Do you think I have a lot of time on my hands? Just say what you want to say.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! My child is sick and no one here can help him.¡±

    The woman wasn¡¯t talking to me for her own selfish desires.

    The only reason she came to me, risking her own life, was because of her child.

    Her son was said to have been weak since birth.

    He often suffered from various minor illnesses and couldn¡¯t even imagine running around outside like other children.

    However, he was able to live without any problems.

    He was just a little weaker than others.

    Then, the woman said, her son¡¯s health had deteriorated rapidly recently.

    She said that from one day on, he couldn¡¯t even walk properly.

    She said that he couldn¡¯t eat or drink anything.

    She said that for the past two days, he hasn¡¯t even been able to open his eyes.

    ¡°If we continue like this, my son will definitely die! Young Lady! Please save my son!¡±

    The woman who shouted while banging her forehead on the ground was close to the image of a mother I imagined Lucy had.

    Maybe that¡¯s why.

    I wanted to help her.

    After all, I had a way to help her.

    Ruel¡¯s Mace wasn¡¯t the only thing I had obtained when I cleared Ruel¡¯s Trialst time.

    Along with it, I had acquired a skill called Armadi¡¯s Mercy.

    The effects of this skill are simple.

    It removes abnormal status effects and restores stamina.

    It¡¯s a skill that allows me to perform functions that I normally had to rely on a healer for.

    It was a skill that I used usefully in the game.

    I used it a few times while going through dungeons with Possell, and the effect wasn¡¯t that bad.

    Maybe it was because my skill level wascking.

    Or maybe it was because I didn¡¯t have enough mana, but I couldn¡¯t use it often.

    At most, I could use it twice a day.

    Right now, I¡¯m on my way back from a dungeon after using it once, so I still have one more use left.

    So, I can heal the boy.

    But that¡¯s assuming that Armadi¡¯s mercy works.

    ¡®Please guide me.¡¯

    ¡°Sloppymoner, guide me.¡±

    When I said that, the woman repeatedly banged her head on the ground and thanked me.

    Ugh.

    This is really burdensome.

    What if Armadi¡¯s mercy doesn¡¯t work?

    The ce I headed to with the woman was a house made of old wooden nks.

    The house was rotting here and there as if it had been eaten by bugs, and it wouldn¡¯t be strange if it copses at any moment.

    Is a sickly little kid living in a ce like this that can¡¯t even properly block the cold winter wind?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bringing you to such a shabby ce.¡±

    The woman bowed her head as if it was a sin to bring me to this ce.

    I didn¡¯t say anything to her.

    I thought that whatever I said would be tranted into Mesugaki¡¯snguage and sound strange.

    Instead, I opened the door and went inside.

    A child was lying on something thinner than a nket.

    The little boy was breathing hard, just like Lucy¡¯s mother in my dream a while ago.

    Even though I knew nothing about medicine, I knew the moment I saw the boy.

    If I left him alone, he would die soon.

    ¡°Miss, will my child be okay?¡±

    ¡®Of course.¡¯

    ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t save a little brat like this?¡±

    I approached the boy confidently.

    The method of using Armadi¡¯s mercy was simple.

    All you had to do was ce your hand on him and pray.

    If you asked the Creator God or whatever for healing, the god would burn my mana and create a miracle.

    The boy¡¯s expression became much more rxed as the skill was used.

    His face had regained colour and his breathing had be easier, so it seemed like his symptoms had improved.

    Judging from the cheersing from behind him, it seemed like everyone else was seeing it in the same way.

    However, I knew it.

    This was only because his physical strength had recovered and he seemed to have gotten better.

    In reality, the illness that was guing him had not gotten better.

    How did I know?

    Because a message window appeared in front of me.

    [Failed to cure the curse due to insufficient proficiency.]

    It was the first time I had seen a message other than the one for the academy quest, but I was not happy at all.

    It was telling me that I had failed.

    I had seen this message in the game.

    It was a message that appeared when the opponent who had applied a status effect was higher than my proficiency in the skill.

    To put it simply, I can currently cure the venom of a poisonous snake, but I cannot cure the venom of a mythical beast, the basilisk, because Ick proficiency.

    It is the same now.

    If this curse had been ced by a mediocre guy, I could have done it.

    However, the curser¡¯s status is high, so it cannot be cured.

    It is not normal for a poor boy born in such a small vige to have a curse that cannot be cured by Armadi¡¯s mercy.

    I¡¯ve seen one or two cursed people that are simr while ying Soul Academy.

    This kind of curse is notmon.

    That¡¯s for sure.

    This is the activation trigger of one of the hidden quests that I know of.

    One of the long side quests that exist in Soul Academy.

    If nothing else, this quest is incredibly good for reputation.

    The Curse of Agra.

 Chapter 26

    Agra is an evil spirit in the world of Soul Academy.

    The reason there is a dungeon in Soul Academy is because of him, and the reason monsters appear is because of him, and in any case, whenever there is something bad, it is usually his fault, like the British Empire. (This was so random but so funny to me)

    What is the curse of Agra that this guy spreads?

    In a word, it is jealousy.

    Jealousy toward someone who is loved by Armadi, whom he hates and detests.

    Agra¡¯s curse is given to someone who is favoured by Armadi.

    And little by little, it eats away at the favour given by the master, and when that favourpletely disappears, it takes away that person¡¯s life.

    If this child is really cursed by Agra, it cannot be cured by ordinary means.

    How can an evil spirit¡¯s curse be easily cured?

    If you raise Armadi¡¯s mercy proficiency to the max, you can lift the curse of the evil spirit, but that will be in the very distant future.

    This child will neverst until then.

    Right now, I have a way to cure this child.

    Because I have a potion in my arms that contains the miracle of healing.

    The potion that the grandfather gave me as a favour after he crushed me with a minotaurst time was still in my arms when I got out of the ordeal.

    The effects of this potion are to remove all status abnormalities and instantly restore 50% of health.

    All status abnormalities include Agra¡¯s Curse.

    It was actually used as one of the ways to remove Agra¡¯s Curse in the game, so it must be able to heal this child.

    The reason I hesitated despite knowing that was not because I was worried about wasting the potion.

    Of course, this potion has many uses.

    However, if you ask me what is more valuable between a consumable item like this and a human life, I would naturally think that a human life is more important.

    So why am I hesitating?

    It was because of the hidden quest that urs when you cure Agra¡¯s Curse.

    The hidden quest ¡®Agra¡¯s Curse¡¯ is a quest that is automatically obtained when the user removes Agra¡¯s Curse for the first time.

    The content itself is not that great.

    It simply asks you to heal those suffering from Agra¡¯s Curse in various regions.

    The problem lies elsewhere.

    The moment you receive this hidden quest, Agra will keep an eye on you.

    As befitting a god, the petty Agra does not look down on humans who have removed his curse.

    Whenever you enter a dungeon under his influence, he adds various risk factors to harass you.

    It¡¯s not for nothing that the Soul Academy strategy says not to apply Agra¡¯s curse in the early stages.

    You can only clear the dungeon with or without risk in the mid-tote stages when you are fully prepared, but it¡¯s different in the early stages.

    If you receive Agra¡¯s curse in the early stages when you are rtively unprepared, the game¡¯s difficulty will increase drastically.

    When I was ying the game, I didn¡¯t care whether I received Agra¡¯s curse or not.

    I was confident that I could clear the game no matter what the threat was.

    But not now.

    This is reality, and if you die, you can¡¯te back to life.

    Is it okay for me to receive Agra¡¯s curse in this situation?

    Me, who is trembling because I couldn¡¯t catch a single minotaur?

    I sighed as I looked at the child¡¯s face, who was breathingfortably thanks to the mercy.

    Are you going to let him die?

    Of course not.

    Let¡¯s think positively.

    Anyway, gaining reputation is a big gain.

    Removing the Curse of Agra means reducing the influence of evil spirits in the world.

    This is something that the Jushin Church is currently doing its best to implement.

    If you report to the Church that you have removed the Curse of Agra, your rtionship with the Church will improve dramatically.

    What is the Jushin Church?

    It is the most influential religion on the continent!

    If your rtionship with this ce improves, your reputation will naturally increase throughout the continent!

    By the time you remove four Curses of Agra, you will be treated as a hero wherever you go on the continent!

    Since Lucy ¡®s notoriety is already infamous, removing one Curse of Agra won¡¯t be enough to overturn all of that.

    Still, you can at least blend in to some extent.

    At the very least, it will definitely reduce the possibility of her entering the Academy and bing a public enemy.

    Yes.

    Even if the dungeon is difficult, it is still a dungeon.

    It is nothing in front of a veteran who has yed for 13,000 hours.

    If I could raise my reputation in exchange for the difficulty of the dungeon, it would be a gain.

    With that determination, I took out a vial of potion from my bosom and handed it to the woman.

    ¡°Young Lady, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Sloppymoner, feed this to that rascal.¡±

    ¡°This precious-looking potion?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a waste to use it on the likes of you, but I¡¯ll use it specially. You should know how grateful to be.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I really appreciate it, Young Lady!¡±

    The woman who took the potion from me carefully fed the boy the potion.

    Perhaps it was because his condition had improved after receiving Armadi¡¯s Mercy from before.

    The boy drank the potion as soon as the woman gave him.

    The moment the boy drank all the potion, ¡°¡­Mom?¡±

    The boy opened his eyes.

    The curse of Agra had been lifted.

    ¡°My boy!¡±

    The boy looked at us behind him, embarrassed at the sight of the woman hugging him and crying.

    However, neither I, nor Karl, nor the maid bothered to exin anything to the boy.

    They just smiled.

    While the child was asking the woman why, I checked the message window that appeared in front of me.

    [You have cured Agra¡¯s curse for the first time.]

    [Quest unlocked]

    [¡®Agra¡¯s curse¡¯]

    [The evil god Agra is harming those who are favoured by Armadi¡­]

    [Heal those who are under Agra¡¯s curse in various ces.]

    [Reward: ???]

    So, Agra¡¯s curse was what was tormenting the child.

    Then there will be a few more messages.

    [Agra recognizes your presence.]

    Oh.

    Damn it.

    [Agra will keep an eye on you, who gave him the cure to his curse.]

    I knew this would happen, but seeing the message directly made me feel suffocated.

    Haa.

    I ended up entering hard mode like this.

    Is this the fate of a veteran?

    If only I had been a more ruthless and mentally strong person.

    Tiring!

    While I was ming myself for looking at the message window, another message window appeared.

    This time, it wasn¡¯t about Agra.

    [Armadi is interested in your deeds.]

    ¡­

    Huh?

    Who are you?

    The only Armadi I know is that Lord.

    Are you the same person?

    [Armadi praises your deeds of not fearing Agra.]

    [You will receive a reward.]

    [The proficiency of Armadi¡¯s Mercy increases.]

    [Some of the dormant functions of Ruel¡¯s Mace are unlocked.]

    The dormant functions of the Mace?

    This message has never appeared in the game?!

    No, Armadi has never appeared in the game in the first ce!

    The Soul Academymunity¡¯s repertoire is to swear at the Lord for doing nothing while the evil spirits are desperately active!

    Are you saying that there were elements I didn¡¯t know about in a game that hasn¡¯t had any updates in years?!

    No way!

    That can¡¯t be true!

    There can¡¯t be elements that a Soul Academy veteran like me doesn¡¯t know about!

    This must be an element that arose when the game became reality!

    It has to be that way!

    <Hmm?>

    As my pride as a gamer was wounded and I was denying reality, I heard a serious old man¡¯s voice.

    It was not a voice that was transmitted through my ears.

    It was a voice that seemed to pierce my head and be directly transmitted to my brain.

    <You¡¯re waking me up already. What happened?>

    That voice was definitely the old man¡¯s voice that I had heard during the ordeal a while ago.

    Why?

    Again.

    An element I don¡¯t know has shown itself?!

    Who are you?!

    Was this what they meant when they said we would meet again?

    Was the old man in the mace?!

    There was a sentence in Ruel¡¯s description of the mace that said, ¡®It seems that Ruel¡¯s soul is in it,¡¯ but that wasn¡¯t just a setting?!

    My head was spinning.

    I couldn¡¯t keep my cool because things I didn¡¯t know about kepting to me.

    Damn it.

    If there was a setting like this, you could¡¯ve released it as DLC!

    You fucking productionpany bastards!@@novelbin@@

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that grandpa¡¯s soul was sleeping in this mace?¡±

    I left the house where the child was and went to the inn and spoke to Ruel¡¯s mace.

    If the maid of the mansion had seen this, she would¡¯ve shouted, ¡°The youngdy is crazy!¡±

    But this time, it wasn¡¯t like that.

    The mace answered.

    <That¡¯s right, I was supposed to wake up when the owner¡¯s power became strong enough.>

    I hadpleted 100% of the Soul Academy achievements, found countless Easter eggs, and even bought a setting book to look through, but this was the first time I¡¯d heard of it.

    There was a phrase saying that there was a soul, but there was no mention of a personality!

    But if what the grandpa said was true, then it makes sense why I didn¡¯t feel the additional functions like increased proficiency in blunt weapons skills.

    The reason Ruel¡¯s mace had such an additional function was probably because this old man was giving him advice.

    He was a perverted old man with a dirty, petty, and old-fashioned personality, but he was still a knight who was called a hero.

    If this person was giving him advice, it was only natural that he would be able to handle blunt weapons better.

    The reason I couldn¡¯t feel that ability until now was probably because this old man wasn¡¯t there.

    <It seems a little early to be up, but this too must be God¡¯s guidance.>

    As I listened to the old man¡¯s voice speaking shamelessly, I felt a burning sensation.

    ¡®Grandpa, do you have anything to say to me?¡¯

    ¡°Old man, do you have anything to say to me?¡±

    <I don¡¯t know what kind of answer you want me to give you.>

    ¡°When you summoned the Minotaur in the Ordeal of the Guardian. You¡¯re not saying that you forgot because you¡¯re senile, are you?¡±

    <Are you talking about that? He was trying to test you.>

    Grandpa said that I didn¡¯t seem to have much of a hard time fighting the goblins in the Guardian Trial.

    He judged that the goblins couldn¡¯t test my guardian spirit, so he summoned the Minotaur.

    He wanted to test me by giving me an insurmountable adversity.

    <He saw that he was suitable and opened the door to the next trial for you.>

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the time limit the reason the minotaur disappeared?¡±

    <Time limit? What are you talking about?>

    Oh.

    Hmm.

    So, you¡¯re saying that there was no time limit in the Guardian Trial?

    Was it some kind of game-like configuration?

    But that means that if I wasn¡¯t liked by Grandpa, I would have been killed by the Minotaur.

    Ah.

    How should I get revenge on this damned grandpa?

    Did he notice something when he looked into my eyes?

    Grandpa continued speaking urgently.

    <I had no intention of killing you! I¡¯m serious!>

    Oh really?

    <A knight standing under God wouldn¡¯t kill someone who was innocent! I was just trying to corner you!>

    Okay, Grandpa.

    I¡¯ll listen to your excuse.

    But doesn¡¯t Lucy, the Mesugaki, think differently?

    Haha!

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯d forgive that perverted grandpa, right?

    I really want to see that grandpa cry and say I¡¯m sorry.

    How can I punish this damn grandpa?

    As I hummed while holding the mace that had Grandpa imbued, Grandpa raised his voice in an urgent manner.

    <More than that! Girl! Why is it that what you say inside is one thing and what you say outside is another!>

    ¡­

    Huh?

    ¡°¡­ Grandpa¡­ Say it again.¡±

    Seeing me stop, Grandpa seemed to feel hopeful and continued speaking urgently.

    <So, what I¡¯m asking is why you say politely inside, but act like a brat on the outside!>

    Wait a minute.

    Grandpa.

    Can you hear what I¡¯m thinking?

 Chapter 27

    After checking, I found out that Grandpa couldn¡¯t read all my thoughts.

    He could only hear my voice when I tried to talk to him.

    Thanks to that, I could talk to Grandpa without making a sound with my mouth.

    It was such a blessing.

    I almost added a story about talking to a Mace to Miss Lucy¡¯s ghost story.

    <Is it the effect of the blessing?>

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    When I speak out loud, that¡¯s how I sound!

    <That¡¯s a strange blessing.>

    ¡®I think so too.¡¯

    I didn¡¯t tell him that I was the one who inserted this Mesugaki skill.

    I knew how he would react if he found out that I had personally chosen this skill.

    But I didn¡¯t know!

    I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d possess her!

    If I had known I would possess this body, would I have inserted the Mesugaki skill?

    I would have used all kinds of fraud skills and even cheats!

    I¡¯m someone who wants to live happily.

    <I have been a believer under my god for a long time, but I still find it difficult to understand his will.> But it is good.

    Now I have someone who understands my suffering.

    I do not like the fact that he is a mean and nasty old man, but I can have a conversation without the distortion of Mesugaki skill.

    But you know what?

    I have someone to talk to, and revenge is revenge. I picked up the mace that I had put down for a moment to talk.

    <Girl? What are you trying to do?>

    ¡®I am taking revenge, Grandpa.¡¯

    <Haven¡¯t all our misunderstandings been resolved?!>

    ¡®Misunderstanding?

    I don¡¯t know.

    All I know is that Grandpa bullied me.¡¯

    <I apologize! I acted thoughtlessly because I am so old! I am sorry! I will bow my head with sincerity.>

    ¡®You don¡¯t have to apologize. I have no intention of stopping because of that.¡¯

    Grandpa, do you think that you still have your five senses inside the mace?

    Like touch or smell?

    I am really curious about that right now?

    So I¡¯ll try heavenly punishment once.

    What will Grandpa say if I m the mace¡¯s head into the trash can?

    <Girl! The time we¡¯ll spend together will not be easy, so why should we be so estranged from the beginning?!>

    ¡®Grandpa, you should speak properly.

    You were the one who made us stray from each other in the first ce, right?¡¯

    I don¡¯t understand why the knight who was once called a hero andmanded the continent is talking so much.

    Am I being too harsh?

    A few dayster, I returned to the territory and was living a simr life as before I left for the dungeon.

    Since I reached level 10 in the dungeon, didn¡¯t the limit for my abilities increase?

    I nned to max out my abilities at least until I took the academy exam, so I continued to train without resting.

    As the Iron Wall skill told me to, I held my breath as I deflected the sword that Karl had swung at me, and I put more strength into my hand that held the mace.

    Until now, I had no choice but to keep defending because of the difference in skill, but now it was different.

    Now the sword revealed a gap.

    I can finally strike!

    <Not yet.

    He gave you a gap on purpose.

    Take a step back.>

    I was nning to continue the attack right away, but after hearing the old man¡¯s advice, I took a step back.

    Then the knight raised his eyebrows slightly and moved their sword again.

    It was just as the old man said.

    What I thought was a gap wasn¡¯t a gap.

    It was just a trap to draw me in.

    The old man is usually a nag, but in this case, he is a seasoned hero.

    How nice it would be if he always showed me such a cool side.

    What I learned from spending the past few days with the old man is that his way of thinking was stuck at the time of his death.

    Since the time he was a hero was about three hundred years ago, it goes without saying how old this old man is who is stuck in that time.

    This old man, who was a knight and a nobleman, found fault with everything in the world.

    He said that girls shouldn¡¯t act like that when I do something.

    Even my stepcked dignity to him.

    I had to follow the etiquette of the table and such.@@novelbin@@

    At first, I tolerated it, but after two or three days of this, I couldn¡¯t stand it.

    So I asked him if he wanted to go into the dungeon again, and he became a little more docile than before.

    However, this old man was still a bother.

    It was so annoying that he kept nagging at my actions.

    I wanted to throw away this mace that contained the old man¡¯s soul, but I couldn¡¯t.

    The advice he gave me was too useful.

    When it came to fighting with a mace, the advice he gave me was never wrong.

    As if he had seen the future on his own, he would look ahead a few steps and tell me how I should move.

    As I followed his advice, I naturally realised that this was the best way.

    The part where the old man was helpful was not just inbat.

    He was also helpful in building my proficiency with the mace.

    Grandpa¡¯s advice on how to swing the mace better was much higher level than what my proficiency increase could be by itself.

    As I swung the mace ording to Grandpa¡¯s instructions, I felt my proficiency with the mace increasing at a much faster rate than before.

    A weapon that helps both inbat and in training!

    How could I give up a weapon that offered such overwhelming efficiency?

    Even if Grandpa¡¯s nagging caused female hair loss, I had to endure for the sake of efficiency.

    Sometimes, when ites to being a veteran, you have to know how to endure it!

    ¡°Lady!¡±

    I stopped moving when I was in the middle of a heated duel with the knight when I heard the maid calling me from afar.

    ¡°It¡¯s time!¡±

    ¡®Already?¡¯

    My body is starting to heat up, and I have to finish it?

    I think I should move around and sweat for another two hours to feel better.

    It¡¯s a shame, but I couldn¡¯t help it.

    I had work to do today.

    As I lowered my shield-holding hand, Karl also put his sword in his waistband.

    ¡°You¡¯re finishing early today, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going outside. You should get ready too.¡±

    I need to wash off some sweat and change my clothes.

    I can¡¯t go outside looking like this, right?

    I¡¯d be fine, but Benedict would have a seizure.

    I have to be careful.

    ¡°Miss. You look beautiful today.¡±

    This sloppy knight is acting up again.

    Shouldn¡¯t I tell him not to call me pretty?

    As soon as I frowned, the old man¡¯s voice continued from the mace I had made small and put in my pocket.

    <The knight is right. If you just keep your mouth shut, you¡¯ll be a beauty like no other in a famous painting.>

    ¡®Grandpa, shut up.¡¯

    <Why are you only doing this to me!>

    What woman wouldn¡¯t be happy to hear someone call you pretty?>

    ¡®Grandpa, I¡¯m wearing feminine clothes right now because I have no choice, I didn¡¯t wear them because I wanted to.¡¯

    <Then shouldn¡¯t you be angry at your knight too?!>

    I gave up on that.

    Even though I scolded him several times because he kept talking nonsense in the past, he didn¡¯t give up.

    He said that the image of a knight he had in mind included such dirty thoughts and dirty words.

    I didn¡¯t have the confidence to persuade a lunatic who wouldn¡¯t listen to me, so I decided to just ignore what Karl said.

    He would only do that at first and then close his mouthter because he was focused on escorting me.

    <Ha, you gave up?

    Actually, you enjoy being called beautiful, don¡¯t you?>

    ¡®Grandpa. Are you going to make me put you in the trash again?¡¯

    <I¡¯ll shut up.>

    This old man has things he can and can¡¯t say.

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m crazy, so why would I wear a skirt because I didn¡¯t want to?

    This was Benedict¡¯s order.

    Benedict let me do whatever I wanted, but he didn¡¯tpromise when it came to clothing.

    ¡®You can wear whatever you want at the mansion, but I¡¯d like you to dress like a youngdy when you¡¯re out and about!¡¯

    I didn¡¯t want to do this favour, so I threw tantrums, told Benedict that I hated him, everything I could, but Benedict was uncharacteristically stubborn.

    What can I do?

    I acted cute, and tried.

    But after all, I am the one who receives Benedict¡¯s consideration.

    If Benedict doesn¡¯t allow it, I have no choice but to follow his orders.

    That¡¯s why I had to wear the clothes of a nobledy, which you often see in fantasy, whenever I went outside the mansion.

    Since I would have to wear the uniform of the academy anyway, I consoled myself that I was getting used to it in advance.

    However, the clothes I was wearing were not the ones Lucy originally had.

    All the clothes she owned were so shy that I almost lost my mind.

    No matter how much I hated that I had to wear clothes that looked like a nobledy, I didn¡¯t have the confidence to wear frilly clothes, so I asked Benedict to order me new clothes.

    Even though they were new clothes, they were still just skirts that were so fluttering that I felt embarrassed when I wore them.

    It seemed like it would take a long time for me to get used to this skirt.

    It looks like a dress that suits me, but from the perspective of the person wearing it, it feels different.

    Without the tight feeling of pants, it feels empty and unbearable.

    People are creatures of adaptation, so I know I¡¯ll get used to it someday¡­ but honestly, I¡¯m afraid of that daying.

    <But. Girl. Where are we going?>

    ¡®To the church.¡¯

    <Church?>

    ¡®Yes. The church of the Lord.¡¯

    I¡¯m talking about the ce where you¡¯re memorialised.

    Grandpa, shouldn¡¯t I report that I¡¯ve cured Agra¡¯s curse?

    I¡¯ve incurred the penalty of Agra¡¯s disapproval by doing the cure, so I should do what I can.

    If the Lord¡¯s church acknowledges that you cured Agra¡¯s curse and I can get my hands on one of the symbols of the Lord¡¯s church, my reputation will improve a little.

    Maybe.

    I don¡¯t want to live as a loner!

    Since I¡¯ve already entered the world of Soul Academy, I want to be friends with the characters I like!

    I know that the road will be long and arduous, but I can¡¯t give up on this one thing!

    This is the only driving force in my life right now!

    We soon arrived in front of the Jushin Church in the Allen family estate.

    Since the Allen family itself was a veryrge ce, the church here was by no means small.

    Two borate statues standing at the entrance, arge door with various patterns carved on it, and gorgeous stained ss.

    I was inwardly amazed by the appearance of the church that would definitely be a tourist attraction if it were in reality, and I realised once again that the Jushin Church was a huge ce.

    I thought it was cool when I saw it in the game, but it was really huge when I saw it in real life.

    How much money did it cost to build this building?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, we¡¯re still preparing for the service.

    Pleasee backter.¡±

    As soon as we entered the chapel, a priest who had been waiting near the entrance spoke to us.

    He was about to send us away because it was early, but when he saw my face, he was surprised and took a step back.

    ¡°¡­

    Young Lady Lucy?¡±

    What is it?

    Why are you reacting like that?

    It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s just responding to my bad reputation.

    Did Lucy do something to you?

 Chapter 28

    ¡°Why is the Young Lady here?¡±

    ¡®Can¡¯t Ie to the church?¡¯

    ¡°I can¡¯t even set foot in the church? What a lowly priest.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true.¡±

    When I asked him in a confrontational tone, the priest waved his hand in embarrassment.

    The cold sweat running down his forehead didn¡¯t seem to be a sign that he was happy to see me.

    What did Lucy do to make the priest of thisrge church react like that?

    The power of a priest from the main church is not small.

    How could the power of a priest of the most influential church on the continent be small?

    ording to the description in the game, the priests of the main church have the same authority as an average noble.

    If that kind of person is upset, then Lucy¡¯s atrocities must not have been light.

    I didn¡¯t even need to ask what Lucy¡¯s reputation was within the main church.

    Was this a problem that could be solved by removing one of Agra¡¯s curses?

    It was ambiguous whether Lucy¡¯s original reputation could be offset or not.

    I felt my head spin as I realized that Lucy¡¯s misdeeds were not limited to the mansion.

    What the hell has Lucy been doing?

    I¡¯ve got to umte enough karma to either fix it or die trying.

    Haa.

    If she was going to swear at the priest of the church, she must have done the same to nobles of lower rank than her.

    Maybe she even swears at people above her.

    There must have been a reason why she had nightmares about being cursed at in the social hall.

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    The priest coughed in vain as if to calm the tense atmosphere.

    He pretended to have a serious expression, but since he hadpletely forgotten his image from before, he didn¡¯t look cool at all.

    ¡°So why did youe here?¡±

    ¡°The reason I came here is because of the curse of Agra. Even you, a sly priest, know about curses, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know. Is there anyone around you who is suffering from a curse? If so, our church¡­¡±

    ¡®I cured it, please confirm.¡¯

    ¡°You foolish priest, since you¡¯re so ignorant and hasty, listen to what I say first. I cured the curse of Agra.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What? You cured it?¡±

    The priest asked again, as if he couldn¡¯t believe what I said.

    It was natural for him to disbelieve.

    How could he believe that a scoundrel and viiness from a noble family cured the worst curse on the continent.

    If I were in his shoes, I would have told myself not to talk nonsense.

    ¡°Haa. You¡¯re acting like an idiot. You must be deaf, so I¡¯ll say it again. I cured the curse of Agra.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe what I, a noble says? For a foolish priest, that¡¯s a brave statement?¡±

    ¡°No! Please wait a moment, I¡¯ll bring the bishop!¡±

    The priest nodded and ran away but tripped over his own clothes and fell.

    He showed signs of pain, but when he turned his head and saw me standing there nkly, he quickly got up and moved his feet.

    <Girl, what on earth have you done?>

    I want to know that too.

    Seriously.

    What the hell did Lucy do that made the priest so scared?

    ¡®Karl what did I do here?¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy knight, what did I do at the church?¡±

    ¡°Miss, did you forget about that?¡±

    Karl, who usually kept hisposure, looked noticeably embarrassed.

    I could guess the level of what I had done just from that, but I had to ask anyway.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking, answer me.¡±

    Karl, watching the other nuns and clergy working in the church, put his head near my ear and whispered.

    ¡°You used to visit this church to insult God.¡±

    Yes?

    Wait a minute.

    Sloppy knight.

    What did I do?

    Insult God?

    As I blinked, Karl looked embarrassed but described the situation in detail.

    One day, I visited the church where I was attending a service and shouted that there was no such thing as God in the world.

    I visited several times and caused a ruckus in the church despite Benedict¡¯s warning.

    I then crushed the faces of the priests who tried to stop me with my shoe and thenughed at them.

    ¡°That priest just now was one of them youngdy.¡±

    ¡°Sloppy, shut up.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bear to listen to Karl¡¯s endless testimony, so I half-forcefully covered his mouth.

    <In the past, you would have been sentenced to death for sphemy, you know how tomit such acts.>

    ¡­

    <You don¡¯t remember doing such acts? I don¡¯t want to say this, but do you have a memory problem?>

    I couldn¡¯t say anything.

    Lucy.

    You crazy bitch!

    Even if youmitted simr acts in modern times, people would say you¡¯re crazy, but you did it in a medieval fantasy world?!

    Does that make sense?!

    In this world where the authority of the church isparable to that of a country, how can you insult God and the church?

    My head hurt from the unimaginable stories pouring out.

    How has this girl Lucy survived until now?

    Is it because Benedict is such an amazing person?

    That must be it.

    If Benedict didn¡¯t have his prestige, she would have been beheaded for any crime, whether it was sphemy or not.

    Thinking back, wouldn¡¯t that have been better?

    If she had been executed for sphemy, I wouldn¡¯t have had to possess her.

    I could understand why the priest was flustered.

    He must have been terrified that the person whomitted such a crime hade back to the church after not visiting for a long time.

    He must have suspected that she wasing to cause another mess.

    Thinking back, being terrified was a moderate reaction.

    If he had been a person with deep conscience, he would have openly told me that this was not the ce for someone like you.

    Covering my mouth with both hands and looking at the floor, I sighed and summarized the current situation.@@novelbin@@

    In a word, the word that best fits the description would be fucked.

    Curse of Agra?

    Reputation?

    It wasn¡¯t that kind of problem.

    The fact that Lucy was still alive on this continent was a miracle.

    How should I handle this?

    The Church of the Lord is a group that is heavily involved in the Soul Academy story.

    If I lose their support, there could be many difficulties in my future strategy.

    I¡¯m getting the ire of Agra, and now the hostility of the Church of the Lord?

    That¡¯s just too horrible.

    This isn¡¯t a game where you can do concept y.

    This is reality.

    I don¡¯t want to live in hard mode, you idiot.

    Think about it.

    Think with the same brain that spent 13,000 hours digging into Soul Academy.

    What difference will it make if I just keep getting frustrated?

    There has to be a way.

    While I was desperately racking my brain, a solution suddenly came to mind.

    If I think about it carefully, my current position isn¡¯t that bad.

    I guess it¡¯s okay to say that I once disbelieved in God, but repented after receiving revtion from God?

    That seems okay.

    It is also possible to prove that I received a revtion.

    I received the blessing of God.

    I removed a curse that was normally incurable.

    I have the weapon of an old hero that was thought to have disappeared.

    If it were one, it could be considered a coincidence, but if these three thingse together, it is not a coincidence but an inevitability.

    Anyone would think that I received a revtion from God.

    The knights of the Knights Temr think simrly.

    Even from the church¡¯s perspective, my repentance is not a loss.

    Given Lucy¡¯s notoriety, the story of Lucy repenting and believing in God will have considerable ramifications.

    A story about a scoundrel who spread notoriety throughout the continent believing in God and bing a new person.

    Isn¡¯t this the perfect story for the church to use when talking about God¡¯s miracles?

    Perfect.

    Let¡¯s go with this.

    They don¡¯t have to believe that I changed from the beginning.

    Anyway, I will continue to fight against Agra¡¯s men.

    If you see my many achievements, you will naturally believe in my repentance.

    If you receive support from the church, the world¡¯s view of Lucy will naturally improve.

    Am I a genius?

    How can Ie up with such a n in such a short time?

    ¡°Young Lady, it¡¯s been a long time.¡±

    I raised my head at the voice from far away.

    The face of the person approaching me as he walked through the middle of the church was familiar.

    The wrinkles that stood out because he didn¡¯t have a beard.

    The hair that had turned white.

    The eyes that seemed to be filled with kindness.

    I knew that person.

    He was one of the NPCs that appeared quite heavily in Soul Academy.

    How could I not know the old man who you would definitely meet if you were going through a church-rted story, whether you were an enemy or an ally?

    An old man whoter ascended to the position of cardinal of the church and became the leader of the hardliners within the church.

    A manmonly called a foolish priest among users.

    Contrary to his kind appearance on the outside, he was a prickly person who had a hedgehog inside.

    Johan Viera.

    Why is this old man here?

    Shouldn¡¯t he be struggling to gather his power in the holy grounds of the church you gave me?!

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time since you sshed water on my face. It¡¯s been about a year.¡±

    Johan smiled as soon as he saw me and spoke sharply.

    Uh.

    Um.

    I¡¯m sorry, Bishop.

    Did I ssh water on your face?

    Hey.

    I think I was possessed by something that day.

    Could you please consider me weak-minded and forgive me with kindness?

    I looked into the bishop¡¯s eyes while muttering nonsense to myself.

    His eyes were still kind.

    To put it a little differently, he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of revealing his true feelings.

    ¡°Father Felkin said that you cured the curse of Agra, is that true?¡±

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s right!¡¯

    ¡°Do I really have to tell you twice, Bishop?¡±

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s such a hard story to believe.¡±

    Even though Johan was insulted by a child much younger than him, he didn¡¯t erase the smile from his face.

    He looked like a kind old man who would listen to a child¡¯s tantrum, but he was different.

    I know.

    There¡¯s an old man inside him who is calcting the pros and cons.

    Heh.

    What the heck.

    This is fucked up.

    In order for the story to unfold as I nned, I have to persuade this old man.

    Isn¡¯t the difficulty level too high?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside and listen to the detailed story. I can¡¯t keep the youngdy standing there forever.¡±

    ¡®Thank you for your consideration.¡¯

    ¡°Are you pretending to be considerate by standing here all this time? You¡¯re being so ignorant.¡±

    Iughed along with Johan.

    Ah.

    Damn it.

    Why is my Mesugaki skill so fucking bad today?!

 Chapter 29

    ¡°These are tea leaves picked in the Vasili region. They have a good aroma and a subtle sweetness, so they are very popr. They are good, so please try them.¡±

    ¡®Thank you, Bishop.¡¯

    ¡°I will drink this sloppy tea since you gave it to me Bishop.¡±

    I live every day thinking about shutting Lucy¡¯s mouth, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever felt that way as much as I did today.

    Johan is such a bothersome person to make an enemy of, so I don¡¯t want to provoke him, but when the Mesugaki skill forcibly pressed the provocationmand, it felt like a hole was being made in my stomach in real time.

    It¡¯s fortunate that I didn¡¯t show my nervousness because of the Mesugaki skill.

    If the skill hadn¡¯t adjusted, my hands would have been shaking by now.

    I took a sip of the tea as the bishop had rmended.

    It definitely seemed like good tea, but the atmosphere in the room was too heavy for me to properly taste or smell it.

    ¡°Young Lady, first, can I check if you really lifted the curse of Agra?¡±

    ¡®Yes, do as you wish.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s what I came here to do. Hurry up.¡±

    ¡°Then excuse me.¡±

    Johan closed his eyes and muttered something in anguage I couldn¡¯t understand.

    Several magic circles appeared around me.

    They all glowed with a soft white colour, and inside the magic circles were geometric patterns that an ignorant person like me couldn¡¯t even figure out what they meant.

    ording to what I learned while taking Harne¡¯s ss, each pattern on the magic circle had a meaning.

    How many meanings could thisplex magic circle contain?

    As I was admiring it, the magic circle that had been moving around me suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°You really did remove the curse of Agra.¡±

    I heard a gasp from behind Yohan.

    It must have belonged to the priest assisting him.

    ¡°If it¡¯s not rude, may I ask how you did it?¡±

    ¡®Of course.¡¯

    ¡°Do you want to hear it? Haha. Okay. Since you seem so desperate, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    I had been thinking about how to say it while walking here.

    The only thing I¡¯m worried about is how my words will be tranted.

    Today, the Mesugaki trantion was being unusually aggressivenguage.

    ¡°I received a revtion.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that you heard the word of God?¡±

    Instead of answering, I took out the mace that I had put in my pocket and returned it to its original size.

    When the mace suddenly popped out of my empty hand, Johan raised his eyebrows slightly, and the priest apanying Johan hurriedly ran to Johan¡¯s side and used protective magic.

    Did he think I would break Johan¡¯s head?

    I know that Lucy¡¯s karma is not light, but this is a bit rude.

    It¡¯s treating a nobledy like a terrorist.

    My frown was almost the same as Johan¡¯s loud voice.

    ¡°Father Felkin, what kind of rude behaviour is this? Please withdraw the magic quickly.¡±

    Those firm words held more power than mere words.

    The priest seemed to realize his mistake and quickly withdrew the magic and bowed his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bishop and Young Lady Lucy Allen.¡±

    If I were to use this as an excuse to nit-pick, I could turn the conversation around, but if I did, Lucy would probably say something harsher than I imagined.

    Hmm.

    Let¡¯s be lenient this time.

    It¡¯s not a rtionship that willst a day or two anyway, so let¡¯s just consider it a debt.

    ¡®This weapon is Ruel¡¯s Mace.¡¯

    ¡°Even you, the idiot bishop, know what this is, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ This is the mace of Ruel, the one who has been designated as a saint?¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s true.¡¯

    ¡°Does it seem like a lie?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not rude, can I take a look?¡±

    When I obediently handed him the mace, Johan carefully epted it as if he were handling a valuable item.

    Then he began to examine it here and there as if he were appraising a piece of jewellery.

    Even at a nce, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be over in a short time.

    The moment I picked up my teacup while waiting for Johan to finish his appraisal, the old man spoke.

    <Young girl, I¡¯ve been designated as a saint?>

    ¡®You didn¡¯t know?¡¯

    <You never told me!>

    Of course, I thought you knew.

    All the heroes who fought to save the world two hundred years ago were designated saints after death.@@novelbin@@

    Even a child would know this, so I didn¡¯t think Grandpa wouldn¡¯t know.

    <I¡¯m a saint, it¡¯s surprising and bit much to take in.>

    ¡®You saved the world, so isn¡¯t that a given?¡±

    <Huh. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d say something like that.>

    ¡®Huh? Why?¡¯

    <Because you¡¯ve never respect me.>

    What are you talking about!

    I¡¯ve treated Grandpa well!

    I can say a lot of bad things, but I still think of him as a hero!

    Since I know the story of the game, I know how painful and arduous the path Grandpa walked.

    ¡°It looks genuine, how did you find it? Ruel¡¯s Mace disappeared a long time ago.¡±

    I was bickering with Grandpa, who told me to respect him more, when I heard Johan¡¯s voice and came back to reality.

    ¡®I told you¡­¡¯

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I received a revtion. No matter how old you are, it would be difficult if you forget what I just said.¡±

    Was the shock from Ruel¡¯s mace too much?

    Despite my asional provocations, Johan listened to my story quietly.

    It was good that I showed him the mace in advance.

    If not, my voice would have gotten louder.

    That¡¯s how harsh the words tranted into Mesugaki were.

    When I told him about oveing Ruel¡¯s ordeal and the story of the curse in Evans Vige, Johan stiffened his lips for the first time.

    He seemed serious, but that was different.

    The fact that he was serious meant that he was willing to talk with sincerity.

    ¡°You found the hidden ordeal and used the potion you obtained there to cure the curse.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that without a revtion, right?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like a tall tale, but I can¡¯t deny it now that the real thing is right in front of me. I¡¯ll believe you.¡±

    As he spoke, Johan took out a box from his bosom and ced it in front of me.

    When I asked if I could open it with my eyes, the bishop nodded.

    Inside the box was a cross made in the shape of a ne.

    The splendid white cross made of silver was exactly as I had seen it in the game.

    The symbol of the Lord¡¯s Church.

    Back when Soul Academy was a game, it was an item that increased the favourability of people rted to the Lord¡¯s Church and increased the character¡¯s luck stat.

    Even now that it has be reality, the effects are probably being applied simrly.

    Since Lucy¡¯s reputation is in pieces, even if favourability increases, there won¡¯t be a dramatic change, but it¡¯s better than nothing.

    More importantly, the effects of this item will be stronger every time I cure the Curse of Agra.

    There wille a day when I can ovee her bad reputation.

    I thought so as I put on the ne.

    ¡­

    Decades had passed since he chose the path of a priest against his family¡¯s opposition, but Johan Viera still had difficulty understanding God¡¯s will.

    That rascal, Young Lady Allen, was receiving revtions from God.

    What was God thinking?

    He knew about the youngdy named Lucy Allen.

    Originally, John, who should have been working in the Holy Land, came to this church because of Young Lady Allen.

    It was a few years ago.

    At that time, Young Lady Allen would visit the church every day and make a fuss.

    She sphemed God.

    She cursed at the priest.

    She used violence, and she threatened the believers.

    If the person they were dealing with had been a normal noble, the power of the main church could have been used to suppress her, but Lucy Allen was not an opponent like that.

    She was someone that Benedict, the Iron-Blooded Knight, cared about.

    If things got messed up and incurred Benedict¡¯s wrath, the main church would be in a difficult position.

    That¡¯s why Johan Viera was dispatched.

    Coming from a family with high titles and holding considerable status within the church, he was the right person to solve the problems of the Allen church.

    As soon as he was dispatched to the Allen church by order of the Pope, he tried to resolve the problem by negotiating with Benedict Allen.

    In fact, it was more of a threat than a negotiation, but anyway, the problem was solved, so there was no problem.

    Several monthster, today, Lucy came to the church again.

    It wasn¡¯t to make a mess of the church like before.

    She came here to talk about church-rted things.

    To be honest, the stories Lucy told when she came to the church were as ridiculous as saying that dragons don¡¯t know magic.

    She personally cured the curse of Agra, which only a cardinal-level priest could do and found the Mace of Ruel that had been missing for over a hundred years and also, received a revtion from God.

    They were all stories that sounded like something out of a bard¡¯s tale.

    However, all of them were true.

    Since the evidence for all of those stories was right before Johan¡¯s eyes, he had no choice but to believe them.

    ¡°A child who insulted God received a revtion from God. What on earth is Armadi nning?¡±

    Johan looked up at the ceiling and said but there was no answer.

    It seemed like God had no intention of telling him anything yet.

    ¡°There¡¯s going to be chaos for a while.¡±

    The appearance of someone who received a divine revtion.

    The appearance of Ruel¡¯s Mace, which had disappeared long ago and was being searched for by the church.

    The appearance of someone who had cured Agra and became the enemy of the evil spirit.

    None of them were light.

    ¡°I thought she was worthless.¡±

    All of these were rted to a scoundrel with a reputation for being incurable.

    I couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Wouldn¡¯t there be talk in the Holy Land that Bishop Johan had lost his mind?

    Johan, imagining how the expressions of those who confirmed that all of this was true would change, snickered and moved his quill pen again.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Young Lady Allen seemed a bit quiet today.¡±

    Had she changed a little after receiving divine revtion?

    As he thought about that, John recalled Young Lady calling him a foolish priest and shook his head.

    What difference did it make?

    ¡­

    When I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside, the first thing that greeted me was the message window that torments me every day.

    [Enter the Academy.]

    I waved my hand to dismiss the message window and slowly got up.

    My body was strangely tired.

    Could it be because I had been riding a carriage for the past few days?

    I reached out to ring the bell out of habit, but after waving my hand in the air, I remembered that I was not in the mansion.

    Oh.

    That¡¯s right.

    I came to take the Academy exam.

 Chapter 30

    The hands of the maid fixing my hair felt stronger today.

    Usually, she fixes my hair so that I can move aroundfortably, but today, she fixes my hair to show off to everyone.

    It felt like she was making a work of art with my hair.

    ¡®Maid¡­¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy maid, why are you showing off your sloppy skills with my hair?¡±

    ¡°I apologize if it offended you, youngdy! But this is the academy, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°So what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Because you can¡¯t be looked down on in a ce where so many nobles gather.¡±

    If you¡¯re not shy, you¡¯ll get the res of other nobles?

    Come to think of it, there was a line in the game about how nobles seemed to look down on nobles who couldn¡¯t keep up with trends.

    ¡°Is that all the reason you have to do this?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡®Please do it as usual.¡¯

    ¡°Keep it as usual then you sloppy maid.¡±

    Whether or not she does such annoying things, Lucy¡¯s evaluation wouldn¡¯t change.

    mour helps maintain the evaluation that a person has, but it cannot restore the evaluation that has already fallen to rock bottom.

    If you dress frugally, you will be called unsophisticated, and if you dress extravagantly, you will be called mboyant.

    Rather than suffering and hearing bad reviews after this, I would rather befortable.

    To be honest, if I were to make a fuss like this every morning, it would be better to run at that time.

    ¡°But youngdy.¡±

    She used to tremble whenever I said something, but now she says everything she wants to say.

    I sighed and took off the decorations on my head and ced them on my dressing table.

    ¡°It¡¯s an order, put them back the way they were, do you think I¡¯ll fall behind others because I don¡¯t have these cheap decorations?¡±

    The maid stopped for a moment after hearing my words, then bowed behind me.

    The words may have been a bit distorted, but the meaning was conveyed anyway, so it¡¯s okay.

    I¡¯ve been doing my best to improve my specs for the past two months.@@novelbin@@

    I ran, trained, and raised my proficiency every day.

    I prided myself on doing everything I could.

    Thanks to that effort, I achieved my goal.

    Raising my proficiency to the maximum possible level at level 10.

    Stamina.

    Mace proficiency.

    Shield proficiency.

    I had maxed out all three of them, and I was iparably stronger than before.

    Based on the Academy entrance exam before the Soul Academy tutorial, my current abilities werepletely over-sped.

    Setting a record in the dungeons that appeared in the entrance exam was as easy as provoking a goblin.

    So I knew I didn¡¯t have to worry, but for some reason I couldn¡¯t let my guard down.

    ¡®Karl¡­¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy knight, is it okay for you to wander around like this? Just go back.¡±

    ¡°Miss, you know it¡¯s important to take care of your condition before something important.¡±

    <The knight is right. When something big ising up, resting is the best preparation.>

    I knew that what one person and one mace said was right.

    How could I not know that moving my body would not make things better?

    However, I couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious when I was spending my timefortably.

    This world is of a game, but it¡¯s not a game.

    It¡¯s a world where things I took for granted in games can change at any time.

    How many times have I been flustered after trusting my knowledge?

    I had considered all the variables that could ur in the dungeons that appear in the Academy exam, but every time I looked back, I was afraid that I might have missed something.

    This won¡¯t work.

    I¡¯ll have to go back to the dorm and check again.

    ¡°Miss! There¡¯s an airship floating over there!¡±

    I raised my head at the maid¡¯s excited voice.

    An airship was flying through the sky, cutting through the clouds.

    Judging from her reaction like a child seeing it for the first time, it must have been her first time seeing it with her own eyes.

    It¡¯s not that bad even if I ride it.

    An airship was the most inefficient means of transportation in the game.

    Using money is simr to space travel magic, but unlike space travel magic that can arrive at a destination in an instant, this takes days and days to arrive at a destination.

    It is the height of luxury that can waste both time and money.

    That is why I didn¡¯t even bother with airships when ying the game.

    Soul Academy is the same as reality.

    I have no intention of riding on trash that only looks good.

    The moment I looked up at the sky and lowered my head, I was free from my worries for the first time and looked at the city properly.

    Soul Academy is called an academy, but it is not just a ce where there is an academy.

    This is a ce where many noble children gather, and the wealthy spend money like water.

    Merchants who smelled the money of the reckless nobles naturally flocked to this area.

    Commoners who wanted to get jobs also set foot in Soul Academy.

    As a result, Soul Academy took on the appearance of a huge city centred around the academy.

    The city scenery that I saw with my own eyes was, in a word, a chorus created by human lives.

    The sound of countless people¡¯s footsteps.

    The voices of merchants shouting loudly to sell their goods.

    The conversations of women chattering in one corner.

    The clear sound of birds chirping andughtering from somewhere.

    Shouts.

    My breathing was added to the middle of all those sounds.

    At that moment, reality hit me.

    I could feel that I had arrived at a ce I had only seen through the monitor.

    Then, all the worries that had been upying me until just a moment ago felt meaningless.

    Why go back to the dorms?

    I came all the way to the main stage of Soul Academy, and I¡¯m going back without seeing anything.

    Am I not a Soul Academy veteran after all?!

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    I moved my feet, humming the game¡¯s background music of this street that I had heard so many times that it waspletely familiar to my ears.

    There were so many ces I wanted to see with my eyes.

    So many that I was sure I wouldn¡¯t be able to see them all in one day.

    I had to go to the restaurant that the blunt heroine had admired.

    I had to go to the bakery that she liked.

    I have to go to the bridge that gave birth to many famous scenes in the work.

    I have to go to the back alley where the main character had a heartbreaking farewell with his friend.

    The more I thought about it, the more ces I had to go.

    When I thought about it, I had to go to the hidden ces that I could get to right away.

    I don¡¯t have enough time.

    If I had known that I would be this short on time, I wouldn¡¯t have spared my sleep and wandered around.

    I felt resentful of myself foring in the carriagest night and throwing myself on the bed, saying I was tired.

    Let¡¯s make a n now.

    Where should we go?

    Since we didn¡¯t eat breakfast, should we go to a restaurant and have a meal?

    ¡°Miss?¡±

    ¡®Maid and Karl¡­¡¯

    ¡°You two ckers, we¡¯re going to have a meal now. I¡¯ll feed you ckers food that will make you gasp as soon as you put it on your tongue, so look forward to it.¡±

    The restaurant is expensive, but that doesn¡¯t matter to me.

    After all, I have a lot of gold coins that Benedict gave me.

    I smiled at the weight of the gold coins in my pocket, and I recalled Benedict seeing me off when I came to the academy.

    The troll¡¯s appearance, wiping his tears with a handkerchief and fussing about being careful, was honestly bizarre.

    They say that female hormones are secreted when menopausees, but has that timee for Benedict already?

    Even looking back now, it was an overreaction.

    After all, after taking the exam, I¡¯ll have to go back to the estate and wait for the eptance notice.

    How dare he cry as if he won¡¯t see me for years.

    It¡¯s scary because I think I¡¯ll really burst into tears when I actually enter Soul Academy.

    ¡°Oh my, Young Lady.¡±

    As I imagined Benedict shedding tears and fainting, a woman called my name.

    She blocked my path, looked down at me with sharp blue eyes, and smiled.

    Uh¡­

    ¡®Who are you?¡¯

    ¡°What kind of cker are you to talk to me?¡±

    The woman¡¯s smile hardened at the bratty tone.

    Why is this sly skill doing this again today?

    I looked around in confusion.

    There were two more women behind the woman.

    Judging from the quality of their clothes, they seemed to be nobledies, but what business could they have with me?

    ¡°We met at a high-society eventst time, right? I¡¯m Meryl, I guess the youngdy¡¯s small head has a hard time remembering people¡¯s faces.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    I could guess their intentions thanks to the tant ill will in their tone.

    They came to pick a fight.

    Why?

    There was no need to ask.

    The reason was so obvious.

    The scene at the high-society hall that Lucy had seen in her nightmare must have been somewhat true.

    However, I didn¡¯t know that she would pick a fight so openly.

    Aren¡¯t you afraid of Benedict?

    Do you think you can handle that old man getting angry?

    Do you have any faith?

    They don¡¯t seem like such great people.

    Well, if they were important characters, I would have remembered their faces.

    ¡°Young Lady, you came to take the academy exam, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°But why? I wonder why you are taking the exam when you are going to fail anyway.¡±

    The blue-eyed woman at the front said that, and the people next to her burst intoughter.

    Huh?

    They think I¡¯ll fail the exam.

    Of course, if they¡¯d only seen Lucy before I possessed her, they would think so.

    Then, if I showed outstanding performance in the entrance exam duels or dungeon exploration, wouldn¡¯t that get a pretty funny reaction?

    Just like how someone who only did bad things stands out when they do good things.

    If an ipetent person suddenly showspetence, they¡¯ll stand out a lot.

    That¡¯s good.

    I¡¯ll change that criticism into cheers.

    ¡°Is that all you have to say? Then I¡¯ll go. I don¡¯t have time to hang out with you little extras.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to waste my time on a worthless extra.

    I have so much work to do right now.

    The moment I turned my back while saying that the woman let out a fierce voice that seemed to grind her teeth.

    ¡°Are you running away?!¡±

    Yes.

    I¡¯m running away.

    I¡¯m a coward, so I don¡¯t want to fight.

    ¡°You¡¯re so pathetic that you don¡¯t know what¡¯s trending, right?!¡±

    Yes.

    I don¡¯t know what¡¯s trending.

    I don¡¯t care though.

    ¡°Ha! You¡¯re a disgrace to the Allen family!¡±

    I froze after hearing that.

    I never thought I¡¯d hear that in front of me.

    I blocked Karl who was about to fly out in anger at the fact that his master was insulted with my hand, then turned around and stood in front of the woman.

    ¡°What. What is it?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s scared, right? ? Fucking youngdy you¡¯re a brat. Even if you stick your ws out because you¡¯re scared, you¡¯re still cute(weak).¡±

    This bitch.

    There are things you can say and things you can¡¯t say.

    I was going tough it off because I was afraid Lucy¡¯s already poor reputation would hit rock bottom, but I can¡¯t stand this.

    Come on, bitches.

    I¡¯ll take you down.

 Chapter 31

    As if to tell her to do it, I stuck out my cheek, and the woman in front of me raised her hand and pped my cheek with it.

    As expected of someone who was going to enter Soul Academy, the woman had trained herself well and had quite a heavy hand.

    A sharp pain spread through my cheek.

    However, the smile did not leave my lips.

    Hey.

    You attacked me first with this?

    There were more than a few witnesses around, so I couldn¡¯t fabricate it.

    So, from now on, whatever I do is self-defence.

    Don¡¯t cry because you got hit?

    I clenched my fist and punched the woman in the face.

    I had intended to blow her away, but the woman stood upright despite the blow.

    Tears welled up on her face as if she was in pain, but that was it.

    ¡°You!¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done something like that to deserve it. Okay?¡±

    The woman clenched her teeth and ran toward me, as if she hadpletely fallen for my provocation.

    Judging from the way she was used to moving her body, I think she had receivedbat training from her family.

    However, there was no problem.

    Do you think I only learned how to use a mace while training under Possell?

    He taught me how to fight enemies with my bare body, saying that I should be prepared even when I lose my weapon.

    Compared to the punches Possell used to throw, your punches are so slow that it makes me yawn.

    I take a step forward while avoiding the woman¡¯s punches.

    First, I strike her abdomen to shock her.

    I¡¯m aiming for the area inside her abdomen where her internal organs are.

    Crap.

    The woman¡¯s movements momentarily freeze as if her internal organs have been damaged.

    I didn¡¯t miss that gap and struck her chin from below.

    Perhaps her brain was shaken, but the Young Lady, who was standing in front of me, fell to the floor like a doll whose strings had snapped.

    She¡¯s so weak.

    Since she¡¯s only this good, she wasn¡¯t important at Soul Academy.

    I leave Meryl lying on the floor and turn my gaze to the people behind her.

    The two of them stumbled backwards as if they were scared after seeing the fight.

    Are they just watching their friend get hurt right now?

    You¡¯re pathetic little brats.

    You¡¯re not worth fighting.

    ¡®Karl and Maid let¡¯s go.¡¯

    ¡°You rascals, let¡¯s go.¡±

    As I left thedies behind, I heard the voices of people murmuring behind me.

    It wasn¡¯t my intention, but Ipletely caught their attention.

    Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    I didn¡¯t do anything wrong anyway.

    Thosedies were the ones who started the fight with their ridiculous insults and pped me in the face first.

    I just responded to them.

    With how many people saw this whole process, there wouldn¡¯t be any strange rumours, right?

    Joy Partran, the daughter of the Duke¡¯s Family Partran, the head of the noble faction of the kingdom, was walking down the street leading her attendants.

    She had visited Soul Academy to take the entrance exam, but the exam didn¡¯t really upy much of her mind.

    For her, who had spent her entire life being educated to be someone fit for the duke¡¯s family, the Soul Academy exam was something she had to pass.

    She had been assured by several teachers of the Duke¡¯s Family that she would be able to pass, so she wasn¡¯t worried about the exam at all.

    The only thing that filled her heart was the restaurant ¡®Tierra Mars¡¯ in Soul Academy.

    Tierra Mars, a restaurant that was once run by a chef who had been in charge of the meals served at various events in the kingdom and passed the position on to his sessor, was famous as one of the best restaurants on the continent.

    Despite the fact that the prices were several times higher than other simr restaurants, Tierra Mars was always full because there were so many customers who wanted to visit.

    So even the most powerful nobles couldn¡¯t visit the restaurant unless they made a reservation months in advance.

    Joy, who had heard from her sibling how delicious the food at Tierra Mars was, put everything else aside and reserved a table at Tierra Mars as soon as her schedule for entering Soul Academy was set.

    There were many who thought the same way so thepetition was fierce, but Joy, like the motto of the Partran family, did not give up and eventually won the fight.

    She seeded in securing a table!

    From the day she sessfully made the reservation, Joy had been looking forward to going to Tierra Mars, and today was the day that her dream came true.

    How delicious it must be.

    ording to her brother, it was a taste that you would never forget once you tasted it.

    If her brother, who had grown ustomed to eating the food prepared by the family chef, could say such a thing, then it must be incredibly delicious.

    Joy pouts, thinking of her brother¡¯s face smiling softly.

    Her brother, who had been scheduled to visit Tierra Mars with her today to introduce the food, suddenly came up with something.

    He said something urgent at the academy or something.

    What can we do?

    Sometimes, there are things more important than their own little sister.

    It¡¯s fun.

    She¡¯ll tease himter by telling him about the things she ate at Tierra Mars.

    Joy, who was walking while grumbling with her Tierra Mars ticket in hand, saw a crowd of people gathered in front of her, making a fuss.

    Is something happening?

    Looking closely, I saw a youngdy lying on the ground in the middle of the crowd, and another youngdy and servants tending to her.

    The one who fell over there.

    Is that Meryl of the Earl of Baines?

    Why is there a bruise on her cheek?

    Did she get attacked by a stranger?

    ¡°El?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Can you find out what happened?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    The story her servant told mine, who had left through the crowd and returned shortly after, was shocking.

    Meryl and Lucy were arguing, and Meryl pped Lucy on the cheek!

    And Lucy, who was attacked first, couldn¡¯t stand the insult and swung her fist and won against Meryl?

    What the heck?

    ¡°I asked several people and they all gave the same answer.¡±

    When Joy expressed her doubt, her servant added.

    So that really happened.

    It wasn¡¯t strange for Meryl to pick a fight with Lucy.@@novelbin@@

    The two had been at odds with each other in many social settings.

    Joy remembered that Lucy had poured her drink on Meryl¡¯s face at their meeting at the end ofst year and said,

    ¡°You look good together. Be grateful to me, you have an excuse to wash off the filth which is you.¡±

    Meryl must have remembered that anger and picked a fight with her as soon as she met her.

    What surprised Joy was not that the two had fought, but that Lucy had beaten Meryl.

    The Baines family, where Meryl Baynes was born and raised, was renowned for its military family.

    It was no match for the Earl of Allen, led by Iron Count Benedict, but it was no less prestigious.

    Born into such a family and raised as a knight, Meryl was a woman who boasted martial arts skills superior to those of most men.

    On the other hand, what about Lucy?

    When I saw her at the previous social gathering, she was a frail woman who would pant while climbing the stairs.

    Lucy had beaten Meryl.

    If Joy hadn¡¯t seen Meryl lying down, it would have been hard to believe.

    ¡°Is that really the daughter of the Iron-Blooded One?¡±

    If only she had taken after Benedict¡¯s hearty personality.

    Joy didn¡¯t like Lucy that much.

    In fact, there were few nobles in the kingdom who liked Lucy.

    Who would like her? She would hurt anyone who approached her like a hedgehog with spikes raised.

    Now that I think about it, is it okay to call Lucy a hedgehog?

    She looks cute and has thorns.

    But unlike hedgehogs that are fine as long as you don¡¯t touch them, Lucy can hurt you even if you don¡¯t touch her?

    Strictly speaking, she¡¯s a hedgehog that shoots thorns.

    Lucy, who caused many idents because of her unique personality, has even taken up arms.

    It¡¯s scary.

    Even if she caused trouble in the past because of her weak body, the scale was not that big, but from now on, the scale will be different.

    I¡¯ll try my best to avoid getting involved with Lucy.

    Anyway, Lucy is bad at studying, so even if she takes the academy exam, she won¡¯t be admitted.

    So, if I just don¡¯t meet Lucy until the exam, I won¡¯t get involved.

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°The youngdy with crossed arms in front of us at that restaurant. Isn¡¯t that the Young Lady Lucy we know?¡±

    ¡­

    Huh?

    Why?

    Why is that person over there?

    What should I do?

    Should I say hello?

    Should I pretend not to notice and just pass by?

    No.

    I can¡¯t ignore her.

    If I pretend not to notice and pass by, she¡¯ll definitely think I ignored her.

    Then, when we meet again during the Academy exam, she¡¯ll sting me.

    Okay.

    Let¡¯s just say hello.

    I¡¯ll say hello briefly and go inside without giving her time to respond.

    Then, there won¡¯t be any problems.

    With that decision in mind, Joy approached Lucy cautiously.

    <You came to the restaurant so confidently that you didn¡¯t know it was a reservation-only ce. Girl. Do you really have a memory problem?>

    ¡®Grandpa, shut up.¡¯

    One thing I had forgotten was that the restaurant ¡®Tierra Mars¡¯ was a reservation-only ce.

    Come to think of it, when I was eating with the heroine in the game, the heroine happened to get a ticket to Tierra Mars and came here.

    I hadpletely forgotten because it was a restaurant that you couldn¡¯t visit except during an event.

    Thanks to that, I failed to cross the threshold of Tierra Mars.

    Ugh.

    I feel all drained.

    I was looking forward to eating the delicious food here all the way here, but I can¡¯t go in.

    ¡°Young Lady Allen.¡±

    What the heck.

    Is someone else trying to pick a fight with me?

    I don¡¯t know who it is, but you¡¯re the one who got it wrong.

    I¡¯m really pissed right now.

    I¡¯m like a bomb that will explode at the push of a button.

    Why don¡¯t you insult me once?

    I¡¯ll vent my anger and frustration right now.

    As I turned my head with those thoughts, what I saw was a very familiar face.

    Joy Partran.

    One of the characters I loved in Soul Academy.

 Chapter 32

    The deep blue eyes looking down at me were as indifferent and cold as their colour.

    If someone who didn¡¯t know the situation had met those eyes, they would have been so scared that they would have unconsciously stepped back.

    However, I was calm even when I met those eyes.

    Because I knew very well what kind of personality Joy Partran had.

    Joy looked like a viiness from a romance novel just by looking at her appearance.

    Sharp eyes and tall stature.

    Blonde hair with a slight curl,monly called ringlets.

    With a beauty that could stab you if you touched it, she was an elegant and noble person who fit the description of a daughter of a duke family very well.

    However, she was different inside.

    The Partran duke family, contrary to the many vicious rumours circting among the public, was just an ordinary family.

    Joy, who grew up with love from a blunt but loving father and a nagging mother, was just an extremely ordinary girl inside.

    It was written like this in the character description.

    She had the appearance of a viiness and the soul of a timid high school girl.

    Soul Academy yers like to call Joy, who was very capable but easily confused and panicked, a foolish youngdy who would identally forget her own skills.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    The moment I heard her blunt and overbearing tone, I was inwardly impressed.

    When I looked through the monitor, I thought it was excessive that Joy was a source of fear to anyone outside of her close friends in the Academy.

    Joy¡¯s appearance may seem like a bad person, but she was timid and kind-hearted, so it was hard to believe she would be an object of fear.

    However, after meeting Joy in real life, I could understand the setting.

    Her voice.

    Her eyes.

    Her actions.

    She was so natural that she dominated people and suppressed others.

    Even I, who knew all the details, would cringe a little, but if someone who didn¡¯t know anything saw Joy, they would have lowered their heads in fear.

    ¡°Are you visiting Tierra Mars?¡±

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s right.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard a rumour and came here, but this trashy store only allows customers with reservations.¡±

    Joy¡¯s mouth hardened as she heard the words tranted from the Mesugaki skill.

    At first nce, Lucy¡¯s rude remarks might seem irritating, but they weren¡¯t.

    Joy is a kind-hearted person who would be around at school.

    She doesn¡¯t have the all-embracing benevolence of the saint we¡¯ll meet soon, but she doesn¡¯t get angry or even irritated by anything.

    Her expression right now must be a bitter smile.

    If you look closely, the corners of her mouth seem to have slightly raised.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that it was a reservation system?¡±

    ¡®Yes¡­¡¯

    ¡°Yes, but I only heard rumours. I didn¡¯t know it would be such a rude ce.¡±

    Because of the Mesugaki skill, I¡¯m scared to talk.

    Even more so because I don¡¯t know how my ordinary words will be distorted.

    Up until now, no matter what came out of my mouth, it wasn¡¯t a big deal.

    The servants couldn¡¯t say anything because of their status, and Benedict would justugh off whatever I said, and the knights would shrug their shoulders, saying it was nothingpared to what they heard on the battlefield.

    But now it¡¯s different.

    Joy is not my subordinate, and she¡¯s not someone who wouldugh at anything I said.

    If I were to act rudely, that rudeness would only result in Joy hating me.

    I don¡¯t want to be hated by a character I like.

    I once said something nonsensical about being criticized, but that was just a joke.

    Who in the world would be happy to be scorned by someone they like?

    At least not me!

    Let¡¯s avoid mentioning Joy¡¯s name.

    Let¡¯s not call her Young Lady either.

    I have no idea what this person who calls Benedict ¡°idiot father¡± would call Joy.

    If we leave out the title part, Lucy¡¯s just a bit of a spoiled brat, so Joy would just smile bitterly and move on.

    I¡¯m d that they use politenguage when they¡¯re really low in rank.

    If I had said something like ¡°Hey, you¡¯re so sloppy¡± to the duke¡¯s daughter, it would have been irreversible.

    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but there¡¯s nothing I can do. Rules are rules.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s my fault for not looking into it properly.¡¯

    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t look into it, but it¡¯s a really arrogant restaurant.¡±

    Since Joy came here, does that mean she¡¯s nning to visit Tierra Mars too?

    Judging from the fact that she wasn¡¯t flustered when I told her about the reservation, she must have made a reservation.

    Is that the reservation slip you¡¯re holding tightly in your right hand right now?

    I envy you.

    I really wanted to try the food at Tierra Mars, where the heroine, who rarely expresses her emotions, would smile.

    It¡¯s unfortunate, but what can I do?

    It was my fault foring empty-handed to a ce where even the duke¡¯s daughter made a reservation to visit.

    Let¡¯s make a reservation again next time.

    Then where should we eat?

    How about the cake shop we always visited when we went on dates with the characters we could romance in Soul Academy?

    It was a ce where if you just went there together, your favourability rating would go up so much that you¡¯d hear people say that they put something in the cake.

    It would be fun to go there and find out what the favourability cake was.

    I was concerned that we were going to eat dessert for the first meal but if it tasted good, it would be okay, right?

    After making that decision, I took my eyes off the ticket and raised my head to say goodbye.

    At that moment, Joy¡¯s hardened eyes met mine.

    Why are you looking at me with such scary eyes?

    I know you¡¯re not angry, but it still stings a little.

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Would you like to go eat together?¡±@@novelbin@@

    Yes?

    Joy screamed inwardly as she looked at Lucy Allen¡¯s face sitting across from her with a nk expression.

    I¡¯m crazy.

    Why did I ask Lucy to eat with me?

    I was so looking forward to eating Tiara Mars¡¯ food, so why did I include Lucy in that enjoyable experience?

    You idiot!

    But at that time, it was an act of God.

    Lucy was annoyed that she couldn¡¯t enter the restaurant, and then she just stared at the ticket in my hand.

    My ticket was detected by the hedgehog¡¯s radar that was shooting thorns, so what should I do?!

    In that situation, if I left Lucy behind and went inside!

    Would she think I bragged in front of her?!

    She would have resented me more than if I had pretended not to know her and gone in!

    Joy didn¡¯t want Lucy to hate her.

    It was scary¡­

    But that wasn¡¯t the only reason.

    After all, Joy was the daughter of the Partran family, so Lucy couldn¡¯t harm her.

    Then the reason she was reluctant about Lucy was because of her attitude.

    Most people had a hard time dealing with Joy.

    She was the daughter of the Partran family and had an intimidating appearance.

    Except for her friends and family who had known her since childhood, most people were kind to her.

    There were exceptions, but at least no one showed hostility as openly as Lucy.

    Even after several years, Joy remembered the first time she met Lucy.

    The day she spoke to her, drawn to her small and beautiful appearance that made her look like a living doll.

    And then she heard, ¡°What kind of cker are you to talk to me?¡±

    Those arrogant eyes that made her look down on her even though she was looking up from below.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be scared if you look down on me, a cker who¡¯s as t as a pole?¡±

    After that Benedict, who figured out the situation came to apologize with Lucy, but Joy still couldn¡¯t forget that day.

    It was the first time she¡¯d ever been treated with such direct hostility and insults.

    Although sheter realized that it was better than some other words from Lucy.

    As Joy recalled the past, she noticed that Lucy was unusually quiet today.

    It was strange.

    I know it¡¯s rude to say this, but Lucy was usually far from quiet.

    She always seemed to be trying to make at least one person feel worse, and she was always at the center of themotion.

    But today was different.

    Lucy waited quietly for the food toe out.

    She looked around and watched the others eating, but that was all.

    Her silence was awkward and strange, but Joy didn¡¯t bother to point that out.

    There was no need to light the fuse when a time bomb would just sit there quietly.

    ¡°Soup, an appetizer.¡±

    While they were spending time in silence, the servant brought out the first dish.

    The servant talked about something over the soup, but Joy didn¡¯t listen to him.

    Any food is fine as long as it tastes good.

    Studying is hard enough, so there¡¯s no need to study food.

    After the servant left, Joy took a spoon and took a bite, and was surprised by the taste that dazzled her tongue.

    The light smoky vour that spread as soon as it entered her mouth, and the vour of butter swaying beneath it.

    The potatoes and onions melted on her tongue as soon as they touched it.

    And the salmon that was doing its job in the middle of it all.

    The servant didn¡¯t need any exnation.

    This food was like a manual that showed its own taste.

    Did Lucy feel the same way?

    Joy, who raised her head slightly to look at Lucy¡¯s face, quickly covered her mouth with one hand when she saw Lucy moving her spoon without stopping.

    Her round,rge pink eyes were fixed on the soup.

    Her mouth, which had been tightly shut until just a moment ago, seemed to be absorbed in savouring the taste of the soup, and her small hands were so fast that it was almost like an afterimage.

    What surprised Joy even more was that Lucy was eating so hastily while maintaining the minimum manners.

    Joy, who had forgotten to eat her own food and was observing Lucy¡¯s appearance, only reached for the soup again after seeing Lucy looking regretfully at her empty bowl.

    The food that came out after that at Tiara Mars was all delicious.

    Joy, who had enjoyed all kinds of gourmet food in the dukedom was impressed.

    However, she focused more on watching Lucy eat than on eating the food.

    She really is a cute doll-like person whenever she shuts her mouth.

    In the sense that her outside and inside don¡¯t match, she might be simr to me.

    In my case, I have a fierce appearance and a soft inside, but this person is soft on the outside but fierce on the inside.

    Huh?

    Complete opposites?

    By the time they finished eating, Lucy was smiling with a satisfied smile that Joy had never seen in her life.

    Was she entranced by that smile?

    For a moment, Joy forgot what kind of person Lucy was and asked her first question.

    ¡°Was the meal satisfactory?¡±

    Lucy smiled as she heard the question and answered, ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad, Foolish Young Lady.¡±

    Huh?

    Foolish Young Lady?

 Chapter 33

    It was a cute wording out of Lucy¡¯s mouth.

    Compared to the many things she had said before, it was nothing more than ¡°foolish youngdy.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a pleasant word to hear, but it wasn¡¯t enough to make her angry.

    There were many worse things said by people with bad personalities in society.

    The reason Joy was flustered was simply because she had heard the unexpected words at an unexpected time.

    Foolish youngdy?

    I didn¡¯t know that someone other than my brother would call me a fool.

    Was it that obvious?

    ¡°Do I look foolish?¡±

    ¡°Oh, excuse me. I made a slip of the tongue.¡±

    Lucy said that, but she didn¡¯t seem to be sorry.

    The corners of her lips turned up and the annoying hand gesture she used to cover her mouth was clearly a provocation.

    At first, Joy didn¡¯t think much of the word ¡°foolish youngdy,¡± but after seeing her actions, she felt a little angry.

    ¡°You entered Tierra Mars thanks to me, and yet you say such things. That¡¯s too much.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it true that the Foolish Young Lady expects something in return for her kindness? Haha. You¡¯re so petty for a duke¡¯s daughter.¡±

    She called me Foolish Young Lady again.

    And she¡¯s calling me petty?!

    I can¡¯t say in good conscience that it¡¯s wrong, but it makes me even angrier!

    Why do I have to hear this after feeding her Tierra Mars food!

    Joy, who was gradually falling for Lucy¡¯s provocations, had already forgotten that she didn¡¯t want to get on Lucy¡¯s bad side in the first ce.

    What should I do?

    How can I tten Lucy¡¯s arrogant attitude?

    Yes.

    That¡¯s right.

    There¡¯s a Soul Academy exam tomorrow.

    ¡°Lucy, you¡¯re taking the Soul Academy exam tomorrow, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll prove to you in the exam that I¡¯m not petty.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet on the results of the exam. If I get higher scores than Lucy, then you¡¯re worse than me and you don¡¯t have the right to call me petty, right? ¡±

    Lucy giggled at Joy¡¯s words and then replied.

    ¡°Then if I get better grades, can I call you Foolish Young Lady?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ept that title.¡±

    Joy didn¡¯t think at all that she would lose.

    Since Lucy is the sessor to the Allen family, her physical abilities seem to have improved a lot, but that¡¯s all.

    The Academy exams aren¡¯t just about practical skills.

    The written exams are more important.

    ording to rumours, Lucy, who had stopped studying for a long time, couldn¡¯t possibly get better grades than her.

    How could she, who had to worry about whether she could pass the Academy exams, beat Joy?

    ¡°You¡¯ll see!¡±

    I¡¯ll make sure I get an overwhelming score, so I¡¯ll never hear the words Foolish Young Lady again.

    ¡­

    Even when I arrived in front of the huge iron gate guarding the entrance to Soul Academy, I was half out of my mind.

    I couldn¡¯te to my senses because what happened yesterday wouldn¡¯t leave my head.

    How could I call her Foolish Young Lady to Joy¡¯s face!

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t my intention.

    I didn¡¯t even call Joy by her name.

    All I said to her was, ¡°It was really delicious.¡±

    But then the Mesugaki skill twisted what I said and called her a foolish youngdy!

    When Joy first asked me to eat with her, I should have refused.

    I knew that the Mesugaki trantion would be a disaster.

    But the problem was that I denied reality because I was drawn into the fantastic situation of eating with the character I love at Tierra Mars.

    In fact, it wasn¡¯t bad until the middle of the meal.

    If my words were going to be twisted, wouldn¡¯t it have been better to not say anything?

    My strategy worked well.

    I remember the atmosphere of the meal being good.

    Joy must have liked the food at Tierra Mars because she had a soft yet cruel smile on her face the whole time we were eating.

    Her smile seemed like she was thinking of burying someone, but considering her personality, I think she was just smiling because she was happy.

    However, the atmosphere changed after I said she was a foolish youngdy.

    She stared at me with her lips set.

    It was hard to guess exactly how she was feeling because of her appearance, but I could tell that she was upset.

    ¡°Do I look foolish?¡±

    If not, she wouldn¡¯t have asked me that question in such a fierce tone.

    When I heard that, I panicked and tried to apologise in order to manage the situation.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I made a mistake.¡±

    However, the apology I blurted out without thinking soundedpletely different when it came out of my mouth.

    ¡°Oh, excuse me. I made a mistake.¡±

    That was clearly a provocation.

    Thinking about how Joy¡¯s expression became fiercer the moment she heard that, she must have interpreted it simrly.

    After saying that, her face turned white and she must have said whatever came to mind.

    Joy must have been angry.

    Ugh.

    I¡¯m screwed.

    I blew my chance to be close with my favourite character with my own hands.

    Even without that, someone with a bad reputation would think that she was someone you absolutely should not approach, since she was so rude.

    <Girl how long are you going to keep digging the ground about yesterday?>

    I returned to reality after hearing the old man¡¯s voice, but my gloomy mood remained.

    <What difference does regretting the past make? You should do your best in the task at hand.>

    ¡®But Grandpa.¡¯

    <Misunderstandings can be resolved when we meet againter. And in order to meet that youngdy again, you have to pass the academy exam, right?>

    ¡­

    That¡¯s true.

    <Didn¡¯t you say that Joy, despite her fierce appearance, has a wonderful nature? If we talk againter, she¡¯ll understand.>

    ¡®Can I exin it properly in my own words?¡¯

    The old man closed his mouth after hearing my question.

    How can someone who was just talking so well suddenly remain silent?

    Are you saying that you can¡¯t guarantee that I can exin it properly, Grandpa?

    This is really too much.

    At times like this, you should tell me that it¡¯s okay, even if it¡¯s a lie.

    I don¡¯t understand how this old man was the most popr knight in the heroic tales from two hundred years ago.

    He must have been bribing the bards before he died.

    He must have bribed them to make his deeds look good.

    Otherwise, there¡¯s no way to exin the gap between Ruel in the heroic tales and the old man in the Mace!

    After I got angry inside, my depressed mood went away a little.

    Haa.

    It won¡¯t be easy to clear up the misunderstanding, but if I don¡¯t get into the academy, I won¡¯t even get that chance.

    After all, if I fail the academy exam, Lucy¡¯s life might be over.

    Now is the time to forget about yesterday and focus on the exam.

    Let¡¯s go take the exam!

    I entered the Soul Academy exam room with a proud tone, but my motivation dropped sharply the moment I sat down at my desk.

    That¡¯s understandable, because what awaited me now was a pile of papers with countless letters written on them.

    I had decided to give up on the written exam a long time ago, so I was already worthy of being called a cker.

    There was only one thing I had prepared for the exam.

    A pen with five numbers written on each side.

    I don¡¯t know for sure, but my luck stat should be pretty high right now.

    It¡¯s because the luck stat from the ne the church gave me isbined with the luck stat from Ruel¡¯s Mace.

    I don¡¯t know for sure because there¡¯s no status window, but I think it¡¯s higher than average.

    So rather than solving the problem with my nk mind, I thought that I would be guaranteed a higher score if I received the fortune from the great Dice God in the sky.

    So, while everyone else was taking out their books and studying, I waited for the test to start with only one pen on my desk.

    ¡®Are you sure people are watching me?¡¯

    <It seems so.>

    I felt it while staring nkly at the ckboard, but the people who saw me when I entered the test room kept checking my mood.

    To be exact, I should say that they were on guard.

    The seats farthest from me were gradually filled, showing how much people hated me.

    <Girl, what kind of karma have you umted?>

    Well, that¡¯s something I want to know too.

    I wonder what I did in high society that made all the noble children avoid me.

    Thanks to that, the seats around me in the exam room were empty for a long time.

    Eventually, they were filled because there weren¡¯t enough seats.

    And soon after, the exam began.

    The first subject was history.

    I knew almost nothing about the exam subjects, but among them, this was a subject that was almost like a nk sheet of paper.

    ¡®Nichard III, the king of the Holy Kingdom, fought against an invasion by an enemy¡­!

    As I read the text of the first question, I realized my own stupidity, closed my eyes, and prayed to the sky.

    Dice God.

    Please bring me good luck.@@novelbin@@

    Please protect me so that the dice I roll will find the right path to the answer.

    If you answer my prayer, I will stake my all to spread the greatness of Dice God throughout the world.

    So please, I beg you!

    <Number 3 is the correct answer.>

    Oh!

    Dice God has answered!

    I believed that you would answer with your pen, but did you descend personally for this sphemous person?!

    <What are you doing? Open your eyes quickly and read the next question.>

    !

    ¡­

    It was Grandfather?

    <Then is there anyone else besides me who would speak to you inwardly?>

    ¡®I thought it was the Dice God who descended!¡¯

    <Dice God? What heresy is that?>

    Heresy?!

    Dice God is the great ruler of probability who protects this gaming world!

    If you insult him, you will be punished with a penalty of a 100% hit!

    Well, that¡¯s just a joke.

    Probably¡­

    ¡®How would Grandfather know this?¡¯

    <Didn¡¯t I tell you? Studying history is a noble virtue.>

    That¡¯s what he said.

    I had no intention of studying, so I just let it slide.

    <I thought I had pretty much memorized it since it was all I knew before plus what Harne told us.>

    ¡®Uh. Then what¡¯s the answer to question 2?¡¯

    <It¡¯s number 1.>

    The old man whispered the answer in my ear without the slightest hesitation.

    His voice was so firm that I couldn¡¯t doubt it the moment I heard it.

    Ah, Lord Ruel!

    There was a reason you were the most popr in the heroic tales!

    How dare I doubt you!

    I¡¯m sorry!

    I will repent!

    <Ha, how could a kid who has been taking lessons her entire life be inferior to me, who has only studied for the past two months?>

    As I eximed in admiration, I thought I heard a disparaging remark, but it was probably my imagination.

    There¡¯s no way that the Holy Knight Ruel, the hero who saved the world, would say something like that.

 Chapter 34

    The great hero Ruel¡¯s activities did not end with the history exam.

    As a noble and a knight, he had received a long education and showed outstanding wisdom in subjects such as mathematics and Korean.

    Thanks to this, I was able to ovee the difficulties of the exams by receiving the grace of the great Ruel until thest two exams.

    Unfortunately however, that grace did not reach the subject of magic.

    Ruel, a knight, was familiar with the miracles of the gods, but was not good at miracles of humans.

    That is why I decided to trust in the grace of the Dice God instead of Ruel when it came to magic.

    <Is it okay to help a child like this do well on the exam?>

    Grandpa muttered with a sceptical voice as he watched me roll my pen, but I ignored him.

    After magic, thest thing that stopped me was the dungeon exam.

    When I took this exam, I did not receive any help from Grandpa or Dice God.

    I did not need any help.

    After all, I knew more about the dungeons in Soul Academy than anyone else.

    Who knows dungeons better than I, who has cleared every dungeon in the world with all sorts of strange methods?

    In my opinion, the questions on the entrance exam were easy enough that any veteran of Soul Academy could answer them.

    <Girl, is that right? It¡¯s quite different from what I know.>

    ¡®Don¡¯t judge me with the old-fashioned ideas from a hundred years ago! This is the most efficient method!¡±

    <Do they use this method these days? Is it because times are passing quickly or am I falling behind?>

    After lightly solving the questions based on the knowledge in my head, I submitted my test paper and left the testing room.

    I was going to go eat.

    Soul Academy¡¯s restaurant boasts excellent quality, as expected from a ce prepared for noble children.

    However, the food is not provided for free.

    After all, the academy¡¯s restaurant is operated for noble children, and they are usually well-off people.

    There is no one who cannot afford the prices at this restaurant.

    However, students frommoners are different.

    Even if they receive schrships and attend school by collecting their family fortunes, they do not have much money to spend on their own.

    From their perspective of having to save every penny, eating at a restaurant is a luxury, so they bring their own lunch boxes.

    If there was amoner who didn¡¯t bring a lunch box today, that child would have to starve all day.

    Sitting in the corner of the restaurant, I looked at the scenery I had only seen through the monitor with my own eyes, then turned my gaze to the menu again.

    What should I eat today?

    I would like to shout, ¡°Give me everything from top to bottom!¡± but my stomach isn¡¯t that big.

    Even when I ate at Tierra Mars yesterday, I was so full that I couldn¡¯t breathe by the end.

    Knowing that I could only eat so much and only one te would be enough, I was careful about choosing a te.

    <How long do you n on worrying about this?>

    ¡®Just wait a minute. I¡¯m making the most important decision of my life right now.¡¯

    <Just eat whatever you want. It¡¯s all the same once it¡¯s in your mouth anyway.>

    ¡®It¡¯s not the same!¡®

    How can a tender steak made from the meat of a young calf be the same as a sulent salmon delivered directly from the ocean via teleportation magic?

    Even though they have the same nutritional benefits, the gap betweennd and sea is so great!

    <Okay, okay. You can worry about it or not.>

    ¡®I¡¯ll do it anyway.¡¯

    <But you know. I think you have a guesting over here?>

    A guest?

    Everyone in the academy avoids me, so who woulde to talk to me?

    After hearing the old man¡¯s words, I raised my head and saw Joy walking toward me.

    Her dignified yet elegant gait drew the attention of everyone, but at the same time, it prevented anyone from approaching her.

    It seemed clear that anyone who approached her rashly and interrupted her steps would be cut by those sharp eyes.

    ¡°Young Lady Allen.¡±

    As soon as Joy arrived in front of me, she called my name in an icy voice.

    What is it?

    Why are you here?

    Did youe to talk about yesterday?

    I waited for Joy to speak, forcing my pounding heart to slow down.

    ¡°Did you do well on the test?¡±

    ¡®Yes, so-so.¡¯

    ¡°Do you really need to ask that? Foolish Young Lady? Of course, I did well.¡±

    Ah.

    And her Mesugaki skill called her Foolish Young Lady.

    Damn it.

    I should sew my mouth shut with a needle or something.

    Joy bit her lips hard after hearing my provocation, crossed her arms, and made her voice even more frozen.

    ¡°You¡¯re so confident. Then of course you can win a bet with me, right?¡±

    If you mean a bet, you mean a bet on the title Foolish Young Lady?

    If you asked me if I could win there, I would shake my head.

    Joy is definitely a youngdy who stumbles in important parts, but she has outstanding abilities.

    She¡¯s always in the top 10 of the entire school when she takes exams, and herbat skills are so outstanding that she¡¯s rated as an A-S ss character in Soul Academy.

    My current specs are amazing, so my practical scores might be slightly ahead, but the written test would be an overwhelming difference, so it would be difficult to beat her.

    But you know.

    Even if I lose the bet, will the Mesugaki Skill call Joy by a title other than Foolish Young Lady?

    She¡¯s not the type to obediently listen to a favour.

    No matter what title I mention, I¡¯ll definitely call her a Foolish Young Lady.@@novelbin@@

    What should I do then?

    Oh no.

    I don¡¯t know.

    It¡¯s not something that can be solved by worrying about it.

    Whatever happens, let¡¯s just let it be.

    ¡°I thought about the bet on my way homest night, but this bet is structured so that I¡¯m the only one who loses.¡±

    Oh.

    Right?

    I have nothing to lose, but Joy has something to lose.

    However, even though it¡¯s a structure that¡¯s unterally advantageous to me, you¡¯re the one who suggested the bet, Foolish Young Lady.

    ¡°That¡¯s unfair. So, you¡¯ll have to take the penalty if you lose the bet too.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°If I win the bet, I¡¯ll call you Foolish Young Lady!¡±

    Foolish Young Lady.

    That title really suits Lucy.

    But isn¡¯t that a title that everyone secretly uses?

    Even if we don¡¯t bet or anything, if it¡¯s Joy, she can just call me that to my face.

    ¡°Do whatever you want, Foolish Young Lady.¡±

    From my perspective, it didn¡¯t feel like a loss, so I nodded, but Joy smiled fiercely as if she were going to kill someone.

    ¡°You¡¯re so confident Young Lady Allen! But that¡¯ll onlyst until today!¡±

    As I watched Joy¡¯s back as she solemnly walked away after finishing what she wanted to say, the old man let out a hollowugh and spoke.

    <I think I know why you call that kid Foolish Young Lady.>

    ¡°Right?¡±

    Once you get over the prejudice about appearance and voice, there¡¯s no title that suits her as well.

    After finishing the writing, it was time for the practical exam that I had been looking forward to.

    The first practical exam was a duel.

    This test was conducted in the form of two applicants designated by the academy fighting in front of the interviewers, but the important thing here was not whether they won or lost.

    It would be unfair to evaluate these individuals with vastly different upbringings based solely on their wins and losses.

    What was important in a duel was not the strength at that moment, but the talent within the examinee.

    How much would they be able to blossom through the education of Soul Academy?

    The interviewers at the academy only looked at that, Karl said.

    I couldn¡¯t tell you how relieved I was to hear that.

    There was no way I, who had been recognized for my talent by all the knights of the Allen family, including Possell, would be evaluated lowly by the interviewers at the academy!

    After putting on the armour that I could now wear by myself, I returned Ruel¡¯s Mace to its original size.

    Finally, I picked up my shield and left the room to head to the training ground.

    Everyone in the training ground was familiar to me.

    The interviewers were faces I had seen so many times while ying Soul Academy games that it was obvious that I would know them, and as for the opponent for the sparring match, I couldn¡¯t help but know her since she was the one I had a fistfight with yesterday.

    The nameless youngdy who started a fight with me as soon as I met her.

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh when I saw the bruises on her white skin.

    In order to make us swing our weapons without hesitation, you set up people who have ill feelings for each other as sparring partners, but is this how it is?

    As soon as the nameless youngdy (NPC she didn¡¯t remember Meryl) saw my face, her lips hardened, and she put strength into the hand holding her weapon.

    Was she using a longsword?

    <Judging from the way she holds the sword, it seems like she hasn¡¯t just trained for a year or two.>

    ¡®Can you see that?¡¯

    <I can see it. You will naturally learn itter when you gain experience.>

    Since the old man¡¯s words cannot be wrong in this regard, that youngdy must be someone who doesn¡¯t neglect her sword training.

    Besides that, when we fought yesterday, her body movements seemed sloppy.

    Maybe it would be different if she held a sword.

    Even under the ring gaze of the youngdy, I remained calm.

    Compared to the orc who tried to kill me to survive, her gaze was infinitely light, so how could I be scared?

    She seemed to be holding back what happened to her yesterday, so if I provoke her a little, she wille over right away.

    There is no opponent that is as good to y with as someone who has lost their sense of reason.

    ¡°You two,e to the centre of the training ground.¡±

    The interviewer standing in the centre of the training ground called us.

    Her eyes filled with energy as we met up close.

    I, who found that quite pleasant, answered with a smile.

    Then she bit her lip tightly.

    I could see blood flowing out of her lips.

    ¡°The rules are simple. Fight each other as enemies until the interviewer stops you. Any injuries you suffer during this exam will be treated by the Academy¡¯s healer, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    As soon as the interviewer stepped back after exining the rules, she let out a voice full of resentment.

    ¡°Young bitch of the Allen family. I didn¡¯t know I would see you again.¡±

    ¡®I didn¡¯t know I would see you again. To meet such an easy opponent as you.¡¯

    ¡°Me too, to bring such a sloppy person as a sparring partner. Do the interviewers have no discerning eye?¡±

    ¡°Me too easy?¡±

    ¡®You don¡¯t think you¡¯re easy?¡¯

    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand the situation after getting beaten like that yesterday? Even your intelligence is like a dog. How pitiful.¡±

    Did she lose her sense of reason at the sound of myughter?

    She swung her longsword without thinking.

    Her emotional and straightforward attacks were so obviouspared to what the knights of the Allen family swung.

    I didn¡¯t need to listen to what the Iron Wall skill was saying.

    I could have blocked that level of attack with just my skill level.

    The sword that she swung without thinking collided with my shield and bounced off.

    I smiled as I saw her flinching due to my strength.

    ¡°Sloppy Girl is that all? Try better.¡±

 Chapter 35

    Anton, a veteranbat professor and former knight who has traversed many battlefields,ughed while watching the battle unfold on the training ground.

    The battle was one-sided.

    The one attacking was Meryl of the Baines family, and the one receiving the attack was Lucy of the Allen family.

    Usually, the one taking the initiative in battle is the one attacking.

    However, this time,mon sense was wrong.

    Lucy Allen was ying with Meryl Baines like a toy without attacking even once.

    This was a result that no one had expected.

    It was iprehensible, because Meryl Baines had appeared at many official events and proved herpetence.

    Although she wasckingpared to the geniuses of her time, she had enough talent to be called a prodigy.

    In addition, her desire to rise was so great that she was one of the promising prospects for the future.

    On the other hand, what about Lucy Allen?

    The stories that were spread about her were only bad reviews.

    About her personality.

    About her ipetence.

    How miserable must her evaluation have been for the nobles to have doubts about whether that youngdy was really the child of the Iron Blood Lord Benedict?

    Since Benedict Allen cherished his daughter so much, no one spoke out, but every time they saw Lucy acting up, they all harboured a thought of how it could be without her.

    It wasn¡¯t easy to believe that the Iron Blood Lord, who had once terrorized the continent, and the girl who had difficulty climbing stairs were father and child.

    That¡¯s why Anton thought that there must have been something else involved when he heard the news that Meryl Baines had challenged Lucy Allen to a fistfight and lostst night.

    Otherwise, there would have been no reason for Meryl to lose.

    However, Luca, another professor of weapons science who had seen the scene in person, said this at the faculty meeting with heated eyes.

    ¡®Everyone! Let¡¯s pit Lucy Allen against Meryl Baines in the duel tomorrow. If we pit the two of them, we¡¯ll definitely be able to see each other¡¯s skills! Since they have a mutual hatred for each other, they will not hesitate to harm each other, and although Lucy Allen is more talented, Meryl Baines has more experience, so it will definitely be a match worth watching!¡¯

    The otherbat professors, including Anton, were sceptical of his proposal.

    Even if we were to concede that Lucy Allen was talented and had recently improved her skills, how could someone who had been practicing and fighting since she was just starting to walk have a duel with someone who had just picked up a weapon?

    That would only turn the duel into one-sided bullying rather than a test.

    ¡®I will take responsibility! So please believe me!¡¯

    The other professors eventually nodded at Luca¡¯s words that if he was wrong, he would be punished and find new opponents for Meryl and Lucy.

    They could not shake their heads at the thought of Professor Luca, who had proven his insight over the past few years, talking like that.

    And now Anton was seeing that Professor Luca was right.

    No, to be exact, even Professor Luca was wrong.

    He said that Lucy and Meryl¡¯s skills would be simr.

    The talent that Lucy possessed.

    The talent that was engraved in the blood of the Allen family!

    It was not something that could be judged by the professors¡¯ simplemon sense.

    As Meryl swung her sword, Lucy moved her shield.

    The single sword strike from someone who had trained with a sword all her life was by no means light.

    Nevertheless, Lucy¡¯s shield was solid.

    A smile appeared on Lucy¡¯s lips as she blocked Meryl¡¯s sword once again.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Professor Luca broke the silence that had spread among the interviewers.

    His eyes, watching the duel, were engraved with a deep joy that anyone watching could see.

    ¡°Look, everyone. The movement of that shield! Usually, those who are not good at fighting think of shields as defensive equipment that simply blocks attacks. However, Young Lady Allen is different. She knows how to actively move her shield. She intervenes in the sword¡¯s path and reduces its power. Using the opponent¡¯s strength against them. Sometimes, she strikes with her shield to create an opening in their opponent¡¯s defence. That¡¯s not something you can simply say you learned! That¡¯s a talent!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so excited, Professor Luca. We¡¯re all thinking the same thing.¡±

    Professor Luca, who is talking like a machine gun, is stopped by another professor.

    ¡°How can you expect me to calm down after seeing that?¡±

    ¡°I understand that you are happy to have found a shining gem, but this is a testing ground. You should not unterally defend the other side.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, I am sorry. I forgot my duty.¡±

    Professor Luca closed his mouth after being reprimanded.

    However, that was all.

    No one refuted his opinion, only restraining his excessive excitement.

    Everyone sympathized with his feelings.

    Lucy Allen, who had appeared in the social worldst year, was a youngdy with pure white hands.

    Those hands proved that she had never practiced, let alone been in a real match.

    How could Lucy Allen have such skills in just one year?

    How could she show such an overwhelming appearance that she could crush Meryl Baines¡¯ experience?

    Just how great was her talent?

    How beautifully shining was the gem that was her.

    How wonderful was the thing engraved in Allen¡¯s bloodline that a person could change like that?

    ¡°On the other hand, Meryl Baines is disappointing today.¡±

    When one of the interviewers said that everyone agreed.

    ¡°No matter how bad the bad rtionship is, she¡¯s too emotional.¡±

    ¡°It seems like she doesn¡¯t even realize that she¡¯s being yed around by her opponent.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not thinking before swinging her sword, she¡¯s just attacking blindly.¡±

    The interviewers spoke one by one.

    The content was different for each person, but the problem they were pointing out was the same.

    She¡¯s not able to control her emotions.

    People who get emotional so easily create bad variables in realbat.

    Especially in a dungeon where one mistake can wipe out the entire party.

    ¡°Do we need to see more?¡±

    Professor Luca said as if representing everyone¡¯s opinion, and everyone agreed.

    After confirming that everyone had agreed, Anton got up from his seat and walked to the centre of the training ground.

    ¡°Sloppy Lady, are you tired already? Dogs have good stamina, but you¡¯re worse than that?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    ¡°Is that all you can say? The head is big, but the brain is small. Just like a dog!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Even though she has blossomed her talent, is that temper still the same?

    I expected this since I was ying with an opponent I could have defeated a long time ago, but it¡¯s frustrating to see it up close.

    ¡°I am ending this duel with the authority of the interviewer.¡±

    When Anton spoke, the two people¡¯s eyes were focused on him.

    Among them, Meryl Baines was the first to react.

    ¡°No! I can do more!¡±

    ¡°Lady Baines, I clearly said I would end it.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m going to kill that damned bitch!¡±

    ¡°Meryl Baines, if you don¡¯t want to fail the exam by cheating, put down your sword.¡±

    Meryl exhaled heavily and chewed her lip, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to go against what the interviewer said, so she lowered her sword.

    Lucy, who was standing on the other side, also lowered her shield when she saw him.

    That was when Meryl, who saw Lucy defenceless, rushed at her.

    It seemed as if she had lowered her sword only to make her let her guard down.

    However, what Meryl had forgotten was that Anton, who was next to her, was a strong man who she could not even handle.

    He twisted Meryl¡¯s wrist, made her drop her sword, and sighed.

    ¡°Meryl Baines, I will say it again. If you do not stop here, I will have no choice but to disqualify you.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry¡­¡±

    <Girl, this incident was too much.>

    ¡­

    Yes.

    That is right.@@novelbin@@

    This incident is clearly my fault.

    Grandpa was right.

    Just now, I was drunk on the thrill of the Mesugaki skill, so I repeated excessive provocations.

    No matter how badly I thought of them from yesterday, there was no need to torment her to that extent.

    If I wanted to humiliate her, it would have been enough to give her a moderate defeat.

    In the past, when I was dealing with goblins or orcs, it was okay to be drunk on this thrill.

    They were enemies of humanity, monsters.

    Because it was morally eptable to give them any kind of ending.

    But now it¡¯s different.

    When dealing with ordinary people, you shouldn¡¯t get carried away by the tion.

    I¡¯m a time bomb that will cause trouble someday if I keep doing more than usual because I¡¯m excited.

    Even today, I provoked her too much and caused her disadvantage.

    What if my opponent was a high-ranking noble?

    Or someone so strong that I couldn¡¯t handle them?

    The result would have been much worse.

    <The blessing you have is as effective as it is problematic.>

    ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯

    I need a way to deal with the tion of skills, but I can¡¯t get it right away.

    Mental skills aren¡¯t avable early in the game.

    The only skills I can get are the lower-level versions of Oveing Fear and Unbreakable Will, so there¡¯s no reason to spend time and money on them.

    For now, I have no choice but to exercise self-restraint.

    Haa.

    Anyway, I passed the first practical test well enough.

    ording to Grandpa¡¯s story, the youngdy just now wasn¡¯t weak, so I was able to properly appeal to the interviewers about my talents that affected her mind.

    Now, all that¡¯s left is thest obstacle.

    Clearing the dungeon created by Soul Academy.

    Originally, I thought I would have to risk my life clearing this dungeon, but now it wasn¡¯t like that.

    Thanks to Grandpa¡¯s help, I think I did pretty well on the test, and I probably got a high score in the first practical test, the sparring.

    I think I could pass Soul Academy without having to go through special admission.

    Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to take the dungeon clearing lightly.

    I¡¯m a veteran of Soul Academy.

    I¡¯m not the type of person who can stand being pushed back by others in terms of records.

    It would be nice if good people were chosen as party members.

    The dungeon clearing for the Academy entrance exam is conducted by randomly selecting three people to clear the dungeon together.

    So, in order to get a record for clearing the dungeon, the party members should be good people.

    The vanguard should be someone who can provide firepower support from behind since I¡¯m standing in front.

    If possible, it would be good if it was a multi-talented magician.

    Then we can speed up the attack.

    The heavens answered my prayer.

    They brought a multi-talented magician who can do various things in the rear as a party member.

    ¡°Foolish Young Lady, it seems like our ill-fated rtionship will deepen.¡±

    The problem is that it was the Foolish Young Lady who made a bet with me.

 Chapter 36

    While waiting in line to be assigned a team for the dungeon raid, no one spoke to me.

    The people in front of me and behind me whispered among themselves about the uing exam, but they didn¡¯t talk to me.

    They stopped talking whenever I caught their eye, and it felt like they were scared rather than angry at me.

    <How can I make a friend here?> (mocking Lucy)

    ¡®Don¡¯t poke me because it¡¯s a sore spot.¡¯

    Friends?

    That kind of thing was too much of a luxury for me.

    Finding hidden pieces and efficiently raiding Soul Academy was the true mission of the pro gamer inside me.

    If I had the time to spend my daily life with my friends, I would swing my mace one more time during that time!

    I¡¯m not being a loner.

    I chose to be a loner myself!

    For the sake of the game¡¯s efficiency!

    But in order to y Soul Academy most efficiently, it¡¯s essential to build up the favourability ratings of several characters.

    Damn it.

    While I was chatting with the old man and waiting, I arrived in front of the interviewer.

    One of thebat professors, Luca, smiled instead of being wary when he saw me.

    ¡°Hello, Young Lady Allen.¡±

    It was the first time since Benedict that someone had smiled at me, so I was happy to see it, but I didn¡¯t like Luca¡¯s attention at all.

    This man is a madman who believes that talent blossoms through trials.

    Luca approaches a student he likes with sweet words and builds trust in that person.

    Then, he uses that trust to force the student into a trial he has prepared.

    If this trial were something that the student could ovee, I wouldn¡¯t have called him a madman.

    However, the trials Luca prepares are not like that.

    The trials Luca prepares are trials that will lead to death the moment you fail to ovee them.

    That¡¯s why many famous students havee from under him.

    Those who ovee trials will naturally seed because their talent has blossomed, and those who fail will disappear into obscurity.

    I would like to expose what this guy has done right away, but it¡¯s impossible right now.

    There¡¯s no evidence, and the gap in reputation is extreme.

    Even if I try to spread seeds of doubt the seeds will be ripped out and then shoved down my throat.

    ¡°Pick a number from the box and then group up.¡±

    I picked up the number and then I headed down to the g with my number on it, but then I stopped when I saw someone standing there with their arms folded.

    No?

    Did I see something wrong?

    I definitely wanted someone to support the attack from the rear, and the best person for that was there, but still, this isn¡¯t it!

    Why is Joy Partran over there!

    <Teaming with the enemy.>

    ¡®Strictly speaking, they¡¯re not the enemy!¡¯

    I¡¯m making a bet with her, but I don¡¯t really want to win the bet, and I don¡¯t hate the Foolish Young Lady either.

    Ah.

    I unconsciously called her the Foolish Young Lady.

    ¡­

    It¡¯s all because of the Mesugaki skill.

    Joy saw me walking towards her, furrowing her eyebrows slightly, and then spoke in a sharp voice.

    ¡°Luck seems to be on neither of our sides.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯

    ¡°Hello, Foolish Young Lady, it seems like we have a problem.¡±

    I kept my mouth shut, avoiding Joy¡¯s ring gaze.

    I felt like if I talked to Joy any longer, something irreversible would happen.

    We had to go into the dungeon together, and if I let her ill feelings build up any further, I might get shot at from behind by fireballs.

    If I think about it aside from my personal circumstances, Joy and I had a pretty good partyposition.

    Thebination of me, a tanker who could provoke, and Joy, a magician who could control ice and fire, was a ssic vanguard and rear-guard.

    In addition, Joy, who was a mage recognized by the mages of her family after much effort, and I, who was considered a top-tier character in the Soul Academy game, were both quite skilled.

    Whoever got in our party would have an easy time clearing the dungeon.

    Of course, the person who got caught in between wouldn¡¯t have a very good stomach, but that wasn¡¯t something I had to worry about.

    I should think of it as trading my stomach for a high score.

    Before long, thest member of the party walked toward us.

    The boy, who was clearly an extra at first nce, stopped walking when he saw me and Lucy ignoring each other without saying anything.

    Then hepared his number tag with the number tag of the g nted near us several times, and then he sat down on the floor with an expression as if the world was going to end.

    Poor guy.

    Anyway, Joy¡¯s cold and beautiful appearance and my doll-like beauty ording to Benedict¡¯s description were a feast for the eyes.

    Anyway, both of them are harmless on the outside.

    Although their reputations are not harmless at all.

    ¡°Ah. Hello! I¡¯m the eldest son of the Baron Leeds family! My name is Jacob!¡±

    Jacob Leeds?

    I¡¯ve never heard of him.

    Even as a passing extra name.

    He really doesn¡¯t interfere with the game¡¯s story at all.

    There¡¯s no reason to care about him.

    Judging from how scared he looks, he doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯ll be bothering me at all, so let¡¯s just leave him alone.

    ¡°I¡¯m Joy Partran, you¡¯ve heard of me, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Of course!¡±

    ¡°Lucy Allen!¡±

    ¡°You know my name, what the hell you insect? Just go crawl along the floor.¡±

    Joy red at the arrogant, almost arrogant greeting.

    What do you want me to do?

    Mesugaki Skill is talking on its own!

    Joy let out a sigh as if telling me to watch it and then raised her voice.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to go into the dungeon soon. Who is going tomand us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, idiot.¡±

    ¡°You?¡±

    Joy¡¯s suspicious gaze pierced through me.

    I admit that I¡¯m not trustworthy.

    I¡¯m a person who¡¯s questionable whether or not I have the talent to lead people before I¡¯m good at dungeons.

    But trust me just this once!

    I can really do it!

    ¡°Um, that¡¯s a little¡­¡±

    I turned my eyes to the voice that seemed to crawl in from beside me, and Jacob shut his mouth in shock.

    What? Do you want tomand me and this idiot?

    He trembled in fear at the fact that one mistake would be a big problem.

    When I red at him, Jacob stepped back, knowing his ce.

    ¡°Foolish Young Lady, have you ever cleared a dungeon?¡±

    No.

    I remember this because it¡¯s a setting in the game.

    When you form a party with Joy and enter a dungeon, she says it¡¯s the first time she¡¯s cleared a dungeon since the academy entrance exam.

    ¡°No, what about you?¡±

    ¡°I have, I also learned how to clear a dungeon from the knights of the Allen Family.¡±

    Joy, who had been listening to me without letting go of the tension in her eyes, showed interest for the first time when she heard the words knights of the Allen Family.

    Even if she didn¡¯t trust me, she trusted the knights of the Allen Family?

    Those men who looked fierce but were foolish and kind were more amazing than I thought.@@novelbin@@

    Of course, the people under the monstrous Benedict and Possell couldn¡¯t be unimpressive.

    ¡°That must be true, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Trust me!¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s not enough?¡±

    ¡°Foolish Young Lady, I¡¯m better than you.¡±

    I closed my mouth for a moment after hearing the distorted words of the Mesugaki skill.

    I didn¡¯t mean to say it like that.

    ¡°Aha. I see.¡±

    Her furrowed brow wasn¡¯t a misunderstanding.

    What was engraved there was genuine anger.

    Even in the game, Joy only gets genuinely angry twice, so why did she get genuinely angry?

    The provocation power of the Mesugaki skill is no joke.

    But why use that provocation power on allies when you can only use it on mobs?

    This trash skill!

    ¡°Okay, you can trymanding once. I expect you to show fantasticmand that matches your confidence.¡±

    Doesn¡¯t it seem impossible to clear up the misunderstanding engraved in Joy?

    Is it because I have so many problems with my image that I¡¯ve be an evil being in Joy¡¯s mind?

    <Before that, shouldn¡¯t you worry about magic being shot to the back of your head?>

    ¡®She wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡¯

    If she made a mistake in the Academy exam, she would fail, so the kind and gentle Joy wouldn¡¯t do something like that.

    ¡­

    Probably.

    In the cold atmosphere where not a single word was exchanged, we were killing time until it was already our turn to enter the dungeon.

    The academy interviewer was talking about some precautions to us, but I ignored him.

    After all, no matter what he was talking about, my goal was the shortest time.

    <Is that possible when there is so much distrust within the team?>

    ¡®It¡¯s okay. I just have to make them trust me! Where does truste from? It¡¯s performance! If the knights of the Allen family who saw my splendidmanding ability in the dungeon praised me, no matter how much Joy hates me, she would have no choice but to trust me!¡¯

    <I think that¡¯s an overly optimistic prediction.>

    I ignored the old man¡¯s nonsense and waited for the interviewer to finish talking.

    ¡°Lastly, I¡¯d like to tell you one more time. If a dangerous situation arises, you can use the magic tool we provided to get back.¡±

    With that, the interviewer stepped aside and the entrance to the dungeon came into view.

    This dungeon was artificially created by Soul Academy, so unlike Evans¡¯ small and medium dungeons, it didn¡¯t feel creepy.

    Could that creepiness be rted to Agra?

    So, I stepped inside the dungeon without hesitation.

    The inside of the dungeon was quite bright because there were several magic stones embedded in the walls.

    Thanks to this, I was able to leisurely observe the dungeon.

    The floor was filled with unidentified debris, and the gray walls were covered here and there with dark colours.

    A half-broken table that people must have used at one time.

    ss shards were scattered on top of it.

    The dungeon that gave off an eerie feeling like aboratory where some kind of ident had urred was one of the ces I knew.

    ¡®Where the Alchemist Stayed.¡¯

    It was a ce with a high level of difficulty among Soul Academy¡¯s practical dungeons, but it also had many hidden passages, so if you used them well, you could easily shorten the record.

    The moment I confirmed what kind of dungeon this was, I licked my lips and drew the shortest route in my head.

    Can I really do this dungeon so easily?

 Chapter 38

    Compared to when I used to clear dungeons with the knights, I moved almost like I was taking a walk, but was it still tough?

    Clearing dungeons with Possell was no joke.

    Even though Evans¡¯ dungeon was small, it was only five floors, and I could clear it in two hours.

    Except when fighting, I had to run like crazy.

    <Isn¡¯t it too harsh topare the knights to these guys?>

    ¡®They¡¯re far behind me.¡¯

    As evidence, I was currently in the vanguard, but I wasn¡¯t out of breath.

    I barely even sweated.

    <I have pretty high standards for people, but in this case, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s strange, not them.>

    ¡®Is that so?¡¯

    The old man¡¯s words didn¡¯t really hit home for me.

    It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve trained so hard that even the knights would say I¡¯m amazing for the past three months, but that¡¯s only three months.

    No matter how much I have knowledge of the game and how I¡¯ve used it to move in the most efficient way, there¡¯s no way I could be that strong.

    Ah.

    Is it because I¡¯m higher level than those two?

    That¡¯s right.

    Joy has never been in a dungeon before.

    Jacob also seems to be unfamiliar with dungeons, judging by the fact that he moves more slowly than Joy.

    The difference between level 1 and level 10 is big.

    Since I¡¯ve been with the knights of the Allen family, I never considered that I was higher levelled.

    ¡­

    ¡®Should we rest a bit before we go?¡¯

    <Then were you nning to just force it? The boss won¡¯t run away.>

    Of course, I was thinking so.

    That way, I could at least shorten my record a little.

    Since I¡¯m the only one in the vanguard anyway, the other two just need to support me from behind.

    It wouldn¡¯t be a problem if they are a little out of breath, right?

    <At least give them time to catch their breath. Not even I did this when I cleared dungeons.>

    Now that the game has be reality, these kinds of things are inconvenient.

    No matter how much I pushed the characters in the game, they neverined.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest a bit before we go.¡±

    As soon as I said that, Joy and Jacob copsed on the floor.

    Judging from Joy, who usually carried herself like a princess, throwing away all her dignity and grace and lying down, it must have been hard.

    After some time, Jacob staggered and got up.

    He took out his water bottle, took a few sips, looked at me, and spoke carefully.

    ¡°How does Lady Allen have such good stamina?¡±

    ¡®Because I trained.¡¯

    ¡°Unlike a sloppy rascal like you, I trained hard. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m worse than azy sloppy rascal like you, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve trained in my own way, but¡­¡±

    You should have gone into a dungeon and levelled up.

    No matter how hard you train, if your level is low, there¡¯s a limit.

    ¡°I wonder how you trained, you loser.¡±

    Joy, who must have been listening to our conversation, spoke while leaning against the wall.

    ¡°How did you train?¡±

    I can tell you.

    It¡¯s not like I have anything to hide.

    When I recited the routine of my usual training, I could see that the two people¡¯s expressions, which had been ordinary at first, were gradually getting tired.

    ¡°You really do it that way?¡±

    ¡®Yes, I¡¯m not lying.¡¯

    ¡°Foolish Youngdy, it would be wrong to suspect me of something that¡¯s impossible because of your poor physical strength.¡±

    ¡°You really only train? That¡¯s all you do except for eating and sleeping?!¡±

    Was that really that surprising?

    Compared to the knights of my family, I livedfortably.

    Still, since I was the youngdy of the house, Possell took great care of me.

    Even in my eyes, the knights¡¯ training seemed brutal.

    Possell had made the idea that if your physical abilities were at an extra-human level, why not just train at an extra-human level?

    ¡°So that¡¯s how you were able to be this strong.¡±

    Joy looked at me as if she was tired, then used her staff as a cane to get up.

    ¡°Can you walk now, Foolish Youngdy?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡®What about Jacob?¡¯

    ¡°What about that little brat?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go, the bosses of the antiques (golems) must be trash, so let¡¯s take care of it quickly.¡±

    When I opened the door to the boss room, a huge humanoid golem stood in the middle of the empty room.

    Its size wasparable to Possell, and unlike the golems I¡¯d met before, it was wearing old but proper armour.

    The thing it held in its hand was a great sword with such a heavy mass that it would be more appropriate to call it a blunt weapon than a sword.

    Depending on how much strength the golem had, I¡¯d probably be smashed to pieces if I just blocked it with my shield.

    The golem stood still in the middle like a statue, and as soon as it saw us enter, its eyes turned red, and it raised its sword.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first, so you can support me.¡±

    I still haven¡¯t reached the level where I can give orders to others while fighting.

    If the enemy in front of me was weak, I could take it easy, but when I have to give it my all like now, focusing on the enemy is my limit.

    However, judging from the fact that Joy supported me in the previous battle, I think she will do well this time too.

    ¡°Hey, you sloppy monster, why aren¡¯t you attacking me? Are you scared of such a small girl? A timid golem. How funny¡±

    As soon as I taunted, a red light leaked out from inside the golem¡¯s helmet and its heavy body began to move toward me.

    The ground shook with every step it took, as if it was telling me the golem¡¯s power, but I was rxed even while watching him.

    It was simr in size to Possell, but its speed was so slowpared to Possell.

    I could have yed with it just by running away and moving, but right now, I needed a quick victory rather than a stable victory.

    I ran toward the golem with my shield raised.

    The golem saw my movements and raised its sword.

    <Don¡¯t stop.>

    ¡®I know, Grandpa!¡¯

    I¡¯m not an idiot.

    Would I take such a slow attack?

    This was a story that Possell had told countless times.

    If it¡¯s an attack that can be avoided, there¡¯s no reason to carry a shield.

    Blocking with a shield means giving the initiative to the opponent, so take the initiative by evading.

    The moment the great sword came down, I jumped to the side and dodged the sword.

    Kwaang!

    A huge mass mmed into the ground, breaking the floor and raising dust.

    The power wasn¡¯t bad.

    Even so, it was just a drop in the bucketpared to Possell.

    While I was wondering where to start destroying that slow guy, a me flew and hit the golem¡¯s head, causing an explosion.

    Was it Joy¡¯s support?

    It was fast and urate.

    On top of that, it was good that she aimed for the moment when the golem stopped moving.

    As expected, she¡¯s a high-performance character.

    Even if her stamina is a bitcking, her magical talent is certain.

    However, she¡¯s still clumsy.

    Right now, she should have prepared something other than fire magic.

    No matter how weak this golem is, it¡¯s not an opponent that a fireball can affect.

    As the smoke from the explosion cleared, the golem¡¯s helmet, slightly charred but still intact, was revealed.

    ¡®Joy! You shouldn¡¯t use fire magic!¡¯

    ¡°Foolish Youngdy! Are you not thinking straight?! What are you supposed to do if you¡¯re dumber than me in magic?!¡±

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    ¡°Just block this antique¡¯s movements with ice magic like you did before!¡±

    The golem was already slow.

    If it were to be debuffed by Joy¡¯s magic, it would be a sandbag that only looks good.

    She can attack itter.

    ¡°Understood! Wait a moment!¡±

    While listening to Joy¡¯s answer, I dodged the sword that was shing down once more and struck the golem¡¯s thigh with my mace.

    It¡¯s hard, but it¡¯s not unbreakable.

    While I was drawing attention, Jacob ran up to the golem and swung his sword from behind.

    His blow wasn¡¯t bad, but the synergy wasn¡¯t good.

    The sword was the worst weapon to use against such a tough guy.

    As Jacob¡¯s sword bounced off, the golem¡¯s gaze turned away.

    ¡°Hey. You sloppy antique. Where are you looking?¡±

    Your opponent is right in front of you, how can you look away?

    Are you a barbarian who looks like a knight but doesn¡¯t even know chivalry?

    ¡°You mean you like men? Oh no. I¡¯m sorry. You must be disappointed that a brat like me is your opponent!¡±

    The golem¡¯s red eyes turned to me again.

    Yes.

    You should look at me.

    Your enemy is me.

    The battle that followed was nothing more than a grind to reduce the golem¡¯s health.

    I used Joy¡¯s magic to apply debuffs, I would attack while drawing attention, and Jacob would add damage like a toothpick.

    There was no tension.

    Tension is something thates when there¡¯s a crisis, but the golem in the form of a boss didn¡¯t even give us a crisis.

    As the battle continued, my mace shattered the golem¡¯s thigh, and after that, it was enough to subdue the golem that was struggling.

    ¡°Is this the end?¡±

    Joy asked in a puzzled tone after seeing the golem¡¯s core shatter.

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Is something strange, idiot?¡±

    ¡°No, I was nervous because it was a boss fight, but it ended so pointlessly.¡±

    It was pointless.

    But I like pointless boss fights.

    This isn¡¯t a game, so why would I want to have a close fight?

    Real battles are the best when they¡¯re boring.

    ¡°I can go back now, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°But where should I go back?¡±

    Where?

    If you cleared the dungeon, there should be a door.

    Why isn¡¯t there one?

    That¡¯s strange.

    The boss of ¡®Where the Alchemist Stayed¡¯ was definitely the golem from before.

    If you defeat it, a door leading outside should appear like in other dungeons, and that should be the end of the test.

    I don¡¯t know about the entrance exam, but I¡¯ve taken many other practical exams.

    The exams always proceeded like that, so why didn¡¯t the door appear?

    ¡®Jacob¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, you little brat. Are you holding a magical tool that can contact the outside?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I got something from the interviewer. This¡­¡±

    Jacob¡¯s trailing off made me anxious.

    ¡®Speak quickly.¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t trail off, it¡¯s annoying.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! This is broken and won¡¯t activate!¡±

    What?

    What does that mean?

    I snatched the magical tool from Jacob¡¯s hand and tried to activate it, but it didn¡¯t work.

    It waspletely dead.

    ¡°Young Lady, mine to.¡±

    I raised my head at the sound of Joy¡¯s voice.

    She was holding the magical tool that the interviewer had given her to escape the dungeon.

    ¡°This won¡¯t work either.¡±

    ¡­

    Coincidence.

    I want to believe it, but it can¡¯t be.

    There¡¯s no way Soul Academy wouldn¡¯t check if it was broken or not before giving it to us, and even if it happened to break inside, it¡¯s strange for two of them to break at the same time.

    On top of that, the door leading out of the dungeon doesn¡¯t appear, so how can that be a coincidence?

    One might be a coincidence, but when coincidences ovep, they be intentional.

    This situation right now was intentional.

    As my head gradually became more confused, a message appeared in front of me.

    [Agra is watching you.]

    Ah.

    Shit.

 Chapter 39

    It was a foregone conclusion that Agra woulde to interfere with me.

    As an evil spirit, he would never leave anyone who could cause trouble for him alone.

    Look at the pettiness of trying to curse someone with blessings and eliminate them from the start.

    He does not watch his opponents grow up properly.

    What an annoyingly practical viin.

    I knew this.

    Nevertheless, the reason I was embarrassed was because I never thought I would be under Agra¡¯s watch in the Academy¡¯s dungeon.

    The Academy¡¯s dungeon is different from ordinary dungeons.

    This ce is an artificial space created by the Academy.

    Although it takes the form of a dungeon, Agra¡¯s influence is limited.

    Therefore, it would be burdensome for Agra to intervene here.

    When I yed the game, Agra intervened in the Academy¡¯s dungeon only after I had removed three or more curses and beenpletelybelled as Agra¡¯s opponent.

    He should not have intervened in the Academy¡¯s dungeon if I had only removed one of Agra¡¯s curses.

    So why on earth was Agra already watching me?

    Why do you perceive me as someone who bothers you enough to interfere in the Academy¡¯s dungeon?

    Is it because Armadi is watching me?

    Do you think that¡¯s why his blessings reach me?

    He¡¯s such a useless and ipetent god.

    Agra is actively trying to defeat his opponents, but you¡¯re just leaving the person you¡¯re watching alone!

    Shouldn¡¯t you have given me some kind of blessing, some chance, or at least prevented Agra from interfering?!

    While I was protesting to Armadi through a sincere prayer, a strange sound resonated from a corner of the boss room, and a door rose up from under the ground.

    That door, filled with an eerie aura, was definitely the door leading to a dungeon.

    ¡°¡­ Can a dungeon appear within a dungeon?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of anything like this before.¡±

    <That¡¯s definitely¡­ Agra¡¯s.>

    I felt sorry as I watched Joy and Jacob¡¯s bewildered appearance.

    The two people arepletely caught up in this because of me.

    They have nothing to do with Agra, but Agra¡¯s interest in me has only had a negative impact on them.

    Now that it¡¯se to this, I have to take responsibility.

    If anything happens to those two from now on, it will all be my fault.

    ¡®Calm down first.¡¯

    ¡°You sloppy people, calm down.¡±

    ¡°How can I calm down in this situation?¡±

    ¡®The Academy must have noticed it too.¡¯

    ¡°No matter how sloppy the Academy is, they must have noticed this situation. So, if we wait, they wille to save us even if it means losing their heads.¡±

    The ones here right now are me, the Young Lady of the Allen family and the Young Lady of the Partran family.

    If something were to happen to either of them, it would be a matter that would turn the Academy upside down.

    If the problem gets serious, there could be bloodshed within the Academy.

    So, if they want to live, they will do their best to solve the problem.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right, they must have seen what was happening inside.¡±

    ¡°The professors at Soul Academy will solve the problem in no time!¡±

    In the actual game, when a problem urred during the Academy exam, the user was given two choices.

    One was to directly respond to Agra¡¯s Curse.

    Whether it was a new dungeon or some strange monster, the user had to ovee the curse with their own hands and survive.

    The other was to endure.

    If you don¡¯t have confidence in oveing the phenomenon caused by Agra¡¯s Curse, you can just kill time in the dungeon.

    Then, the Academy wille to your rescue soon, and you can go outside without any danger.

    If Joy and Jacob weren¡¯t here, I might have chosen to go raid the dungeon.

    The phenomenon caused by Agra¡¯s Curse is definitely difficult, but it also offers great rewards.

    However, I don¡¯t n on choosing that option right now.

    My life isn¡¯t the only thing important right now.

    I don¡¯t want to see Jacob die because of me, and Joy, one of my favourite characters die.

    So, I had to take the safest option.

    At least the current situation wasn¡¯t the worst.

    After all, the dungeon was created by Agra¡¯s curse.

    If other monsters or curses had appeared in this dungeon, it would have been difficult to even endure it.

    However, it¡¯s okay because we are currently in an artificial dungeon.

    No matter how dangerous a ce a dungeon is, it¡¯s still just a dungeon.

    As long as we don¡¯t go inside, there won¡¯t be any problems.

    So, all we have to do is leisurely wait for the Academy to rescue us from outside the dungeon.

    ¡®There¡¯s no need to worry. You panicked for nothing.¡¯

    ¡°Foolish Young Lady, you¡¯re more scared than you look. Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen.¡±

    ¡°Who said I was scared?!¡±

    You were panicking and didn¡¯t know what to do just a moment ago, but now you¡¯re pretending not to know.

    Well.

    Okay.

    I¡¯m a very considerate person, so I¡¯ll pretend not to know.

    At the moment when everyone was sighing in relief, the old man suddenly raised his voice.

    <Girl! It¡¯s not time to rx! The floor is breaking!>

    Floor?

    After hearing Grandpa¡¯s words, I turned my gaze around and heard the sound of something splitting.

    Crack.

    Crack.

    That ominous sound that seemed to show the crack gradually growing bigger.

    Damn it!

    I moved my body before I could speak.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    I hugged Joy next to me and shouted at Jacob to run.

    We have to get out of this room before the floor copses.

    Otherwise, we¡¯ll be forced into the dungeon!

    However, we were too slow to figure out what was wrong with the room to escape from here.

    The floor copsed before we could step out of the room, and we fell.

    <¡­ Shit.>

    Ah.

    Damn it.

    My head hurts like hell.

    <Focus!>

    It¡¯s not just my head that hurts.

    It¡¯s just that every part of me hurts.

    It felt simr when I woke up the next day after training with the Knights all night.

    <Lucy!>

    Who keeps calling me?

    I¡¯m so fucking tired and worn out right now.

    What?

    It¡¯s okay for a spoiled brat to sleep in.

    <Lucy! Wake up!>

    I opened my eyes in a hurry the moment I heard Grandpa¡¯s shout.

    There was Joy¡¯s face right below me, breathingfortably with her eyes closed.

    What is this?

    <Are you finallying to your senses?>

    ¡®Grandpa, what the heck.¡¯

    <I was worried because you lost consciousness from the impact of the fall and couldn¡¯t open your eyes.>

    The moment I heard the word ¡®fall,¡¯ I was able to recall what had just happened.

    I fell down because the floor of the dungeon copsed.

    After I realized that, my body¡¯s senses gradually returned to their original positions.

    Small pains continued to torment me as if I had bruises all over my body, and a heavy sensation pressed down on my back as if something was being ced on it.

    ¡®Grandpa, is there something on my back?¡¯

    <It¡¯s probably debris on the floor. There¡¯s quite a lot, but you can lift it now.>

    In times like these, my grandfather¡¯s words were never wrong, so I gritted my teeth and pushed away the things that were pressing down on my back.

    Soon after, the pressure I had been feeling on my back disappeared with a thud.

    After getting out of the rubble, I was able to take in the scenery around me.

    The overall scenery of the dungeon was simr to ¡®Where the Alchemist Stayed¡¯.

    The only difference was that while that dungeon just now was set in a building that had fallen into ruin after the alchemist disappeared, this dungeon didn¡¯t look like it had fallen into ruin yet.

    Wow¡­ what the hell.

    This is really fucked up.

    This is ¡®Where the Alchemist Stayed.¡¯

    At first nce, this ce seemed simr to the dungeon I had just been in.

    However, the difference in difficulty between the two was stark.

    So many things changed depending on whether or not the alchemist was present.

    To be frank, this wasn¡¯t a ce I could clear as I was now.

    My specs were simplycking.

    Just like how I had been defeated before by the Minotaur without even being able to fight back, this dungeon had the potential to turn me into a simr person.

    Fucking Agra.

    Did you really want to kill me that much?

    ¡°Uhhhhh.¡±

    While thinking of a way to survive, Joy opened her eyes with a groan.

    She wasn¡¯t seriously injured, perhaps because I had taken the impact from the debris, so she slowly got up, looked around, and let out a hoarse voice.

    ¡°Young Lady, where am I?

    It must be in that awful dungeon that just appeared.

    ¡­

    ¡°Where is Jacob?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that little brat either. He probably woke up a little while ago.¡±

    I think he¡¯s probably somewhere around here.

    His location wouldn¡¯t be too far from us.

    If I don¡¯t panic and move around carefully, I shouldn¡¯t have a hard time finding him.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s find him quickly. Ouch!¡±

    Joy, who was trying to get up in a hurry, suddenly let out a scream and copsed on the floor.

    When I looked down, I saw that Joy¡¯s ankle waspletely twisted.

    Did she get hurt when she fell just now?

    ¡°Foolish Young Lady, it¡¯ll hurt, but stay still.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    I knelt down and ced my hand on Joy¡¯s ankle.

    I never thought I would need Armadi¡¯s mercy during the academy entrance exam.

    As the miracle of healing unfolded in my hands, Joy¡¯s ankle instantly returned to its original state.

    ¡°What the heck?¡±

    ¡°Move.¡±

    Joy carefully got up again and moved her feet normally, unlike before.

    It was fortunate that I had a healing skill.

    Otherwise, I would have had to carry Joy while moving around this dungeon.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    <Young Lady, something is approaching from outside. Get ready to move.>

    As soon as I heard Grandpa¡¯s words, I turned my gaze toward the door.

    Who is it?

    A chimera?

    Or a perfectly rigged golem?

    Or maybe some demons tamed by an alchemist?

    Either way, they were threatening beings that could take our lives.

    It¡¯s hard to escape now that we don¡¯t even know where we are, so what should we do?!

    Eventually, something in the shape of a human with eyeballs all over its body entered the door.

    A guard who hadn¡¯t fallen asleep.

    Chimera Argos.

    If it¡¯s that guy, it¡¯s okay.@@novelbin@@

    I quickly covered Joy¡¯s mouth and whispered to her.

    ¡°Shut up, you idiot.¡±

    Argos, who has countless eyes, has a side effect of not being able to see with any of them.

    No matter which eye he looks at, countless afterimages are reflected, so he can¡¯t see even one of them properly.

    That¡¯s why Argos doesn¡¯t suspect still objects.

    Because he doesn¡¯t have the ability to distinguish between furniture that was there from the beginning and users who are standing still.

    At least that¡¯s how it was in the game.

    It must be the same in reality.

    It has to be that way.

    Argos looked around the room and stopped in front of us.

    Countless eyes were ring at us.

    Go away.

    Please get out of here.

    Don¡¯t watch us with those disgusting eyes and disappear!

    Did this prayer work?

    Argos didn¡¯t do anything and went back out of the room.

    After the sound of footsteps disappeared into the distance, I took my hand off Joy¡¯s mouth and Joy copsed on the floor.

    Her eyes, which had been desperately suppressing her fear just a moment ago, were filled with tears.

    ¡°This ce¡­ what on earth is this ce?¡±

 Chapter 40

    I could answer Joy¡¯s questions about where this ce was.

    What kind of ce it was, what kind of monsters appeared, what level to enter, and how to do it.

    But all of that was meaningless right now.

    What¡¯s the use of knowing the monsters?

    You can¡¯t defeat them.

    And what¡¯s the use of knowing the dungeon strategy?

    You can¡¯t put it into practice.

    What we needed right now wasn¡¯t a useless game of knowledge.

    I knelt down across from Joy and lifted her chin with my finger.

    Joy looked like a viiness who had been betrayed and humiliated, even with her tears in her eyes.

    Her appearance was a curseparable to the Mesugaki skill.

    ¡®Don¡¯t be scared.¡¯

    ¡°Foolish Young Lady, are you scared? You were so confident just a moment ago.¡±

    ¡°But.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no matter how sloppy you are, I¡¯m here for you.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡®We¡¯ll be able to get out okay!¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best in ce of the cowardly, cry-baby, and sloppy youngdy. We¡¯ll go back.¡±

    Today, I was grateful for the Mesugaki¡¯s overly confident attitude.

    It made my baseless confidence seem like there was something to believe in.

    Joy, who had been quietly listening to me, had already stopped crying.

    I got up again and reached out to Joy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, cry-baby youngdy. You¡¯re not going to cry yourself to death here, are you?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s the cry-baby youngdy?!¡±

    That should be fine.

    First, we have to find Jacob.

    This dungeon is one that even I can¡¯t muster the courage to conquer, and there¡¯s no way Jacob, who¡¯s so weak, can survive here alone.

    If I leave him alone, he¡¯ll definitely be captured by a monster and die a violent death.

    And if Jacob dies, the responsibility will absolutely fall on me.

    It¡¯s all my fault that Agra intervened in this dungeon.

    I don¡¯t have the confidence I could ept a death which was indirectly my fault.

    I suffered for days after killing a single monster, and I¡¯m still affected by it.

    How long would I have to be depressed?

    I don¡¯t want that.

    Jacob fell from a simr location to us, so he must havended somewhere around here.

    I don¡¯t know the exact location, but I hope he¡¯s unconscious.

    If he¡¯s lying in the rubble, Argos won¡¯t be able to find him.

    While Joy stood up, holding my hand, and dusted herself off, I looked around the room, looking for something that could help me identify the location.

    If this is ¡®Where the Alchemist Stayed¡¯, there should definitely be a sign that can identify the location.

    Here it is.

    It¡¯s buried in the rubble.

    Let¡¯s see.

    If it¡¯s A-01, it¡¯s near the entrance to this dungeon.

    After checking the text on the sign, I mentally drew a map of the dungeon and our location.

    Did we avoid the worst?

    The entrance to this dungeon doesn¡¯t have many monster encounters.

    If you move well, you might be able to avoid fighting monsters and make it to the safe area.

    ¡®Grandpa, how far can you detect the presence of monsters like you did just now?¡¯

    <I can¡¯t tell you how far right now. It¡¯s probably the distance from where you¡¯re standing to that door.>

    So that means you can detect monsters approaching from a radius of about 5 meters?

    This isn¡¯t a feature that¡¯s expressed in the game, but it¡¯s a feature that Grandpa in reality came with?

    Who knows?

    Anyway, if I can use it, that¡¯s enough.

    I¡¯ve memorized exactly where each monster is in this dungeon and how they move.

    If Ibine that with Grandpa¡¯s radar ability, I might be able to avoid all the battles that ur in the dungeon.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The two of us looked around the rooms around us while paying attention to lotor skills.

    <There¡¯s a monster right around the corner.>

    ¡°Stop, there¡¯s a disgusting monster ahead. Wait here for 12 seconds and then move forward.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Thanks to the trust we built while clearing the entrance exam dungeon, Joy didn¡¯t doubt at all that I was leading the way and giving orders.

    It was fortunate.

    If she didn¡¯t trust me and asked for an exnation, things would have been a hassle.

    How many rooms did we search?

    Amotion was heard from somewhere.

    The sound of something shing with metal.

    A man¡¯s voice, thick and sullen.

    And Argos¡¯s cries.

    I can guess what¡¯s going on.

    Jacob must have met and fought Argos after opening his eyes.

    He won¡¯t be able tost long against Argos.

    There¡¯s no way a guy who couldn¡¯t even overpower the golem he met during the entrance exam could deal with the monsters in the upper dungeon.

    We have to go help him quickly.

    We quickly moved our bodies and soon found Jacob fighting Argos.

    Jacob wasn¡¯t in a normal state.

    A left arm bent in a strange direction.

    A leg that seemed to have difficulty standing.

    Eyes filled with despair as they sensed death.

    Anyone could tell that they were not in a condition to endure for long.

    ¡°Can you use sh magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can.¡±

    ¡°Get ready right away and use it when I give you the signal. Be careful not to open your eyes like an idiot and get hit by your own sh!¡±

    I told Joy to prepare her magic and then jumped inside.

    Argos swung his weapon at Jacob as if he didn¡¯t care about intruders, but I didn¡¯t allow him.

    ¡°You idiot with too many eyes. Can¡¯t notice the people behind you? If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you just pluck out all your shabby eyeballs?¡±

    The countless eyes embedded in Argos¡¯ body turned to me.

    Alright.

    I drew the aggro.

    ¡°You brat! Are you okay?!¡±

    ¡°Young Lady.¡±

    It seemed like he had the presence of mind to answer.

    That¡¯s fortunate.

    It¡¯s not toote.

    As soon as I shouted at Jacob, Argos ran towards me.

    Damn it.

    That idiot with so many eyes moves so damn fast.

    Argos¡¯ fist, which must have been twice as big as my head, swung.

    Iron Wall shouted, put up your shield!

    My body, which had raised its shield proficiency to its limit, followed Iron Wall¡¯s instructions as if it were a given, and the shield sessfully blocked Argos¡¯ attack perfectly.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Blocking it didn¡¯t mean it countered the attack.

    My arm holding the shield shook.

    My legs, which were enduring the impact, were losing all their strength.

    I gritted my teeth and held on, but I could feel myself gradually being pushed back.

    If we continue this standoff, I will definitely lose to Argos.

    If we continue this standoff.

    ¡°Idiot!¡±

    ¡°Light!¡±

    Argos is a wed monster that can¡¯t see ahead properly because it has so many eyes, but in any case, all of the countless eyes embedded in its body are functioning properly.

    So, what would happen if those countless eyes were pierced by the light?

    This is the method used when ying Soul Academy as a game.

    Not only was Argos less resistant to shes than the others, but his stun time was also longer than other monsters.

    The moment Argos, who was hit by the sh, stumbled backwards, I ran towards Jacob.

    Since this guy, whose legs were shaking so much that he could barely stand, couldn¡¯t possibly run, I had to lift him up to save him.

    ¡®Jacob it¡¯ll hurt, but bear with it!¡¯

    ¡°You little brat it¡¯ll hurt, but don¡¯t scream like a cker!¡±

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    Without waiting for his answer, I carried him on my shoulder in a fireman carry and ran towards Joy.

    ¡°You idiot! Run as fast as you can with your cker legs!¡±

    When Karl, who had rushed to the academy after receiving the call, saw the priests praying at the entrance.

    ¡°Karl, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you.¡±

    Anton, abat science professor who had been watching the rite near the entrance, greeted Karl lightly.

    Karl did not ept the greeting.

    Instead, he walked up to Anton and made a fierce voice as if he was going to bite him at any moment.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Agra intervened in the academy¡¯s dungeon. Because of that, the entrance was blocked, and we couldn¡¯t observe the inside or make any contact. We urgently called a priest and started¡­¡±

    Agra.

    The moment he heard that word, Karl realized why this had happened.

    He had visited the church in the Allen territory with Lucy before, and he knew what Lucy had done.

    So, the reason Agra intervened in the dungeon now must have been to target the youngdy.

    Damn it!

    ¡°How long do you think it will take?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°The priest said it would take about an hour.¡±

    ¡°An hour?!¡±

    An hour was not quick enough right now.

    There was no telling what would happen inside that dungeon.

    Miss Lucy might be in danger of dying right now.

    And you want me to wait an hour?!

    ¡°Karl, we¡¯re doing our best. You know that Soul Academy isn¡¯t a ce that just watches the worst.¡±

    Having attended and graduated from Soul Academy, Karl knew that this ce wasn¡¯t full of ipetent people.

    There was a reason why Soul Academy was still considered the best even after it was established among many other academies.

    Even though he knew that, Karl had a hard time controlling the emotions welling up inside him.

    He couldn¡¯t do anything but wait when he didn¡¯t know what would happen to thedy he had pledged his life to.

    What an ipetent knight!

    Karl took a step back from Anton and quietly looked at the dungeon that the priests were working on before lowering his gaze.

    Then he looked at the oath symbol engraved on the back of his hand and prayed to Armadi.

    Please, my master, be safe until I get there.

    ¡­

    After running desperately, I finally reached the ce where Argos appeared the least frequently, and I stopped running and put Jacob on the ground.

    <It looks like he just got punched multiple times by that monster. He¡¯s not in good shape.>

    ¡®Can Armadi¡¯s mercy heal him?¡¯

    <It¡¯s possible.>

    After getting a definite answer from Grandpa, I approached Jacob.

    Then I put my hand on his heart and prayed to Armadi.

    Hoping that this guy would be okay again.

    The moment I had that thought, the magic power drained from my body and Jacob¡¯s wounds slowly began to heal.

    ¡°What the heck?¡±

    Jacob staggered up as if he was amazed at how his body had suddenly be healthy and moved his body.

    He wasn¡¯tpletely healed, but he still seemed to be able to move without any problems.

    Alright.

    With this, I¡¯ve achieved my goal of rescuing Jacob.

    Now, all I have to do is hold out until Soul Academy¡¯s rescue arrives.

    That shouldn¡¯t be that hard.

    Because I canbine my knowledge and grandpa¡¯s skills to avoid fights as much as possible.

    Even if something goes wrong, I can just run away with Joy¡¯s sh magic.

    The problem is how long it will take for Soul Academy toe to rescue us¡­

    Let¡¯s not worry about that.

    They¡¯lle to rescue us eventually.

    It¡¯s better to believe that.

    It¡¯s okay.

    There won¡¯t be any problems.

    We¡¯ll be able to get out of this dungeon just fine.

    <Girl the monster is approaching again.>

    ¡®Understood, Grandpa.¡¯

    So, for now, let¡¯s just worry about surviving.

 Chapter 41

    <Turn into the right alley. Slow down.>

    ¡®Again?¡¯

    <Yes. Again.>

    It was strange.

    I was encountering Argos more and more frequently.

    Even though I was walking along a route that avoided Argos as much as possible.

    This wasn¡¯t normal.

    It felt like the Argos were moving after figuring out my location.

    I wanted to think it was just my imagination, but I know from living in this damn world that it¡¯s more likely that the situation is going in the worse direction rather than a coincidence.

    In times like these, it¡¯s much better to assume the worst rather than the best.

    Even if this is just my own exaggeration.

    I hastily nned a new route in my head.

    I had originally nned to just go around Section A of thisb and avoid the Argos.

    In terms of safely killing time, this was the best strategy.

    I could guarantee my safety by simply moving ording to the timing without having to fight or anything, so what better strategy could there be?@@novelbin@@

    However, I can¡¯t stick to the same strategy with all the variables that have urred.

    It¡¯s time to change my strategy.

    ¡®I¡¯ll move a little faster.¡¯

    ¡°You idiots, I¡¯ll speed up, so follow me.¡±

    I had a n in mind.

    There is a safe zone in the dungeons of Soul Academy.

    It¡¯s a cemonly referred to as a safe zone.

    It¡¯s a ce where monsters don¡¯t spawn, and it restores your health and mana when you go there.

    Of course, this world is not a game, but reality, so things like save loading are impossible.

    There¡¯s also no function to fully restore health or mana.

    However, there¡¯s one thing.

    Monsters don¡¯t spawn there, and they won¡¯te near you unless you attack them.

    This is what I heard from Possell thest time I cleared Evans¡¯ dungeon, so it¡¯s clear.

    If we can get there, we won¡¯t have to worry about the threat of monsters anymore.

    Even though I knew this, the reason I didn¡¯t head to the safe zone was because I had to face enemies to get there.

    There is a monster blocking the way to the safe zone.

    At the time, I thought it was a gimmick to prevent people from breaking through dungeons without fighting, but when it became reality, it was a pretty shitty part.

    What kind of monster is it that will block the path?

    It¡¯spletely random.

    Of course, it¡¯s not a boss or a named monster that appears.

    It¡¯s just a random monster from ¡®Where the Alchemist Stayed.¡¯

    Nothing is set in stone.

    Some of those monsters are really dangerous if you encounter them, so I postponed my n to go to the safe zone.

    However, since I was sure that something was going wrong, it was time to change from n A to n B.

    Let¡¯s just check what kind of monster is acting as the gatekeeper.

    If we judge that it¡¯s possible, we can just kill it, and if not, we can just find another way.

    It wasn¡¯t that hard to get to where the gatekeeper was waiting.

    We had been avoiding battles while going around the same ce before.

    It wasn¡¯t that hard to move forward without encountering enemies.

    When I arrived on the path in front of the safety zone, I could see the monster that was keeping guard.

    One of the best-known monsters, and the most annoying part is it¡¯s a witch.

    If it was the game, he would have sighed.

    All the advantages that the witch has are under the premise that she can destroy the party members in the rear.

    In other words, that guy who can¡¯t attack the rear is just trash with lower specs than the many monsters here.

    But I have a provocation skill that has such a fraudulent performance that it can be used on Karl, a knight who is much higher level than me.

    ¡°You idiots, from now on, we¡¯re going to take that guy down.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That one?¡±

    Joy asked hesitantly at my words, and Jacob didn¡¯t open his mouth, but he looked terrified.

    Even so, I didn¡¯t change my mind.

    The situation unfolded as close to the best I could have imagined.

    If we could just get over that obstacle, we¡¯d be safe, so why would we back down?

    ¡°What? Are you scared? You¡¯re cowards.¡±

    ¡°But.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you idiots won¡¯t be in any danger. Just support me from behind like a coward.¡±

    The two eventually nodded.

    They acknowledged mymand authority that had led this party up to this point.

    After all, trust is built through performance.

    After giving the two a rough idea of the battle direction, I put more strength into the arm holding my shield and headed out of the alley.

    The witch and I met eyes, and the witch¡¯srge eyes curved like crescent moons.

    <Girl, she is strong.>

    ¡®I know.¡¯

    Although I said trash before, this was only based on this dungeon.

    Compared to my current status, their specs would be much higher.

    <It could be dangerous.>

    ¡®I know, right?¡¯

    Maybe it would have been right to just avoid the monsters like I always did.

    I might have thought it was a variable and stepped directly into danger.

    However, there was no turning back now.

    The enemy was right in front of me.

    <Aren¡¯t you scared?>

    ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯

    My skill suppressed the fear that was forming in my mind.

    My skill blocked the weak thought of wanting to run away.

    That¡¯s why I can be courageous.

    <If you don¡¯t regret it, I¡¯ll do my best to help you.>

    The witch looks at me with yful eyes, then giggles while moving her long arms.

    Maybe she thinks I¡¯m a weak toy.

    It really annoys me that a guy who could only do set actions in the game has a personality.

    I take a deep breath.

    I haven¡¯t decided what I¡¯ll say.

    It¡¯s not like the Mesugaki skill can decide on something and talk about it, right?

    ¡°You¡¯re a funny guy, huh? Your arms are disgusting, your legs are like a doll, and your face is disgusting. I don¡¯t know who made you, but they clearly hate you. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have made you like this, right?¡±

    The witch¡¯s eyes change from a crescent moon to a full moon and then back to a straight line after hearing the provocation.

    The arms and legs that had been moving yfully freeze, and I see mana fluctuating around the monster.

    <Girl.>

    As soon as I lift my feet off the ground, a magic circle is drawn in front of the witch.

    <Shadow Hand! This is¡­>

    ¡®Enough exining!¡¯

    I don¡¯t know about Shadow Hand magic, but I think I know what kind of magic it is.

    I memorized all the patterns the witch uses.

    It¡¯s probably a spell where countless arms shoot out from behind the witch and try to capture me.

    I pause for a moment and look behind the witch¡¯s back.

    I see countless arms dyed ck rising up.

    As expected,

    The method of destroying that technique is simple.

    I count to one second in my head and roll forward.

    I hear the sound of the stone floor shattering where I was just a moment ago.

    Then, as soon as I get up, I jump to the side again.

    The hands that were trying to capture me iled in the air.

    Finally, I get my bearings and run forward, and the hands that are entangled with each other can no longer chase me.

    <The next one ising!>

    The witch, who realized that her magic had failed, immediately cast the next magic, but at that moment, a fireball hit the witch¡¯s face.

    Whoosh!

    The power wasn¡¯t that strong, but that didn¡¯t matter at all.

    At this moment, the important thing was that she had blocked the witch¡¯s casting.

    That was all.

    Nice.

    Joy!

    I run.

    I don¡¯t care about anything else and run forward.

    I ran yesterday.

    The day before.

    A week ago.

    I¡¯ve been doing it tirelessly for the past few months.

    So, it was easy for me to speed up and run.

    The moment the smoke that had been blocking the witch¡¯s vision disappeared, I was already in front of the witch.

    As the mace rose, the witch urgently cast a new magic.

    I didn¡¯t need to listen to Grandpa.

    There was only one magic to cast if she was about to be attacked at close range.

    The magic of attack reflection.

    If you attack without thinking, you¡¯ll be countered by the attack you¡¯ve just struck.

    However, if you anticipate this in advance, it¡¯s not that difficult to counter.

    This magic has a strong effect, but it doesn¡¯tst long.

    I froze with my mace raised.

    The witch¡¯s eyes filled with bewilderment met mine.

    ¡°You worthless piece of trash! Get lost!¡±

    As soon as the magic ended, I struck the witch¡¯s head with my mace.

    Then, the shocked witch stumbled backwards.

    I couldn¡¯t finish it off in one blow, but I could feel the damage.

    I can knock it down.

    I can!

    <Don¡¯t give her a chance. Keep going.>

    ¡®Do you think I don¡¯t know that?!¡¯

    I ran forward again.

    To catch the monster that was preparing its magic with a bewildered face.

    The deepest part of the dungeon.

    The alchemist, who had been drawing a red sunset in the dark room with only the blood spilled by the creature, raised his head while piecing together the limbs of an unidentified creature like a child¡¯s toy.

    ¡°I can sense the aura of the cursed Armadi.¡±

    Armadi.

    The one who oppresses the world in the name of order.

    Why can I sense his aura in myboratory?

    The alchemist pulled out a staff made of bones and flesh from the air and struck the ground with it.

    Then, the alchemist¡¯s power spread throughout the entireboratory where he was staying, and soon the alchemist found the source of the energy.

    An intruder hase in.

    A creature blessed by Armadi has entered theboratory.

    The alchemist, who was examining the intruder with his magic spectacle, licked his lips with his rotten tongue.

    What a good test subject.

    Although she is small, it seems fun to y with her because of the various blessings engraved on it.

    Above all, there is no music as beautiful as the screaming from the mouth of Armadi¡¯s apostle.

    The alchemist threw down the toy in his hand and moved his heavy body.

    To bring back the prey that did not even know it was caught in a trap.

 Chapter 42

    I hit the witch¡¯s face with my mace again, which was sprawled on the floor and making a strange noise.

    As I was wiping off the blood from the mace, Joy and Jacob, who had been far away, came toward me.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Foolish Young Lady, you idiot. Do you think I¡¯d lose to such a weakling?¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re hurt.¡±

    Even though I had learned the witch¡¯s patterns perfectly, there was clearly a difference in specs between the witch and me.

    But I¡¯m okay.

    This isn¡¯t even close to being a wound to me.

    I¡¯d gotten more hurt sparring with Possell than this.

    I smiled at Joy, who was looking at me with concern.

    ¡®I¡¯m okay.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m not weak enough to have you worry about me, you idiot.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ha, I get it.¡±

    I felt like I was being too rude to worry about, but it was probably just my feelings.

    I took the two of them and moved inside.

    In just a few minutes, a white stone statue that didn¡¯t match thisb was standing in the middle of the room.

    It was a sign indicating a safe zone.

    ¡°This is the safe zone.¡±

    ¡°So, do we just have to wait for rescue here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s wait for the slow and sloppy Academy rescue team.¡±

    I put down my shield and mace and leaned my back against the wall.

    Since I was in charge of this party right now, I thought that if I showed myselffortable, the other two would feel at ease.

    At first, Joy and Jacob seemed to be contemting whether or not they could rest, but soon they thought that recovering their stamina was more important than being nervous, and they leaned against the wall like me.

    Ugh.

    It¡¯s been quite some time since we entered the dungeon, but why is it taking so long for rescue?

    I want to escape this gloomy ce as soon as possible.

    <Girl.>

    ¡®What?¡¯

    I flinched for a moment at the voice of the old man calling me.

    Since I fell into this dungeon, whenever the old man called me, it was only because something bad had happened.

    I know that since we¡¯ve reached the safe zone, we¡¯re pretty much guaranteed safety, so there¡¯s no need to worry.

    But there were too many things going on today to feelpletely at ease.

    <There¡¯s someone watching this ce from outside.>

    Watching?

    As I turned my gaze ording to Grandpa¡¯s words, I saw an Argos standing outside the safe zone.

    It was strange.

    An Argos is a guard.

    It doesn¡¯t stay still in one ce, but steadily moves around a designated area to detect intruders.

    Why would such a guy just stand there and watch us?

    While I was thinking about it, another Argos walked over from far away and took a seat next to him.

    The moment I saw him, I quickly grabbed my mace and shield and got up.

    This was a variable.

    A variable that didn¡¯t appear in the game.

    ¡°Young Lady Lucy!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. What are you worried about? Can¡¯t you see those idiots can¡¯te in? It¡¯s okay.¡±

    I told Joy and Jacob to be at ease, as they were trembling with anxiety.

    I knew this wasn¡¯t normal, but I had to tell them it was okay.

    Otherwise, the fear in their hearts would grow bigger and turn into panic in an instant.

    While we were on guard, the number of monsters surrounding the safe zone continued to increase.

    One became two, then two became four.

    When I came to my senses, the area around the safe zone waspletely filled with Argos¡¯.

    Escape was impossible.

    We were like rats in a trap.

    But we were still safe.

    Because we were inside the safe zone.

    Because we were staying in a ce they couldn¡¯t invade.

    So why am I so anxious?

    I chewed my lips and looked around, having never seen this ominous intuition turn out to be wrong since I entered this world.

    <Get ready, something ising.>

    Soon I could see something huge approaching from afar, destroying the Argos group.

    Gray, worn-out, tattered rags and rotting skin visible between the cracks.

    Legs that seemed to drag and a disgusting staff supporting its massive body.

    A disturbing aura scattered around it and red eyes shining through the cloth covering its face.

    The first thought that came to my mind the moment I saw him was disgusting.

    My stomach churned.

    I couldn¡¯t bear to simply make eye contact with him, physiologically.

    Something that shouldn¡¯t exist was right before my eyes.

    Something that I doubted was even allowed to stay in this world was right in front of me.

    <Girl.>

    We have to run.

    Where?

    Where should I go?

    <You have toe to your senses.>

    Where can I run when Argos is surrounding me?

    That¡¯s impossible.

    Then, in order to run away¡­

    <Girl!>

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Oveing Fear triggered and brought me back to reality.

    <Are you okay?!>

    The passive skill of the ¡®Alchemist¡¯.

    Was mental contamination really this dangerous?!

    In the game, it was just a skill that could be endured if you had a proper mental resistance skill!

    ¡°Uwueeek.¡±

    I turned my head to the back at the sound of vomiting.

    I saw Jacob holding his neck with both hands and Joy sitting on the floor vomiting out her guts.

    F**k.

    This is fucked up.

    Unlike me, these two, who didn¡¯t have any mental resistance skills, couldn¡¯t deal with the mental contamination of the Alchemist.

    If I leave it like this, they¡¯ll end up losing their lives by their own hands.

    <Knock them out.>

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    <It¡¯s better to faint than to go crazy and die.>

    The old man was right.

    As soon as I finished my judgement, I mmed Jacob¡¯s head with my shield and blew him away.

    I made sure to properly knock him out in one shot.

    Then I hit Joy on the back of the head to put her to sleep and looked forward.

    <A madman who threw himself into such a taboo. Why is such a dangerous thing here?>

    Of course, that¡¯s because it¡¯s the boss of this dungeon.

    An alchemist.

    A person who sacrificed his body to a taboo in order to relieve his own interest.

    He was sealed because of his sin but was chosen as the dungeon¡¯s master by Agra.

    How did that madman, who should be enjoying his research in his own residence, escape?

    Of the three of us, there shouldn¡¯t be any test subjects that he would pay attention to.

    The alchemist who arrived right in front of the safepartment looked at my face for a moment and then slowly moved his mouth.

    ¡°You don¡¯t go crazy after seeing me.¡±

    Every time his mouth moved; a mind-boggling stench leaked out.

    Damn it.

    I want to stick a mace in that mouth.

    ¡°How strange, it seems you haven¡¯t reached that level yet. Is she really an apostle of Armadi?¡±

    Armadi!

    That ipetent god who doesn¡¯t give a shit but only draws aggro, did something again today!

    Damn.

    Somehow, whenever I used Armadi¡¯s Mercy, it felt like Argos would appear right away.

    The alchemistughed, perhaps because he found my frowning amusing.

    Thatughter was as unpleasant as an earthworm crawling on your skin.

    ¡°Test subject.¡±

    The alchemist pointed at me with his wrinkled fingers.

    ¡°If youe out quietly, I won¡¯t touch the two things behind you.¡±

    ¡°Is it because you¡¯re a mentally rotten idiot? The wordsing out of your mouth are as rotten as the stench¡±

    Eat some potatoes.

    You crazy bastard.

    I¡¯m gradually bing affected by the Mesugaki skill, but my mind is still sane!

    Would you believe the words of a madman who would turn the word honesty into gold using alchemy?!

    When I openly provoked him, the alchemist¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Crazy.

    You¡¯re so scary.

    But what if you get angry?

    You can¡¯t enter the safe zone anyway!

    ¡°You seem to believe in Armadi¡¯s power, but there¡¯s one thing you don¡¯t know. Thisb is a dungeon, but at the same time, it¡¯s no different from your own body.¡±

    The moment the alchemist raised his arm and clenched his fist as if to show off, the narrow corridor turned into arge wilderness.

    Dungeon maniption.

    One of the patterns this monster uses when it appears as a boss.

    What on earth are you trying to do?

    This doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re in a safe zone.

    As if answering my question, the alchemist clenched his fist again, and the corridor returned to its original size, and I, no, we were thrown into the middle of the Argos horde.

    ¡­.

    What is this?

    <Girl! Roll forward!>

    ¡°If you don¡¯t n oning out, I¡¯ll just pull you out.¡±

    I tried to move my body after hearing the scream of Iron Wall, but it was already toote.

    I felt a weight being added to my shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that power will solve everything.¡±

    And then something seeped into my shoulder.

    There was no time to think.

    No time to resist.

    In an instant, my head went nk, and my body leaned forward.

    I mmed my face into the stone floor, but I didn¡¯t feel any pain.

    It was as if my entire body was paralysed, and I couldn¡¯t move even a single finger.

    ¡°I originally nned to take you and feed the other two to the beasts, but I changed my mind. It¡¯s thew that you have to show a child who likes to rebel their future.¡±

    I heard the alchemist shuffling his feet.

    As soon as I heard him, I used Armadi¡¯s Mercy on myself.

    I had done my best to increase my proficiency until today.

    Of course, that included the proficiency of Armadi¡¯s Mercy.

    I still hadn¡¯t reached the level where I could remove Agra¡¯s Curse.

    In other words, only those effects which weren¡¯t at a godly level could be removed.

    As soon as the abnormal status was lifted, I picked up my mace and rushed at the alchemist.

    I knew I had no chance of winning.

    I knew that I couldn¡¯t deal with the alchemist in my current state.

    However, I ran even though I knew that.

    To buy time.

    Hoping that some miracle would happen.

    Hoping that salvation would reach me.

    However, the tentacles shot out from under the giant armour worn by the alchemist faster than the miracle happened.

    The tentacle shot out at a speed that I couldn¡¯t react to and hit my abdomen, and my body flew away, hitting an Argos who was forming a wall and I fell to the ground.

    As I was gagging from the pain that came through my armour, something slippery grabbed my wrists and ankles.@@novelbin@@

    I struggled to get out of there, but escape was impossible.

    The alchemist¡¯s tentacles were too tough.

    ¡°You¡¯re a kid who doesn¡¯t give up.¡±

    The alchemist¡¯s wrinkled hand grabbed my neck.

    How did that rotting arme out of there?

    The alchemist only applied a little strength, but I felt suffocated.

    ¡°I like a tenacious girl. They¡¯re more fun to y with than an ordinary girl.¡±

    I felt the oxygen gradually fading away.

    My mind waspletely nk.

    I didn¡¯t even have time to feel the fear of death.

    ¡°How can I break your heart?¡±

    Shit¡­

    You fucking ipetent, sloppy god Armadi.

    You¡¯re spying on me, you pervert.

    Then help me.

    Save the human you blessed before he dies.

    This happened because of you.

    Take responsibility!

    Are you saying that you can¡¯t intervene because the dungeon is Agra¡¯s territory?

    In that case, get out and make it yours!

    Kill yourself and apologize to the believers who had to die because of your ipetence, you sloppy god!

    Tring.

    [You want help?]

    I could not help butugh in vain as I saw the message that popped up before my eyes while my consciousness was fading.

    What the heck.

    Why are you showing up only now?

    Armadi, are you a masochistic pervert who enjoys getting talked down on by the Mesugaki skill?

 Chapter 43

    Need help?

    Don¡¯t I look desperate to you right now?!

    Can you not sense the desperation of a tiny creature because you¡¯re so high up?!

    I can¡¯t breathe.

    My consciousness is fading away.

    I¡¯m barely holding on, but I¡¯m already at my limit.

    [It¡¯ll be hard to talk like this.]

    The moment the message appeared, my vision darkened and the pressure I¡¯d been feeling around my neck disappeared.

    What happened?

    When my vision returned, I was bewildered by the sudden change in the surrounding scenery.

    A pure white space where nothing existed.

    I was floating in the middle of it.

    Where am I?

    Is this the afterlife?

    Did the alchemist strangle me to death?

    [Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re not dead yet.]

    A message from the Lord appeared along with a notification sound.

    ¡°Then where is this?¡±

    I was surprised after saying the words myself.

    This is ridiculous.

    For normal words toe out of my mouth.

    If it were normal, I would have said something like you¡¯re an ipetent piece of trash or a piece of trash worse than an evil spirit.

    [I thought it would be difficult to have a conversation there, so I only summoned your spirit.]

    So, you created a space for conversation with your power?

    Since you only summoned my spirit, it shouldn¡¯t be affected by skills.

    If something like this was possible, how nice it would have been if you had summoned me a long time ago and opened a space for conversation.

    Then I wouldn¡¯t have had to go through this near-death crisis.

    You fucking masochistic, ipetent god.

    Did you really want to hear Mesugaki¡¯s criticism that much?!

    [I¡¯ll ask again, do you need help?]

    ¡°Of course, I do. I don¡¯t want to die yet.¡±

    The reason I¡¯ve trained so desperately for the past few months is solely to survive.

    I don¡¯t want to die.

    It¡¯s unfair that I possessed the Mesugaki¡¯s body, but I can¡¯t die a pitiful death like this.

    [If you want, I can save you.]

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    [But know this, there is no miracle in this world without a price.]

    The moment I saw the message that came to mind, I burst outughing.

    Aha.

    It wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t help me, but that they didn¡¯t want to help me.

    The gods in Soul Academy are neither omnipotent nor omniscient.

    Furthermore, they are not unconditionally good.

    They simply possess overwhelming powerpared to humans, but they have a tendency to be closer to transcendence than gods.

    They are extremely powerful human beings.

    The same is true now.

    If this sinister, sloppy god Armadi were simply a good god, he would have helped me before this mess got out of hand.

    But he didn¡¯t.

    He waited for the moment when the value of his help would be the highest and showed up.

    And then he shamelessly asked me if I needed help.

    The intention behind his words was so obvious that I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    [I only want one thing from you. I want you to be my apostle.]

    ¡°Why?¡±

    The moment I heard the sloppy god¡¯s conditions, a question naturally came out.

    I couldn¡¯t understand why.

    I know that being an apostle of God isn¡¯t simply determined by piety.

    But there are limits to that.

    What kind of person am I?

    Lucy is someone who doubts the existence of God and insults believers.

    She is an unbeliever who ispletely distant from the word faith.

    Why do you want to make such a person an apostle?

    There must be many people in the world who are better than me right now?

    Armadi.

    What on earth are you looking at?

    [Does God need a reason to choose an apostle?]

    You have no intention of answering me?

    Ha.

    This is why I hate the gods of Soul Academy.

    I wanted to tell the shameless Armadi to eat shit, but I couldn¡¯t do that right now.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it. I¡¯ll be your apostle.¡±

    Because I had no choice.

    If this crappy god doesn¡¯t help me, the end I¡¯ll reach is a dog¡¯s death.

    Even if the deal Armadi was proposing was a devil¡¯s offer to drag me into hell, I had to ept it.

    [The deal is made.]

    As soon as I read that message, I woke up and found myself lying on the stone floor.

    The alchemist who was trying to use me as a test subject was gone.

    The Argos who surrounded us were gone.

    All that was left were the glowing stones illuminating the room and a huge hole in the middle of the room.

    This was¡­ the boss room of ¡®Where the Alchemist Stayed¡¯?

    I turned my gaze following the breathing I could hear next to me and saw Joy and Jacob sleeping.

    The two of them had rxed expressions, as if they had forgotten the disaster they had just experienced.@@novelbin@@

    Even a crappy god would be considerate to this extent.

    Ha.

    I did my best.

    From now on, I¡¯ll leave out the ipetence, you sloppy Armadi.

    <Girl, what kind of miracle happened just now?>

    ¡®What happened?¡¯

    <The moment I thought you were on the verge of death, light enveloped us and teleported here. It was as if God had performed a miracle.>

    What Grandpa thinks is right.

    Since I had no reason to lie, I told Grandpa what had just happened.

    Of course, I left out the many sphemous thoughts I had had.

    If I told Grandpa, a knight who believed in Armadi, what I had been thinking inside, he would have been in a state of shock.

    <Armadi must have shown mercy.>

    ¡®The fact that I was chased by the alchemist. It¡¯s all because of Armadi.¡¯

    <Huh, how sphemous. You rascal.>

    So what if I¡¯m a little sphemous?

    That sloppy Lord made me an apostle even though he knew all this stuff anyway.

    What.

    ¡°Test subject! Where are you going!¡±

    While I was bickering with my grandfather, a disgusting voice came up my spine from below.

    The floor I was standing on began to vibrate, and I could hear something moving through the hole in the middle.

    <Girl! You have to move!>

    ¡®I know!¡¯

    That alchemist bastard is as disgusting as he looks.

    If he¡¯s the boss of the dungeon, he should stay in his own dungeon.

    How far are you going to chase me, you stalker!

    I hurriedly picked up Joy and Jacob on my shoulders.

    We have to run.

    As far as we can get away from that bastard¡¯s pursuit.

    Since I had the map of the dungeon in my head, I could buy some time if I escaped through the hidden passages.

    As I was thinking that I saw tentacles rising up through the hole in the floor of the boss room.

    Ha.

    Shit.

    Is it toote?

    I dropped the two people I had been carrying on my shoulders to the ground and raised my shield and mace.

    And soon after, the alchemist wearing a giant cloak appeared.

    The moment I saw those red eyes, my breath caught in my throat.

    A cold fear crawled up my spine and consumed my body.

    How long could I hold out?

    ¡°If you were going to run away, you should have gone further away.¡±

    That¡¯s right.

    Damn Armadi.

    I take back what I said just now.

    Armadi, you¡¯re an ipetent and sloppy god.

    And not just any idiot, you¡¯re a sloppy idiot.

    You idiot!

    If you¡¯re going to save me, you should have sent me to the safest ce possible!

    You idiot!

    [Do you think I didn¡¯t expect this?]

    As I was swearing inwardly, a message window appeared in front of me as if it had heard me.

    ¡°Miss! Duck your head!¡±

    At the same time, the voice of Karl rang in my ear.

    I moved my body before I could think.

    What should be called an energy sword passed over my bowed head.

    The sword energy easily cut down the tentacles that were approaching me, but it didn¡¯t lose its momentum.

    ¡°Hmm!¡±

    A slurring sound flowed from the alchemist who had received the energy sword with his staff.

    As if sensing a crisis, the alchemist immediately tried to use his ominous magic power to weave a magic circle, but by that time, the sword had already reached him.

    As Karl swung his sword, the tentacles supporting the alchemist¡¯s body were cut off.

    Having lost what was holding him up, the alchemist fell back down into the dungeon where he had been staying.

    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, so go and take care of that disgusting idiot!¡±

    What kind of saviour are you acting like by showing up sote!

    ¡°If you have a chance to talk, swing your sword one more time and finish that guy off!¡±

    When I shouted that, Karl smiled and said yes, and without a moment¡¯s hesitation, threw himself down into the dungeon.

    ¡­

    As someone who runs Soul Academy, this situation is extremely regrettable.

    It¡¯s unfortunate that Soul Academy, which boasts a long history, couldn¡¯t even prepare for such a variable.

    This incident was resolved without any problems thanks to the excellent leadership of the daughter of the Partran family, but if we had done something wrong, three nobles taking the entrance exam could have died.

    Our Soul Academy¡­

    Jude Alber, the principal of Soul Academy, sighed for the hundredth time today while reading letters from other academies.

    Since the ident at the academy¡¯s entrance exam yesterday, Jude had been organizing these types of letters.

    The types of people who sent letters were diverse.

    Parents of Soul Academy.

    Other academies.

    The pce.

    The church.

    The academic society.

    It seemed that everyone rted to Soul Academy was waiting for a response to this incident.

    Whenever Jude read these letters, she would make this excuse in her head.

    It was the first time in history that the evil god Agra had intervened in the academy¡¯s exam, so how could she have prepared for it?

    However, Jude did not let that thought out of her mind.

    No matter how well it was resolved, it was clear that someone almost died due to Soul Academy¡¯sck of preparation.

    As the principal of Soul Academy, she had to take responsibility for this.

    This is really¡­.

    As she was writing down her reply with his quill pen, someone knocked on the door.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    The one who opened the door and came in was her secretary, who had dark circles under her eyes from working all day yesterday.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Principal, Young Lady Lucy wants to see you.¡±

    Young Lady Lucy was one of the people involved in the ident that happened in the dungeon yesterday, wasn¡¯t she?

    ¡°Ask her toe in. No. I¡¯ll have to go out myself.¡±

    Young Lady Lucy was the victim of this incident.

    Therefore, Jude Alber, who was in charge of this incident, should have been polite to her.

    Putting down her quill pen, she got up from her seat, passed her secretary, and went out of the room.

    ¡°Hello, Old Principal.¡±

    Lucy Allen, who was waiting outside, greeted Jude politely as soon as she saw her, but at the same time, she hurled insulting remarks.

    ¡°I came toin about the ident that happened at this shabby academy.¡±

 Chapter 44

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    I woke up with a scream and jumped up.

    I looked around anxiously and realized that this was the dormitory and let out a sigh of relief.

    I saw Karl beat the alchemist yesterday and still had a dream about being chased by that guy.

    I thought it was nothing, but it seemed that the trauma of almost being killed by that guy had set in.

    I wiped the cold sweat on my forehead with my hand and raised my head.

    Then, a message that I had seen tirelessly and another message that I was seeing for the first time today came to mind.

    [Enrol in the Academy]

    [Be baptized in the Lord¡¯s Church]

    What does it mean to be baptized in the Lord¡¯s Church?

    [You have been chosen as an apostle of Armadi. By being baptized in the Church, you will prove your authority and at the same time, receive Armadi¡¯s blessing on your body.]

    [Reward: One of Armadi¡¯s powers.]

    Aha.

    What am I saying?

    It¡¯s about the contract I made with that crappy god yesterday.

    Since I was rescued from the dungeon, you never answered me no matter how much I called you, and now you¡¯re going to pressure me like this?

    After all, you¡¯re a sloppy god.

    Can¡¯t you just stop bothering me like this and just talk to me?

    As I grumbled about the sloppy god¡¯s actions, my pounding heart calmed down.

    The sloppy god¡¯s useless actions annoyed me more than the nightmare that threatened me just now.

    The sloppy god probably didn¡¯t do it on purpose, but it helped.

    I got up and called the maid outside.

    ¡°Did you sleep well, Miss Lucy?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I slept well?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    The maid, who heard me, trembled her eyes and didn¡¯t know what to do, before offering a polite apology as if her forehead was about to touch the ground.

    Why is she doing this?

    It¡¯s just the same greeting as usual.

    When did Lucy ever say that she slept well?@@novelbin@@

    <I thought you were on edge because of what happened yesterday.>

    The old man who had been silent until now quietly spoke up.

    ¡®Why is that?¡¯

    <You must think it was rude for asking if you slept well when you had a nightmare.>

    Ah.

    It¡¯s certainly rude to ask someone who had a bad dream if they slept well.

    ¡®But how do you know I had a nightmare?¡¯

    <You screamed; how would I not know?>

    I must have screamed quite loudly when I woke up.

    ¡®It¡¯s okay, so raise your head.¡¯

    ¡°You sloppy maid, I¡¯ll forgive you just this once, so raise your head.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, Miss!¡±

    The maid raised her head as if embarrassed.

    Her face turned pale, as if she thought she had made a huge mistake.

    I really didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°But you sloppy maid. Did I get a letter while I was sleeping?¡±

    ¡°There is one. The Academy asked you to visit. I think they want to talk about what happened yesterday.¡±

    Really?

    That¡¯s good timing.

    I was nning to visit them anyway.

    Originally, I was nning to visit the church first and then go to Soul Academy, but I guess I¡¯ll have to change the order.

    After being rescued from the dungeon yesterday, I made one resolution.

    I had to be strong.

    So that I could handle whatever happened with my own hands.

    Since I decided to be Armadi¡¯s apostle, Agra would definitely use various means to try to kill me even more than before.

    So, in order to avoid dying a foolish death, I needed to be strong enough to ovee the trials that woulde my way.

    I had to gather things that I could use immediately.

    I had to do everything I could before I was in danger.

    To survive.

    ¡°Clumsy maid, where is Sloppy Knight?¡±

    ¡°If you mean Karl, he¡¯s waiting outside.¡±

    Maybe it was because I always called Karl ¡®sloppy¡¯.

    The maid understood what I said perfectly.

    If this continues, won¡¯t the daye when this person understands the true meaning of my words?

    I don¡¯t know when that will be, but I hope that dayes.

    Then I can always have the maid by my side and ask her to interpret what I say.

    ¡®Are you ready already? That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go right away!¡¯

    ¡°Is that sloppy dog a dog that doesn¡¯t know what to do when separated from its owner? Anyway, that¡¯s good. Let¡¯s go right away when we¡¯re ready.¡±

    Because I have to go raid the academy.

    Yesterday, after being rescued from the dungeon, I was immediately taken to the priests and given various tests.

    To see if I was under any curses.

    To see if I had any remaining trauma.

    To see if I had any mental issues.

    I knew that they were doing it for my safety, but for me, who was already tired from surviving the dungeon, those tests were truly arduous.

    I lost consciousness halfway through.

    By the time I left the church after they determined that there was nothing wrong, the sun was already setting in the sky.

    After seeing the sky turning crimson, I returned to my dorm without doing anything else and buried my head in my pillow.

    Then I woke up this morning screaming like a girl after having a nightmare.

    Have Joy and Jacobe to their senses by now?

    They didn¡¯te to their senses until they were rescued from the dungeon, so they were transferred to a different ce from me.

    The priests of the church will probably take action, but I can¡¯t help but worry.

    Just in case.

    What if something goes wrong because of the blow I made when I knocked them out?

    At the time, I made the best decision, but looking back now, I think it was a bit excessive.

    I hit them on the face with arge shield.

    If this wasn¡¯t a fantasy world, it would have been attempted murder.

    Ugh.

    I¡¯ll have to check on their condition when I go to get baptizedter.

    I hope there¡¯s nothing wrong.

    As I walked along with these thoughts in my head, I arrived at the main gate of Soul Academy before I knew it.

    Soul Academy was incredibly noisy.

    The professors and priests of the academy were gathered together and discussing something.

    They must have been discussing it because of what happened yesterday.

    Since it was revealed that Agra could intervene in the academy¡¯s dungeons, they must have been looking for ways to prepare for it.

    Everyone must have worked hard.

    If you¡¯re going to do it, please prepare properly.

    If I were to attend this school, simr things would happen again and again, so I can¡¯t make a fuss like this every time.

    ¡°Hello, Lady Allen.¡±

    As I was about to pass through the main gate of Soul Academy, a guard standing next to me stopped me.

    ¡°Are you here for the meeting?¡±

    I expected it, but maybe they called me to ask about what happened in the dungeon yesterday.

    This must be the first time Agra¡¯s curse has hit Soul Academy¡¯s artificial dungeon, so he must want information.

    I also nned to answer the questions the academy asked me if I could.

    The sooner they came up with a countermeasure, the safer I would be while living at the academy.

    ¡°You can go to Professor Luca¡¯sb on the second floor of Building 3 of the Academy.¡±

    ¡®¡­ Who?¡¯

    ¡°Shoddy security, can you say that again?¡±

    ¡°Professor Luca¡¯sb.¡±

    Cancel.

    Cancel my promise to cooperate.

    If I were just another person, I would just cooperate quietly, but I don¡¯t want to get too close to that lunatic.

    That crazy guy showed signs of liking me yesterday.

    But what if I tell him what happened inside?

    He¡¯llpletely fall for me.

    I already have a headache because of Agra and Armadi, and I don¡¯t want to add that lunatic to the mix.

    There¡¯s nothing I can do about it now.

    It¡¯s a change of ns.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no intention of cooperating with this crappy academy.¡±

    ¡°Then whye?¡±

    ¡°I came to protest. I almost died because of that crappy academy, and you think I¡¯ll just stay still?¡±

    When I pretended to smile, the guard backed away in embarrassment.

    I didn¡¯t know why he was reacting like that when I smiled so kindly.

    ¡°So, would you please disappear from my sight? When I look at your ugly face, I remember bad memories from yesterday and feel bad.¡±

    The guard didn¡¯t stop me any longer and just left.

    It must have been because Lucy¡¯s infamy had been added to the excuse of being a victim.

    After entering Soul Academy, I headed toward thergest building in the middle of Soul Academy without any hesitation.

    ¡°Miss Lucy, may I ask where you¡¯re headed?¡±

    ¡®To the principal¡¯s office.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m going to meet the principal, who is just as shabby as the shabby academy.¡±

    As I said before, I n to work harder to be stronger than I am now.

    However, even this effort has its limits.

    Up until now, I¡¯ve pushed my body to the limit in order to pass the academy exam.

    Even if I continue training more than this, I won¡¯t be able to be stronger any faster.

    Possell said that if you cross the line now, it will only harm your body.

    But you know.

    This limit is only the limit of the body.

    If you train something else instead of training your body, there is no problem.

    As luck would have it, I have something else to train for.

    Yesterday, I made a contract with Armadi and became his apostle.

    What does that mean?

    I can learn various useful sacred magic that exist in the church.

    It is a wonderful magic that sucks up magic power and performs miracles by simply asking the god without having to doplicated calctions like other magic!

    While your body is recovering, you build up your proficiency in sacred magic, and while your magic power is recovering, you train your body.

    What an efficient and beautiful cycle.

    At this point, you must be wondering.

    Why did youe to the academy to learn sacred magic?

    There is a reason for that.

    It is true that sacred magic is very different from other types of magic, but it is magic in any case.

    Every time you use it, it sucks up magic power.

    Of course, if your magical power is low, the efficiency of your training will inevitably decrease.

    And the amount of magical power I currently have is so poor that it will run out after using Armadi¡¯s Mercy three times.

    I can confidently say that if I start training in this state, I will copse fromck of magical power in less than thirty minutes.

    There was a solution to this in the academy.

    ¡®Fountain of Magic Power.¡¯

    It increases your maximum magic reserves and magical power recovery speed, and it also increases the speed at which magical power grows.

    It is a passive skill that you can obtain after entering the academy andpleting various quests given by the principal, but this is not a game, this is reality.

    If you ¡®negotiate¡¯ with the principal, you can obtain the skill without going through the annoying quest.

    I really hope the principal will cooperate.

    Otherwise, I will have no choice but to do her dirty work.

 Chapter 45

    The door opened and Judy Alber, the principal of Soul Academy, appeared, her dark circles evident under her eyes.

    This is just a guess, but I think she must have been busy dealing with yesterday¡¯s events.

    ¡°Hello, old principal.¡±

    Is old the way to address a principal?

    Her hair has turned white, and her face is wrinkled, so she definitely looks old, but she¡¯s still the principal of the academy.

    Isn¡¯t adding old to the name too much?!

    I thought to myself, but I couldn¡¯t take back the words that came out of my mouth.

    Fortunately, Judy justughed it off when she heard the name old.

    Was it okay for Judy, who has a good personality, to be called old?

    Or was she just being a victim and letting it go?

    Either way, it was fortunate that she didn¡¯t seem too offended.

    ¡®I came toin.¡¯

    ¡°I came toin about what happened at this shabby academy.¡±

    Judy smiled bitterly at the mention of the words of protest.

    ¡°Young Lady Allen has the right to do so. It seems like it will be a long story, but would you like toe inside?¡±

    ¡°Trying to drag me in. It¡¯s suspicious, but I¡¯ll let it go for now.¡±

    ¡°Hehe. How could I harm Young Lady Allen?¡±

    The principal¡¯s office of Soul Academy was exactly as I had seen it in the game.

    The bookshelf with various old books on it.@@novelbin@@

    The old staff leaning against it.

    The parrot that made a loud noise along with the BGM in the game.

    If this ce was exactly like the game, the secret passage behind the bookshelf would be the same, right?

    While sitting on the sofa and admiring the cozy principal¡¯s office, Judy spoke first.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°So, you were able to walk all the way here, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fortunate.¡±

    It¡¯s true that I almost died if I made a mistake, but I¡¯m fine.

    Judy let out a sigh of relief when I nodded.

    ¡°First of all, I¡¯d like to thank you. ording to the testimony of Joy Partran and Jacob who woke upst night, they were able to escape from there without any damage because Young Lady Allen took the lead. If it hadn¡¯t been for your wit, there could have been casualties due to our Academy¡¯s negligence. I sincerely thank you for stopping him.¡±

    Uh.

    Um.

    Yes?

    ¡°At the same time, I¡¯d like to apologize. You were put in great danger because we didn¡¯t prepare properly. I know that an apology in words is meaningless. If there¡¯s anything you want, please let me know. If it¡¯s possible for us to do so, we¡¯ll do our best to cooperate.¡±

    Judy lowered her head, which was very embarrassing because she hadn¡¯t expected the situation to turn out like this.

    To the point where I was at a loss for words for a moment.

    Let¡¯s calm down.

    The fact that they admitted their mistake means things are going in my favour.

    ¡®Uh. So. What I want is¡­¡¯

    ¡°What I want is simple. One of the magical tools that this shabby academy is keeping, Kerta¡¯s Crystal Ball. If you give me that, I¡¯ll forgive yesterday¡¯s mistake with great generosity.¡±

    Judy let out a sigh when I mentioned the magical tool for learning the Fountain of Magic.

    Kerta¡¯s Crystal Ball was considered a valuable item among the many magical tools in Soul Academy.

    It was only natural that she would be worried since I was asking for something like that.

    ¡°How do you know about that magical tool?¡±

    ¡®Is that important?¡¯

    ¡°Are you trying to interrogate me? I feel bad, old principal.¡±

    Now things are going a little the way I had expected.

    Now, if Judy were to reject my offer, I would do as I had nned.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the case, but¡­ Okay.¡±

    Mentioning Judy¡¯s weakness and threatening her¡­

    Huh?

    What did you say?

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±

    After saying that, Judy got up from her seat, apologized to me, and left for a moment.

    I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    Did Judy just go to get Kerta¡¯s crystal ball?

    She decided to just hand it over without any negotiation or persuasion?!

    <What¡¯s the problem? Didn¡¯t it turn out just the way you wanted it to?>

    ¡®That¡¯s true.¡¯

    But if Judy gives Kerta¡¯s crystal ball like this, what will be of me who tried to ckmail her?!

    This only makes me the bad guy!

    Judy why are you nodding so easily!

    In the game, you only get Kerta¡¯s crystal ball as a reward after clearing all sorts of annoying quests!

    But you¡¯re willing to give it to me like this!

    If you think about it, it was a good thing.

    It was a good thing, but I couldn¡¯t help feeling a sense of inferiority because I could feel the gap between the other person¡¯s personality and mine.

    Judy, this person is a good person even in this world.

    Unlike that old man who stays locked up in Mace and nags at me all the time.

    <Girl, are you having strange thoughts?>

    ¡­

    Not at all?

    Judy, who returned to the room shortly after, held out a purple crystal ball in front of me.

    ¡°Is this what you are looking for?¡±

    I could see ake of magical power spreading out beneath the translucent purple crystal.

    Judging from its appearance, this was definitely Kerta¡¯s crystal ball.

    ¡°Is this Kerta¡¯s crystal ball?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a ghost created by the great wizard Kerta by coting his knowledge.¡±

    It¡¯s such a shame that I can¡¯t feel the specs like in the game.

    If this were a game, I would be able to tell right away whether this was real or fake.

    For now, do I have no choice but to trust Judy¡¯s personality?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, how could I give a false item to the youngdy of the Allen family?¡±

    She must have noticed my suspicions.

    Judy opened her mouth to reassure me.

    ¡°And by the way. I¡¯m not just giving this to you. This is a bribe.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean a bribe?¡±

    ¡°When the wrath of the Iron-Blood Count reaches this academy, I want you to help calm him down. Count Allen is weak towards the youngdy.¡±

    I wondered why Benedict¡¯s name was suddenly mentioned here, but after hearing Judy¡¯s exnation, I understood.

    Regardless of the circumstances, I almost died yesterday while taking the academy entrance exam.

    How would Benedict react if he heard this news?

    It was obvious what a person who loses his reason would do when ites to his daughter.

    He would pour out his rage on the academy.

    That rage would certainly be huge and fierce.

    So much so that ordinary people would not even dare to touch him.

    However, I was the only exception here.

    If I told him to be moderate, Benedict would definitely send someone to watch my every move.

    It was the same when the incident with Karl happenedst time.

    So Kerta¡¯s crystal ball was both apensation and a bargaining item.

    She would give it to me in exchange for calming Benedict¡¯s rage.

    Benedict must be a great person.

    Judy, the headmaster of Soul Academy with a huge status, is even aware of it.

    ¡°Is the old headmaster aware of my family while being the headmaster? Okay, if my idiot father does something stupid, I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    Did things go smoothly thanks to that doting father?

    I¡¯ll have to thank youter.

    Since I can¡¯t say thank you because of the trantion of Mesugaki, wouldn¡¯t it be okay if I just act a little cute?

    I felt guilty about having to call my father idiot father again, but it was okay.

    My pride had already been somewhat put aside.

    When I nodded, Judy¡¯s stiff lips slightly rxed.

    ¡°Thank you, my dear youngdy. Oh, and can I ask you one more favour?¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bring up painful memories, but can I hear about what happened in the dungeon yesterday?¡±

    Oh.

    That?

    You decided to listen to the story yourself instead of Luca?

    It¡¯s good.

    I don¡¯t want to talk to that human, Luca.

    Judy, you can talk to me as much as you want.

    I¡¯ll tell you everything I can.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that much.¡±

    Even though I got Kerta¡¯s crystal ball, I didn¡¯t use it right away.

    I couldn¡¯t do it because I remembered the time, I drank the elixir before.

    If you use Kerta¡¯s crystal ball, you get the ¡®Fountain of Magic¡¯ skill, which increases your maximum magic power and recovery power, right?

    Then the situation will definitely be simr to when I drank the elixir.

    I don¡¯t want to roll around on the street enduring the pain, and I don¡¯t want to lose the day by passing out from the pain.

    So, I decided to use this magical tool after finishing my schedule and returning to the dorm.

    After leaving the crystal ball with Karl, I left Soul Academy and headed toward the main church inside the academy.

    I thought I¡¯d get baptized while checking on Joy and Jacob.

    What skills would that crappy god Armadi give his apostles?

    If you be an apostle of a god in Soul Academy, you will be given skills that are appropriate for that person.

    For example, if you are an apostle of the God of War, you will be given skills that are advantageous in group battles, if you are an apostle of the God of Art, you will be given skills rted to charm or dexterity, and if you are an apostle of the God of Fire, you will be given a significant increase in fire resistance and proficiency in fire-based magic.

    I know perfectly well what skills the apostles of gods get, but I didn¡¯t know about the skills that the crappy god could give me.

    That¡¯s because Armadi never appeared in person in Soul Academy.

    He was only mentioned by name, and he didn¡¯t have any involvement in the lower world.

    Thinking about it, Armadi was an ipetent andzy guy even in the game.

    Armadi may be a crappy and ipetent god, but he is still the center of all gods.

    Considering that the skills of an apostle of a god are proportional to the power of the god, he will definitely give good skills.

    My heart races.

    Even I, who yed Soul Academy for over ten thousand hours, am seeing these skills for the first time.

    If possible, I would like it to be a skill that has wide utility and is fun.

    If you give me a skill that is so amazing that I am surprised, I would be willing to call you by your name instead of a sloppy gord.

    ¡°Young Lady you came.¡±

    The person guarding the entrance to the church was one of the priests who treated me yesterday.

    He stepped back as soon as he saw my face, and then stopped walking when he realized that he was the only one who could respond to me.

    I felt this way while receiving treatment at the church yesterday.

    Lucy¡¯s notoriety has spread everywhere, right?

    Even the priests of the Lord¡¯s Church in Soul Academy all avoided me.

    The reason is obvious.

    They know about the various atrocities Lucymitted at the church in the past.

    Even though her favourability rating must have gone up to some extent because she had the Lord¡¯s Church¡¯s cross, seeing how I get looks like this, I really don¡¯t want to imagine what would have happened if I hadn¡¯t gotten this cross.

    ¡°Why did youe here?¡±

    ¡®Can¡¯t Ie here?¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy priest, am I the devil? Can¡¯t I even set foot in the church?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. That¡­ So¡­¡±

    When I furrowed my brow and asked him questioningly, the priest was visibly flustered and waved his hand.

    His reaction was so funny that I wanted to tease him some more, but I had something to do right away, so I stopped.

    ¡®I¡¯m joking.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s a joke, so stop acting so sloppy. I came here to be baptized.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Baptism? Why?¡±

    ¡®Because I became an apostle of Armadi.¡¯

    ¡°I was chosen as an apostle of the Lord you believe in.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh?!¡±

 Chapter 48

    <strong>What is this?! What¡¯s happening?!</strong>

    This isn¡¯t how a baptism is supposed to be.@@novelbin@@

    In the game, receiving a baptism was just a simple effect, and that was it. Has something changed now that this is reality?

    I nced over at Phoebe beyond the magical power to see her reaction.

    She was wide-eyed with surprise, which told me this wasn¡¯t a normal situation.

    <strong>What are you up to now, useless Armadi?!</strong>

    Do you not realize what will happen to me if it¡¯s revealed that I¡¯m your apostle?

    Or were you actually nning to assassinate me all along?!

    ¡°Lady Allen, could you please close your eyes?¡±

    Despite clearly being flustered, Phoebe continued as if nothing unusual was happening.

    Her ability to proceed calmly, regardless of her emotions, showed her professionalism.

    ...Let''s just go along with it and get this baptism over with quickly.

    As long as I don¡¯t say anything, no one will know I¡¯m Armadi¡¯s apostle.

    I can just pretend I don¡¯t know.

    As I closed my eyes and took a prayerful posture, Phoebe began reciting the baptismal prayer.

    As I let her words pass in one ear and out the other, a <em>ding</em> sound interrupted my thoughts.

    <strong>A message?</strong>

    Curious, I peeked through one eye and saw a window appear in front of me.

    <strong>[Quest Cleared]</strong> <strong>[Upon receiving baptism, you have be a follower of Armadi.]</strong> <strong>[Armadi is watching you.]</strong> <strong>[Your existence has been elevated to that of Armadi¡¯s apostle.]</strong> <strong>[Rewards are granted.]</strong> <strong>[You can now use the ¡®Quest¡¯ feature.]</strong>

    ¡°What?¡±

    <strong>Quest feature?</strong>

    ¡°Lady Allen, is something wrong?¡±

    <strong>¡®No! Nothing at all!¡¯</strong> ¡°It¡¯s nothing you need to worry about, sloppy saint.¡±

    ¡°...I see. Then let¡¯s continue.¡±

    A series of question marks kept popping up in my mind.

    Bing Armadi¡¯s apostle was something I already knew about, so that¡¯s fine, but what is this quest feature?

    Could it be what I¡¯m thinking of?

    When I muttered the word ¡®quest¡¯ in my mind, the familiar window that greeted me every morning in Soul Academy appeared before me.

    <strong>It is! The quest window from Soul Academy.</strong>

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    There were so many thoughts running through my mind.

    Ever since Armadi startedmunicating with me through messages, I thought something was off.

    Getting messages like ¡®Armadi is watching you¡¯ or ¡®Blessings are granted¡¯ is one thing, but actually talking through messages? That¡¯s strange.

    Normally, a divine revtion ismunicated directly, like Grandfather Ruel does, not through messages.

    Messages are a function from the game, after all.

    I overlooked it back then because the situation was urgent, but now that I¡¯ve unlocked the quest window, I¡¯m full of questions again.

    <strong>Armadi, just what are you, to be able to manipte game functions?</strong>

    Could this have something to do with why I got pulled into the game world?

    But asking about that would be pointless since you won¡¯t answer, so let¡¯s move on to something else.

    If you can control game features, couldn¡¯t you give me something more useful?

    <strong>A quest window? Seriously?</strong>

    What about a status window, emotion functions, skill lists, a map? There are so many better options, and you give me a quest window?!

    You really just want to mess with me, don¡¯t you, useless Armadi?

    Countless other questions swirled around in my head.

    But no answers came.

    That cursed, useless god remained silent.

    Even though I¡¯m sure he knows exactly what I¡¯m thinking right now.

    ¡°You are now under the protection of Armadi,¡± Phoebe dered, as the holy power surrounding me seeped into my body.

    I felt a strange tingling sensation as the sacred energy permeated my heart and spread through my veins.

    It was a peculiar feeling.

    Something within my body was changing.

    Simr to when I drank the elixir.

    But unlike that time, there was no pain.

    When the energy coursing through my body finally settled, Phoebe spoke again, as if making an announcement.

    ¡°With this, the baptism isplete.¡±

    <strong>"You¡¯ve entered the path of the Holy Knight."</strong>

    After leaving the church, I recounted my experience during the baptism to Grandfather Ruel, and that¡¯s the response I received.

    <strong>"When you be a knight of the gods, their holy power causes changes in your body. What you experienced was part of that process."</strong>

    So, I automatically changed sses during the baptism?

    <strong>A Holy Knight, huh.</strong>

    Not bad.

    Considering the stats and skills I¡¯ve been building, it¡¯s pretty optimal.

    I was already nning on bing a Holy Knight anyway.

    But why does this still feel so unsettling?

    Is it because it feels like everything is going exactly ording to that cursed god¡¯s n?

    <strong>"Normally, one must undergo many trials to be a Holy Knight, but it seems Armadi has taken quite an interest in you."</strong> <strong>¡°Yeah.¡±</strong>

    Not that I asked for his attention.

    <em>Sigh</em>. What¡¯s the point of worrying about it?

    Things are progressing as I wanted, after all.

    I should focus on what to do next.

    <strong>¡°Grandfather, can you teach me about the techniques used by Holy Knights?¡±</strong> <strong>"Of course."</strong> <strong>¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±</strong>

    Now that I¡¯ve be Armadi¡¯s apostle, Agra will likely be even more obsessed with me.

    He¡¯ll try harder than ever to erase me from existence.

    So, if I don¡¯t want to die, I need to be stronger.

    Strong enough to survive any trials thate my way.

    Back in my room, I took out the Keter¡¯s Crystal Sphere that I obtained from Soul Academy.

    I knew it would be painful, just like when I drank the elixir, and the thought of that brought countless worries and fears to my mind, but soon enough, the fear suppression kicked in and erased them all.

    I took a deep breath and shattered the Keter¡¯s Crystal Sphere in my hand.

    Then, writhing in pain, I lost consciousness.

    <strong>It was even more painful than I could have imagined.</strong>

    Really.

    <strong>A few dayster, when I returned to the estate, Benedict had the most over-the-top reaction I¡¯ve ever seen.</strong>

    Even though we had been talking every night throughmunication magic since the incident in the dungeon, he still reacted this way.

    On second thought, maybe it¡¯s because I reassured him throughmunication magic that it¡¯s only this bad.

    If we hadn¡¯t had those talks, he probably would have stormed Soul Academy before I even got back.

    That day, as soon as I returned to the estate, I was stuck with Benedict for the entire day.

    This time, I couldn¡¯t even get him to back off with words like "I hate you," "you¡¯re annoying," or "go away."

    So, I had no choice but to endure.

    After a night that was even more mentally exhausting than meeting the alchemist, I left the house early the next morning.

    Normally, I would have enjoyed some training time with Fossel, but I had something else to take care of first.

    ¡°What new achievement have you aplished this time?¡±

    Bishop Johan of the Church of the Lord greeted me with his usual bright smile, even though it had been months since west met.

    <strong>¡®I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware¡­¡¯</strong> ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know this, but I received the baptism from this useless church and became a follower.¡±

    ¡°I am aware. I heard the saint herself performed the baptism.¡±

    The news had already reached him?

    How is it that information about me spreads so quickly?

    Well, that¡¯s actually convenient. If he already knows, I don¡¯t have to exin it.

    <strong>¡®Please help me learn holy magic.¡¯</strong> ¡°Teach me holy magic, useless bishop.¡±

    Even though I now possess holy power after receiving the baptism, I still can¡¯t use holy magic.

    Because you need the church¡¯s teachings to learn holy magic.

    The reason I sought out Johan, despite how awkward it is to talk to him, was precisely for this.

    To learn holy magic.

    I need to build up some proficiency before I enter Soul Academy.

    After hearing my request, Johan raised one eyebrow before responding.

    ¡°Lady Allen, holy magic isn¡¯t something that can be learned just because one bes a follower of Armadi. It requires proving one¡¯s faith over a long time before a priest can teach it.¡±

    Johan listed various reasons to refuse my request, but I knew they were all excuses.

    There are certain holy spells that do require a high level of divine power.

    But there are others that don¡¯t.

    Where does he get off saying there¡¯s nothing I can learn?

    He just doesn¡¯t like me, that¡¯s all.

    Sneaky old man.

    I expected this kind of response, but he¡¯s more tant than I thought.

    I let his words go in one ear and out the other, then pulled a small ss bottle from my pocket and ced it on the table.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    <strong>¡®A potion that increases magic power.¡¯</strong> ¡°A potion that increases magic power. Something a useless person like you would rarely see in their lifetime.¡±

    ¡°...Is that true?¡±

    <strong>¡®I swear by Armadi.¡¯</strong> ¡°I swear by that useless god. This is the real thing.¡±

    Johan, who had remained impassive despite all my insults, pressed his lips into a thin line when I called Armadi a useless god.

    It was a natural reaction. Despite being a sneaky old man, he¡¯s also a devout priest.

    For a believer to hear their god insulted, it¡¯s only natural to expect some harsh words.

    But Johan merelyposed himself and said nothing.

    The potion that increases magic power was too tempting to pass up.

    The potion immediately boosts your stats upon consumption.

    Whether your stats are low or have reached their limit.

    Of course, the potion¡¯s value increases significantly in thetter case.

    It¡¯s not hard to raise low stats, but as they increase, it takes more effort to raise them further.

    In Johan¡¯s case, he¡¯s already reached the pinnacle of a priest¡¯s potential.

    Raising his stats is nearly impossible, leaving skill proficiency as the only way to grow stronger.

    For someone like him, a potion is irresistibly appealing.

    Especially for Johan, who hasn¡¯t given up on reaching even higher.

    <strong>¡®If you teach me¡­¡¯</strong> ¡°If you promise to help me, I¡¯ll give you this potion.¡±

    Even in the game, you couldn¡¯t resist the allure of a potion.

    Would it be any different now?

    I doubt it.

    Johan stared at the potion in silence for a long moment, then sighed deeply and nodded.

    ¡°What would you like to learn?¡±

    <strong>Haha. I knew it.</strong>

    No matter how noble you try to appear, you can¡¯t help but give in to what you desire.

    You really are a useless priest.

    When I covered my mouth to stifle augh, Johan bit his lip.

    <strong>"Is this really the behavior of an apostle of Armadi?"</strong>

    Grandfather, who had been watching me tempt Johan, spoke up after seeing how Johan gave in.

    <strong>¡®What does it matter? It¡¯s not like I wanted to be an apostle.¡¯</strong> <strong>"Huh. I really wonder what Armadi is thinking."</strong> <strong>¡®Exactly.¡¯</strong>

    If I could ask, I¡¯d really like to know.

 Chapter 49

    Everyone gathered in the conference room of Soul Academy was exhausted.

    The problem was that the entrance exam had to be stopped due to an ident that urred during the exam.

    From that day on, all the professors of the Academy stayed up day and night for almost two weeks to deal with the ident.

    After going through many hardships that could easily be a documentary, the professors of the Academy seeded in finishing the exam in two weeks.

    Now, all that was left was to choose the people who would be selected as the special admission students.

    The professors in the conference room, who were bragging about who had the longest dark circles under their eyes, were all anxious to finish the work quickly.

    In the middle of them, Judy Alber, the principal of the Academy, coughed in vain and let out a weak voice as if she was dying.

    ¡°The next candidate we will discuss is Lucy Allen, the daughter of the Allen family. She is one of the victims of this ident, and I think everyone knows her because she is so famous. Professor Luca. Can I hear why you rmended her?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Luca, who had gotten up from his seat, looked around the room with bloodshot eyes and spoke.

    ¡°The reason I would like to rmend Lady Lucy Allen as a special admission student is¡­¡±

    What he was going to say was something everyone had expected.

    The story of overwhelming Lady Meryl of the Baines family.

    The story of showing outstanding leadership while conquering the dungeon for the entrance exam.

    The story of saving all the party members in an emergency situation caused by the curse of Agra.

    ¡°If someone who has shown such achievements cannot be a special admission student, who can be a special admission student?¡±

    The other professors did not refute Luca¡¯s passionate speech with a hoarse throat.

    They were all thinking the same thing.

    It is true that Lucy Allen hasmitted many evil acts so far, but that is a story of the past.

    What she has shown now is enough to ce her in the ranks of the top prospects of the continent.

    ¡°It is true that Lady Allen has shown enough achievements to be a special admission student, but¡­¡±

    However, there was someone who was picking on that.

    Molly, the vice principal of Soul Academy.

    She gave her opinion as if it was nothing special, even though she received Luca¡¯s sharp gaze.

    ¡°You should know that the special admission process is a system that allows those who failed the exam but showed excellent performance in the practical exam to pass.¡±

    ¡°I know that too, Vice Principal. So, isn¡¯t Young Lady Allen even more suitable for this?¡±

    It was a well-known fact that Lucy Allen was not good at studying.

    ording to the person who used to be her tutor, she had no will to study at all.

    Even if she reformed, there was no way she could do well on the entrance exam to Soul Academy after studying for a year.

    Thebat science professors who thought like this nodded in agreement with Luca¡¯s opinion, but the others were different.

    The professors who dealt with the theory side all had subtle expressions on their faces.

    ¡°No, she had enough grades to pass without special admission.¡±

    Molly resolved the doubts that were slowly rising among thebat science professors.

    The unbelievable story that Lucy Allen had excellent grades.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    As Luca blinked, the professor in charge of Korean literature raised his hand.

    ¡°Lucy Allen¡¯s grade in Korean was 87. It¡¯s definitely a high-ranking grade,¡± and as if continuing, the history professor spoke up.

    ¡°In history, she got 98. She made a mistake in the modern-day event that was a question that everyone else got correct.¡±

    ¡°Magic is rtively poor. It¡¯s 68, barely above average.¡±

    Finally, the dungeon studies professor sighed and spoke.

    ¡°The professors are discussing how to give grades for dungeon studies.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I think 100 points won¡¯t be enough.¡±

    The dungeon studies professor said that and then told everyone one of the answers Lucy had written on the test.

    ¡°First, let me exin the problem. This is a descriptive question about how to deal with a group of undead.¡±

    ¡°The thing to watch out for when dealing with brain-rotten, fucking undead is that they are sloppy but tenacious like insects.¡±

    ¡°Wait. Wait a minute.¡±

    One of thebat science professors cut them off the moment they uttered the first sentence of the answer.

    ¡°Is that really what Allen wrote?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m reading it as is. Otherwise, why would I say shit and sloppy stuff?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Please continue.¡±

    The answer delivered through the professor¡¯s mouth was excessively foulnguage, but aside from that, it was a pretty good answer sheet.

    Things to watch out for when dealing with the undead.

    About how to deal with variables.

    What¡¯s the bestbination to conquer a dungeonprised mainly of the undead?

    The answers Lucy Allen wrote down were so urate that you¡¯d believe them as if they were from someone who was conquering dungeons on the front lines, so it could be called a perfect answer itself.

    However, that wasn¡¯t all.

    Up until then, there wasn¡¯t anything particrly unusual.

    ¡°Nowes the important part.¡±

    ¡°The undead have such poor intelligence that if there¡¯s nomanding force, they¡¯re just shit even if they swarm like locusts. Even the most idiotic dungeon master knows this, so he usually ces amanding entity among the undead hordes¡­. Themanding entity, the high-ranking undead, doesn¡¯tmand based on his own eyes. He ces a few of the idiots below him to ry the battlefield situation and receives information through them and gives orders based on that. In other words, if you take care of the idiots who are rying information first, you can make themanding entity an idiot who doesn¡¯t know the battle situation. To find this¡­¡±

    When the dungeon professor finished talking, the conference room was filled with silence.

    What was written there was a story that broke theirmon sense.

    ¡°Is this really the idea that she came up with?¡±

    Luca¡¯s bloodshot eyes filled with strength.

    This was too ground-breaking for an idea that came from a single student.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s hard to believe, but it is.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. If what Young Lady Allen wrote is true, dealing with the undead will be much easier.¡±

    It¡¯smon sense that you should take care of themanding entity first when dealing with a horde of undead.

    The moment themander disappears, the undead group bes a rabble.

    However, it is extremely difficult to maintain thismon sense.

    High-ranking undead have intelligence superior to that of average humans.

    This means that they know what it means to die.

    That is why high-ranking undead never show up on the front lines.

    It is practically impossible to attack themanding entity hidden behind the undead group, so the strategy of dealing with themanding entity was only theoretically correct.

    However, if you use the method suggested by Lucy, it is a different story.

    You will have a means to disrupt themand without hunting themanding entity.

    ¡°In addition, there are many things that the Young Lady Allen wrote on the test paper that are too radical for a nobledy who has never cleared a dungeon.¡±

    ¡°This is not the end?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is why I said that even 100 points are not enough.¡±

    Molly coughed to stop the noise from gradually growing in the quiet conference room.

    ¡°You understand by now, right? Professor Luca, she is not a special admission candidate.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Lucy Allen had already achieved a high score in the written test and was notcking in the practical test, even if it was the top.

    She was already practically epted into Soul Academy.

    ¡°At this point, it¡¯s not a matter of passing, but of where everyone ranks overall.¡±

    Luca sat down as he spoke.

    ¡­

    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin, youngdy.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Sloppy.¡±

    As I took my stance, Karl swung his sword.

    The speed was already at a level that I couldn¡¯t keep up with with my eyes, but it was okay.

    I have the Iron Wall skill.

    As I raised my shield ording to what my skill told me, the sword immediately collided with the shield.

    I could feel my arm that had blocked the sword tingling.

    He¡¯s been so recklesstely.

    What if my, his master¡¯s face gets hurt?!

    <Youngdy, now is the time!>

    As I gritted my teeth and took the attack that Karl was shooting at me, the old man spoke up.

    As soon as I heard that voice, I recited a prayer in my heart.

    ¡®The Lord who loved Eliot granted a miracle, so the devil¡¯s attack could not reach him.¡¯

    Then, the magic power leaking out from within me formed a divine barrier in front of me.

    Karl frowned at the sight of it, but the sword that had already been swung could not be returned.

    The sword blocked by the barrier bounced off, creating a gap.

    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, I ran over the barrier and swung my mace.

    Did he think it was toote to return the sword?

    Instead of blocking my attack, the sword chose to deflect it with movement.

    I could see his eyes ring at my movements.

    <Now. Shine!>

    ¡®When the world was about to be filled with darkness, all the gods gathered together and cried out for light, and a ray of light poured down from the sky.¡¯

    I closed my eyes as I recited the prayer in my mind.

    As soon as my eyelids closed, a bright light burst out that could be felt through my skin, and when I opened my eyes again, I saw Karl that had been hit by the sh hesitate and retreat.

    Good!

    After confirming that Karl was hit by the sh, I intentionally moved my feet exaggeratedly.

    So that even if Karl was in a state of confusion, he could sense the presence.

    So that it was so certain that he could not help but suspect a trap.

    My intention worked exactly.

    Even though I raised the mace, Karl did not move.

    This was my chance.

    Finally, my chance to strike the knight who had been harassing his master without knowing the situation!

    The moment I swung the mace with all my might, the hand moved its sword.

    Chae-aeng!

    The mace that I thought I had swung bounced off at the same time as the Iron Wall skill warned me of the danger.

    However, it was already toote to respond.

    I waited for the attack toe with my eyes wide open.

    However, Karl¡¯s sword did not reach me.

    As I watched the sword that had stopped in front of me, Karl put his sword away.

    ¡°You did well, youngdy. I really thought it was dangerous this time.¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t lie.¡¯

    ¡°Sloppy Knight, do I look like an idiot who would be fooled by empty words?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious, youngdy!¡±

    No matter what he said, the knight¡¯s opinion was not trustworthy.

    <You idiot. I¡¯ve told you many times to calm down when you have the chance.>

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry!¡¯

    <Let¡¯s try again.>

    ¡®Yes!¡¯

    I regained myposure as the old man urged me.

    Then, Karl, who was standing on the other side, also raised his sword.

    ¡°Miss!¡±

    It was then that a maid came running from far away and called my name.

    I wondered what was going on, so I lowered my weapon and waited, and the maid handed me a letter.

    ¡®What is this?¡¯

    ¡°Clumsy maid. What is this?¡±

    ¡°A letter from Soul Academy!¡±

    Soul Academy?@@novelbin@@

    There¡¯s only one letter that can be sent from there.

    A notification that I¡¯ve been epted or not.

    So this letter alone will decide my fate?

    I took a deep breath, opened the letter, and checked the contents.

    And after reading what was written inside, I froze.

    ¡°Miss, what¡¯s written inside?¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡±

    I did pass, but¡­ what on earth is this crappy academy thinking in asking me to give the representative freshman speech?

 Chapter 50

    The individuals gathered in the meeting room of Soul Academy were all equally exhausted.

    The problem was that the entrance exams had been interrupted due to an incident that urred during the test.

    Since that day, all the professors at the academy had been working tirelessly, day and night, for nearly two weeks to deal with the aftermath of the incident.

    If one were to describe it in words, the amount of hardship they endured could easily fill an entire novel, but after two grueling weeks, the professors of Soul Academy finally managed toplete the exams.

    Now, the only remaining task was to select the candidates for special admission, and then everything would be over.

    The professors, who were silentlyparing the lengths of their dark circles, were all eager to finish the work as quickly as possible.

    In the midst of this, Judy Albert, the principal of the academy, cleared her throat and spoke in a weak voice that sounded almost lifeless.

    ¡°Next on the agenda is Lady Lucy Allen of the Allen family. She is one of the victims involved in the recent incident, and I believe she needs no introduction due to her fame. Professor Luca, could you please exin why you rmended her?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    Luca stood up and surveyed the room with his bloodshot, reddened eyes before he began to speak.

    ¡°The reason I am rmending Lady Lucy Allen for special admission is¡­¡±

    What he said was exactly what everyone had expected.

    The incident where she outperformed Lady Merrill of the Baines family.

    The exceptional leadership she disyed during the dungeon conquest portion of the entrance exam.

    Saving all her party members during the sudden crisis caused by Agra¡¯s curse.

    ¡°With such achievements, who could be more deserving of special admission than her?!¡±

    Luca¡¯s passionate speech, delivered with a hoarse voice, met no opposition from the other professors.

    They all shared simr thoughts.

    It was true that Lucy Allen had caused a lot of trouble in the past, but that was history.

    What she had demonstrated now was more than enough to ce her among the sacred ranks of the continent.

    ¡°It is true that Lady Allen has shown enough achievements to be considered for special admission, but¡­¡±

    However, there was someone who voiced an objection.

    It was Molly, the vice principal of Soul Academy.

    Despite Luca¡¯s sharp re, she calmly presented her opinion.

    ¡°You should be aware that the special admission system is for those who did not pass the exam but excelled in practical skills.¡±

    ¡°I am aware, Vice Principal. Which is why Lady Allen is even more suited for it.¡±

    It was well-known that Lucy Allen was not particrly good at academics.

    ording to her former tutors, she barely had the will to study at all.

    No matter how much she had turned over a new leaf, it was hard to believe she could have studied well enough in just one year to pass Soul Academy¡¯s entrance exam.

    Thebat studies professors nodded in agreement with Luca¡¯s opinion, but the others had different reactions.

    The professors who dealt with theoretical subjects all had peculiar expressions.

    ¡°No, Lady Allen¡¯s performance was more than sufficient to pass the exams without special admission.¡±

    Molly dispelled the doubts that were creeping up among thebat studies professors.

    She did so with the unbelievable revtion that Lucy Allen had scored highly.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    Luca blinked, and one of the professors in charge of literature raised a hand.

    ¡°Lady Allen scored 87 points innguage. That¡¯s enough to ce her in the upper ranks.¡±

    Following that, the history professor spoke up.

    ¡°She scored 98 in history. She only made a small mistake in a question about recent events.¡±

    ¡°Her performance in magical studies was rtively low, with a score of 68. It¡¯s just barely average.¡±

    Finally, the professor in charge of dungeon studies sighed as he spoke.

    ¡°As for dungeon studies, we¡¯re still debating how to grade her.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Because 100 points don¡¯t seem sufficient.¡±

    After saying that, the dungeon studies professor shared one of Lucy¡¯s answers with the others.

    ¡°First, let me exin the question. It was a descriptive question on how to deal with a group of undead.¡±

    ¡®The undead, with their rotten brains, are pathetic weaklings, but they¡¯re tenacious like cockroaches, so you have to be careful when dealing with them.¡¯

    ¡°Wait. Hold on.¡±

    One of thebat studies professors interrupted after hearing the first sentence of the answer.

    ¡°Is that really what Lady Allen wrote?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m reading it verbatim. Why else would I use words like ¡®pathetic weaklings¡¯ and ¡®useless¡¯?¡±

    ¡°...I apologize. Please continue.¡±

    Although the answer was filled with excessive profanity, when you removed those parts, it was actually a rather well-thought-out response.

    Precautions to take when dealing with the undead.

    How to respond to unexpected variables.

    The best teamposition for clearing a dungeon filled with undead.

    Lucy Allen¡¯s answer was so precise that it could have been written by someone who had cleared dungeons on the frontlines, making it a perfect answer deserving of 100 points.

    But that was only the beginning.

    Up to that point, nothing was particrly unusual.

    ¡°Here¡¯s where it gets interesting.¡±

    ¡®The undead are so mindless that without amand unit, they¡¯re nothing more than a swarm of mindless locusts. Even the most foolish dungeon masters know this, so they usually ce amand unit among the undead. ...The high-ranking undead, themand unit, doesn¡¯t lead by just using its own eyes. It has a few lower-ranked undead to ry battlefield information to it, and it makes decisions based on that information. In other words, if you take out the ones rying the information first, you can turn themand unit into a clueless idiot. To find them, you need to...¡¯

    By the time the dungeon studies professor finished speaking, a heavy silence had fallen over the meeting room.

    What was written there was something that shattered the conventional wisdom they all knew.

    ¡°Did Lady Allen reallye up with this idea?¡±

    Luca¡¯s bloodshot eyes narrowed with intensity.

    This was an idea too groundbreaking for a single student to conceive.

    ¡°Yes. As unbelievable as it may sound, it¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Amazing. If Lady Allen¡¯s suggestion is urate, it would make dealing with the undead much easier.¡±

    It wasmon knowledge that the first priority when facing a horde of undead was to eliminate themand unit.

    The moment themand unit is gone, the undead be disorganized and chaotic.

    However, following thismon sense was extremely difficult.

    High-ranking undead possess intelligence far superior to that of most humans.@@novelbin@@

    They understand the significance of their own death.

    For this reason, high-ranking undead never reveal themselves on the frontlines.

    Attacking themand unit hidden behind a horde of undead is practically impossible, making the strategy of eliminating themand unit one that¡¯s only theoretically sound.

    However, if Lucy¡¯s method were applied, the story changes.

    There would be a way to disrupt themand without needing to hunt down themand unit itself.

    ¡°Furthermore, many of the answers Lady Allen provided in her exam are far too bold for a noblewoman who has never conquered a dungeon before.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the only surprise?!¡±

    ¡°No. That¡¯s why I said 100 points wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡±

    The quiet meeting room began to buzz with activity, which Molly silenced with a clearing of her throat.

    ¡°By now, you should understand, Professor Luca. Lady Allen is not a candidate for special admission.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Lucy Allen had not only achieved a score high enough to be in the top tier academically, but she had also performed exceptionally well in the practical exams.

    She had essentially already secured her ce at Soul Academy.

    ¡°At this point, we should be more curious about her overall ranking rather than whether she passed or not.¡±

    Luca said this as he took his seat.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin, mydy.¡±

    <strong>¡®I¡¯m ready.¡¯</strong> ¡°Come at me, you useless thing.¡±

    As I readied my stance, Carl swung his sword.

    It was already too fast for me to follow with my eyes, but that¡¯s fine.

    I have my Iron Wall skill.

    As I raised my shield ording to the skill¡¯s guidance, the sword struck it immediately.

    I could feel my arm going numb from the impact.

    He¡¯s really not holding back these days.

    What¡¯s he going to do if he ends up scarring the face of the master he serves?!

    <strong>Now! This is your moment!</strong>

    While gritting my teeth and enduring Carl¡¯s attacks, Grandfather¡¯s voice rang out.

    The moment I heard it, I silently recited a prayer.

    ¡®As the Lord showed mercy to Elliot, He grants a miracle, and the demon¡¯s attacks could not reach him.¡¯

    Then, the magic within me flowed out, forming a divine barrier in front of me.

    Carl frowned upon seeing it, but it was toote to stop his sword¡¯s swing.

    The sword struck the barrier and was deflected, creating an opening.

    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, I dashed past the barrier and swung my mace.

    Perhaps realizing it was toote to retrieve his sword, Carl chose to dodge rather than counter my attack.

    I could see his eyes carefully tracking my movements.

    <strong>Now! Shine your light!</strong>

    ¡®When darkness was about to consume the world, the gods gathered and cried out for light, and a ray of light poured down from the heavens.¡¯

    As I recited the prayer in my mind, I closed my eyes.

    No sooner had my eyelids shut than a bright light burst forth, shining even through my closed eyes. When I opened them again, I saw Carl staggering back, dazed by the sh.

    Perfect!

    Seeing Carl disoriented by the light, I deliberately made my footsteps louder.

    Even though he was confused, I wanted him to sense my approach.

    I wanted it to be so obvious that he would suspect it was a trap.

    My n worked perfectly.

    Despite my raised mace, Carl didn¡¯t move.

    This was my chance.

    Finally, a chance tond a blow on the knight who dared torment his master!

    Just as I swung the mace with all my might, Carl moved his hand.

    <strong>ng!</strong>

    The mace I thought I had swung was deflected, and at the same time, the Iron Wall skill warned me of danger.

    But it was toote to react.

    I stared wide-eyed, waiting for the attack toe.

    However, Carl¡¯s sword never touched me.

    His de stopped just short of my face before he withdrew it.

    ¡°You were impressive, mydy. I really thought this time was dangerous.¡±

    <strong>¡®Don¡¯t lie to me.¡¯</strong> ¡°Do I look like a fool who would fall for ttery, you useless knight?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sincere, mydy!¡±

    No matter what I said, the knight¡¯s nodding head couldn¡¯t be trusted.

    <strong>You foolish girl, how many times must I tell you to stay calm in moments of opportunity?</strong>

    <strong>¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯</strong> <strong>Let¡¯s try it again.</strong>

    <strong>¡®Yes, sir!¡¯</strong>

    I readied my stance once more, taking Grandfather¡¯s scolding to heart.

    Opposite me, Carl also raised his sword.

    ¡°Mydy!¡±

    It was then that I heard a maid calling my name from afar as she ran toward me.

    Wondering what was going on, I lowered my weapon and waited as the maid handed me a letter.

    <strong>¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯</strong> ¡°What is it, you useless maid?¡±

    ¡°A letter from Soul Academy!¡±

    Soul Academy?

    There¡¯s only one reason they¡¯d send a letter.

    It¡¯s the notification of whether I passed.

    So, this one letter is about to decide my fate?

    I took a deep breath before tearing open the envelope to check the contents.

    After reading the letter, I froze in ce.

    ¡°Mydy, what does it say?¡±

    <strong>¡®Uh, well, I did pass, but...¡¯</strong> ¡°I passed, but... What is this useless academy thinking, asking me to give the student representative speech?!¡±

 Chapter 51

    The fact that I passed wasn¡¯t particrly surprising.

    After all, I had shown so much during the entrance exam!

    I demonstrated overwhelming prowess inbat, and despite the incident in the middle, I achieved remarkable sess in the dungeon conquest.

    So, I was confident that even if I had failed the written exam, I would still be epted through special admission.

    But being asked to give the freshman representative speech?

    Why are they assigning this to me?!

    Isn¡¯t the representative speech supposed to go to the student with the highest score among the freshmen?

    Are my scores really that high?

    There¡¯s no way!

    My practical exam scores might be high, but there¡¯s no way my written exam scores are that good!

    I practically threw away every subject except for dungeon studies, and yet they¡¯re telling me I outscored the third prince, who¡¯s basicallybeled a genius?

    That¡¯s nonsense!

    Okay, fine. I¡¯ll concede a bit.

    Let¡¯s say that the answers Grandfather helped me with over the past two months were all correct.

    But what about magic studies, where I had no such help?

    I literally rolled the dice and randomly guessed my answers.

    I practically threw that subject away!

    So how on earth could I be selected to give the freshman representative speech? How?!

    There must be some mistake.

    It must be some sort of procedural error that mistakenly put me in this position. It has to be.

    I continued reading the admission notice, desperately hoping to find some mistake.

    But reality was harsh.

    Soul Academy was all too eager to present several facts, as if to prove they hadn¡¯t made a mistake.

    ¡®Lady Lucy Allen, your specific exam results are as follows:¡¯

    ¡®Language: 87 points.¡¯

    <strong>I told you, didn¡¯t I? A noble should never make mistakes in their use ofnguage.</strong>

    ¡®History: 98 points.¡¯

    <strong>It seems you made some minor error. I thought you had answered everything correctly.</strong>

    ¡®Dungeon Studies: 100 points.¡¯

    <strong>Huh. So, all those bizarre answers you gave turned out to be correct? No wonder you were so confident.</strong>

    ¡®Magic Studies: 68 points.¡¯

    <strong>...Is there some mistake here? You said you didn¡¯t solve any problems in magic studies, so how did you score 68 points?</strong>

    ¡®Combat: 91 points.¡¯ ¡®Dungeon Conquest: 100 points.¡¯

    <strong>That¡¯s not surprising. You did perform exceptionally well in those areas.</strong>

    ¡®With a total score of 544, Lady Lucy Allen not only achieved the highest score in this year¡¯s Soul Academy entrance exam but also set the record for the highest score in the history of Soul Academy. Therefore, we have chosen Lady Allen as the representative to deliver the freshman speech. If you have received this letter¡­¡¯

    After reading the letter to the end, I folded it and tossed it back into the envelope before throwing it to the floor.

    But the letter never hit the ground.

    That useless knight with his annoyingly quick reflexes caught it mid-air.

    ¡°Mydy, why did you throw this?! You should show it to the head of the family¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you useless thing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    I was already feeling dizzy, like I was about to lose my mind, and here he is making a fuss?

    Are you suddenly developing some kind of perverse desire to be stomped on by your master? Huh?

    When I frowned and red at him, Carl quickly lowered his head.

    <strong>What¡¯s the matter with you?</strong>

    <strong>¡®What¡¯s the matter?! Are you seriously asking that right now?!¡¯</strong>

    How could you, the very person who caused this mess, be asking what¡¯s wrong?!

    Grandfather, if you hadn¡¯t been so unnecessarily brilliant, this wouldn¡¯t have happened!

    Why did you have to study so hard and get me such high scores?!

    Were you trying to show off how smart you are?!

    <strong>Isn¡¯t it an honor to deliver a speech representing everyone?</strong>

    <strong>¡®Honor?! Grandfather, did you forget about the blessing I have?!¡¯</strong>

    <strong>Ah.</strong>

    Grandfather, do you really think I¡¯m throwing a tantrum just because I hate standing in front of people?!

    Sure, I¡¯m naturally introverted and don¡¯t enjoy being the center of attention.

    But if I had to, I could do it!

    It¡¯s an opportunity to repair my tarnished reputation. Why would I turn down something that could only benefit me?

    If it weren¡¯t for the Mesugaki Skill, I¡¯d probably agree with you that it¡¯s an honorable position and ept it!

    But I <em>do</em> have the Mesugaki Skill!

    <strong>¡®Grandfather, think about it. Imagine me standing before all those nobles, calling them useless weaklings!¡¯</strong>

    It wasn¡¯t hard to picture myself giving that speech with countless influential people watching me.

    <strong>¡®Hello, you useless fools who are dumber than me. I¡¯m Lucy Allen. How pathetic must you be for me to be standing here? Then again, considering you all applied to this useless academy, it¡¯s no surprise you¡¯re all weaklings!¡¯</strong>

    It was horrifying.

    Sure, the Mesugaki Skill might tone down thenguage when formal speech is required, but it wouldn¡¯t stop words like ¡°useless,¡± ¡°weakling,¡± ¡°idiot,¡± and ¡°moron¡± from slipping out during the speech.

    And then what would happen to my reputation?

    The professors at Soul Academy would think I¡¯m insane, the royal family and nobles would be convinced the rumors about me were true, and even themoners would start avoiding me.

    It would be worse than the worst scenario I had ever imagined for my academy life!

    No way.

    This future must be avoided at all costs.

    I have to do whatever it takes to prevent this nightmare from happening.

    As I dragged my hands down my face, I looked up at Carl, who was watching me with a worried expression.

    <strong>¡®Carl¡­¡¯</strong> ¡°Hey, you useless thing. You graduated from Soul Academy, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    <strong>¡®Can you refuse to give the freshman representative speech?¡¯</strong> ¡°Is it possible to refuse this pointless speech?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    <strong>¡®What?¡¯</strong> ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no precedent. The freshman representative speech is an honor reserved for the most outstanding student among the new entrants. No one in the academy¡¯s history has ever refused it.¡±

    <strong>¡®So¡­¡¯</strong> ¡°So, it¡¯s not a rule or anything?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±

    <strong>¡®Really? Then¡­¡¯</strong> ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll be the first to refuse in this useless academy¡¯s history.¡±

    People might think I¡¯m strange, but that¡¯s better than beingbeled as a lunatic by all those influential people.

    Having made my decision, I snatched the letter from Carl¡¯s hand and headed back to the mansion.

    I needed to write a letter refusing the freshman representative position.

    I didn¡¯t know what response they would give, but I was determined to reject it.

    Unless they wanted to see how vast my repertoire of insults was, they¡¯d better ept my refusal.

    ¡°So you want to pass this responsibility to someone else?¡±

    Arthur Sdin, the third prince, conveyed his displeasure without holding back after hearing the request to take on the freshman representative role throughmunication magic.

    It was more than rude; it wasughable.

    It was bad enough that he had been dethroned from the top spot, but now the person who took first ce was offering to pass the role to him, as if he weren¡¯t interested in such honors.

    As if Arthur had been running his entire life for the glory of being the freshman representative, only to be humiliated by this so-called generous gesture.

    Arthur knew, logically, that there was no ill intention, but emotionally, he felt differently.

    His anger continued to rise.

    He didn¡¯t realize he was biting his lip until he tasted blood in his mouth.

    Damn it.

    It was true that he had always aimed for the freshman representative position.

    But the scene he envisioned was one where he earned that position by achieving the highest score in the history of Soul Academy.

    Not by being handed it like this.

    Hmph. Whoever that freshman representative was, they had some nerve.

    They had turned him into a fool who would clean up after someone who had just refused the most prestigious position in Soul Academy¡¯s history.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I must decline.¡±

    <Understood.>

    When Arthur firmly expressed his refusal, the person on the other end of themunication magic didn¡¯t push further.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Just as themunication magic was about to end, Arthur called out to the other party.

    ¡°One more thing.¡±

    <Yes, Your Highness?>

    ¡°Can you tell me the name of the person who was originally supposed to be the freshman representative? It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll remain a secret for long.¡±

    The top 20 entrance exam scores would be revealed at the entrance ceremony, so there was no reason to hide it.

    The person on the other end hesitated for a moment before answering Arthur¡¯s question.

    <It¡¯s Lady Lucy Allen of the Allen family.>

    ¡°Lucy? You mean the same Lady Lucy Allen from the Allen family?¡±

    <You are correct, Your Highness.>

    Lucy Allen.

    Arthur had never met Lucy Allen in person, as he had never been active in social circles.

    But he had heard plenty of rumors about her.

    Rumors travel faster and further when they¡¯re bad rather than good.

    More often than not, her name was reced by titles like ¡°the disgrace of the Allen family¡± or ¡°the wilddy.¡±

    And this woman almost became the freshman representative of Soul Academy?

    What kind of¡­

    ¡°Is this some sort ofpensation for the incident during the entrance exam?¡±

    Arthur realized that his remark was highly inappropriate.@@novelbin@@

    He had basically used the academy of bribing someone with the representative position to cover up a mistake.

    ¡°I apologize. It seems I let my emotions get the best of me.¡±

    <No need to worry, Your Highness. As long as you acknowledge the academy¡¯s fairness, that¡¯s all that matters.>

    ¡°Thank you. You may end the call now.¡±

    <I wish you a peaceful day.>

    Did you know?

    That peaceful day you wished for just vanished with this conversation.

    After themunication magic ended, Arthur leaned back in his chair, staring at the white ceiling.

    ¡°Lucy Allen.¡±

    It seems rumors can¡¯t be trusted after all.

    Someone who scored the highest in Soul Academy¡¯s rigorous exams shouldn¡¯t be called the disgrace of their family.

    Perhaps ¡°pride¡± would be more fitting.

    ¡°Lucy.¡±

    Well, whatever.

    Whether she¡¯s a pride or a disgrace doesn¡¯t matter to me.

    Who she is, what kind of personality she has, what she¡¯s done.

    None of that matters to Arthur Sdin.

    Only two things matter.

    Lucy Allen is the one who took the glory that should have been his.

    And she insulted him by pretending to be considerate.

    That¡¯s all there is to it.

    ¡°I look forward to seeing your face.¡±

    Whoever you are, I¡¯ll make sure to return this insult.

    I guarantee it.

    Ever since I threw away the freshman representative position, I¡¯ve felt at peace.

    Of course, there was some noise during the process, but bringing up the incident during the entrance exam seemed to smooth things over.

    Thank goodness.

    In the worst-case scenario, I was even considering a no-show on the day of the entrance ceremony, but things worked out easily.

    After that, I simply focused on my training while waiting for the day of Soul Academy¡¯s entrance ceremony.

    My days were filled with routine¡ªrunning in the morning, sparring in the afternoon, practicing holy magic in the evening.

    Life was so peaceful that I wondered if I could live like this forever, but that all ended today.

    It was finally time to leave the estate and head to the academy.

 Chapter 52

    ¡°Miss, you need to do it slower and more gently.¡±

    <strong>¡°I am doing it.¡±</strong> ¡°Look, useless maid, I¡¯m doing it just like you said.¡±

    ¡°No, not like that. Here, let me show you.¡±

    <strong>¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±</strong> ¡°Is that the best you can exin, you fool? Try doing it properly.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment. Um, so¡­¡±

    My personal maid was standing beside me, looking into the mirror, trying to teach me how to fix my hair, but my hands were still clumsy.

    It was so much harder to do something myself that I usually left to my maid.

    Why does the academy have this rule that everyone must be treated equally, regardless of rank, and that no one is allowed to have servants?

    It¡¯s obvious that such a rule wouldn¡¯t be followed.

    After all, once you graduate from the academy, you go right back under the social hierarchy, so who in their right mind would uphold this idea of equality?

    If it weren¡¯t for that rule, I wouldn¡¯t have to do something as tedious as brushing my own hair.

    Damn it.

    Iined inwardly, but whining wasn¡¯t going to change reality.

    Grumbling, I followed the maid¡¯s instructions, and eventually, I managed to make my hair look decent.

    To me, it looked good enough, but the maid¡¯s expression said otherwise¡ªit wasn¡¯t satisfactory from a professional¡¯s point of view.

    Is there really anything more that needs to be done? It looks just like how I usually have it.

    As I waited for the maid to speak, she slowly nodded her head.

    ¡°This should be sufficient.¡±

    <strong>¡°Right?¡±</strong> ¡°See? It¡¯s much better than when you did it, useless maid.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Miss.¡±

    Over the past few months, the maid had changed a lot.

    When we first met, she used to tremble whenever I moved my hands, but now, nothing seemed to faze her.

    I wonder what Lucy did to break someone down sopletely.

    ¡°Are you ready, Miss?¡±

    After finishing my appearance and stepping out of the dormitory, Carl was waiting for us at the entrance.

    I told him to stop standing by the door like a creep, so now he was stationed at the dorm¡¯s entrance instead.

    Does this guy think an ideal knight is someone who stalks their master?

    I was about to say something, but I realized it would be pointless since he¡¯d justugh it off, so I sighed and let it go.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Everyone is on the move.¡±

    <strong>¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡±</strong> ¡°I know, useless knight. Don¡¯t rush me.¡±

    As Carl and I started walking, the maid remained standing in ce.

    Curious, I turned to see her holding the ends of her skirt and bowing her head.

    ¡°Have a safe trip, Miss Lucy. I¡¯ll be waiting for your return at the mansion.¡±

    Saying goodbye here?

    We¡¯re going to see each other again in just a few months¡ªwhat¡¯s with all the fuss?

    I fully turned around and stood in front of the maid.

    <strong>¡°I¡¯ll be back, Erin.¡±</strong> ¡°I¡¯ll be back, useless Erin. Just wait for me.¡±

    ¡°...Yes, Miss.¡±

    The entrance to the academy was teeming with people.

    Last time, it was just students and servants, which was manageable, but now, with parents included, it was hard to imagine getting through the crowd.

    But my worry was unfounded.

    As I approached the entrance, people moved out of the way on their own.

    It was as if a giant cockroach had appeared, and people split to avoid me, making me chuckle.

    That¡¯s right. I had been holed up in the mansion for the past few months and almost forgot that this is how I was treated.

    As I received those stares mixed with fear and unease, a sigh escaped me.

    No matter how you look at it, Lucy really did a lot of damage over a wide range.

    If Lucy had just confined her antics to the mansion, she wouldn¡¯t be so widely avoided.

    Is it even possible to overturn this reputation?

    At this point, it seems easier to just ept it.

    <strong>Think positively. At least you¡¯re getting inside without being crushed by the crowd.</strong> <strong>¡®Grandfather, could you stay positive in this situation?¡¯</strong> <strong>Better than having people crowding around you. Do you know how awful it is when people start gathering just because you¡¯re there?</strong>

    Grandfather began telling stories of when he was a hero, recounting how he and hispanions would attract crowds that made it impossible to move.

    After an incident caused by the crowd, he had to hide his identity as much as possible.

    Even having a good reputation has its downsides, huh?@@novelbin@@

    As with anything, moderation is best.

    With that thought, I walked down the wide-open path.

    Yeah, it¡¯s better than being swarmed by people.

    When Carl and I tried to enter the academy, the gatekeeper stopped us.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Allen, but you cannot bring a servant inside.¡±

    <strong>¡°Carl is¡­¡±</strong> ¡°This useless person isn¡¯t entering as a servant.¡±

    ¡°Pardon? Then¡­¡±

    <strong>¡°He¡¯s here to work.¡±</strong> ¡°He¡¯s here to work, useless gatekeeper. Don¡¯t you know anything?¡±

    It was only nominal, but the fact that a knight of the Allen family was employed at Soul Academy had a lot to do with the incident during the entrance exam.

    Back when the incident urred during the academy entrance exam, Benedict had sent a seriousint to the academy.

    The academy apologized and offeredpensation, but Benedict rejected all their proposals.

    Instead, he said this:

    ¡®We don¡¯t need that kind ofpensation. Instead, let one of our knights enter the academy.¡¯

    It was a tant expression of distrust, essentially saying, ¡°I don¡¯t trust you, so I¡¯m sending a knight to protect my daughter.¡±

    The academy had nothing to say in response.

    The incident during the entrance exam was entirely their fault, and considering Benedict¡¯s status, it was a rtively minor request.

    However, the academy¡¯s rule of not allowing servants remained, so they couldn¡¯t just let Carl in.

    Thus, the academy offered employment as a solution.

    This was the most the academy could offer, so Benedict epted it withoutint.

    And so, Carl became a professor at Soul Academy through a backdoor deal.

    This situation worked out well for me, too.

    It meant I had someone absolutely on my side within the academy.

    Though it¡¯s a bit scary to think he might start guarding my dorm room... surely, he wouldn¡¯t go that far?

    When Carl pulled out a letter and showed it to the gatekeeper, the gatekeeper, flustered, saluted Carl.

    ¡°You¡¯re here as a professor! Please, go right in!¡±

    Having entered Soul Academy, I parted ways with Carl and headed to the location of the entrance ceremony.

    Being a newly appointed professor, Carl had a lot of work to do, unlike me, a mere student.

    The walk to the entrance ceremony was extremely smooth.

    Even with parents around, the path opened up for me; with only students around, it was even more so.

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    I guess making friends here is out of the question!

    As I was inwardlymenting my certain future of loneliness at the academy, someone called my name.

    <strong>¡°Joy.¡±</strong> ¡°Miss Clueless. Long time no see.¡±

    It was Joy.

    Wearing the Soul Academy uniform, she looked less intimidating than when she wore her usual ck dress.

    Of course, that¡¯s onlypared to before; she still looked like the viinousdy she was.

    When I frowned at being called ¡°Miss Clueless,¡± her sharp gaze was no joke.

    Those eyes could kill.

    ¡°Could you call me by my name instead of ¡®Miss Clueless¡¯?¡±

    Joy seemed tired of the nickname and made her request, but that was impossible.

    I had already been calling her by her name in my head.

    Unless the Mesugaki Skill allowed it, I couldn¡¯t call her by her name out loud.

    <strong>¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±</strong> ¡°Why should I, Miss Clueless?¡±

    ¡°...Fine. Do as you like. It¡¯s not like it¡¯llst much longer anyway.¡±

    I guess Joy doesn¡¯t know yet that I almost became the freshman representative?

    I wonder what her expression will be like when she sees my name at the top of the list.

    In the game, her face when she was flustered by her clueless antics was priceless¡ªseeing it in real life would be amazing!

    I¡¯m kind of looking forward to it.

    ¡°But more importantly, Lady Allen.¡±

    <strong>¡°Yes?¡±</strong> ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Thank you forst time. Thanks to you, I¡¯m still alive. I¡¯ll make sure to repay this debt someday.¡±

    Joy said this, bowed her head, and then walked over to the group that seemed to be her entourage.

    Oh. I didn¡¯t expect her to thank me again in front of everyone.

    <strong>It seems your efforts paid off.</strong> <strong>Indeed.</strong>

    It felt awkward to receive thanks for something I had done to clean up my own mess.

    But maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªif she¡¯s that grateful, could I be friends with Joy if I behave well from now on?

    Perhaps my time at the academy won¡¯t be as bleak as I imagined!

    With those hopeful thoughts, I headed toward the entrance ceremony.

    But reality quickly reminded me of my situation.

    As soon as people assigned to the seats around me saw my face, they reacted as if they had seen something they shouldn¡¯t have, their expressions filled with terror.

    I bet they wouldn¡¯t even flinch like that if they saw a cursed painting that kills you after three looks.

    Seeing the students around me looking so frightened made me feel sorry for them.

    I¡¯m sorry, unfortunate people.

    Despite your fears, I¡¯m actually apletely harmless person, so nothing bad will happen.

    Just think of it as one of life¡¯s many oddities and bear with it.

    Anyway, if I just keep my mouth shut, don¡¯t I look like a cute youngdy? Consider it a visual treat.

    As time passed, more people gathered for the entrance ceremony.

    Among them were many characters I knew well.

    Freyr Kent, the future Swordmaster.

    Toby, amoner who entered the academy solely based on his exceptional martial talent.

    Phoebe, the saint said to possess the highest talent among all saints in history.

    From afar, she made eye contact with me and gave a polite nod.

    As expected of the saint. Despite hearing me call her useless, she still greets me first!

    If only my mind hadn¡¯t been so preupied with the useless godst time, I could have talked to her more.

    It¡¯s such a shame.

    And there was Arthur Sdin, the third prince, often called the ¡°Pitiable Prince¡± by yers¡­

    Wait, why is he here?

    Didn¡¯t I refuse the representative position, so he should be the one giving the speech?

    ¡°Now, we shall begin the academy entrance ceremony. Students, please¡­¡±

    As I was pondering this, Vice Principal Molly stepped onto the stage, signaling the start of the ceremony.

    The person who took on the freshman representative role was Jacal Barrow, the Inferior Prince.

    He seemed pleased to be the representative, reading his speech with a triumphant expression.

    He was a guy who had overall talent but was always outshone by the Pitiable Prince in intellect and by Freyr and Toby in martial prowess, never able to be the best.

    A man doomed never toe in first ce.

    Why is he up there?

    It¡¯s strange. There¡¯s no way he could have beaten the Pitiable Prince.

    In the game, he was always getting beaten and whining about it.

    His nickname ¡°Inferior Prince¡± wasn¡¯t for nothing.

    I really don¡¯t get it.

    What on earth is going on at Soul Academy?

    Watching the guy who used to cry out, ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll win for sure!¡± with a happy face gave me mixed feelings.

    Yeah, you should get to be happy at least once.

    After his speech ended, Judy Albert took the stage.

    Her appearance meant the time hade.

    I gripped the mace I had kept small for convenience.

    <strong>Why are you suddenly holding a weapon?</strong> <strong>It¡¯s about time.</strong> <strong>What do you mean, ¡®it¡¯s about time¡¯?</strong> ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    Just as Grandfather asked, a scream erupted from behind us.

    The ground trembled.

    Looking in that direction, I saw a monster emerging from a hole in the earth.

    Here it is¡ªthe ssic academy monster attack.

    Of course, the entrance ceremony wouldn¡¯t beplete without some chaos.

    As the crowd around me panicked, I erged my mace and summoned a shield using holy magic.

    Well then, let¡¯s get started.

    It¡¯s time to improve my reputation by behaving like a true tank.

 Chapter 53

    The monster that emerged from the ground was the Earth Dragon, along with the other creatures itmanded, just like in the game.

    In Soul Academy, this served as a tutorial, so fighting the Earth Dragon was not possible.

    It wasn¡¯t a matter of being unable to fight with a level 1 character; the system simply didn¡¯t allow yers to engage with it.

    Instead, yers had to fight lesser minions and learn the gamey mechanics.

    Meanwhile, various key characters in the game would band together to defeat the Earth Dragon.

    During those repeated tutorials, I often thought about how much I wanted to take down that Earth Dragon myself, and now, I finally had the chance.

    And with much better stats than in the tutorial.

    If I weren¡¯t a character in the game, I would have been purely delighted.

    As I passed by the panicked students fleeing in confusion, I spotted a student who had fallen and was unable to get up, with an earth golem preparing to attack him.

    He wouldn¡¯t get hurt even if I left him alone.

    After all, the monsters currently moving were all being controlled by the academy.

    But the reason I had drawn my weapon was to improve my reputation.

    It¡¯s better to make a good impression here.

    If I can¡¯t improve my reputation and end up being treated like a cockroach throughout my time at school, my fragile ego might not survive!

    I quickened my pace, stepping in front of the student and blocking the golem¡¯s punch with the shield I created using holy magic.

    It was light.

    Compared to the sword strikes I¡¯d endured during my training sessions with Carl, this was nothing more than a cat¡¯s yful swat.

    After deflecting the punch with ease, I brought my mace down on the golem¡¯s head.

    As its head shattered and the golem lost its power source, it crumbled to the ground, and I turned my attention to the student.

    <strong>¡°Run away.¡±</strong> ¡°You weakling. If you can¡¯t run on two legs, then crawl away.¡±

    The student hurriedly scrambled to his feet and fled with the other students.

    You¡¯d think he¡¯d at least say thanks for saving him.

    Was my tone really that harsh?

    Still, if that kid isn¡¯tpletely ungrateful, he¡¯ll remember that I helped him and spread some good words about meter, right?

    With that thought, I resumed my charge toward the Earth Dragon.

    Several students were already surrounding the Earth Dragon.

    They were brave souls trying to buy time for the other students to escape, but unfortunately, their skill didn¡¯t match their courage.

    Even though this Earth Dragon wasn¡¯t fully grown, it was still a dragon.

    Its basic stats were leagues above most monsters.

    It wasn¡¯t something newly enrolled students could handle.

    The Earth Dragon was holding back its attacks, but if it had been serious from the start, those students would have been down long ago.

    I stepped in front of the student who had resigned themselves to being crushed by the Earth Dragon¡¯s raised w.

    As the Earth Dragon¡¯s w came crashing down, the Iron Wall skill activated.

    Block it.

    I responded by moving my shield.

    <strong>Boom.</strong> The Earth Dragon¡¯s w mmed into my shield, and I was pushed back slightly.

    Now, that¡¯s some decent power.

    It¡¯s almost as strong as one of Fossil¡¯s lighter punches.

    But still.

    Do you know how many times I¡¯ve sparred with Fossil?@@novelbin@@

    Do you know how many times I¡¯ve been knocked to the ground by that person who has no concept of holding back?!

    This is nothing.

    <strong>Don¡¯t even think about attacking. The Earth Dragon¡ª</strong> <strong>Grandfather, do you really think I don¡¯t know that?</strong>

    As a veteran of Soul Academy, do you think I don¡¯t know this thing¡¯s traits?

    You¡¯re underestimating me too much.

    I pushed the w back and reset my stance.

    The Earth Dragon was known for its exceptional defense, even among dragons.

    If I went all out and attacked, I could deal damage, but that would leave me vulnerable.

    If I were the only one fighting, I¡¯d take the risk and swing my mace, but right now, there are plenty of damage dealers around, so there¡¯s no need for me to take that chance.

    Just as the Earth Dragon was about to lift its w again, a fireball struck its head.

    Wow, that seems stronger than what I sawst time.

    ¡°Lady Allen, hold on!¡±

    It seems you¡¯ve grown a lot since the entrance exam, Joy.

    As the Earth Dragon, now focused on Joy, red at her, a figure rushed in from the side, aiming for the dragon¡¯s tail.

    It was Freyr, the future Swordmaster. His sword bit into the Earth Dragon¡¯s scales, slicing through its flesh, but it didn¡¯t sever the tailpletely.

    As the Earth Dragon roared in pain and swung its tail wildly, Freyr clicked his tongue and retreated.

    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s tough.¡±

    The enraged Earth Dragon prepared to attack recklessly.

    No, that won¡¯t do.

    How can you lose focus on the enemy in front of you and turn your attention away from me?

    I have no choice. You¡¯re like a distracted child.

    Let me help you focus on your opponent.

    ¡°Hey, you little lizard?¡±

    As soon as I called out, the Earth Dragon¡¯s gaze snapped back to me.

    ¡°Has living underground made your brain regress like a bug?? I know you¡¯re dumb, but you should at least know your ce? It¡¯s pretty cheeky to take your eyes off me?¡±

    Look at me, you useless lizard.

    Did the taunt work?

    Feeling a rush of exhration, the Earth Dragon roared and swung its massive tail toward me.

    Even as the huge mass came crashing down like a whip, I didn¡¯t panic.

    I was confident that this wouldn¡¯t be enough to break me.

    ¡®The servant of God will not fall before the onught of evil.¡¯

    Sturdy Sanctity.

    A buff spell that boosts physical abilities during defense, and an exclusive skill for Holy Knights.

    The tail struck just as the prayer ended and the blessing settled on me.

    <strong>Boom!</strong>

    As the tail mmed into my shield, I instinctively gritted my teeth.

    Even if it¡¯s angry, isn¡¯t this a bit too much?

    If it weren¡¯t me but an ordinary person, they¡¯d be ttened into 2D by now!

    While I struggled to hold back the massive weight pressing down on me, I suddenly felt a surge of power.

    It was different from the buff effect of the Mesugaki Skill.

    Right now, there¡¯s only one person among the Soul Academy students who could provide such a proper buff.

    Perfect timing, Saintess.

    With the help of the buff, I pushed the Earth Dragon¡¯s tail back, causing it to lose its bnce and stumble.

    ¡°Are you alright, Lady Allen?¡±

    Phoebe approached me, trying to cast a healing spell, but I waved her off.

    <strong>¡°I¡¯m fine. Please take care of the others.¡±</strong> ¡°Why don¡¯t you heal your own eyes first, useless Saintess? I don¡¯t need your help, so why don¡¯t you go assist elsewhere?¡±

    I noticed her smile falter slightly.

    It seems even the Saintess isn¡¯t immune to the provocations of the Mesugaki Skill!

    ¡°Lady Allen...¡± ¡ª <strong>Roooaaar!</strong>

    <strong>¡°Saintess, please focus on buffing us from the back!¡±</strong> ¡°Useless Saintess, just stay back and support us!¡±

    Fearing I might actually see the Saintess¡¯s smile break, I hurriedly charged at the Earth Dragon.

    At this rate, I might be the first person the Saintess ever dislikes!

    Joy watched Lucy push back the Earth Dragon¡¯s tail and knock it over, feeling both relieved and amazed.

    How does so much powere from such a small body?

    Even with Phoebe¡¯s blessing, it only amplifies the strength one already has.

    If Lucy hadn¡¯t been incredibly strong to begin with, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to pull that off.

    She had wondered about this before, seeing Lucy fight with all her might in that hellish dungeon¡ªhow did this person be so strong?

    A year ago, she couldn¡¯t even climb stairs properly.

    Is she really the daughter of the Allen family, which has produced countless legendary heroes?

    As soon as the Earth Dragon lost its bnce and copsed, the young lord from the Burrow Duchy charged at it.

    With a spear in hand, he attacked the Earth Dragon¡¯s head, clearly determined to im some glory.

    Whatever his intentions were, his reckless charge was an annoyance to Joy.

    She had to hurriedly cancel the spell she was preparing for fear he would get caught in it.

    I didn¡¯t have to worry about things like this when I was fighting alongside Lady Allen.

    As Joy began preparing a new spell, Prince Arthur Sdin leisurely approached her.

    ¡°Your magic has improved a lot, Joy.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, is now really the time to be making such casual remarks?¡±

    Joy scolded him, and Arthur chuckled.

    The two had known each other since childhood.

    Arthur knew well that Joy¡¯s stern tone was more of aint than actual scolding.

    ¡°If anything, I should be asking you. Why the rush, Joy?¡±

    ¡°The Earth Dragon and its minions are attacking the students.¡±

    ¡°Joy, this is why they call you Miss Clueless.¡±

    Joy frowned at Arthur¡¯s joke.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Her expression was filled with determination, as if she was ready to get revenge, but Arthur didn¡¯t seem the least bit intimidated.

    ¡°Look around, Miss Clueless. Despite this sudden attack, there are no injuries.¡±

    ¡°Why are you calling me Miss Clueless too, Your Highness¡­ Wait, what?¡±

    Joy finally noticed that there were no injured or suffering students anywhere.

    This was definitely strange.

    Even if the academy¡¯s entrants were skilled, they were still facing an Earth Dragon.

    Normally, there should have been numerous injuries and chaos, yet the situation was unusually calm.

    ¡°Miss Clueless, that¡¯s not the only strange thing. Look around. The Earth Dragon¡¯s minions are just standing there, watching the fight.¡±

    Indeed. The minions, who at first seemed poised to attack the students, were now just standing idly by, watching the battle.

    Why are they just watching their leader fight?

    ¡°More importantly, none of the professors are joining the battle.¡±

    At Arthur¡¯s words, Joy shifted her gaze to where the professors were.

    Given that an incident had urred during the academy¡¯s entrance ceremony, the professors should have been the first to jump into the fray, yet they were merely observing the fight.

    They were only helping maintain order and aiding students in their escape, despite being within a range where they could easily intervene.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°The answer is obvious. Even you, Miss Clueless, can figure it out.¡±

    Arthur was right. With a bit of calm thinking, the answer was easy to deduce.

    ¡°The academy orchestrated this attack.¡±

    ¡°And their intention?¡±

    ¡°To test the abilities of the new students.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, Joy. You¡¯re actually quite sharp when you¡¯re calm.¡±

    ¡°...You make it sound like I¡¯m strange when I¡¯m not calm.¡±

    ¡°Well, when you¡¯re not calm, you are Miss Clueless.¡±

    Joy¡¯s displeasure was evident, and Arthur couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter any longer.

    The more heughed, the more Joy¡¯s expression darkened, but Arthur wasn¡¯t worried in the slightest.

    There was no way this timiddy would do anything drastic.

    Arthur moved past the sullen Joy and observed Lucy, who was holding off the Earth Dragon.

    As expected of the Allen family¡¯s daughter, she¡¯s certainly skilled.

    Her movements are excellent, and her quick decision-making is impressive.

    There¡¯s nothing to criticize.

    ¡°Well, with skills like that, it¡¯s no wonder she took first ce in the entrance exam.¡±

    ¡°...What?!¡±

    Joy made an uncharacteristically loud noise for a duchess in response to Arthur¡¯s muttered words.

    ¡°Joy, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, is what you just said true?¡±

    Confused by Joy¡¯s trembling voice, Arthur nodded.

    ¡°You mean Lady Allen took first ce in the entrance exam? Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. That¡¯s a lie. You¡¯re lying, right? Please, tell me you¡¯re lying, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°I wish it were a lie.¡±

    If it were, he wouldn¡¯t have been humiliated.

    Arthur¡¯s firm response left Joy staring nkly at him.

    Seeing her expression, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    I may not know much about Lady Allen yet, but she sure is good at giving nicknames.

    Miss Clueless¡­ It suits you perfectly.

 Chapter 55

    Oh, right. I almost forgot about this.

    The main reason I fought so hard to get into Soul Academy was because of this, but with everything that just happened, itpletely slipped my mind.

    Even as I read the message window, I didn¡¯t expect much.

    Given that the useless deity is connected to the system, there''s a high chance this is also tied to him.

    What could that stingy guy, who only gave me a quest system after I became his apostle, possibly give me for clearing my first quest?

    ["Appraisal" skill has been unlocked.] [A new main quest, "You Were Born to Be Loved," has been unlocked.]

    What?

    Wait, hold on.

    What?!

    A new quest isn¡¯t that surprising.

    I didn''t expect the quests to end with just the entrance exam.

    But appraisal. Appraisal is different.

    The appraisal skill existed in the game as well.

    Soul Academy, being a game that pursued a ridiculous level of realism, sometimes had item descriptions that were misleading.

    NPCs could even scam you with this.

    The appraisal skill was necessary in such cases.

    The higher the skill level, the easier it was to uncover the true nature of items.

    In fact, there were endgame items in Soul Academy that could only be identified with a max-level appraisal skill.

    But how does this skill work in reality?

    In the game, it would automatically activate when you hovered the mouse over an item.

    I pulled out Luel¡¯s mace to check, but I didn¡¯t feel anything.

    With my other skills, I would feel something when they activated, but not this time.

    Is it because my proficiency is low? Or is there a different activation method?

    Thinking it might be simr to what happens in other web novels, I stared at Luel¡¯s mace and whispered, "Appraise."

    Then, a new message window appeared before me.

    [Luel''s Mace] [A mace used by the holy knight Luel. It seems to radiate a sacred aura.] [????]

    So, that¡¯s how it works?

    The skill level is still low, so the exnation isn¡¯t fully revealed, but that¡¯s something I can grind to improve.

    This is awesome.

    Useless deity!

    You finally gave me something useful?!

    If you had done this earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have had to call you the useless deity!

    Alright, I¡¯m in a good mood now!

    From now on, I¡¯ll even add the honorific "nim" when I refer to you!

    Thank you, Useless Deity-nim!

    Getting one of the skills I thought was most necessary lifted my spirits a bit from the earlier gloom.

    Now it¡¯s time to check the quest.

    ["You Were Born to Be Loved"] [By the end of the term, increase the affection of two students at Soul Academy to 70 or higher.] [Reward: ???] [Failure: GAME OVER]

    Excuse me?

    For a moment, I couldn¡¯t believe what I was reading, so I rubbed my eyes and looked at the quest window again.

    But nothing had changed.

    I¡¯m sorry, Useless Deity-nim.

    I just added the honorific, but I think I need to remove it again.

    No, if I just remove the "nim," it might seem too harsh, so I¡¯ll remove something else too.

    Hey, Useless! How am I supposed to clear this?!

    Affection level 70?! Do you think that¡¯s possible?!

    Soul Academy has an affection system.

    It¡¯s a system where you can raise affection by doing quests rted to the NPCs, spending time with them, or giving them gifts, eventually forming closer rtionships.

    Even if you weren¡¯t interested in the story, you had to pay attention to the affection system because it boosted stats when you were in the same party.

    But that¡¯s not the important issue right now, so let¡¯s move on.

    Specifically, regarding affection levels, when you first meet someone with no prior feelings, it starts at 40.

    The lower it drops, the worse the rtionship, and the higher it rises, the closer you be.

    So what does an affection level of 70 in this quest mean?

    It¡¯s equivalent to considering each other as close friends.

    In other words, genuine friends who can talk about anything without hesitation.

    In the game, it wasn¡¯t that hard to raise affection to that level, but now the situation is different.

    There¡¯s no way I could form that kind of rtionship with anyone!

    Given the way things are going at Soul Academy, I¡¯m wondering if I¡¯ll even make one friend, let alone two close friends within six months!

    Give me something realistic.

    Why not give me a quest to clear a high-difficulty dungeon instead?

    If it¡¯s that, I¡¯ll twist my body and somehow manage!

    But this? No way!

    You¡¯re too cruel, Useless.

    Getting into Soul Academy as Lucy was already tough enough, and now that I¡¯ve climbed that mountain, you throw an even higher one in my path.

    You just want to see me fail, don¡¯t you? Right?

    What kind of apostle nonsense is this?

    You just want to torment me and watch me struggle.

    Is that it? You sadistic deity.

    I won¡¯t. I absolutely won¡¯t let things go the way you want.

    Just wait.

    No matter what hardships you throw at me, I won¡¯t break.

    I¡¯ll find a way to survive and thene for your neck.

    You may think you¡¯re safe because you¡¯re a deity, but let me tell you something.

    In Soul Academy, even gods can be killed.

    I¡¯ll make you regret tormenting me.

    My mood, which had slightly improved, plunged back into despair.

    Because I had just started to feel better and then crashed again, the impact hit even harder.

    Although I resolved to survive no matter what, reality was far from easy.

    What¡¯s the problem, you ask?

    Everything was a problem.

    The fact that everyone thinks I¡¯m a delinquent due to Lucy¡¯s previous reputation.

    The fact that I have to provoke others half-forced by the Mesugaki Skill.

    The fact that I can¡¯t see others¡¯ affection levels.

    As I think about it, asking what the problem is was the wrong question.

    In this situation, the right question would be, "What isn¡¯t a problem?" It would be faster to find that.

    Of course, I remember how to manage the affection levels of all the characters.

    I¡¯m an expert on Soul Academy, after all.

    But still. Even so.

    Damn you, useless Lucy.

    Damn you, useless Mesugaki Skill!

    "Lady Allen."

    When I lowered my hands and looked up at the sound of my name being called, I saw Joy standing there with a serious expression.

    She even left her usual followers behind toe talk to me alone, so she must be really upset.

    "Pitiable Prince? What on earth is that about?"

    Oh. That part?

    Well, Joy is close with Arthur from childhood.

    If she heard me call him the Pitiable Prince, she¡¯d definitelye to confront me.

    "Did you know the circumstances of the Third Prince when you said that?"

    Of course I do.

    Joy, you might know a lot about Arthur, but not more than I do.

    Not all characters in Soul Academy have led peaceful and happy lives.@@novelbin@@

    While some, like Joy, have lived spotless lives, others have experienced what can only be described as tragic.

    Arthur is one of those people.

    A secret about his birth.

    The death of his mother.

    His family¡¯s neglect.

    Gossip in the royal court.

    After enduring multiple tragedies, Arthur became obsessed with perfection, making him one of the most unfortunate characters in Soul Academy.

    And I called such a person the Pitiable Prince.

    And I¡¯ll have to keep calling him that.

    ''No, I didn¡¯t know.'' "Airhead Lady, why would I need to know about the Pitiable Prince?"

    Even though I knew, I confidently answered as if I didn¡¯t.

    If I admitted to knowing, I¡¯d be an irredeemable piece of trash!

    "If you didn¡¯t know, why did you call the Third Prince that?"

    ''Just because.'' "He looks pitiable, so I called him that. Just like I call you Airhead Lady because you look airheaded."

    When I responded confidently, Joy sighed.

    "Then, please stop calling him that from now on."

    So, she believes that I didn¡¯t mean any harm?

    At least that''s a relief.

    Thanks to saving her in the dungeonst time, it seems she doesn¡¯t think too poorly of me.

    But I couldn¡¯t agree to her request.

    I don¡¯t want to call Arthur the Pitiable Prince either, you know!

    ''Why?'' "Why should I? Airhead Lady?"

    "That¡¯s... something I can¡¯t say."

    Of course.

    Arthur¡¯s situation isn¡¯t something others can exin unless he talks about it himself.

    That¡¯s why I asked why, knowing she would answer this way.

    It lets me shamelessly continue.

    ''If you won¡¯t tell me the reason...'' "Really? Then I¡¯ll just keep calling him the Pitiable Prince."

    "No."

    ''Goodbye...'' "Goodbye, Airhead Lady. I¡¯ll be going now."

    As I turned and walked away, I heard Joy fuming behind me.

    But I didn¡¯t look back.

    I need to work on raising affection levels, but all I¡¯m doing is lowering them.

    I¡¯m not usually the type to cry easily, but I feel like tears areing.

    <You must be having a hard time because of that blessing.> ''Exactly. I¡¯m d I at least have you, Grandpa.''

    I never realized how grateful I¡¯d be to have someone to talk to.

    <I wonder what Armadi is thinking.> ''Please, let¡¯s not talk about that.'' <My, calling a god "that."> ''Because of that god, my life is on the line!''

    Arthur may have no ims to the throne or a powerful backer, but what if I had said something simr to the Second or First Prince?

    It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if I were arrested for treason!

    Wait a minute. Isn¡¯t the Second Prince attending Soul Academy right now?

    What if I meet him and identally give him a nickname...

    No, I can¡¯t. Absolutely not.

    I should avoid the second-year ssrooms altogether.

    When I opened the door to ss 1-A of Soul Academy, where I¡¯d been assigned, all eyes turned to me.

    Most of the looks were wary or ufortable.

    The kind of look that says, "She¡¯s in the same ss as me?"

    At this rate, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the person assigned to sit next to me ends up in tears.

    Among the gazes, there were a few that were slightly different.

    The saint, who speaks to me despite all the harsh words I¡¯ve thrown at her, naturally greeted me with a warm smile.

    The Third Prince, on the other hand, was openly ring at me with hostility.

    Joy¡¯s followers were frowning and whispering among themselves as they looked at me.

    I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but I could guess.

    They were probablyining about how I rudely nicknamed Joy the Airhead Lady.

    Everywhere I looked, I could practically see the affection points hitting rock bottom.

    "Hey."

    Wow. This is really bleak.

    Where do I even start?

    First, I should choose two characters who were easy to raise affection with in the game.

    <Youngdy, someone behind you is trying to speak with you.> ''To me?''

    Following Grandpa¡¯s words, I turned around to see a girl slightly taller than me standing there.

    She had ck hair tied back and was gazing at me with emotionless red eyes.

    The future Swordmaster of the kingdom.

    Why is Freyr Kent trying to talk to me?

    I¡¯m not too keen on this.

    "You. Fight me."

 Chapter 56

    Even though I was suddenly challenged to a fight, I wasn¡¯t all that surprised.

    Freyr was that kind of character, after all.

    She¡¯s a crazy girl with nothing but swords and battles in her head.

    A my-way-or-the-highway type who doesn¡¯t care about others'' feelings and just does whatever she wants.

    If she thinks it¡¯s worth it, she¡¯ll just challenge anyone to a duel on the spot.

    And she was a character I didn¡¯t particrly like.

    To put it bluntly, I hated Freyr.

    I hated how she acted on her whims, dragging others along with her.

    I hated how she would hurl sharp words with an innocent face and then tilt her head as if she didn¡¯t know what she did wrong.

    But most of all, I hated her because her gamey in the game was utterly terrible.

    It wasn¡¯t that Freyr¡¯s stats were bad.

    Freyr, who would eventually be the Swordmaster, was undoubtedly one of the strongest melee characters in <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    So, what was the problem?

    Freyr acted on her own whims.

    Regardless of the yer''smands or instructions, she did whatever she pleased.

    How many times had my party been wiped out because of her trolling while I had her in my team for achievements?

    Ever heard the saying, ¡°I fell in love with overwhelming power¡±?

    Well, I came to hate Freyr because of her overwhelming ipetence.

    I can confidently say that Freyr was one of the worst characters in <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    And just because the game had be reality didn¡¯t mean I thought her personality or style would change.

    So, I had absolutely no desire to get closer to her.

    Let alone the idea of having her in my party.

    With all the variables I already have to deal with because of Agra¡¯s curse, and now I¡¯m supposed to bring her along?

    That would be suicide. I¡¯d rather go solo.

    If at least managing her affection points were easy, I might try to work on it for the sake of clearing the quest, but even that is tough with her.

    "Didn¡¯t you hear me?"

    Freyr tilted her head, seeming puzzled by myck of response.

    Even in the game, I thought her illustration was incredibly well-done, but now that it¡¯s real, it¡¯s on another level.

    Her eyes, like embedded jewels.

    Her hair, so fine it looks like it could slip through your fingers.

    Her pristine, white skin, despite her love for roaming around outside.

    I never understood the people who praised Freyr''s looks as part of her appeal, but now I think I get it.

    She was beautiful.

    So beautiful that anyone who saw her face up close would never forget it.

    It wasn¡¯t just me; I could tell from how all the students'' eyes were glued to Freyr, even with me standing right next to her.

    She didn¡¯t seem to care at all about the attention she was getting, though.

    ''I heard you.'' "Yeah, I heard you, useless swordswoman."

    Useless swordswoman, huh?

    I really don¡¯t get how these nicknames are decided.

    Why does one person get a nickname that matches and another doesn¡¯t?

    I¡¯m just d this one doesn¡¯t match.

    It could have been something like "Crazed Sword," "Psycho Lady," or "Party Crusher."

    None of the nicknames she could¡¯ve had are positive.

    But "useless swordswoman" isn¡¯t too bad.

    "Huh? Useless? Me?"

    ''Yes.'' "Is there anyone else here besides you?"

    "Hmm. So I¡¯m the useless swordswoman, huh? First time hearing that nickname."

    Even though I was insulting her, Freyr didn¡¯t seem to care much.

    She didn¡¯t seem to care how others perceived or addressed her.

    Just like in the game.

    "Anyway, answer me. Let¡¯s fight."

    ''No.'' "Why should I fight a useless swordswoman?"

    "It¡¯ll be fun."

    ''I don¡¯t think so.'' "Sorry, but I¡¯m not interested in fighting someone as useless as you."

    "Really? But still..."

    Does she even listen to what I¡¯m saying?

    Talking to her felt like talking to a wall, and it was frustrating.

    Since inhabiting Lucy¡¯s body, I hadn¡¯t felt this outmatched in a conversation before, but today was different.

    To someone who just blocks out others and says whatever they want, it didn¡¯t matter if I had the Mesugaki Skill¡¯s trantions or not.

    "So, I just have to prove I¡¯m not useless?"

    The moment Freyr said that.

    <Youngdy!>

    Iron Wall shouted.

    He told me to raise my shield.

    My body, trained over the past few months to the point of coughing up blood, moved before I could think.

    I recited a prayer in my mind and created a divine shield on my arm, moving the shield in line with Iron Wall¡¯s instructions.

    <em>ng!</em>

    Freyr¡¯s sword struck my shield and was deflected.

    Her red eyes calmly stared at me, the emotion within them unmistakably one of interest.

    The kind of interest a child would show when discovering a new toy.

    "Wow. You blocked it?"

    ''Are you insane?!'' "Useless swordswoman! Are you out of your mind?! Swinging a sword here, of all ces!"

    "But you blocked it, so it¡¯s fine, right?"

    This crazy woman.

    This is exactly why I didn¡¯t want to get involved with her.

    With every swing of Freyr¡¯s sword, Iron Wall kept warning me of the danger.

    Each attack was a killing blow.

    The moment I let my guard down, my flesh would be sliced open.

    I kept reciting a prayer to cast buffs on myself, blocking her attacks while waiting for an opening.

    Freyr was undoubtedly strong for her age, but she was no match for the knights of the Allen family.

    If it were Carl in front of me, and he was serious about taking me down, I¡¯d already be dead.

    "Lady Allen! Step back!"

    Just as I was holding out, I heard Joy¡¯s voice.

    As soon as I heard her, I deflected Freyr¡¯s sword and stepped back.

    In that moment, an ice wall sprang up between me and Freyr, and divine power descended upon it, reinforcing the wall.

    Was this thebined work of Joy and Phoebe?

    "Are you alright?"

    When did she get here? Phoebe was suddenly beside me, looking at me with concern.

    Are you worried that I might have been hurt?

    Godly Saintess. You¡¯re the only one for me.

    Even though I keep calling you useless, you¡¯re still worried about me.

    How should I express my gratitude for your kindness?

    ''Yes.'' "Of course, I¡¯m fine. Useless Saintess. Do you think I¡¯d lose to a beast like that?"

    Phoebe chuckled when I confidently replied in Mesugaki-speak.

    It seems she¡¯s gotten used to being called "useless saintess" by now.

    "Lady Kent, what do you think you¡¯re doing?" "Why?" "You drew your sword in the ssroom." "I had to prove I¡¯m not useless." "Do you really think that¡¯s a reasonable exnation?"

    While I was chatting with Phoebe, I overheard Joy and Freyr talking beyond the ice wall.

    As the conversation went on, Joy¡¯s voice grew sharper, but Freyr remained as calm as ever.

    Joy is terrifying when she¡¯s truly angry, yet Freyr remained unfazed even in the face of that. That¡¯s just like her.

    If I leave them like this, Joy might actually explode, so I decided to step in and walked past the wall toward them.

    ''Joy.'' "Airhead Lady."

    "There you go again, calling me Airhead Lady."

    ''Didn¡¯t I win the bet?'' "The Airhead Lady who lost the bet sure is talking a lot."

    "Ugh..."

    By now, she must have checked the entrance exam results.

    She should know she lost the bet, so she should just ept that she¡¯s the Airhead Lady now!

    I shifted my gaze from the frustrated Joy to Freyr.

    "Are we going to keep doing this?"

    ''No.'' "No, useless swordswoman."

    "Aww."

    Freyr looked genuinely disappointed when I refused.

    I think she really does like me.

    She probably only sees me as a fun punching bag, but once she¡¯s interested, there¡¯s no getting rid of her.

    This is going to be a hassle.

    If I just let her go, she¡¯lle at me again, saying she wants to fight.

    I need to put a leash on her first.

    ''Freyr.'' "Useless swordswoman."

    "Hmm?"

    ''Do you want to spar with me again?'' "Do you want to fight me again?"

    "Yes! Of course!"

    That¡¯s the most enthusiastic answer I¡¯ve gotten so far.

    It would¡¯ve been nice if she¡¯d answered other questions like this.

    ''Then don¡¯t do anything like this again.'' "Then don¡¯t do anything this stupid again."

    "Why?"

    With this "why," you can¡¯t just answer withmon sense.

    Freyr is far from being a normal person.

    There¡¯s no point in trying to applymon sense to someone who lives in their own world, regardless of who¡¯s in front of them.

    The answer I need to give must align with Freyr¡¯s world.

    Just like how the protagonist in the game had to adjust to her, I need to do the same.

    ''Freyr, you...'' "Useless swordswoman, you want to fight me, right?"

    "Yes!"

    ''Then...'' "Then wouldn¡¯t it be better to prepare thoroughly and fight in the best ce possible? Or are you such a useless swordswoman that you can¡¯t win without ambushing me?"

    Freyr rolled her eyes as she listened to me, then nodded in understanding.

    "You¡¯re right. You¡¯re really smart."

    Now that she¡¯s convinced, she probably won¡¯t ambush me anymore.

    Though I¡¯ll have to spar with her regrly now, I¡¯ll just consider it part of my training.

    She¡¯s actually a decent sparring partner.

    "So when are we going to spar?"

    ''Let¡¯s do it tomorrow...'' "Tomorrow. Unlike you, a beastly swordswoman, I¡¯m tired."

    "Mm. Okay. Tomorrow then?"

    Freyr nodded, satisfied with my answer, and Joy let out a sigh of relief.

    Even though she¡¯s probably still annoyed that I called Arthur the Pitiable Prince, she still cares about me!

    You¡¯re such a good person!

    ''Thank you, Joy.'' "You did well, Airhead Lady."

    "Ugh. Don¡¯t mention it. More importantly, Lady Kent, please be more mindful of your actions next time." "Huh?"

    Joy frowned slightly as she responded to Freyr, who looked back at her as if she didn¡¯t understand what she had done wrong, before dispelling the ice wall and walking away.

    Wow. That was intense.

    To see Freyr still tilting her head even after Joy gave her that look, she¡¯s truly one of a kind.

    Not that I¡¯m one to talk.

    Alright, now that the situation¡¯s somewhat resolved, I should find my seat.

    I¡¯ll try to find a spot that doesn¡¯t catch the professor¡¯s eye.

    If they call on me and ask a question, I¡¯m bound to say something rude.

    As I took a step, Freyr, who had been watching me quietly, started following me.

    ''Freyr...'' "Useless swordswoman, why are you following me?"

    "Is that not allowed?"

    Seeing Freyr¡¯s innocent eyes, I couldn¡¯t find the words to respond.

    There¡¯s nothing really wrong with it.

    It¡¯s just that your attention bothers me.

    Damn it. I can¡¯t just tell her to get lost because it¡¯s annoying.

    <em>Sigh.</em>

    ''Do what you want.'' "Do what you want, useless swordswoman."

    "Okay, I will."

    It really annoys me how she only responds quickly to things that benefit her.@@novelbin@@

    When I found a suitable spot to sit, Freyr naturally took the seat next to mine.

    Do you really like me that much?

    Did you like the way I fought back earlier and find me a good punching bag?

    But so what?

    To get your affection to 70, I have to help you reach some enlightenment about the sword.

    Of course, there¡¯s a way to do that, but it¡¯s only possible in the second year.

    Having to raise two people¡¯s affection to 70 by the end of the term, Freyr¡¯s interest is no help at all!

    Watching Freyr, who was humming a tune to herself while gazing out the window with her own rhythm, made my head hurt.

    Ugh.

    If only her conditions weren¡¯t so bizarre, she could have been one of the people whose affection I raised to 70.

    It¡¯s a shame, really.

    Still, having someone to sit next to me is better than nothing.

    At least one of the seats that should have remained empty beside me is now filled. That¡¯s something to be thankful for.

    Not long after, the professor entered the ssroom and gave the usual speech that teachers give on the first day.

    Things like the ss schedule, tips for school life, and so on.

    Having yed <em>Soul Academy</em> so much, I¡¯d heard this speech countless times, so I was only half-listening. Soon enough, the professor¡¯s exnation was over.

    "That concludes today¡¯s entrance ceremony. You all worked hard this morning."

    And with that, the entrance ceremony was officially over.

    Now, it¡¯s free time where we can do whatever we want.

    Alright. As a seasoned yer of <em>Soul Academy</em>, it¡¯s time to go and gather what I need!

 Chapter 57

    After the professor told us to take a break and left, I immediately got up from my seat.

    I had already nned my course of action in my head, so there was no hesitation.

    When <em>Soul Academy</em> begins, there are specific tasks that yers need toplete.

    First, you need to choose the courses you will take.

    Attending sses in <em>Soul Academy</em> rapidly increases your proficiency in the rted subjects, making course selection one of the most crucial aspects of the game.

    I didn¡¯t have to think twice about this.

    The courses a blunt weapon tank should take are already determined.

    Next, I needed to gather useful items that could be obtained at the start of <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    After all, <em>Soul Academy</em> is still a game.

    So, you can¡¯t get overpowered items right from the start.

    Even the mace I¡¯m currently holding, Luel¡¯s Mace, is something you normally wouldn¡¯t acquire until your second year when you can leave the academy.

    However, among the less remarkable items, there are some that are quite useful early on.

    I was nning to go collect those now.

    "Where are you going?"

    Startled by the voice behind me, I stopped and turned around to see Freyr following closely behind me. She really surprised me.

    Since when has she been following me?!

    <You didn¡¯t notice?> ''Of course, I didn¡¯t! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?!'' <I thought you were pretending not to know.>

    Grandpa! Do I seem like such a terrible person to you?

    I may be using harshnguage because of the skill, but I¡¯m not a bad person!

    Sure, I find Freyr a bit annoying, but I don¡¯t show it openly!

    "Hmm?"

    Freyr¡¯s voice snapped me back to reality.

    <em>Sigh.</em> What can I say to someone who doesn¡¯t even realize they¡¯ve done something wrong?

    It¡¯s all Grandpa¡¯s fault for not telling me.

    ''The library.'' "Library."

    "The library? Why are you going there?"

    ''What¡¯s wrong with me going to the library?'' "What¡¯s wrong with that? What¡¯s wrong with me going to the library?"

    "It¡¯s boring there."

    Is that it?

    I guess the library is boring.

    I can¡¯t argue with that, especially considering I used to use the school library as a ce to nap.

    "Instead, why don¡¯t youe with me to the training grounds? It¡¯ll be fun."

    ''Sorry, but...'' "Hah. Useless swordswoman, unlike you, I¡¯m not that free."

    "Too bad. Okay."

    Freyr answered and then turned around to leave.

    She walks so quietly that I didn¡¯t even hear her following me earlier.

    <So, why are you going to the library? You¡¯re not the type to study.> ''I do study when I need to!'' <Do you now? I clearly remember you falling asleep the moment you opened a book.>

    Th-that was because I didn¡¯t have a solid foundation!

    If I¡¯m taught well from the beginning, I can study just fine!

    <Enough with the nonsense. Just tell me why you¡¯re going to the library.> ''...To get an artifact.'' <Did you receive a revtion from Armadi?> ''Yes.''

    In reality, Armadi hasn¡¯t done anything for me, but it was easier to use that excuse with Grandpa.

    It was more convenient than trying to exin that I¡¯m someone who got transported into a game.

    <Hmm. So Armadi is looking after his apostle, it seems.> ''...Yes.''

    It annoyed me that my knowledge was being credited to Armadi, but I had no other choice.

    Damn it. One day, I¡¯ll reveal that Armadi is just a useless, ipetent, sadistic deity.

    When I opened the door to the library and stepped inside, a familiar scene greeted me.

    I used to leave my character here all day when I was raising a magic-based character.

    I¡¯m d I decided to be a tank.

    If I had chosen a job that required too much thinking, I¡¯d have had to endure all that hardship myself.

    Better to have a tired body than a tired mind, right?

    I entered the library without asking for directions and headed straight to where I needed to go.

    If I look at the third row from the bottom of the C62 shelf¡­ there it is.

    "A Dissertation on the Fountain of Mana."

    Seeing the title, I immediately opened the book to thest page.

    There it was, just as I had expected.

    [To the junior who has read this dissertation.] [Thank you for taking the time to look into my foolish research. I¡¯ve hidden a special mechanism in this book just for you. If you write a specific word in the nk below, you¡¯ll receive an amazing gift. The clue to this word is that it¡¯s the key term in all my dissertations! Good luck!]

    <ul>

    <li><em>Ding</em></li>

    </ul>

    [Kerta¡¯s Gift] [Solve the book¡¯s riddle] [Reward: ???]

    Great.

    Kerta¡¯s Gift is one of the hidden quests in <em>Soul Academy</em> that you can obtain by searching the library.

    The quest seems insignificant, but when the game was first released, this quest was a nightmare for yers.

    Kerta, who left a significant mark on the field of magic, wrote hundreds of dissertations, and finding themon word among them seemed almost impossible.

    Many yers who loved solving puzzles gathered to offer their opinions, but the quest wasn¡¯t easily solved.

    As time passed and yers grew tired, many began to specte that the quest was bugged.

    Then, someone finally managed to clear the quest and posted proof.

    People were shocked.

    Because the person who cleared the quest wasn¡¯t some veteran yer but a newbie.

    The excited veteran yers swarmed the newbie with questions.

    How on earth did you clear it?

    The newbie responded simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

    "Isn¡¯t the key to a dissertation obviously the author?"

    That¡¯s right. The answer to this damned puzzle wasn¡¯t academic at all.

    It was a nonsense riddle.

    That moment was truly deting.

    I ended up cracking open a bottle of soju that night because of how empty I felt.

    "Kerta Bulcan."

    [Quest Cleared!] [Reward granted.]

    After writing that name, a magic circle lit up behind the bookshelf, and a ring popped out from its center.

    When I used the appraisal skill on the ring, a message window appeared before me.

    [Kerta¡¯s Ring] [A ring inscribed with numerous magic circles on the underside. It radiates a mysterious power.]

    Since my appraisal proficiency is low, the description isn¡¯t fully revealed, but the ring has the following effect:

    It reduces the mana consumption of all skills by 20%.

    It¡¯s not an amazing effect, and in theter stages, when stats are maxed out, it bes obsolete. But right now, it¡¯s different.

    At this point, I can only use Armadi¡¯s Touch five times before running out of mana.

    For someone with such poor mana reserves, Kerta¡¯s Ring is a valuable item.

    Moreover, this ringter bes a trigger for an important quest.

    I should definitely hold on to it.

    As I slipped Kerta¡¯s Ring onto my thumb, it resized itself to fit my finger perfectly.

    As expected of a ring crafted by a great mage!@@novelbin@@

    Admiring the ring on my finger, I nced at the clock hanging in the library.

    It¡¯s almost 4 PM.

    Is time really flying by this fast?

    Realizing I didn¡¯t have any time to waste, I quickly moved on.

    After that, I moved nonstop, exploring various parts of <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    I was busy epting quests and searching for hidden items scattered around the academy.

    Of the two, the process of receiving quests involved a lot of hardship and obstacles.

    The problem was my reputation and the Mesugaki speech.

    In the game version of <em>Soul Academy</em>, it didn¡¯t matter who you talked to; they would give you a quest. But in reality, it¡¯s different.

    People don¡¯t even bother asking someone as unreliable as me for favors.

    On the other hand, finding items was easy.

    Who knew it would be so wonderful not to have to interact with anyone?

    After roughly finishing what I needed to do in the academy, I headed to thest ce on my list¡ªthe training grounds of <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    Since it was the first day of the entrance ceremony, most of the people training here, bathed in the sunset, were those who had already been attending the academy.

    Most freshmen are probably having dinner with new friends in the academy¡¯s cafeteria or struggling to n their schedules.

    But, of course, not everyone is like that.

    There are always outliers.

    Freyr, who had suggested Ie to the training grounds, was training alone in a corner, swinging her sword.

    She was so focused that her lifeless eyes were solely fixated on the sword in front of her.

    What was even more impressive was that there was a circle of sweat beneath her from all the sword swings.

    Has she been swinging her sword since the moment I turned her down?

    She¡¯s a training fanatic.

    I feel a bit of a connection with her.

    I spent every day like that back in the Allen family¡¯s territory.

    Perhaps sensing my gaze, Freyr paused her swings and looked at me nkly.

    Then, life returned to her eyes, and she quickly lowered her sword and dashed over to me.

    "Did youe to spar?!"

    ''I said we¡¯d do it tomorrow.'' "Useless swordswoman, is your memory as short as a goldfish¡¯s? I said tomorrow."

    "Then why are you here?"

    ''I¡¯m here to meet someone.'' "I need to find a useless senior."

    "A useless senior?"

    A kind senior who guides the protagonist using the training grounds for the first time.

    But he¡¯s also a pitiful NPC who always got beaten up by yers because he drops a good skill if you beat him in a fight.

    As a seasoned yer of <em>Soul Academy</em>, I came here to mess with him.

    Since it¡¯s evening, he should be showing up at the training grounds around now.

    Ah, there he is.

    I spotted him in the center, holding a wooden sword and looking around.

    I immediately approached him.

    When he saw me approaching, he hesitated and took a step back in surprise, but I spoke to him before he could run away.

    ''Excuse me.'' "Hey."

    "Yes?!"

    ''You¡¯re a third-year senior, right?'' "You look like a fool, so I¡¯ll ask. Are you a third-year senior?"

    "...Yes, I am."

    ''Would you spar with me?'' "You seem like a decent warm-up, so how about it, fool senior? Spar with me?"

    The man¡¯s forehead bulged with veins as he heard my tant provocation.

    Good. He¡¯s mad enough not to back down.

    "Hey."

    Just as I was thinking that the quest was going to go smoothly, Freyr, who had followed me around, spoke up.

    "Why are you sparring with this weakling? It won¡¯t be fun. Spar with me instead."

    ''I refuse...'' "No. This fool senior looks like the perfect warm-up today. Useless swordswoman, go y by yourself."

    "Bullying the weak is wrong. The strong should fight the strong."

    ''That¡¯s why...'' "That¡¯s why I..."

    As I tried to convince Freyr to go away, I noticed the man ring at me with a heated expression.

    "Do all freshmen think they¡¯re special?! I¡¯m a third-year senior!"

    <ul>

    <li><em>Ding</em></li>

    </ul>

    [Shatter Senior''s stomach]

    [Take down a third-year senior.]

    [Reward: Skill ''Underdog'']

    I didn¡¯t mean to provoke him, but things are going well.

 Chapter 58

    "You did well today."

    Carl gave a wry smile at Professor Anton¡¯s words.

    Carl had spent the entire day in a whirlwind of activity after arriving at Soul Academy this morning, inundated with various tasks and responsibilities.

    When other professors joined the academy, they usually had a month to adjust, but Carl had everything dumped on him in a single day. Even though Carl was familiar with how Soul Academy operated, it was still overwhelming.

    "For now, that¡¯s all for today. Go home and rest. We¡¯ll handle the rest as we proceed with tomorrow¡¯s sses."

    With those words, Anton handed Carl a stack of documents.

    "Professor, what¡¯s this?" Carl asked.

    "Make sure you read through all of it by tomorrow. Got it?"

    Carl was taken aback by the thickness of the stack¡ªeasily the equivalent of two hefty books. However, he didn¡¯t say he couldn¡¯t do it. It was a lot, but nothing beyond his capabilities.

    After bidding farewell to Anton, Carl stretched as he stepped out of the professor¡¯s office, watching the evening sunset. For the past few years, he had been engaged in rigorous training every day. Now, sitting down to wrestle with paperwork made his body itch for action.

    If not for his duty to protect his youngdy, he might have given up on this job long ago.

    Thinking this to himself, Carlughed and began walking to find Lucy.

    Where would the youngdy be right now?

    From what Carl had observed so far, Lucy wasn¡¯t someone who would stay still. Although he didn¡¯t know how she was before, the Lucy who had received the blessing of the god was very much an Allen. She preferred action over rest.

    She¡¯s probably training.

    With that judgment, Carl started heading towards the training grounds. As he walked, he overheard a young girl speaking.

    "Yeah, the brattydy actually talked to me."

    The brattydy? That¡¯s the nickname for the youngdy.

    Carl slowed his steps and listened to the girl¡¯s conversation.

    "I was just sitting at this table, and she suddenly came up to me, called me a ¡®sidekickdy,¡¯ and started talking."

    "Sidekickdy? That¡¯s too much."

    "Right?"

    So, Lady Lucy, you haven¡¯t changed your habit of looking down on others, even at the academy.

    She used to call the Partran Duke¡¯s daughter the ¡®dizzydy,¡¯ so it¡¯s not surprising that she wouldn¡¯t address others normally.

    "I was curious about what kind of nonsense she¡¯d spout, so I smiled and listened. Then she asked me if I had any problems."

    "Out of nowhere?"

    "Yeah, she said, ¡®I¡¯ll solve any problem you have that you can¡¯t handle as a sidekick.¡¯"

    "She¡¯s gained power, but nothing else has changed."

    "Seriously. If she weren¡¯t from the Allen family, I¡¯d have already knocked her down."

    Hearing how his youngdy¡¯s reputation was deteriorating, Carl couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly.

    Ever since she received Armandy¡¯s blessing, she¡¯s been a truly good person, despite her roughnguage. But with a reputation like this, will she be able to make any friends?

    Hopefully, someone will soon see the goodness in her.

    "But the strange thing is, I actually did have a problem."

    Carl stopped in his tracks.

    She really had something?

    Armandy must have said something to the youngdy again.

    Which means the youngdy will need to solve this girl¡¯s problem.

    "What was it?"

    "It¡¯s a secret."

    "Excuse me."

    At Carl¡¯s words, the two girls turned their heads.

    At first, they looked at him with suspicion, but when they recognized his face, their expressions turned to curiosity.

    "Who are you?"

    "Hello. I¡¯m the newbat professor, but I seem to have lost my way."

    Of course, being lost was just an excuse.

    There was no way Carl, who had once been a student at Soul Academy, wouldn¡¯t know his way around.

    He just said that to ease their wariness.

    "Oh, you¡¯re the new professor! Where are you trying to go?"

    "I¡¯m heading to the training grounds."

    "If that¡¯s where you¡¯re going..."

    The girl, seemingly rxed now that she knew he was a professor, eagerly exined the way to him.

    "...and that¡¯s how you get there! Should I exin it again?"

    "No, you exined it perfectly. Thank you."

    Carl smiled, seeing the girl¡¯s disappointed expression.

    To reassure her that he hadn¡¯t overheard anything he shouldn¡¯t have, Carl added,

    "If you ever have any concerns, pleasee see me. I¡¯ll do my best to help."

    With that, Carl left.

    He was sure the girl woulde to himter.

    The youngdy will be pleased to hear this.

    Happy at the thought of receiving praise from Lucy, Carl continued walking. But as soon as he stepped out of the school building, he encountered a familiar face.

    "You¡¯re from the Allen family, aren¡¯t you? What are you doing here?"

    It was Joy Partran.

    The Partran Duke¡¯s daughter, who had been given the unfortunate nickname of ¡®Dizzy Lady¡¯ by Lucy.

    Seeing Carl¡¯s face, Joy spoke with an air of reprimand.

    Her demeanor and posture were so intimidating that even the seasoned knight Carl instinctively showed respect.

    How could the youngdy call such a person ¡®Dizzy Lady¡¯?

    It must be because she¡¯s brave, just like someone from the Allen family.

    Silently praising Lucy, Carl replied to Joy.

    "I¡¯m here as a professor at Soul Academy."

    "Oh, really? The Allen family is really dedicated. But Lady Allen doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would copse over a minor issue."

    "She is indeed an important person."

    An important person, huh?

    Joy sighed at Carl¡¯s words.

    It wasn¡¯t strange to use such a phrase for the youngdy of the powerful Allen family.

    Still, she wished that Lucy would be more careful with her words and actions.

    Joy no longer thought of Lucy as thepletely irresponsible, irritable person she once was.

    After all, it was Lucy who had saved her from a near-death situation.

    The floor that suddenly vanished beneath her feet.

    The grotesque monsters she encountered within.

    And their master.

    Even though a lot of time had passed since then, Joy still faced that being in her nightmares.

    The thousands of eyes that looked down on her.

    The decayed hands reaching for her.

    The voice that spoke of death from within.

    And then. And then. And then.

    "Lady Partran?"

    Carl¡¯s voice snapped Joy out of her nightmare.

    Ugh. I haven¡¯t been like thistely.

    In any case, the Lucy she saw in that dungeon wasn¡¯t the reckless, short-tempered person she used to be.

    She was like a trustworthy knight.

    Although her words were still harsh.

    Since that day, Joy had revised her opinion of Lucy.

    How could she continue to see someone the same way after that person saved her life?

    So, after a day of contemtion, Joy had decided to tell Lucy about Arthur¡¯s situation. She couldn¡¯t reveal everything, but she could at least exin how much Arthur hated being called the ¡®Pitiable Prince.¡¯

    Her n was to prevent Lucy from calling Arthur that nickname again.

    However, Joy¡¯s n had a major w from the start.

    She couldn¡¯t find out where Lucy had gone.

    "This is perfect. Do you know where Lady Allen is?"

    "The youngdy is probably at the training grounds."

    "The training grounds?"

    On her first day at the academy, without even exploring the ce, she went straight to the training grounds to exercise?

    Joy was skeptical, but Carl nodded confidently.

    Well, since you¡¯re the Allen family¡¯s knight, you should know best.

    Carl was right. Lucy was indeed at the training grounds.

    However, neither Carl nor Joy expected that she would be causing trouble there too.

    "Is she dueling right now?"

    Lucy was sparring with a man wielding a spear.

    Judging by the color of his scarf, he appeared to be a third-year student at Soul Academy.

    "And against a third-year student, no less."

    "It seems so."

    There was no need to wonder how the two ended up dueling.

    Considering Lucy¡¯s usual antics, the answer was obvious.

    "Lady Allen must have started it."

    "¡­"@@novelbin@@

    "Does she even know what it means to stay out of trouble?"

    Despite Joy¡¯s sigh, Carl couldn¡¯t bring himself to defend his youngdy.

    "How does she expect to beat a third-year?"

    There¡¯s a significant gap between first-year and third-year students at the academy.

    Soul Academy operates strictly on merit.

    This principle is evident in the academy¡¯s grading system. To advance to a higher grade, students must meet certain standards set by the academy.

    No matter how high their status or power outside the academy, they cannot advance if they don¡¯t meet the requirements.

    So, being a senior student means that person has passed many rigorous tests within the academy.

    No matter how talented Lady Allen is as an Allen, she shouldn¡¯t be able to defeat a third-year student.

    The gap between grades was thatrge.

    And indeed, the current battle was one-sided.

    The one maintaining the offensive was the third-year student.

    Lucy seemed to be struggling to keep up with the barrage of spear attacks.

    "Do you think mydy will lose, Lady Partran?"

    Carl asked Joy, who had already assumed Lucy¡¯s defeat.

    "Isn¡¯t it obvious?"

    "I believe mydy will win."

    "No matter how loyal you are to her, that¡¯s a bit too optimistic."

    "Optimistic? That¡¯s unfair. The knights of the Allen family never let personal feelings interfere in such matters."

    "Do you seriously think Lady Allen will win?"

    "Yes."

    "Why?"

    Joy couldn¡¯t understand Carl¡¯s confidence but waited for his exnation.

    After all, if a knight from the prestigious Allen family was so certain, there must be a reason.

    "Mydy hasn¡¯t been wounded."

    Carl exined that in a fight against a spearman, the battle is like a ticking time bomb.

    If the spearman can overpower the opponent before they close the distance, they win.

    If not, they lose.

    While the situation changes when the spearman is highly skilled, this is generally the case.

    "From what I¡¯ve seen, that spearman doesn¡¯t seem skilled enough to ovee the limitations of his weapon."

    Carl calmly assessed the situation.

    Despite the time that had passed since the duel began, Lucy didn¡¯t have a single wound on her.

    With every move the third-year made with his spear, the distance between them gradually shrank.

    "The bomb is about to go off."

    Hearing this, Joy began to see the duel in apletely different light.

    Lucy was steadily gaining the upper hand, while the third-year was doing his best to stave off the inevitable defeat.

    Carl was right.

    "Lady Allen is going to win."

    "Exactly."

 Chapter 59

    The third-year senior¡¯s spear was fast.

    He had gone through countless training sessions, exams, and dungeons to reach this point.

    It was only natural that he had morebat experience than I did.

    The same goes for physical stats.

    Even if this person was considered below average among the third-year NPCs, there was no way that someone who had been training since birth until their third year at the academy would have stats simr to mine, who had only been in this world for less than half a year.

    So, this was supposed to be an unwinnable fight.

    Under normal circumstances, that is.

    But I have the power to make situations abnormal.

    First, there¡¯s the Iron Wall skill.

    No matter how fast this third-year swings his spear, the Iron Wall alerts me faster than he can aim at me.

    So, the senior¡¯s attacks are nothing more than something I can deal with.

    "Slowly. Don¡¯t rush."

    Then there¡¯s Grandpa.

    If Iron Wall strengthens my defense, Grandpa supplements myck ofbat experience.

    There¡¯s no battlefield unknown to someone like Grandpa, who has fought in countless wars.

    Grandpa is like a navigation system guiding me to victory.

    But above all, the most important thing is¡­

    "Idiot senior? You''re so slow? Do you really think that lousy spear can hurt me??"

    "Shut up!"

    "Ahaha. Three years at the academy, and you can¡¯t even beat a first-year?? You¡¯re pathetic?"

    "I said shut up!"

    I can manipte the opponent¡¯s emotions at will.

    At first, when I didn¡¯t know much about fighting, I didn¡¯t understand the significance of unsettling an opponent¡¯s emotions.

    But after dueling with Fossel, Carl, and various knights of the Allen family, I realized that unsettling an opponent has a deeper meaning than just provocation.

    You can see it just by looking at this third-year senior.

    At first, he attacked me methodically, but now he¡¯s emotional.

    He can¡¯t hide his intentions.

    He prioritizes harming me over calcting gains and losses.

    He doesn¡¯t even try to read my intentions.

    Because he¡¯s been affected by the Mesugaki skill¡¯s taunt.

    This is an extremely effective debuff.

    A debuff that consumes the opponent with their emotions to the point where they can¡¯t even realize they¡¯re being manipted!

    And as the opponent gets angrier, my stats increase.

    In terms of performance, the Mesugaki skill is indeed a cheat skill!

    The only drawback is the painful cost of my speech and reputation!

    I blocked the spear thrust with my shield and measured the distance between myself and the third-year senior.

    At most, two steps.

    That much distance can be closed.

    ording to what I learned from Grandpa, it¡¯s the distance where a spearman should feel threatened.

    However, the third-year senior doesn¡¯t notice.

    Because he¡¯s lost hisposure.

    "It¡¯s time to bare your fangs."

    Grandpa liked topare pdins to crocodiles.

    He said they were like crocodiles, hiding under the shield like water, waiting for the right moment to strike with sharp teeth.

    I thought it was an unremarkable metaphor for a legendary pdin, but I agreed with the exnation itself.

    That¡¯s how pdins fight.

    "Now!"

    As soon as I deflected the senior¡¯s spear, Grandpa shouted.

    Without a moment of doubt, I followed his instruction and moved.

    Because I knew Grandpa wouldn¡¯t make a mistake in a situation like this.

    The senior, startled by my sudden approach, tried to step back, but it was already toote.

    At this moment, the spearman¡¯s advantage was gone.

    Now it was my turn.

    I raised my mace and brought it down.

    There was no hesitation in my movement.

    Even Grandpa had acknowledged it as wless.

    The head-crushing technique.

    The third-year senior, anticipating the worst oue, tightly shut his eyes.

    But the worst oue he feared didn¡¯te.

    Because I stopped my hand at thest moment.

    When the senior cautiously opened his eyes, he saw the mace hovering just inches from his face, and he copsed to the ground, his legs giving out.

    "Well done."

    "Aha, idiot senior. All that confidence, and this is all you¡¯ve got? Pathetic."

    Forced by the Mesugaki skill, I let out a mockingugh, which made the senior¡¯s face turn red with anger.

    I¡¯m sorry!

    But ever since the discovery of the underdog skill build, your fate at Soul Academy has always been like this!

    If you don¡¯t like it, you should¡¯ve been stronger!

    Not that it would¡¯ve mattered since I would¡¯ve found a way to beat you anyway!

    [Quest Clear!]

    [Reward will be given!]

    I clenched my fist as I saw the message window pop up in front of me.

    The skill called Underdog given by this quest is a skill that converts 5% of your damage into fixed damage when fighting enemies 20 levels higher than you.

    It¡¯s a skill that¡¯s difficult to use in normal situations and bespletely useless in thete game, but it¡¯s still necessary.

    For a future exploit.

    I would¡¯ve been sad if I hadn¡¯t obtained this.

    Especially since I missed out on most of the quests that should have been received on the day of the academy entrance ceremony.

    The most painful one was the "A Female Student¡¯s Worry" quest.

    It seemed like just a minor side quest when I first got it, but it gives a great reward if you delve into it properly.

    I really should¡¯ve gotten that one, at least.

    Sigh. I guess I¡¯ll have to try talking to her again next time.

    "You¡¯re really strong!"

    As soon as I put away my shield and mace, Freyr came rushing up to me.

    "Was that fight not enough? Let¡¯s go again right now."

    "No."

    "Idiot swordswoman, are you a chicken? Why do you keep making me repeat myself?"

    "What?"

    "Good work, mydy."

    "Well done, Lady Allen."

    After forcibly pushing Freyr aside, Joy and Carl approached me.

    How long have these two been standing there?

    I can understand why Carl is here since he¡¯s like my stalker, but why is Joy here?

    "Thank you, but¡­"

    "It wasn¡¯t a big deal. But never mind this idiot. What brings you here, Dizzy Lady?"

    "I came to talk."

    Joy¡¯s expression was serious as she spoke. She probably wanted to talk about the Third Prince.

    Ugh, this is troublesome. It¡¯s not something I can stop doing just because I don¡¯t want to.

    I don¡¯t even know how Ie up with these nicknames, so how could I change them?

    "Could you spare a moment?"

    "I¡¯m sorry, but¡­"

    "Dizzy Lady, do I look like someone who has that much free time?"

    "Are you busy?"

    "Of course! Do you think I have time to wander around aimlessly like you?"

    "Aimlessly? I came here specifically because of you."

    I could guess the sincerity behind Joy¡¯s furrowed brow.

    She probably came to convince me for the sake of the Third Prince, who would be hurt by me, and for my own sake, as I would likely be hated by the Third Prince.

    She may look like a viiness, but she¡¯s a good person.

    If only the drawbacks of the Mesugaki skill were a little less severe.

    "I don¡¯t need any help."

    "Help? From you, Dizzy Lady? Ahaha."

    Joy¡¯s expression grew colder at my tant mockery.

    Ugh, sorry, Joy.

    But I have no choice but to act like this. Please understand?

    Can¡¯t you?

    Of course not.

    Good thing there¡¯s no affinity meter.

    If I had seen a message saying "Joy¡¯s affinity has decreased," I might have lost my will.

    "¡­Fine. Do as you please."

    As I watched Joy walk away, I sighed inwardly.

    Is it really possible for me to raise my affinity to 70?

    No matter how I look at it, I can only see myself dying a tragic death after six months at Soul Academy.

    "Living as a loner isn¡¯t so bad sometimes¡­"

    "Grandpa, be quiet."

    Don¡¯t you know that clumsyfort is worse than saying nothing at all?

    Shut up, Grandpa, before I throw you in the academy¡¯s bathroom.

    Sigh. Well, there¡¯s no use in staying depressed.

    I should focus on what I can do right now.

    "Carl¡­"

    "Hey, idiot. You¡¯re done here, right?"

    "Huh? Yes, for now."

    "Follow me."

    "Come with me. We¡¯ve got work to do."

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Thest task I had nned for today could only be done after sunset.

    I had to find an item in a ce that could only be essed at night within Soul Academy.

    "Mydy, the academy will soon close its gates."

    When I told Carl about my n to leave the academy, he tried to stop me.

    "I know."

    "Idiot. Do you think I don¡¯t know that?"

    "But how do you n to leave?"

    The gates of Soul Academy close at 8 PM.

    After that, no one except certain professors can go in or out.

    However, there¡¯s a gimmick that allows one to bypass this and explore the academy at night.

    Normally, you wouldn¡¯t discover this passage until thetter half of your second year at the academy, but as long as you know its location, you can use it even as a first-year.

    "Carl, follow me."

    "Idiot, follow me."

    I led Carl to a secluded corner of Soul Academy¡¯s garden.

    Then, I walked toward a wall covered with nts, blocking the path.

    Normally, you¡¯d be stopped by branches or the wall itself, but this path is different.

    The wall is designed this way, so unless you¡¯re caught up in the nts, there¡¯s no reason to be blocked.

    As I walked forward with my eyes closed, arge wall surrounding the Soul Academy building appeared before me.

    "Mydy, isn¡¯t this a dead-end?"

    "No, it¡¯s not."

    "Idiot, are you going to keep questioning me?"

    "I apologize."

    This wall may look ordinary, but there¡¯s a hidden gimmick here.

    As I ran my hand over the academy¡¯s bricks, I found one that was looser than the others and pressed it.

    With a grinding sound, a passageway appeared.

    "What is this?"

    "I told you there was a way, didn¡¯t I?"

    "Idiot, are you still doubting me?"

    "No, not at all. Is this also a revtion from Armandy?"

    "Uh¡­ yeah."

    "Think whatever you want."

    I really hate how the perverted idiot god¡¯s reputation rises every time I do something amazing with my game knowledge.

    It¡¯s a convenient excuse, but it¡¯s too much credit for a useless god who does nothing.

    If it were a god that actually helped me, I¡¯d dly give them the credit.

    Grumbling to myself, I stepped into the passageway.@@novelbin@@

    After exiting the academy and touching a part of the wall, the passage disappeared again.

    "Amazing. I had no idea there was something like this in the academy."

    Of course you didn¡¯t.

    This is a gimmick that was forgotten as the academy¡¯s history grew longer.

    It would be annoying to exin, so I won¡¯t bother.

    "So, mydy, where are we going?"

    "To Alsetine¡¯s Tavern."

    "Alsetine¡¯s Tavern."

    "The Alsetine¡¯s Tavern I know is a ce where back-alley gamblers gather."

    "That¡¯s right."

    "Yes, that¡¯s exactly where I¡¯m going."

    "Mydy! Gambling is not allowed!"

    When I nodded, Carl was horrified.

    He began to panic, saying he had seen many people ruin their lives because of gambling, leaving me no choice but to sigh.

    "Carl, I¡¯m not going there to gamble."

    "Idiot, do I look like someone who would do something that stupid?"

    Do you think I¡¯m crazy enough to gamble there?

    If I gambled in a ce full of scammers, I¡¯d end up being a sucker and losing everything.

    There¡¯s no way a seasoned Soul Academy yer like me would do something so foolish.

    "Then why?"

    "I¡¯m going to meet the owner."

    "I need to meet the idiot who runs the ce."

    Alsetine, the ck market dealer.

    I need to get something from him for the favorability quest.

 Chapter 60

    There are three main ways to increase favorability in Soul Academy.

    The first method is to spend time together in everyday life.

    During free time, you talk to the character and explore Soul Academy together.

    The most efficient way to do this was by visiting the cake shop.

    You¡¯d eat cake with this person, then with that person, to the point where you¡¯d wonder if the protagonist would die from diabetes with how much cake they were eating. It was the most effective way to increase favorability.

    But now, I can¡¯t even do that if I wanted to.

    How on earth did the game¡¯s protagonist make friends just by talking to them?

    When I try to talk to people, they turn into enemies!

    That protagonist must have been carrying some kind of hypnosis app or something.

    Otherwise, it doesn¡¯t make any sense!

    The second method is to clear dungeons together.

    As you fight through battlefields together, your favorability gradually increases.

    Of course, this is difficult for me as well.

    Who would want to go into a life-and-death battlefield with someone they don¡¯t even want to talk to?

    Sure, the story might change if I¡¯m a particrly useful party member, but honestly, the chances aren¡¯t high.

    Thest method is toplete character-rted quests.

    By progressing through quests rted to specific characters, you can increase their favorability.

    This is something I can manage, even in my current situation.

    My n is as follows:

    First, I¡¯llplete rted quests to raise the base favorability level until I can call them a friend, more or less.

    Then, I¡¯ll spend time with them, go on dungeon runs, andplete quests together, gradually raising their favorability to 70.

    If I can sessfully set up the first step, it¡¯s entirely possible.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m heading to Alsetine¡¯s Tavern, putting everything on the line.

    I need to obtain an item from Alsetine that will trigger a character-rted quest!

    "Mydy, this seems dangerous."

    Carl spoke with concern as we stopped at the entrance to the tavern, hidden away in a back alley.

    "Not confident?"

    "What¡¯s wrong, idiot? Are you saying you can¡¯t protect me?"

    "It¡¯s not that, but it¡¯s always best to avoid danger when possible."

    "It¡¯s okay to admit if you¡¯re not confident."

    "Come on, just admit it. ¡®Mydy, I¡¯m a weak idiot and can¡¯t go inside,¡¯ and then I might reconsider."

    Unable to withstand my taunting, Carl finally fell silent.

    He must have some pride as a knight.

    He can endure most insults, but call him weak, and he reacts immediately.

    "Carl¡­"

    "Idiot, are you not going to dere yourself a weakling?"

    "No. I¡¯ll earn your trust by protecting you, mydy."

    So, you¡¯re not going to stop me from going in?

    I turned my gaze away from Carl¡¯s determined face and grabbed the tavern door.

    As soon as I opened the door, the people inside turned their gazes towards me.

    Most of those looks were wary.

    In the game, no one cared who walked in, but it¡¯s different now that this is real.

    Well, it¡¯s not surprising. It would be strange not to be on guard when a kid like me walks into a tavern hidden in a back alley.

    As I stepped inside, a man sitting at a table near the entrance sneered and spoke up.

    "Little nobledy, this isn¡¯t a ce for someone smelling of milk like you."

    "Then¡­"

    "So, it¡¯s a ce that only epts trash that smells like you? That¡¯s a problem. I can¡¯t be a pathetic loser like you."

    "What did you say, girl?!"

    The man¡¯s frown deepened, and Carl shouted in rm, almost simultaneously.

    Hmm, I didn¡¯t mean to be this harsh, but the Mesugaki skill is really going all out today.

    "Puhaha!"

    "For a nobledy, you¡¯ve got a sharp tongue!"

    "So even the littledy thinks this guy¡¯s a loser virgin, huh?"

    "Who are you calling a virgin, you bastard?!"

    The people in the tavern wereughing, but it wasn¡¯t out of goodwill.

    I could see it clearly in their eyes as theyughed and nced at me.

    They had designated me as someone to be wary of.

    Well, this is off to a bad start.

    "So, what brings a nobledy like you here?"

    A man drinking in the distance asked me with a sly tone.

    As soon as he spoke, the others fell silent. It seemed that this man had considerable influence in this ce.

    "I¡¯m here to meet someone."

    "I¡¯m here to find an idiot."

    "A nobledy like you wouldn¡¯t have anyone to meet in a ce filled with trash like this."

    His tone made it clear that he was suggesting I leave before things got rough.

    Ha. Does he think I¡¯ll get scared? Does he think being the leader of these lowlifes makes him something special?

    I¡¯m not interested in trash NPCs like you.

    "I want to meet Alsetine."

    "I¡¯m here to meet the owner of this rundown tavern."

    "Didn¡¯t I just tell you there¡¯s no one for you to meet here, nobledy?"

    "I wasn¡¯t talking to you."

    "I wasn¡¯t talking to some old geezer whose life achievement is leading a bunch of losers."

    "...I was trying to be polite."

    As the man stood up from his chair, the other patrons in the tavern began to rise one by one, as if waiting for this moment.

    Each of them had a knife in their hands¡ªtypical of the back alley crowd.

    At the same time, I heard a sigh from behind me.

    "Mydy, did you receive a revtion for this as well?"

    "Yes!"

    "Yes, I did."

    "Then I have no choice but to give it my all."

    With that, Carl drew his sword.

    Immediately, the thugs, who had been exuding a murderous aura, hesitated and began to back away.

    What¡¯s this? Carl hasn¡¯t even done anything yet, so why are they backing off?

    <He¡¯s suppressing them with his mana.>

    Is it something like killing intent?

    Carl really is strong, huh?

    He can intimidate these lowlifes just by standing there?

    <But, child, did Armandy truly tell you to provoke these people?>

    "Yes, that¡¯s right!"

    <I see. Despite serving Armandy for so long, I still can¡¯t understand his will.>

    Actually, Armandy didn¡¯t say anything!

    He¡¯s been stealing credit for my achievements, so it¡¯s only fair that he takes some of the me too, right?

    As the standoff between Carl and the thugs continued, a voice came from above.

    "Put down your weapons if you don¡¯t want to die, idiots."

    The owner of the voice was a rugged-looking man with a scar near his eye.

    Just as he appeared in the game¡ªAlsetine.

    The thugs, recognizing Alsetine, hesitated before lowering their weapons.

    Alsetine descended the stairs and, instead of greeting me, delivered a punch to the thug leader¡¯s stomach.

    <em>Thud!</em>

    The sound echoed through the tavern, and the thug leader copsed to his knees.

    In the now subdued atmosphere, Alsetine approached me and bowed deeply.

    "My apologies, Lady Allen. My subordinate was out of line."

    Seeing this, Grandpa let out a sigh of admiration.

    <He¡¯s a clever one.>

    "Why?"

    <Your life was put in danger by his subordinate¡¯s actions, which could have given you grounds to take issue with him. But by immediately showing punishment before you could say anything, he¡¯s demonstrated his innocence and created a situation where it¡¯s difficult for you to bring it up. Making such a decision in a short time requires a lot of experience.>

    So, everything Alsetine did from the moment he appeared was intentional?

    Given his character as someone with influence in the underworld, it makes sense.

    Wow, I¡¯m impressed by both Alsetine¡¯s quick thinking and Grandpa¡¯s instant analysis.

    I could never keep up with either of them.

    Politics isn¡¯t for me in this world.

    "I¡¯m Alsetine, the owner of this tavern."

    "Hello, Alsetine."

    "Nice to meet you, info broker."

    An info broker?

    He mostly deals in ck-market goods and information, but couldn¡¯t I have found a less blunt term?

    Saying something like that right off the bat isn¡¯t going to put him in a good mood!

    Look! Alsetine¡¯s smile just stiffened slightly!

    I don¡¯t want to get on his bad side since I¡¯ll need to deal with him frequently in the future! Damn it!

    "I am Alsetine."

    "Yes, I know¡­"

    "Yeah, I know, info broker. Got a problem with that?"

    "...No, not at all."

    Ugh, whatever.

    There¡¯s no way he¡¯d try anything crazy with Benedict right behind me, right?!

    Whatever happens, happens!

    "I heard you came to see me. Let¡¯s talk inside."

    "Lead the way."

    "Lead the way."

    I followed Alsetine to a room on the second floor, where he offered me a seat.

    Once I sat down, he closed the door and returned to his seat before speaking.

    "As you may know, I¡¯m a merchant who buys and sells anything. What brings you here?"@@novelbin@@

    "I¡¯m here to buy something."

    "Info broker, can¡¯t you figure it out from the fact that I came to this dump? Obviously, I¡¯m here to get something."

    Even after hearing the Mesugaki-inspired insult, Alsetine¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver.

    He has superhuman patience, typical of an underworld merchant.

    Usually, when people talk to me, their expressions start to crack eventually.

    "May I ask what it is you¡¯re looking for?"

    "A ne with the Barrow family crest on it. Specifically¡­"

    "A ne with the Barrow family crest. It has a ruby, and if you open the locket, there¡¯s a family photo of the Barrow family inside. You¡¯ll find it if you dig through the ck market."

    There are many characters within Soul Academy, and the difficulty of raising their favorability varies.

    For example, a character like Joy, whose life is rtively smooth, is easy to befriend, while someone like Arthur, who has numerous ups and downs, is extremely difficult.

    Among them is Jacal Barrow.

    A charactermonly referred to by themunity as the "Inferior Prince." For him, raising favorability is rtively easy if you meet certain conditions.

    That condition is triggered by the quest involving the "ne with the Barrow family crest."

    Before that, Jacal Barrow is so self-absorbed that it¡¯s hard to even talk to him, but once you clear that quest together, he starts to show interest on his own.

    I don¡¯t particrly like Jacal Barrow.

    His character¡¯s performance is mediocre, and his personality is arrogant, so I neither dislike nor particrly like him.

    Under normal circumstances, I wouldn¡¯t have given this character any attention, but things are different now.

    In a situation where I don¡¯t know what will happen if I don¡¯t make at least two characters with a favorability level of 70, Jacal Barrow is like a beacon of hope.

    So, for the sake of my survival, I absolutely must get that ne.

    Absolutely.

 Chapter 61

    After hearing my request, Alsetine fell silent for a moment, deep in thought, before finally speaking.

    "Are you sure I can obtain this item?"

    "Yes."

    "You¡¯re an info broker. This much should be easy for you."

    Back when Soul Academy was just a game, you were the one who managed to get this item.

    I don''t know how long it will take, but I¡¯m confident you''ll be able to find it eventually.

    Alsetine shrugged at my words and rested his chin on his sped hands.

    "If I do manage to obtain it, how do you n to pay for it? It¡¯s rted to a ducal family, and there isn¡¯t even a single clue to go on. It¡¯s likely to be quite expensive."

    "I¡¯ll pay with information."

    "I¡¯ll give you the information you want."

    "For me? I¡¯m not easily moved by just any information, you know."

    "Your..."

    "Information about your mentor. Are you sure you don¡¯t need that?"

    The moment I mentioned his mentor, a crack appeared in Alsetine¡¯s otherwise calm expression.

    Alsetine''s mentor is a pivotal figure in his storyline.

    This man, who wouldn¡¯t even blink at the death of his lover, has only one weakness¡ªhis mentor.

    "My mentor? What do you mean?"

    Of course, you¡¯ll deny it. As a merchant, you wouldn¡¯t want to reveal any weaknesses.

    But, seriously, I¡¯ve seen you break down in tears over this. How could denying it change anything?

    "Karina..."

    "Karina, the person who took you in when you were an orphan. Does that ring a bell?"

    As soon as I mentioned his mentor¡¯s name, Alsetine stood up from his seat, moving to stand directly in front of me.

    His re was intense, but honestly, after dealing with people like Fossel and Benedict, it didn¡¯t faze me at all.

    "How does the youngdy know that name?"

    "Does it matter?..."

    "Info broker, does it really matter? I know the information you want, and you can get me the item I need. Isn¡¯t that all that matters?"

    You¡¯re probably curious about how I, someone who¡¯s never left her estate, managed to obtain this information.

    But why should I exin that to you?

    If you¡¯re so curious, you should find out yourself.

    Of course, no matter how much you try, you won¡¯t even find a clue, but that¡¯s not my problem. Right?

    "Lady Allen, I¡¯m sorry, but just hearing that isn¡¯t enough to convince me that you have information about my mentor."

    That¡¯s true.

    Given how cautious he is, just telling him this much won¡¯t be enough to make him believe me and take action.

    How much more should I reveal?

    "The Magus Empire¡¯s..."

    "Try searching around the Norta territory in the Magus Empire."

    If you dig around that area, you might find some information about your mentor.

    You won¡¯t be able to approach your mentor directly, but you should be able to verify whether what I¡¯m saying is credible.

    Alsetine, who had been silently watching me as I confidently spoke, finally took a step back and put on his usual smiling mask again.

    "Understood. I¡¯ll look into it."

    "And how long..."

    "Info broker, how long do you think it will take to find the item I mentioned?"

    "I can¡¯t give you a definite answer since I don¡¯t even know its whereabouts, but I¡¯ll try to find it as quickly as possible."

    Since this involves finding out the whereabouts of his mentor, Alsetine will do everything in his power to locate the item.@@novelbin@@

    At most, it shouldn¡¯t take more than a month.

    If I can get the item within that time, I¡¯ll be able to raise the Inferior Prince¡¯s favorability sufficiently.

    Satisfied with his response, I nodded and stood up.

    "I expect a good answer next time."

    "I hope you¡¯ll have a good answer for me when we meet again, info broker."

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Left alone in the room, Alsetine pulled out a cigarette from a drawer and lit it.

    As he exhaled smoke and watched Lucy Allen leave the shop, he muttered to himself in a tone that could only be described as threatening.

    "Lucy Allen, huh?"

    Alsetine knew all about Lucy Allen.

    She was infamous in high society for all the wrong reasons¡ªthere was no way he wouldn¡¯t know about her.

    Recently, there had been rumors that she had changed, but¡­

    Recalling the contemptuous look she had given him as she called him an "info broker," Alsetine was certain her personality hadn¡¯t changed.

    But she¡¯s not entirely hopeless, like the rumors suggest.

    Lucy Allen may have a bad personality, but she has the tenacity befitting someone of the Allen family.

    Standing confidently in front of those thugs downstairs, speaking her mind without hesitation.

    And most importantly, the way she watched my expression when she mentioned my mentor proves she¡¯s not ipetent.

    High society really has no eyes.

    They only saw her reckless behavior and failed to notice whaty beneath.

    "Alsetine, sir."

    "Come in."

    The person who entered after Alsetine¡¯s permission was the same man who had knelt after being punched by him earlier.

    "Are you alright?"

    "It was just an act, but couldn¡¯t you have hit me a bit lighter? I think it¡¯s going to bruise."

    "Come on, just put some ointment on it, and you¡¯ll be fine."

    The hostile atmosphere when Lucy first entered the tavern and the way Alsetine took control were all perfectly orchestrated.

    It was all an act to intimidate a noble unfamiliar with this ce, making it easier to manage the situation.

    Though it didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on Lucy Allen.

    "So, how did things go?"

    "About that¡­"

    Alsetine¡¯s mind was in turmoil.

    The biggest issue was what Lucy Allen had mentioned about his mentor.

    From what Alsetine knew, Lucy Allen was someone who never left her estate.

    She had no real connections in high society, so there was no way she could have that kind of information.

    But she knew.

    She knew he was searching for his mentor. She knew things about his mentor.

    How on earth did she obtain this information?

    Does the Allen family have some secretwork that no one knows about?

    But they¡¯re just a typical military family.

    There¡¯s no way they have a better informationwork than I do.

    As Alsetine silently pondered, the ash from his cigarette fell, and he organized his thoughts.

    No matter how strange it seems, reality won¡¯t change.

    I can think about thister.

    For now, I need to focus on what needs to be done.

    "First, I need to find that item rted to the Barrow ducal family."

    If the youngdy of the Allen family came all the way to the back alleys to look for it, it must be something valuable.

    Even if the deal with Lucy Allen falls through, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have that item in hand.

    So finding it is the top priority.

    "And I¡¯ll need to send some people to the Norta territory."

    I need to verify whether what Lucy Allen said is true.

    I¡¯ll send people there to gather information about my mentor.

    Thinking about his mentor, Alsetine took another drag from his cigarette, frowning.

    The best way to confirm this information would be to kidnap Lucy Allen and extract the information directly from her.

    People with a high-handed attitude tend to break easily under the pressure of pain.

    But her statusplicates things.

    The Allen family.

    A military family that rivals the best in the kingdom, led by the Iron-Blooded Count, Benedict Allen.

    If Iy a hand on Benedict¡¯s daughter and earn his enmity?

    At that point, it would be better to just end my life.

    In other words, if I didn¡¯t have to worry about the consequences, I could go after Lucy Allen... but not now.

    "For now, that¡¯s all. Let¡¯s get to work."

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    After the entrance ceremony at Soul Academy, there¡¯s a one-week trial period.

    During this time, you can attend various sses to see what interests you and decide which ones to take.

    Usually, students use this period to socialize and form bonds with people they¡¯re interested in, but unfortunately, that¡¯s not the case for me.

    <What are you thinking about?>

    "Nothing."

    <Then why do you look so mncholic as you stare out the window?>

    "I¡¯m just following the clich¨¦ of a loner."

    <What on earth are you talking about?>

    You wouldn¡¯t understand, Grandpa.

    It¡¯s something from where I used to live.

    Since the day began, I¡¯ve been alone almost the entire time.

    People shy away and keep their distance whenever they see me, so it¡¯s inevitable.

    Joy frowns whenever she sees me, probably because of what happened yesterday evening.

    Phoebe says hello when she passes by, but that¡¯s about it.

    And Freyr? She¡¯s too busy wandering around on her own, doing her own thing, to be bothered with friends or anything.

    So naturally, I¡¯ve been living as a loner since day one.

    The part that bothers me the most is when it¡¯s time to eat.

    I¡¯ve eaten alone plenty of times, but eating alone in public ispletely different from eating alone at school.

    If you eat alone in a restaurant, no one cares.

    Unless you¡¯re self-conscious about it, no one pays any attention.

    But it¡¯s different in school.

    When you eat alone, people look at you like, "Why is she eating alone? Is she a loner?" and those stares start flying.

    Of course, given my notorious reputation, no one openly stared or gossiped about me, but I have a bad feeling that it will happen soon.

    In a school setting, bad rumors spread like wildfire.

    If Lucy, who already has a bad reputation, starts living as a loner at school?

    Isn¡¯t that the perfect setup to be a target for mockery?

    Ugh. I expected this might happen, but it feels different now that it¡¯s real.

    I¡¯m going to have to live like this for years, and the future already looks bleak.

    "The ss exnation for today is now over. Next time, we¡¯ll..."

    After ss ended, I immediately left the ssroom and headed to the next location.

    Normally, you¡¯d expect to get lost in the school or spend time deciding which sses to take, but I didn¡¯t need to worry about that.

    I already went through all that when I first started Soul Academy.

    There¡¯s no way a seasoned yer like me would get lost in a ce like this!

    The next ss I had decided to take wasbat studies.

    As someone who fights in the front lines, I needed to improve my closebat skills.

    When I arrived at the ssroom, I found Carl, the "escort knight" who was more like a stalker, preparing for the lesson.

    "Mydy."

    "Carl..."

    "Idiot. Why are you here?"

    Wasn¡¯t this ss supposed to be taught by someone else?

    "I¡¯ve been assigned as an assistant professor to Professor Anton."

    Oh, I see.

    It makes sense that they wouldn¡¯t want to put a newbie professor in charge right away.

    "This is actually perfect timing. I needed to talk to you, mydy."

    "What is it?"

    "What is it?"

    "Mydy, did you by any chance ask a female student recently if she needed help?"

    I did.

    There was a quest I needed to ept.

    But how do you know about that?

    "I¡¯ve brought a request from that student."

    ...What? Wait a minute.

    What?!

 Chapter 62

    Apletely unexpected story burst out of Carl''s mouth, causing my mind to go nk for a moment.

    Calm down. I talked to a lot of people yesterday, didn¡¯t I?

    For all I know, Carl could be bringing someme quest.

    Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves.

    If you expect too much, you¡¯ll only be more disappointed.

    "Carl, is that request¡­" ¡°Is that request to retrieve something from an abandoned building in the back alley?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Did you also get the key?¡±

    ¡°It seems you already knew about it, so it must really be the revtion from Almadi.¡±

    Carl nodded to himself and then pulled out a rusty iron key from his pocket and handed it to me.

    The moment I received it, a message window popped up in front of me.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding</li>

    </ul>

    [Request from a Female Student] [Please enter the abandoned house and retrieve the item for the female student.] [Reward: 30 silver]

    What do you mean, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself!

    Carl! You did great!

    I thought you were just a lousy knight acting like my stalker, but it turns out you¡¯re a loyal knight always thinking of me!

    I was so happy that I wanted to jump up and hug Carl, but the Mesugaki skill wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    Instead, the Mesugaki skill moved my body forward, and I proudly extended my hand upward.

    I didn¡¯t understand what this gesture meant, but Carl did.

    As soon as he saw me move, he knelt on one knee.

    Carl¡¯s head ended up exactly where my hand could reach.

    Wait a minute. What?

    Before I could even process what was happening, the Mesugaki skill moved my body on its own.

    My hand patted Carl¡¯s head, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

    ¡­

    Hey. You do realize you¡¯re being treated like a dog right now, don¡¯t you?

    Carl, are you okay with being treated like a loyal dog instead of a knight?

    That thought crossed my mind, but I didn¡¯t say anything, not wanting to ruin the smile on his face.

    ¡°Thank you, Carl.¡± ¡°You tried hard, for a lousy knight.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just doing what I¡¯m supposed to do as a knight.¡±

    As I patted the head of a grown man, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange sense of detachment, but I forced myself to ignore it.

    Think about something else. Think about something else.

    Yeah, thinking about the quest should do.

    The quest, "Request from a Female Student," which you can get at the start of Soul Academy, might seem like nothing special based on the reward alone.

    But the real value of this quest isn¡¯t in the reward the female student gives.

    It¡¯s the fact that you can enter the abandoned house in the back alley.

    There¡¯s a hidden dungeon entrance in that building!

    Normally, you¡¯d have to y through the game until you hit level 10 andplete a skill proficiency quest before you could enter, but I¡¯ve already got everything ready!

    Perfect. I¡¯ll head there tonight.

    As I thought about the quest, a new question arose.

    Everything else is fine, but how did Carl even get this?

    This is a quest you can only receive after talking to the female student first.

    Carl, who cares about nothing but training and discipline, wouldn¡¯t have initiated a conversation with her.

    ¡°Carl¡­¡± ¡°Lousy knight. How did you even hear about this request?¡±

    ¡°You mean that?¡±

    When I asked, Carl eagerly answered.

    He said that on his way to meet me yesterday, he overheard a female student talking about me.

    So he pretended to ask for directions and offered his help if she was in trouble.

    ¡°She came to me the next day and told me her concerns.¡±

    Listening to Carl¡¯s story made me feel a gap between us.

    When I approached her, she was extremely wary.

    But when Carl talked to her, she came to him the next day with her problems?

    That¡¯s just unfair.

    I know mynguage is a bit aggressive because of the Mesugaki skill.

    My reputation isn¡¯t great, either.

    But it was our first time meeting, for both Carl and me.

    What¡¯s the difference between us that makes her trust Carl right away?

    Is it appearance? Is it because of how we look?

    Carl is definitely good-looking.

    He¡¯s the only person who can make a crying child smile just by talking to them in a world full of people who¡¯d make them cry.

    But was his appearance enough topletely break down her guard?!

    Carl¡¯s face isn¡¯t some kind of hypnosis app, for crying out loud!

    It¡¯s so unfair.

    One person gets wary looks just for speaking, while another gains favor just by talking.

    ¡°Miss, it seems people areing.¡±

    As Carl said that, he carefully stepped away from my hand and stood up.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t acknowledge you in public. There¡¯s no benefit in people knowing I¡¯m a knight of the Allen family.¡±

    ¡°Do as you like.¡± ¡°Suit yourself, lousy knight.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±

    As soon as he got up and went to prepare for ss, people started entering the ssroom.

    They looked at me with puzzled expressions before moving to seats far away from mine.

    I should be happy about receiving a quest I thought I¡¯d never get, so why does my chest feel so empty?

    Luckily, this feeling didn¡¯tst long.

    Because a force of nature who didn¡¯t care about my expression or tone entered the scene.

    ¡°Are you taking this ss too?¡±

    The moment Freyr entered the ssroom and saw me, she smiled brightly and ran over.

    It was obvious why she suddenly showed interest.

    She must be looking forward to sparring with me.

    After all, Professor Anton¡¯sbat ss focuses on improving skills through duels.

    It was annoying, but in a way, it was also a good thing.@@novelbin@@

    It¡¯s better to have a duel now than to deal with her nagging me for one after school, right?

    While half-listening to Freyr¡¯s random chatter, I noticed a guy walking toward me.

    His face looked familiar, but I couldn¡¯t remember his name.

    Other than Mesugaki Skill calling him ¡°insignificant noble.¡±

    Well, does it matter?

    Regardless of what I call him in my head, Mesugaki Skill will still refer to him as insignificant.

    ¡°Hello, Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡°Hello, insignificant noble.¡± ¡°Hello, insignificant noble. You look well?¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you.¡±

    When the insignificant noble greeted me, I felt the gazes of others on us.

    Most of them were curious, but some were worried.

    Is it that unusual for someone to talk to me?

    After thinking for a moment, I realized that only a handful of people had spoken to me today, so maybe it was unusual.

    ¡°I wanted to thank you. Last time, I was too overwhelmed and could only send a letter, but I thought it was more appropriate to thank you in person.¡±

    The insignificant noble then bowed deeply, almost touching his forehead to the ground.

    ¡°Thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, Lady Allen, I would have died.¡±

    I knew his gratitude was genuine, but it only made me ufortable.

    Because that incident was caused by me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Were you just waiting for the right moment to thank me? Typical of an insignificant noble. Don¡¯t worry about it. I didn¡¯t do it for you.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha. Still, thanks to you, I¡¯m alive.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Hey, are you crazy?!¡±

    As soon as Jacob Reese returned to his seat, his close friend, Harry Sober, eximed in shock.

    ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why?! Why did you talk to Lady Allen?¡±

    Harry scolded his friend, then nced nervously at Lucy Allen, who had formed her own little space in the corner, and lowered his voice.

    ¡°Because she¡¯s the one who saved my life.¡±

    Jacob still vividly remembered that hellish ce.

    If it weren¡¯t for Lucy Allen, Jacob wouldn¡¯t be standing here today.

    ¡°But she¡¯s got a bad reputation. Who knows what could happen?¡±

    Harry whispered with a frown, and Jacob let out a dryugh.

    He was right. Lucy Allen didn¡¯t have a good reputation.

    Anyone from a noble family who had attended social events would have heard of Lucy Allen¡¯s infamy, and Jacob was no exception.

    But Jacob didn¡¯t believe everything he heard.

    With so many stories, not everything could be false, but he thought most of them were misunderstandings.

    A person who willingly risks themselves for others can¡¯t be all that bad, can they?

    ¡°Most of it must be misunderstandings.¡±

    After all, Lady Allen had proved the rumor about her being bad at academics false by ranking first in the Academy entrance exam.

    Jacob believed that many of the malicious rumors were probably untrue as well.

    ¡°Anyway, stay away from her. There are tons of rumors that Lady Allen has caught the third prince¡¯s attention.¡±

    ¡°The third prince?¡± ¡°Yes.¡±

    Harry¡¯s exaggerated worry reflected deep concern about getting involved with someone the prince might be watching.

    Lady Allen. It¡¯s only been a day, and you¡¯ve already caused another incident.

    Before Jacob could ask Harry more about the rumors, thebat professor made his appearance.

    The professor entered with a deliberate loud step and looked around the room with a smile.

    ¡°Nice to meet you all. I¡¯m Professor Anton, yourbat instructor. I¡¯ll be teaching you how to fight.¡±

    ¡°As you know, this ss focuses on gaining experience through sparring between students. Specifically¡­¡±

    Despite Professor Anton¡¯s long exnation, the students¡¯ reactions were lukewarm.

    Seeing this, Professor Anton cleared his throat and spoke again.

    ¡°Hmm. Is it hard to understand? Maybe it¡¯s better to show you directly. Is there anyone who would like toe forward and spar?¡±

    No sooner had Professor Anton spoken than one student raised her hand high.

    Freyr Kent.

    She was the daughter of the Kent family, known for producing outstanding sword masters, and she was the most likely candidate to be the next Swordmaster.

    ¡°I¡¯ll spar with Lucy Allen.¡± ¡°Lousy knight.¡± ¡°We agreed, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°If you spar with me, you¡¯ll realize just how lousy your swordsmanship is. Are you sure you¡¯re okay with that?¡± ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    ¡°What a joke. Do I look so weak that I¡¯d be defeated by your sloppy sword?¡±

    No one dared interrupt the tension between Freyr and Lucy.

    No one wanted to get caught up in whatever was about to unfold.

    As Freyr and Lucy stepped forward, Professor Anton smiled with satisfaction.

    ¡°To think the two best warriors from the entrance exam woulde forward. This is a pleasant surprise.¡±

    As the two took their stances at a distance, Harry whispered to Jacob.

    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± ¡°Lady Allen.¡± ¡°Are you brainwashed or something? There¡¯s no way Lady Kent will lose in a sparring match! She¡¯s called the greatest talent in the history of the Kent family!¡±

    Bymon logic, Harry was right.

    Freyr Kent had dominated several tournaments in the kingdom, disying overwhelming skill and winning each one.

    No matter how well Lady Allen performed in the entrance exam, she shouldn¡¯t be able to beat Freyr Kent.

    But Jacob thought differently.

    ¡°I know that, but Lady Allen will win. I¡¯m willing to bet on it.¡±

    ¡°A bet? Fine. I¡¯ll put one gold on it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your month¡¯s worth of food, you know?¡± ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°No.¡±

    Jacob recalled Lucy Allen overpowering a monster that resembled a witch in the dungeon.

    Someone with that level of skill losing to another person?

    Jacob simply couldn¡¯t imagine it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make the bet.¡±

 Chapter 64

    <em>¡°This ce looks like it¡¯s haunted.¡±</em>

    Grandpa made thisment as soon as he saw the mansion in the back alley.

    It does look rather eerie. The iron gate is rusted, the walls that should protect the house are old and look like they could copse at any moment, the garden beyond is full of withered, brown nts, and the house in the middle is nothing short of a monstrosity.

    ¡­

    I didn¡¯t think much of it when I saw it on the screen, but seeing it in real life is a bit unsettling.

    ¡°This is the ce you mentioned, mydy.¡±

    Carl smiled at the sight of the mansion.

    How can he smile at the sight of this abandoned ce?

    Do knights need to have nerves of steel or something?

    ¡°I used toe here often during my school days.¡±

    ¡®As a punishment?¡¯

    ¡°As a punishment?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There were rumors of ghosts appearing here, so it was often used for that.¡±

    Looks like the setting where studentse and cause trouble has been preserved.

    I wonder if there will be anyone here today?

    It would be easier to explore if no one else was around.

    ¡°I often came here, but I never actually saw a ghost. It was probably just a baseless rumor.¡±

    ¡®There is one...¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s a ghost. A timid, lousy one.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Wasn¡¯t she the daughter of the previous owner of this mansion?

    I vaguely remember something like that.

    Anyway, she doesn¡¯t cause any harm, so there¡¯s no need to worry about it.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, lousy knight.¡±

    ¡°Mydy, wait a moment. You¡¯re joking, right? Mydy!¡±

    I walked past the rusty gate and into the mansion.

    There was nothing in this mansion that was still intact; it had been abandoned for a long time.

    If there were a thief who got a thrill out of breaking into ces, they would never touch this house.

    All the doors were broken, so you could enter from anywhere.

    As I stepped inside the mansion, the wooden floor creaked under my feet.

    ¡°Hiiik!¡±

    When I turned at the sound of a scream, I saw Carl¡¯s face had turned pale.

    What¡¯s this?

    Don¡¯t tell me¡­

    ¡°Carl, are you¡­¡±

    ¡°Lousy knight, are you afraid of ghosts?¡±

    ¡°No! How could a knight fear such wicked beings?¡±

    Carl shouted as if to deny my suspicion, but he couldn¡¯t hide the tremor in his voice.

    It¡¯s hard to believe that someone who could probably take down a troll with his bare hands is afraid of ghosts.

    What will he do when we encounter a dungeon full of ghostster? That dungeon has so many sudden horror elements that it feels like the game genre changespletely.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth! Please believe me!¡±

    ¡®Alright¡­¡¯

    ¡°Alright, lousy knight.¡±

    There¡¯s no point in arguing here, so I¡¯ll just let it go.

    I led the jumpy Carl down to the basement.

    My destination was the iron door at the far end of the mansion¡¯s basement.

    It was the only thing in this decrepit mansion that was still in its original condition.

    ¡°So that key was meant to open this door.¡±

    Carl swallowed hard as he looked at the door.

    Even though he was standing in front of me like a proper knight, I could see his hands trembling in fear.

    Sigh. I wonder if he¡¯ll be able to properly clear the dungeon below.

    Just as I was about to take out the key and unlock the door, a thought crossed my mind.

    In the game, you couldn¡¯t break this door, so you had to use the key, but isn¡¯t that different now?

    I feel like I could just smash this iron door with my mace.

    Thinking that, I raised my mace and struck the door.

    <em>Bang!</em>

    Even though I put a lot of force into the blow, the door remained unscathed.

    ¡°Mydy, this door cannot be broken by any means.¡±

    <em>¡°There are sometimes objects like this. Unless certain conditions are met, they won¡¯t budge, no matter how much you hit them.¡±</em>

    Carl dered that the door couldn¡¯t be broken, and Grandpa exined that such things exist.

    So what you¡¯re saying is¡­

    These doors won¡¯t move unless you¡¯ve received the quest, just like in the game?

    Ugh. If I could break doors like this myself, I could¡¯ve used all sorts of tricks in the future.

    Regretfully, I opened the door with the key.

    A staircase leading to the second basement level was revealed.

    It was pitch ck, perfect for tripping and falling if you walked forward recklessly.

    In the past, I would have brought a torch, but now I have another method.

    ¡®Oh, divine light.¡¯

    As I recited the prayer internally, a sphere of light appeared in front of me, illuminating the path.

    <em>¡°You¡¯re handling this well now.¡±</em>

    ¡®When have I ever struggled with this spell?¡¯

    <em>¡°Have you forgotten the time you created an enormous sphere and blinded yourself with its sh?¡±</em>

    I ignored Grandpa¡¯sughing remarks about how he could still vividly remember me rolling on the floor, clutching my eyes.

    Grandpa, if you¡¯re an old man, act like one and forget recent events quickly.

    Why does someone so old have such a good memory?

    ¡°So, now we just need to find the item the female student asked for, right? Let¡¯s find it quickly and¡ª¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry about that.¡¯

    ¡°Lousy knight, you can¡¯t see past your nose, can you? Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    ¡°Pardon? But¡ª¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s just an excuse.¡¯

    ¡°The so-called nobledy was just making an excuse.¡±

    If I were to exin in detail, it would be a long story, but the request to find an item was just a lie to get the yer toe here.

    The real objective is elsewhere.

    I casually answered Carl as I walked deeper into the second basement.

    When I opened the door at the very end, a stone gate was revealed.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the entrance to a dungeon.¡±

    It was indeed the entrance to a dungeon.

    <em>Ding.</em>

    [The quest has changed.] [Request from a Female Student] [???] [Reward: ???]

    ¡®This ce¡­¡¯

    ¡°The nobledy¡¯s real objective is to have us clear this dungeon. She¡¯s a creepy woman, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strange. If she wanted to clear the dungeon, it would have been faster to report it to the academy or the church.¡±

    I could have answered Carl¡¯s question.

    The female student is actually a novice necromancer who canmunicate with the ghost in this mansion.

    She befriended the ghost and promised to clear the dungeon at its request.

    However, if she asked the academy or the church, the ghost would be exorcised along with the dungeon¡¯s clearing, so she was conflicted.

    But knowing that mentioning a ghost would scare Carl, I just shrugged and pushed open the dungeon door.

    The surroundings changed.

    It was a gloomy cemetery.

    The sky was filled with dark clouds, with not a single star shining through. Instead, rain fell from the sky, making a constant dripping sound.

    The wet earth of the graves emitted a foul odor.

    I didn¡¯t care much in the game, but now that it¡¯s real, this ce is really annoying.

    I¡¯ll have to finish this and get out of here before my hair gets soaked.

    With that in mind, I created a shield with divine power.

    ¡°Just when I thought we¡¯d escaped the creepy mansion, now we¡¯re in a cemetery.¡±

    Carl sighed as he looked around the dungeon.

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Carl¡­¡¯

    ¡°Lousy knight, don¡¯t worry. There are no ghosts here.¡±

    <em>Ghosts,</em> I mean.

    As soon as I spoke, I felt a presence near one of the graves.

    When I looked, I saw corpses digging their way out of the graves, just like in a B-grade zombie movie.

    Zombies.

    The main monsters of this dungeon.

    I bet the lousy knight is going to get scared again.

    I was waiting for a scream, but it didn¡¯te.

    Instead, I heard the sound of a zombie¡¯s head flying through the air.

    ¡°Undead, huh? That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡®What the¡­¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Lousy knight, I thought you were scared of things like that?¡±

    ¡°I fear the unknown, not weak monsters like those.¡±

    It seemed Carl made a distinction between zombies and ghosts, even though they¡¯re both undead.

    Well, that¡¯s a relief.

    I brought him along because I was worried Aghra might pull some nonsense, but it would¡¯ve been a problem if he froze up at the sight of undead.

    <em>¡°In the end, isn¡¯t he just admitting that he¡¯s scared of ghosts?¡±</em>

    ¡®Grandpa, at times like this, you just pretend you don¡¯t know.¡¯

    After all, he¡¯s still a knight. If he¡¯s treated like a coward, it might wound his pride.

    I think it¡¯s a master¡¯s duty to be lenient and overlook such things.

    ¡®Carl¡­¡¯

    ¡°Lousy knight, there¡¯s no need to bother with that trash. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°What? But they¡¯re monsters.¡±

    ¡®Just do as I say!¡¯

    ¡°Just follow your master like the dog you are. Got it?¡±

    If we end up leveling up because we mess with them, it¡¯ll only cause more trouble.

    When I said that, Carl looked reluctant, but he nodded.

    After getting Carl¡¯s agreement, I led him forward.

    These zombies are ridiculously slow anyway.

    They have good health and strength, but that¡¯s it. If you run fast, they can¡¯t keep up.

    So the best way to clear this dungeon was to ignore the zombies and just run straight ahead.

    How long did we run through the cemetery?

    In the distance, I saw the end of the cemetery.

    Under a broken cross, someone who had been digging a hole saw us approaching, set down their shovel, and looked up.

    ¡°Wee, guests. Did you enjoy the warm wee from my family?¡±

    The necromancer, who was the boss of this dungeon, greeted us with exaggerated gestures, his rain-soaked coat hanging limply.

    ¡°Mydy, is that man the master of this dungeon?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Doesn¡¯t he seem mentally unbnced, which suits this dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, thank you for thepliment.¡±

    Despite my insult, the necromancerughed and moved his hands.

    That was when Carl stepped forward.

    It was a charge driven bybat logic, which dictated that you must strike down your opponent before they could make a move.

    The necromancer didn¡¯t react at all.

    Carl¡¯s sword shed through the necromancer¡¯s coat.

    ¡°Wow! Impressive strength!¡±

    But despite Carl¡¯s attack, the necromancer was unharmed.

    It wasn¡¯t because of magical protection.

    Nor did he dodge.

    It¡¯s just that there was nothing beneath the coat to cut.

    ¡°But it¡¯s unfortunate! I¡¯m a being that exists on the boundary between this world and the next.¡±

    As the leather coat was shed and fluttered to the ground, what was hidden beneath it was revealed.

    The necromancer¡¯s body was semi-transparent.

    Just like a ghost from a horror movie.

    ¡°No physical attack can harm me.¡±

    The master of this dungeon is both a necromancer and a ghost.

    To defeat him, you need something other than physical attacks.

    You¡¯d need at least a level 30 priest or mage to damage him.

    In other words, he¡¯s a boss you can¡¯t defeat early in the game by traditional methods.

    But there¡¯s a trick to this.

    I walked past Carl, who was frowning in frustration, and swung my mace.

    ¡°That¡¯s pointless.¡±

    The necromancerughed as he spread his arms, weing my mace.

    As if to say that such an attack couldn¡¯t harm him.

    But the result was different.

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    I heard the necromancer gasp as the mace struck him.

    Was he startled by the unexpected pain?

    The necromancer staggered back, his voice losing itsposure as he shouted at me.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°What did you do?!¡±

    ¡°Is your brain so rotten that you can¡¯t think?? I attacked you?, you insignificant wraith?¡±

    ¡°You! You shouldn¡¯t be able to hurt me!¡±

    Right. Normally, that would be true.

    But you see, you can¡¯t expect normal things from a veteran yer.

    You lousy fool.

 Chapter 66

    Adrie began recounting what had happened the previous night when the two individuals had entered the mansion.@@novelbin@@

    She described how a frightened knight and a seemingly calm young girl entered the mansion.

    How the two of them had headed straight for the underground area as if they knew the way by heart.

    How they unlocked a door and descended below.

    And finally, how they discovered the dungeon and entered it.

    ¡ª "Both of them were absolutely amazing!"

    Adrie¡¯s description of what happened inside the dungeon was filled with sound effects like "Wow!" and "Swoosh!" and "Bam!" which made it hard to understand, but the gist of it was this:

    Zombies crawled out of their graves, but the two didn¡¯t bother fighting them and instead broke through further inside.

    They even defeated a wraith, a spirit lingering in this world.

    "A wraith? How did they defeat it?"

    Vissy knew well about wraiths, even if she didn¡¯t know much about other monsters.

    Wraiths, usually boss-level monsters in dungeons, are typically impervious to physical attacks.

    But both of these individuals were knights who primarily relied on physical attacks.

    Could it be that Mr. Carl, the academy professor, had some method up his sleeve?

    ¡ª "Yep! The girl hit it with her mace, and wham! It was dead!"

    That brat defeated the wraith with a mace?

    Come to think of it, I remember seeing her use holy magic during the entrance ceremony.

    Did she use that to defeat the wraith?

    If she¡¯s strong enough to take down a boss-level wraith, then Lucy must possess considerable holy power.

    But just a while ago, wasn¡¯t she someone who insulted the gods? How could she have such divine power?

    Is she actually favored by the gods or something?

    ¡ª "And then, when they came out of the dungeon, they gave me this ribbon as a present!"

    Adrie eximed excitedly, pointing to the ribbon on her head.

    Now that I think about it, she does have a new ribbon.

    ¡ª "Isn¡¯t it pretty?!"

    "It¡¯s pretty, but¡­ how exactly did you receive it?"

    Adrie is a ghost.

    So naturally, she shouldn¡¯t be able to interact with the real world or undergo any changes since she¡¯s already dead.

    Normally, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take a ribbon and wear it on her head.

    ¡ª "I don¡¯t know! They gave it to me, so I took it!"

    "...Right. I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything from you."

    ¡ª "What¡¯s that supposed to mean?!"

    Vissy half-listened to Adrie¡¯s grumbling while deep in thought.

    That brat must have done something again.

    Lucy Allen. Just what is she?

    Until about a year ago, she was just the usual troublemaker when she appeared in social circles.

    But how has she changed so much in just one year?

    The girl who wouldn¡¯t even pick up a pen managed to top the entrance exam at Soul Academy.

    During themotion at the entrance ceremony, she stood at the forefront.

    Is it even possible to change this much in just one year?

    Is this what they call talent?

    Was that brat just azy genius with a terrible personality all along?

    Or is there something more?

    ¡ª "Hmm. But that girl was really something! It¡¯s like she already knew who I was, knew everything about that dungeon, and even about this mansion. What kind of kid is she?"

    "I don¡¯t know."

    But she¡¯s definitely not an ordinary person.

    Vissy answered Adrie¡¯s question absentmindedly as she massaged the back of her neck.

    Now that she¡¯s caught on to me being a necromancer, I can¡¯t go against her.

    If it gets out that I¡¯ve dabbled in forbidden magic, I¡¯ll be marked by the church.

    As a minor noble, I would just disappear without a trace.

    I should be grateful that she¡¯s keeping quiet about it, not to mention she cleared the dungeon in this mansion.

    Even though I still dislike that brattydy, I have to admit I¡¯m grateful for what she did.

    Maybe I should hold off on gossiping about her for a while.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The next morning, Vissy woke up early and headed to the training grounds.

    The person who taught her necromancy had emphasized the importance of training early, so Vissy tried to move her body at dawn whenever possible.

    Yesterday, she had overslept and barely made it to ss on time.

    With her hair loosely tied back, Vissy arrived at the training grounds only to find that others had gotten there before her.

    Among them, the most noticeable were Lucy and Freyr, who were sprinting around the perimeter of the training grounds at full speed.

    Despite running at a speed that could rival a horse, their expressions werepletely calm.

    ¡°Lousy knight, aren¡¯t you getting tired? You¡¯re out of breath.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Are you the one who¡¯s tired?¡±

    ¡°Pfft. The lousy knight who got beaten by me is trying to provoke me? Ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    How are they able to run at that speed and still carry on a conversation?

    Vissy wasn¡¯t the only one staring at them in disbelief.

    Most of the people in the training grounds were the same.

    The sight of two small kids running at a pace that seemed impossible to keep up with was astonishing.

    However, since one of them was Lucy Allen, infamous for her reputation, they quickly looked away whenever she noticed their gazes.

    Vissy watched them for a while before moving to a spot far away from the duo to start her own training.

    The bad blood between Vissy and Lucy would continue even after that.

    It was during a magic theory ss.

    Still unfamiliar with Soul Academy, Vissy had wandered around before finally finding the ssroom, where she sighed in relief upon seeing a friend wave her over.

    ¡°Close call. You were almostte.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Snapping at her friend who was teasing her, Vissy took her seat and nced around the ssroom.

    There was an oddly empty space in the room.

    Right around Lucy Allen.

    Nobles who had been tormented by Lucy Allen in social circles naturally avoided her.

    Even the fewmoners kept their distance, sensing the tension around her, leaving Lucy Allen alone.

    In most cases, someone in her situation would feel dejected or depressed, but Lucy Allen calmly stared out the window, as if she was used to it.

    ¡°Vissy, should we start calling her ¡®the lonelydy¡¯ instead of ¡®the brattydy¡¯ now?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    Vissy started to respond to her friend who was giggling, but then closed her mouth.

    Lucy Allen¡¯s warning from the previous day shed in her mind.

    Professor Carl must have told that brat everything.

    I thought he was nice because he¡¯s handsome, but he¡¯s just a petty snitch.

    What is Lucy Allen to him anyway?

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, just¡­ I thought she must be lonely.¡±

    Vissy¡¯s friend chuckled lightly at her offhandment.

    ¡°Lonely? She brought it on herself. A girl who dared to call the third prince pathetic wouldn¡¯t care about something like that.¡±

    Her friend¡¯s remark was urate.

    Lucy herself had shattered any rumors that she might have changed after the entrance exam and ceremony incidents.

    To call the third prince ¡®Pathetic Prince¡¯¡­ Vissy had thought she must be out of her mind when she heard that story.

    Of course, she couldn¡¯t say that out loud now.

    Vissy¡¯s ambiguous smile made her friend narrow her eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you, Vissy? Are you trying to act all nice today?¡±

    ¡°Act nice? I¡¯m always nice.¡±

    ¡°Hypocrite.¡±

    Their conversation was interrupted when the magic theory professor entered the ssroom.

    ¡°The flow of magic is¡­¡±

    As the ss proceeded, the professor suddenly frowned and raised his voice slightly.

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s eyes turned toward where Lucy was sitting.

    Lucy Allen was sprawled out on her desk, fast asleep.

    Wait, what is she doing?!

    Lucy quickly lifted her head, looking flustered, as the professor spoke in a slightly sharper tone.

    ¡°Could you tell us what I just exined?¡±

    Lucy remained silent. Of course she wouldn¡¯t be able to answer.

    She had been asleep just a moment ago.

    ¡°She¡¯s going to embarrass herself.¡±

    Vissy¡¯s friend chuckled with glee, but the scene she anticipated didn¡¯t happen.

    ¡°Lousy professor. You just exined¡­¡±

    Lucy Allen answered the professor¡¯s question without a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    Her response was so wless that even the magic theory professor, who had been about to scold her, was left speechless.

    ¡°Well¡­ well done. You may sit down.¡±

    How did she answer that while she was asleep?

    Did she just look at what was written on the board and guess?

    Ugh, this is why they call people like her geniuses.

    Vissy, feeling a pang of jealousy, clicked her tongue without realizing it.

    After ss ended, Vissy heard Lucy¡¯s name again around lunchtime.

    Lady Baines, whom she had seen in social circles, stormed into the cafeteria, fuming with anger.

    Even amidst the murmurs of others, Lady Baines couldn¡¯t hide her frustration.

    What on earth happened to her?

    ¡°She probably lost to the brattydy.¡±

    Vissy¡¯s question was answered by her friend, who had juste from a sparring ss.

    ¡°To Lady Allen?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That brat may be a menace, but she¡¯s really good at fighting. Lady Baines didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive.¡±

    ¡°This is nothing. Last time, she beat Lady Kent.¡±

    Lady Kent, who had won multiple tournaments across the kingdom.

    A monster among monsters, widely expected to be the next Swordmaster.

    And Lucy beat her in a duel?

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    So, she¡¯s not only smart enough to top the entrance exam, but also skilled enough to beat someone like Lady Kent inbat?

    And on top of that, she possesses enough holy power to harm a wraith?

    ¡°That¡¯s unfair.¡±

    Is it okay for one person to have so much talent?

    ¡°Maybe she really is favored by the gods.¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say sphemous things.¡±

    The moment Vissy murmured that, her friend scolded her.

    ¡°The ones favored by the gods are angels like the saintess. There¡¯s no way a brat with that kind of personality would be loved by the gods.¡±

    That¡¯s true.

    Thinking about the saintess¡¯s pure nature, there¡¯s no way the gods would like someone like Lucy.

    ¡°Unless she¡¯s loved by a demon instead.¡±

    Vissy couldn¡¯t help butugh at her friend¡¯sment.

    But when she saw Lucy enter the cafeteria, her smile froze.

    Oh. Uh.

    She didn¡¯t hear that, did she?

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The days are long.

    That¡¯s the thought that has crossed my mind most oftentely.

    In this world, when it was just a game, you could speed through a day in as little as ten seconds.

    Attending sses was just a matter of skipping through text and then choosing what to do in the evening and night.

    But now that this is reality, time feels different.

    Having to live through every minute of a full 24 hours feels incredibly long!

    If only I could spend all day training like I did at home, I wouldn¡¯t be so bored.

    But here, I have to sit through boring and sleepy sses, which is really tough.

    In the first ce, the experience period at Soul Academy was supposed to be one of those segments where you just do a few things and then skip past it!

    Why can¡¯t I skip this part?

    If I could at least go on quests, it wouldn¡¯t be so bad.

    Buttely, everyone just runs away whenever I try to talk to them, so I can¡¯t even do that.

    Ah, I wish this period would end soon.

    Once this week is over and the official semester starts, I¡¯ll finally be able to enter the dungeons at Soul Academy.

 Chapter 67

    As usual, after finishing my early morning training, I was heading back to the dormitory to wash up when I noticed a crowd gathered around the notice board.

    If there¡¯s a new announcement today, it must be that one, right?

    I turned and headed toward the notice board.

    ¡°Could you move, please?¡± ¡°Hah, losers. Move.¡±

    The people were very polite.

    They hurriedly made way for me when they heard my voice, though I might have been more thankful if they hadn¡¯t looked at me like I was some sort of cockroach.@@novelbin@@

    By now, I was used to such situations, so I walked through the crowd and checked the notice.

    [Soul Academy Semester Dungeon Announcement]

    As expected, it was this.

    At Soul Academy, a dungeon opens every semester.

    It¡¯s an artificial dungeon created by the academy, with a scale of approximately 100 floors.

    The dungeon¡¯s structure is a typicalbyrinth design.

    There¡¯s a boss every 10 floors,

    The difficulty increases the further down you go,

    Each level has a different theme, so proper preparation is essential.

    However, what sets this dungeon apart from others is its escape function.

    If a person exploring the dungeon finds themselves in danger, the magic within the dungeon detects it and allows them to escape.

    Because of this, students at the academy can explore the dungeon without any real risk.

    Normally, this function should have activated during the entrance exam dungeon, but Agra¡¯s interference caused a disaster.

    It¡¯s not mandatory for Soul Academy students to explore this dungeon.

    However, it¡¯s beneficial to do so because there are appropriate rewards based on the number of floors conquered.

    In particr, there are special rewards for the first three parties to fully conquer the dungeon.

    When ying the Soul Academy game, one of the most important goals was to be among those top three parties.

    Whether or not you received those rewards could significantly impact your future experience.

    While it¡¯s possible to skip the first semester¡¯s rewards, the others were essential.

    Of course, I have no intention of giving up the first semester¡¯s rewards.

    As a proud veteran yer of Soul Academy, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d miss something like this!

    As I was reading through the academy¡¯s notice to see if anything had changed in reality, I found something intriguing.

    I didn¡¯t expect to see this sentence in the first announcement.

    Since there¡¯s no way to acquire Agra¡¯s curse immediately after entering the academy, this was a sentence I¡¯d never seen before.

    ¡°In light of the incident during the entrance exam: We have coborated with the High Church to ensure that no evil deity can interfere. Additionally, we are conducting thorough monitoring to prevent any incidents...¡±

    This was something I could trust.

    After Agra interferes with the academy¡¯s dungeon, this sentence appears in the announcement, and from then on, Agra doesn¡¯t interfere again.

    So, to obtain items farmed from Agra¡¯s curse, you¡¯d have to head to an external dungeon.

    There are exceptions, but...

    For the time being, it¡¯s safe to explore the academy¡¯s dungeon.

    Is the rest of the content the same?

    No, there¡¯s one difference... what?

    ¡°For freshmen this year, entry into the dungeon will be restricted unless they are in a four-person party, including at least one upperssman or professor. If a professor apanies the group, they will ensure safety but will not assist in clearing the dungeon, so please be aware of this.¡±

    Excuse me? What?

    You can¡¯t enter the dungeon unless you¡¯re in a four-person party?

    Why?!

    As I nced down to understand the reason, it was exined below.

    The notice was long, but to summarize:

    Despite their best efforts to ensure safety, there¡¯s always the possibility of unforeseen variables or idents.

    Upperssmen who are familiar with dungeon exploration can handle such situations, but freshmen are different.

    Many of them have not tackled any dungeons besides the one in the entrance exam, so they may struggle to respond effectively.

    Therefore, this measure is being taken for their safety.

    No.

    This isn¡¯t right.

    A four-person party?

    I somewhat understand the reasoning, but isn¡¯t this a bit excessive?!

    If it¡¯s about safety, a two-person party should be enough.

    This means someone like me, who¡¯s ostracized, won¡¯t even be able to enter the dungeon!

    Why are they overreacting like this?

    The game didn¡¯t impose such restrictions.

    Unless you were heading to an external dungeon, they never insisted on a four-person setup!

    What¡¯s different now? Huh?

    Is it because of the incident during the entrance exam dungeon?

    Ugh. Damn it. I don¡¯t know.

    I need to explore the dungeon to get the rewards, but what should I do?

    Even if I take Carl as the professor, how am I supposed to fill the other two slots?

    Who¡¯s going to join me in the dungeon right now?

    ¡°Four people? ...This is troublesome.¡±

    Oh. There¡¯s one person.

    Unlike me, who was forcibly turned into an outcast, there¡¯s someone who voluntarily isted themselves from the world.

    Frey, who had silently followed me and was now reading the notice next to me, frowned and pouted.

    Should I bring her along?

    Sigh. I never thought I¡¯d be in a position to consider this.

    To think I¡¯d have to include this crazy, nuisance of a person in my party.

    I¡¯d rather go alone if I could.

    But I can¡¯t go alone, can I? Damn it!

    What¡¯s even more frustrating is that even if I take Frey, there¡¯s still one person short.

    While the first semester dungeon rewards are something I could technically skip, I don¡¯t really want to...

    ¡°Lucy Allen.¡±

    Who is it? My head is already on the verge of splitting open, you know?

    If someone¡¯s picking a fight, I¡¯ll be happy to take it out on them.

    Thinking that, I turned my head, only to meet a pair of cold blue eyes staring down at me.

    ¡°Arthur.¡± ¡°Pathetic Prince.¡±

    Startled by meeting the person I¡¯d been intentionally avoiding since the entrance ceremony disaster, I involuntarily called him by that name.

    And, as always, my Mesugaki skill worked its magic at the worst possible moment.

    Does it really have to work so diligently, every single time?

    ¡°...Even after a week, that filthy mouth of yours remains unchanged. Then again, I suppose it won¡¯t change after a lifetime of living that way.¡±

    Arthur smirked, one corner of his mouth curling up after hearing himself called ¡®Pathetic Prince.¡¯

    I can¡¯t see the favorability score right now, but I can guess what Arthur¡¯s favorability towards me is.

    It¡¯s probably in the negatives.

    ¡°sphemous Lucy Allen. I have a proposal for you.¡±

    ¡°...What is it?¡± ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Normally, I would have you answer for your sphemy, but this is the academy, isn¡¯t it? I may be a prince, but I am not a prince here, and you are ady, but not ady here.¡±

    Arthur spread his arms wide as he spoke, drawing the attention of everyone around us.

    The warmth of their gazes was starkly different. The looks directed at Arthur were soft, while those aimed at me were as cold and heavy as could be.

    Those hundreds of gazes were so oppressive that, even though they were intangible, I felt like I might suffocate under their weight.

    If not for my Mesugaki skill forcibly maintaining myposure, I might have copsed right there.

    <Should I call this cunning, or just in shrewd?> ¡°What do you mean?¡± <He¡¯s deliberately creating this scene.>

    Arthur knows that public opinion favors him and is cold toward me.

    That¡¯s why he chose to speak to me in a crowded ce.

    <The intent is obvious. He¡¯s trying to pressure you into epting whatever proposal he¡¯s about to make.> ¡°What¡¯s he trying to say?¡± <I¡¯m not sure, but it won¡¯t be anything positive.>

    Gramps, I already know that, okay?

    There¡¯s no way Arthur, who probably despises me, is going to say anything good.

    ¡°So, I have a proposal for you. Will you hear it?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Go ahead, Pathetic Prince.¡±

    Creating a situation where refusing to listen would make me seem cowardly, and then pretending to be considerate? How noble of you.

    Hearing my response, Arthur raised an eyebrow and continued slowly.

    ¡°You are impressive. To have crushed me and spat out words of pity for me. Some even say a genius of the century has appeared.¡±

    What nonsense is this?

    A genius?

    I¡¯ve never heard anyone say that about me.

    I¡¯ve heard people mutter ¡®brattydy¡¯ as they passed by, but that¡¯s it.

    <He¡¯s inting your worth on purpose.> ¡°Why?¡± <So he can knock you down even harderter.>

    ¡°When I heard those words, I felt a sense ofpetition. I may notpare to you, but I too was raised hearing that I was a genius.¡±

    Arthur paused after saying this, as if to cue the people around us to focus on what he was about to say.

    ¡°Shall we have a contest?¡±

    ¡°A contest?¡± ¡°A contest?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a contest. To see who can delve deeper into the dungeon within a day. If you win, I will dly forgive your sphemy. I¡¯m a generous person, after all. Even if you lose, you won¡¯t lose anything¡ªjust bear the guilt of your sphemy. How about it? Isn¡¯t it a risk-free proposal?¡±

    <Refuse.>

    As soon as Arthur finished speaking, Gramps shouted firmly.

    <At first nce, it seems like he¡¯s offering you a chance for forgiveness, but it¡¯s different. This is just a ploy to humiliate you legally.>

    Typically, people like him wouldn¡¯t propose something like this unless they were sure they would win.

    He¡¯ll use every trick to ensure you lose.

    Gramps said that even considering the proposal was a waste of time.

    <The most insidious part is that nothing is clearly defined.>

    If you win, you get forgiveness.

    But what does that mean?

    Arthur might act generous on the surface, but he won¡¯t actually forgive me, and my reputation won¡¯t change at all.

    So what happens if I lose?

    What price will I have to pay?

    In short, what Arthur offered was a nk contract.

    A nk contract that only benefits Arthur.

    Of course, I¡¯m confident I can beat Arthur no matter what tricks he tries, but there¡¯s no reason to ept a proposal where I have nothing to gain.

    Reputation?

    I¡¯m already at rock bottom; it¡¯s not like I can fall any further.

    Just as I was about to open my mouth to refuse, I heard a familiar sound.

    ¡ªDing.

    A message window appeared in front of me.

    [Contest with Arthur] [Arthur has challenged you to a contest! Win the contest!] [Reward: Special Ticket from Stophe]

    You sadistic pervert of a lousy god.

    You¡¯re watching me right now, aren¡¯t you?

    And you want me to ept this contest.

    Right?

    If you were trying to tempt me, you¡¯ve hit the mark perfectly.

    A ticket that instantly increases the favorability of the dumb noble girl.

    Normally, you¡¯d have to clear an annoyingly difficult quest to get that, but you¡¯re offering me a chance to get it for free?

    Damn it.

    I don¡¯t know what your exact intentions are.

    Whether you, as a god, see something I can¡¯t, or if you¡¯re just a perverted deity who wants to see me humiliated.

    Considering your usual behavior, thetter seems more likely.

    But whatever. It doesn¡¯t matter.

    I¡¯m confident I can win against whatever tricks an NPC in this game tries to pull.

    ¡°Alright...¡± ¡°Alright, Pathetic Prince. I¡¯ll ept your proposal.¡± <Girl?!>

    As I nodded, Gramps urgently shouted, while Arthur¡¯s lips curled into a long smile.

    ¡°You must be confident.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Of course, Pathetic Prince. There¡¯s no way I could lose to you, right?¡±

 Chapter 68

    Arthur¡¯s conditions for our contest were as follows:

    The contest was to be a dungeon challenge.

    Five days from now, on Saturday at 11 AM, we would both enter the dungeon, and whoever delves the deepest by 6 PM that day would win.

    The dungeon party members could include one professor or upperssman, but the rest had to be first-year students.

    Attacking each other was forbidden.

    There were several other minor rules, but those weren¡¯t particrly concerning.

    <What are you nning to do?>

    As soon as I parted ways with Arthur, Gramps asked me in a low voice.

    ¡®What do you mean? I¡¯m going to win.¡¯

    <In a situation where you can barely find anyone to join you in the dungeon?>

    That was a problem, indeed.

    My reputation was already in tatters.

    After my confrontation with Arthur, there¡¯s likely a rumor that I¡¯m now at odds with the third prince. Who would side with me under these circumstances?

    Who would risk angering Arthur to team up with the brattydy?

    Probably no one.

    And even if someone did, they¡¯d likely be someone mentally unhinged, making it better not to bring them along.

    ¡®But I do have one person.¡¯

    Ordinarily, Freyr, who¡¯s walking beside me, would be one of those people, but in this situation, she seems almost angelic.

    ¡®Freyr¡­¡¯ ¡°Lousy knight.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking if I¡¯ll join your party, right?¡±

    Oh? Why is she so perceptive today?

    Usually, even if I spoke to her, she¡¯d tilt her head in confusion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. But I have a condition.¡±

    A condition Freyr might ask for?

    Is there even such a thing?

    She¡¯s the type who seems content just swinging a sword and sparring.

    ¡°Spar with me!¡±

    ¡®Huh? Sparring?¡¯ ¡°What? Sparring?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    ¡®But we...¡¯ ¡°We spar every day until we¡¯re sick of it. Lousy knight, have you lost your mind?¡±

    Freyr and I spar every evening after sses. Since both of us are practically unmatched among our peers, sparring benefits us both.

    So asking me to spar doesn¡¯t count as a request.

    ¡°You might make excuses and skip itter!¡±

    Ah, so you¡¯re trying to make sure I don¡¯t back out in the future by putting a leash on me in advance?

    You may be dull most of the time, but you can be surprisingly cunning.

    ¡®Alright.¡¯ ¡°Alright. Lousy knight.¡±

    I had no intention of avoiding sparring with Freyr in the first ce.

    Finding someone to spar with at this wretched academy is a challenge.

    Ever since I beat that third-year senior to get the Underdog skill, people in the training grounds have been avoiding me like the gue!

    The only one who could potentially rece Freyr is Carl, but he¡¯s been busytely, so it¡¯s hard to just call on him.

    ¡°Promise?¡± ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡°Sure.¡±

    Freyr, satisfied with my nod, dashed ahead on her own.

    <You¡¯ve got one spot filled, and if you take your knight, that¡¯s another. But what about thest one?>

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to figure that out now.¡¯

    Given the current situation, the best bnce would be Favi or Joy.

    I¡¯m enough to handle the frontline, so I need someone who can provide support from the rear.

    Since I can take on the role of a healer, having Joy in the party would be ideal, but I haven¡¯t spoken to her since the Pathetic Prince incident.

    I don¡¯t know what she thinks of me now.@@novelbin@@

    Given her naturally kind disposition, she probably doesn¡¯t hate me, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯d be willing to help.

    As for Favi¡­

    Well, she has a heart as pure as snow, so maybe if I bow my head and beg, she might help out of pity.

    Though with my Mesugaki skill, I doubt I could ever do something that humiliating.

    Maybe I¡¯d say something like, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to help me, Lousy Saint.¡±

    But I should at least try to ask.

    If that doesn¡¯t work, I might have to resort to threatening an extra to join us.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Your Highness, the Third Prince.¡±

    It was lunchtime at the academy.

    Arthur, who was eating with his friends, raised an eyebrow when Joy Patran suddenly appeared.

    His expression was never particrly pleasant, but today it was even worse.

    And since she hade alone, without any of her usual entourage, she seemed quite angry.

    ¡°Joy. What brings you here?¡± ¡°I have something to discuss. Can we speak privately?¡± ¡°Hm. This works out well. I had something to say to you as well.¡±

    Arthur, maintaining his princely decorum, excused himself from his friends and led Joy out to the garden outside the dining hall.

    As soon as they reached a secluded spot, Joy¡¯s voice turned as cold as ice.

    ¡°I believe you can guess why I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here because I challenged Lucy Allen to a contest?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see what the problem is. We simply agreed to a fair contest.¡±

    ¡°A fair contest? From what I hear, the terms are heavily skewed against Lady Allen.¡±

    Starting with the dungeon challenge itself.

    While Lucy struggled to form a four-person party, Arthur could assemble his team however he liked.

    No matter how talented Lucy Allen might be individually, a mismatch in party members would inevitably put her at a disadvantage.

    And that wasn¡¯t the only issue.

    The ban on directbat between the two parties.

    Theck of restrictions on the use of magical items.

    Every condition favored Arthur.

    Even the oue of the contest¡ªArthur had nothing to lose, while Lucy had much at stake. Calling this a fair contest was an insult to the god of contracts.

    ¡°Does that matter? She agreed to it, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    Arthur¡¯s calm response made Joy¡¯s eyes narrow.

    ¡°You forced her into a position where she had no choice.¡±

    Arthur responded with a smile, acknowledging her point.

    It was true that he had used Lucy Allen¡¯s reputation to pressure her into epting.

    ¡°Even so, she nodded her agreement.¡±

    Afraid of the public¡¯s gaze and potential criticism, Lucy Allen had epted the proposal.

    When Arthur said this, Joy fell silent.

    Technically, Arthur wasn¡¯t in the wrong.

    ¡°Moreover, wasn¡¯t it Lucy Allen who started this? I only decided to do this because she called me the ¡®Pathetic Prince.¡¯¡±

    And from a moral standpoint, it¡¯s hard to argue against this.

    Lucy Allen was the one who had provoked Arthur in the first ce.

    Arthur was merely choosing to retaliate against the insult.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see why you have any issue with this.¡±

    Joy was well aware of all these facts.

    No matter how sheltered she might have been as the daughter of a duke, she still had a basic sense of political dynamics.

    ¡°Joy, do you still feel indebted to Lucy Allen?¡±

    The reason she hade to Arthur, despite knowing all this, was because Joy still considered Lucy Allen her benefactor.

    When Arthur pointed this out, Joy bit her lip slightly.

    ¡°Yes, and is that wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not wrong. But it¡¯s disappointing.¡±

    Arthur¡¯s voice softened as he stepped closer to Joy.

    Although Joy was tall for a woman, it was still within the average range for women. Compared to Arthur, who could match up with most adult men, she was smaller.

    His icy blue eyes, like frozen crystals, gazed down at her.

    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for so long, and yet you side with that insolentdy?¡±

    ¡°My parents taught me to always repay my debts.¡±

    ¡°They seem like admirable people who provided you with an excellent education.¡±

    Despite the slightly threatening tone in his words, Joy didn¡¯t back down an inch, and Arthur inwardly smiled bitterly.

    In the past, she would have shown at least a hint of fear.

    She really had changed since returning from that dungeon.

    ¡°So, what is it you want to say?¡±

    ¡°From the beginning, Your Highness never intended to forgive Lady Allen. The contest was simply an excuse to humiliate her. It¡¯s despicable.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Joy. You¡¯re right. So what¡¯s the problem with that?¡±

    After hearing her out, Arthur spread his arms wide and raised his voice.

    ¡°I was taught differently from you. Not only to repay kindness but also to repay enmity. Lucy Allen touched a nerve. A nerve deep inside of me! So, I will repay her by humiliating her! Is there a problem with that? Answer me!¡±

    Arthur, who had been shouting with veins bulging in his neck, saw Joy¡¯s resolute expression and cleared his throat, brushing his face with his hand.

    ¡°Seeing how you feel, I guess you¡¯re not interested in hearing my proposal.¡±

    ¡°You were going to ask me to join your party?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I must respectfully decline. However, out of respect for our rtionship, I won¡¯t assist Lady Allen either.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you.¡±

    Just as Joy was about to take her leave, Arthur stopped her.

    ¡°Joy, may I ask you one question?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡±

    ¡°Lady Allen will win.¡±

    Joy answered without the slightest hesitation, even though she had just pointed out how unfair the contest was.

    Arthur let out a dryugh at her response.

    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you before? If it weren¡¯t for Lady Allen, I would be dead.¡±

    Until now, no one had believed Joy when she talked about how amazing Lucy Allen was.

    To everyone else, Lucy Allen was just the brattydy.

    They all thought the Duke¡¯s daughter was being overly humble.

    But Joy kept talking about Lucy Allen.

    Because it was true.

    ¡°I have little experience in dungeon exploration, but I doubt anyone is better at it than Lady Allen.¡±

    With those words, Joy gave a formal bow and turned to leave.

    After a while, left alone, Arthur stared nkly into the air before letting out a long sigh.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Unfortunately, Favi declined my request.

    She said it was difficult to say which side was right, so she couldn¡¯t take either.

    It was a very Saint-like response.

    I wasn¡¯t surprised since I had expected this oue from the start.

    At least she didn¡¯t side with Arthur.

    Given the circumstances, I only had one option left.

    That evening, after all the sses had ended.

    When I made eye contact with the extra noble girl, she quickly stood up from her seat and tried to run, but since she was a necromancer and I was a knight, she couldn¡¯t possibly outrun me.

    Half-dragged to the table, the extra noble girl sat quietly with her legs neatly together, nervously watching me.

    ¡°What do you need?¡±

    ¡®I need someone to work with me.¡¯ ¡°I need someone to help me. And it turns out even a lousy extra like you would do.¡±

    Her face turned pale when I got straight to the point.

 Chapter 69

    Unlike some others, Vissy was aware of the situation due to having friends who kept her informed.

    So when Lucy mentioned needing someone, Vissy quickly realized what Lucy was implying.

    She''s trying to drag me into her contest.

    Vissy wanted nothing more than to stand up and leave.

    There was nothing beneficial about joining Lucy Allen''s party.

    Having to enter a dungeon with this brattydy who seemed to have learned no othernguage than sarcasm.

    Having to step into a contest that seemed impossible to win.

    And above all, the biggest issue was taking a stand against the Third Prince, who had both moral and practical advantages on his side.

    Less than a day had passed, yet the opinion within Soul Academy had already tilted decisively.

    The Third Prince, who had issued a fair challenge to the person who insulted him, versus the brattydy who epted it as if doing him a favor.

    It was painfully obvious which side to support.

    To stand against the Third Prince in this situation?

    That would be like asking the students at the academy to throw stones at you.

    And it wouldn¡¯t stop there.

    Supporting Lucy wouldn¡¯t just affect her reputation within the academy.

    Word would spread across the entire social circle.

    People would whisper that she had sided with the brattydy against the Third Prince.

    While it wouldn¡¯t be political suicide to oppose a prince who wasn¡¯t in line for session, it was still considered madness.

    Yet, Vissy couldn¡¯t bring herself to leave because Lucy Allen had a hold on her.

    ¡°If the extrady doesn¡¯t help me, I think my lips might get very loose.¡±

    Necromancy.

    A forbidden art that Vissy absolutely couldn¡¯t afford to be exposed.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll even head over to the dusty old church and tell the lousy god all about it.¡±

    Lucy spoke nonchntly, toying with the cross-shaped ne around her neck.

    The High Church¡¯s ne.

    A relic given only to those who have done significant work for the church.

    How this sphemous woman, who referred to Armandy as a lousy god, had received such a ne was a mystery, but it was clear that Lucy Allen had ties to the church.

    Not to mention she could use holy magic.

    If someone like her reported Vissy to the church as a necromancer?

    Vissy had heard from her master about the fate of necromancers who were exposed to the church.

    Stories of horrific scenes that would make one wish for death.

    She had to avoid that at all costs.

    Suffering on a difficult path was better than being captured by the church and tortured to death.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°...So, I just need to be your party member?¡±

    ¡°You catch on quickly for an extra, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s right.¡±

    As Lucy giggled, Vissy clenched her fists under the table.

    If only I had the power, the authority to give this brattydy a good knock on the head.

    To make her cry and shout that she¡¯s the lousy one!

    As Vissy stewed in her resentment, Lucy pulled out a small orb from her pocket.

    It looked like a simple gem on the outside, but Vissy immediately recognized what it was.

    ¡°This is a reward I got after defeating the necromancerst time. I thought you might know what it is.¡±

    Even if she wasn¡¯t highly skilled yet, Vissy was still a necromancer.

    She couldn¡¯t possibly miss the pure necromantic energy contained within the orb. Vissy couldn¡¯t take her eyes off the orb.

    If she could absorb that much necromantic energy into her body, she could undoubtedly reach a higher level.

    It would bring her one step closer to the level she aspired to.

    ¡°It¡¯s a rare item. You¡¯d have to pay a fortune in the underworld to get something like this.¡±

    Lucy was right.

    Necromancy was considered forbidden magic by the church.

    Naturally, items rted to necromancy couldn¡¯t be found in the open, and even in the ck market, they were hard toe by.

    Such items were far beyond the reach of a minor noble like Vissy.

    ¡°I¡¯m not someone who gets others to work for free, extrady. If you help me beat the Pathetic Prince, I¡¯ll give this to you. What do you say?¡±

    Vissy stood up and walked over to Lucy.

    Then, she bowed her head respectfully.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I don¡¯t expect anything from a lousy extra like you. Just breathe quietly in the background.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    <Can you trust a necromancer?>

    After sending off the extra nobledy, who had seemed eager to lick my boots if I asked her to, Gramps asked in a low voice.

    There was an unusual, dark tone to his voice.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Most necromancers were followers of evil gods.

    How could Gramps, who had spent his life fighting against evil gods, have any positive feelings toward a necromancer?

    ¡®It¡¯s fine.¡¯

    There¡¯s a significant difference between the necromancers Gramps had encountered and the extra nobledy.

    How could a madman who sincerely worships evil gods be the same as an extrady who walked this path just to see her younger brother once more?

    <I won¡¯t press the issue since the situation demands it, but be cautious.>

    ¡®I understand.¡¯

    Though I thought his worry was excessive, I nodded.

    It was better to reassure him than to cause unnecessary conflict.

    <So, what¡¯s your n now?>

    ¡®Preparation.¡¯

    <But you don¡¯t even know how the dungeon is set up.>

    ¡®I do.¡¯

    Of course, I¡¯ve memorized the structure of the dungeon that¡¯s created in the first semester at Soul Academy.

    Which monsters appear on each floor.

    What the boss on every tenth floor is.

    How to defeat them.

    Theyout of each field.

    The hidden items and secret routes that the professors have stashed away.

    I know all of it.

    There¡¯s no dungeon in the game Soul Academy that I don¡¯t know.

    The academy dungeon, being the primary stage of the game, is no exception.

    Gramps didn¡¯t ask further once I said I knew.

    Given all the oundish things I¡¯ve done before using the lousy god as an excuse, Gramps must have assumed that the perverted deity was involved in this too.

    After returning to the dormitory to gather some things, I took out a pouch from my room.

    It was the pouch of gold coins that Benedict had prepared for me when I came to the academy! Inside were 20 gold coins.

    That¡¯s more than enough to cover a typical noble student¡¯s living expenses for a year, yet Benedict handed it to me as pocket money, separate from my living expenses.

    Because, as he said, it¡¯s better to have too much money than too little.

    Sure, the more money, the better, but is it really okay to give such arge sum to a student?

    No wonder Lucy had developed such a wasteful habit! Benedict, you fool.

    You¡¯re so good at fighting and working, so why are you so terrible at parenting?

    I took out two gold coins from the pouch and headed back outside.

    In most cities, evening is the time when the streets start preparing for sleep.

    In this world, without streetlights or electricity, night is purely a time for rest.

    But the streets around Soul Academy are different.

    The most active time in this city, which thrives around the academy, is the evening.

    That¡¯s when the academy students, who are the biggest spenders in this city, are free to roam.

    Tonight, the streets of Soul Academy were bustling as usual, but I ignored themotion and headed toward the back alleys.

    While it was possible to find the items I needed in the shops here, their quality would be too low.

    There¡¯s no way a shop you visit early in the game would have anything good.

    Once you unlock certain conditionster on, you can get decent items, but that¡¯s not possible right now.

    So, I chose a different location.

    As I opened the door to the back alley pub, I felt the same stares I did thest time I was here.

    But the nature of those stares had changed.

    There was no hostility or wariness.

    There was only caution.

    I guess I¡¯m a customer now, huh?

    ¡°Lady Allen. What brings you here today?¡±

    The man who had picked a fight with mest time and ended up getting beaten by Alsetine asked politely.

    ¡®Hello...¡¯ ¡°Hey, old man. I¡¯m here to see the informant.¡±

    His eyebrows twitched at the words that insulted both him and his superior.

    But he didn¡¯t lose his temper likest time.

    The first time I saw him, he seemed like a hothead.

    Was it just because I was an outsider?

    ¡°He¡¯s upstairs. Shall I go call him...¡±

    ¡®No...¡¯ ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go to thatzy informant myself.¡±

    I knew where Alsetine¡¯s room was. I¡¯d been there before.

    I walked past the man who stepped aside to let me through and knocked on Alsetine¡¯s door before opening it.

    ¡°Who...¡±

    Alsetine, frowning as he looked up, quickly changed his expression when he saw my face.

    ¡®It¡¯s Lucy Allen.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s me. Got a problem, informant?¡±

    ¡°No. Of course not. What brings you here?¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m here to buy something.¡¯ ¡°There¡¯s only one reason I¡¯de to this lousy, filthy ce: to buy something.¡±

    ¡°I see. Please, have a seat.¡±

    Following Alsetine¡¯s lead, I closed the door and took a seat.

    As I moved, he discreetly hid some of the papersid out in front of him.

    I guess there¡¯s some important information there? Not that it matters to me.

    Whatever it is, it can¡¯t be more valuable than what¡¯s in my head.

    ¡®By the way...¡¯ ¡°Did you look into what I asked?¡±

    ¡°You mean the ne of the Burrow family? Yes, we¡¯ve confirmed its current location and should have it secured within two weeks.¡±

    Already? That¡¯s fast.

    I expected it to take at least a month.

    This was good news, but it wasn¡¯t what I was asking about.

    ¡®Not that.¡¯ ¡°Not that.¡±

    I¡¯m talking about your master.

    You¡¯ve investigated, haven¡¯t you?

    With the informationwork you have, you must have found at least a small clue by now.

    ¡°Yes. Of course, I investigated. I¡¯ve determined that your im had sufficient merit. We¡¯ve picked up your master¡¯s trail.¡±

    Good. Now Alsetine won¡¯t want to cross me until I tell him everything about his master.

    If I ask him for a favor, he¡¯ll undoubtedly do his best.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious how you came by such information, but I assume you won¡¯t tell me?¡±

    ¡®Of course not.¡¯ ¡°Why even ask, informant? Trying to make me waste my breath?¡±

    ¡°Haha, no such thing. So, back to the main point. What are you here to buy?¡±

    I handed Alsetine the list of items I had prepared in advance.

    He looked it over and raised an eyebrow slightly.

    ¡°Are you nning to explore a dungeon?¡±

    ¡®Yes...¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right, informant. Can you get all of this in top quality within a week?¡±

    ¡°Of course. However.¡±

    Before Alsetine could finish, I took out two gold coins and ced them next to the paper. Alsetine¡¯s face lit up with a bright smile.

    ¡°Come back in three days, and it will be ready.¡±

 Chapter 71

    "Looks like the kids are really interested in you."

    Near the entrance to the dungeon, arge crowd had gathered. While some of them were there to enter the dungeon, most seemed to be here to watch the duel between me and Arthur.

    It¡¯s not like the ones entering the dungeon would just stand around empty-handed, right?

    ¡®How many of them do you think are rooting for me?¡¯

    <Is there even anyone?>

    ¡®Grandfather.¡¯

    This is when you¡¯re supposed to say something encouraging.

    What kind of hero and pdin makes such pessimisticments?

    Of course, I also doubt anyone¡¯s rooting for me, but you never know, right?

    <Ah, I suppose there are some. Among the gamblers, there are always those who bet on the underdog for the big payout.>

    I see. So my shoulders carry the hopes of those betting on the underdog.

    Alright, I¡¯ll make sure to deliver a spectacle where the favorites lose their money.

    It¡¯s a pity there isn¡¯t arge river near Soul Academy. If there were, today would have turned it into a water park.

    As I headed toward the dungeon entrance with Carl, I noticed the nobledy fidgeting nervously, and Freyr yawning loudly while holding a single sword.

    Well, with that, we¡¯re all set to enter the dungeon. Now we just have to wait for Arthur to show up.

    "Lucy Allen."

    Speak of the devil; he shows up right on cue.

    ¡®Hello.¡¯ ¡°Greetings, Pathetic Prince.¡±

    I deliberately avoided calling him by his name and instead stuck to calling him ¡°Pathetic Prince.¡± Even so, the Mesugaki skill insists on using it.

    Why does this skill have to be so annoyingly diligent?

    Arthur, perhaps ustomed to me calling him ¡°Pathetic Prince,¡± merely narrowed his eyes slightly without giving any other reaction.

    "Are you confident you can win?"

    ¡®I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ve prepared thoroughly.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve prepared enough to easily defeat you, Pathetic Prince.¡±

    Considering it¡¯s the Mesugaki skill, this felt like a humble statement, but judging by Arthur¡¯s expressionless face, perhaps not.

    Fine, who needs humility? If I¡¯m going to explode along with my karma, might as well stack that karma sky-high.

    "We¡¯ll see how far that arrogance takes you."

    ¡®It won¡¯t be you who brings it down.¡¯ ¡°You talk about arrogance, but you¡¯re the one who¡¯s overconfident, Pathetic Prince.¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    Arthur clicked his tongue loud enough for me to hear and then changed the subject.

    "Let¡¯s go over the rules. We enter the dungeon at precisely 10:00 AM. The time to exit is 8:00 PM. You can surrender midway, but doing so will mean defeat. The number of participants is limited to three first-year students per team, and neither other students nor professors apanying us can interfere. The winner will be determined by whoever ascends to the highest floor within the time limit. Any objections?"

    ¡®Nope, none.¡¯ ¡°None.¡±

    "Then, we¡¯ll start the moment it¡¯s 10 o¡¯clock."

    With that, he turned his back and walked toward his party members.

    Let¡¯s see.

    His team is just as I expected.

    Arthur, Jakal, and Matthew.

    Arthur and Matthew were reliable characters in Soul Academy, and although Jakal wasn¡¯t as prominent as the top characters, his performance was decent.

    With a team like that, they could probably clear the dungeon better than even some seasoned yers, not just newbies.

    But who are they taking with them?

    To raid the dungeon, they have to bring along a current student or a professor, right?

    As I wondered about that, someone stepped out from the crowd.

    ¡°Am I not toote?¡±

    Professor Luca, thebat instructor.

    A madman who, in his obsession with creating a masterpiece, drives his students to death.

    Why is he here? Don¡¯t tell me¡­

    Watching him approach Arthur, I realized what was happening.

    Did they really decide to bring that lunatic as their guide?!

    I thought it was a crazy decision, but the others were nodding, as if Arthur had made the right choice.

    Are these people out of their minds?

    How could they think it¡¯s a good idea to bring a psychopath like Luca?

    Then I realized they didn¡¯t know the truth about Luca¡¯s nature.

    Right now, he was just a young teacher with a reputation for producing excellent students.

    What should I do? Is there a way to get rid of him?

    Or¡­

    <Lucy, what¡¯s wrong?>

    Grandfather¡¯s voice snapped me back to reality.

    Okay, calm down.

    He¡¯s a madman, but a madman with some sense.

    He wouldn¡¯t cause trouble in such a public setting with so many people watching.

    Even if he does something, Arthur¡¯s team is strong enough to handle him.

    I don¡¯t need to worry about them.

    Yeah, I should be more concerned about myself right now.

    ¡®Freyr...¡¯ ¡°Lowly swordsman, you remember what I said yesterday, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid.¡±

    Freyr replied while puffing out her chest, but she wasn¡¯t convincing at all.

    You¡¯re going to follow my instructions during the raid, right? I¡¯m counting on you.

    Meanwhile, the nobledy kept fidgeting, clearly nervous.

    ¡®Lady Noble...¡¯ ¡°Hey, Noble. What was your name again?¡±

    ¡°...You didn¡¯t know?! It¡¯s Vissy. Vissy Bell.¡±

    Vissy, huh?

    I nodded, thinking it was an easy name to remember, but Vissy looked at me expectantly.

    Is she hoping I¡¯ll call her by her name?

    Sorry, but I¡¯m not doing that.

    ¡®Alright, Vissy.¡¯ ¡°Alright, Noble Lady. I¡¯ll remember.¡±

    The Mesugaki skill rarely lets me use someone¡¯s actual name.

    Vissy seemed disappointed that I called her ¡°Noble Lady¡± again and slumped her shoulders.

    Sorry, but at least you¡¯re not as nervous anymore, right?

    ¡°It¡¯s time, Lady Allen.¡±

    Carl¡¯s announcement brought an end to our chatter.

    ¡®Got it. Let¡¯s go, everyone.¡¯ ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, you lowlifes.¡±

    Alright, time to show off my veteran skills.

    As we crossed the dungeon¡¯s threshold, the surroundings changed.

    We found ourselves in a cave, with glowing stones embedded in the walls.

    It took a few months to reach this point.

    Back when this was just a game, I used to see this sight every day.

    Judging by the glowing stones, I can tell which starting point this is.

    Good, I¡¯ve already mapped it out in my head.

    ¡®As I mentioned yesterday, everyone...¡¯ ¡°Lowlifes, as I said yesterday, I¡¯ll say it again. We¡¯re not going to engage in anybat except for the boss room.¡±

    Because this is a speedrunpetition, right?

    And the key to a sessful speedrun is to avoid every event that can be avoided.

    When Vissy first heard Lucy Allen¡¯s strategy, she thought Lucy might be crazy.

    Avoiding allbat while raiding a dungeon?

    How could that possibly work?

    Dungeon raiding involves navigating through random monster spawns and traps to find the way forward.

    It¡¯s not a ce where you can just avoid fights because you don¡¯t feel like it.

    But Vissy was convinced by Lucy¡¯s detailed exnation.

    ¡®On the first floor of the dungeon, as soon as you turn the corner, two weak goblins will jump out...¡¯

    Lucy had exined the dungeon raid as if she were observing everything from above, like a chessboard.

    The first floor, the second floor, the third floor, and eventually the tenth floor.

    Lucy had described exactly how to ascend without engaging in a single battle.

    Her exnation was so detailed that even Vissy, who had never set foot in the academy¡¯s dungeon, could vividly imagine it.

    ¡®Do you really think everything will happen as you said?¡¯

    After hearing the entire n, Vissy asked Lucy, who responded with a mocking smile.

    ¡®Of course. Unlike lowlifes like you, I¡¯m blessed by the gods.¡¯

    Under normal circumstances, Vissy would have found that smile irritating, but for some reason, it seemed reassuring.

    If someone else had given such a detailed exnation, Vissy might have dismissed it as delusional.

    But Lucy was the person who had confidently taken first ce in the academy entrance exam.

    If Lucy¡¯s perfect dungeon score wasn¡¯t due to the academy¡¯s favor but rather because of something she possessed¡­

    Reaching that thought, Vissy decided to trust Lucy.

    And today, it was time to see if Lucy¡¯s n was real.

    Amazingly, the dungeon raid was unfolding exactly as Lucy had described.

    ¡°When you turn the corner, two weak goblins will jump out...¡±

    Two goblins appeared.

    Lucy charged forward with her shield, knocking them down and avoidingbat, then sprinted ahead.

    ¡°If you go right, there¡¯s a trap set by some idiot...¡±

    Sure enough, there was a trap.

    Lucy used it to take out a group of goblins blocking the path and moved forward.

    ¡°If you keep going, a stinking pig will appear, but don¡¯t get scared like a lowlife...¡±

    Indeed, there was an orc blocking the way.

    However, the orc¡¯s movements were too sluggish to catch up with Lucy and her group as they ran past.

    Everything¡ªeverything in the dungeon was happening just as Lucy had described.

    The dungeon¡¯s paths.

    The monsters.

    The traps.

    All the variables were under Lucy Allen¡¯s control.

    ¡°Lowlifes, you¡¯re not tired already, are you?¡±

    It took only ten minutes to clear the first floor of the academy¡¯s dungeon.

    And that was with them taking it easy because of Vissy, not sprinting at full speed.

    Vissy, panting heavily, looked up at the stairs leading to the next floor.

    The relentless pace Lucy had set was grueling for a necromancer like Vissy.

    And they had to keep this up until 8:00 PM?

    Can I¡­ can I make it?@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Hm. This won¡¯t do.¡±

    Lucy, clearly dissatisfied with something, looked at Vissy and then stepped in front of her.

    ¡°Noble.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Lowlife stamina, lowlife legs. How did you even get into the academy? Are you secretly smart despite looking stupid?¡±

    Vissy lowered her head at Lucy¡¯s harsh words.

    It was true that she had been a burden during the first floor.

    If these two had gone at their original speed, they could have arrived much faster.

    But you¡¯re the one who dragged me into this because you were short on people!

    Vissyined inwardly, but outwardly she just trembled.

    It was clear who was in charge in their rtionship.

    There¡¯s no helping it. I¡¯ll have to push myself until I copse.

    ¡°Get on.¡±

    The unexpectedmand startled Vissy, and she looked up in confusion.

    Lucy stared at her with a pitying look and repeated herself.

    ¡°Noble, are your ears lowlife-quality too? Get on.¡±

    ¡°What? But¡­¡±

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Lucy sighed, walked over to Vissy, grabbed her by the waist, and hoisted her up like a sack of potatoes.

    ¡°We¡¯re going like this. Anyints, Noble?¡±

    ¡°...No, none.¡±

    Not wanting to invite any more sharp words, Vissy simply nodded.

 Chapter 73

    Arthur and his team¡¯s dungeon raid had been progressing smoothly.

    Up until they cleared the sixth floor, they hadn¡¯t faced any significant challenges.

    They knew exactly which monsters would appear, how the paths wereid out, and what traps awaited them. With Arthur as their excellent leader, they navigated the dungeon without any trouble.

    Moreover, as they advanced through the dungeon, they were growing stronger.

    Arthur¡¯s leadership became more precise, Jakal grew more adept at handling monsters on the frontlines, and Matthew¡¯s holy magic became increasingly urate and timely.

    The proof of their growth was in the time it took them to clear each floor.

    Initially, it took them around thirty minutes to clear a floor, but by the time they reached the sixth floor, they had reduced that time to twenty minutes.

    Considering the difficulty increased with each floor, their growth rate was extraordinary.

    Just as the entire group was bing confident in their victory, a light began to emanate from the crystal orb that Luca had brought with him.

    "Professor, what¡¯s that?" Arthur asked, his curiosity piqued.

    Luca smiled as he pulled out the orb. "It¡¯s amunication orb connected to the outside. I requested to be informed of Lady Allen¡¯s progress after two hours."

    "Oh," Matthew showed interest, while Jakal made a joke. "Do we really need to check? She¡¯s probably still stuck around the second or third floor."

    Arthur, however, remained serious. He knew better than to underestimate Lucy Allen¡¯s abilities.

    ¡®Professor Luca,¡¯ a voice came through the orb. ¡®Lucy Allen has just cleared the 20th floor and is heading to the 21st.¡¯

    The atmosphere around Arthur¡¯s group, which had been filled with excitement, turned icy cold.

    The 20th floor?

    How was that even possible?

    Arthur¡¯s team, who had been performing exceptionally well for first-years, had only just cleared the sixth floor, and yet Lucy Allen was already on the 20th?

    As they all fell into stunned silence, Jakal tried to break the tension with a nervousugh. "You¡¯re joking, right? There¡¯s no way she¡¯s on the 20th floor."

    ¡®I wish I were joking,¡¯ came the reply. ¡®But they are currently clearing each floor in about five to six minutes. They¡¯re rewriting the academy¡¯s dungeon history.¡¯

    "This can¡¯t be real," Jakal muttered, clearly shaken by the confirmation.

    How could anyone clear a dungeon floor in just five minutes? It took nearly three minutes just to defeat a single monster, so how was this possible?

    As the detailed exnation from the orb continued to dampen the group¡¯s morale, Luca struggled to contain hisughter.

    Lucy Allen!

    What are you?

    You dominated the entrance exam with overwhelming scores, saved all your party members during Agra¡¯s intervention, defeated the future Swordmaster candidate Freyr Kent, and now you¡¯re rewriting the academy¡¯s dungeon history as well?

    Indeed. Indeed!

    The prejudice was mine.

    I didn¡¯t consider the true extent of your talent and evaluated you based on my limited understanding.

    What a foolish mistake.

    Oh, Lucy Allen, I must thank you.

    For giving this fool a lesson.

    For cornering Arthur Srdin.

    Luca nced at Arthur¡¯s face as he stared at the orb.

    His tightly pressed lips, his trembling eyes, and his mouth struggling to form words.

    On the outside, he appearedposed, but inside, his confidence was crumbling.

    This won¡¯t do, Prince.

    If you let the cracks show, I¡¯ll be tempted to pour ck ink into them.

    "Thank you. Please contact me againter," Luca said, ending themunication.

    After the orb went dark, Luca approached Arthur with a concerned expression.

    "Prince," he called softly.

    "Can that person be trusted?" Arthur asked, his voice wavering.

    "Yes. He¡¯s one of the staff responsible for monitoring the dungeon. He¡¯s not the type to joke around."

    Hearing that there was no mistake or joke, Arthur¡¯s face darkened with worry.

    Can we catch up to Lucy Allen at this rate?

    No matter how desperately we push ourselves, won¡¯t she just keep pulling further ahead?

    This can¡¯t be happening. It shouldn¡¯t be happening.

    This is the battlefield I meticulously prepared to secure my victory!

    This duel was forced to ensure you would face humiliation!

    All the conditions are favorable to me, and yet you n to ovee them with your talent alone?

    Don¡¯t be ridiculous.

    If this continues, it will look like this was merely an opportunity to prove that you¡¯re a genius.

    It will seem as if I, Arthur Srdin, was just a small creature trying to eclipse the sun that is Lucy Allen, only to be consumed by its mes.

    "If we continue like this, you will lose," Luca¡¯s voice broke Arthur out of his spiraling thoughts.

    "Indeed," Arthur replied.

    No matter what normal methods I employ, I won¡¯t be able to defeat Lucy Allen.

    Her overwhelming talent won¡¯t allow it.

    "What will you do?" Luca inquired.

    Arthur fell silent.

    There was a way.

    If he couldn¡¯t win using conventional means, he could choose another method.

    Arthur¡¯s hand moved to the magic tool hidden in his coat.

    Not long after deciding to duel Lucy Allen, one of the academy¡¯s professors had approached him.

    This professor was someone who had recently joined the academy after aplishing significant feats elsewhere.

    He imed to want to prove his loyalty and said he couldn¡¯t bear to see someone with Arthur¡¯s talents humiliated.

    He insisted that Arthur should be prepared for the worst and had forcibly handed him the magic tool.

    It was clear that the professor had ulterior motives, likely hoping to gain favor by offering a bribe.

    Normally, Arthur would never have epted such an item.

    Getting entangled with a fool who openly disyed his ambitions would yield no benefits.

    However, Arthur had epted the bribe this time because of Joy¡¯s words.

    If Lucy Allen truly possessed extraordinary talent, as Joy had suggested,

    If she had a light so bright it could ovee all the disadvantages Arthur faced,

    Then there was a chance he might lose this duel.

    That fear had driven him to ept the tool.

    And now, that fear had be a reality.

    If the magic tool functioned as the professor had described, using it could turn the tide of this battle.@@novelbin@@

    It would give him a decisive advantage that he could never have obtained through normal means.

    But it would also be cheating.

    After all, he had proposed a fair duel, only to be the first to break the rules.

    Yet, the allure of that decisive advantage was as sweet as honey, and it clung to Arthur¡¯s thoughts.

    "I have a n," Arthur finally said, his voice firm as Luca listened intently, pretending to be clueless.

    By the time they reached the stairs leading to the 30th floor, Vissy could no longer hold back and threw up.

    I guess pushing so hard after the 20th floor was a bit too much.

    I couldn¡¯t afford to take it easy with Vissy because even the slightest dy would significantly impact our time.

    Hmm, maybe we should take a break.

    I had initially nned to clear the entire dungeon today, but with Vissy in this condition, that doesn¡¯t seem possible.

    The higher we go, the more extreme stunts I¡¯ll have to pull, and there¡¯s no way Vissy can endure that.

    For now, we¡¯ll clear up to the midpoint today ande backter when I¡¯ve raised Jakal¡¯s favorability enough to bring him along with Freyr.

    Jakal may not be as exceptional as Freyr, but he¡¯s still capable of keeping up with me to some extent.

    As I set down my shield and leaned against the wall to recover my stamina, a light began to emanate from Carl¡¯s pocket.

    ¡®Carl¡­¡¯ ¡°Lowlife, what¡¯s that?¡±

    "It¡¯s amunication crystal the academy uses for urgent messages. Something must have happened."

    Watching Carl step aside to take the call, I felt a surge of unease.

    Luca. That madman better not have done something crazy.

    Not with all these people watching.

    And especially not when the targets are the young heir of the Burrowe Duchy and the Third Prince of Srdin.

    Would he really risk everything for his ideals?

    Yeah, he would.

    Because that guy is that kind of lunatic.

    There¡¯s a reason why he was called a troublemaker among Soul Academy yers.

    When Carl returned from the call, he had a conflicted expression, as if he didn¡¯t know how to break the news.

    "Arthur¡¯s team has disappeared inside the dungeon. They haven¡¯t exited, so they¡¯re still somewhere inside, but they¡¯re nowhere to be found."

    ¡®Tell me more.¡¯ ¡°Lowlife, don¡¯t hold back. Tell me everything.¡±

    Arthur¡¯s team was clearing the sixth floor when Arthur took out apass-like object from his coat.

    Then, instead of following the normal dungeon path, they veered off into an unknown area.

    When they reached a certain location, Arthur muttered something, and they vanished.

    The academy staff have searched everywhere in the dungeon but couldn¡¯t find any trace of them.

    After hearing Carl¡¯s full exnation, I understood exactly what had happened.

    Luca, you madman.

    No, wait.

    While he¡¯s responsible, it was Arthur who decided to go through with this n.

    That idiot.

    I understand you forgot your mother¡¯s final words in the shock of her death, but this is too much!

    What are you doing cheating?!

    This is one of the quests in Soul Academy.

    The trigger is being a student talented enough to catch Luca¡¯s interest but mentally weak enough to be tempted.

    If these conditions are met, one of the academy¡¯s new professors will approach the yer and offer them apass-like magic tool.

    The story they give varies each time.

    Follow where thepass leads, and you¡¯ll gain a blessing.

    Or you¡¯ll find a rare item.

    Or discover a hidden path that allows you to clear the dungeon quickly.

    But it¡¯s all lies.

    Thepass actually guides you to the ce in the academy dungeon where the effects of its magic are weakest.

    And once you arrive, the magic of the academy is nullified, and the students are teleported to another dungeon entirely.

    A dungeon outside the academy, one that was prepared not for students but for those who seek to kill them.

    Can Arthur and his team clear that dungeon?

    No. Of course not.

    They¡¯re not strong enough.

    They couldn¡¯t even defeat me, so how could they possibly clear that ce?

    Ah, damn it. I feel like I¡¯m going to lose my mind.

    Let¡¯s think this through.

    Can I save that idiot with the resources I have on hand?

    ...It¡¯s definitely possible.

    I¡¯m d I thoroughly prepared for this speedrun.

    If I hadn¡¯t, this would have been a lot more daunting.

    ¡®Carl¡­¡¯ ¡°Lowlife, did you get the coordinates of the dungeon where the Pathetic Prince ended up?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I received them during themunication.¡±

    Good. Then getting to the dungeon where Arthur was sent shouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    ¡®Let¡¯s move. We have to save that idiot.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to save the Pathetic Prince who got scared of losing and did something stupid.¡±

 Chapter 74

    When I announced that we needed to halt the dungeon raid, Freyr showed clear disappointment, while Vissy, despite iming she was disappointed, couldn¡¯t hide the smile ying on her lips.

    Well, from her perspective, this dungeon raid with me must have been more of a motion-sickness endurance test than anything else.

    Next time, trying with someone who can keep their stomach settled.

    The scene outside the dungeon was chaotic.

    Professors were controlling ess to the entrance, and students were gathered outside, buzzing with curiosity.@@novelbin@@

    Judging by the curious expressions of the onlookers, it seemed that word hadn¡¯t yet spread about Arthur¡¯s disappearance.

    Even though Arthur is far from being in line for the throne, he¡¯s still a prince. If it were known that something had happened to him, it would cause an uproar.

    Soul Academy must already be dealing with bacsh from the incident during the entrance exam. If something were to happen to Arthur, it could shake the academy to its core.

    That¡¯s why the professors look so frantic.

    Amidst the chaos, I led Carl to the dungeon entrance.

    ¡®Carl...¡¯ ¡°Lowlife, do you remember how to read coordinates?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The growing number of students who had heard rumors of something happening caused the professors to be even more distracted.

    As a result, they didn¡¯t notice us re-entering the dungeon.

    Thanks to that, we managed to slip back in without any interference.

    ¡®Carl...¡¯ ¡°Lowlife, we¡¯re running at full speed. Don¡¯tg behind like a newbie.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    Earlier, when we were raiding the dungeon, I had adjusted my speed to amodate Freyr and Vissy.

    But now, there¡¯s no need for that.

    Carl is still a monster far stronger than I am. We sprinted forward with all our might.

    Before long, goblins appeared in our path, but I didn¡¯t stop.

    Carl¡¯s sword was faster, decapitating them before they could even react.

    We didn¡¯t slow down for the traps, either.

    We¡¯re not so weak that something like that would injure us.

    We took the shortest path.

    At the fastest speed.

    Running, and running again, until finally...

    ¡°Carl. And Lady Allen?¡± ¡°Why is a student here?¡± ¡°Carl! Even if it¡¯s yourdy, bringing a student here is...¡±

    It took us only ten minutes to reach the location where Arthur disappeared on the sixth floor.

    The professors who had been discussing the situation were shocked to see us.

    As I caught my breath and tried to approach the ce where the magic tool had been used, one of the professors stepped in front of me.

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    It was Professor Anton, thebat instructor.

    Despite his stern appearance, he was someone who could be reasoned with.

    ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡®Professor, I have a solution.¡¯ ¡°Useless professor, I came to give a gift to a fool like you who doesn¡¯t even know what the problem is.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that you have a solution, Lady Allen?¡±

    Despite the harshness of the Mesugakinguage, the professor didn¡¯t get angry and instead asked for rification.

    ¡®Of course.¡¯ ¡°Obviously. Do you think I¡¯m as clueless as you?¡±

    If I didn¡¯t have a solution, I wouldn¡¯t havee here in the first ce.

    I¡¯m not some fool who can¡¯t assess a situation.

    As I spoke confidently, Anton looked at me with skepticism.

    It¡¯s understandable. The professors were already doing their best to solve the problem. It¡¯s hard to believe that a mere student would have a solution.

    So, to prove my point, I pulled out a scroll from my pocket and showed it to Anton.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡®A magic...¡¯ ¡°A scroll of spell recreation.¡±

    A magic tool that reactivates a spell that was previously cast in a specific location.

    I had originally purchased this expensive item to help clear the boss on the 80th floor of the academy¡¯s dungeon.

    The function attached to thepass Arthur used was, in essence, a teleportation spell that transported people to a specific location.

    If I used the scroll of spell recreation, it would allow us to activate the same spell and follow them to the same location.

    When I exined this, Anton reached out his hand.

    ¡°Thank you. If you would give it to me...¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m going with you.¡¯ ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? I¡¯m going too.¡±

    The dungeon we¡¯re about to enter is uncharted territory for the professors as well.

    No matter how skilled they are, they¡¯re bound to get lost.

    Which means they¡¯ll have trouble locating Arthur and his team.

    But I¡¯m different.

    I¡¯m familiar with every dungeon in the world of Soul Academy, so there¡¯s no such thing as getting lost for me.

    ¡°Lady Allen, that ce could be full of unknown dangers. As a professor, I can¡¯t take a student like you into such a ce...¡±

    ¡®I have...¡¯ ¡°Useless professor, I have a blessing that allows me to know theyout of dungeons.¡±

    When I interrupted Anton and said this, he looked at me in shock.

    If an ordinary person had said that, he would have dismissed it as nonsense.

    But I was the one who scored perfect marks on the entrance exam and survived the incident in the dungeon.

    Moreover, I had just blitzed through the academy¡¯s dungeon at an unprecedented speed.

    I don¡¯t actually have any dungeon-rted skills, but that¡¯s not what they think.

    ¡®I¡¯ll be more useful than you.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll be much more helpful than a fool like you.¡±

    As I puffed out my chest and put on a show of confidence, Anton nced at Carl.

    Carl quickly understood the unspoken question and nodded.

    ¡°Mydy possesses a blessing. I stake my honor as a knight on this being true.¡±

    Anton pondered for a moment before finally sighing and speaking.

    ¡°Alright. But do not engage inbat. Just guide us.¡±

    I had no intention of fighting on the front lines anyway, so I agreed.

    Do you think I¡¯m crazy enough to risk my life fighting in the temple of the old god Kolhiti?

    If this were a game, I might have tried to ovee it with skill, but this isn¡¯t a game.

    This is my real life on the line.

    I don¡¯t have any desire to walk a tightrope over a cliff.

    With my agreement, Anton stepped aside, and I unfurled the scroll where Arthur had disappeared.

    A magic circle appeared on the ground, glowing brightly.

    As the light faded, a newndscape came into view.

    A half-ruined stone floor, with earth showing through the cracks.

    Walls that had once been adorned with ornate carvings, now reced by creeping vines.

    This was the temple of Kolhiti, one of the forgotten gods.

    It¡¯s been a while.

    This used to be one of the dungeons I frequented for grinding.

    Hmm, we¡¯re in the middle of the third floor of the dungeon.

    It¡¯s different from the game.

    ¡°Lady Allen, is your blessing working?¡±

    I paused before answering Anton¡¯s question.

    If we were here to clear the dungeon, I could guide them easily enough, but our goal isn¡¯t that.

    We¡¯re here to find Arthur and his team.

    As long as we can rescue them, clearing the dungeon doesn¡¯t matter.

    Let¡¯s think this through.

    After Arthur¡¯s teamnded here, they must have panicked.

    No matter how talented they are, they¡¯re still just academy freshmen.

    In such a situation, who would they rely on?

    It¡¯s obvious.

    The academy¡¯s professor.

    Their protector.

    Luca.

    That insane troublemaker.

    Arthur and his team, not knowing what kind of person Luca is, probably asked him what they should do.

    And Luca would have said something like this:

    ¡®We don¡¯t know when help will arrive. We need to push forward and clear the dungeon. Don¡¯t worry, with me here, we¡¯ll conquer any dungeon easily.¡¯

    Of course, if Luca were involved, they could clear any dungeon with ease.

    No matter how rotten his character is, his skills are real.

    But Luca has no intention of clearing the dungeon.

    His only goal is to orchestrate a trial for Arthur and his team under the guise of chance.

    Given Luca¡¯s nature, he would have scouted this dungeon in advance.

    He would have identified a suitable location to stage this trial and would be leading Arthur¡¯s team there.

    My job is to figure out where that trial is likely to take ce.

    ¡°Lady Allen?¡±

    ¡®Just a moment, Professor.¡¯ ¡°Useless professor, can¡¯t you wait? Stay quiet for a bit.¡±

    There must be a reason for setting the coordinates at this location.

    Where around here would be suitable for a trial?

    A three-on-one battle against minotaurs?

    No, that would be impossible to ovee.

    Luca doesn¡¯t give trials that are impossible to surpass.

    A suitable location.

    Somewhere that a skilled yer could barely scrape through with perfect control.

    I can think of a few possible spots.

    Damn it. Since Luca didn¡¯t intervene in this event in the game, I can¡¯t be certain.

    In this situation, the best approach is to search each nearby location thoroughly.

    I lifted my head to assess our party.

    Given that they¡¯re all people involved with dungeons orbat, we have an excess of frontliners.

    But that¡¯s fine.

    These people have the stats to obliterate this dungeon.

    ¡®Follow me!¡¯ ¡°Follow me! You¡¯re not so useless that you¡¯ll lose track of a freshman, are you?¡±

    ¡°Useless professor! Minotaur ahead! Crush it!¡±

    Anton brought his axe down on the minotaur¡¯s head, following Lucy¡¯smand.

    The minotaur, with its tenacious vitality, struggled to survive, but it was futile against Anton¡¯s overwhelming strength.

    ¡°Weakling magic professor! Send fireballs, and you, useless, intercept the charging bulls from behind!¡±

    Lucy continued to shoutmands without even looking back, her voice rising as she gave more instructions.

    At first, the professors had been skeptical of taking orders from an academy freshman, but that had changed.

    Lucy Allen¡¯smands were so precise they seemed to be given by someone who had seen the future.

    The professors present were all people who had made names for themselves in their fields.

    They knew better than anyone else what constituted a good or bad order.

    And Lucy Allen¡¯s orders had never been off the mark.

    Once might be considered a coincidence, but repeated sess was no ident.

    The professors set aside their pride and began focusing on the wordsing from the young girl.

    They came to believe that Lucy Allen¡¯s orders were the best possible course of action at that moment.

    So, this is why she had been clearing the academy¡¯s dungeon at such an astonishing pace.

    Even in the midst of this urgency, Anton couldn¡¯t help but admire Lucy.

    She¡¯s a monster. A monster beyond imagination.

    I¡¯m d I brought Lucy Allen along.

    Without her, we¡¯d have had trouble progressing.

    And that would have dyed our efforts to find the missing students.

    ¡°Useless professor, are you deaf from old age?! Don¡¯t just stand there, get moving!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    If only it weren¡¯t for the constant insults.

    Is it too much to ask to have one thing toin about?

    Anton gritted his teeth and charged forward.

    Luca, take good care of the academy¡¯s students. We¡¯reing to get them soon.

 Chapter 75

    As I watched the heavily armored orcs being shed to pieces before me, I couldn''t help but furrow my brows.

    <em>This isn¡¯t the ce either?</em>

    <em>Not even two fully armored orcs are enough?</em>

    Damn it.

    If this ce isn¡¯t right, then where...?

    <Young one, I sense a faint trace of life nearby.>

    Just as I was continuing my frustrated thoughts, Grandpa''s voice echoed in my mind. He had urately detected the presence of monsters when we fell into Agra''s trap before, so if he said he sensed something, it was likely reliable information.

    <em>Where is it?!</em>

    <The location isn''t precise due to the distance, but it''s to the south-southwest from here.>

    I mentally mapped out the area and pinpointed the location based on Grandpa''s directions.

    South-southwest from here...

    I think I know where that is.

    It must be the ce with the wall trap.

    It¡¯s a spot where, when someone steps on a certain part of the floor, a wall separates the party members.

    So Luca must be nning to iste Arthur and his team and give them a trial.

    Now that I¡¯ve figured out Luca''s intention, the only thing left is to rush there.

    <em>Everyone!¡­</em> ¡°Lowlifes! I¡¯ve figured out where the pathetic prince is crawling around!¡±

    My single deration drew the attention of all the professors present. Initially, they were hesitant to follow my orders, but now things were different. Having seen mymands consistently prove effective, they no longer dismissed me as just a student and were now listening closely to my direction.

    <em>The location is!...</em> ¡°The weakling pathetic prince is...¡±

    There was no conversation among Arthur and his party as they progressed through the dungeon.

    When they first began raiding the academy¡¯s dungeon, they were in high spirits, but now, after Arthur¡¯s magic tool had sent them off course, the only sound that could be heard was their breathing.

    Luca asionally tried to break the tension by speaking up, but his words only filled the air for a moment before the oppressive silence returned.

    In this atmosphere, Arthur was deeply aware of his mistake.

    <em>Because of my poor judgment, I¡¯ve put everyone in danger.</em>

    The desperate need to avoid losing to Lucy Allen had driven him to use a tool given to him by someone he shouldn¡¯t have trusted, and now they were in this mess.

    <em>How foolish.</em>

    Blinded by the desire for revenge against the person who called him the pathetic prince, Arthur had made a colossal blunder.

    He couldn¡¯t forget the sight of the minotaur they encountered earlier in the dungeon, swinging its massive axe, towering over any grown man.

    Arthur, Jakal, and Matthew were not equipped to handle such an opponent.

    The sheer presence of that massive creature had made that abundantly clear.

    If Luca hadn¡¯t drawn his knife and dispatched the minotaur with ease, they would have all been ughtered.

    The fact that Luca had to intervene only highlighted how dire their situation was. Without him, the three of them would have been killed by the monster.

    Knowing that his own mistake had nearly led to the deaths of those who hade to help him weighed heavily on Arthur.

    He had always thought those who let revenge blind them were foolish, and yet, here he was, proving himself to be the same kind of fool.

    The only saving grace for Arthur was that Luca was with them, giving him a chance to rectify his mistake.

    Luca, despite his young age, was renowned as a skilled professor, and his abilities were real. If he could dispatch a minotaur with such ease, this dungeon likely didn¡¯t pose much of a threat to him.

    As long as they stayed with Luca, they should be able to safely escape the dungeon.

    So, Arthur began thinking about what he should do afterward.

    First, he needed to apologize to Jakal and Matthew. He had already expressed his regret, but a verbal apology wasn¡¯t enough; he would need topensate them properly.

    Then, he had to confront the professor who had given him thepass. He needed to find out what the professor¡¯s true intentions were in giving him such an item.

    Of course, he would also have to face the consequences himself. Even if the academy tried to show leniency, he would refuse it and ept his punishment. After all, his wrongdoing was undeniable.

    And then... he would have to forgive Lucy Allen.

    ...

    No matter what, a defeat is a defeat.

    When Arthur was still on the sixth floor, Lucy Allen had already surpassed the 20th, making his loss inevitable. Lucy Allen was an opponent Arthur could never have defeated, no matter how hard he tried.

    So, Arthur had to acknowledge the one who had called him the pathetic prince...

    Huh, that¡¯s difficult.

    Knowing he¡¯s been defeated, it¡¯s so hard to admit it.

    Is my heart really this small?

    <em>Click.</em>

    In the midst of his thoughts, Arthur heard a mechanism click.

    Looking up, he saw that Luca had stepped on something that caused the ground beneath his left foot to sink slightly.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t good.¡±

    With that exmation from Luca, a stone wall shot up, separating him from Arthur and the others.

    ¡°No, this can¡¯t be happening.¡± ¡°Everyone! Step back, please!¡±

    As Jakal, startled by the sudden separation, moved closer to the wall, Luca¡¯s voice boomed from the other side, warning them to step back.

    The moment Jakal stepped back, a loud crash echoed through the air as Luca tried to break through the wall.

    But the stone wall was solid and unyielding.

    Despite the repeated loud crashes, the wall remained intact without even the slightest crack. Eventually, the crashing stopped, signaling Luca¡¯s abandonment of the effort.

    ¡°Everyone! Please wait there! I will definitelye and get you!¡± Luca¡¯s voice called out before the sound of his running footsteps faded away.

    Unable to break the wall, it seemed Luca intended to find another route to reach them.

    With the three freshmen now left alone, Arthur was the first to speak.

    ¡°We need to move.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Prince, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Luca said to wait, but we can¡¯t stay here.¡±

    ¡°But we might miss Luca if we move!¡±

    Jakal¡¯s voice was almost a scream, but Arthur was resolute.

    It was true that moving might make it harder for them to reunite with Luca.

    Arthur knew that.

    But even so, he insisted on moving because this was a dead end.

    ¡°Jakal, the monsters here are far too strong for us. If we encounter one of them here, with no way out, what do you think will happen?¡±

    There was no need to spell out the answer.

    They would be massacred.

    All three of them would die.

    Sacrifice? A miracle?

    There would be no such thing.

    The three of them, each with a promising future ahead of them, would die here, in by a dungeon monster.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Prince, wouldn¡¯t it be the same even if we miss Luca?¡± Matthew¡¯s question echoed Jakal¡¯s concerns.

    Arthur nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Matthew. My n might just be a desperate attempt to buy us a little more time. But in this situation, where we don¡¯t know when Luca will arrive, I believe securing a fallback position is our best option.¡±

    Arthur spoke calmly, but the expressions on the two others¡¯ faces were still uneasy.

    After all, it was because of Arthur¡¯s magic tool that they were trapped here.

    From their perspective, trusting Arthur¡¯s judgment wasn¡¯t easy.

    <em>My past actions are alreadying back to haunt me.</em>

    <em>How do I convince them?</em>

    As Arthur began pondering this, a heavy footstep echoed from the corridor ahead.

    The sound was far too loud to be human.

    The party had encountered many monsters by now, so it wasn¡¯t difficult to guess who the owner of those footsteps might be.

    ¡°A minotaur.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no!¡± ¡°Oh, God.¡±

    As the towering figure of the minotaur, nearly touching the ancient temple¡¯s crumbling ceiling, came into view, Arthur realized he had been too slow in his judgment.

    He drew the sword at his waist and stepped to the front.

    As a magic swordsman, Arthur¡¯s ce was usually behind Jakal, but not now.

    Having brought them into danger through his own actions, Arthur had to stand at the front.

    Even if it was a futile gesture, he had to try to take responsibility.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to buy us some time. If you see an opening, run.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to create such an opening, but I have to do my best.

    Just as Arthur was preparing to risk his life to face the minotaur, a mocking voice that didn¡¯t fit the gravity of the situation rang out.

    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re such a big brute, ? Are you trying to be ady with that size?? Running at a man while drooling like that makes you look like a pervert?¡±

    The minotaur froze at the sound of the taunting words.

    Arthur turned and saw her.

    A girl, her hair tangled and messy from what must have been a desperate run, with a smirk on her face that he had always found infuriating.@@novelbin@@

    <em>Hah, I must have been really cornered.</em>

    <em>Why do I feel so relieved just by seeing that smirk?</em>

    ¡°Lowlifes, attack.¡±

    <em>Grandpa, thank you so much!</em>

    <It¡¯s nothing. Being trapped in a mace, this is the least I can do.>

    <em>That was close!</em>

    If it hadn¡¯t been for Grandpa, I might have wasted time searching other areas and arrived toote.

    If that had happened, could I have still saved them?

    Watching the professors check on Arthur and his team after easily dispatching the minotaur, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh of relief.

    <em>Thank goodness. I¡¯m really d.</em>

    If I had beente and failed to save them, how much would I have tormented myself again?

    <em>Sigh.</em> So now all that¡¯s left is to finish clearing the dungeon?

    That¡¯ll be easy.

    With the strength we have here, even if Agra tries to pull something, we can crush it.

    Great, let¡¯s clear this dungeon as quickly as possible and get back. The academy isn¡¯t that far from here, so we should be back before the sun sets.

    Just as I was thinking this, Arthur broke away from the professors and walked toward me.

    What? What does he want?

    Considering what I¡¯ve done to him, I was scared to see him approaching.

    But I saved his life, so he wouldn¡¯t be mad, right?

    Right?

    ¡°Lucy Allen.¡±

    ¡®Y-Yes!¡¯ ¡°Go ahead, Pathetic Prince.¡±

    Arthur didn¡¯t react much to being called the pathetic prince, only raising an eyebrow slightly before continuing.

    ¡°First, let me thank you. The professors told me that you were instrumental in rescuing us. If it weren¡¯t for you, Jakal and Matthew could have been in real danger due to my mistake.¡±

    As he bowed his head to me, I felt a bit ufortable.

    I never thought the day woulde when Arthur would thank me!

    I always thought I¡¯d be on his bad side forever!

    ¡°And as for ourpetition, I acknowledge my defeat. Your talent is real. You may be arrogant, but you have the right to be.¡±

    Arthur spoke with a serious tone, and I wasn¡¯t sure how to respond.

    No matter what I said, the Mesugaki skill would probably filter it into something weird.

    Ugh. How do I keep from ruining this mood?

    <em>Ding.</em>

    Just then, the sound of a notification chimed in.

    What¡¯s this? Is it saying I cleared the quest?

    <em>Hmph. Useless god.</em>

    You¡¯re pretty good at rewarding me at the right time.

    As I thought that and checked the message, I realized...

    [Agra is watching you.]

    I seriously realized that I was in deep trouble.

    A magic circle appeared on the ground, centering around me and Arthur.

    ¡°Mdy!¡±

    Carl reacted in rm, but before he could do anything, the light from the magic circle red up, separating us from the rest of the group.

    When the light finally faded, Arthur and I found ourselves thrown into some unknown part of the old temple of Kolhiti.

    <em>Shit.</em>

 Chapter 76

    As I regained my senses, I urgently surveyed the surroundings.

    Where am I?

    At least I haven¡¯t been sent to a different dungeon than the Temple of Colhity.

    I¡¯ve just been teleported to another part of the same dungeon.

    Stay calm. Panicking won¡¯t help anything here.

    ¡°What?! What is this?¡±

    ¡®Hold on a second.¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, don¡¯t start babbling like some amateur. Just stay still.¡±

    When an unexpected situation urs, the first thing to do is determine your current location.

    If I¡¯m in the middle of a monster''s path, I¡¯ll end up dead.

    The ancient Temple of Colhity requires a well-prepared party of mid-level 30s to clear it properly.

    You need at least that much firepower to deal with Minotaurs or heavily armored Orcs.

    But what¡¯s our situation right now?

    I¡¯m just an 11th-level Pdin, and Arthur is even weaker than I am.

    What would happen if we encounter monsters in this state? It¡¯s obvious.

    So obvious that it¡¯s terrifyingly easy to imagine.

    The vines growing along the cracks in the walls are almost invisible, which means we¡¯re in the deeper levels.

    The 6th floor? 7th floor?

    The murals on the walls are clear.

    So, it¡¯s the 7th floor.

    I recall the map of the dungeon¡¯s 7th floor and look around.

    Judging by the position of the alleyways and the surrounding terrain¡­

    <Girl!>

    The old man¡¯s shout was a warning, so there was no need to hear the rest.

    I¡¯ve figured out where we are. Based on the map in my head, I n an escape route.

    The one fortunate thing is that the deep parts of the temple are as confusing as a maze.

    Normally, it¡¯s a trick to corner yers, but it¡¯s different for me.

    For someone like me, who haspletely memorized theyout, these maze-like paths are just an easy way to escape.

    I lift the dazed Arthur onto my back.

    ¡°Lucy Allen?!¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry! Please understand!¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, if you want to stay alive, just shut up!¡±

    ¡°Behind us!¡±

    ¡®I know!¡¯

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m as ipetent as you, Pathetic Prince?!¡±

    Following the route in my head, I run desperately, hearing heavy footsteps chasing behind me.

    Damn it. How far do I have to run before I lose the aggro?!

    After running with all my might, I finally manage to shake off the footsteps. I set Arthur down from my shoulders and catch my breath.

    Ugh, I¡¯m really going to die.

    How many times have I sprinted at full speed today?

    If I had cked off even a little in my stamina training, I¡¯d be dead by now.

    As I finally manage to calm my wildly beating heart, I look up to see Arthur, trying his best to appearposed.

    Arthur is probably the most confused right now.

    I know that bastard Agra is behind this, but Arthur was just caught up in it.

    Despite his confusion, he¡¯s staying silent, likely to avoid increasing the chaos with unnecessary words.

    He was like this in the game too; the guy is undeniablypetent.

    ¡®If you have any questions, ask.¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t know, ask. I¡¯ll exin it to you very kindly.¡±

    ¡°...I won¡¯t hesitate, then. Lucy Allen, do you know what situation we¡¯re in right now?¡±

    I gave Arthur the basic rundown.

    That we¡¯ve been thrown into another floor of the dungeon.

    That to survive, we need to hold out until a rescue team arrives from above.

    And that to do so, we¡¯ll need to either keep running or head to a safe zone.

    ¡°A difficult situation.¡±

    I didn¡¯t deny Arthur¡¯s words.

    This situation was worse than when we were dropped into the alchemist¡¯s domain.

    The monsters here are weaker than those, but the ones we faced back then were nearly blind.

    They had such clear weaknesses that it was easy to outmaneuver them.

    But here, it¡¯s different.

    No matter how far we run, there are Orcs who will chase us to the end, and Minotaurs with massive bodies that are disturbingly agile.

    If we take one wrong turn during our escape, we¡¯ll be cornered and killed.

    So, the best option is to head to a safe zone and hold out until the professorse to rescue us.

    We need to move.

    ¡®Grandpa, likest time, please.¡¯

    <You¡¯re really going through a lot.>

    ¡®What can I do? I¡¯ve been marked.¡¯

    If I want to be safe from this madness, the only way is to be strong enough to crush anyone who tries to mess with me.

    Just wait, Agra.

    I¡¯m still growing, but soon I¡¯ll be strong enough tough off your tricks.

    I¡¯ll show you the true skill of a veteran of Soul Academy!

    Enjoy yourself while you can, because you¡¯ll be nothing more than a pushover soon!

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    As I raised my shield in one hand, Arthur asked.

    ¡®We¡¯re going to the safe zone.¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, you at least know what a safe zone is, right? We¡¯re heading there.¡±

    ¡°Do you even know where the safe zone is?¡±

    Arthur asked.

    He noted that during our escape earlier, the dungeon seemed as confusing as a maze.

    If we aren¡¯t careful, we might get lost and end up running into monsters and dying.

    So, instead of moving recklessly, we should stay in a quiet ce and only move when we sense monsters approaching.

    It was a rational decision.

    If this were a dungeon exam, I¡¯d give him a perfect score.

    But this isn¡¯t an exam, and at least for me, it wasn¡¯t the best decision.

    ¡®I know where everything is.¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, just because you¡¯re ipetent doesn¡¯t mean you should see me as the same. I know where everything is in this dungeon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Isn¡¯t this dungeon new to you as well?¡±

    No, it¡¯s not. I¡¯ve seen it countless times.

    If I had to count the number of times I¡¯ve cleared this dungeon, it¡¯d probably be in the thousands.

    Maybe even more.

    The rewards from the boss, the Fragment of Colhity, were good, so I came here every time.

    Even though this is the truth, I doubt Arthur would believe me if I said it.

    So, I smiled as reassuringly as possible and spoke.

    ¡®Trust me.¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, don¡¯t trust your pathetic thoughts, trust mine.¡±

    ¡°...Do you have any basis for this?¡±

    ¡®Yes! I have a blessing!¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m loved by the God of Losers.¡±

    When I said that, Arthur widened his eyes for a moment before letting out a smallugh.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll trust you this once.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Lucy Allen wasn¡¯t lying when she said she was blessed by the gods.

    She knew everything about this dungeon, just as she had confidently imed.

    How the dungeon¡¯s paths connected.

    Where the monsters would appear and how they would move.

    How the traps in the dungeon were set up.

    This wasn¡¯t just a matter of knowing how to clear the dungeon.

    Her judgment was so urate that you could believe she designed the dungeon herself.

    She said she had a blessing that allowed her to learn everything about the dungeon.

    Ha. And I challenged someone like this to a contest of dungeon prowess?

    I was foolish. So foolish.

    I was walking straight into defeat, yet I was convinced of my victory.

    Lucy Allen must have found me ridiculous when I proposed the challenge.

    Sigh.

    Is she someone with the talent to look down on the world from above?

    ¡°Lucy Allen.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°What?¡±

    Perhaps because we were in the middle of danger, Lucy Allen¡¯s voice was sharper than usual.

    ¡°Can I ask why you call me ¡®Pathetic Prince¡¯?¡±

    Arthur had heard from Joy that Lucy Allen hadn¡¯t insulted him out of any personal knowledge of his circumstances.

    Anyone else would have dismissed it as nonsense, but Lucy Allen had lived her life in istion due to her arrogant personality.

    She had no choice but to be ignorant of the world around her.

    Arthur had ignored this fact when he was emotionally charged, but now he realized it might be true.

    So he decided to ask.

    Why did she call him ¡®Pathetic Prince¡¯ without knowing anything about him?

    Lucy Allen turned her head and looked at him with a pitying gaze before answering.

    ¡°Because you show everyone how pathetic you are.¡±

    ¡°I do?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Hah. You¡¯re so pathetic, I don¡¯t even feel like exining.¡±

    Showing that I¡¯m pathetic? Me?

    There¡¯s no way.

    I¡¯ve lived my life trying to avoid pity.

    To fulfill my mother¡¯sst wish.

    To ensure my deceased mother isn¡¯t dishonored.

    I¡¯ve done everything I could to be someone no one could look down on.

    And yet, I¡¯ve been showing that I¡¯m pathetic?

    ¡°Exin in more detail.¡±

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, don¡¯t rush at me like a dog in heat. Just stay still.¡±

    Despite the insulting words, her tone was serious, so Arthur kept his mouth shut.

    He was someone who knew how to suppress his emotions for the sake of the situation at hand.

    Following Lucy Allen, Arthur peeked around the corner of the wall and saw the figure blocking the path.

    A Minotaur.

    Arthur had heard of this monster before.

    One of the knights he knew at the royal pce was fond of sharing his exploits, and among his stories was one about a Minotaur.

    ¡®Minotaurs are incredibly strong monsters. They can twist a fully armored soldier with ease and charge with the speed of a bull. On top of that, they possess human intelligence and martial prowess. Their vitality is so remarkable that they won¡¯t die from just any wound.¡¯ ¡®Remember this, Prince. A Minotaur can put even a knight in danger. If you ever encounter one, you must flee.¡¯

    Arthur still remembered that knight¡¯s story.

    While the professors at Soul Academy could easily handle such a monster, neither he nor Lucy Allen could.

    If they recklessly attacked, they¡¯d be walking into their deaths.

    Yet Lucy Allen showed no sign of moving elsewhere.

    Instead, she pulled several potions from her pouch and downed them as if preparing for a fight.

    ¡°Lucy Allen, are you nning to fight that thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m going to smash that bull¡¯s head in.¡±

    ¡°Are you insane?¡±

    That¡¯s suicide.

    No matter how skilled Lucy Allen might be for her age, she couldn¡¯t possibly take on that thing.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Pathetic Prince? Scared you might wet yourself?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t about fear. This is¡­¡±

    ¡°We have to take down that bull¡¯s head if we want to get to the safe zone.¡±

    The safe zone.

    A cursed space created by Agra, where Armath¡¯s power guarantees safety.

    It¡¯s the only ce in this dungeon where challengers can rest assured.

    Lucy Allen exined that to survive here, they needed to reach it.

    And to do that, they had to defeat the Minotaur.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. It would be safer to keep avoiding monsters like we¡¯ve been doing.¡±

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, do you really think you and I can hold out until the Academy¡¯sckeys arrive?¡±

    At that moment, Arthur realized.

    Lucy Allen couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of the dangers of this path.

    Knowing everything about this dungeon, she must know how dangerous that monster is.

    ¡°Is this truly the only way?¡±

    When Lucy Allen nodded, Arthur tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.

    Would he have to risk his life?

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re really scared, the cowardly Pathetic Prince can stay back and wet his pants.¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll fight too.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t allow himself to be a man so cowardly that he¡¯d leave everything to a little girl and run away.

    He didn¡¯t want to be any more disgraceful than he already was.

 Chapter 78

    An additional reward?

    This didn¡¯t happen in the <em>Soul Academy</em> game.

    Agra¡¯s interference itself was supposed to be a new farming opportunity, but there was no reason to add extra rewards on top of that.

    So this must be the work of our useless god, Armath.

    Why couldn¡¯t you have done this sooner?

    If you had, I wouldn¡¯t have called you a pathetic, useless, sadistic, perverted piece of trash, Armath.

    Well, I apologize, Armath!

    You don¡¯t deserve all the me, so please be generous with your forgiveness!

    [Your divine power has been enhanced.] [The functionality of your cross ne has been enhanced.]

    Pretty normal rewards, huh?

    I half expected the useless god to pull a fast one on me.

    The enhancement of divine power means that the holy magic I use will be more effective, so that¡¯s definitely something to be happy about.

    And the enhancement of the ne¡¯s functionality¡ªdoes that mean my luck has increased?

    Given that I did pretty well on the magic exam by guessing, my luck must be pretty good right now, though I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ve noticed many lucky situations in my daily life.

    Anyway, there¡¯s no reason to refuse what¡¯s given, so I¡¯ll ept it gratefully.

    It may seem minorpared to all the tricks Agra has pulled, but our useless god probably thinks this is a big deal.

    I get it.

    What else can I expect from a pathetic god like you?

    As I taunted Armath in my thoughts, another message window popped up.

    Haha! What¡¯s this, useless god? Are you unable to resist the allure of my Mesugaki skill too?

    [One of your existing skills will be randomly enhanced.]

    ...What? Randomly?

    Wait, hold on a second.

    Pathetic. No, I mean useless. No, that¡¯s not right. Anyway, Armath!

    Please, wait a moment.

    I was out of line!

    How could Iin about the rewards you¡¯ve given me?

    I¡¯ll repent for myck of virtue at the church, so please, just remove the word "random" from this!

    I can¡¯t help but imagine an unlucky oue!

    You don¡¯t have to give me any rewards, just please!

    Like a madwoman, I desperately pleaded, but the god did not understand the heart of a human.

    [Your Mesugaki skill has been enhanced.]

    Gyaaaaah!

    This can¡¯t be happening!

    Out of all the skills I have, it had to be the Mesugaki skill that gets enhanced?!

    This is rigged! It¡¯s rigged, I tell you!

    Hey! Armath! Show me the odds!

    Is Mesugaki the only skill in the pool or something?!

    I don¡¯t get it. I have good luck!

    You even enhanced my luck stat!

    So why did the worst possible oue happen?! You bastard!

    Calm down. Calm down.

    Maybe, just maybe...

    ¡°Enhancement¡± doesn¡¯t always mean increasing the numbers.

    Sometimes, adding penalties is also called an enhancement.

    So maybe the Mesugaki skill¡¯s tone will just be smoother or something.

    Yeah, that¡¯s got to be it.

    [Your taunting ability has been enhanced. The percentage increase in physical abilities from taunting has been raised.]

    Yeah, right.

    Armath, you pathetic, useless, sadistic, perverted piece of trash god.

    What kind of god screws over their own apostle like this? Huh?!

    Just you wait.

    I¡¯ll make sure to stomp your head underfoot and tell you you¡¯re nothing but a pathetic god who got beaten by your own apostle!

    ¡°Lucy Allen? Are you feeling alright?¡±

    As I was seething inwardly, Arthur, who had followed me into the safe zone, looked at me with concern.

    From his perspective, it must have seemed odd for me to just stop as soon as we entered the safe zone, so his concern was understandable.

    But there was no way I could exin the situation to Arthur.

    How could I tell him that the useless god had screwed me over?

    So I just nodded.

    Thanks to Armath¡¯s mercy, my body was in perfect condition, but I still looked like someone who had been severely injured.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest until the rescue team arrives. I¡¯ll keep watch.¡±

    There was no reason to refuse Arthur¡¯s offer, so I leaned against the wall and sat down, letting out a deep sigh.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Things went smoothly after that.

    While Arthur and I were in the safe zone, nothing happened.

    After a bit of rest, Carl and the professors came and joined us.

    Carl, seeing my disheveled appearance, kept hovering around me, asking if I was alright.

    He was so insistent that he wouldn¡¯t even let me walk on my own two feet.

    In the end, we were rescued, and since I had already warned them that the dungeon boss couldn¡¯t be defeated through normal means, we exited the dungeon through the entrance on the first floor.

    Luca?

    That bastard had somehow joined the group of teachers.

    When he saw Arthur, he started crying, saying how relieved he was that he was safe. I thought to myself, if that guy had been born in the modern era, he¡¯d be an award-winning actor.

    On top of that, he was an expert at covering his tracks.

    The professor who had given Arthur the magical artifact had already taken his own life by the time we returned.

    As a result, all the me was pinned on that professor, and Luca got away as a mere victim.

    I wanted to use him right then and there, but I had to give up because my trash reputation was still far worse than Luca¡¯s pristine one.

    Without any evidence, anything I said would just be dismissed as nonsense.

    I had to wait for the right moment to catch him red-handed.

    That was the gist of it.

    There were minor things, like the dungeon being closed for a few days for magic inspection, or Arthur insisting he should be punished for his mistakes and being confined to the dorms for a week.

    There was also the fact that the duel between Arthur and me was left unresolved due to themotion, but those weren¡¯t important.

    Oh, there were two important things left.

    First, the good news.

    The underdog wins.

    ¡°Here it is, miss.¡±

    The moment Carl handed me a pouch containing ten tinum coins, each worth ten gold coins, I felt a surge of joy.

    Thanks to Benedict, the doting father, I didn¡¯t have to worry about money, but now I had even less to worry about.

    With this much money, I could livevishly for quite some time without any issues.

    What should I spend it on?

    Maybe I¡¯ll talk to Alsetine about getting a good shield.

    Yeah, that sounds good.

    The shield I¡¯m using now is just a basic piece of equipment.

    I need to get a proper one that won¡¯t break every time I fight a strong opponent.

    What¡¯s the best shield I can get at this point in the game?

    I¡¯ll have to think about it.

    ¡°And one more thing.¡±

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    ¡°What, you useless mutt?¡±

    And then there¡¯s the bad news.

    After we returned to the Academy from the dungeon, I decided to test out how the Mesugaki skill had changed, with Carl as my test subject.

    This damned skill directly affects me, so if I don¡¯t check it out beforehand, who knows what kind of trouble it might cause.

    The trantion aspect of the Mesugaki skill hadn¡¯t changed much.

    The tone was a bit more casual, but it was still the same cheeky brat as usual.

    The increase in the taunt¡¯s effectiveness was definitely noticeable.

    Even though I wasn¡¯t beingpletely serious, Carl feltpelled to stop me at one point.

    If someone as used to my taunts as Carl reacted that way, how would others or monsters react?

    The physical boost from the skill was also more tangible.

    I could withstand Carl¡¯s serious sword strikes to some extent.

    The downside was that the high I got from the Mesugaki skill was now even stronger.

    Sigh. Damn it. I really need to find a way to get a mental fortitude skill or something.

    If I keep losing my mind and taunting like I did yesterday, I¡¯m going to end up in serious trouble.

    Carl, who had been treated like a dog since we met in the dungeon, gave me a wry smile and continued.

    ¡°Lady Parten hase looking for you, so I¡¯ve brought her here.¡±

    Hearing that, I turned my head to see Joy standing there.

    Whoa, when did she get there?

    ¡°Greetings, Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡®Hello, Joy.¡¯ ¡°Hey, airheaddy.¡±

    ???

    Hey, Mesugaki skill.

    Why are you suddenly using informal speech?

    You used to at least speak politely when it was appropriate.

    Why are you suddenly talking down to Joy?!

    Look! Now she¡¯s ring at me.

    Considering Joy¡¯s personality, I know she¡¯s just surprised, but it¡¯s still scary!

    ¡°Lady Allen, why did you suddenly start speaking informally?¡±

    Joy closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them and asked me.

    But I couldn¡¯t give her an answer.

    I don¡¯t know! The useless god enhanced the skill, and now this is happening! How should I know why?!

    If you want to me someone, me that pathetic, useless god!

    ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ ¡°Just because. What? Can¡¯t you handle someone speaking informally to the person who saved your life? Are you really that small-minded? You¡¯re tall, but you¡¯re narrow-minded? How curious.¡±

    As I giggled thanks to the Mesugaki skill, I found myself meeting Joy¡¯s gaze, and my smile froze.

    Wow, I¡¯m screwed, aren¡¯t I?

    I was supposed to invite Joy to go to a caf¨¦ with me, but with this, the Stophe special ticket is worthless.

    Can I fix this?

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    As Joy let out an exaggerated sigh, I mentally shrank.

    Meanwhile, the Mesugaki skill made me puff out my chest in defiance.

    What the hell are you so proud of?!

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡®Yes!¡¯ ¡°What? Airheaddy?¡±

    I waited for Joy¡¯s response with the dread of a prisoner awaiting judgment.

    I crawled on my hands and knees to earn her favor during the entrance exam, and now I¡¯m about to lose it all like this?!

    It¡¯s unfair! So unfair!

    Damn it, Armath!

    You¡¯re sabotaging me, aren¡¯t you? Trying to stop me frompleting this quest, right?!

    ¡°I came today to deliver a message from the Third Prince.¡±

    Joy¡¯s message went something like this:

    Thank you for saving my life.

    Once my punishment is over, I¡¯ll publicly acknowledge my defeat.

    I still find it unpleasant to be called the ¡°Pathetic Prince,¡± but I won¡¯t make an issue out of it.

    However, I¡¯ll strive to be someone who doesn¡¯t deserve to be pitied by you.

    ¡°That¡¯s all. Congrattions, Lady Allen. It seems you won¡¯t be disliked by the Third Prince anymore.¡±

    Joy congratted me in her usual tone, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel that she wasn¡¯t actually congratting me, probably because of what I¡¯d just done.

    You¡¯re d the situation is resolved, right? Right?

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going now. I have another appointment.¡±@@novelbin@@

    As soon as the conversation ended, Joy stood up to leave.

    What should I do?

    If I let her leave like this, I feel like I won¡¯t get another chance to invite her.

    But it also feels weird to invite someone who looks so upset to hang out.

    Ah, damn it. Whatever. I¡¯ll just go for it.

    If all else fails, I can always bring Freyr along.

    Though I doubt she¡¯d even understand the taste of cake in her usual spaced-out state.

    ¡®Wait a minute!¡¯ ¡°Hey, airheaddy. Hold up.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    I pulled out the Stophe special ticket from my pocket and showed it to Joy.

    ¡®It¡¯s a Stophe special ticket!¡¯ ¡°You know what this is, right?¡±

    Joy¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at it.

 Chapter 79

    "Wh-Where did you get that?"

    Joy¡¯s voice trembled.

    It was a surprising reaction from someone usually soposed that people found her unapproachable. But here she was, visibly shaken.

    To someone like Joy, who was obsessed with sweets, this ticket must have looked like a diamond shaped into a piece of paper.

    No, perhaps even more luxurious than that.

    The Stophe Special Ticket wasn¡¯t something you could just buy, even if you wanted to.

    If it were something you could purchase with money, would the daughter of a duke¡¯s family be drooling over it like this?

    ¡®I got it by chance.¡¯

    ¡°Why do you ask, airheaddy? I just happened toe across an opportunity to get it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I¡¯ve scoured everywhere, and you just happened to get it by chance?!¡±

    Joy was right.

    To obtain this ticket, you typically had to clear several annoying side quests given by an NPC who was a close friend of Stophe.

    It was so difficult that most yers considered it standard practice not to bother with the quest, even though it rewarded an item that could significantly boost a character¡¯s favorability.

    ¡®You might not know, but...¡¯

    ¡°Airheaddy, you probably know this, but the ticket lets you bring along onepanion.¡±

    ¡°...What do you want?¡±

    Joy leaned in, bracing herself on the table with both hands. Her eyes burned with intensity, as if they could scorch anything in their path, and I had to subtly lean back to avoid getting caught in the heat.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want anything.¡¯

    ¡°Airheaddy, do I seem like such a shallow person?¡±

    I had no intention of asking Joy for anything else.

    If I demanded something in exchange for this, it would be akin to ckmail.

    I don¡¯t care what others might think, but I don¡¯t want to do that to you, Joy.

    You¡¯re my favorite character!

    All I want is to go to Stophe¡¯s and see you smile while we enjoy some desserts together!

    If, by chance, I can increase our favorability and be friends, I¡¯d be so happy I could die!

    Even though I was being sincere, Joy didn¡¯t seem to believe me at all.

    ¡°Lady Allen, there¡¯s no need for mind games.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m serious!¡¯

    ¡°Are you just suspicious by nature? Were you always like this, airheaddy?¡±

    Joy sighed and lowered her head, then lifted it again.

    ¡°You know, I no longer think you¡¯re as bad as the rumors say.¡±

    Really?

    I¡¯ve been calling Arthur the Pathetic Prince, knocked out a senior, threatened Vissy, and talked down to you.

    And yet, you still think positively of me?

    I¡¯m so happy that I feel like I should be thanking you, Joy.

    But why are you bringing this up out of nowhere?

    ¡°But giving away something as precious as a Stophe Special Ticket out of goodwill? Not even Lady Favie would do that.¡±

    Huh? Is this ticket really that valuable?

    Even the Holy Maiden would hesitate?

    I didn¡¯t realize it was such a big deal since, in the game, it was only used as an item to raise favorability. I figured it was on par with the Tieramas ticket, but it seems it¡¯s even more valuable.

    ¡°Do you think you owe me that much? If anything, I¡¯m the one who owes you more. You saved my life, after all. So tell me, what do you really want?¡±

    I told you, I don¡¯t want anything!

    Why won¡¯t you believe me?!

    I wouldn¡¯t dangle this over your head like some nk contract just because I bought you something to eat!

    If you think about it logically...

    Hmm.

    Considering all the misdeeds the pre-possessed Lucy Allenmitted, I suppose it¡¯s hard to say for sure.

    She¡¯s umted a mountain of karma, after all.

    But still!

    Saying I don¡¯t owe you anything is strange too, Joy!

    ¡®You took me to Tieramas!¡¯

    ¡°Airheaddy, have you forgotten that you took me to Tieramas?¡±

    ¡°That was more than repaid when you saved my life.¡±

    This conversation isn¡¯t getting anywhere.

    This is a different kind of frustrationpared to talking with Freyr, who¡¯s lost in her own world.

    How can I convince her?

    <Girl, just ask for something.>

    ¡®I really don¡¯t want anything!¡¯

    I truly had nothing to ask from Joy.

    Everything she could offer, I could already do myself.

    <I understand. But sometimes, making a small request is the best way to help someone.>

    Grandpa exined that sometimes making a small demand can actually be a form of kindness, as it relieves the other person from the burden of feeling indebted.

    He said she might be afraid of owing too much in return.

    So I thought about what a reasonable request might be.

    If I ask for something too big, it might be a burden, so something modest...

    Ah, I¡¯ve got it.

    ¡®Joy...¡¯

    ¡°Alright, since you¡¯re insisting so much, I guess I have no choice. Airheaddy,e with me to the dungeon.¡±

    I¡¯d been feeling guilty about dragging Vissy along to fill the party¡¯s numbers, seeing how she had to put up with my whims.

    Joy would be perfect¡ªnot just as a party filler but also as someone who could help with the dungeon clearing itself.

    ¡°The dungeon...?¡±

    Joy hesitated to nod after hearing my request.

    What¡¯s wrong?

    ¡®Is there a problem?¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, airheaddy? Can¡¯t handle that?¡±

    Maybe she had ns to clear a dungeon with some acquaintances or something like that?

    Or perhaps there was a reason she couldn¡¯t go into the dungeon.

    If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s nothing I can do.

    I¡¯ll have to think of another request.

    ¡°No! I can do it. Clearing a dungeon is no problem.¡±

    Just as I was about to start thinking of something else, Joy raised her voice.

    I wanted to tell her it was okay if she couldn¡¯t do it, but the determination in her eyes was so strong that I couldn¡¯t.

    Hmm. If I try to tell her it¡¯s okay, it¡¯ll probably just get tranted into a taunt by the Mesugaki skill anyway.

    ¡®Then it¡¯s a promise?¡¯

    ¡°Airheaddy, I trust you¡¯re not the type to break promises.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lady Allen.¡±

    If she seems ufortable with dungeon crawlingter, I can always ask for something else.

    For now, I¡¯ll leave it at that.

    ¡®But Joy...¡¯

    ¡°By the way, airheaddy, didn¡¯t you say you had somewhere to be?¡±

    ¡°...Ah!¡±

    She quickly checked a nearby clock, furrowed her brow, and spoke to me in a hurry.

    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss the detailster!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just an excuse to leave me; she really did have urgent business?

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    As she adjusted her hair in the mirror, Joy let out an involuntary sigh.

    She had been so tempted by that ticket that she¡¯d agreed to go into a dungeon! That¡¯s never going to work out!

    Joy still had nightmares about the day Agra interfered.

    Although the frequency of the dreams had decreased over time, the horrifying scenes neverpletely faded.

    Maybe that¡¯s why Joy was so afraid of entering a dungeon.

    It felt like if she stepped foot inside, the same thing would happen all over again.

    Joy knew this.

    As much as Soul Academy boasted about safety, the likelihood of a major incident was low.

    If she was really worried, she could just bring someone capable of handling any danger.

    But what could she do?

    The mere sight of a dungeon entrance made her feel like she couldn¡¯t breathe.

    That¡¯s why Joy had rejected every invitation from her acquaintances to enter a dungeon.

    She was still haunted by nightmares.

    Honestly, it¡¯s not my fault¡ªit¡¯s Lady Allen who¡¯s strange.

    We were thrown into a situation where we could have died in an instant.

    And in that situation, she willingly took on the burden of protecting me and Young Master Rhys.

    She stood at the front line to ensure our survival.

    She ran headfirst into danger whenever it appeared.

    How can she enter a dungeon as if nothing happened?

    She must have been more terrified than anyone else, yet she remains unfazed.

    It¡¯s strange.

    Young Master Rhys and I are so scared that we can¡¯t even take a single step into a dungeon, but she can smile and talk about it as if it¡¯s nothing.

    And she was even involved in Agra¡¯s interference when she entered the dungeon with the Third Prince!

    She faced death again!

    And yet she can talk about dungeons like they¡¯re no big deal¡ªI just can¡¯t understand that.

    Is there something non-human mixed into the Allen bloodline?

    ¡°Oh no, I messed up.¡±

    Joy frowned as she noticed she had identally curled her hair in the opposite direction, messing up the hairstyle she had maintained since childhood.

    How frustrating.@@novelbin@@

    I can¡¯t deny that it¡¯s because I was tempted by the Stophe Special Ticket, making it even more frustrating.

    But still, the ticket is worth it.

    Stophe is the continent¡¯s top dessert artisan, but now he focuses on training the next generation and no longer works in the field.

    The Stophe Special Ticket is your chance to taste the desserts he personally makes.

    The fact that you¡¯ve eaten a dessert made by Stophe is something to brag about in the social circles of powerful noble families.

    So how could I pass up that opportunity?

    For someone like me, who doesn¡¯t just like sweets but openly deres her love for them, it was impossible to resist.

    Yeah, what¡¯s done is done.

    I¡¯ve already thrown the dice.

    Let¡¯s think positively.

    Going with Lady Allen means her knight will be there too, right?

    With her abilities and the strength of an Allen family knightbined, they should be able to ovee any problem.

    Even if we go into a dungeon, there shouldn¡¯t be any danger.

    So it¡¯ll be fine.

    Instead of worrying, I should look forward to enjoying Stophe¡¯s desserts.

    Come to think of it, it¡¯s amazing.

    How did Lady Allen get her hands on such a rare item?

    I couldn¡¯t even catch a glimpse of it no matter how hard I tried.

    She didn¡¯t seem to obtain it easily, judging by the smug look she had when she took it out.

    Could Lady Allen have ess to some special route?

    As she recalled the moment when Lucy invited her, Joy couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    When she suddenly spoke informally, I was really taken aback.

    I¡¯ve never been addressed informally by anyone other than my family and the Third Prince, whom I¡¯ve known since childhood.

    So when someone who usually speaks rudely but still uses politenguage suddenly started speaking informally, I was shocked.

    But looking back now, I think Lady Allen was just excited about sessfully getting her hands on such a rare item.

    The always haughty and snappy Lady Allen might have been so thrilled that she wanted to brag.

    Inviting me to Stophe¡¯s probably wasn¡¯t just about repaying a debt; she might have genuinely wanted to share the experience with me.

    In the past, she wouldn¡¯t have even thought of showing gratitude, let alone making such a gesture.

    She¡¯s changed a lot.

    It¡¯s hard to believe this is the same Lady Allen who used to throw barbs in the social circles.

    If only she could change her habitual way of speaking, people¡¯s perception of her would shift considerably.

    Still, after being recognized by the Third Prince through actions rather than words, I¡¯m sure people will gradually start seeing Lady Allen differently.

    Maybe someday, there will be more people who look at her favorably.

    I hope that dayes soon.

    Though it won¡¯t be easy, given how many misdeeds Lady Allen has to make up for.

 Chapter 80

    <strong>The Day of the Trip to Stophe¡¯s Bakery with Joy</strong>

    As I stepped out, dressed in my usual attire, I was taken aback the moment I saw Joy.

    Isn''t that a bit much?@@novelbin@@

    She wore a simple ck dress with no extravagant decorations, yet its elegance was undeniable upon closer inspection. She had on high heels, which she usually avoided, and gloves adorned her hands. Even her hair was adorned with a butterfly pin.

    She looked like she could step into a high society gathering right now and receivepliments like, "Joy, you look stunning!"

    But we''re just going to a dessert shop! Why did she go all out like this?

    And here I am, just in my regr school uniform¡ªwhat does that make me?

    ¡°Hello, Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡®Joy, isn''t this a bit too much?¡¯ ¡°Airheaddy, are you going on a date with someone else? Why so shy?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Stophe¡¯s Bakery. It¡¯s not something you can take lightly.¡±

    Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, I realized she wasn''t going to change her outfit.

    ¡°Actually, I find it strange that you¡¯re dressed so simply. Didn¡¯t you used to like shy things?¡±

    She was probably referring to the time before I possessed this body.

    Back then, Lucy likely loved shy things.

    She turned her room into a frilly nightmare and wore clothes that looked like they belonged in a children¡¯s magical girl anime.

    But that¡¯s not me now.

    I¡¯d rather face a Minotaur again than wear something like that.

    Even if it meant facing the threat of death.

    ¡®My tastes have changed.¡¯ ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not a fussing, gaudy idiot like you, airheaddy.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±

    Though Joy seemed slightly annoyed by my sharp tone, she didn¡¯t show it outwardly.

    Was she holding back because I was taking her to Stophe¡¯s?

    ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go, airheaddy.¡±

    Stophe¡¯s dessert shop is just one of the many shops in Soul Academy¡¯s district.

    In the Soul Academymunity, yers often called it the "Love Cake Shop."

    That¡¯s because the fastest way to raise an NPC¡¯s favorability was to visit this shop with them during free time and share a cake.

    It spawned memes and wild theories about what was in the cake to make the favorability rise so quickly, eventually leading to rumors that Stophe¡¯s Bakery was some shady, hidden ce.

    But those were just jokes for the forums and fan fiction. When I visited the shop before, during the Academy entrance exam, it was just a regr dessert shop.

    I tried the cakes and drinks there¡ªthey were delicious, but nothing extraordinary happened.

    As soon as we entered Stophe¡¯s shop, a clerk rushed over to greet us.

    It made sense. One of us was the daughter of a duke, and the other was the daughter of an earl, so this level of service was expected.

    ¡°Wee, Lady Parten, Lady Allen. Allow me to show you to your table.¡±

    The clerk politely bowed and spoke in a refined manner. When I presented the Stophe Special Ticket, his demeanor instantly changed.

    He maintained his smile, but his eyes gleamed with interest. After carefully examining several parts of the ticket like a jeweler appraising a precious gem, he carefully put it away and spoke again.

    ¡°Please, follow me upstairs.¡±

    The clerk led us to a private room in Stophe¡¯s Bakery and then excused himself, asking us to wait a moment.

    ¡°My goodness. I never imagined I¡¯d get to use a private room at Stophe¡¯s.¡±

    ¡®Joy...¡¯ ¡°Airheaddy, why are you so excited?¡±

    ¡°How could I not be? Only the most esteemed guests ever get to use a private room at Stophe¡¯s!¡±

    She was so thrilled that she had dropped her usual viiness facade. Watching her grin as she looked around the room, she seemed more like a slightly fierce-looking high school girl than the viiness she was known to be.

    If her smile faded even a little, she¡¯d look like she was back to her old self, searching for something to criticize.

    As we continued chatting, the door opened, and an elderly man in a pristine white baker¡¯s outfit entered.

    His white hair and the deep wrinkles etched into his face showed his age, but his strong, well-toned body told a different story.

    Despite his years, he had no excess fat, and his well-maintained physique spoke of the care he took in his daily life.

    ¡°Good day, Lady Parten, Lady Allen. I am Stophe, the owner of this shop and, humbly, the one known as the dessert artisan. I will do my utmost to ensure that your experience here is unforgettable.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened again, and the staff entered to ce dishes and utensils before us.

    To be honest, I¡¯ve never been a big fan of desserts.

    I don¡¯t dislike them, but the ones I¡¯ve known were usually so sweet they made my tongue ache, so after one or two bites, I¡¯d be done.

    That¡¯s why I was worried when I heard we¡¯d be having a dessert course.

    Would I even enjoy it?

    But those concerns werepletely unnecessary.

    If Stophe¡¯s desserts were that ordinary, how could he be called the continent¡¯s greatest artisan?

    He started with a light, tangy appetizer to stimte the pte.

    Then came the cold dishes to awaken the senses of taste.

    Afterward, warm dishes were served to melt both the tongue and the body.

    The meticulous buildup leading to a final burst of vor was not just impressive; it was awe-inspiring.

    Everything I¡¯d eaten before this had just been imitations of real desserts.

    I had been eating fake desserts, which is why I had such a skewed perception of them.

    If all the desserts in the world were like this, my teeth would have all turned ck by now.

    Given how I, who wasn¡¯t a huge fan of desserts, was reacting, imagine how Joy, who had always loved them, was feeling.

    She seemed utterly entranced, lost in a dream made of Stophe¡¯s desserts.

    She had be a machine, smiling softly as she moved her spoon, too absorbed to hear my voice.

    Seeing her that happy made it worth bringing her here.

    No wonder Stophe¡¯s desserts could raise favorability so quickly.

    Now that I think about it, what¡¯s Joy¡¯s favorability with me right now?

    I¡¯m certain it started below 40.

    Adding this experience to the fact that I saved her life before, it should be over 60 now, right?

    Maybe not.

    Considering that I¡¯ve called her ¡°airheaddy¡± and there was that whole Pathetic Prince incident, it might be lower.

    But regardless, Joy is probably the person with the highest favorability towards me out of everyone I know.

    Since we¡¯ve agreed to tackle a dungeon together, I can use that as an excuse to spend more time with her, and maybe I¡¯ll hit 70 before the final exams.

    That means I¡¯ve secured one person to help me clear the quest given by that useless god.

    For the other part, once Alsetine brings me the ne, I can focus on securing the underachieving noble, and then I should be set to clear the quest.

    Haha, see that, you useless, pathetic god?!

    No matter how much you try to mess with me, I¡¯ll stillplete the quest with ease!

    If you want to make my life harder, you better...

    No, no. Nothing at all, Lord Armath.

    There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about.

    This sess is all thanks to your divine protection.

    I am always grateful.

    Strange. Did Stophe put alcohol in the desserts?

    Why am I thinking such odd thoughts?

    Anyway, now that I don¡¯t have to worry about the quest given by our noble and esteemed Lord Armath, I can prepare for other matters.

    It¡¯s about time for the main story of Soul Academy to progress.

    I wonder who will be the apostle of the evil god this time.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Two days had passed since Joy had eaten Stophe¡¯s desserts, yet she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about that moment.

    Entering the private room at Stophe¡¯s Bakery, a ce where even foreign royalty would struggle to gain an invitation.

    Meeting Stophe himself, a man who rarely shows his face to outsiders.

    Being greeted by him and served an array of fantastic desserts.

    The happiness that filled her every time she moved her spoon.

    That day was one of the happiest moments of Joy¡¯s life.

    But as happy as that memory was, it also left Joy with a heavy sense of obligation.

    The promise to enter the Academy¡¯s dungeon together weighed on her more with each passing day.

    What if something went wrong again?

    What if there was a mistake during the professors¡¯ work?

    With each day, Joy secretly hoped that some stroke of luck would dy the day they were supposed to go, but unfortunately, the professors at the Academy werepetent.

    And so, on the scheduled day, the Academy¡¯s dungeon reopened.

    Joy found herself clutching the staff her father had given her when she entered the school, heading towards the entrance of the Academy¡¯s dungeon.

    Why did I make such a reckless promise, driven by material desire?

    Should I just tell her now that I can¡¯t do it?

    Maybe I could offer to help in another way?

    But how could I possibly offer anything that would match the value of the Stophe Special Ticket?

    ¡°Airheaddy.¡±

    As Joy¡¯s thoughts grew more tangled and her pace slowed, a voice called her name, and she turned her head.

    There stood Lucy Allen.

    She was d in her steel armor, looking exactly as she had when she first came to take the entrance exam.

    The mace and shield in her hands.

    The hairstyle.

    That confident and irritating demeanor.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the roon eyes? Did you stay up all night scared of the dungeon? Cowardlydy?¡±

    Joy almost nodded subconsciously but managed to catch herself, forcing an awkward smile instead.

    ¡°I just had trouble sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Really? Well, don¡¯t worry, no matter how useless you are, I¡¯m here.¡±

    As Lucy confidently strode ahead, Joy hesitated for a moment before following her.

    Half willingly, half reluctantly, Joy found herself at the entrance to the Academy¡¯s dungeon.

    At that moment, memories shed in her mind.

    The thousands of eyes that had watched her.

    The witch¡¯s unsettlingughter as she blocked the path.

    The ominous voices that echoed from afar.

    The endless abyss she had glimpsed in that terrifying moment.

    ¡°Airheaddy.¡±

    It was only Lucy¡¯s voice that brought Joy back to reality, and she realized she was sitting on the ground.

    Ah.

    This is...

    Well...

 Chapter 81

    "Will Joy be alright?"

    <She will be fine.>

    It was an unexpected event.

    On our way to the Academy''s dungeon, I met Joy and stood with her in front of the dungeon''s entrance.

    At that moment, Joy copsed.

    Her breathing was rapid.

    Her pupils were trembling.

    She mumbled that she didn¡¯t want to die.

    Even though her eyes were open, she couldn¡¯t see in front of her.

    She didn¡¯t even hear the murmuring sounds around her.

    She seemedpletely trapped in her own world, as if isted from reality.

    Then, as she barely regained herposure, she tried to stand, saying that it was probably because she hadn¡¯t slept well, but her arms and legs gave out, and she fell again.

    I reached out to help her, but it wasn''t the best choice.

    The moment I extended my hand, I saw Joy flinch and shiver.

    <Girl, it''s not your fault.>

    Grandpa sighed and told me it wasn''t my fault, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to nod in agreement.

    After all, wasn¡¯t it me who, not knowing Joy¡¯s situation, eagerly suggested that we go to the dungeon together?

    <It¡¯s amon urrence. Experiencing an ident in a dungeon and then bing fearful of it is something that dungeon challengers go through at least once. It just came a bit earlier for her.>

    I didn¡¯t know such things could happen.

    They didn¡¯t happen in the game.

    No matter what crises arose.

    Even if the party fell apart.

    Even if the words ¡°Game Over¡± appeared with a ck screen.

    The characters in the game were just characters.

    They neverined about their mental anguish.@@novelbin@@

    They simply moved as Imanded them.

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    I don¡¯t know what to do in this situation.

    I¡¯ve never experienced anything like this, so I don¡¯t know how to help Joy.

    I don¡¯t know if I can save her from her nightmares.

    <Don¡¯t try to do anything unnecessary.>

    "Pardon?"

    I asked Grandpa, thinking he¡¯d be used to this kind of thing, but he gave an unexpected answer.

    <Don¡¯t offer sympathy. Don¡¯t try to console her. Don¡¯t do anything. Just treat her as you usually do.>

    "But..."

    <Girl, do you think the human mind is so simple that a few words from you could help her ovee this?>

    Grandpa exined.

    To ovee the trauma that haunts you, you must do it yourself.

    No matter how muchforting and consideration you receive from others, it¡¯s meaningless.

    It only makes you more aware of your own trauma.

    So, just treat her as you normally would.

    <Until she asks for help herself, don¡¯t do anything. That¡¯s the best advice I can give you.>

    "¡­Okay."

    Normally, Grandpa likes to act serious while spouting nonsense, but today, his voice was unusually heavy.

    That¡¯s how I knew he was giving me sincere advice.

    ¡°Grandpa, have you seen many people suffering like this?¡±

    <When you live on the battlefield, it¡¯s something you encounter all too often.>

    ¡°Did they all recover?¡±

    <I wouldn¡¯t say that. But the Airhead Lady will be fine. She¡¯s got a strong will and is loved by those around her.>

    When Grandpa referred to her as the ¡°Airhead Lady,¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    <em>Sigh.</em> Seriously.

    I was getting emotional, but hepletely ruined the mood.

    I knew he made that joke to lighten my spirits, so I didn¡¯t scold him.

    Instead, I took a deep breath.

    Yeah, she¡¯ll be fine.

    "Miss."

    While I was passing the time, Carl, who had taken Joy to the infirmary, returned.

    "Carl, how is Joy?"

    "Lousy Knight, how is the Airhead Lady?"

    "She¡¯s alright. Thanks to the calming spell, her anxiety symptoms have subsided. The infirmary healer said she¡¯ll be fine after a bit of rest."

    The person working in the Soul Academy¡¯s infirmary is highly skilled.

    If they say she¡¯ll be fine, I can be at ease.

    Thank goodness. Truly, thank goodness.

    "And Miss, Lady Parten wishes to see you again."

    "Me?"

    "Me?"

    "Yes."

    Is it really okay to see her now?

    Joy flinched when she saw me reaching out earlier.

    Wouldn¡¯t seeing me again only frighten her?

    As I hesitated to get up, Grandpa sighed and spoke.

    <What did I just say?>

    Don¡¯t try to be overly considerate.

    Yes, I just heard that, but I had forgotten.

    I answered Grandpa, acknowledging him, and stood up.

    On my way to the infirmary, I noticed that today, more eyes were on me than usual.

    It seemed news of Joy¡¯s copse had spread among the students.

    Some were whispering as if they wanted me to hear, covering their mouths for show, but the content was clear¡ªthey were saying I bullied Joy.

    Even if I¡¯m crazy, would I really bully the nobledy of the Parten family?

    I felt an automatic rebuttal rise, but on second thought, it wasn¡¯t entirely unreasonable.

    After all, wasn¡¯t I the one who called the Third Prince a "Pathetic Prince"?

    No matter how insane something might sound, if it¡¯s preceded by the name ¡°Lucy Allen,¡± it bes believable.

    Ah. I might as well give up on restoring my reputation.

    No matter how hard I try, with a foundation of such a bad reputation, what can I do?

    Well, there¡¯s no need for everyone to love me, right?

    As long as the people I like, like me, that¡¯s enough.

    Isn¡¯t having the courage to be disliked all about this?

    As I walked forward, pretending to be nonchnt, a group of female students blocked my way.

    Their faces were familiar.

    Not because they were key NPCs in the game, but because they always clung to Joy like followers, so I naturally got used to seeing them.

    Being red at by a group of angry noble girls is kind of scary.

    It¡¯s a different kind of pressure than facing a powerful monster.

    This is like the typical bullying you¡¯d see in a viiness story, isn¡¯t it?

    Wow, this is tough.

    If I were a clueless heroine, I might have been overwhelmed.

    "Lady Allen."

    One of them, who seemed to be the leader, called out to me.

    She only called my name, but I could tell how she felt about me.

    Anyone would understand, hearing the voiceced with annoyance.

    "Where are you going?"

    "To the infirmary."

    ¡°Want to know? I don¡¯t feel like telling you. I don¡¯t want to answer a question from a wimp like you.¡±

    As I answered with a smirk, thanks to my Mesugaki skill, the nobledies around me started murmuring.

    The content was predictable.

    They were saying I was arrogant, rude, and so on.

    But the murmuring stopped as soon as the girl who seemed to be their leader frowned.

    She¡¯s got good control. She seems more like a viiness than Joy does.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so disrespectful.¡±

    "Oh... I¡¯m sorry?"

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you mad? Can¡¯t control your emotions, pathetic nobledy? Telling me not to be rude when you¡¯re the one being rude, you idiot.¡±

    For some reason, my Mesugaki skill didn¡¯t stop making meugh.

    And the more Iughed, the redder the noble girl in front of me became.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t changed at all from your time in high society, have you?¡±

    Her voice was dripping with resentment, as if she was chewing up her hatred and spitting it out.

    Hearing that voice, I realized that this girl and Lucy had a deeper animosity than I had initially thought.

    She was another target of Lucy¡¯s misdeeds.

    ¡°Lady Allen, are you heading to the infirmary?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Why?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You knew that? Then why did you ask? Senility? Memory loss? Do you have a hole in your brain at such a young age?¡±

    ¡°Step aside. What right do you have to go see Lady Parten after what you did to her?¡±

    What? She really believes those rumors?

    So she¡¯s trying to stop me from seeing Joy?

    Given my reputation, it¡¯s no wonder they think I¡¯m the worst.

    But considering how I¡¯ve treated the Third Prince, calling him ¡°Pathetic Prince,¡± it¡¯s not surprising.

    So, no matter how crazy something might be, as long as it involves Lucy Allen, it bes believable.

    "Well, Joy asked me toe see her."

    ¡°Sorry, wimp. But I¡¯m going because the Airhead Lady called me. So, it¡¯s not me who should step aside, it¡¯s you. Got it? Loser?¡±

    Since Joy asked me to see her, I¡¯d appreciate it if you¡¯d step aside.

    I¡¯ll listen to yourintster, but for now, let me through.

    ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a liar.¡±

    But this nobledy didn¡¯t believe a word I said.

    Well, if she believes the rumors are true, she wouldn¡¯t believe that Joy asked to see me.

    But Joy really did ask for me.

    How can I convince her?

    ¡°Excuse me, but Lady Parten did indeed ask to see Lady Allen.¡±

    I guess Carl thought I couldn¡¯t persuade them on my own, so he spoke up, but the sharpness in the nobledy¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t waver.

    ¡°Professor, would you mind not interfering in a conversation between students?¡±

    Hearing that, I realized I was mistaken about something.

    If this girl truly cared about Joy, would she have cut Carl off?

    A professor, and the very person who just carried Joy to the infirmary?

    She should at least pretend to listen.

    But this girl didn¡¯t even try to hear Carl out.

    That¡¯s right.

    To her, whether the rumor is true or not doesn¡¯t matter.

    She doesn¡¯t even care if what Joy said is true.

    She¡¯s just bothered by the fact that I¡¯m going to see Joy.

    Hmm. So, you¡¯re not really Joy¡¯s friend?

    You don¡¯t truly care about her, do you?

    Well then, I have no reason to be considerate of you.

    I pushed aside the troubled Carl and stepped forward.

    The nobledy¡¯s gaze fixed on me.

    ¡°What is it, Lady Allen? Do you have something to say?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer.

    There was no reason to.

    What would I say to a girl who pretends to care about Joy but just wants to vent her anger?

    Instead, I pushed her aside.

    ¡°Kyaaa?!¡±

    Even though I didn¡¯t push her hard, the nobledy fell to the floor in an unsightly manner.

    Why are you acting like that?

    I just gave you a little shove.

    This Hollywood-level overacting is too much.

    Even a ser referee would give you a yellow card, not me.

    I felt wronged, but the other nobledies didn¡¯t seem to see it that way.

    The one standing next to the girl who fell raised her voice.

    ¡°What on earth are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°Pfft? Sorry? I didn¡¯t realize you were such a wimpy, pathetic, hopeless, garbage idiot?¡±

    As Iughed and said that, the other nobledies frowned.

    What? Are you going to make a move?

    Come on, trash.

    Even if you all gang up on me, you won¡¯t be able to take down Freyr, so what makes you think you can beat me? But if you want to try, I¡¯ll oblige.

    I stared them down without losing an ounce of confidence, and they hesitated, backing off.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be off now? Losers?? I hope next time you know your ce? Oh? But if you had the brains to do that, you wouldn¡¯t have picked a fight with me, would you??¡±

    I exaggeratedlyughed as I walked past them, watching their faces turn bright red.

 Chapter 82

    ¡°They¡¯ll be fine for now, as I¡¯ve cast a spell to help them stabilize,¡± Faybie said as she dispelled the divine power lingering in her hand and addressed Joy.

    Joy, lying on the bed, looked at Faybie with an expressionless face. Although she appeared cold and indifferent to the world, Faybie, who had known Joy for a long time, understood what thoughtsy behind that mask.

    Thus, she wasn¡¯t afraid at all, unlike others.

    ¡°Joy.¡±

    When Faybie called her name, Joy slowly turned her head.

    ¡°Look at me.¡±

    But when she added another phrase, Joy¡¯s cold eyes met Faybie¡¯s again.

    ¡°You know better than anyone that you¡¯re not fully stabilized yet, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you do something that would provoke your trauma?¡±

    Joy had no proper response to Faybie¡¯s questioning.

    How could she exin that she entered the dungeon out of greed?

    Surely Faybie would find it ridiculous and end up sighing in disbelief.

    As Joy remained silent, Faybie grasped her hands firmly with both of hers.

    ¡°Joy, you¡¯re a strong person. But even strong people need time to ovee their challenges. If you swing the de before the iron has fully hardened, it will only break.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°ording to the words of Armathi¡­¡±

    As Faybie began to lecture, Joy felt her breath catch in her throat.

    Faybie was undoubtedly a saint.

    In all the years Joy had known her, she had never seen Faybie lose her temper.

    No matter how unfairly she was treated, Faybie would just smile and say it was all part of the divine n.

    Even when Lucy spoke to her rudely, Faybie would only respond with an awkward smile.

    But then again, perhaps it was because she was so calm most of the time that when she did start lecturing, it could go on for quite a while.

    Having been lectured by Faybie a few times before, Joy knew that once Faybie started quoting scripture, she could easily continue for two hours.

    To the Saint, who had delivered sermons in countless formal and informal settings, giving a lecture was something she could do at any time.

    As Joy seriously contemted pretending to faint from exhaustion, the door to the infirmary opened.

    A girl with dark pink twin-tails and slightly upturned eyes entered.

    She had a mischievous smile and a yful demeanor that was unbing of an Earl¡¯s daughter.

    And she was infamous, in the worst sense, as the most notorious person in Soul Academy.

    Lucy Allen.

    She turned to her knight and said, ¡°Lousy Knight. Wait here. You can do that much, right?¡± before entering the infirmary.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Is the Lousy Saint healing the Airhead Lady?¡±

    Joy was unexpectedly relieved to hear Lucy Allen¡¯s voice, whichpletely disregarded the atmosphere of the room.

    ¡°Lady Allen, how are you?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by looking, Lousy Saint? Is your face so fat that you can¡¯t see mine?¡±

    ¡°F-fat?¡±

    Everyone in the infirmary froze at Lucy¡¯s words.

    The healer, who had been drinking water, started coughing uncontrobly,

    Joy doubted what she had just heard was real,

    And Faybie¡¯s face turned bright red as she forced a smile.

    Amidst all this, the only one who remainedposed was Lucy.

    ¡°Is it strange that I called you fat? Then how about I say¡ª¡±

    ¡°More importantly! What brings you here, Lady Allen?!¡±

    Joy had never seen Faybie so flustered before.

    Faybie, who had met countless people and experienced countless situations as a high-ranking member of the Church, was thrown off bnce by Lucy.

    As expected of Lady Allen.

    ¡°I¡¯m here because the Airhead Lady called for me.¡±

    ¡°I see! W-well, then, I¡¯ll leave you two alone!¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°N-no! I¡¯ve already finished speaking with Joy anyway!¡±

    Faybie, who had been fumbling and unable to focus her gaze, suddenly became calm.

    She stared at the cross hanging around Lucy¡¯s neck, and in a faint voice, asked Lucy,

    ¡°Lady Allen, has your ne been blessed recently?¡±

    ¡°You noticed, Lousy Saint? Yeah, so what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing. To have gained so much divine power in such a short time¡­ You truly are blessed by the gods, Lady Allen.¡±

    Faybie¡¯s voice was filled with pure admiration, and Lucy responded with a smug smile.

    ¡°Not really. Doesn¡¯t everyone receive this much attention?¡±

    ¡°I wish that were the case, but unfortunately, it isn¡¯t, Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡°What? Lousy Saint, are you jealous? Pfft. That¡¯s not very saintly of you.¡±

    Lucy¡¯s usual arrogant and self-righteous mannerisms were on full disy.

    To an ordinary person, it would have sounded like she was boasting, but Faybie just smiled.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°This conversation is getting long. I¡¯ll excuse myself, but before I go¡­¡±

    Faybie stood up from her chair, turned to Joy, leaned in, and whispered,

    ¡°I¡¯ll continue our earlier discussionter.¡±

    Joy¡¯s eyes trembled at the deration that the lecture wasn¡¯t over yet.

    The Saint is trying to drag me to hell.

    <ul>

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    </ul>

    I feel like dying.

    Forget about favorability and quests; wouldn¡¯t it be better to just give up and see the game over screen?

    No, that would be toote.

    For a quieter and more peaceful death, I should ask Alsetine to get me some poison.

    Yes, that would be the best option.

    <Girl, that¡ª>

    ¡°Grandpa, please be quiet.¡±

    No matter what you say, it won¡¯t mend my shattered heart.

    Grandpa must have sensed my broken spirit because he didn¡¯t speak further.

    <em>Sigh.</em>

    Lousy and ipetent god?

    What have you done to me? You strengthened the Mesugaki skill, and now this!

    What is this?!

    Not only did I spew vulgar words at the Saint, but I even snickered at her!

    Damn it.

    What¡¯s with calling her fat? What¡¯s with calling her fat?

    If this skill gets any stronger, I might actually start calling Faybie a perverted Saint!

    Huh?

    I muttered to myself, and for some reason, it felt like that might actually happen.

    Even the way I address Carl turned into "Lousy Knight" after the Mesugaki skill was strengthened.

    Right now, I¡¯m only calling her Lousy Saint, but if I cross the line, I might start calling her the Perverted Saint.

    If that happens, I¡¯ll be done for.

    Insulting the Saint, who is practically the symbol of the Church, with a sexual innuendo?

    I can¡¯t even imagine what would happen next.

    Not even the game had a scenario like that!

    ¡°Lady Allen?¡±

    I was lost in my thoughts, lips sealed shut, when Joy cautiously called my name.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Even with the Mesugaki skill, my expression should look rxed, so why is Joy worrying about me?

    Is keeping my mouth shut the issue?

    Well, if you¡¯re asking whether I¡¯m okay or not, I am fine.

    I might have said some regrettable things, but Faybie will probably let it slide.

    It¡¯s just that I¡¯m worried something worse might happen next time.

    So, I shrugged and smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about me, Airhead Lady? Considering you almost wet yourself, you seem pretty rxed.¡±

    Mesugaki skill, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being a bit too generous today?

    If you keep dishing out these insults, I¡¯m going to have a hard time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever wet myself.¡±

    ¡°I was joking.¡±

    ¡°Airhead Lady, can¡¯t you even tell the difference between a joke and a seriousment? You¡¯re so clueless.¡±

    ¡°¡­Of all people, I don¡¯t want to be called clueless by Lady Allen.¡±

    Right?

    Even I¡¯d be pissed if someone like Lucy called me clueless.

    ¡°Joy, why did you call me?¡±

    ¡°So, Airhead Lady, what¡¯s up? Can¡¯t sleep alone? Want me to sing you a luby?¡±

    ¡°A luby from Lady Allen? That sounds terrifying, so I¡¯ll pass. I called you because I wanted to apologize.¡±

    She spoke in her usual serious tone, apologizing for being too scared to enter the dungeon after confidently saying she would.

    For messing up my schedule because of that. For causing unnecessary misunderstandings.

    And most of all, for not being able to repay the favor I did for her.

    Listening to her, the only thought that came to my mind was, <em>Why is she apologizing to me?</em>

    If you think about it, I¡¯m the one who contributed to her trauma, so if anything, I should be the one apologizing to her, not the other way around.

    A wasted day?

    I¡¯m not speedrunning here, so there¡¯s no reason to freak out over losing one day.

    This much isn¡¯t even a setback for a veteran of Soul Academy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Airhead Lady, you¡¯re so timid. Why would I care whether someone as insignificant as you pays back a favor? Do you think I have any interest in someone as pathetic as you?¡±

    ¡°But still.¡±

    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Airhead Lady, stop being so clingy.¡±

    With that, I stood up.

    If I stayed any longer, who knows what kind of insults I might end up throwing at Joy.

    I can¡¯t keep berating someone who¡¯s just recovering from trauma!

    ¡°I¡¯ll be off then!¡±

    ¡°Take care, Airhead Lady. I hope that foolish face of yours improves by the next time I see you.¡±

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    </ul>

    Everie, one of Joy Parten¡¯s close aides from the Countess of Rumley¡¯s family, unconsciously bit her nails.

    Lucy Allen. That damn girl.

    A while ago, she had the audacity to block Lady Parten¡¯s path and harass her.

    Everie did it solely for Lady Parten¡¯s sake.

    Dragging Lady Parten, who had bad memories associated with dungeons, all the way to the entrance and forcing her to relive her trauma.

    How could Everie stand by and watch that wicked girl go to see Lady Parten again?

    But that girl revealed her true, nasty nature.

    She insulted Everie and pushed her to the ground.

    Even after several days, Everie still gritted her teeth whenever she recalled that humiliating moment, which had urred in front of so many people.

    As a youngdy of the Countess of Rumley¡¯s household, who had been adored and respected by many, Everie couldn¡¯t endure this disgrace.

    I can¡¯t stand her.

    It was bad enough when she behaved like a tyrant in high society, but now that she¡¯s done well on the entrance exams, her arrogance is beyond tolerance.

    If Lucy Allen were from a lesser family, Everie would have personally taught her some manners.

    But she couldn¡¯t do that to Lucy Allen.

    As the only heir to the Allen family, the most prestigious martial family on the continent,

    As a prodigy who had imed the top spot in the Academy¡¯s entrance exam and showcased her immense talent,

    As the monstrous girl who had defeated Freyr Kent, a strong candidate to be the next Swordmaster,

    Lucy Allen was not someone Everie could handle on her own.

    Under normal circumstances, Everie could have relied on Lady Parten¡¯s influence to say something, but Lady Parten thought well of that wretched girl.

    She considered Lucy her savior.

    The idea that such a wicked girl could save someone¡¯s life was preposterous.

    It must have been a coincidence, but regardless, Lady Parten firmly believed it.

    ¡°If you continue to insult Lady Allen, I might actually get a little angry.¡±

    Lady Parten¡¯s conviction was so strong that Everie¡¯s and the other nobledies¡¯ attempts to persuade her werepletely ineffective.

    So Everie and the others decided to take a different approach.

    They decided to enlist the help of someone who must be harboring deep resentment toward Lucy Allen.

    Someone who was likely still grinding their teeth in anger and plotting revenge after their recent defeat.

    Arthur Sdin.

    They decided to seek the support of the Third Prince of the Sdin Kingdom.

 Chapter 84

    Thanks to Arthur¡¯s willingness to agree, we now had enough people to enter the dungeon, so we headed there immediately.

    Carl?

    He¡¯s fine. As soon as I give the word, he¡¯lle running, wagging his tail.

    Just before we reached the dungeon entrance, I suddenly remembered what happenedst time and quickly stopped to ask Arthur.

    "Arthur, by any chance, do you have any trauma rted to dungeons?"

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, you¡¯re not going to wet yourself at the dungeon entrance, are you?¡±

    "Is this because of what happened with Joy? If so, don¡¯t worry. Being in life-threatening situations is an everyday urrence for me."

    Arthur spoke lightly as if joking, but I knew it wasn¡¯t just a joke.

    The struggle for the throne in this country is quite brutal.

    Without anyone to back him up, and with no mother to protect him, Arthur must have had several close calls with death.

    So, threats to his life don¡¯t shake him.

    He¡¯s been through too much to be startled by something like that.

    "On the contrary, I¡¯d like to ask you, Lucy Allen. How about you? Doesn¡¯t the sight of a dungeon entrance make you want to cry?"

    "I¡¯m fine!"

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that the Pathetic Prince, who was trembling behind me, would be worried about me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    "Did the prince really tremble in fear?"

    ¡°I¡­ was not¡­ afraid.¡±

    As Freyr asked with genuine curiosity and I spoke with a mocking tone, Arthur¡¯s lips gradually stiffened.

    It seems that while he can endure my taunts, dealing with Freyr¡¯s innocent questions is much harder for him.

    "Professor Carl, how do you endure this?"

    ¡°You get used to it. The human mind slowly wears down.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got it tough, really.¡±

    While the two menmiserated with each other, we continued to move and eventually reached the dungeon entrance.

    "So, how far are we going today?"

    "We¡¯re not climbing floors today."

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Were you hoping to use me to climb the dungeon, Pathetic Prince? Too bad. I¡¯m not nning to ascend any floors today.¡±

    The first semester dungeon raid in Soul Academy happens exactly two weeks after the midterm exams.

    If you fully conquer the Academy¡¯s dungeon before then, you can receive the reward for being the first to clear it.

    I¡¯m someone who could conquer the dungeon in a single day if I wanted to.

    There¡¯s no need for me to clear it just for a reward I don¡¯t need right now.

    Last time, I took it seriously because I waspeting in a speedrun with Arthur, but that¡¯s not the case now.

    "Hmm? Then why are we entering the dungeon?"

    "To level up!"

    "We¡¯re going in to gain experience."

    After what happenedst time, my level has risen quite a bit, and I¡¯m now at level 15.

    Considering that the surrounding characters are usually around level 4 or 5, it¡¯s a significant difference.

    But it¡¯s still not enough.

    Now that the game has be reality, the first and second priorities I must pursue are safety.

    The main story will soon start, and I¡¯ll be facing the Apostle of the Evil God.

    I need to be prepared to deal with any unexpected events.

    ording to my n, I should reach level 23 today and then focus on grinding skill proficiency.

    When I used to enjoy this as a game, I deliberately kept my level on the edge to make it more challenging.

    Those were the good times. Damn it.

    ¡°Experience, huh? Do you really need that?¡±

    Arthur seemed puzzled by the ambiguous term "experience," which was likely due to the Mesugaki skill¡¯s trantion.

    It¡¯s too much trouble to exin levels and skill proficiency to an NPC like Arthur, so I¡¯ll just brush it off.

    "Of course."

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, I¡¯m a human too, you know?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I see. I thought, given what you¡¯ve shown, you might have the blood of a troll or a demon.¡±

    ¡°Prince, I agree.¡±

    Is he trying to retaliate for all the insults I¡¯ve thrown at him?

    Arthur said something about trolls and demons.

    Freyr, standing next to him, nodded vigorously, while Carl quickly turned his head to hide his expression.

    Seriously, what have I done to deserve being called a troll or a demon?

    It¡¯s true that Lucy¡¯s father, Benedict, is like a troll of a man, but it¡¯s strange for that to reflect on me!

    "What part of me looks like a troll?!"

    ¡°Pathetic Prince, are your eyes that bad? To look at me and call me a troll?¡±

    "I wasn¡¯t talking about your appearance. I meant your behavior."

    Arthur immediately listed his reasons, as if he¡¯d been waiting for this moment.

    The incredible resilience I showed when fighting the Minotaurst time.

    The inhuman persistence I disy during training.@@novelbin@@

    The absurd strength thates from such a small frame.

    Listening to each point, it¡¯s no wonder I¡¯m being used of being something other than human.

    ¡°Those are the general reasons, but do you have any counterarguments?¡±

    Arthur, showing a thoroughness in teasing people, was really starting to get on my nerves with that confident smile of his.

    No matter what I say, he¡¯s going to paint me as a troll, isn¡¯t he?

    Alright, if that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be, I¡¯ll take a different approach.

    "If you want tobel me as a troll, I¡¯ll acknowledge it."

    ¡°Who would have thought the Pathetic Prince would be so desperate to tease a girl? Speaking so pathetically, I have no choice but to ept it.¡±

    I covered my mouth with my hand and gave him a mischievous smile, and Arthur stared nkly at me.

    Ha, you didn¡¯t expect me to go along with it, did you?

    Now you¡¯re just a pathetic prince who takes teasing a girl seriously!

    "Wait, Lucy¡­"

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. To the dungeon. We¡¯re not going to waste more time talking, are we?¡±

    Now I¡¯m not giving him any time to say anything else before moving on.

    A perfect victory.

    ¡°But doesn¡¯t this mean you admitted to being a troll?¡±

    I ignored Freyr¡¯sment from behind.

    Freyr, have some sense.

    Do you want to be thoroughly trampled during our next sparring session?

    The best way to grind experience is to go to one of the external dungeons outside the Academy that remain stable, like Evan¡¯s Dungeon.

    Repeating such dungeons is the most efficient way to level up.

    But you can only ess external dungeons from the second year onward at Soul Academy.

    So in the first year, you¡¯re stuck in the Academy dungeon.

    No problem.

    Gamers are people who find the most efficient way in any situation.

    Naturally, the most efficient way to level up as a first-year at Soul Academy has already been studied extensively.

    There are a few routes.

    Since I n to go from level 15 to 23, I¡¯ll start at the 34th floor.

    When I entered the dungeon and looked around, I tilted my head in confusion.

    I had set it up so I would start from the highest floor I¡¯d reached, but why am I on the 7th floor?

    "What¡¯s this?"

    "Huh? Why are we on the 7th floor?"

    I thought I had cleared up to the 30th floorst time.

    Then I remembered that Arthur had just joined the party.

    "Oh, right. Arthur, you only cleared up to the 7th floor."

    "Oh yeah, Pathetic Prince, you only managed to clear up to the 7th floor, didn¡¯t you?"

    It was a casual remark to myself, but because of the Mesugaki skill¡¯s attached sneer, it turned into a taunt.

    I nced at Arthur¡¯s face, and although he was smiling, his eyes were cold.

    "Sorry for being pathetic, Troll Lady."

    "No worries! We can ascend quickly!"

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. Unlike the pathetic Pathetic Prince, I can climb quickly.¡±

    "Is that so? I¡¯ll look forward to it."

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    ¡°After we pass this alley, a lousy goblin will shoot a pathetic arrow. I¡¯ll block it, Freyr, you take off its head.¡±

    Lucy was right.

    As soon as they reached the end of the alley, a goblin lying in wait on the other side fired an arrow. Freyr swung his sword and decapitated the goblin the moment the arrow was blocked.

    Arthur was amazed at the coordination between Lucy, who was confident in her actions, and Freyr, who never doubted her words.

    Remarkable. Arthur admired them inwardly.

    He had felt the same during theirst encounter when they fell into the trap together, but Lucy Allen¡¯s ability to conquer dungeons was extraordinary.

    If someone told him Lucy Allen had been involved in creating this dungeon, he would nod and say, ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    Even though she knew what was inside the dungeon thanks to the blessings, her leadership couldn¡¯t be attributed solely to having the information.

    That was talent.

    An innate ability to instinctively know how to use the information provided by the gods in the most efficient way.

    At this point, Lucy Allen might be better than themanders of most knight orders.

    No wonder Armathi bestowed blessings upon her.

    If there were someone like her, I¡¯d want to give them power too.

    Arthur thought this but didn¡¯t say it out loud.

    If heplimented her, she would undoubtedly respond with more ¡°pathetic¡± and ¡°lousy¡± remarks.

    Thus, they continued to clear the dungeon at an astonishing speed under Lucy¡¯smand.

    With the burden that Vissy had been reced by Arthur, who was now an effective ally, the dungeon was being cleared much faster than before.

    It took less than 10 minutes to reach the 10th floor from the 7th, and only 30 minutes to reach the 20th floor.

    They reached the 34th floor, Lucy¡¯s target, about two hours after entering the Academy dungeon.

    ¡°What¡¯s this, Pathetic Prince? Feeling tired? You were so confident earlier.¡±

    I¡¯m really about to die.

    Even though he hadn¡¯t fought much and had mostly been running, this was still too much.

    As Arthur held his knees, struggling to catch his breath, a mocking voice came from ahead.

    ¡°With such pathetic stamina, it¡¯s no wonder you end up humiliated. Pathetic Prince?¡±

    When he slowly lifted his head, he saw Lucy Allen¡¯s face, stillposed and confident.

    Although she had a slight sheen of sweat, that was it. Her breathing was as calm as ever.

    How can she be soposed after running with that heavy armor and shield?

    Is she really just a human?

    No matter how you look at it, it seems like she has the blood of something non-human.

    "I¡¯d like to keep moving if possible."

    Are you nning to push us even harder?!

    Is this woman a demon?!

    We¡¯ll copse from exhaustion before we even face a monster!

    "If you beg me desperately to rest, Pathetic Prince, we might take a break."

    Beg?

    The Third Prince of this kingdom.

    Begging you?

    "What will it be, Pathetic Prince?"

    Lucy¡¯s half-moon-shaped eyes gazed down at him.

    Her intent was clear.

    She knew Arthur had reached his limit, and she was saying this to tease him.

    What should he do?

    His body had already reached its limit.

    Even if he forced himself to keep going, he would copse soon, bing even more of aughingstock.

    He didn¡¯t want to give her the satisfaction, but...

    Would it be better to swallow his pride than to copse?

    ¡°...Could we rest for a moment?¡±

    Arthur spoke in a voice as small as a leaking breath, and Lucy tilted her head.

    "Pardon? What was that, Pathetic Prince? I couldn¡¯t quite hear you."

    This brat!...

    There¡¯s no way someone with your keen hearing didn¡¯t catch that!

    You¡¯re doing this to humiliate me!

    Is this because I called you a troll?!

    How petty! Truly petty!

    Arthur seethed inside, but he had no other option.

    "I said I¡¯d like to rest for a moment."

    "Ah, I see. If the Pathetic Prince is so~ desperate for a break, we can rest for a bit."

 Chapter 85

    After taking a short break, Freyr and Arthur both seemed to regain some of their energy.

    While Carl and I were unfazed by such an intense march, having grown ustomed to even harsher conditions, it was clear that these two were not.

    Kids these daysck grit.

    If they had experienced training under Commander Fossell, they¡¯d think being allowed to sleep was a luxury.

    Maybe I should invite them to try the Allen family training regimen sometime. I bet they¡¯d jump at the chance if I told them it¡¯s how I got so strong.

    ¡°Lucy Allen, so what are we doing next?¡±

    Arthur, who looked like he was about to die when we first reached the safe zone on the 34th floor, now seemed eager to continue. How enthusiastic of him.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to hunt monsters!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to massacre some lousy monsters.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    My n was simple.

    We would go up and down between the 34th and 35th floors, hunting monsters.

    At my current level, hunting here is the most efficient way to level up.

    The monsters on these floors are heavily armed orcs, and due to their nature, they appear inrge numbers.

    They rely on quantity rather than individual strength.

    Normally, their overwhelming numbers would be terrifying, but not to a gamer.

    The high spawn rate means it¡¯s perfect for grinding.

    If we spend the entire time hunting orcs until we¡¯re forced out of the dungeon, our levels should increase significantly.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    When I exined my n, Freyr asked dismissively.

    ¡°Fighting orcs will just be boring.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I agree. Is fighting orcs really going to be beneficial for a party like this?¡±

    What were they expecting?

    In a dungeon, it¡¯s either clearing floors or grinding for levels.

    There¡¯s nothing else to do.

    And honestly, it¡¯s annoying that these two, who were exhausted just from running here, areining about grinding.

    Do they think grinding is easy?

    Grinding is the toughest, most tedious part of an RPG, you know?

    You¡¯ll find it¡¯s a whole different experience when you actually do it!

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if it¡¯s boring once you try it.¡±

    ¡°You think it¡¯s boring? Really? Are you sure about that?¡±

    Maybe something in my tone caught Arthur¡¯s attention, but Freyr wasn¡¯t deterred.

    Confident in her opinion, she nodded firmly.

    ¡°Of course. Fighting orcs won¡¯t be a problem, no matter how many there are.¡±

    ¡°Really? No matter how many there are, it¡¯ll be fine?¡±

    ¡°Lousy swordsman, really? You¡¯re sure you can handle a flood of lousy orcs?¡±

    ¡°Yep, no problem.¡±

    You just nodded, didn¡¯t you?

    So you¡¯re agreeing to the grueling march that¡¯s about to begin, right? Great.

    That means I can push you and Arthur without feeling guilty.

    Thanks, Freyr.

    You¡¯ve lightened my conscience a bit.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s move! I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any pathetic weaklings here who¡¯ll start whining.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Three hours into the monster hunting that Lucy had described, Arthur had to admit he had overlooked something.

    Lucy Allen was born and trained in the Allen family, the most prestigious martial family on the continent.

    The training in the Allen family is notoriously brutal.

    Even well-known knights have been known to break under the pressure and flee in terror.

    Lucy, who trained alongside those knights, would never use something as simple as orc hunting as a mere exercise.

    When she first exined this march, Lucy Allen used the word ¡°massacre.¡±

    At the time, Arthur thought she was just being her usual arrogant, overconfident self.

    But he was wrong.

    The word ¡°massacre¡± was the only way to urately describe the current march.

    ¡°Four lousy orcs up ahead. I hope there¡¯s no one weaker than megging behind?¡±

    ¡°Three squealing pigs around the corner.¡±

    ¡°Six this time? They must think they can win by sticking together. Pathetic weaklings.¡±

    Battle after battle after battle.

    Arthur couldn¡¯t even remember how many orcs they had hunted so far.

    He could only estimate that the number easily exceeded a hundred.

    It goes without saying that fighting orcs wasn¡¯t particrly difficult.

    With Lucy Allen effortlessly blocking the orcs¡¯ attacks at the front and Freyr decapitating them with precision whenever the opportunity arose, victory was assured.

    No matter how many there were, they were still just orcs.

    Freyr even went off on her own several times, annihting groups of orcs and returning without a scratch.

    At the start of the hunt, Arthur had thought it was too easy.

    But that was only during the first few battles.

    No matter how easy the fight, when it¡¯s repeated over and over, physical exhaustion starts to take its toll.

    As their movements became sluggish, the battles grew harder, and the coordination within the party began to falter.

    The more things went awry, the longer the fights dragged on, and the quicker their stamina depleted.

    A normal party would take a break before things got to this point, but Lucy Allen didn¡¯t.

    ¡°You¡¯re already tired? I guess the Pathetic Prince really has lousy stamina. Should I carry you? Give you a little ¡®aw, poor baby¡¯?¡±

    That was her only response when Arthur suggested they rest.

    Under normal circumstances, Arthur would prioritize calm, rational decisions over his pride, but Lucy Allen¡¯s words had a strange power.

    The thought of losing to her was unbearable, so Arthur gritted his teeth and insisted he was fine.

    After more than twenty battles, the party members had stopped talking altogether.

    Lucy Allen continued to brief and direct them, but no one responded.

    They simply didn¡¯t have the strength to answer.

    Freyr¡¯s sword strikes were bing slower, Arthur¡¯s decisions were increasingly dyed and often wrong, and even Lucy, the one with the most stamina, was beginning to make mistakes.

    By the time they¡¯d fought nearly thirty battles, they had all reached their limit.

    Arthur could feel his mana reservespletely drained.

    Freyr was barely doing anything except gasping for breath.

    Even Lucy Allen showed signs of exhaustion.

    Everyone was falling apart.

    ¡°Professor Carl, is this really okay?¡±

    As safe as this dungeon is, that only means they¡¯re not at risk of dying.

    Injuries and wounds are still very possible.

    If this march continues with the party in such a worn-out state, someone is bound to get seriously hurt.

    Arthur voiced his concern, and Freyr perked up her ears.

    She was too proud to say it, but she was exhausted too.

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    Arthur hoped Carl would intervene, but Carl¡¯s response was far from what he expected.

    ¡°No problem with this grueling march?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is a training exercise to push their stamina to the limit. It¡¯s a necessary experience.¡±

    Carl exined.

    When you enter a dungeon, you can¡¯t always control the situation.

    The idea that you can rest whenever you need to is a fantasy.

    ¡°It would be nice if safe zones appeared whenever they were needed, but real-life scenarios don¡¯t work that way. There may be times when you go through an entire dungeon without finding a single safe zone.¡±

    ¡°So this is training for that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m not stopping it.¡±

    That arrogant, overconfident girl actually thought this through?

    Hearing Carl¡¯s words, Arthur looked ahead.

    There was Lucy, forcing herself to maintain a calm demeanor as she led the way.

    Come to think of it, she¡¯s the one having the hardest time here.

    Always at the front, taking the brunt of the enemy¡¯s attacks, she¡¯s doing the most work because she¡¯s the one with the most stamina.

    Yet, she hasn¡¯t said a word about resting.

    Lucy Allen is pushing herself to the brink.

    So this is what she meant by gaining experience.

    ¡°My apologies. I was being petty. Please forget I said anything.¡±

    ¡°Yes, understood, Your Highness.¡±

    With a clear answer from Carl, Arthur took a deep breath.

    Yeah, I still have enough energy to whine, don¡¯t I?

    I can¡¯t copse before Lucy Allen does.

    I won¡¯t give her the satisfaction.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Leveling up is slower than I expected.

    There are plenty of problems, but the biggest one is stamina.

    When this was just a game, I didn¡¯t have to worry about the stamina of my party members.

    They didn¡¯tin about being tired.

    But now that it¡¯s reality, things are different.

    Arthur and Freyr are human.

    Even if they¡¯re extraordinary humans, they have their limits.

    Just like in the game, they can¡¯t fight at the same pace from the first hunt to thest.

    We¡¯ve been forcing the pace so far, but I can see their limits approaching.

    Even Freyr, who used to charge ahead recklessly, flinches every time she hears there are more orcs.

    I think it¡¯s time we took a break.

    ¡°Everyone, shall we rest a bit?¡±

    ¡°Hey, pathetic ones. Your legs are shaking. If you bow your heads, I might let you rest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    I expected them to wee the idea with open arms, but Arthur and Freyr¡¯s responses were different.

    ¡°We can still keep going.¡±

    ¡°Orcs are trash. Still easy.¡±

    Do they really think they can keep going when they look like they¡¯re about to keel over?

    Is this just because they don¡¯t want to lose to me?

    Well, whatever. If they want to keep pushing themselves, who am I to stop them?

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Surprisingly, Arthur and Freyr followed my grueling march to the very end.

    We took a few short breaks under Carl¡¯s guidance, but that was it.

    In the end, even though they were barely able to stand, they gritted their teeth and kept up with me.

    Thanks to that, I was able to hunt until we were forced out of the dungeon.

    The result? I gained three levels today.

    So now I¡¯m level 18.

    It¡¯s too slow.

    I thought I might not reach my goal in one day, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad.

    Considering it gets harder to level up as your level increases, I might have to spend several days just grinding.

    Normally, I would go back into the dungeon tomorrow to continue grinding, but unfortunately, I have priormitments.

    I have some business to take care of in the streets of Soul Academy tomorrow.

    As a gamer, I can¡¯t miss the beginning of the main quest, right?

    I wonder which Apostle of the Evil God will wreak havoc on Soul Academy¡¯s first years this time.

 Chapter 86

    The story of <em>Soul Academy</em> isrgely divided into two main branches: the Main Quest and the Subquests.

    The Main Quest isn¡¯t particrly groundbreaking. It follows a typical hero¡¯s journey where the protagonist must seal away the evil gods who have reappeared in the world. Personally, I found it to be a fairly average story¡ªnot bad, but not particrly great either.

    What people really liked were the various Subquests. These included character-rted stories, hidden lore in certain regions, and narratives tied to specific items.

    But here¡¯s the thing: Subquests are just that¡ªsubquests. Whether youplete them or not, the world doesn¡¯t change much. The Main Quest, however, has a significant impact on the world. If you don¡¯tplete it, the world will definitely be affected.

    If the evil gods were to fully resurrect, who knows how much chaos would ensue?

    Failing the Main Quest results in a game over. What happens next is only known to the inhabitants of a world that has lost its protagonist. How could I know what happens after that?

    One thing I¡¯m certain of is that the resurrection of the evil gods wouldn¡¯t be beneficial, especially from my perspective as an Apostle of Armathi. Even now, every time I enter an external dungeon, Agra picks a fight with me. Imagine what would happen if he fully resurrected¡ªwhat kind of mess would I be in?

    So, from my perspective, I can¡¯t help but keep an eye on the Main Quest.

    And more than anything else¡­

    ¡°[Watch what happens at the Academy Square.]

    [Reward: ???]¡±

    It seems our pathetic deity wants me to do so.

    They sent me this message as soon as I woke up this morning.

    I thought the deity didn¡¯t care about anything as long as they could keep tormenting me, but I guess they do pay attention. Or maybe they¡¯re nning another way to mess with me?

    I debated it for a moment, but I had already decided to go. There¡¯s no reason not to if there¡¯s a reward involved.

    So, after getting ready in the morning, I headed out to the streets alone.

    Normally, I would¡¯ve brought Carl with me, but it seemed like he was behind on his Academy duties because of me.

    Even though Carl is officially a professor, he still has his responsibilities. He had been prioritizing my requests over his duties, which was very much in character for him but not the best decision.

    After all, if he doesn¡¯t do his job as a professor, he won¡¯t be able to stay here.

    ¡°Lady Allen, please let him finish his work.¡±

    Professor Anton, the Combat Professor, had even bowed his head and requested this, so I couldn¡¯t just ignore him. I ordered Carl to finish his work.

    Anyway, today¡¯s event is the starting point of the Main Quest.

    It¡¯s something that the people in the Academy Square will handle whether the protagonist is there or not.

    What difference would it make if I got involved?

    Even if there¡¯s danger, there will be plenty of people around to help. Whether Carl is there or not shouldn¡¯t make much difference.

    With that thought in mind, I arrived at the Academy Square and casually surveyed the area.

    The guards who are always stationed there were present as usual.

    There were priests out doing their weekend volunteer work.

    Academy professors patrolled the streets to ensure the students were safe.

    With this level of security, they should be able to handle any Apostle of an evil god that tries to attack.

    Let¡¯s see¡­ The Main Story event is supposed to happen between 2 and 3 PM, right?

    There¡¯s still plenty of time, so maybe I¡¯ll take care of some other things first.

    I should start by meeting with Alsetine.

    I need to get a new shield, after all.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    ¡°So, you want a shield made by a dwarf cksmith?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Exactly, info broker.¡±

    Since the day I earned some money from that bet, I¡¯ve been considering what kind of shield I should get.

    I n to get a top-tier shield before the second year starts, so there¡¯s no need to blow 10 tinum coins right now.

    Soon enough, there will be plenty of things to spend money on, so it¡¯s better to save where I can.

    So, I thought about getting a shield made by a dwarf¡ªone of those quintessential fantasy races known for their hammering skills.

    A shield crafted by a dwarf,plete with magical enhancements, would be useful throughout my first year.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, of course. For the right price.¡±

    ¡°Here, I¡¯ve paid you handsomely!¡±

    ¡°Here you go, info broker. Even the most unscrupulous merchant couldn¡¯tin about this.¡±

    I slid a tinum coin across the table to Alsetine, who nodded in agreement.

    I wasn¡¯t just saying it; I was genuinely paying a high price.

    Considering that a shield made by a dwarf usually costs around 7 gold coins, I¡¯d essentially added 3 more coins as a distribution fee.

    Even Alsetine shouldn¡¯t be able toin about this deal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll secure it for you as quickly as possible.¡±

    After receiving his assurance that he¡¯d have the shield within a week, I left the shop, still with plenty of time to spare.

    Hmm. Since I have time, maybe I¡¯ll take a leisurely stroll around the Academy streets?

    I¡¯ve been so busytely that I haven¡¯t had a chance to rx.

    Where should I go first?

    Maybe I¡¯ll grab some skewers from that bridge where the protagonist and one of the heroines had a tragic parting. They¡¯re cheap, but I¡¯ve heard they taste good¡­

    Huh?

    While walking through the back alleys, I noticed a familiar side profile.

    Usually, she has her hair styled with lots of curls, but today it was tied back.

    She was also dressed in white, which she rarely wears, and she wore a mask, probably to hide her face.

    But she couldn¡¯t fool me.

    After all, this outfit is the same one Joy wears whenever she disguises herself in the game <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    What is Joy doing here?

    At this time, shouldn¡¯t she beughing and chatting at some social gathering with other noblewomen?

    I was puzzled, tilting my head in confusion, until I saw the sign of the shop Joy was forlornly staring at.

    Ah. Joy, you came for bread?

    This ce is okay, but don¡¯t you have a favorite bakery somewhere else?

    Maybe she¡¯s still exploring different ces since it¡¯s early in the Academy year?

    ¡°Joy!¡±

    ¡°Airhead Lady, what are you doing here?¡±

    When I called out, Joy instinctively turned her head toward me but quickly turned it the other way as soon as she saw me.

    That alone was enough to reveal her identity, but Joy, thinking she could salvage the situation, pretended not to hear me and started walking in the opposite direction.

    ¡°Joy, you¡¯ve already been caught.¡±

    ¡°Airhead Lady, do you really think you haven¡¯t been noticed? That¡¯s a pretty lousy and stupid decision for a duke¡¯s daughter.¡±

    I called out to her retreating figure, and Joy¡¯s shoulders visibly twitched.

    Then, with a sigh, she slowly turned her head back and spoke in a voice much lower than usual.

    ¡°Airhead Lady? Who might that be?¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    ¡°Puh-haha.¡±

    <...Heh.>

    The moment I heard that voice, I couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.

    Wow, seriously. I get that you want to change your voice, Airhead Lady.

    But if you¡¯re going to disguise it, at least do it properly.

    Your voice is all over the ce¡ªwho would believe that?

    It was so ridiculous that even Grandpa couldn¡¯t stopughing.

    As myughter grew louder, Joy¡¯s shoulders shook more and more until she finally sighed and took off her mask.

    ¡°How did you know?¡±

    ¡°It was obvious.¡±

    ¡°Airhead Lady, it was obvious. The way you walked, all airheaded and clueless.¡±

    ¡°Who walks like that?¡±

    Joy shouted, running her hand down her face in frustration.

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    Then, looking at me with her characteristically cold eyes, she cautiously began to speak.

    ¡°Whether you believe me or not, I¡¯m only here to buy some bread.¡±

    ¡°I know. Joy wouldn¡¯t do anything strange.¡±

    ¡°I know, Airhead Lady. You don¡¯t have the guts to do anything weird.¡±

    When I told her I didn¡¯t doubt her, Joy widened her eyes and mumbled.

    Did she not expect me to believe her so easily?

    Well, it¡¯s only because I know the full situation. If I were some gossip-prone noblewoman, this would¡¯ve caused quite a scandal.

    It¡¯s pretty unusual, after all. A duke¡¯s daughter wandering around in disguise in the back alleys.

    It¡¯s perfect gossip material.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, really.¡±

    ¡°Airhead Lady, can¡¯t you even trust your benefactor? What a suspicious coward.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ No, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll trust you.¡±

    Joy started to say something but then shook her head and nodded.

    Does she trust me, or does she just believe that I don¡¯t have any connections to spread rumors?

    Given her personality, it¡¯s probably the former, but thetter is true as well.

    Even if I did talk behind her back, who would listen to me?

    Carl, at most?

    ¡°Anyway, Joy. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Airhead Lady, stop doing airheaded things. If you keep it up, nasty rumors might start.¡±

    ¡°To think that there woulde a day when I¡¯d hear something like that from Lady Allen¡­¡±@@novelbin@@

    Joy sighed deeply again after hearing my advice.

    Sure, it¡¯s not really my ce to say, considering I¡¯m the one wandering the back alleys without a care.

    But Joy, it¡¯s only natural that people with something to lose behave differently from those who don¡¯t.

    <Huh? Wait. Girl, I can feel the presence of an evil god.>

    Just as I was about to tell the dejected-looking Joy that the bakery was closed on Sundays, Grandpa spoke up.

    What? Is the event already starting?

    It¡¯s not even lunchtime yet.

    Why are the Apostles so diligent?

    My pathetic deity said I¡¯d get a reward for watching this.

    Even if they¡¯re usually useless, they¡¯re good about giving rewards, so I don¡¯t want to miss out.

    Should I just say goodbye to Joy and rush over to the square?

    ¡°Where is it?!¡±

    If the attack hasn¡¯t started yet, I could get there in time¡­

    <It¡¯sing here.>

    Here? This back alley?

    Why?

    Isn¡¯t it supposed to attack the temple in the square?

    What¡¯s it after,ing here?

    <Flee! It¡¯s a powerful one. You can¡¯t handle it right now.>

    I moved faster than I could think.

    I couldn¡¯t just leave Joy behind, so I slung her over one shoulder and started running toward the square.

    ¡°I felt the presence of Armathi, but it turns out to be a little girl.¡±

    Armathi.

    The name most hated by the evil gods.

    And the one who¡¯s now my patron deity.

    Hearing that name, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a dryugh.

    This pathetic, useless, petty, and trashy god never helps when I need them.

    As I bit my lip and reached into my pocket to pull out my mace and erge it, a message appeared before me.

    I thought it was going to be something about Agra watching me again, but it wasn¡¯t.

    [Hold on]

    [Hold on until the people in the Academy Square arrive]

    Surprisingly, it was a message from my pathetic deity.

 Chapter 88

    Joy, stumbling and nearly falling as she ran blindly, caught sight of the mask lying in front of her. She staggered to her feet.

    She had to run.

    If she didn¡¯t, she would die.

    She¡¯d be killed by the man in ck.

    Joy didn¡¯t know who this man was.

    But she understood one thing¡ªhe was dangerous.

    Though she was still in the learning stage, Joy was a mage.

    She could at least guess what kind of magic others were using.

    And by her estimation, the magic this man wielded was overwhelmingly powerful.

    The spell that had sealed off the surroundings, isting this alley, was of a level that Joy couldn¡¯t even begin toprehend.

    Even the casual ck sphere he tossed had a power that Joy doubted she could match, even if she gave it her all.

    He was a disaster.

    A being that neither Joy nor Lucy could hope to defeat.

    So Joy ran.

    She ran to survive.

    Convincing herself that Lady Allen would be okay.

    Believing that, just like before, when she survived against the alchemist, Lucy would manage to hold out this time too.

    Help would arrive from the Academy soon, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem.

    Or so she thought.

    Joy¡¯s steps faltered as she moved away from themotion.

    Would it really be okay?

    The answer was clear.

    No, of course not.

    Lady Allen was undoubtedly a genius.

    But even so, she was still just a student, like Joy.

    There was no way she could hold out against such a monster.

    Lady Allen must have known that.

    She must have understood everything and still chose to sacrifice herself, hoping that Joy would be safe.

    Because that¡¯s the kind of person she was.

    Her words might be harsh, but deep down, she had a heart deeper than anyone else.

    Whatever Lucy Allen had been like in the past, this was the Lucy Allen that existed now.

    Joy knew that better than anyone.

    And yet, despite knowing this, she ran, believing that Lucy trusted her to escape. But deep down, it was just her ugly heart at work.

    She was terrified of facing an overwhelming enemy.

    She didn¡¯t want to be trapped in a nightmare again.

    She was afraid of dying.

    So she abandoned the benefactor who had saved her.

    What kind of gratitude was that?

    What kind of debt was that?

    While Lucy Allen stood firm and moved forward, Joy hadn¡¯t even stayed in the same ce; she had run away.

    Staring at the mask on the ground, Joy turned her steps back.

    Would going back help? Probably not.

    Would a single ant bing two make any difference to a human?

    Was Lady Allen still holding out? She didn¡¯t know.

    But Joy was certain that Lucy Allen couldn¡¯t be in good shape.

    The enemy was a monster.

    No matter how much Nakrard held back while fighting Lucy, could she really hold out?

    Was it toote? It likely was.

    She might just be going back to find an evenrger pool of blood.

    And yet, Joy ran. She ran back in the opposite direction of where she had fled.

    "What... is this all you¡¯ve got?...? Pretentious fool??"

    At the end of her desperate run, what Joy found was Lucy, still standing on her two feet.

    Her hair was a tangled mess, mixed with the blood that flowed from her head.

    Her face was covered in blood.

    Her clothes, barely holding together, clung to a body that had more wounds than unscathed skin.

    Even just standing seemed like a miracle, but still, Lucy wore that infuriating smile.

    Don¡¯t you feel pain?

    Don¡¯t you know what fear is?

    Have you forgotten the meaning of death?

    Why are you still standing?

    How are you still standing?

    What is it that keeps you standing?

    "Persistent."

    The man furrowed his brow as he raised his hand.

    A magical circle formed above his hand.

    Joy still couldn¡¯t tell what kind of magic it was.

    The gap between them was just too great.

    But she understood one thing¡ªit was dangerous.

    Could Lady Allen hold out?

    The divine shield had grown faint.

    The arm holding the mace was trembling.

    Even keeping her eyes open seemed difficult.

    She couldn¡¯t hold out, could she?

    Joy didn¡¯t think.

    She just acted.

    She used the magic she had practiced desperately after surviving her near-death experience.

    Fireball.

    Basic and primitive, but powerful.

    Joy didn¡¯t expect it to hit.

    The man who used such transcendent magic would surely block it.

    But she hoped her magic would at least distract him, just a little,

    Create a small opening for Lady Allen.

    Joy cast her magic.

    But her expectation was wrong.

    The fireball, which she thought would surely be blocked, struck the man¡¯s face with ridiculous ease.

    His spell preparation was disrupted.

    Seeing this, Joy turned to Lady Allen and forced a smile.

    ¡°H-he¡¯s just a weakling!¡±

    Joy, you really shouldn¡¯t try acting.

    Your voice is trembling so much.

    Ugh, seriously, why did youe back?

    I¡¯m putting on this whole performance just to save you, and now you¡¯re making it harder.

    Do you want to im the title of ¡®troublesome heroine¡¯ or something?

    Or do you just want to ruin my n so I¡¯ll berate you?

    Adding another weird attribute to an airheadeddy is a bit much.

    <She bought you a little time.> ¡®I suppose so.¡¯

    But the truth is, thanks to Joy, I did get a brief moment to catch my breath.

    Before that, I didn¡¯t even have the luxury of thinking of jokes like this.

    Getting hit, flying through the air, my skin burning, holes being punched into my body.

    Wow. I really held on.

    As much as I despise that useless, ipetent, trashy deity, I have to admit, the skills with his name in them are effective.

    If it weren¡¯t for ¡°Armathi¡¯s Mercy,¡± I¡¯d have been sprawled on the ground a long time ago.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    As the smoke from Joy¡¯s spell cleared, I could see Nakrard¡¯s red eyes fixating on something.

    He was definitely looking at Joy.

    ¡°You came back on your own.¡±

    That¡¯s no good.

    Why are you looking elsewhere?

    No matter how attractive Joy is, she¡¯s still a student.

    You middle school delusion pedo.

    Do you think there¡¯s a disimer saying, ¡°All characters in this world are adults¡±?

    ¡°Don¡¯t have the confidence to subdue me on your own?? Pathetic? Guess that¡¯s what you get for believing in a trashy Dark God?¡±

    My Mesugaki skill¡¯s taunt is so strong right now that even Carl would have trouble holding up against it, and Nakrard, who¡¯s already lost his cool, is way beyond affected.

    ¡°Trash.¡±

    Seeing Nakrard charge toward me, I couldn¡¯t help but grin.

    After exchanging blows with him for a while, I¡¯ve gotten used to this fight.

    Calling it a fight is a stretch¡ªmore like a stalling game¡ªbut still.

    I can¡¯t block all the spikes that shoot out of the shadows.

    I ignore them as long as they¡¯re not lethal.

    Every time my skin gets pierced, the pain almost drives me insane, but I¡¯m not dead, so it¡¯s fine.

    I block his physical attacks with my shield as much as possible.

    Even though I have no strength left in my limbs, and whether I block or not, I still get knocked back, it¡¯s still better than taking the hit directly.

    And the ck spheres¡­

    What can I do?

    I don¡¯t have the power to form a barrier anymore.

    If I had enough magic, I¡¯d rather use ¡°Armathi¡¯s Mercy¡± one more time and get back up like a zombie.

    Thanks to Joy joining the fray, I¡¯ve got a little breathing room.

    Her magic is effective in disrupting Nakrard¡¯s movements, preventing him from focusing solely on me.

    Normally, he would have dodged or nullified her attacks, but now, obsessed with me, he¡¯s letting them hit.

    Ah, this is what being a tank is all about.

    Don¡¯t you think?

    Though I feel like I¡¯m rolling around too much for a tank that¡¯s supposed to be solid and heavy.

    Grabbing my trembling legs, I force myself to stand.

    I don¡¯t have the magic left to form a shield.

    Holding the mace feels more like it¡¯s just hanging from my hand.

    That¡¯s why I prefer a real shield.

    Ah, but even a real shield would¡¯ve been shattered by now.

    <How many more times can you get up?> ¡®Twice?¡¯

    I don¡¯t think I can do more than that.@@novelbin@@

    Honestly, even standing up right now is only possible because of my Unyielding Will skill.

    My body is falling apart, and I can¡¯t do anything about it.

    My mind is the same.

    I¡¯m ignoring it as best I can, but the fear is still there, trying to break the dam and consume mepletely.

    The moment my body copses, my mind will crumble too, and there¡¯ll be noing back from that.

    So, maybe twice if I¡¯m lucky.

    Otherwise, just once.

    Why is three minutes such a long time?

    Whenever I was doing a time attack, I¡¯d alwaysin, ¡°Why is three minutes so short?!¡±

    Is that useless, ipetent, sadistic deity stopping time to mess with me?

    Knowing him, it¡¯s totally possible.

    He probably pretended to be in a rush and gave me a buff just to throw me off.

    That actually makes a lot of sense.

    If he were really in a hurry, wouldn¡¯t he have given me a better buff?

    Just as my suspicions about Armathi were beginning to rise, the barrier surrounding us cracked, shattering like ss, and a magical eye, formed by Nakrard¡¯s power, descended from the sky.

    Nakrard stood below it, staring nkly at the sky.

    Looking at his dazed expression, I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to say something.

    ¡°Pathetic little punk?¡±

    You were so busy tormenting me that you didn¡¯t even notice your own barrier breaking?

    Really?

    Did you enjoy bullying a girl that much?

    You were so lost in your twisted desires that you couldn¡¯t even achieve your goal. What a pervert.

    Don¡¯t you think?

    ¡°So, this was your n.¡±

    Toote to realize that now.

    ¡°Seems I have no choice.¡±

    Nakrard raised his hand, and a massive amount of magical energy gathered above it.

    Even someone like me, who knows nothing about magic, could tell how overwhelming this power was.

    ¡°I may have failed to subdue you, but I¡¯ll take out any obstacles before I leave.¡±

    nning to go out with a bang?

    Viins always do the same thing.

    I can¡¯t stop that spell.

    I had to face the threat of death even when Nakrard was just ying around with his magic.

    Now that I¡¯m at my limit, there¡¯s no way I can withstand this.

    So, this is the perfect game over scenario.

    In a normal situation, I should be terrified, copsing to the ground in despair.

    ¡°Lady Allen!¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, airheadeddy.¡±

    I step in front of Joy, shielding her.

    I¡¯m not nning on sacrificing myself to save Joy.

    I¡¯m not nning on us both dying either.

    I¡¯m someone who absolutely hates bad endings.

    I don¡¯t need any of those lingering, emotional endings.

    ¡°Die.¡±

    Watching Nakrard cast his spell, I actually felt grateful.

    If he had nned to snap my neck with his hands, I would have had to die quietly.

    But since he¡¯s showing off his power, he¡¯s giving me an opening?

    Nakrard, do you know?

    The boss on the 80th floor of the first-year dungeon in Soul Academy casts an instant-death spell as soon as you enter?

    So the easiest way to beat him is to nullify the spell and send it back.

    I¡¯ve already used the method to reflect his magic.

    But the method to nullify it is still in my hands.

    ¡®Trust me.¡¯ ¡°Trust me.¡±

 Chapter 89

    The moment Joy saw the concentrated magic in the assant''s hand, the first word that came to her mind was "death."

    There was no thought of blocking, countering, or deflecting. Those words didn¡¯t evene to mind because she believed it was impossible.@@novelbin@@

    How could anyone stand against such overwhelming magic?

    There were noplex spells or advanced techniques, yet the sheer power of the assant¡¯s magic was an overwhelming force on its own.

    Faced with this, Joy could only feel despair.

    But Lucy was different.

    Even after seeing the assant''s magic, she smiled and stepped in front of Joy.

    Her condition was dreadful.

    Her body was covered in blood.

    Her arms and legs trembled as if merely standing was a challenge.

    Even her usual effortless ability to conjure shields failed her, and her magic seemed utterly depleted.

    Nothing was working properly.

    But still, she smiled.

    As if nothing was wrong, she stood up and looked directly at the magic gathering in the assant''s hand.

    And then she spoke.

    "Hey, blockhead. It''s going to be okay."

    What could possibly be okay?

    There''s no way we can block that magic.

    We''re both going to die here.

    We''re going to die in vain, without achieving anything!

    But how could it possibly be okay?

    Joy had countless things she wanted to say to Lucy.

    "Trust me."

    But all thoseints vanished the moment Lucy uttered those words.

    Under normal circumstances, Joy would have dismissed those words as mere bravado.

    She would have thought Lucy was just saying whatever came to mind to reassure her.

    But for some reason...

    Lucy Allen''s words felt so incredibly trustworthy.

    Joy nodded, turning her gaze to Lucy.

    And soon enough, the assant hurled his magic toward them.

    The overwhelming force, as if intending to erase the entire alley from existence, headed straight for Lucy.

    At that moment, Lucy pulled something from her pocket and held it out in front of her.

    A bizarre magic circle unfurled from her hand, forming a blue barrier.

    The barrier looked incredibly fragile.

    The amount of magic contained within it was so small; how could it be sturdy?

    Yet, surprisingly, the assant¡¯s magic couldn¡¯t prate the barrier.

    The ck magic simply avoided the blue barrier, like darkness fleeing from light.

    What is this?

    Joy¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief at the miraculous sight, while Lucy turned her head slightly, wearing that same infuriating smile.

    "I told you it would be okay, didn¡¯t I? Hm?"

    "...Yes."

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The Scroll of Magic Distortion.

    Its effect is incredibly simple.

    The scroll creates a distortion that causes all magic within a certain range to miss its target.

    It might sound like a game-breaking item, and to be honest, it is.

    Doesn¡¯t something feel off?

    What can you do, though? It¡¯s a cheat item!

    Sure, it has a short activation time,

    And while it¡¯s active, no one within the magic circle can use any magic,

    You can only carry one due to the item limit,

    And it even nullifies all intermediate-level magic around it,

    And you can¡¯t obtain it unless you go through the ck market, but it¡¯s still a cheat item.

    Just think about it: being able to nullify an enemy¡¯s threatening magic even once is an enormous advantage.

    After the early stages of the game, it became a must-have item for boss fights.

    It was the kind of item that could save you from aplete wipeout by countering a boss''s pattern.

    And that cheat item had just done its job.

    As the massive force that was about to crush the world gradually dissipated, Nakrard¡¯s face became visible beyond the blue barrier.

    He was grinding his teeth, but he had no more cards to y.

    Sure, he¡¯s strong by this world¡¯s standards, but he¡¯s not strong enough to crush all the veteran yers in Soul Academy.

    Just look at how his god-given barrier was shattered in three minutes. Doesn¡¯t that prove it?

    If Tariki regains his powerter, the story might be different, but for now, Nakrard is just a mid-level boss.

    Hey, you should have taken the opportunity to cut my head off when you had the chance.

    Why did you bother casting such a half-baked spell?

    Were you so annoyed by what I was doing that you wanted to give me a taste of absolute despair?

    Hah! If that¡¯s the case, then you got yed by a Mesugaki, you fool.

    Nakrard¡¯s brows furrowed at my smirk, but instead of doing anything more, he ascended back into the sky and flew off.

    Looking at him, the blue barrier dissipated as the aftereffects of the magic faded away.

    The smell of blood, the stench of burning, and the scent of dust filled the air.

    My vision gradually blurred, and the ringing in my ears wouldn¡¯t stop. Amidst all this, I could faintly hear the voices of the old man and Joy.

    And the sound of countless footsteps echoing behind them.

    Is this the end of this incident?

    The moment that thought brought me a sense of relief, everything I had been holding back came rushing at me.

    Since there was no longer a reason to hold on, I let myself be swept away by the wave and lost consciousness.

    Thest thing I saw was the sight of several message windows popping up in front of me.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    "Lady Allen?!"

    Joy rushed to catch Lucy as she copsed forward.

    No, this can¡¯t be.

    I haven¡¯t even repaid you for saving me yet; this can¡¯t happen.

    I know you have a troublesome personality, but don¡¯t be selfish.

    Don¡¯t you dare leave me with a debt to repay!

    As Joy¡¯s trembling hands reached out to check Lucy¡¯s condition, another hand gently touched her shoulder.

    Startled, she took a step back but held onto Lucy tightly.

    As if she would never let go, no matter what.

    But the one approaching wasn¡¯t an enemy.

    It was a priest dressed in white robes.

    ¡°I am a priest of the Church of the Main God.¡±

    He showed the ne around his neck as he looked into Joy¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I need to check on your friend¡¯s condition. Could you pleasey her down?¡±

    ¡°...Yes, yes.¡±

    As soon as Joy carefullyid Lucy down on the ground, the priest began to use his magic.

    While watching the priest work, Joy prayed desperately for Lucy to be okay. Then, someone else spoke to her.

    ¡°Lady Partran.¡±

    Turning her head, Joy finally noticed the group of people standing behind the priest.

    Professors from the academy, guards, priests from the church, and magicians working in the area.

    It looked like everyone capable of fighting from the academy had gathered here.

    The one who stepped forward was one of the academy¡¯s professors.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on...¡±

    ¡°Am I being interrogated?¡±

    Joy¡¯s tone, usually firm enough to make others hesitate, was even more daunting when she spoke with genuine seriousness.

    Even the seasoned professor was at a loss for words, fumbling awkwardly. Joy turned her attention back to Lucy.

    Watching the priest examine Lucy in the silence she had created, she spoke up as soon as the priest¡¯s magic wasplete.

    ¡°How is she?¡±

    ¡°Lady Partran, I hate to say this, but...¡±

    Seeing the priest hesitate, Joy took a deep breath.

    The situation must be bad.

    Of course, it is.

    She had been dancing on the edge of death.

    If she were perfectly fine, that would be even more strange.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine. Just a few minor scratches, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°What? But Lady Allen just copsed!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡±

    The priest then told her to listen to Lucy¡¯s breathing.

    Though Joy found it hard to believe, she did as the priest suggested and focused on the sound.

    To her surprise, it was a peaceful sound, like a little child quietly napping.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    In a situation that was both ridiculous and relieving at the same time, Joy¡¯s legs gave out, and she slumped to the ground.

    ¡°Seriously. Don¡¯t scare me like that.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    When I woke up, the first thing I saw was an unfamiliar...

    No, not unfamiliar. I had been here before when I came to visit Joy after she copsed.

    Anyway, as I woke up looking at the infirmary ceiling, I tried to recall why I was here.

    I was definitely nning to observe the start of the main quest at the square today.

    Ah, I met Nakrard and got my ass kicked.

    So, of course, I should be here.

    But considering the injuries I sustained back then, my body feels surprisingly fine.

    Even though I was fighting while recovering through Armathi''s mercy, it shouldn¡¯t have been this perfect.

    Puzzled by the impossibility of it, I pinched my cheek.

    It definitely hurt.

    Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t a dream.

    As I sighed in relief and looked around for someone to exin the situation, the door suddenly burst open, and someone walked in.

    It was Carl.

    The moment our clumsy pup saw my face, he froze, then silently walked over, knelt down, and pressed his forehead to the floor.

    ¡°Lady! Please take the head of this disloyal knight!¡±

    Why is he doing this? My head is already a mess.

    ¡°No matter what others say, I should have stayed by your side, but I...¡±

    Ah, so that''s what this is about?

    But I left you behind; it wasn¡¯t your fault.

    ¡®Carl, it¡¯s okay.¡¯

    "Hey, clumsy. It¡¯s fine."

    Oh? Oh?! Oooooh?!

    Why did Lucy call Carl "clumsy" instead of "clumsy dog"?!

    Has the Mesugaki skill evolved somehow?!

    ¡°Taking the word ¡®dog¡¯ out of it... I knew I had disappointed you, Lady.¡±

    Though it was something to be happy about, there was no time to confirm it.

    Carl, thinking the change in title was due to his disappointment in himself, started spouting nonsense.

    Trying to stop him from breaking the infirmary floor with his head was more exhausting than dealing with Nakrard.

    Seriously? You actually liked being called a dog?!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady...¡±

    After somehow managing to calm Carl down, I finally got an exnation from him about the current situation.

    As expected from a knight with experience in giving reports, his exnation was brief and clear.

    They detected the presence of an apostle of the evil god.

    The guards in the area tracked that presence, and a barrier appeared.

    After breaking the barrier and entering, they found Joy and me.

    They protected the two of us, and some of them are currently pursuing the apostle.

    ¡°And the weapon you were using is now in the custody of the church.¡±

    No wonder the old man has been quiet. He¡¯s not here.

    Why did the church take my weapon?

    ¡°Because no one else could pick up the mace that had fallen to the ground except for the Saint.¡±

    Ah, it¡¯s a sacred attribute weapon, so it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    I¡¯ll have to retrieve it from Favieter.

    There were no other unusual events.

    After listening to Carl¡¯s full report, I told him he did well and sent him on his way.

    He didn¡¯t want to leave my side, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    If he stayed here, I wouldn¡¯t be able to check my rewards in peace.

    After sending Carl off with a look as pitiful as a puppy being left behind by its owner, I turned my gaze to the countless message windows that had popped up in front of me.

    The most prominent one at the top read:

    [Joy Partran¡¯s favorability has surpassed 70!]

 Chapter 90

    My favorability with Joy exceeded 70.

    I looked at that message once, closed my eyes, opened them again, and then ran a hand over my face before looking at it again.

    But no matter how many times I looked, the message was still the same.

    Really?! Joy¡¯s favorability has surpassed 70?!

    I wasn¡¯t expecting it at all, so this felt like the biggest reward I could have received.

    My favorite character actually likes me!

    What could be more significant than that?

    Sure, her liking me probably means she sees me more as a benefactor than a friend, but who cares!

    Friendship isn¡¯t something that happens just because you want it to!

    Friendship is something that naturally develops over time!

    Just seeing this message made me feel like I had received enoughpensation for nearly dying just a moment ago.

    If I can win Joy¡¯s heart, then what¡¯s a few holes in my body? Nothing at all!

    Feeling confident that I could smile through whatever came next, I moved on to the next message.

    [You sessfully endured against the Apostle of the Dark God!] [Reward: Your body has beenpletely healed.]

    So that¡¯s why my body was in good shape.

    You lowly god, at least you take care of your toys, huh?

    But couldn¡¯t you just prevent me from getting broken in the first ce?

    Why do you always have to let things get messed up first?

    Are you really a sadist who enjoys watching things break?

    If that¡¯s true, you¡¯re seriously the worst.

    You sadistic pervert of a god.

    I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I¡¯ll believe that¡¯s not the case.

    I mean, no way would a god who rules over an entire world be a weirdo who ps like a seal at the sight of a girl bleeding, right?

    Thinking that, I checked the next message.

    This one was also from the lowly god.

    [You sessfully repelled the Apostle of the Dark God!] [This is an aplishment that should not have been possible!] [The skill that yed the biggest role in this achievement has been enhanced!]

    ...Wait a minute.

    Stop!

    Stoooooop!

    Why are you enhancing <em>that</em> skill?!

    Hey!

    No, Armathi!

    Why would you do something like this?!

    I gritted my teeth and defeated your enemy!

    You said it yourself, it¡¯s an impossible feat!

    So why are you trying to mess with me instead of giving me a proper reward?!

    I was so terrified to look down that I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to lower my head, but what choice did I have?

    The results were already in.

    But considering that I called Carl ¡°clumsy¡± instead of ¡°clumsy dog,¡± maybe the penalty has been reduced.

    Yeah, let¡¯s think positively.

    Every time I¡¯ve tried to think positively before, I¡¯ve been betrayed, but maybe this time will be different.

    Please. Please, Armathi.

    Don¡¯t gift your toy with any more suffering.

    Praying silently, I finally nced downward.

    [Reward: Mesugaki skill penalty reduced]

    Even so, I buried my face into the nket.

    Ahhh...

    Thank you so much, Armathi.

    This unfaithful believer has always mocked and threatened you, yet you¡¯ve shown mercy even to a follower like me.

    I¡¯ve always doubted your intentions until now, but this time is different.

    You sent all those hardships my way just so I could experience this moment!

    Oh, Armathi.

    I will attend church and pray every holiday from now on.

    I¡¯ll even make donations.

    I¡¯ll bring others with me to the church!

    Carl? Freyr? Bishie?

    Just say the word!

    I¡¯ll turn them into your followers in no time!

    Armathi!

    Smiling from ear to ear, I moved on to the final message.

    So, what¡¯s this one going to be?

    Given my past experiences, it¡¯s about time for some cosmic joke to show up.

    There¡¯s always that pattern where my mood soars to the sky, only to crash straight down afterward.

    But that won¡¯t happen this time.

    My mood has shot past the sky, broken through the atmosphere, and soared into space.

    How could anything drag me back down now that I¡¯m in zero gravity?

    [A new quest has appeared!] [im the top spot!] [Take first ce in the Academy¡¯s midterm exam!] [Reward: Unlock Inventory Function] [Failure: ???]

    I expected a cosmic joke and read the message with caution, but the text was surprisingly straightforward, making me tilt my head in confusion.

    What is this?

    Isn¡¯t this too ordinary?

    Lowly god, don¡¯t you usually enjoy being cursed at?

    Isn¡¯t your thing to smirk while listening to me spit insults?

    So why are you holding back this time?

    I mean, I¡¯m thankful and all.

    Really, I appreciate it.

    But when someone who usually treats you poorly suddenly starts being nice, it makes you nervous, you know?

    It¡¯s hard to be sure whether this is the calm before the storm or a red carpet leading to my happiness.

    I never thought I¡¯d say this, but I would have preferred another cosmic joke.

    Then I could have just cursed at Armathi while worrying about how to twist myself out of the situation.

    But now I have to worry about what kind of cosmic joke might hit me next.

    Damn it.

    What is this?

    Could it be rted to the main story?

    If so, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve already anticipated it, so I can handle it.

    Even if things get worse, I¡¯ll find a way to deal with it.

    Could it be rted to my rtionships?

    There¡¯s already a quest to make two people¡¯s favorability surpass 70, so what more could there be?

    Even if someone else is added, I can just focus on Arthur or Favie, so it¡¯s not a problem.

    Is it something impossible, like my reputation?

    But that¡¯s unreasonable.

    If the quest demands that I earn a good reputation in the academy, I¡¯d just give up.

    If it¡¯s about some other reputation, I might be able to manage...

    As I worried, new concerns began to pile up.

    If I were just controlling a character from behind a monitor, I could solve all of these issues, but that¡¯s not the case now.

    Yeah, let¡¯s not worry about unnecessary things and focus on what needs to be done right now.

    If a cosmic jokees, I¡¯ll figure out how to handle it when it does.

    It¡¯s better to spend my time preparing so I¡¯m ready for anything.

    Yeah, let¡¯s start by grinding levels and skills.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Favie often heard that her eyes shone like moonlight, and now, she was staring at the mace before her.

    ording to Johann, who worked on the Allen family estate, this mace once belonged to the pdin Luel, one of the heroes who saved the world long ago.

    Luel¡¯s mace.

    The weapon that vanished when Pdin Luel disappeared from the world.

    For the past two hundred years, countless people searched for it, but none ever found even a trace.

    Many swindlers had imed this to be Luel¡¯s mace, proudly boasting, only to have their heads cut off.

    ording to Johann, Lady Allen found this item after receiving a divine revtion.

    Until today, Favie hadn¡¯t thought much about it.

    No matter how great its history, an object is still just an object.

    If the gods led someone to this item, it meant there was something they needed to aplish with it.

    There was no reason to be envious just because a relic had ended up in someone else¡¯s hands.

    That¡¯s what Favie used to think.

    Buttely, tiny doubts had begun to creep into her heart.

    Emotions she had never felt before started to stir within her.

    Why does the goddess only speak to Lady Allen?

    Why does she care for her?

    Why does she pay attention to her?

    Why, after giving Lady Allen this gift, does she continue to share her light?

    Why?

    Why?

    Favie shook her head and squeezed her hands together in front of her chest as if chastising herself.

    She needed to repent for these dark thoughts.

    Favie had be a member of the Church of the Main God ording to prophecy before she even knew the meaning of worldly matters.

    There were no issues during that process.

    She had no family, no ties, nothing.

    The only price the church paid for her was a single silver coin given to the orphanage.

    Afterward, she was raised in the church as a saint.

    Others might see it differently, but it wasn¡¯t a difficult life for Favie.

    The education required of a saint.

    The things she had to endure.

    The many tasks she had to perform.

    None of it felt burdensome to her.

    And so she thought that this was why the goddess had chosen her as a saint.

    Favie¡¯s only concern was that she had never heard the goddess¡¯s voice.

    Armathi didn¡¯t have apostles, but that didn¡¯t mean she never spoke.

    Many of the high-ranking members of the church had chosen this path after receiving revtions from Armathi, as was well known.

    But Favie had never once heard the goddess¡¯s voice.

    Even though she was called a saint.

    Even though she was considered someone loved by the goddess.

    Even though she was a person who spread the goddess¡¯s love to the world.

    Not once.

    But until recently, Favie hadn¡¯t been in a hurry.

    She had always believed that the goddess would speak to her in due time.

    Buttely, Favie had begun to harbor doubts.@@novelbin@@

    Could it be that the goddess no longer loves me?

    Is she too busy bestowing her love on someone else to pay attention to me anymore?

    Whenever these doubts arose, a certain person¡¯s face appeared in Favie¡¯s mind.

    The one who held this mace.

    The one who wore the ne blessed by the goddess.

    The one who smirked confidently, yet annoyingly.

    The one who spoke in a mocking tone, looking down on her.

    ¡°Favie, what are you doing? This isn¡¯t how you repent.¡±

    Favie muttered to herself, trying to scold herself, as she took a deep breath.

    Armathi, please grant me a revtion.

    Guide this waveringmb.

    Help me ovee this doubt.

    She prayed and prayed and prayed some more until she heard the sound of the door opening.

    The person who walked into the church was...

    ¡°Hello, clumsy saint.¡±

    The very face Favie had been fervently thinking about until just moments ago.

    Favie forced a smile as she looked at her.

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Since the incident where she encountered the assant in the alley, Joy had made a resolution.

    I can¡¯t stay here like this. I can¡¯t spend my life trembling, trapped in the past, forever indebted to Lady Allen.

    That¡¯s not eptable.

    Lady Allen will always throw herself into the midst of hardships.

    To repay her, I must free myself from the past and be someone who can stand by her side when she faces those hardships.

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    That¡¯s why Joy sought out Lucy.

    She knew it was rude, but she needed one more favor.

    And through that, she hoped to repay her debt.

    ¡°What is it, blockhead?¡±

    ¡°Please help me be stronger!¡±

 Chapter 91

    <Hey, girl, about that Favie girl...>

    On the way back after receiving the mace from Favie, just after leaving the church, the old man cautiously spoke up.

    ¡®What about her?¡¯

    <She seems to be going through a lot of turmoil.>

    ¡®Favie?''

    I tilted my head in confusion at his words.

    It made no sense because the Favie I knew was like a mighty tree.

    A person as steadfast as a tree that wouldn¡¯t fall no matter how fierce the storm.

    A person who could shelter everyone under her vast shade.

    Even if a few roots were to rot, she would still grow taller without wavering.

    That¡¯s the kind of person Favie is.

    Even in her personal story, where she faced countless trials, she never once frowned and always maintained theposure of a saint. There¡¯s no way someone like that would be shaken without any reason.

    <And it seemed like she was jealous of you.>

    ¡®Come on, that¡¯s ridiculous.¡¯

    Grandpa, if you¡¯re going to make usations, at least make them believable.

    Jealousy and Favie don¡¯t belong in the same sentence.

    I¡¯ve yed through her route in the game countless times, and not once did I see the saint disy jealousy toward anyone.

    Why are you trying to paint a girl with no connection to you as some kind of viin?

    <Girl, do I have any reason to lie?>

    ¡®...Are you saying Favie is really jealous of me?!¡¯

    Huh?

    Why?

    What could she possibly be jealous of? Objectively speaking, is there anything about me that would make Favie feel envious?

    I can¡¯t wrap my head around it.

    ¡®Why?¡¯

    <She seems to envy the divine favor you¡¯ve received from Armathi.>

    So, it¡¯s that part.

    I guess it makes sense. She¡¯s spent her whole life devoutly worshiping the gods, yet she¡¯s never heard their voice, while just recently, a Mesugaki who used to wreak havoc in the church is now receiving divine blessings. That must be infuriating for her.

    If I were in her shoes, I¡¯d probably think, ¡°Screw this perverted god, like I¡¯d ever believe in you again.¡± But Favie isn¡¯t that kind of person.

    Now that I think about it, this situation never urred in the game.

    In the game, Armathi never spoke to the yer.

    So I don¡¯t know exactly how Favie would react when faced with a yer who received the goddess¡¯s favor.

    But I can make an educated guess.

    I know what kind of person she is.

    ¡®She¡¯ll be fine.¡¯

    Favie might waver.

    She might even stumble.

    Even though she holds the title of saint and is closer to the divine than anyone else, she¡¯s still human.

    But Favie will be okay.

    In the end, she always ovees and smiles¡ªthat¡¯s the kind of character Saint Favie is.

    I believed in the bright smile she showed at the end of her dark personal story.

    <I hope so.>

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. When have I ever been wrong?¡¯

    <...You do have a point.>

    ¡®But more importantly, Grandpa, let¡¯s talk about how I can get stronger from here.¡¯

    This is the more pressing issue.

    Given that I¡¯m marked as Armathi¡¯s apostle, who knows how many threats wille my way.

    Nakrard attacked me earlier, sensing Armathi¡¯s presence in me, and ignored his original n just to kill me.

    Who knows how many more times this will happen in the future.

    The best way to prepare is for me to be stronger.

    It¡¯s better to prepare to crush any variables rather than shivering in fear over what might happen.

    <You¡¯re already quite strong, though.>

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough.¡¯

    If it were just about physical specs, I could grind and improve them myself.

    Butbat skills are different. You can¡¯t just grind your way to expertise.

    Right now, I rely on Grandpa¡¯s judgment in critical moments. But that¡¯s not good enough.

    When fighting Nakrard, I realized that waiting for Grandpa¡¯s advice was too slow.

    I need to reach a level where I can make the same judgments as Grandpa before he even speaks.

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to die.¡¯

    <...I understand. I¡¯ll think about what we can do.>

    ¡®Thanks, Grandpa. And one more thing.¡¯

    <What is it?>

    ¡®You remember all the lessons I¡¯ve taken at the academy, right?¡¯

    So, here¡¯s the thing¡ªa quest just popped up, telling me to take first ce in the midterms.

    The problem is, I spent most of the academy lectures making out with my desk.

    So if someone asks me what I¡¯ve learned so far, all I can say is, ¡°Uh...¡±

    I really need your help, Grandpa!

    <Hah. Girl.>

    ¡®Yes?¡¯

    <Couldn¡¯t you invest even a tenth of the passion you show during training into your studies? Didn¡¯t I tell you before? As a noble...>

    Grandpa let out a sigh at my shameless request and thenunched into a lecture.

    It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve heard this, so I just let it go in one ear and out the other.

    You¡¯re going to help me anyway, right, Grandpa?

    I already figured out long ago that you¡¯re a tsundere!

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The next morning.

    As I was preparing for training with Freyr as usual, Joy came to see me.

    She better not be here to say thank you again after all the thanks she gave me in the infirmary yesterday.

    If that¡¯s really the case, I¡¯ll use my Mesugaki skills to make her forget all about gratitude.

    But as I waited for Joy to speak, the words that came out of her mouth werepletely unexpected.

    ¡°Please help me be stronger.¡±

    Uh... what?

    What did you say?

    Help you be stronger?

    Why would Joy, a mage, ask me for that? There are plenty of more reliable sources she could turn to for advice, aren¡¯t there?

    Like other professors at the academy,

    Or a teacher brought in through the Partran family¡¯s connections.

    Of course, I can help Joy.

    I¡¯ve trained all kinds of characters at Soul Academy, not just melee ones.

    I¡¯m an experienced yer who knows how to train every ss in the game.

    But I¡¯m curious about her motive for asking me this question.

    ¡®Why ask me?¡¯

    ¡°Blockhead, can¡¯t you think of anything else? Why would a mage ask a knight for help?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for guidance in magic. I want to be someone who can stand by your side. To repay my debt to you.¡±

    I roughly understood what Joy was saying.

    She wants to repay the debt she owes me for saving her life by standing by my side.

    So she¡¯s asking me to help her be someone I¡¯d want to keep by my side?

    To put it differently...

    ¡®You want to party with me?¡¯

    ¡°Heh~ Blockhead, you want to party with me? Did you actually enjoy being teased by me? You perverteddy~ So gross~¡±

    ¡°...Setting aside thest part, yes, I want to be in the same party as Lady Allen.¡±

    Having Joy as a party member would be great.

    She was an excellent mage in the game, after all.

    Depending on how you structure the party, Joy was always a top choice when you needed a powerful rear guard.

    Since I often feel like I¡¯mcking in damage during battles, I have no reason to refuse Joy¡¯s request to join the party.

    However...

    ¡®If you want to be a party member, I won¡¯t refuse. But...¡¯

    ¡°If you¡¯re begging to join, I could let you in, but can you handle a dungeon, you pathetic coward?¡±

    That¡¯s the problem.

    Joy has a trauma rted to dungeons from an incident in an alchemist¡¯s dungeon in the past.

    No matter how capable she is, a mage who can¡¯t enter dungeons is useless.

    If she can¡¯t ovee this, I can¡¯t ept her as a party member.

    As I stared at her, waiting for an answer, Joy hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding.

    ¡°I... think I¡¯ll be okay.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡®Really?¡¯

    ¡°Blockhead, I know you love me, but don¡¯t bluff. You might actually wet yourself this time.¡±

    ¡°Maybe on my own, I wouldn¡¯t be, but if you¡¯re by my side, Lady Allen, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    I¡¯ll be fine if you¡¯re with me.

    Hearing those careful words from Joy made it impossible for me to hold back myughter.

    I was already thrilled when I saw that her favorability had exceeded 70, but seeing my favorite character rely on me in person was too much to contain.

    ¡®So you¡¯ll be fine if I¡¯m there!¡¯

    ¡°Ahaha? You can¡¯t do anything without me, can you? Pathetic~ Coward~ Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t go to the bathroom at night without me?¡±

    I could see Joy¡¯s hands trembling as she sped them tightly, but there was nothing I could do.

    I had dreamed of this moment, but never thought it would actually happen. How could I notugh?

    It was only after I¡¯dughed myself breathless that I finally noticed Joy standing with her head bowed, her face bright red.

    Hmm, maybe I went a bit too far.

    ¡®Alright, Joy. Let¡¯s go into the dungeon together.¡¯

    ¡°Alright. You¡¯re just a helpless littledy without me, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Joy¡¯s voice trembled as she replied.

    Joy, you might be regretting this now, but it¡¯s toote.

    You cane in, but you can¡¯t leave whenever you want.

    Now that you¡¯ve asked to be part of an experienced party, you¡¯re going to have to reach the level I expect.

    ¡®But there¡¯s a condition.¡¯

    ¡°But blockhead, I can¡¯t take care of you for free. There¡¯s a condition.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡®Follow everything I say to the letter, and don¡¯t give up halfway.¡¯

    ¡°Do everything I say. No backing out like some coward halfway through.¡±

    In the game, I couldn¡¯t personally manage the training schedule of my NPCpanions.

    At best, I could set the general direction.

    But this is the real world.

    I can do everything the game¡¯s system prevented me from doing before.

    In the game, all I could do was make sure they learned good skills and equipped good items. But now, I can personally shape and polish Joy from start to finish.

    Is there any veteran yer who wouldn¡¯t be excited about that?

    I guarantee there isn¡¯t.

    As Joy crossed her arms and gave me a confident smile, she spoke up.

    ¡°What do you take me for, Lady Allen? Do I look like someone who would give up so easily?¡±

    ¡®Really?¡¯

    ¡°Are you sure? Confident? I bet you, pathetic blockhead, won¡¯tst a day.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±

    Seeing the determination in Joy¡¯s eyes, I nodded.

    If she¡¯s that resolute, who am I to stop her?

    Ah, I have no choice.

    I didn¡¯t want to push my favorite character too hard, but if she insists, what can I do?

    I¡¯ll have to put her through the wringer.

 Chapter 92

    Joy clenched her hands tightly when Lucy agreed to help her get stronger.

    She didn¡¯t know exactly how, but in just a year, Lucy had grown to the level where she was rightfully considered one of the continent''s most promising talents.

    If she could learn from Lucy''s methods, Joy was confident she could be strong enough to stand by her side.

    Given Lucy¡¯s stern warning, the process wouldn¡¯t be easy.

    But that was fine.

    Joy wasn¡¯t someone who had been raised like a delicate flower in a greenhouse.

    She had worked hard to live up to her title as the Lady of the Partran family.

    No matter how difficult things might be, she believed she could endure it.

    What would they start with?

    As she pondered this, filled with determination, Lucy began to exin.

    ¡°Blockhead, I¡¯m going to turn you, this pathetic little mage, into the best there is.¡±

    ¡°Lady Allen?¡±

    Joy never doubted Lucy¡¯s capabilities.

    If she had, she wouldn¡¯t have asked for Lucy¡¯s help in the first ce.

    But she had thought that Lucy¡¯s expertise would be in helping her grow as a party member, not specifically as a mage.

    It was a natural assumption.

    Lucy Allen, born and raised in a knight¡¯s family, couldn¡¯t possibly know how to be an outstanding mage.

    ¡°What¡¯s this, Blockhead? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d do as I say? Are you alreadyining?¡±

    ¡°No! That¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°Then listen up, Blockhead. And if you don¡¯t like it, you can argueter. Can¡¯t you even show that much patience, you littledy?¡±

    ¡°...Understood.¡±

    When Joy cautiously nodded, Lucy stood before her, crossing her arms and straightening her shoulders.

    The sight of the small girl puffing herself up with confidence was cute, but Joy didn¡¯t dare say that out loud.

    She knew it would only invite a sharp retort.

    ¡°The first thing you need to do is increase your pathetic stamina, Blockhead.¡±

    ¡°Stamina?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re just a burden of a mage right now.¡±

    A burden.

    The moment Joy heard those words, what came to mind was Lucy¡¯s dungeon record, where she cleared each floor in just five minutes.

    Lady Allen probably considers that speed the minimum standard.

    So, of course, she would see stamina as essential to keeping up with her.

    Understanding Lucy¡¯s reasoning, Joy nodded.

    ¡°Understood. What should I do?¡±

    ¡°Blockhead, start running.¡±

    ¡°Running?¡±

    Was this just to warm up?

    Joy started moving her legs, following Lucy and Freyr without question.

    But it wasn¡¯t long before Joy began tog behind.

    Despite her years of training, Joy was still a mage.

    There was no way she could match their speed and strength.

    At first, Joy tried desperately to catch up.

    ¡°Blockhead, there¡¯s no way a pathetic mage like you can keep up with me. Just jog along at your slow pace, Blockhead.¡±

    But seeing Joy gritting her teeth, Lucy advised her to just run at her own pace.

    Joy kept running.

    Even after 30 minutes, even after an hour.

    When her legs started to feel numb and her lungs burned with pain, Joy couldn¡¯t help but wonder.

    How long are we going to warm up?

    At this rate, I¡¯m going to copse from running, not training.

    As she pondered this, Lucy and Freyr, who were sprinting at a speedparable to horses, brushed past her.

    ¡°Lady Allen!¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°How long are we going to run?¡±

    ¡°Aww, what¡¯s this? Are your legs trembling because they¡¯re about to give out?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that weak.¡±

    It was true that she was tired and exhausted, but she wasn¡¯t about to copse.

    ¡°Hmm, is that so? Then let¡¯s run for as long as we¡¯ve already been running.¡±

    So... another hour?

    Joy¡¯s lips stiffened at Lucy¡¯s deration, but Lucy only responded with her usual infuriating grin.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? You can¡¯t even do that? You really are a pathetic littledy, huh? Should I coddle you?¡±

    ¡°I get it. I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, she¡¯s mad, she¡¯s mad.¡±

    After Lucyughed and moved ahead, Joy gritted her teeth and followed behind.

    And so, Joy ran for another hour and a half until she finally copsed in exhaustion.

    The amazing thing was that even after Freyr had copsed, Lucy kept running for quite some time before finally taking a break.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Blockhead, tell me what sses you¡¯re taking.¡±

    Lucy¡¯s advice didn¡¯t stop there.

    She went on to exin which of Joy¡¯s sses were good and which weren¡¯t.

    If her exnations had been vague, even Joy, who trusted Lucy, might have had doubts.

    But Lucy¡¯s exnations were so detailed that Joy had no reason to doubt them.

    The moment Joy mentioned the professor¡¯s name, Lucy knew what the ss was and what it entailed.

    She even advised Joy on which sses were necessary and which weren¡¯t based on that knowledge.

    ¡°Right now, what you need most, Blockhead, is a lot of magic power and fast, precise casting. It doesn¡¯t matter if you learn a lot of spells; as a pathetic little mage, you wouldn¡¯t be able to handle them anyway. So the best sses for you are...¡±

    The advice was exactly in line with what Joy¡¯s tutor from the Partran family had said.

    Lady Allen, you really do know about magic?!

    Joy had initially thought it was just empty talk.

    ¡°Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. So I should take these additional sses?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. And besides stamina training, I¡¯ll tell you what else you need to do.¡±

    What Lucy asked Joy to do was to use telekinesis, a non-elemental spell, until her magic waspletely drained every evening.

    The method was specific.

    First, she would start by moving a single orb with telekinesis.

    Then, as she became ustomed to it, she would add more orbs.

    ¡°Blockhead, keep doing it until you can manipte five objects at once with ease. Even a littledy like you should be able to manage that, right?¡±

    Joy didn¡¯t understand the significance of Lucy¡¯s request.

    But she didn¡¯t question it.

    After discussing the academy sses, Joy had confirmed that Lucy did indeed have knowledge of magic.

    Since Lucy wouldn¡¯t have her do something pointless, Joy decided to follow her instructions.

    And that evening, as she obediently followed Lucy¡¯s advice and practiced telekinesis, Joy began to understand why Lucy had suggested it.

    ¡°Controlling multiple objects with telekinesis requires an incredible amount of focus.¡±

    Telekinesis is one of the basic non-elemental spells.

    Because of that, it requires little magic and is easy to cast without incantation.

    But controlling it is another matter.

    Floating and moving a single object wasn¡¯t difficult.

    She had done it countless times before.

    But moving two objects was a different story.

    The amount of focus needed to simultaneously manipte two orbs wasn¡¯t just double¡ªit was at least three times as much. And for moreplex movements, even four times more.

    Naturally, when she added a third orb, the burden increased even more.

    Trying to control all three simultaneously made it almost impossible to manage any of them properly.

    ¡°This is efficient.¡±

    Joy knew many methods for improving magic control.

    But most of them involved overloading herself with more difficult andplex spells.

    This approach consumed more magic and limited the amount of time she could spend training.

    But Lucy¡¯s method was different.

    Since telekinesis was a basic spell, it consumed little magic.

    Yet the amount of focus required wasparable to that of more advanced spells.

    This is impressive.

    Lucy Allen, where did you learn this technique?

    I¡¯ve never seen any mage suggest such a method before.

    Even the most renowned mages only advised mastering more difficult spells; they never suggested training with telekinesis.

    Could it be that this is a technique you, Lady Allen, developed yourself?

    If so, I can¡¯t help but admire you.

    This is unbelievable.

    I¡¯ve been told by many that I have talent.

    That I was destined for greatness.

    But Lady Allen, you make my talent seem insignificant.

    No matter how experienced a knight might be, it¡¯s rare for them to have knowledge of magic.

    That¡¯s because the knowledge required for a knight and a mage are pr opposites.

    It¡¯s nearly impossible to master both.

    Even those who im to have mastered both usually only have a superficial understanding, merely bluffing.

    But Lucy Allen was different.

    She truly possessed knowledge of magic.

    More knowledge and greater talent than Joy, who had spent her whole life mastering it.

    Ahaha, no wonder you took first ce in the academy¡¯s entrance exam.

    Your knowledge is so deep and broad that it naturally led to such results.

    ¡°Hah. Will the day evere when I can stand as an equal by Lady Allen¡¯s side?¡±

    It¡¯s far.

    So far away.

    Her back is so distant.

    To repay the debt I owe her, I must stand by her side.

    ¡°I need to try harder.¡±

    To catch up with Lady Allen¡¯s talent.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    For some reason, after I taught Joy the training method, there was a look of respect in her eyes.

    Not only that, but whenever she had a question about magic, she woulde to me.

    But all I did was share the methods I used when training a mage character in Soul Academy!

    I don¡¯t actually know anything about magic!

    Joy, even if you ask me, I can¡¯t tell you anything!

    I screamed this in my mind, but there was no way I could tell Joy that I didn¡¯t know.

    I didn¡¯t want to disappoint her when she looked at me with such admiration.

    So every time, I asked Grandpa for help.

    Fortunately, Grandpa was a versatile pdin.

    In the past, he had to endure listening to the overlyplex and difficult magic lectures given by the mage in the hero¡¯s party, so he had no trouble answering Joy¡¯s questions.@@novelbin@@

    The problem was that I was the messenger rying those answers, and with each answer, Joy¡¯s respect for me grew.

    <Girl, what are you going to do if she asks something I don¡¯t know?>

    ¡®Uh...¡¯

    <You¡¯re going to have to study magic, aren¡¯t you?>

    ¡®...¡¯

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    A few days had passed since Joy started following Lucy¡¯s training regimen.

    Every morning, she would run until she copsed from exhaustion.

    She would stand in the back during sses to avoid falling asleep.

    And at night, she would practice telekinesis until she ran out of magic before finally falling asleep.

    Every morning, she would wake up with a renewed sense of determination as she noticed her gradual improvement, but today was different.

    This morning, as shey in bed, staring at the ceiling tinged with the colors of dawn, she ran her hand over her face.

    ¡°Dungeon.¡±

    Today was the day she had promised to enter the dungeon with Lucy.

 Chapter 93

    "Scaredy-cat youngdy, are you frozen in fear? Such a coward~"

    Lucy shot a mischievous grin at Joy, who had stopped in the hallway leading to the dungeon.

    This scene was one Joy had seen before.

    Lucy, d in armor, shield in one hand, walking confidently ahead. Back then, Joy had followed her but copsed to the ground when she saw the dungeon door.

    The difference today was that their meeting was not by chance.

    That morning, when Joy finished preparing and stepped out of her room, Lucy was waiting for her.

    "I thought the scared littledy wouldn¡¯t show up. But look at you, not a trembling little coward hiding in your room after all?"

    Even though Lucy spoke like that, it was obvious why she was waiting for Joy.

    She must have been concerned about Joy being afraid to enter the dungeon.

    That was how Lucy was now. She might be snappy with her words, but she was considerate at heart.

    Someone who would risk her life for others.

    And when everything was over, instead of boasting about her achievements, she would give that annoying grin and say, "I just did what the useless ones couldn¡¯t do."

    When Joy saw Lucy waiting for her outside her door, all the doubts she had about whether she could enter the dungeon vanished.

    It wasn¡¯t a matter of whether she could or couldn¡¯t do it.

    She had to go if she wanted to be of any help to Lucy.

    Standing in front of the dungeon¡¯s entrance now, Joy reminded herself of that.

    She took a deep breath, steadied her heart, and reassured herself with self-hypnosis that she would be okay.

    She repeated over and over that she had to enter the dungeon, if only to repay Lucy.

    "Scaredy-cat youngdy."

    Lucy tapped Joy on the back with her gauntleted hand.

    "Hyah?!"

    Joy, who had been trying to steady herself, let out a startled scream.@@novelbin@@

    It was something the usual Joy would never do.

    Embarrassed by the sound that hade out of her mouth, Joy quickly looked around to see if anyone was there. Then, feeling a sense of dread, she turned her gaze to Lucy.

    There stood Lucy,ughing with her hand covering her mouth.

    "Pfft, haha! Scaredy-cat youngdy, wow, you really were scared! Hyah?! Oh, this is too funny."

    "It¡¯s because of you, Lady Allen."

    "Me? How is it my fault that the scaredy-cat youngdy got scared? If you¡¯re a scaredy-cat weakling, that¡¯s your own fault."

    "Ugh..."

    Joy wanted to argue but couldn¡¯t.

    She owed too much to Lucy to even think of protesting.

    As Joy stood there, her face red and trembling with frustration, Lucy stoppedughing and walked up to her, thumping her chest.

    "Scaredy-cat youngdy, don¡¯t trust your useless self. Trust me, got it?"

    Trust me.

    Come to think of it, whenever Lucy had said those words, she had never broken her promise.

    Whether it was during the entrance exam.

    Or when they encountered a dangerous situation.

    Or even when they were facing death.

    Lucy had confidently told her to trust her, and in the end, she always managed to save Joy.

    Realizing this, Joy felt the many doubts and anxieties that had been swirling in her mind dissipate.

    Lucy, noticing Joy¡¯s gaze on her, gave her a smile before walking ahead.

    She then opened the door leading to the academy¡¯s dungeon entrance.

    The entrance to the dungeon appeared before them.

    The same entrance that had haunted her nightmares.

    Seeing it again, Joy lowered her head.

    Her hands were trembling.

    Her teeth were chattering.

    The nightmare of that day still weighed heavily on her shoulders, leaving her paralyzed with fear.

    But the moment she saw the small but dependable back in front of her, Joy found the courage to lift her head again.

    Facing the entrance of the dungeon head-on once more, Joy realized something.

    It was just a door.

    It wasn¡¯t something threatening her.

    And even if something were to happen inside, the small but strong back in front of her would protect her.

    Exhaling slowly, Joy cautiously took a step forward.

    Then she took another step.

    Eventually, she managed to reach Lucy¡¯s side, who had been waiting far ahead.

    "Are you okay, scaredy-cat youngdy? If you feel like you¡¯re going to cry out of fear, it¡¯s okay to go back."

    "I¡¯m fine, Lady Allen."

    As long as I¡¯m by your side, I think I¡¯ll be okay.

    Feeling too embarrassed to say what was in her heart, Joy hid it and instead smiled. Lucy returned the smile.

    "Oh, by the way, scaredy-cat youngdy. You¡¯ve never been in a dungeon before, right?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s correct."

    "Then we¡¯ll have to start from the first floor. Hold on a moment."

    While Lucy was operating something in front of the dungeon entrance, Freyr Kent, who had arrived earlier, approached Joy.

    "Hey."

    Having built some rapport through joint training sessions, Joy smiled and greeted her.

    "Yes, Lady Kent?"

    "Are you sure you¡¯re okay?"

    "About what?"

    "With your scaredy-cat stamina, this will be tough."

    Joy¡¯s eyebrow twitched slightly at the mention of "scaredy-cat youngdy."

    Oh right, Lady Kent is also incredibly self-centered.

    Since she only shows up at official events or for sparring, I almost forgot.

    She¡¯s not someone who¡¯ll change just because she¡¯s warned, like Lady Allen, so I¡¯ll have to adjust to her.

    "Is it tough?"

    "Yeah, even I had a hard time. I almost died."

    "You, Lady Kent?"

    That¡¯s impossible.

    Every morning, Lady Kent runs for two hours at a pace that rivals Lady Allen¡¯s, and she says she almost died?

    Her expression was too serious to be joking.

    If what she says is true¡­

    ¡­I might end up traumatized by the dungeon again.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Freyr Kent wasn¡¯t lying.

    The grueling march that began with Lucy Allen¡¯s suggestion to clear up to the 50th floor since they were starting from the first floor anyway, started around lunchtime and continued for four hours.

    At first, Joy was amazed, thinking, "So this is the academy¡¯s dungeon," and was in awe as she watched Lucy give directions.

    But midway through, all she could think about was how exhausting it was.

    She barely managed to keep up with Lucy¡¯smands as she ran ahead.

    By the time they reached the 30th floor, Joy had done her best to stay close behind Lucy.

    But unfortunately, that was Joy¡¯s limit.

    Completely exhausted, Joy had to be carried around on Lucy¡¯s shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

    ¡®Haha, the scaredy-cat youngdy has evolved into a baggage youngdy. With that weak stamina and poor skills, is there anything you¡¯re good at?¡¯

    It was humiliating as ady of the Partran family, but there was nothing she could do.

    When even walking was difficult, how could she possibly cling to her pride?

    On the way back after clearing the 50th floor.

    Joy forced her trembling legs to carry her back to the dormitory.

    They said they¡¯d be doing training of simr intensity every weekend from now on.

    Will I be able to endure that?

    No wonder Lady Allen became so strong.

    She must have endured this kind of training without batting an eye, which is why she¡¯s so powerful now.

    If I grit my teeth and endure, I can be as strong as she is too.

    Hang in there!

    "Scaredy-cat youngdy. You look really worn out."

    As Joy steeled herself with determination, she heard a voice ahead and lifted her head.

    There stood Arthur.

    Did he just finish some training too? He¡¯s drenched in sweat.

    "You too, Your Highness."

    "Haha, I¡¯ve been feeling quite motivatedtely. Don¡¯t you feel the same?"

    "That¡¯s right."

    Maybe because they were both inspired by the same person.

    The two nodded in agreement and shared augh.

    "How was it? The dungeon with Lady Allen."

    "It was hell. Lady Allen judges everything by her own standards. I doubt anyone can keep up with her."

    "I agree. She doesn¡¯t seem to realize how exceptional she is. Maybe it¡¯s because she¡¯s so incredibly talented."

    "She probably thinks, ¡®If I could grow this much in a year, why can¡¯t others do the same?¡¯"

    "Annoying, isn¡¯t it?"

    "Jealous, right?"

    They both spoke about disliking Lucy, but their expressions said otherwise.

    For one, she had gone from being a nuisance to a savior.

    For the other, from a hated rival to someone to aspire to surpass.

    "Take care. I¡¯ll do my best until I can surpass Lucy Allen."

    "You won¡¯t manage it, Prince Arthur. While you¡¯re growing, Lady Allen will grow even faster."

    "Just wait and see."

    "Yes, I¡¯ll be watching closely."

    With that, they bothughed and headed to their respective dorms.

    <ul>

    </ul>

    A few days after Joy joined the party, a message arrived from Alsatyn.

    He said he had found the shield I had requested.

    I had been looking forward to this day, so as soon as sses were over, I headed to the back alleys of the academy district.

    A shield.

    A new shield.

    I¡¯d been using standard issue shields until now.

    Every time I got attached to one, it would break, and I¡¯d have to get a new one.

    Finally, I was about to get a shield I could be attached to and use for a long time!

    If it¡¯s a shield made by dwarves, it shouldst until I find the ultimate shield!

    Humming a tune in excitement, I visited the tavern in the back alley and was awestruck when I saw the shield.

    The sleek curves of the shield.

    The perfectly smooth front surface without a single bump.

    The grip was firmly attached in afortable position.

    Perfect.

    As expected, Dwarf-made equipment is the best!

    The quality is on a whole different levelpared to mass-produced shields!

    Ah, what should I do?

    After using this shield, could I ever go back to using a standard issue shield?

    No way.

    I¡¯d rather use a shield made by divine power instead.

    I¡¯ll take good care of it.

    Once I get the ultimate shield, I won¡¯t have to worry about it breaking, so I just need to take care of it until then.

    There¡¯s no way this Dwarf-made shield will break during my first year, but I¡¯ll still take care of it.

    After examining, wearing, swinging, and holding the shield in both hands, I smiled and strapped it onto my back.

    Ah, I¡¯m so happy.

    Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been using low-quality shields until now, but I¡¯m in love with this shield.

    <Youngdy, I never knew you were like this.>

    ¡®Excuse me?¡¯

    <I mean, you¡¯ve never shown me this side of yourself.>

    ¡®Grandfather, do you have any conscience?¡¯

    How could I be happy about getting him when he¡¯s caused me so much trouble!

    I almost died because of him!

    The more I think about it, the angrier I get.

    I showed him the trashy side of the Allen family, but I haven¡¯t shown him the academy¡¯s trashy side yet, have I?

    Maybe I should let him know the difference between the academy and the Allen family?

    "Excuse me, Lady Allen."

    As I was nning my revenge on him, Alsatyn¡¯s voice made me look up.

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    "What¡¯s up, informant?"

    "I have another reason for calling you here, Lady Allen."

    ¡®Go ahead, tell me.¡¯

    "What is it?"

    "It¡¯s about the Burrow family¡¯s ne. There¡¯s been an obstacle in acquiring it."

    Huh?

    Why?

    This didn¡¯t happen in the game.

    The Burrow family¡¯s ne was something Alsatyn had acquired without me even having to ask for it.

    ¡®What¡¯s the problem?¡¯

    "Informant, can¡¯t you handle something like that? So ipetent~ Such a failure~ Even calling you an informant is too good for you~"

    "...It seems the Newman family has gotten involved."

    The Newman family? They¡¯re one of the count families in the Sdin Kingdom.

    Why would they care about the Burrow family¡¯s ne?

    Right now, there shouldn¡¯t be many who know its true value.

    "As far as I¡¯ve gathered, it seems they caught wind of your interest and moved ahead of you."

 Chapter 94

    "They made a move because I showed interest?"

    I frowned as I listened to Alsatyn''s words.

    ''Alsatyn, are you saying...''

    "Informant, are you so ipetent that you can''t even manage the one skill you''re supposed to have? Pathetic."

    No matter how deeply the Newman family is tied to the underworld, how could they have connected the ne to me when only here was it even mentioned?

    Unless...

    It couldn¡¯t be that the information was leaked from your side, right? Is this some kind of confession? Or have you lost your mind and decided to betray me?

    "I apologize, Lady Allen. I¡¯ll ept whatever punishment you deem fit, but the situation is urgent, so could you please hear me out first?"

    ''Tell me.''

    "Go on, ipetent informant. Not that it will prove anything other than your uselessness."

    Alsatyn began to exin calmly beneath the sound of my mockingughter.

    "The first thing I must inform you is that the Newman family has had their eyes on you for quite some time. From what we¡¯ve gathered, they¡¯ve been paying attention to you for at least four to five months now."

    That would have been around half a year ago, shortly after I inhabited Lucy''s body.

    The only thing I did back then was train furiously within the Allen family. The only time I went out was to get that old man from a dungeon in Evans.

    But that was just a standard training exercise for our family¡¯s knights. There¡¯s no reason for them to have taken an interest in that.

    Unless...

    Ah, the reputation-boosting quest.

    I treated Agra''s curse with the potion I had.

    The moment I remembered that, the mystery began to unravel.

    As mentioned before, the Newman family is deeply entwined with the underworld. They are a noble family that amassed wealth and status through all sorts of dirty and corrupt means, and they y a significant role in various side stories, usually in a negative light.

    But not everyone in the family is like that.

    In the end, the Newman family is stillposed of people, and there are a few regr quests tied to them.

    One such quest involves the firstborn of the Newman family, who is suffering under Agra''s curse.

    The head of the family has poured his wealth into keeping his son alive, but Agra''s curse is relentless.

    Without a proper cure, all his efforts are nothing but futile struggles.

    The head of the Newman family surely knows this. He¡¯s desperately searching for a way to break the curse to save his son.

    But here¡¯s the problem.

    Breaking Agra¡¯s curse means bing an enemy of Agra, which puts one at risk of the god¡¯s wrath, just as I¡¯ve narrowly avoided death several times because of that bastard.

    I can handle it because I know what Agra is capable of, but ordinary people in this world view Agra as an evil god who nearly destroyed the world.

    Who would willingly ept the threat of such a god?

    No matter how much they¡¯re paid, if their life is on the line, it¡¯s meaningless.

    Most powerful figures avoid breaking Agra''s curse because they fear the consequences. Some rare individuals are willing to sacrifice themselves, but those people are usually noble clergy.

    And it¡¯s obvious what those people think of the Newman family, given their ties to the underworld.

    Of course, they wouldn¡¯t help.

    But does that mean the Newman family can force someone to help them?

    Not at all.

    Anyone powerful enough to break Agra¡¯s curse is typically someone who could be considered a walking catastrophe on their own.

    If the Newman family had the power to threaten such individuals, they would have solved the problem themselves.

    If you can¡¯t find someone to break the curse, you could use an item, right?

    That¡¯s a fair point.

    But acquiring an item powerful enough to suppress Agra¡¯s divine power isn¡¯t easy.

    No matter how broad yourwork or how much money you have, it¡¯s meaningless if the item isn¡¯t avable on the market.

    In a situation where nothing seems to be working, how desperate must the head of the Newman family be, watching his son slowly die?

    He¡¯s willing to do anything to save his son.

    So when rumors spread about someone who could perform miracles, wouldn¡¯t he pay close attention, hoping that person could save his son?

    But here¡¯s the funny thing.

    If this quest¡¯s trigger urs when you have low reputation and power, you usually get kidnapped.

    So why was I able to walk around freely despitecking in all areas?

    Is it because I¡¯m an Allen familydy?

    Honestly, with each passing day, I¡¯m more and more grateful for having started as a noble.

    If I had started with all sorts of penalties as amoner or a ve, I can¡¯t even imagine...

    Ugh, I don¡¯t even want to think about it.

    In the game, it just ends with a game-over screen, but that¡¯s not the case here.

    I¡¯m sure I would have faced something horrifically grim, like a scene you¡¯d only see with a 19+ warning.

    "From the moment Lady Allen first visited this ce, they must have assumed that our actions were aligned with your intentions."

    ''So...''

    "So, you¡¯re saying they stole the ne? And you¡¯re proud of this, you pathetic informant?"

    "I apologize."

    I understood the situation.

    The Newman family snatched the ne to lure me out, didn¡¯t they?

    Even though Alsatyn ispetent, there¡¯s no way he could win against a noble family putting all their resources into acquiring an item.

    It¡¯s more urate to say the Newman family acted quickly rather than me Alsatyn¡¯s ipetence.

    ''Has the Newman family contacted us?''

    "Did that worthless Newman family send anything?"

    "Not yet."

    Why not?

    They took the item, so shouldn¡¯t they propose a deal or summon me?

    As I tilted my head in confusion, Alsatyn cautiously spoke up.

    "May I share my spection, Lady Allen?"

    ''Go ahead.''

    "Speak. I¡¯m curious how long you can keep proving your ipetence."

    "I believe the Newman family wants to gauge Lady Allen''s reaction."

    The Newman family has long operated in the shadows.

    They know very well how to erase their tracks.

    If they wanted, they could have left no trace, but they deliberately left evidence leading back to them, which suggests it was intentional.

    Based on this, Alsatyn exined that the Newman family likely wants me to contact them.

    "If you reach out first, they¡¯ll be sure that the item they obtained is something you desire, giving them the upper hand in negotiations. Even if you don¡¯t, they¡¯ll keep monitoring us and obstructing us, eventually acquiring what you want. Ultimately, the Newman family wants you toe to the negotiating table."@@novelbin@@

    I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re moving so urgently, but Alsatyn¡¯s exnation made sense, and even my old man agreed.

    <If leaving evidence was intentional, they probably do want you to reach out.>

    Hmm. The Newman family must be in a tight spot.

    What should I do in this situation?

    Simple negotiations to retrieve the ne would be possible, but I don¡¯t want to stop there.

    The Newman family holds significant influence in the underworld, which means there¡¯s a lot I could take advantage of.

    No matter how I look at it, I¡¯m the one with the upper hand here, and the Newman family is at a disadvantage. It would be a shame to just retrieve the ne and part ways.

    There must be a way to get more out of this.

    As I mulled it over, I realized I wasn¡¯t cut out for politics.

    Nothing I thought of seemed like a good solution.

    In novels, the protagonist would usuallye up with some clever strategy to get more than they initially aimed for in situations like this.

    Why don¡¯t I have that kind of talent?

    I guess even causing chaos after being reincarnated is something only the smart ones are good at.

    What a cursed world.

    But it¡¯s fine.

    I might not have a talent for politics, but I do have Grandpa-e-Mong.

    Help me, Grandpa-e-Mong!

    ¡®Grandfather, what should I do?¡¯

    <Are you asking how to retrieve that ne?>

    ¡®No, that¡¯s a given. I¡¯m asking how to get even more out of this situation.¡¯

    <That means you know what they want and are confident you can provide it?>

    ¡®Yes, of course.¡¯

    While I can¡¯t personally break Agra¡¯s curse just yet, I do know the location of an item that can.

    If the item doesn¡¯t seem trustworthy, I can even broker a deal with someone capable of breaking the curse.

    In simple terms, I can offer a solution one way or another.

    I¡¯m a seasoned yer, after all!

    <One more question. Do you urgently need that ne right now?>

    Hmm. Let¡¯s see.

    Considering the time it takes toplete the questline that spawns from that ne and raise the favorable impression of the inferior young master to 70...

    ¡®I can afford to wait for up to two more months.¡¯

    <That¡¯s more pressing than I expected. In that case, it¡¯s better to take a firm stance rather than waiting for them to get more desperate. Answer a few more questions for me.>

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    "Master, a letter from the Allen family¡¯s youngdy has arrived."

    "Oh, that was quick."

    The head of the Newman family, Gus Newman, smiled as he looked at the letter his confidant had brought.

    The item they aggressively snatched must have been quite valuable to Lady Allen, given how quickly she sent a letter.

    Licking his lips, Gus leisurely opened the letter, starting from the top.

    "To the petty lord of the worthless Newman family."

    "Kuh-hup."

    She¡¯s clearly furious.

    Gus was well aware of Lady Allen¡¯s foul mouth, but he hadn¡¯t expected her to address him this way.

    Under normal circumstances, Gus would have been irritated by such an insult, but not today. He didn¡¯t frown even slightly.

    Her anger indicated desperation, which was exactly what Gus wanted.

    However, as he read further down, Gus¡¯s expression began to darken.

    It wasn¡¯t just because the letter was filled with insults.

    Had that been the case, he would have dismissed it as a petty tantrum.

    "...What kind of woman is she?"

    Gus''s face turned serious because the letter contained a biting remark:

    "How¡¯s your weak little boy, cherished by the evil god?"

    She had struck right at his sore spot.

 Chapter 95

    "How does the daughter of the Allen family know about my son?"

    As a noble family deeply entrenched in the underworld, the Newman family typically keeps close track of who is involved in their affairs. And among those names, the Allen family has never been mentioned. Why would a renowned knight family like the Allens meddle in the underworld? They have neither the reason nor the need.

    In other words, the Allen family''s informationwork isn¡¯t particrly extensive. While they might catch wind of rumors that surface above ground, that¡¯s about it. Kurtz Newman believed that a bunch of muscle-headed knights who rely solely on their strength couldn¡¯t possibly uncover what lies hidden beneath the surface.

    But it seems he was wrong.

    Lucy Allen somehow had the means to delve below the surface. How?

    As Kurtz frowned and pondered, he eventually realized his concerns were pointless. It wasn¡¯t difficult to deduce that his son was cursed by Agra, given all the efforts he¡¯d made to save him.

    Anyone could infer that much by following his trail of actions.

    "I need to find out whether this information came from the Allen family¡¯swork or if it¡¯s something the daughter of the Allen family uncovered herself, but that¡¯s all."

    Although Kurtz had momentarily lost hisposure when his son was mentioned, he quickly regained his calm and continued reading.

    "Not doing well, is he? I figured as much. I asked just to see if it would make you angry. Are you mad, Lord Useless? I hope so."

    "That wretched girl," Kurtz muttered, gritting his teeth as he read the next line.

    How insolent. Too insolent.

    He had heard that Lucy Allen was this kind of person¡ªsomeone who even dared to nickname the Empire¡¯s Third Prince ¡°Poor Prince.¡± She was undoubtedly a creature of arrogance and hubris, knowing neither decorum nor humility.

    But observing from afar and standing face-to-face with such a person were entirely different things.@@novelbin@@

    If an ordinary person had pulled something like this, Kurtz would have used the full might of the Newman family to bury them¡ªof course, after negotiating to get what he wanted first.

    But this wasn¡¯t just anyone; this was the daughter of the Allen family.

    The Allen family, one of the most formidable knight families on the continent, might be keeping to themselves these days, guarding their own territory like some relic of the past, but once they were a family whose mere name sent shivers down the spines of nations outside the kingdom¡ªa family of nightmares.

    If Benedict Allen, known for his love of his daughter, were to go mad with rage and attack the Newman family, the name "Newman" would be nothing but ashes in the wind.

    So, he couldn¡¯t touch her.

    Nor could he force her hand.

    Kurtz Newman, before being a father, was the head of the Newman family.

    "I know exactly what you¡¯re desperate for, Lord Useless," the letter continued.

    "But you see, that¡¯s your problem, not mine, right? What will you do? Do you have the guts to gamble with your child¡¯s life? I doubt it. You seem like the kind of useless lord who couldn¡¯t possibly do that."

    "If you want to talk,e crawling to me yourself, Lord Useless of the Shadowy Newman Family."

    Kurtz took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm as he finished the first page of the letter.

    Stayposed. Don¡¯t fall for her provocation.

    He reminded himself of this as he turned to the next page.

    "Did you expect there to be more? There was nothing! Were you hoping for something? Haha, how foolish."

    "You¡¯re being yed by a little girl, Lord Useless~"

    Kurtz tossed the letter onto the desk.

    He had been through all sorts of things while working in the underworld, including being disrespected by countless young upstarts.

    Yet, for some reason, reading this letter made him feel as if something deep within him was breaking, and it was unbearable.

    "Lord?"

    "Shut up."

    "Y-Yes, sir!"

    Damn it. This won¡¯t do. There¡¯s no way to gain the upper hand like this.

    Lucy Allen is clearly someone who will never bow to others. Look at the letter she sent to the head of a noble family.

    Someone this arrogant won¡¯t yield to anyone.

    The easiest way to deal with someone like this is to break them, but with Benedict Allen waiting in the wings, that¡¯s out of the question.

    "If she won¡¯t bow, I¡¯ll have to be the one to yield."

    After much deliberation, Kurtz came to this conclusion and couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    Bowing his head wasn¡¯t such a difficult thing to do.

    If Lucy Allen really had a way to cure Agra''s curse and could save his son, bowing his head was a small price to pay.

    But the problem was, he wasn¡¯t sure.

    Did Lucy Allen truly have a method to cure Agra¡¯s curse? And even if she did, would she risk incurring the wrath of an evil god to save his son?

    He had nned to take the upper hand and slowly extract information from her, but now things had taken an unexpected turn.

    Is Lucy Allen cunning, or is she just acting recklessly due to her nature?

    He couldn¡¯t tell.

    But one thing was certain: he wouldn¡¯t be able to find out anything without meeting her in person.

    "I¡¯ll have to y along for now."

    Kurtz picked up the discarded letter, tossed it aside, and retrieved a fresh piece of stationery from his drawer. With a few swift strokes of his pen, he wrote out a short message and handed it to his confidant.

    "Deliver this to Lucy Allen."

    "Yes, sir."

    To think I¡¯d have to return to Soul Academy after graduating all those years ago.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    After hearing everything I had to say yesterday, Grandpa had this to say:

    <Why are you even worrying about this? You¡¯re an irreceable asset to them. Just summon them and demand what you want.>

    ¡®But what if they try to ckmail me?¡¯

    The Newman family is tied to the underworld, after all.

    With my low reputation and strength, one wrong move could mean game over!

    If I could save and reload, I might just risk it and see how it goes, but this isn¡¯t a game!

    I¡¯m scared!

    I don¡¯t want to experience disappearing without a trace firsthand!

    <If you¡¯re that scared, take your knight with you. He¡¯ll protect you from most dangers. Afterward, it¡¯s easy. They¡¯ve already given you the grounds to do so, haven¡¯t they? Just report it to the academy and your family, and the situation will resolve itself.>

    Grandpa said it like the answer was obvious, and after being persuaded by him, I decided to follow his advice.

    While writing the letter to summon Kurtz Newman, I encountered another hurdle.

    "To the Useless Lord of the Petty Newman Family."

    I couldn¡¯t write the letter the way I wanted.

    Every word I say and every action I take is under the control of the Mesugaki skill.

    No matter what I say, it gets "tranted" by the skill, and my actions are tailored to provoke the person in front of me.

    It¡¯s fortunate that I¡¯m not often forced to act against my will, but writing is an exception.

    Every movement of my fingers is dictated by the skill.

    You have no idea how frustrating it was to write my exam answers in Mesugaki speakst time!

    Thankfully, that didn¡¯t cause any problems, but this time is different.

    As a noblewoman, writing to the head of another noble family like this is uneptable!

    Why does "Dear Lord of the Esteemed Newman Family" turn into "Useless Lord of the Petty Newman Family" when I write it?

    After tearing up the letter and rewriting it several times, I finally hit a wall and despaired.

    That¡¯s when Grandpa offered his opinion.

    <If it¡¯s going to be like this anyway, just provoke them outright. Make them so angry they can¡¯t help bute to you.>

    ¡®Is that really okay?¡¯

    <Didn¡¯t I tell you? It¡¯s beneficial even if they start a fight.>

    Since I couldn¡¯t write a formal letter anyway, I decided to go with Grandpa¡¯s suggestion and wrote the most provocative letter possible, filled with Mesugaki speak, and sent it to Kurtz Newman through Alsatyn.

    And now, two dayster...

    I found myself out on the street with Carl, heading to meet Kurtz Newman.

    I initially thought it would take weeks of back-and-forth letters before we finally met, but the other side didn¡¯t waste any time.

    Did they really fall for the Mesugaki skill¡¯s provocation?

    As soon as I entered the restaurant in Soul Academy that Kurtz Newman had designated as the meeting ce, a staff member approached me.

    "Are you Lady Allen?"

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s me.¡¯

    "Yep, that¡¯s right, minion."

    "Please follow me."

    Following the staff member, I was led to a private room in the restaurant.

    When the door to the room opened, I saw a middle-aged man sitting alone at a table.

    His hair, tinged with gray, was slicked back,

    His face bore several small scars, evidence of a rough life,

    And his sharp blue eyes were cold and stern.

    Despite his age, the well-built man exuded a sense of precision and control.

    "Greetings, Lady Allen."

    His greeting was stiff and without a hint of a smile.

    Normally, I would have returned the courtesy, but I didn¡¯t.

    Instead, I sat down without a word and asked him,

    "Where¡¯s the head of the family?"

    "Where¡¯s your master, you worthless dog of the Newman family?"

    "Such rudeness, Lady Allen."

    His voice was firm,ced with authority as his eyebrows furrowed.

    Even Grandpa wondered why he was acting so serious all of a sudden.

    But I wasn¡¯t fazed in the least.

    This was exactly how Kurtz Newman behaved in the game.

    He would always send someone in his ce first to gauge whether the person they were meeting was genuine or fake.

    In the game, you needed a certain level of observation skills to point this out.

    Even if you knew the person in front of you was a fake, you had to go along with it if your skill level was too low.

    But this isn¡¯t a game, right?

    In a world where I¡¯m not bound bymand prompts, I don¡¯t need a skill to call out the real Kurtz Newman.

    "Stop pretending already. I¡¯m onto you."

    "Pfft. You really think I¡¯m going to fall for your tricks, you pathetic dog? Just like a worthlessckey from a worthless family. So dumb~"

    The middle-aged man slowly stood up, his eyes narrowing as he moved toward me.

    But he couldn¡¯t get far.

    Carl stepped in, blocking his path.

    "Step aside."

    "No. Why should I listen to the orders of a dog from the Newman family?"

    "Hah, this is infuriating. Are you saying I¡¯m not Kurtz Newman?"

    "Yes. Thedy has spoken."

    "Do you think I¡¯d be ying games when my son¡¯s life is at stake?!"

    I had been so sure this man was an imposter, but hearing his outburst made me hesitate for a moment.

    What if this person was the real Kurtz Newman?

    In the game, he always sent a stand-in during the first meeting, but what if things were different in reality?

    I had thrown out that line to assert dominance, but what if I¡¯d actually justmitted a grave offense?

    As doubt began to creep in and unease started to grow, the door behind him opened.

    "That¡¯s enough. She¡¯s already figured it out."

    ...Phew.

    That was close.

    I thought I was done for.

 Chapter 96

    As soon as Kurtz Newman entered the store, the Newman family''sckey stepped back in fear.

    The person who had been shouting and turning red with anger just moments ago seemed to havepletely disappeared, leaving behind only a calm andposed figure. I couldn''t help but be impressed.

    So this is what it means to be part of the underworld.

    If it weren''t for my Mesugaki skills, I¡¯m sure my surprise would have shown.

    But the Mesugaki skill didn''t allow me any room for weakness.

    I always had to be haughty, arrogant, and full of pride.

    Kurtz Newman approached me, his legs crossed, and with a polite bow, he said, "Lady Allen. To see through this old man''s little joke, you truly are worthy of the Allen bloodline."

    ¡®It was nothing special. Thank you for thepliment.¡¯ "Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t see through that? You must be quite the fool to have such foolish thoughts."

    As soon as the word "thank you" entered the conversation, it got twisted beyond recognition.

    At this point, I hardly even noticed anymore.

    I¡¯ve been through this so many times that now it just seems like another one of his antics.

    Besides, the old man said that it¡¯d be good if something came out of his provocations, so there''s nothing to worry about.

    Mesugaki skill! Let''s give it our all today!

    Don''t you want to see that seemingly calm man over there turn red with anger and start trembling?

    ...Actually, no, maybe that''s a bit too much.

    Let¡¯s not overdo it.

    It would be troublesome if he really decided to use all kinds of means to mess with me.

    ¡°My apologies. It seems this old man has a bit of a yful streak.¡±

    Despite my insult, Kurtz Newman chuckled leisurely and walked over to the spot where the Newman family¡¯sckey had been standing, sitting downfortably.

    Then he took out a jewelry box from his coat and opened it.

    Inside was undoubtedly the Burrow family¡¯s ne.

    The problem was that I couldn¡¯t tell whether it was the real deal or a fake.

    Considering Kurtz Newman, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he had prepared a counterfeit and was trying to y mind games.

    Alright, let¡¯s see what my appraisal skill has to say!

    You haven¡¯t had much of a chance to shine, so now¡¯s your moment!

    [Unknown Ne] [A ne with various gemstones embedded, of unknown origin.]

    Sorry, I haven''t trained you enough.

    I should have been honing this skill by appraising everything I could, but I was too focused onbat training and neglected you.

    I''ll pay more attention to you from now on.

    But you did well this time.

    At first nce, it seemed like the appraisal skill didn¡¯t do anything, but it had actually done its job.

    Usually, when there''s a valuable ne, the appraisal skill would attach some kind of description like ¡°expensive-looking ne.¡±

    But look at this.

    The appraisal skill didn¡¯t add any such description.

    Instead, it just said it¡¯s of unknown origin.

    This is proof that there''s something hidden about this ne.

    Even if Kurtz Newman had tried to replicate it, he wouldn''t have been able to figure out what was hidden inside.

    That means it¡¯s definitely the real thing.

    "Before we start negotiating, let me show you the item. This is what you desire, Lady Allen."

    ¡®Indeed it is.¡¯ ¡°I see you don¡¯t resort to tricks in these matters. I had my doubts given your shady reputation.¡±

    As I nodded, Kurtz Newman raised an eyebrow slightly.

    It was a subtle change, barely noticeable, but the anxiety in someone who usually appeared soposed was all too easy to spot.

    ¡°Thank you for your trust. If it¡¯s not too much trouble, may I see the item I desire?¡±

    At Kurtz Newman¡¯s request, I removed the cross I was wearing around my neck and handed it to him.

    This ne was proof that Agra¡¯s curse had been lifted.

    On the surface, it looked like an ordinary cross, but it contained the divinity and blessings of Armathi.

    It¡¯s an item issued by the church after verification, so there''s no way it could be fake.

    Its unique appearance might not catch the attention of ordinary people, but Kurtz Newman would recognize it immediately.

    Someone who had been desperately searching for a way to break Agra¡¯s curse couldn¡¯t possibly fail to recognize this.

    My thoughts were soon confirmed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed it. This is indeed a genuine item issued by the church.¡±

    <Now, his mind will be filled with questions. How did you manage to lift Agra¡¯s curse? Do you still possess that method? Even if you do, can you still lift the curse again? Such thoughts will gue him. Now all you need to do is tease him, give him just enough hope while getting exactly what you want in return.>

    Grandpa¡¯s advice was reassuring!

    Now I just need to get what I came for.

    I have a few ideas.

    Kurtz Newman is a powerful figure in the underworld.

    If I make demands, I can probably get almost anything from him.

    Grandpa had once told me to think carefully about what to ask for, and I¡¯ve been pondering it ever since.

    It¡¯s probably the most serious thinking I¡¯ve done since I first reincarnated as Lucy.

    But the more I thought about it, the harder it was toe up with something.

    I don¡¯t need to rece my equipment.

    Grandpa¡¯s gear is something I¡¯ll carry with me until the day I die.

    I recently upgraded my shield, so there¡¯s no reason to change it.

    And the armor was a gift from Porcell, so I¡¯m not keen on recing it either.

    So what else?

    I could demand some secret techniques from the Newman family, but they¡¯re all useless skills for me.

    They only have rogue skills, after all.

    As someone who has to stand in the front lines and take hits, learning those skills would be pointless.

    I considered various other options, but nothing seemed quite right.

    Even though there are some decent rewards I could demand, they all felt too minor considering the effort of squeezing the Newman family.

    So, after much thought, I came to this conclusion.

    If it¡¯s hard to choose one thing, why not just ask for everything?

    In the game, you could only get that item by clearing all the quests rted to the Newman family.

    The Raven''s Crest. A token given only to the true benefactors of the Newman family.

    An item that allows you to utilize the Newman family¡¯swork whenever you want.

    That¡¯s what I want to get my hands on.

    I don¡¯t expect Kurtz to agree right away.

    But so what, Kurtz Newman?

    There¡¯s no way you can bear watching your son¡¯s life slowly tick away without doing anything to save him.

    Let¡¯s negotiate.

    And if it doesn¡¯t work out, I can always ask for something else.

    With a smile, I put the ne Kurtz Newman handed back to me around my neck.

    Kurtz Newman also smiled back.

    ¡®Shall we begin the negotiation?¡¯ ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s start our discussion, Mister Trashy Family Head.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    She¡¯s far more exceptional than I imagined.

    That was Kurtz Newman¡¯s first thought upon meeting Lucy Allen.

    When dealing with a new business partner, Kurtz often sent a decoy first.

    It was crucial in the underworld to gauge how perceptive the other party was.

    But Lucy Allen saw through his little trick too easily.

    Despite never having met Kurtz Newman before, she immediately recognized that the decoy wasn¡¯t him.

    So far, Kurtz could ept this.

    Lucy Allen seemed to have some kind of intelligencework, so it was possible she¡¯d heard about Kurtz¡¯s tricks.

    But what happened next was different.

    Lucy Allen was absolutely certain that the ne Kurtz Newman presented was genuine.

    She spoke as if it were obvious, even though she¡¯d only seen it from a distance.

    It was an unbelievable feat.

    It was as if she hadpletely ruled out the possibility of it being a replica.

    Was it a bluff?

    No, it wasn¡¯t a bluff.

    If it had been, she would have at least pretended to check.

    Despite being far from adulthood, Lucy Allen possessed an extraordinary level of insight.

    She had the intelligence to top the entrance exams at Soul Academy.

    She had the strength to crush Freyr Kent in a direct confrontation.

    Her skills in dungeon clearing were enough to surpass even seasoned adventurers.

    And she had better insight than most people in the underworld.

    It didn¡¯t make any sense.

    Is Lucy Allen favored by some kind of deity?

    Well, maybe that¡¯s not entirely wrong.

    It¡¯s impossible for someone who was once considered a disgrace to the Allen family to rise to such heights without some divine favor.

    As Kurtz Newman mulled this over, he found himself both impressed and convinced.

    The ne Lucy Allen had shown was real.

    She had indeed managed to lift Agra¡¯s curse.

    She had already made an enemy of the Dark God.

    How could such a young, arrogant, and haughty girl have found a way to lift Agra¡¯s curse?

    Because she was surely favored by the gods.

    Kurtz didn¡¯t know what struggles or doubts she had faced.

    And frankly, he didn¡¯t care.

    What mattered to him was that she likely had the method in her possession.

    ¡°Mister Trashy Family Head, it¡¯s obvious what you want, so I¡¯ll tell you what I want.¡± ¡°Yes.¡±

    What do you desire, you arrogant and haughty girl?

    You don¡¯t seem like someone who would be favored by the gods, yet you clearly are.

    Do you want weapons? Jewels? Magic?

    I¡¯m curious to see how well you know your own worth.

    ¡°I want the Raven¡¯s Crest.¡±

    But what came out of her mouth was something far beyond Kurtz¡¯s expectations.

    The Raven¡¯s Crest.

    How... how do you even know about that?

    It¡¯s a secret that only members of the Newman family should know.

    Is your intelligencework really that good?

    Or is there a deity whispering in your ear?

    I don¡¯t know. But strangely enough, I find myself believing in you even more.

    Your arrogance feels like it¡¯s backed by something real.

    I like it. I like it a lot.

    You said you wanted to negotiate, didn¡¯t you?

    Fine. Let¡¯s negotiate.

    But this won¡¯t be a negotiation to reduce your reward.

    Ordinarily, it would be, but you¡¯re different.

    Lucy Allen.

    A monster born with overwhelming talent in the exalted knightly Allen family.

    I see the light of a precious gem in you. One day, you¡¯ll dominate this continent.

    You¡¯ll rise as a star that shines from the heavens, influencing the world around you.

    A genius as arrogant and unrestrained as you won¡¯t be satisfied living as your family¡¯s guardian, just like Benedict Allen.

    If I¡¯m tied to you when that dayes, I¡¯ll surely gain great benefits.

    So in this negotiation, I¡¯ll give you the Raven¡¯s Crest.@@novelbin@@

    But in return, I¡¯ll bind you to the Newman family.

    ¡°Ho, the Raven¡¯s Crest?¡±

    Let¡¯s negotiate.

    ¡°Yes, Mister Trashy Family Head. You¡¯re still young, but are your ears already failing you? Seeing how your forehead¡¯s receding, I suppose you¡¯re aging quickly. How pitiful.¡±

    ...

    It¡¯s a bit dizzying to think that I have to keep listening to this insufferable tone.

 Chapter 97

    Despite Kurtz Newman''s calm demeanor, I felt a burning sensation in my gut as I watched him.@@novelbin@@

    Mesugaki skill, did you really have to point out his receding hairline?

    Even in the world of Soul Academy, being bald is far from apliment.

    The only reason the bald knight in our familyughs off bald jokes is because he''s a good-natured person, not because he''s proud of being bald.

    In a situation where sweet talk would be insufficient, I¡¯ve gone and managed to insult the other party!

    As I struggled to find the next words, Kurtz spoke first.

    "Do you know about the Raven''s Crest?"

    ¡®Yes, I do.¡¯ "Of course, Mister Trashy Family Head. Do you think I¡¯d bring it up if I didn¡¯t? Your thinking is as sparse as your hair."

    Oh, screw it.

    Even if Kurtz tries to stab me in the back, Carl will protect me.

    "It¡¯s surprising. That¡¯s information only a member of the Newman family would know."

    Normally, yes.

    But I¡¯m someone whoes from outside this world.

    There¡¯s almost nothing in this game that I don¡¯t know.

    I mean, I might sometimes get caught off guard by unexpected events, but I have most of the important information down!

    In fact, Kurtz, I might know more about that crest than you do.

    So, no need for exnations.

    "That item is given only to the benefactors of the Newman family."

    ¡®Wouldn''t saving your son''s life make me a benefactor?¡¯ "I''m about to save your weakling son¡¯s life, but that¡¯s not enough for you? Mister Trashy Family Head, you¡¯re really stingy, aren¡¯t you?"

    "Of course, it would make you a benefactor. But it¡¯s not something I can give away lightly."

    As he spoke in a t tone, I noticed his fingers tapping lightly on the back of the hand resting on the table.

    "It¡¯s a matter that can only be discussed after Lady Allen has saved my son''s life."

    ¡®And I can only exin after I¡¯ve received the item.¡¯ "Mister Trashy Family Head, who¡¯s in the position to bow their head here? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s me. Have you lost your sense along with your hair? Pfft."

    Even though I hadn¡¯t intended it, augh escaped my lips as I stared into his eyes.

    Kurtz Newman''s expression didn¡¯t budge an inch.

    Even Alsatian showed a bit of irritation at times.

    This man really is a noble from the underworld, hardened by countless trials.

    After a brief silence following my fadingughter, Kurtz let out a long sigh.

    "Lady Allen, do you truly possess the means to lift Agra¡¯s curse?"

    ¡®Yes.¡¯ "And?"

    "Can you swear it under the God of Oaths?"

    ¡®Of course.¡¯ "Naturally. Unlike you, Mister Trashy Family Head, I¡¯m not shady."

    Of course, I can swear it.

    I know countless ways to lift Agra¡¯s curse.

    I just need to reveal one of them.

    "I see."

    He nodded in satisfaction and continued.

    "Very well. Here¡¯s my proposal: If Lady Allen saves my son, I will dly give you the Raven¡¯s Crest."

    No way. Is he serious?

    I told you to hand over the item first.

    How can I be sure you won¡¯t just shut your mouth after I tell you how to save your son?

    If you¡¯re in the lesser position, act like it and grovel under me.

    As I silently grumbled, annoyed by his bargaining as if we were equals, Kurtz added after a pause.

    "And you¡¯ll swear it under the God of Oaths."

    Huh? Really? Well, that changes things.

    While the penalty of breaking an oath means little to a yer, it¡¯s a different story for the head of a noble family.

    As I¡¯ve mentioned before, breaking an oath is a serious dishonor.

    Even though the Newman family is deeply rooted in the underworld, their public image is still crucial.

    If rumors spread that the head of the family broke an oath, who would want to do business with a house so dishonored?

    Moreover, it would give other families who dislike the Newmans an excuse to tear them apart.

    So, Kurtz agreeing to swear an oath is practically the same as saying he¡¯ll give me the Raven¡¯s Crest.

    I thought he was trying to weasel out of giving me what I wanted, but that¡¯s not the case?

    "And will you swear to save my son as well, Lady Allen?"

    ¡®Yes, I will.¡¯ "That¡¯s easy. I swear under the God of Oaths."

    I expected a more intense negotiation, but I guess his son¡¯s life really does mean a lot to Kurtz Newman.

    <Do you intend to enter into an oath?> ¡®Isn¡¯t it the quickest and most straightforward way?¡¯ <Indeed. But as you know, oaths should be taken seriously.> ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯ <It means that determining the exact terms of the oath will take a considerable amount of time.>

    So it¡¯s like drafting a contract together?

    ¡®Grandpa!¡¯ <I understand. Let¡¯s discuss this carefully.>

    I¡¯ll rely on you, Grandpa! I hate using my brain for this kind of stuff!

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    "Master."

    As soon as Kurtz returned to the Newman estate afterpleting the oath at Soul Academy, his trusted aide spoke up.

    "What is it?" "Do you truly intend to give that girl the Raven¡¯s Crest?" "I must, given how meticulous the oath was."

    I had thought that, with her arrogance, she wouldn¡¯t be skilled in political negotiations.

    But Lucy Allen exceeded Kurtz¡¯s expectations once again.

    The way she precisely dictated every use of the oath was impressive.

    Not even most heads of knightly families would be that thorough.

    She looks like a na?ve child, but inside, she¡¯s as cunning as a seasoned courtier.

    But it seems even she couldn¡¯t predict one thing. Lucy Allen must have thought I was trying to avoid giving her the Raven¡¯s Crest.

    But my true goaly elsewhere entirely.

    She said she would save my son.

    If interpreted cleverly, that could mean she intends toe to our estate to treat him.

    Even if I say so myself, my son inherited his mother¡¯s handsome features.

    No matter how arrogant she is, she won¡¯t be able to resist showing some interest.

    Hah. The best way to forge a bond is through this method, after all.

    Having given what he had to give and gotten what he needed in return, Kurtz chuckled lightly and gave his aide further instructions.

    "Search where Lucy Allen mentioned. If her words are true, there should be a way to save my son there." "Understood. I¡¯ll organize a search party right away."

    Kurtz didn¡¯t need to give any more detailed instructions.

    He trusted that his aide, who had listened to the exnation with him, would know what to do.

    "Then, immediately." "Ah, one moment." "Yes, Master?" "Look into some remedies for hair loss as well."

    His aide raised his head slightly at the uncharacteristically personal request from the master, who usually only discussed work, but then lowered it again when he saw the master avoid his gaze.

    "...Understood, Master."

    The aide was not foolish enough toment on his master¡¯s embarrassment.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    ¡®I¡¯m exhausted.¡¯ <This ended quickly, believe it or not. Some negotiations can take years, with each term being discussed in detail.> ¡®...Really?¡¯ <You should know that. It¡¯s in the history books.>

    Did I learn that? I can¡¯t quite remember.

    If I think hard enough, maybe I¡¯ll recall it.

    Or maybe not.

    <Did you forget?> ¡®Of course not!¡¯ <Then tell me about that historical event.>

    As soon as I hesitated, Grandpa¡¯s nagging filled my ears.

    But I¡¯ve dealt with Grandpa¡¯s nagging for a long time.

    Ever since I gained him, I¡¯ve had to listen to his lectures daily, so I know how to handle it.

    Just let it go in one ear and out the other!

    Let¡¯s focus on something else.

    The ne is what¡¯s most important right now.

    The Burrow family¡¯s ne.

    The item Kurtz Newman handed over as an advance payment after the oath wasplete.

    With this, it¡¯ll be a piece of cake to increase that inferior noble¡¯s favorability!

    Once I hand this ne over andplete the resulting quest together, Jackal Burrow¡¯s heart will be wide open!

    Then I canplete that annoying quest from the Trash God!

    I wonder what the Trash God will give me this time.

    Well, the Trash God does reward me properly, even though he irritates me to no end.

    As long as I keep my mouth shut, everything should be fine.

    It¡¯s toote to go now, so I¡¯ll meet Jackal Burrow tomorrow.

    I¡¯m looking forward to it.

    <Girl! Are you listening to me?> ¡®Yes, I am~¡¯

    I¡¯m listening.

    Just not taking it to heart.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The next day, during lunch at the academy, I headed to the study room to meet Jackal Burrow.

    The inferior noble is someone who believes he must be the best in the academy, so he¡¯s always putting in his best effort.

    Although he often feels jealous of those who are better than him due to his inferiorityplex, his passion is genuine.

    While other students take a break at this time, the inferior noble never rests.

    It¡¯s a shame that no matter how much he sacrifices and works hard, all his efforts will still pale inparison to Arthur¡¯s.

    But what can you do? That¡¯s just his character.

    If he wants toin, he should me the game developers.

    I opened the door to the study room and headed to where the inferior noble was.

    At a desk right next to the window.

    There, the inferior noble was scribbling away with his pen.

    When I sat down across from Jackal, who was ring intently at his book, he slowly lifted his head.

    ¡®Hello.¡¯ ¡°Hello, Mister Inferior Noble.¡±

    Ah, I knew it.

    There¡¯s no way you¡¯d address someone properly.

    Since I had already expected it, I wasn¡¯t surprised when I saw Jackal¡¯s face twist in displeasure.

    "Why do you insist on provoking me, Lady Allen?"

    ¡®I have something for you.¡¯ "I found something that will make you drool, Mister Inferior Noble."

    I took out the jewelry box from my coat.

    Even then, Jackal didn¡¯t rx his expression.

    He just nced at the box indifferently.

    "What¡¯s this?"

    ¡®Take a good look.¡¯ ¡°Look closely, Mister Inferior Noble. You¡¯re going to say something foolish.¡±

    "Sigh. Fine. If you have something to say, make it quick and leave. Don¡¯t interrupt me."

    Judging by the sharpness in his tone, it¡¯s clear he doesn¡¯t like me.

    No surprise there.

    More people in this academy dislike me than like me by a mile.

    And how could he like someone who calls him an inferior noble?

    But that¡¯s going to change when he sees this.

    When I slowly opened the jewelry box, Jackal Burrow¡¯s eyes widened.

    Hah. I knew this would happen.

    There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t recognize this.

    How could he ever forget?

    ¡®Do you like it?¡¯ ¡°Judging by that dumbstruck look, you must like it, Mister Inferior Noble?¡±

 Chapter 98

    Did I ever mention how many unfortunate characters there are in Soul Academy? To be more precise, there are fewer main characters who <em>aren¡¯t</em> burdened with misfortune. Each one carries some form of hardship, and oveing or dealing with that hardship is what drives their character quests in the game.

    Just look at the characters I''ve encountered so far.

    Arthur Sdin, the poor prince, is tormented by thepulsion to be perfect after losing his mother.

    Freyr Kent, unable to feel emotions, is obsessed with life-or-death battles.

    Fayvie is a ticking time bomb of bad luck that even she isn¡¯t aware of.

    The reason I consider Joy my favorite character is precisely because she¡¯s not deeply connected to misfortune, unlike the others.

    Her family is normal, her personality is fine, and her biggest issue is that it¡¯s hard for her to make true friends. Even her clumsy antics are endearing.

    This morning, when she copsed from exhaustion trying to keep up with Freyr and me, I couldn¡¯t stopughing. She¡¯s ridiculously goofy, but then she picks herself up and turns into that cold viiness. It¡¯s amusing in its own way.

    Given all this, it¡¯s no surprise that the Inferior Noble has his own share of misfortune.

    Despite his ambiguous utility, he¡¯s still one of the main NPCs. There''s even an achievement rted to clearing Jackal¡¯s route.

    Jackal Burrow¡¯s misfortune stems from his inferiorityplex toward his older brother.

    An older brother who was overwhelmingly superior to him.

    An older brother who was expected to bring glory to the Burrow family.

    An older brother whose brilliance cast a shadow that imprisoned Jackal.

    An older brother who sacrificed himself to save others in an idental tragedy.

    Even after his brother¡¯s death, Jackal could never escape that shadow.

    His parents were still trapped in their grief over their lost son.

    The family members constantlypared Jackal to his deceased brother, belittling him.

    And even Jackal himself pushed himself deeper into the mud byparing himself to his brother.

    Jackal, who once loved to y, now desperately strives to be the best, for a reason.

    "And how did youe by that?"

    The ne I just showed him is none other than the keepsake of Jackal Burrow¡¯s older brother, Jael Burrow.

    A ne that Jael always wore.

    A ne that was supposed to be passed down to Jackal ording to Jael¡¯s will.

    The reason I have it is simple.

    When Jael died, someone stole it and sold it off as loot.

    The dead don¡¯t speak, after all.

    ¡®By chance...¡¯ ¡°I came across it by chance. The Burrow family crest caught my eye.¡±

    There¡¯s no way Jackal wouldn¡¯t recognize it.

    He followed his brother around when they were young, and even now, he lives in his brother¡¯s shadow.

    The items that belonged to his brother are probably still vivid in his memory.

    If the story progresses as it does in the game, Jackal will demand the ne.

    Once he touches it, the magic embedded within will activate, triggering a quest.

    After weplete that task together, Jackal¡¯s heart will open up!

    And then I¡¯ll just have to wait to see what the Trash God rewards me with.

    As I waited for Jackal¡¯s response, I noticed something unsettling in his expression.

    "So, what do you expect me to do with this?"

    Jackal, who had been staring at the ne, slowly lifted his head.

    His eyes were filled with deep, crimson hatred¡ªjust like his hair.

    "I¡¯ll ask you again. What do you expect me to do with this?"

    That line wasn¡¯t supposed toe out of Jackal¡¯s mouth in Soul Academy.

    In the game, Jackal was supposed to demand the ne, saying it wasn¡¯t something I should be holding.

    "Were you nning to make a deal with me using that ne? Too bad. I¡¯m not interested in it."

    ¡®That¡¯s a lie.¡¯ "Mister Inferior Noble, are you trying to deceive yourself? How pathetic."

    The words slipped out automatically, tranted by my Mesugaki skill into something that slipped into Jackal¡¯s ears.

    But he didn¡¯t frown.

    He didn¡¯t get angry.

    He simply stood up from his seat without saying another word.

    He grabbed his book and walked away, his back too heavy with burden for me to stop him.

    It wasn¡¯t until long after Jackal left the library that I finally came to my senses.

    What... what just happened?

    Why did Jackal leave the ne behind and walk away?

    Why?

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Jackal Burrow remembered his brother.

    The one who seemed not to know the meaning of the word cking.¡±

    The one who was expected to bring prosperity to the Burrow family.

    And the fool who threw himself into danger to save others before realizing those expectations.

    He couldn¡¯t help but remember.

    The clock of the Burrow family stopped the day they lost the gear that was Jael.

    Jackal hated it.

    He hated his mother, who cried every day while searching for her lost son.

    He hated his father, who spent his days in a drunken stupor, always taking out his anger on Jackal.

    He hated the silent family members who offered him no support.

    There was nothing he liked about any of it.

    So Jackal tried to escape that day.

    He worked hard to be a son to be proud of.

    He gave up the y he once loved and started training.

    He embraced the books he used toin about having to read.

    He gritted his teeth to embody the nobility expected of him.

    All to rece Jael.

    All to be the gear that would keep the Burrow family moving forward.

    But no matter how hard he struggled, nothing changed.

    No matter how impressive Jackal¡¯s achievements were, his parents wouldn¡¯t look at him.

    The family members would only praise him on the surface, then criticize him behind his back,paring him to his brother.

    He was a lonely child, left behind in a world that had stopped moving.

    All Jackal could do was resent and resent again the brother who had left him behind.

    So when Lucy Allen showed him the ne, he recognized it immediately.

    He couldn¡¯t help but remember the ne his brother had worn when he had said his final goodbye before his death.

    Why did Lucy Allen have it?

    Unable to understand, Jackal asked, and Lucy Allen, with her usual irritating smile, responded.

    ¡°I found it by chance.¡±

    By chance.

    She just happened toe across it.

    To Jackal, that was a miraculous and baffling coincidence.

    The ne of the brother he¡¯s been struggling to surpass.

    Now, the one person who makes him feel most inferior, Lucy Allen, had just ¡°coincidentally¡± found it.

    Jackal hated Lucy Allen.

    There wasn¡¯t any profound reason for it.

    It was simply because Lucy Allen was better than him.@@novelbin@@

    In academics, Lucy Allen was overwhelmingly superior.

    The results she achieved in the academy¡¯s entrance exams were historic.

    It was something Jackal, with his current abilities, couldn¡¯t even dream of matching.

    Combat?

    Look at how she defeated Freyr Kent, who had treated him like a toy in a previous tournament.

    She was on a different level.

    Was shecking in any other areas?

    No.

    Lucy Allencked only one thing.

    Her personality. Her arrogant and haughty nature, where she looked down on everyone, whether they were above or below her.

    Because of that, Lucy Allen was still avoided in the academy.

    Maybe in the past, but the current Lucy Allen surely knew.

    She had to know that if she acted a little more amicably, she could win people¡¯s favor.

    There¡¯s no way someone too stupid to realize that could have topped the entrance exams.

    In Jackal¡¯s mind, her arrogance was a deration that she wouldn¡¯t bow her head to anyone or anything.

    It was a steadfastness to walk her own path, regardless of what others thought of her.

    And Jackal hated that steadfastness.

    Because he couldn¡¯t be steadfast.

    He had to live his life ording to what others wanted from him.

    Even if he wanted to be steadfast, he would eventually be broken.

    He hated the steadfastness he couldn¡¯t achieve.

    So when he saw the ne.

    And then looked up and saw Lucy Allen¡¯s irritating smirk, he remembered his brother.

    The steadfastness that, despite living without concern for others'' opinions, still received their love.

    And so, he shouted that he didn¡¯t care about the ne.

    He imed that he didn¡¯t care about his brother.

    Because if he admitted to needing the ne from Lucy Allen, it would be like acknowledging that he was still trapped under his brother¡¯s shadow.

    "Mister Inferior Noble, are you trying to deceive yourself? How pathetic."

    At that moment.

    Lucy Allen smiled, as if she had seen right through his inferiorityplex.

    Seeing that smile, Jackal shot up from his seat.

    Rude? Disrespectful?

    He didn¡¯t care about any of that.

    He simply couldn¡¯t bear to continue the conversation with Lucy Allen any longer.

    So he left the library and walked for a long time without thinking.

    It wasn¡¯t until he stepped outside and looked up at the cloudy sky, then mmed his fist into the white wall of the academy.

    "Inferior? Me?"

    Lucy Allen.

    That damn girl.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    I couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it.

    I had never even considered the possibility that Jackal might reject the ne.

    What¡¯s going on? Why did he leave the ne behind and just walk away?

    He recognized the ne¡ªhis shock was evident, so there¡¯s no doubt about that.

    But this has never happened in the game before, so I have no clue what to make of it.

    I have no idea what variable caused this.

    Damn it.

    It looks like I¡¯ll have to scrap my n to increase Jackal¡¯s favorability andplete the quest given by the Trash God.

    If I knew what the problem was, I could try to fix it, but I don¡¯t know how to address something I don¡¯t understand.

    I¡¯ll have to take a different route.

    I¡¯ll look for ways to increase Arthur or Freyr¡¯s favorability, and if that doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll consider other options.

    There are plenty of ways to go about this.

    Still, it¡¯s disappointing. What I thought would be an easy task just got a lot harder.

    Why has nothing gone the way I wanted since I ended up in this world?

    Could Agra have something to do with this too?

    Furrowing my brow as I continued to ponder, I noticed movement nearby and looked up.

    There, I saw today¡¯s special academy dessert¡ªparfait¡ªapproaching.

    It hadn¡¯t been long since I ordered, so it arrived quickly.

    As I took a spoonful and ced the ice cream from the top into my mouth, the sweet, soft, and cool taste made me wave my hand in satisfaction.

    There¡¯s nothing like sweets when you¡¯re stressed.

    I¡¯m d this is a medieval fantasy world.

    If this were the real Middle Ages, I could only dream of such luxury.

    Smiling as the sweetness filled my mouth, I took another spoonful and continued to think.

    Changing ns isn¡¯t difficult.

    Once I get the Raven¡¯s Crest and gain ess to the Newman family¡¯s resources, I¡¯ll have plenty of options.

    For now, I¡¯ll just have to wait for Kurtz Newman to quickly find that elixir.

    ¡°Yum.¡±

    Until then, I¡¯ll drag Joy and Freyr along for some more grinding.

 Chapter 99

    "Did you say Jackal seems to hate you?"

    Not wanting to just give up on the ne without trying to understand what was going on, I decided to talk to Arthur. If anyone would have any insight about Jackal, it would be Arthur since they at least know each other.

    "I¡¯m not sure what he¡¯s thinking these days. We haven¡¯t really talked since that time we went into the dungeon together. He¡¯s been avoiding me, and it doesn¡¯t seem right to force a conversation."

    Arthur just shrugged at my question, dashing my hopes for any useful information.

    Since our duel, Jackal had been avoiding Arthur, which was surprising.

    "And it¡¯s not just me. I think it¡¯s the same with everyone. He¡¯s been retreating into himself more and moretely."

    What¡¯s going on?

    He wasn¡¯t like this before we went into that dungeon.

    Did nearly dying in the dungeon give him some kind of trauma?

    But then why does he hate me?

    I saved his life, didn¡¯t I?

    What¡¯s the problem?

    Sigh. I really have no idea.

    What could be triggering Jackal¡¯s inferiorityplex?

    Is it me? Am I the problem?

    Before, Arthur was the only one more talented than him, but now another irregrity¡ªme¡ªhas appeared, and it¡¯s crushed his spirit?

    There are no other variables I can think of, but then why didn¡¯t he take the ne?

    Even in the game, he epted the ne despite feeling jealous of the protagonist¡¯s achievements!

    My head is throbbing, and I can¡¯te up with any clear answers.

    Thinking that maybe things would change after a bit of time passed, I tried talking to Jackal again, but the result was the same.

    He hated me and, even more so, despised any mention of Jael¡¯s ne.

    In the end, he ignored everything I said.

    To think I went through all that trouble to get the ne, only to be unable to use it and having to discard it.

    This ne is practically useless unless it¡¯s in the hands of someone from the Burrow family.

    More specifically, it¡¯s meaningless unless Jackal has it.

    I traded valuable information with Alsatian just to get my hands on this ne, and now it¡¯s turned into trash.

    The only silver lining is that I can hold Alsatian ountable for his mistake.

    Sitting in my usual spot, I crossed my legs and looked up, where Alsatian stood with his head bowed.

    ¡®Alsatian, you know why I called you here, right?¡¯ "Hack of an informant, you know why I called you here, right? Oh, wait. Maybe you don¡¯t since you¡¯re too much of an idiot to get anything done."

    Alsatian¡¯s shoulders trembled, but he didn¡¯t argue back.

    This was clearly his mistake.

    Frankly, what role did Alsatian y in helping me acquire the ne?

    All he did was get tracked by the Newman family and have the item stolen.

    Recovering the ne was entirely my doing.

    ¡®I wouldn¡¯t mind ending our rtionship right here.¡¯ "I don¡¯t feel like dealing with a hack like you anymore. You¡¯re too ipetent."

    Originally, our deal was that I¡¯d provide information, and Alsatian would retrieve the ne for me.

    But if Alsatian yed no part in retrieving the ne, then I have no reason to continue providing him with information.

    If the information I had wasn¡¯t something Alsatian desperately needed, he wouldn¡¯t have tried so hard to stay in my good graces.

    He would¡¯ve just taken what he could get and walked away.

    But the information I have is more valuable to him than anything else.

    There¡¯s no way he can let it go.

    In fact, I bet he¡¯d love to try and extort it from me if he could.

    If I weren¡¯t from a noble family, he might have tried something more underhanded.

    But what can he do?

    I¡¯m someone he can¡¯t touch.

    ¡®So, tell me, what can you offer me?¡¯ "So tell me, why should I keep dealing with someone as ipetent as you? You¡¯re supposed to be an informant, right? So you can figure that out, can¡¯t you? Hmm?"

    In past RPGs, one of the most dreaded phrases was when a seller asked what the buyer could offer first.

    As a buyer, it¡¯s nerve-wracking, but as a seller, it¡¯s an easy way to gauge interest and decide whether or not to make a deal.

    Sure, this method can sour rtionships, but right now, I don¡¯t care.

    I¡¯m going to get the Raven¡¯s Crest soon anyway.

    Once that happens, the Newman family can handle everything Alsatian could offer.

    Why should I care whether Alsatian likes me or not?

    I¡¯m already indifferent to him.

    Having him on my side would be nice, but if not, so what?

    "Is there something specific you want?"

    ¡®Why are you asking me that?¡¯ "Why ask me? I¡¯m not your mother, am I? Should I have to exin everything to you? Well, maybe if you cry and call me Mommy, I¡¯ll think about it. Go ahead. It could be fun."

    "...No, I¡¯ll think about it myself."

    For a second, I was worried he might actually start calling me Mommy, but thankfully, he didn¡¯t.@@novelbin@@

    Still, if I don¡¯t give him some guidelines, he might bring me somethingpletely useless.

    I should set some parameters.

    Since I¡¯ll soon have ess to the Newman family¡¯s resources, I need something they can¡¯t provide.

    The first thing thates to mind is, of course...

    ¡®I want information rted to the Church of the Primordial God.¡¯ "No, I don¡¯t trust a hack like you, so I¡¯ll give you some guidelines. I want information rted to the Church of the Primordial God."

    "And specifically, what kind of information would you¡ª"

    ¡®Something valuable enough to make me talk.¡¯ "Listen carefully, hack. I¡¯m going to be very clear. Bring me something valuable enough to make me talk. Not sure if you¡¯re capable, though."

    The Newman family can hardly obtain any information rted to the Church of the Primordial God.

    They¡¯ve been at odds with the church ever since they expanded into the underworld, constantly shing with them.

    The fact that they only recognized I had lifted Agra¡¯s curse when they saw my ne shows how little information they have.

    But Alsatian is different.

    He¡¯s part of the underworld, but he¡¯s not directly opposed to the Church of the Primordial God.

    "I... I understand. I¡¯ll do my best."

    Alsatian looked like he wanted to say something more but bit his tongue.

    He must have realized that nothing he said would get a proper response.

    Don¡¯t worry. If you dig deep enough into the Church of the Primordial God, you¡¯ll eventually figure out what I want.

    I still believe Fayvie won¡¯t fallpletely, but she might waver at some point.

    I want to be there to help her when that happens.

    And naturally, I¡¯ll increase her favorability while I¡¯m at it.

    If I can secure Fayvie as our party¡¯s healer, it¡¯ll be a perfect n.

    I already have a tank and a damage dealer, so after securing a healer, thest spot can go to anyone.

    As I was smiling with satisfaction at Alsatian¡¯s bowed head, a knock came at the door.

    "Lady Allen, Mister Alsatian, may I have a moment?"

    Alsatian nced at me, asking for permission.

    I nodded, indicating he could let them in, so Alsatian called out.

    "Come in."

    Alsatian¡¯s subordinate entered, looking nervously at me sitting in the center and at Alsatian, who was standing there with his head bowed, as if being punished. The subordinate bowed deeply.

    "Pardon the intrusion."

    ¡®What is it?¡¯ "What is it, hack?"

    "News from the Newman family. They¡¯ve found the remedy."

    Already? That was fast.

    I thought it would take at least a few more days.

    Kurtz Newman must have pulled out all the stops to get this done quickly for his son.

    This means he¡¯ll be giving me the Raven¡¯s Crest soon to fulfill his oath.

    Hmm, what should I request first when I get it?

    I have so many requests I¡¯d like to make; it¡¯s a happy dilemma.

    As I was lost in thought, imagining all the possibilities, Alsatian¡¯s subordinate continued cautiously.

    "The Newman family also requests that you visit their estate to treat their son."

    ¡®I see.¡¯ "Is that so?"

    The moment I heard that, I understood immediately.

    That¡¯s why they included that use.

    So I would personally go to lift Agra¡¯s curse.

    <I didn¡¯t expect them to summon you first.> ¡®Neither did I.¡¯

    Is there anything that will change if I go to the Newman estate?

    I¡¯m not sure.

    Even if I go, Kurtz Newman won¡¯t dare to touch me.

    Lifting another of Agra¡¯s curses won¡¯t change anything.

    Well, except Agra might hate me even more.

    But that doesn¡¯t matter.

    Since the moment I became an apostle of Armathi, I¡¯ve already earned Agra¡¯s enmity.

    Look at how something always goes wrong every time I enter a dungeon.

    There¡¯s no way this frequency of bad luck is just because I lifted one curse.

    For this kind of thing to happen, I¡¯d have to lift every curse Agra has ever ced across the continent.

    If this had happened while I was ying Soul Academy, I would have reported it as a bug right away.

    There are hardly any penalties, but the benefits are far greater.

    Reporting that I¡¯ve lifted Agra¡¯s curse to the Church of the Primordial God will increase my reputation.

    It¡¯ll make it easier to gain the favor of church figures.

    The ne¡¯s power will be further enhanced.

    And who knows, maybe our pathetic, ipetent god will give me another gift.

    From past experience, whenever I¡¯ve messed with Agra, the Trash God ps and hands me something.

    The worst that can happen if I go to the Newman estate is wasting a bit of my time.

    But that¡¯s not even an issue since I can use a teleportation circle to get there quickly.

    Whatever their intentions are, I don¡¯t care.

    Even if they hadn¡¯t summoned me, I was nning to go, and now they¡¯ve given me the perfect excuse.

    I should be grateful, really.

    ¡®When do they want me to go?¡¯ "When does that trashy family want me there?"

    "As soon as possible."

    Hmm. I see.

    Let¡¯s see.

    It¡¯s still early in the weekend, so I¡¯ll have time even if I go to the Newman estate.

    ¡®I¡¯ll go now.¡¯ "I¡¯ll go now. Get ready, you hack."

    Well then, let¡¯s go provoke Agra one more time.

 Chapter 100

    <strong>"Ugh."</strong>

    After experiencing teleportation for the first time, I decided that I would much rather travel by carriage.

    Sure, it¡¯s slow and ufortable, and it can make you feel queasy, but at least it¡¯s bearable. Now that my body has grown stronger, it¡¯s not as torturous as it was the first time.

    Teleportation, however, is on a whole different level.

    This method feels like itpresses the agony of a month-long carriage journey into an instant, providing an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to others what I¡¯ve eaten today.

    This isn¡¯t a means of travel; it¡¯s a means of torture.

    As I barely managed to lift my head, memories of my time at the academy came flooding back, and I swore I would never use teleportation again.

    If I ever have to endure this again, I¡¯ll just take the longer route by carriage.

    If even that¡¯s too much, I¡¯d rather walk.

    I don¡¯t want to go through this horrible experience ever again.

    <strong>¡°But, my dear child, you¡¯ll have to use that spell again on your way back, won¡¯t you?¡±</strong>

    Grandpa, get a clue.

    I¡¯m trying so hard to deny reality, and here you are reminding me of it!

    <strong>¡°Are you alright, mydy?¡±</strong>

    ¡®Yes, and you?¡¯

    <strong>¡°Of course, how about you, weakling?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°This is nothing.¡±</strong>

    Watching Karlugh it off as if it were nothing, I couldn¡¯t help but feel once again how disgustingly strong he is.

    I¡¯m jealous.

    If I keep training, will I eventually be able to withstand this pain too?

    ¡®Knights are really something.¡¯

    <strong>¡°Is it because your brain is made of muscle? Impressive.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡±</strong>

    I managed to collect myself and followed Alsatian''s guidance toward the Newman family estate.

    <strong>¡°Wee, Lady Allen.¡±</strong>

    The moment I arrived at the entrance of the estate, the butler of the Newman family greeted me as if he had been waiting for me.

    Wasn¡¯t he the one who used to stand in for Kurtz Newman?

    <strong>¡°Please,e in. The master is expecting you.¡±</strong>

    ¡®Alright, I understand.¡¯

    <strong>¡°Got it, creepy butler.¡±</strong>

    I really wanted to go inside and sit down as quickly as possible.

    No matter how tough the training was, I had never felt this exhausted before.

    As soon as I get back to the dorm, I¡¯ll copse onto my bed and close my eyes.

    I might actually get a good night¡¯s sleep for once.

    <strong>¡°But first, may I take your weapon and shield?¡±</strong>

    ¡®I don¡¯t think so.¡¯

    <strong>¡°Creepy butler, what are you nning to do by taking my weapon? Just thinking about it makes me ufortable, so no thanks.¡±</strong>

    Unless it¡¯s somewhere I feelpletely safe, I don¡¯t want to let go of my mace and shield, especially in a ce I still don¡¯t fully trust.

    No way.

    <strong>¡°You needn¡¯t worry. We only wish to relieve you of the burden¡ª¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°I said no, didn¡¯t I?? I¡¯m not sure what perverted urges you¡¯re trying to fulfill by taking my weapon, but I¡¯ll pass? It feels like it¡¯ll get a weird smell?¡±</strong>

    I noticed the butler¡¯s eyebrow twitch slightly at my words.

    Oh, so he is human after all.

    I guess even he can¡¯t always keep a perfect poker face.

    Then why try to take my weapon?

    Don¡¯t even think about taking Grandpa away from me, you smelly old man.

    Sorry, but I¡¯m not into BL or NTR, okay?

    If something unexpected happens and I die because Grandpa isn¡¯t there, will you take responsibility? Huh?

    <strong>¡°Mydy¡ª¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±</strong>

    Just as the butler was about to say something more, Kurtz Newman appeared from behind.

    <strong>¡°Lady Allen, allow me to escort you personally.¡±</strong>

    ¡®Yes, please lead the way.¡¯

    <strong>¡°I¡¯ll follow, oh lowly head of the household.¡±</strong>@@novelbin@@

    Ignoring the butler, who stepped aside and bowed his head, I headed inside the mansion.

    As he led me, Kurtz Newman exined how he had obtained the healing potion.

    Just as I had instructed, he found the miraculous elixir in that ce.

    At first, he was skeptical, but after having it appraised, he confirmed that it was indeed genuine.

    <strong>¡°I was truly amazed. Lady Allen, you must be blessed by the gods.¡±</strong>

    His voice, usually so calm, was tinged with an unusual excitement.

    Could it really be that he¡¯s so overjoyed at the thought of being able to heal his son?

    He¡¯s quite the doting father, isn¡¯t he? I wonder if he¡¯d give Benedict a run for his money in a doting parent contest.

    No, probably not.

    Benedict isn¡¯t just a doting father; he needs a word that¡¯s far harsher and more serious.

    <strong>¡°Technically, there was no need to call for you, Lady Allen, but I wanted to be sure. The oath was a bit vague, and I didn¡¯t want to risk any harming to you.¡±</strong>

    Kurtz imed he was worried about me, but that was obviously a lie.

    This man isn¡¯t the type to care about anyone outside his own bloodline.

    He must have some ulterior motive.

    Even if I just think about it, there¡¯s the advantage of passing Agra¡¯s curse onto me.

    Since it benefits me too, I¡¯ll y along, but I am curious.

    What exactly is Kurtz aiming for?

    <strong>¡°This is the room. Please, go in.¡±</strong>

    As the door opened, I saw a child lying on the bed.

    Long, ck hair that had clearly not been cut in a long time draped over his shoulders.

    His skin had turned unnaturally pale fromck of sunlight.

    His small frame was unusually delicate, even for a boy.

    This is Chester Newman.

    Normally, I don¡¯t shy away from characters in Soul Academy, but he¡¯s an exception.

    I dislike Chester.

    Why? Because he¡¯s a damn b****u.

    Back in the day...

    Shortly after Soul Academy was released, Chester was an unknown character.

    If you didn¡¯t break Agra¡¯s curse on him before the start of his second year, he would simply die quietly without anyone noticing.

    I was the first to discover that Chester Newman could be an NPC at the academy.

    At the time, I was so obsessed with Soul Academy that I was practically shaving years off my life ying it, and I identally figured out the conditions for Chester Newman to enter the academy.

    Excited by the fact that I had found a hidden element no one else knew about, I immediately decided to target Chester Newman.

    And at the end of it, I discovered the hidden twist.

    That this bastard wasn¡¯t a girl in disguise but just a damn b****u.

    You have no idea how shocked I was.

    The illustrations were nice, his personality was good, and his character stats were decent. I thought he could be my favorite character, if not as much as Joy, but it felt like I¡¯d been punched in the gut.

    Despite being a high-performance character, I barely touched Chester after clearing that achievement.

    Even in real life, he¡¯s annoyingly pretty.

    It¡¯s not his fault he looks like a girl, but after having my heart betrayed once, I really hate it.

    <strong>¡°Father, who is this?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°This is Lady Lucy Allen of the Allen family. She¡¯s here to cure your illness.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Is that so?¡±</strong>

    With a resigned smile, Chester looked at me and bowed his head.

    He doesn¡¯t seem to believe he can be cured at all, does he?

    Seeing that expression, I almost felt sorry for him.

    I handed the potion Kurtz Newman had given me to Chester.

    <strong>¡°What is this?¡±</strong>

    ¡®Drink it.¡¯

    <strong>¡°Drink it. Even a weakling like you should be able to manage that much, right?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Is this the cure? Haha. If it were that simple¡ª¡±</strong>

    ¡®Could you wait until after you¡¯ve drunk it to speak?¡¯

    <strong>¡°Less talking, more drinking. Why is a weakling who looks like he could be snapped in half with one hand talking so much?¡±</strong>

    Why is he still talking even when I¡¯m about to cure him?

    If he keeps bbering, should I provoke him into drinking it?

    I was considering it, but thankfully, I didn¡¯t need to use my Mesugaki skills.

    He opened the potion and started drinking it.

    Even though there wasn¡¯t much potion, it seemed difficult to down in one go. He had to pause several times, but eventually, he managed to drink it all.

    <strong>¡°See, nothing¡¯s changed... Oh?¡±</strong>

    As soon as Chester Newman¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, several message windows popped up in front of me.

    The first one wasn¡¯t from that useless deity.

    <strong>[Agra is ring at you.]</strong>

    Oh, as if you weren¡¯t already ring at me.

    You¡¯re always watching me whenever I enter the dungeon, trying to figure out the best way to mess with me.

    If my deity is a useless fool, then you¡¯re petty. So petty. Petty evil god.

    And then came Armathi¡¯s message.

    How can you, a supposed deity, be slower to respond than an evil god?

    I really don¡¯t get you.

    You¡¯re always watching me, thinking about how to make my life miserable, you pervert.

    You may be more ipetent than the evil god, but at least show that you¡¯re diligent.

    I have a lot to say, but I¡¯ll let it slide this time because who knows what you¡¯ll do if I keep criticizing you.

    You¡¯re not going to take it out on me...right?

    If you sulk just because I grumbled a little, you¡¯re no better than that petty evil god.

    Cautiously, I checked the message Armathi had sent.

    <strong>[Armathi watches you with satisfaction.]</strong>

    Right? I did well, didn¡¯t I?

    I just stuck it to your rival!

    So, give me something good! Something really good!

    <strong>[The functionality of Ruell¡¯s Mace has been unlocked.]</strong>

    <strong>[The mace is imbued with divinity. This feature will grow stronger as your divine power increases.]</strong>

    Holy bonus damage?!

    Wow! This is amazing!

    No, seriously, this is incredible!

    Normally, you have to reach level 60 to unlock this special feature in Ruell¡¯s Mace, but you¡¯re unlocking it now?!

    Wow. I was worried about myck of damage, but with this, that problem¡¯s solved!

    Being able to imbue Ruell¡¯s Mace with divinity will not only increase its base damage but also give me a significant advantage over anyone associated with the evil gods I¡¯ll be facing.

    Nakrard, just you wait.

    I¡¯m going to train hard ande smash your skull.

    An apostle of the evil god? One divine mace will leave them helpless!

    I was already satisfied with this, but the message window wasn¡¯t done yet.

    Seriously, Armathi, why are you being so generous?

    Are you sure you can afford this?

    Is my deity crazy?!

    Someone, close the shop!

    <strong>[The ¡®Log¡¯ function has been unlocked.]</strong>

    Log?

    Do you mean like a rogue, as in the ss?

    But then it doesn¡¯t make sense to say the function has been unlocked.

    So that leaves...

    No way.

    I activated the log function like I would open the quest window.

    A blue window appeared before me.

    It contained the conversation I had just had with Chester and the messages from Armathi and Agra.

    Oh. <em>That</em> kind of log.

    I thought Armathi was just showering me with rewards, but you¡¯re giving me a thrilling mix of benefits and limitations.

    Well, I guess you shouldn¡¯t be too generous all at once.

    You¡¯ve got keen insight.

    It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid of retaliation or anything; I¡¯m just really impressed by Armathi¡¯s wisdom.

    I should be happy just to get the holy bonus damage, but why do I feel so conflicted?

    It¡¯s almost like I¡¯d rather not¡ª No, never mind. Forget it.

    It¡¯s nothing.

    I closed the log window and saw Chester getting out of bed, looking around his body in amazement.

    <strong>¡°Chester, how do you feel? Are you alright?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°...It¡¯s incredible. My body feels strangely light.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Oh, thank the gods!¡±</strong>

    Watching Kurtz embrace his son, I realized that even a cold-blooded noble from the underworld is still a father in the end.

    In the past, I would have felt envious, but now I have someone who would do the same for me.

    Maybe I should leave them to have their emotional moment.

 Chapter 101

    <strong>"As you can see, mana is..."</strong>

    While the lesson was going on, I lowered my head slightly and nced at the Raven¡¯s Crest dangling from my left hand, a smile creeping onto my face.

    This really is reassuring.

    It¡¯s practically a free pass to acquire information, items, or whatever I need from the underworld at a fraction of the usual cost.

    Even though the ne from the Burrow family turned out to be worthless, getting this makes up for it.

    However, my heart felt a bit heavy because of something Kurtz Newman said at the end.

    <strong>¡®What do you think of my son? He¡¯s quite handsome, isn¡¯t he?¡¯</strong>

    At first, I didn¡¯t understand what he meant.

    I just thought he was another proud father, like Benedict, wanting to show off his son.

    So I went along with it, because whether I liked it or not, Chester Newman <em>is</em> quite pretty.

    <strong>"Child, do you know what he meant by that?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®He just wanted to brag about his son, right?¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Sigh, I expected as much."</strong>

    It wasn¡¯t untilter, when Grandpa exined it to me, that I realized the true meaning behind Kurtz Newman¡¯s words. He told me that noblemen¡¯s words often have a hidden meaning.

    Kurtz was asking if I had any interest in his son.

    How was I supposed to know that?! I¡¯m from the modern world, not some fantasynd!

    By the time I understood what he meant, it was toote to correct myself. Kurtz Newman had already ensnared me with his sly words.

    That damn old man. He nned this from the start, didn¡¯t he?

    I wondered why he was so eager to give me the Raven¡¯s Crest, and it turns out he wanted to bind me to his family by blood?!

    Weren¡¯t you supposed to be a loving father?

    Why would a father like you consider selling his son to a Mesugaki like me?

    Do you really want to see your son being called a weakling? and a wimp? by his future daughter-inw?

    Do you actually want a daughter-inw who calls you a pathetic balding head of the household??

    What kind of value did you see in me to make you pull such a stunt?!

    Ugh, Kurtz Newman, you sly, perverted old man.

    When a person has such a twisted heart, their forehead starts to widen.

    Even your hair can¡¯t stand your wickedness and is running away.

    Do you get that?!

    What¡¯s even more frustrating is that after that, Kurtz Newman didn¡¯t show the slightest hint of his ulterior motives.

    If he had given me a chance to object, I would¡¯ve argued, but he kept our conversation strictly about business, like a cold-hearted merchant, leaving me no opening.

    <strong>¡®I will indeed give you the Raven¡¯s Crest, but for now, please make your requests through Alsatian. Our infrastructure iscking at the moment. However, it won¡¯t be long before I send someone from our family there.¡¯</strong>

    I swallowed my words and left the mansion, feeling like a child who lost an argument, reying the scene in my mind, wondering what I should have said instead.

    Even now, I¡¯m dumbfounded.

    Regardless of our business rtionship, I should have used my Mesugaki skills to provoke him.

    <strong>"Lady Allen?"</strong>

    While I was inwardly fuming, a voice calling my name made me lift my head.

    The professor of Mana Studies was staring at me.

    Why doesn¡¯t he know when to give up?

    No matter what trials or tribtions you throw at me, I have Grandpa by my side.

    Every time you ask a question, I¡¯ve always given the best answer, and yet you still doubt me.

    You just don¡¯t like me, right? Isn¡¯t that it?

    <strong>"Could you summarize the exnation I just gave?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®Grandpa.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"I refuse."</strong>

    <strong>¡®Huh?¡¯</strong>

    Grandpa? Why the sudden change?

    We¡¯ve always been an unbeatable team.

    We¡¯re supposed to be in sync, knowing exactly what the other needs.

    What¡¯s gotten into you today? Why are you throwing a tantrum?

    <strong>¡®Why are you doing this?!¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"I think I¡¯ve indulged you too much. To help you grow, I need to push you off a cliff every now and then."</strong>

    What did I do wrong?!

    Is it because I ignored your morning lecture?

    I do that all the time!

    Or is it because I didn¡¯t clean you up this morning?

    Weapons can get a little dirty, you know!

    Desperate, I pleaded for help, promising to do better, but Grandpa remained silent.

    <strong>"Lady Allen?"</strong>

    Grandpa! Lucy Allen will never forget this!

    Just remember that!

    What do I do now?

    How do I get out of this?

    Frantically, I recalled the feature the useless god had given me yesterday.

    The log!

    Yes, if I use that, I should be able to see what the Mana Studies professor said.

    I hurriedly opened the log window and scrolled up to find the professor¡¯s words.

    <strong>"What exactly are you doing?"</strong>

    Found it.

    So, it goes like this...

    <strong>¡®Mana is...¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"As the esteemed professor mentioned, mana is..."</strong>

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Having used my quick thinking to escape the trap set by the Mana Studies professor, I headed to the restroom at Soul Academy.

    Why, you ask? To get revenge on Grandpa.

    If he wanted to give advice, he should¡¯ve done it earlier, not waited until the trial was right in front of me and then pushed me off a cliff.

    If you shove a bird off a cliff before it learns to spread its wings, it¡¯s not going to fly.

    It¡¯s going to fall and crack its head open.

    It¡¯s a good thing I managed to spread my wings before hitting the ground, or I would¡¯ve been humiliated.

    So now it¡¯s time for revenge.

    He who tries to crack another¡¯s head should be prepared to have his own head cracked in return.

    <strong>"Child! You know I¡¯m doing this for your own good!"</strong>

    <strong>¡®And I¡¯m doing this for your own good. You need to take a shower.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Isn¡¯t it strange that the water for the shower is in a toilet?!"</strong>

    What does it matter? There¡¯s nothing in there.

    It might even be cleaner than seawater.

    Just take a deep breath and dive in.

    Oh, right, you don¡¯t need to breathe since you¡¯re not alive.

    Perfect. I reyed the recent events in my mind, using Grandpa¡¯s cries of protest from the toilet as background music.

    Back when this was just a game, the log function was pretty useless.

    It was just there to show character dialogue, items you acquired, or how much experience you gained.

    If you weren¡¯t familiar with the game, I suppose it might have been helpful, but as a veteran of Soul Academy, it was a button I never touched.

    When I was ying the game, I could control all the variables myself, so why would I bother checking the log?

    Character dialogue?

    I¡¯ve heard it thousands, if not tens of thousands of times, so reying it was pointless.

    When you¡¯ve memorized exactly what someone is going to say next, what¡¯s the point in reading it again?

    But this world isn¡¯t a game; it¡¯s reality.

    A world where I can¡¯t control all the variables.

    Here, the log function is more meaningful than I ever imagined.

    Just look at how easily I answered the professor¡¯s question just now.

    This is definitely a useful feature.

    Unfortunately, there¡¯s a limit to how far I can scroll back, so it doesn¡¯t record everything that¡¯s happened, but this much is enough.

    <strong>"Ughhhhh..."</strong>

    Grandpa¡¯s groans, as if he were genuinely being tortured, echoed from the toilet where he had been submerged for a while.

    His acting skills are no joke.

    Did he think that by making me feel guilty, I¡¯d hesitate?

    <strong>¡®Grandpa, tell me. Are you going to keep acting like this?¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Do you think this will make me give up?! I won¡¯t say a word until you¡¯ve learned to solve your problems on your own!"</strong>

    <strong>¡®Oh, really?¡¯</strong>

    Grandpa, you don¡¯t know this, but I¡¯ve just gained a very useful ability.

    Even if you don¡¯t help me with the academy exams, I have plenty of other ways to get by.

    There¡¯s a limit to how much the log can store, but it can easily record everything that happens in a day.

    As long as I skim through the material before the exam, it¡¯ll be like taking an open-book test!@@novelbin@@

    Even without Grandpa¡¯s help, I¡¯m practically guaranteed a perfect score!

    <strong>"Are you bluffing?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®Bluffing? If that¡¯s what you think, go ahead and believe it.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Huh? What have you obtained?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®Well, I¡¯ve...¡¯</strong>

    Suddenly, the restroom door burst open while I was in the middle of talking to Grandpa.

    A female student, chatting happily with her friend, walked in, only to freeze when she saw me. After a couple of seconds, she snapped back to reality.

    <strong>"Oh, I¡¯m so sorry!"</strong>

    She grabbed her friend¡¯s hand and hurried out. Once I could no longer hear their footsteps, I sighed and ran a hand over my face.

    <strong>"Um, child?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®Shut up, Grandpa.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"...Okay."</strong>

    I wonder what kind of strange rumors will start circting now.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    <strong>"There¡¯s a weird rumor going around about you, Lady Allen. They¡¯re saying you were smashing a toilet with your mace in the restroom."</strong>

    While it wasn¡¯t the first time weird rumors about me had spread, this one was a bit too much. Joy, who was clearly upset, voiced her indignation, but I couldn¡¯t respond.

    There was a bit of exaggeration, but it wasn¡¯t entirely wrong.

    I¡¯m sure those girls never expected that I was torturing a mace in the toilet water.

    <strong>"I was so angry when I heard the other noble girls talking about it."</strong>

    <strong>¡®...Joy, I¡¯m fine.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Do you really have time to worry about me, you clueless noble? Pfft, anyone would think you¡¯ve gotten less clueless."</strong>

    <strong>"What¡¯s wrong with being concerned?"</strong>

    I teased Joy about being narrow-minded when she pouted at myment, and she turned her head away, sulking.

    Watching her, I realized how much closer we¡¯d be since the beginning.

    At this point, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to call her a friend, right?

    I¡¯m so happy that I could be friends with my favorite character.

    Seeing her like this makes all the struggles I¡¯ve gone through feel worth it.

    Ah, what if Joyes to me for rtionship advice one day?

    Should I just grit my teeth for her happiness?

    As I contemted this, I began to understand how Benedict must have felt when he fretted over the idea of me getting a boyfriend.

    Of course, there¡¯s a huge difference between me and Benedict.

    While my chances of dating anyone are close to zero, Joy is different.

    Should I start preparing myself emotionally?

    <strong>"By the way, Lady Allen, Lady Kent, have you started preparing for midterms?"</strong>

    Perhaps sensing that she¡¯d be teased endlessly, Joy hurriedly changed the subject.

    Though her intention was obvious, I decided to y along.

    <strong>¡®Of course.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Worried about me? You¡¯re the one who lost to me in the entrance exam, clueless noble."</strong>

    <strong>"This time will be different."</strong>

    Will it really?

    Joy, I admit you¡¯re smart, but do you think you can beat someone who¡¯s cheating legally?

    I¡¯m invincible! The log function is godlike!

    The log is going to copy my grades!

    As I puffed out my chest confidently, a small voice chimed in from beside me.

    <strong>"I¡¯m leaving it to fate."</strong>

    Freyr, with his usual stoic expression, made a ridiculous statement.

    Coming from someone who once aimed for a special entrance to the academy, it¡¯s not something he should be saying, but I guess it¡¯s lucky there¡¯s such a thing as special admissions.

 Chapter 102

    <strong>Avery looked at the various documents inside the brown envelope and chuckled.</strong>

    Yes, Lucy Allen. There¡¯s no way someone like you could bepletely clean.

    The brown envelope Avery held contained information about Lucy Allen, obtained from a contact she had identallye across.

    The documents revealed several things.

    First, the current Combat Studies professor, Karl, was originally a knight of the Allen family. No wonder those two were always together¡ªthey had a master-servant rtionship from the start.

    This was something that could definitely be contested since it was against the academy''s regtions.

    But that wasn¡¯t all.

    The documents also indicated that Lucy Allen had dealings with people from the underworld. How disgraceful for the nobledy of a knightly family, who should embody nobility, to directly engage in filthy transactions just to get what she wanted!

    This was clearly dishonorable.

    To think she didn¡¯t even bother to go through a subordinate!

    Theck of decorum was shocking.

    But then again, how would a savage, who probably never even considered learning proper etiquette, understand this?

    Although the exact nature of her dealings with the underworld wasn¡¯t specified in the documents, it didn¡¯t matter. The implication was obvious.

    It had to be some form of cheating during the Soul Academy entrance exam or some underhanded method to win the bet against Prince Arthur.

    Or maybe it was something even worse.

    The documents were filled with various rumors and suspicions about Lucy Allen.

    Well, well.

    At first, I was skeptical, but it seems that the person who gave me this information, despite their gloomy appearance, is actually quite capable.

    At the very end of the documents, there was a note presumably written by the informant: ¡°Do not officially antagonize the Allen family.¡± However, Avery dismissed this warning without a second thought.

    What is this person worried about?

    There¡¯s no way Lucy Allen, who keeps lowering herself every day, could pose a threat to me, right?

    Of course, if that bitch were to throw a punch, that would be different, but I wouldn¡¯t even dignify her with a response.

    What, is that crazy girl going to actually try to kill me?

    Avery hummed a tune as she ced the documents back in the brown envelope and left the room.

    Her destination was Joy¡¯s room.

    Lately, Lady Partran had been getting close to Lucy Allen.

    Lady Allen, the one who saved her life.

    She kept insisting that, despite her past, Lucy wasn¡¯t as bad as everyone thought.

    Joy spoke highly of Lucy, but the other nobledies didn¡¯t believe her.

    They had all been humiliated by Lucy Allen in the past during social gatherings.

    That foul-tempered Lucy Allen had turned over a new leaf? Impossible!

    It was more usible that she had learned how to pretend to be demure.

    They didn¡¯t say it out loud since it was Joy Partran, but most of the nobledies thought this way.

    Avery thought the same.

    Lady Partran just didn¡¯t know the filthy truth hidden behind Lucy Allen¡¯s facade.

    Once she realized how dirty Lucy was, she¡¯d surely change her mind.

    That¡¯s why, after being humiliated by Lucy Allenst time, Avery sought out an informant.

    She was convinced that that bitch must be up to something dirty, so she requested an investigation.

    And she was right.

    Lucy Allen was far from being a person of integrity.

    Once Lady Partran sees this, she¡¯ll surely change her mind too.

    If she finds out that Lucy is a piece of trash whomits illegal acts without a second thought, she¡¯ll understand.

    After knocking on the door of the dormitory, it didn¡¯t take long for the door to open.

    Lady Partran, as always, appeared as noble as ever.

    Her posture and demeanor were the epitome of what a nobledy should be.

    Lady Partran slightly furrowed her brow when she saw Avery and spoke.

    <strong>"Good evening, Lady Partran."</strong>

    <strong>"Good evening, Lady Rumley. What brings you here at this hour?"</strong>

    <strong>"Well..."</strong>

    Averyid out everything she had prepared in front of Lady Partran.

    The numerous rumors surrounding Lucy Allen.

    The various incidents that urred after she entered the academy.

    And finally, the information she had uncovered.

    Lucy Allen isn¡¯t as clean as you think.

    Even if you feel indebted to her, it¡¯s not wise to stay close.

    Please, return to the Lady Partran you once were.

    That was the gist of what Avery said.

    Joy listened with her arms crossed, and after Avery finished speaking, she let out a small sigh, closed her eyes for a moment, and then, in a tone lower than usual, asked:

    <strong>"Are you done?"</strong>

    <strong>"Pardon?"</strong>

    <strong>"It sounds like you¡¯ve said everything you wanted to. So let me give you my response: Stop it, Lady Rumley."</strong>

    What? What did you just say?

    <strong>"I¡¯m aware that you¡¯ve been spreading rumors about Lady Allen. I¡¯ve let it slide because I knew she had wronged others in the past, and she didn¡¯t say much about it."</strong>

    Lady Partran, what are you saying?

    <strong>"But I never imagined you¡¯d go so far as to investigate her and try to disgrace her."</strong>

    Avery couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.

    The blue eyes she expected to see change after hearing her words were still looking down on her as if she were nothing.

    <strong>"Lady Rumley, if you do something like this again, even if Lady Allen doesn¡¯t, I won¡¯t stand by and do nothing."</strong>

    <strong>"Why?"</strong>

    <strong>"What?"</strong>

    <strong>"Why are you defending Lady Allen so much?"</strong>

    Lady Partran hadn¡¯t even known Lucy Allen for a full year.

    Meanwhile, Avery had known her for so much longer that it couldn¡¯t even bepared.

    So why was she siding with Lucy Allen?

    Even if it was true that Lucy saved her life, considering their long-standing friendship, shouldn¡¯t she at least listen to Avery?

    At Avery¡¯s question, Joy sighed, grabbed the door handle, and spoke.

    <strong>"Lady Rumley, let me ask you one thing. If you¡¯re really my friend, why won¡¯t you listen to me?"</strong>

    <strong>"Pardon? I mean, that¡¯s because of Lady Allen."</strong>

    <strong>"Is it always about Lady Allen?"</strong>

    ...

    Avery couldn¡¯t respond to that.

    Seeing her tightly closed mouth, Joy didn¡¯t hesitate to close the door, leaving Avery alone in the hallway.

    Why?

    Why?

    Why is it only me?

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Exams were never a significant part of the content in the game Soul Academy.

    The yer¡¯s grades were determined by how much they had built up their stats, and rewards were given ordingly. Most yers viewed exam periods as a time to raise their stats or prepare for uing events.

    In reality, it was difficult to ce much emphasis on the exams as content.

    After all, Soul Academy was a game primarily about conquering dungeons andpleting various quests.

    Excelling in exams could only ever be a secondary goal.

    This hasn¡¯t changed much for me now.

    What¡¯s important to me isn¡¯t my grades at the academy, but what I can gain from them.

    That¡¯s why, even with midterms approaching, while everyone else was holed up in the library, I didn¡¯t even set foot in there.

    Even when Joy invited me to study together, I declined.

    Not needing to prepare for midterms was one reason, but that wasn¡¯t the only one¡ªif it were, I would have gone to study with Joy.

    Spending time with my favorite character? Sign me up!

    Even if studying is dreadfully boring, I could endure it if it meant enjoying time with Joy!

    But I refused her invitation with a heavy heart because there was something I had to do first.

    <strong>"Is there really a dungeon in a ce like this?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®Yes!¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Are you doubting me, you useless informant?"</strong>

    <strong>"But there¡¯s nothing here, is there?"</strong>

    In a certain spot in the forest outside the academy grounds, everything appeared normal on the surface.

    But that was just how it looked from the outside.

    <strong>¡®Grandpa, what was that purification prayer again?¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t need me anymore?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®Are you sulking? Gosh, you¡¯re such an old man,ining all the time and being so petty.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"...Child, aren¡¯t you gradually sumbing to the curse?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®Really?¡¯</strong>

    I don¡¯t really feel it.

    Grandpa grumbled a bit, but he eventually relented and recited the purification prayer for me.

    When I repeated the prayer after him, divine magic activated, revealing the hidden entrance to the dungeon.

    <strong>¡®See? It¡¯s here, right?¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Informant, can you see it now, with your useless eyes? Hmm?"</strong>

    <strong>"...Yes, I can."</strong>

    <strong>"That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t doubt the youngdy. She¡¯s always right."</strong>

    <strong>"Of course a knight like you would say that."</strong>

    Ignoring Karl and Alsatian¡¯s bickering, I focused on the dungeon entrance.

    In the original storyline of Soul Academy, a significant event takes ce during midterms.

    An apostle of the evil god, who had previously attacked the academy, seduces one of the students and causes a terrorist attack within the academy.

    The dungeon near the academy ys a key role in this.

    Nakrard, with his cringey and gloomy demeanor, causes this dungeon to go berserk and uses the student he¡¯s seduced as a bridge between the dungeon and the academy.

    The monsters in this dungeon are far too powerful for first-year academy students to handle.

    Though the academy¡¯s professors quickly respond and suppress the chaos, some students are harmed in the process.

    On top of that, the monsters under the evil god¡¯s control infiltrate the academy and cause various incidents.

    Surprisingly, this is an event that the yer can prevent.

    If you destroy the dungeon Nakrard ns to use before the midterms, the event is skipped.

    Of course, the apostle of the evil god isn¡¯t stupid, so he hides the location of the dungeon he intends to use, but that¡¯s nothing in the face of a seasoned yer.

    Ah, I can¡¯t wait to see Nakrard¡¯s face when he finds out all the dungeons he nned to use are gone.

    I want to see him tremble with frustration when his n falls apart.

    When Nakrard eventually shows up, I¡¯ll be sure to tell him. He¡¯ll be so thrilled, won¡¯t he?

    Just imagining it makes me happy.

    Seeing that guy, who¡¯s been a thorn in my side, turn red with rage and tremble¡ªit¡¯ll be glorious.

    I can¡¯t wait to witness it.

    <strong>¡®Hey, you two? Let¡¯s hurry up and clear this dungeon, shall we?¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Let¡¯s go, weaklings. I don¡¯t care who¡¯s weaker, but let¡¯s get moving."</strong>

    <strong>"There¡¯s no need to know, youngdy. I¡¯m the weaker one."</strong>

    <strong>"Yes, you do seem to be the weaker one."</strong>@@novelbin@@

    Watching Karl, who seemed pleased to be called weak, I couldn¡¯t help but roll my eyes.

    And this guy is supposed to be my bodyguard.

    While I appreciate that he takes my Mesugaki insults so well, can¡¯t he at least have a normal thought process?

 Chapter 104

    As expected, when Nakrard returned to the vicinity of the Academy after operating elsewhere for some time, he found that all the dungeons he had marked had disappeared, and he couldn¡¯t help but let out a hollowugh.

    What in the world is this?

    Not only were they left alone, but they were hidden under Tariki¡¯s power¡ªhow could anyone have found and cleared them?

    It¡¯s possible that one could have been discovered by chance.

    But to clear nearly a dozen dungeons?

    There was no need to wonder who the culprit was.

    The one who cleared the dungeons left their mark, almost as if mocking Nakrard.

    Armathi¡¯s apostle.

    That damnable god must have given you some kind of revtion, huh?

    I should have killed you that day.

    I let my emotions get the better of me, thinking I could toy with you, and ended up paying dearly for it.

    Grinding his teeth, Nakrard exhaled deeply.

    This is troublesome.

    This throws my entire n off course.

    I intended to recruit a foolish girl, use her desires to sow chaos in the Academy.

    When the Academy¡¯s magic was shaken by the dungeon''s rampage, I nned to spread Tariki¡¯s power throughout the chaos. But now...

    Nakrard ran a hand over his face.

    Is my arrogance going to cause a setback in fulfilling the god¡¯s will?

    I want to atone for my mistakes with my life immediately, but I can¡¯t do that right now.

    Even if I did, it wouldn¡¯t change reality.

    Even though the n has veered off course, I must find another way to fulfill Tariki¡¯s desires.

    That is the duty of an apostle.

    I can offer my lifeter.

    If I had more time, I could havee up with another solution, but there¡¯s no time left.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left my position.¡±

    What¡¯s the point of spreading Tariki¡¯s glory if I fail to fulfill his will?

    As Nakrard bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, contemting his next move, a voice called out.

    <strong>¡®Child.¡¯</strong>

    A voice that flowed from the shadows, curling around his mind.

    Nakrard recognized this voice.

    Of course, Nakrard knew this voice.

    <strong>¡°Ah, Lord Tariki.¡±</strong>

    The apostle of the evil god immediately knelt, offering his worship.

    Tears streamed down his face at the merciful voice of the god, despite his own failures.

    <strong>¡®Do not worry. Our master has prepared for everything.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡°Ah...¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡®The power they have bestowed will now reach you as well.¡¯</strong>

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    A few days after I began clearing out the dungeons around the Academy, and just before the midterms were about to start, I finally opened a book to study for the uing exams.

    <strong><Can you even call this studying? You¡¯re just flipping through the pages.></strong>

    <strong>¡®My blessings remember everything, so there¡¯s no problem.¡¯</strong>

    <strong><Child, studying is not just about getting high grades...></strong>

    Having be skilled at tuning out Grandpa¡¯s nagging, I hummed absentmindedly while my eyes skimmed through the text.

    Hmm! As expected, I don¡¯t get it!

    I¡¯ve thought this before, but trying to learn something when you have no foundation or basic knowledge is ridiculously hard.

    If I really want to study, I should probably start with the books meant for 7 or 8-year-olds.

    I can¡¯t keep sleeping through sses forever, so maybe I should at least pretend to study sometime.

    As I flipped through the pages with that thought, I soon closed the book and stretched.

    I¡¯ve saved all the exam content in the log, so I¡¯ll just scroll through it right before the test.

    Huuuuh. Maybe I should take a day off after the exams.

    I¡¯ve been living so frantically, clearing dungeons left and right.

    I¡¯ve been clearing three dungeons a day just to have a little free timeter.

    And I didn¡¯t just stay in the back to direct things for experience¡ªat some point, I jumped into the fights myself to increase my skill level.

    That hard work has paid off in many ways.

    I¡¯ve surpassed my level goal and reached 25.

    I¡¯ve picked up various useful items, so my purse is fuller.

    And through the process of experiencing realbat, I¡¯ve significantly improved my proficiency with the mace and shield.

    To the point where Grandpa said I could now hold my own against most knights.

    Of course, the knights of the Allen family are not included in ¡°most.¡±

    Grandpa said the ones who train there are all exceptional, beyond my current capabilities.

    He told me it would take a lot more training before I could stand on equal footing with them.

    When I spar with Karl, I can still feel that he¡¯s holding back, so it¡¯s unlikely that the other knights would be any different.

    Anyway, my growth rate right now is insane.

    Even by game standards, it¡¯s fast.

    It must be thanks to all the grueling training I did at the Allen estate before I entered the Academy.

    At this point, I might even be able to beat some of the stronger seniors in the second year.

    No matter how I think about it, this is all thanks to the petty evil god.

    It¡¯s because they kept throwing obstacles my way that I was able to grow so quickly.

    I wonder what that petty evil god is thinking, watching their attempts to sabotage me actually make me stronger.

    <strong>¡°Lady Allen!¡±</strong>

    The sound of a girl¡¯s voice apanied by a knock at the door made me turn my head.

    Who could it be at thiste hour? Everyone should be asleep by now.

    Even if it weren¡¯tte, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone visiting my dorm.

    Could it be someone ying a prank?

    Curious, I stood up and opened the door to find Vissy standing there.

    <strong>¡°Mydy!¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡®What¡¯s the matter?¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡°What is it, Vissy?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Please help me! You¡¯re the only one I can rely on!¡±</strong>

    Help you?

    I was puzzled by the sudden outburst without any exnation, and Vissy quickly blurted out her story.

    Here¡¯s what she said.

    Tonight.

    She was talking to the ghost in the haunted mansion when suddenly the ghost hid her inside a wardrobe.

    Then, shortly after, a figure painted in ck barged into the mansion.

    The ghost, who had never shown such strange power before, fought against the ck figure but was ultimately defeated. The ck figure then embedded a purple-tinged stone into the unconscious ghost¡¯s chest.

    <strong>¡°As soon as the stone was embedded in Adri¡¯s chest, a dungeon entrance appeared there. Adri disappeared without a trace. She must have been sucked into that dungeon!¡±</strong>

    As I listened to Vissy¡¯s exnation, only one thought crossed my mind.

    Why is this happening so soon?

    A dungeon forming around the haunted mansion¡¯s ghost is an event that also urs in the Soul Academy game.

    As I mentioned before, the one responsible for creating dungeons in this world is the petty evil god.

    The god who leads other evil gods and spreads chaos throughout the world by creating dungeons.

    This is Agra¡¯s unique power, but it¡¯s also a power that can be shared with other evil gods.

    The problem is that the other evil gods who receive this power cannot create dungeons just anywhere like Agra can.

    They are weaker than Agra, so they need something to act as a catalyst for the dungeon.

    Something with enough power or history to serve as the foundation.

    In this case, the ghost in the haunted mansion is a perfect anchor.

    It has a deep history from having stayed there for so long, and it harbors enough resentment to have be a lingering spirit.

    But the point at which a dungeon forms around the ghost is supposed to be in the second year at the Academy.

    It¡¯s supposed to happen a year from now when Agra¡¯s seal weakens further.

    Why is it happening now?

    <strong>¡°Please help, Lady Allen. I beg you. Please rescue Adri from the dungeon. I¡¯ll do anything you ask. Please.¡±</strong>

    Watching Vissy, her eyes red and tears streaming down her face, I couldn¡¯t help but sigh.

    No amount of thinking about why this event urred early will change what¡¯s already happened.

    The real question is something else.

    Should I help Vissy?

    Or should I refuse her plea?

    If Vissy had simply asked me to clear a regr dungeon, I would have nodded without hesitation.

    I could just take Karl and Alsatian with me, storm in, and wreck everything, just like any other dungeon.

    But dungeons created by evil gods other than Agra have different characteristics.

    Solo clear.

    You have to enter and clear the dungeon alone.

    It means I would have to handle everything that happens inside by myself.

    Even if somethingpletely unexpected happens and I end up dying.

    Why not just send Karl instead?

    I¡¯d love to, but it¡¯s impossible.

    Whether Karl is afraid of ghosts or not, there¡¯s a bigger problem.

    The theme of that dungeon is undead.

    Just like when I faced the necromancer before, the monsters in there arepletely immune to physical attacks.

    If Karl went in alone, he¡¯d be toyed with by the ghosts, and clearing the dungeon would be impossible.

    Maybe I could do it, now that I can imbue my mace with divinity.

    Sigh.

    I know exactly what kind of dungeon is formed around the ghost.

    I know what monsters will appear, what theyout is, and how to clear the boss.@@novelbin@@

    Difficulty?

    With my current state, I can definitely clear it.

    The dungeon is tricky for two reasons.

    One, physical attacks can¡¯t harm the monsters inside.

    And two, the curses and debuffs used by the undead are a real pain, but I can deal with both.

    And now that I¡¯ve eased some of the ghost¡¯s resentment by giving it a ribbon, I¡¯m confident I can manage.

    Still, I hesitate for one reason alone.

    I don¡¯t know what could happen inside.

    I can¡¯t predict what that petty, twisted evil god Agra might do.

    Look, he¡¯s already triggered something that wasn¡¯t supposed to happen just because he¡¯s pissed off.

    He¡¯s probably waiting for me to enter alone so he can jump at the chance to kill me.

    Logically, the right thing to do is to refuse.

    Right now, this request is like asking whether the ghost will disappear or if I¡¯ll be dragged down with it.

    No matter how pitiful the girl in front of me looks, it would be wiser to coldly turn her down.

    <strong>¡°Lady Allen!¡±</strong>

    I know.

    I know, but...

    Sigh.

    Damn it.

    I can¡¯t bring myself to say no.

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Ding.</strong></li>

    </ul>

    As I ran my hand over my face, a sudden sound made me look up.

    Since this isn¡¯t a dungeon, there¡¯s only one person who could send me a message.

    That useless god.

    <strong>[Quest: Save the Ghost!]</strong> <strong>[Save the ghost that has be the anchor of the dungeon!]</strong> <strong>[Reward: Dungeon Escape Ticket (Pre-issued)]</strong> <strong>[Failure Penalty: None]</strong>

    Huh?

    What? A dungeon escape ticket?

    Is this what I think it is?

    Ha.

    Hahaha.

    ...

    Useless god, did you know?

    I¡¯ve been your apostle for a long time, but this is the first time I¡¯ve actually thought you might be a real god.

    If only you were like this all the time, Armathi.

    So you¡¯re saying I should go if I want to save her?

    Fine, I¡¯ll go.

    <strong>¡°Let¡¯s go, Vissy.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Let¡¯s go, Vissy.¡±</strong>

 Chapter 105

    <strong>"Mydy, where are the others?"</strong>

    Vissy looked puzzled as I stood alone at the entrance to the dungeon. She probably expected me to bring Karl or someone else for assistance.

    <strong>¡®I¡¯m more than enough.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"You think I need anyone else to clear this pathetic dungeon? What a joke, Vissy."</strong>

    Even though I had no choice but to go in alone, I put on a confident front. Comining to Vissy would only increase her anxiety, so it was better to instill confidence that I would handle everything.

    Indeed, the Mesugaki persona is useful when hiding my true feelings. It always makes me appear arrogant and self-assured, keeping any uncertainty or hesitation buried deep inside.

    <strong>"I see,"</strong> Vissy said, not doubting my words.

    Having seen me clear dungeons before, she likely believed I wouldn¡¯t say such things without reason. It seems my reputation has grown. If this had been when I first possessed Lucy¡¯s body, she would have thought I was spouting nonsense.

    Or, more likely, she wouldn¡¯t havee to me for help at all.

    <strong><Are you sure about this?></strong> Grandpa asked.

    <strong>¡®Of course.¡¯</strong>

    As long as Armathi ys his part, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. If Agra, that petty evil god, doesn¡¯t interfere, I can handle the dungeon the usual way. Even if he does, as long as I can manage it, I¡¯ll deal with it. And if things get too dangerous, I can always escape.

    There¡¯s nothing to lose, so there¡¯s no reason to hesitate.

    I just need to do what I want.

    Seeing my determination, Grandpa didn¡¯t try to dissuade me further.

    <strong>¡®By the way, Vissy...¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡°Never mind that, Vissy. Do you still have the key I gave youst time? Hand it over. I need it for this pathetic excuse of a dungeon.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Ah, yes! Here you go.¡±</strong>

    Taking the key from Vissy¡¯s hand, I examined the dungeon entrance. It looked like any other dungeon, but the atmosphere was different.

    While dungeons created by Agra were oppressive, this one felt eerie and unsettling. Just what you¡¯d expect from a dungeon created by an edgy, darkness-wielding god.

    <strong>¡®I¡¯ll be right back.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡°Just stay here and wait like a good little sidekick. I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡±</strong>

    As I stepped into the dungeon, the surroundings changed.

    A dark, ancient mansion under a moonless night sky.

    The mansion outside was old and on the verge of copse, but this one was pristine, as if it had just opened its doors.

    <strong>¡°We have a visitor?¡±</strong>

    A woman appeared on the staircase at the center of the mansion. She wore a stark white dress that contrasted with her ck hair, her body semi-transparent, allowing me to see the family portrait hanging behind her.

    <strong>¡°Hello. I¡¯m Adri. Adri Velvet, the eldest daughter of the illustrious Velvet family. Pleased to meet you.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡®Hello, Adri.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡°Hi there, lonely ghost. You must be thrilled to have a visitor, huh?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Lonely? Me?¡±</strong>

    Her once faint smile faltered, turning into a frown. Mesugaki skills are still going strong today. Just a simple greeting and I¡¯ve already drawn the boss¡¯s aggro.

    Antagonizing her a bit more now isn¡¯t a bad idea. After all, I¡¯ll have to fight her eventually. If I rile her up now, it¡¯ll be easier to get stat buffster.

    <strong>¡°You¡¯ve been crying about being lonely for decades, but you¡¯re not lonely? That¡¯s hrious. Do you even have any friends?¡±</strong>

    Adri¡¯s smile vanishedpletely, reced by a downward curve. The sound of her nonexistent teeth grinding filled the empty mansion.

    <strong>¡°I¡¯m not... alone.¡±</strong>

    With every word Adri spat out, the temperature in the mansion dropped. Not just figuratively¡ªliterally. The space, being tied to her, responded to her emotions.

    But I wasn¡¯t cold.

    As her mood soured, I felt a surge of exhration in my chest.

    <strong>¡°Who else is here besides you? Huh? Lonely ghost?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°You¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±</strong>

    With that, Adri began to ascend the staircase, but halfway up, she nced back.

    <strong>¡°Try to find me. If you can.¡±</strong>@@novelbin@@

    As her form dissipated, silence filled the now empty mansion.

    Even though she disappeared, my sense of tion remained, the Mesugaki skill¡¯s buff still active. Maybe because this dungeon is centered around Adri, her hatred for me keeps the buff going.

    This works out well for me.

    It means I can move through the dungeon with a constant buff.

    Good thing I riled her up beforehand.

    <strong><This ce is strange. It¡¯s a dungeon, but it doesn¡¯t feel like one.></strong>

    <strong>¡®That¡¯s because it¡¯s imbued with Adri¡¯s resentment.¡¯</strong>

    Dungeons created by evil gods other than Agra are often like this. Because they¡¯re formed around something with powerful emotions or history, they end up looking different from regr dungeons.

    Adri¡¯s dungeon is one of those.

    Normally, dungeons are about descending to the boss room and defeating the boss, but this one is different.

    Here, you have to explore the mansion, find Adri, and then defeat her.

    <strong><But child, why are you just standing there?></strong>

    Grandpa seemed puzzled as I remained motionless after Adri¡¯s departure. Usually, I would clear a dungeon as quickly and efficiently as possible, so my rxed approach surprised him.

    <strong>¡®This is the right way to clear this dungeon.¡¯</strong>

    If I just wanted to clear the dungeon quickly, there¡¯d be no reason to stand still, but my goal here isn¡¯t just to clear the dungeon¡ªit¡¯s to save Adri.

    To do that, I need to follow the right order.

    I waited a few minutes, standing still.

    Gradually, vague figures began to materialize on the carpeted floor where there had been nothing before.

    They took the shape of knights.

    Blood-stained, worn armor.

    Faces twisted in agony.

    Yet, despite their suffering, their eyes were filled with a determination to protect.

    If Karl were here, he¡¯d probably scream like a little girl and roll around on the floor.

    What a shame.

    Seeing Karl, who usually just smiles at whatever I say, trembling in fear would have been pretty amusing.

    <strong>- Leave.</strong> <strong>- You shall not pass through here.</strong> <strong>- We will protect our master with our lives.</strong>

    Ignoring their buzzing voices, I tightened my grip on the mace. I infused the mace with divine energy, and its head began to glow.

    A light so bright it seemed like a sun had risen in this darkness-soaked mansion.

    The spectral knights hesitated, retreating slightly.

    I may call Armathi useless and ipetent, but his power is real.

    The divine radiance of a holy god is nothing short of a cmity for those who defy thews of the world.

    No matter how skilled they were in life, they can¡¯t stand against me.

    <strong>¡°What¡¯s wrong? Scared of a little light? Some knights you are. Pathetic. If it were me, I¡¯d be too ashamed to show my face.¡±</strong>

    The spectral knights were not known for their patience.

    Before my taunts could even fully leave my lips, one of them rushed forward, lifting his sword with both hands in a reckless charge.

    I could tell he had lost all sense of reason, letting his emotions take over.

    That won¡¯t do.

    No matter how weak I might look, I won¡¯t fall for such a pathetic attack.

    My body moved before Iron Wall even had to warn me.

    I didn¡¯t need the skill¡¯s guidance.

    The battle experience I¡¯ve umted told me exactly how to respond.

    I raised my shield to deflect the descending sword.

    Since the knight had poured all his strength into the attack, the opening left when his strike missed was wide.

    I swung my mace, shattering the already cracked helmetpletely.

    The knight couldn¡¯t withstand the divine power in the mace and disintegrated into ash.

    I stepped over his remains and moved forward.

    <strong>¡°What¡¯s the matter? Giving up already?¡±</strong>

    The knights feared Armathi¡¯s light.

    They trembled as they watched theirrade turn to ash without even a chance to fight back.

    <strong>¡°Are you going to beg for your lives? Cry for mercy in front of a little girl? Go ahead. I¡¯d love to see that. It¡¯d be hrious.¡±</strong>

    But their fear was swallowed by their anger toward me.

    Even knowing they would die, they charged at me.

    It was both bravery and futility.

    Even if they were ready to die, it didn¡¯t change the fact that they were powerless against me.

    Their charge yielded nothing but more ashes.

    As thest of the spectral knights faded and the mansion returned to silence, the mansion itself began to change.

    The once pristine entrance hall, ready to receive guests, became a mess, as if ransacked by intruders.

    The carpet was torn.

    Wallpaper peeled from the walls.

    Tables were overturned.

    ss bottles shattered on the floor.

    <strong><What is this?></strong>

    <strong>¡®Don¡¯t be surprised, Grandpa. This will keep happening.¡¯</strong>

    The changing mansion is proof that I¡¯m progressing through the dungeon correctly.

    I reassured Grandpa and moved on.

    The next ce I visited was the mansion¡¯s reception room.

    As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, several specters appeared in the once-empty room.

    A maid with a tattered uniform.

    A butler with blood dripping from his eyes.

    And necromancers in ck robes, both specters themselves and masters of the dead.

    Their faces, which would have once weed guests with smiles, were now filled with nothing but resentment and hostility.

    <strong>- Leave this ce!</strong> <strong>- There is no ce for light here!</strong> <strong>- Do not interfere with the grudge of the dead!</strong>

    Ignoring their nonsense, I stepped forward, and the ghostly maid let out a shrill scream.

    A scream that could shatter the mansion¡¯s windows.

    A cursed scream.

    If I hadn¡¯t been prepared, that scream would have inflicted debuffs like fear, confusion, weakness, and curses on me, but I was fine.

    Not because I¡¯m Armathi¡¯s apostle.

    But because of the skill given to me by the one who probably hates me most in this mansion¡ªAdri.

    <strong>[No More Grudges]</strong>

    The skill gifted by the ghost protected me.

    As I smashed the maid¡¯s head, silence returned to the room, and I smiled at the specters who had recoiled in fear.

    <strong>- How?</strong> <strong>- Why are you unharmed?</strong>

    <strong>¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did your n fail? Pathetic.¡±</strong>

    If you want to me someone, me your master.

    If it weren¡¯t for the skill she gave me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to move so recklessly.

    <strong>¡°Come on, vermin!¡±</strong>

    I don¡¯t have time to waste on you.

 Chapter 106

    As I faced the oing throngs of undead, it became clear just how powerful I¡¯d grown.

    The curses they hurled at me in an attempt to slow me down were eitherpletely ineffective or, at most, barely scratched the surface before being obliterated by the power of divinity.

    From there, they lunged at me, desperate tond a blow, but none of them could leave a mark.

    Their movements were sloppy, as they weren¡¯t trained forbat.

    Why would I fear attacks that couldn¡¯t even scratch the shield crafted by dwarves?

    Once I cleared out yet another room filled with the undead, I took a deep breath and instinctively shook off my mace.

    What filled me after each battle was a strange sense of exhration, something beyond the simple buff effects of my Mesugaki skills¡ªsomething I couldn¡¯t quite put into words.

    The reason I had fought so hard to get stronger was simple: survival.

    I believed that if I didn¡¯t pass the entrance exam for the Academy, I would die.

    And after passing, I kept training relentlessly, knowing that if I didn¡¯t grow stronger, I could be just another casualty in Agra¡¯s twisted games.

    But despite all my efforts, I rarely had time to appreciate the strength I had gained.

    My opponents were always far stronger than me, so anytime I felt even a tinge of pride, reality quickly knocked me back down. Like ying whack-a-mole, with my head constantly being hammered into the ground.

    The moment I thought, <em>maybe I¡¯m getting stronger</em>, something or someone was always there to shatter that thought immediately.

    Based purely on stats, I know I¡¯m considered strong. But after being beaten, broken, and defeated so many times, all I felt was weakness.

    Yet here, in this dungeon, smashing in the skulls of undead with my mace, I could finally feel my strength.

    Even though the match-up was in my favor, this dungeon wasn¡¯t supposed to be tackled until the second year of the Academy.

    And here I was, just a first-year, taking my midterm.

    If I had fought normally, I would¡¯ve been torn apart the moment I stepped foot inside.

    But those knights couldn¡¯t even scratch me.

    And it wasn¡¯t just the knights¡ªnothing in this cursed mansion could inflict any serious damage on me.

    Right now, I was undeniably strong.

    The world might keep throwing curveballs at me, making it hard to appreciate my power, but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t formidable.

    <em>Wait... so does any of this even matter?</em>

    Lost in thought, I stepped into the corridor, noticing how the mansion had changed.

    The destruction I¡¯d wrought was spreading through the house, starting from the room I just cleared.

    Ornaments were shattered, the decor ripped apart, blood¡ªpresumably human¡ªsttered across the floors and walls.

    Wind gusted in through broken windows, rattling the chandelier overhead.

    Ignoring the eerie noise that echoed through the halls, I opened yet another intact door.

    <em>At this rate, I feel like I¡¯m bing the demolition crew for this ce.</em>

    And it wasn¡¯t like I was going around smashing things on purpose.

    I kept heading upward.

    I wrecked what was once a dining hall where a family likely shared warm meals.

    I smashed the head of ady ghost who had probably once lounged in a room filled with jewelry and fine clothes.

    I defeated a butler who blocked my path to the top floor.

    I turned the once lord of this mansion, who had guarded his office, into ashes.

    With each encounter, the mansion¡¯s state deteriorated further.

    What had once been a well-kept house, ready to wee guests, was now a ruin because of one uninvited intruder¡ªme.

    ¡¸It¡¯s starting to look more and more like the mansion we saw from the outside.¡¹

    I had reached the top floor.

    The final untouched room in this wreck of a mansion: Adri¡¯s bedroom.

    When I threw open the door, there she was, seated on the bed, legs crossed, just as she had greeted me when I first arrived.

    ¡°Who... are you?¡±

    The first thing out of her mouth, spoken in a cold, detached tone.

    ¡°Why does everything crumble in your wake? How can you interfere in <em>my</em> mansion, which should be under my control?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the Apostle of the Great, Almighty Trash God?.¡±

    I spat out the words of power with all the mockery I could muster.

    What? Is there a problem with a god¡¯s apostle performing miracles?

    If you don¡¯t like it, feel free to file aint with my Trash God by prayer. Though, good luck getting a response¡ªhe barely even talks to me, thezy bum.

    As Adri furrowed her brows, I kept going.

    ¡°So, what do you <em>think</em> you know?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see... maybe a bit more than a shut-in ghost like you?? Obviously?.¡±

    Did she even realize how many times I had conquered this mansion?

    While she remained clueless, I had defeated her hundreds of times.

    Hell, I¡¯d even taken her down bare-handed before, without a single piece of equipment.

    So, what could I <em>possibly</em> not know about this mansion?

    I answered with a grin, but it wasn¡¯t the answer Adri wanted, as her scowl deepened, and she slowly rose from the bed.

    ¡°I see. If you won¡¯t answer willingly, I¡¯ll just force it out of you.¡±

    With that, she lifted her hand, and I was suddenly flung into the air, ejected from the room.

    I didn¡¯t have time to regain my bnce.

    As soon as I hit the ground, the floor tilted, sending me tumbling like a ball down the hallway. Sliding like I was on a massive yground slide, I was dumped unceremoniously in front of the main entrance again.

    I grimaced from the impact and forced myself to stand, looking up to see Adri at the top of the stairs.

    ¡°I¡¯ll punish you, you audacious little thief, for trying to steal <em>my</em> mansion.¡±

    As she spoke, all the doors in the mansion flung open, and out came a variety of objects¡ªeverything from brooms and dusters to cursed spellbooks, enchanted swords, and even staves that summoned the undead.

    Watching the poltergeist-like scene unfold, I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    This was the first phase of the fight with Adri.

    I had to dodge the endless barrage of flying objects, make my way to the top floor, and deal enough damage to her.

    The first time I encountered this pattern, it was a nightmare.

    The second you let your guard down, something would hit you, and you¡¯d be stun-locked, left vulnerable to a chain of attacks that would lead to instant death.

    But that was back then. Now? This wouldn¡¯t even be a warm-up for me.

    The attacks followed a set pattern.

    For example, the broom would smack you to stun you, then a sword would strike your legs, followed by a spellbookunching a curse at the exact spot.

    The coding was clearly designed to screw over the yer, but once you memorized the sequence, it was a different story.

    I could already see where to dodge.

    ¡°What the...?¡±

    ¡¸Hoh. You¡¯ve got good reflexes.¡¹

    I dodged the first attack and sprinted forward as praise echoed around me.

    But they didn¡¯t know¡ªthis wasn¡¯t about reflexes.

    I wasn¡¯t reacting to the attacks. I already knew where they wereing from and how to avoid them. It was all muscle memory.

    ¡°Damn it! Why aren¡¯t you getting hit?!¡±

    Adri was getting frustrated as I deftly dodged her attacks.

    What could I say?

    She was up against me.

    ¡°Are you even <em>trying</em> to hit me?? For real?? Or are you just ying around??¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°If I¡¯m annoying, why don¡¯t youe <em>shut me up</em>, huh?? Oh wait, you <em>can¡¯t</em> because you¡¯re just a pathetic shut-in ghost!?¡±

    I scaled the stairs to the second floor, then vaulted over the railings to the third.

    Without a scratch, I reached Adri¡¯s location.

    Panicking, she began gathering objects around her in defense, but it was just another one of her tired, predictable patterns.

    I dodged the iing barrage and brought my mace down hard on Adri¡¯s pale, ghostly face, imbued with divine power.

    ¡°Kghhh!¡±

    That had to hurt.

    After all, I had honed my mace skills with one goal in mind: smashing Nakrard¡¯s skull.

    Even as Adri writhed in pain and tried desperately to push me away, it was futile.

    She might be a boss, but she was still a mage-type.

    There was no way her physical prowess couldpare to that of a holy knight who had trained relentlessly to strengthen her body.

    I kept swinging.

    Again and again.

    If she weren¡¯t a ghost, I¡¯m pretty sure her skull would¡¯ve shattered by now.

    And then, a shockwave erupted from her, centered on where I had been bashing her.

    I had anticipated this, so I tried to brace myself, but it was no use.

    Some force pried my feet from the ground, and I was thrown from the fourth floor back down to the first.

    I rolled as I hit the ground, then quickly stood up, ring upward.

    ¡°You bitch!¡±

    Adri, clutching her head, stumbled as she got back up. Her voice wasced with venom as she waved her hand.

    In an instant, more undead, all identical to her, began appearing throughout the mansion, and the objects that had momentarily dropped to the floor floated back into the air.

    ¡°I¡¯ll <em>kill</em> you.¡±

    Her voice echoed from the mouths of countless Adri clones throughout the mansion. It had always been creepy in the game, but seeing it in real life was downright horrifying.

    Memories of old nightmares came flooding back.

    Back then, I didn¡¯t know how to tell the real Adri from the fakes. I just went around blindly attacking everything, only to end up getting overwhelmed by the flying objects and dying repeatedly.

    I don¡¯t even remember how many attempts it took to beat her. It was at least a few hours¡¯ worth of tries.

    But now, I know exactly how to distinguish the real one from the fakes.

    Effortlessly blocking a sword aimed at me, I nced around the room.

    Lucky me.

    Starting from the first floor made things a whole lot easier.

    Spotting the real Adri, I dashed forward. She tried to retreat in a panic, but it was far toote.

    You knew from the start you wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me, Adri.

    As soon as my mace mmed into Adri¡¯s head, all the undead and floating objects vanished, disappearing like a popped bubble.

    And then, not long after, more Adri clones reappeared.

    ¡°Can you find me again this time?¡±

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t?? Seriously??¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the real one in front of the painting in the reception room on the second floor?? Come on, say I¡¯m wrong?.¡±

    Sorry, Adri, but the moment I figured out your first location, your fate was sealed.

    I¡¯ve memorized every spot you respawn in.

    You¡¯re one of the boss monsters in <em>Soul Academy</em>, after all.

    And unless you¡¯re suddenly stronger than me¡ªstrong enough to crush me by sheer force¡ªno matter what you do, you won¡¯t escape my grasp.

    So how about you just give up already?

    I mean, I¡¯d prefer not to take this exam running on zero sleep.

 Chapter 107

    The moment my mace smashed down on Adri¡¯s face, all the countless objects that had been floating through the mansion ttered to the ground.

    I¡¯d seen this pattern about four times now, so this should be the point where she finally goes down.

    Just in case, I raised my shield to prepare for any sneak attacks, but Adri didn¡¯t reappear.

    Instead, a door leading out of the dungeon appeared, along with a table disying my rewards.

    So that¡¯s it for phase two, I guess.

    If I leave the dungeon now, the dungeon raid will be over, but I still haven¡¯t saved Adri.

    Which means, there¡¯s still more work to do.

    This took longer than I expected.

    Searching through every single room while clearing the dungeon naturally took up a lot of time.

    If I could¡¯ve skipped through the monsters like in a regr dungeon, this wouldn¡¯t have dragged on for so long.

    At this point, it¡¯s not just a matter of whether I¡¯ll get any sleep before the exam, but whether I¡¯ll even make it to the exam hall in time.

    I¡¯ve lost track of how long it¡¯s been, but I really hope I at least have time to get back to the dorm and wash up.

    ¡¸Have you managed to hold out well?¡¹

    ¡®More or less.¡¯

    Even if I can¡¯t endure something, my skills force me to hang in there.

    Even if I wanted to copse, I simply can¡¯t.

    But honestly, this level of difficulty feels manageable, even without the skills.

    I¡¯ve been through simr training over and over again in the Allen household.

    Sure, Fosel¡¯s training was brutal, but it wasn¡¯t pointless.

    Passing the entrance to the dungeon, I headed toward the ce I¡¯d visited thest time I cleared this mansion dungeon.

    The iron door was locked tight, but the key Vissy gave me slipped in, and the door opened without resistance.

    I¡¯m almost done. Let¡¯s finish this quickly and get some rest.

    I was born into a family of necromancers. As a child, I didn¡¯t realize this was anything unusual.

    My mother. My father.

    Everyone in the family used necromancy, so how could a little girl, just learning to walk, think anything was strange?

    When I first learned necromancy and showed my skills, my parents were overjoyed.

    They said I had talent. That I would be the one to bring honor to our family.

    They hugged me and smiled.

    So, I practiced harder, wanting to make my mother and father proud.

    Normally, this kind of story would follow a girl who discovers her ideals after venturing out into the world, but unfortunately, I never got the chance to realize mine while I was alive.

    Before I could figure it out, the Church¡¯s knights came and burned our family to the ground.

    At the time, I was too young to understand what was happening. I was just locked in the basement by my parents.

    They promised toe back and get me when it was over.

    So I waited.

    Living in the basement wasn¡¯t too difficult.

    There was water.

    There was food.

    Aside from the fact that I couldn¡¯t go outside and had to be alone, I was fine.

    I was lonely, but I endured.

    I kept believing in salvation.

    Studying necromancy, hoping that when I grew up, my parents would be proud.

    One day.@@novelbin@@

    Two days.

    A week.

    A month.

    There was no twist to the story.

    The child born into a necromancer family died alone in that family¡¯s ruins.

    That¡¯s all there was to it.

    <em>Creak.</em>

    The sound of a door opening outside woke Adri from her thoughts.

    Huh? I could¡¯ve sworn I just...

    Adri sprang to her feet.

    The face of the demon who hunted her shed through her mind.

    No matter what attack she tried, it was effortlessly dodged.

    Even when cursed, the demon justughed as if nothing had happened.

    That smug grin as it taunted her.

    And without hesitation, it had crushed her head.

    <em>Is iting?</em>

    <em>What should I do?</em>

    <em>Where can I run?</em>

    <em>Does running even matter?</em>

    If it¡¯s that monster, it¡¯ll chase me no matter where I go, won¡¯t it?

    <em>What is that woman?</em>

    Adri hated that small girl. She despised her.

    But more than anything, she was terrified of her.

    That monster who shattered all logic, who made no sense.

    As the voices outside grew louder, Adri¡¯s trembling body stiffened as she suddenly remembered where she had seen that face before.

    ¡®Wait.¡¯

    <em>Do I... know that monster?</em>

    <em>How?</em>

    She wasn¡¯t a member of our family.

    She¡¯s a being that stands in opposition to necromancers.

    So how could I possibly know her?

    In the midst of her confusion, Adri¡¯s hand reached up to the ribbon tied in her hair.

    This...

    ¡®Is this what you were looking for? Go ahead, take it.¡¯

    ...

    And then it all came back to her.

    The events that had urred after she became a specter.

    The days she spent alone in the mansion, now in ruins, with no idea why.

    The loneliness that made her long forpany, even though everyone who saw her ran away.

    And then one day, the appearance of Vissy, who spoke to her.

    The girl who destroyed the dungeon in this mansion and gave her the ribbon.

    The door burst open, and Adri looked up to see the girl, casually resting a mace on her shoulder, smirking.

    ¡°Lucy...¡±

    Vissy had called her that, hadn¡¯t she?

    It seemed like the girl hadn¡¯t expected to be addressed by name.

    She raised an eyebrow before her lips curled into a smug grin.

    ¡°Hmph. What a surprise. I thought you¡¯d long since lost your mind, old ghost hag.¡±

    ¡°Who are you calling a hag?¡±

    Adri scowled, clearly unhappy with the title.

    It was a familiar expression.

    The grumbling, bad-tempered girl.

    And yet, she was once an exceptional necromancer who taught yers the art of necromancy.

    Adri.

    I¡¯d always thought I¡¯d run into her again at some point, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this soon.

    Guess I have our petty dark god to thank for that.

    ¡®Do you remember everything?¡¯

    ¡°Lonely old hag. Do you remember now?¡±

    ¡°Who are you calling an old hag, you damn brat?¡±

    I could tell she was furious, bute on, by age alone, she¡¯s practically a grandma.

    Even if you added up both my past and present lives, I¡¯d still be younger than her. She¡¯s old enough to deserve the title.

    And besides, what could I do? The Mesugaki skill makes me call her that.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go. Vissy¡¯s waiting for you.¡¯

    ¡°Stop grumbling and let¡¯s go, hag. Your granddaughter¡¯s waiting.¡±

    ¡°Ugh... Now I get why Vissy doesn¡¯t like you.¡±

    Adri sighed deeply, muttering to herself. Guess she¡¯d beenining about me plenty when she wasn¡¯t around.

    Not surprising. It¡¯s hard to find someone who¡¯s suffered as much as Vissy has because of me.

    ¡°Hey, kid.¡±

    ¡®Yeah?¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s up, lonely old hag?¡±

    ¡°What happened here today... Don¡¯t tell Vissy. Especially not about me.¡±

    At first, her request might have seemed odd, but I knew why Adri was asking.

    She puts on a front when she¡¯s around Vissy.

    To be more specific, before bing the dungeon¡¯s core, she had no memories of her life and acted innocent.

    And even now, after regaining all her memories, she still wanted to maintain that innocent image in front of Vissy.

    Because she genuinely considered Vissy a friend.

    ¡®Got it.¡¯

    ¡°Fine. Since you¡¯re so desperate, I¡¯ll do you that favor, old hag.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not desperate! You little... ugh...¡±

    She made a motion as if pounding on her chest, looking exasperated.

    If she weren¡¯t a ghost, I¡¯d honestly worry about her blood pressure at this point.

    After our brief conversation, I led Adri out of the room.

    She was no longer the dungeon boss.

    Now that she had regained all of her memories, she was just a grumbling ghost who cared deeply about her one and only friend.

    All that was left was to get her out of the dungeon and reunite her with Vissy.

    Then I could finally take my exam.

    As Adri continued to grumble about being called a hag, we finally reached the front entrance.

    <ul>

    <li><em>Ding.</em></li>

    </ul>

    A sound rang in my ears.

    I didn¡¯t need to wonder who it was.

    There was only one person petty enough to mess with me at a time like this.

    [Agra is watching you.]

    Oh, hello there, petty dark god.

    I¡¯ve been waiting for you to show up.

    The stalker who had been watching me raid dungeons around the Academy every single day, and now decides to make his move at the very end?

    Honestly, there¡¯s not a single decent god out there, is there?

    Oops. Except Armathi this time¡ªhe actually did his job for once.

    I almost lumped him in out of habit.

    Anyway, evil gods are always the worst.

    As soon as the message appeared, the exit and the rewards table disappeared. At the same time, a group of armored undead emerged at the mansion¡¯s front door.

    They were nothing like the knights who blocked me before.

    The bloodstained armor they wore... these weren¡¯t the same mansion guards.

    The way they held their weapons.

    The way they stood in formation.

    The way they red at me.

    Theycked nothing. These were true veterans.

    ¡°Those cursed knights from the Church.¡±

    ¡¸Tsk. For knights of the Church to fall to an evil god and be undead... pitiful.¡¹

    Are these the same people who raided this mansion?

    That exins why they didn¡¯t back down, even when they saw the divine power in my mace.

    <ul>

    <li>

    Child blessed by the gods, stand aside before the undead.

    </li>

    <li>

    Necromancers must be erased from this world.

    </li>

    <li>

    Refuse to step aside, and we will deem you a heretic.

    </li>

    </ul>

    A heretic? <em>Me</em>?

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at the ridiculousness.

    If I¡¯m a heretic, then is there anyone in the Church who isn¡¯t?

    Whatever I do, I probably represent the will of the gods more urately than these guys.

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?? Pathetic knights? Acting all arrogant when you¡¯ve never even heard the voice of a god?¡±

    I said it, but I wasn¡¯t entirely sure I could take them down.

    They didn¡¯t seem quite as overwhelming as the alchemist I¡¯d faced before, but they weren¡¯t pushovers either.

    If it were a one-on-one fight, I could maybe give it a shot, but there were too many of them.

    Knights trained in formation don¡¯t fight like individuals.

    They be a single, nightmarish entity.

    I¡¯d seen it back when I trained in the Allen family. I knew all too well what knights could do when they banded together.

    They could hunt me down like I was nothing.

    Even if I had the advantage here... this wasn¡¯t going to be easy.

    But.

    Well.

    Backing down wasn¡¯t an option.

    I didn¡¯t go through all this trouble, endure all this pain, just to walk away empty-handed.

    Sorry, but I¡¯m far too petty to just take the loss and run!

    The moment I made my decision and raised my mace, the objects I¡¯d previously scattered across the mansion began floating into the air once again.

    ¡°You know, kid, I expected you to run. But you¡¯ve got more guts than I thought. I¡¯ll give you that.¡±

    Hearing Adri¡¯s voice behind me, I could only stare at her in disbelief.

    This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.

    Adri was still the dungeon¡¯s core.

    Even if she retained her power as a boss, this wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d ever seen happen before.

    This was new.

    Since the moment I entered this world, variables had constantly threatened my survival.

    They had thrown me into crisis after crisis.

    And now, for the first time, one of those variables was actually helping me.

    ¡°What are you staring at, brat?¡±

    ¡®You sure talk big for someone I just beat down.¡¯

    ¡°Wow, the hag I crushed is still talking big. Must be old age making you delusional.¡±

    Now this... this is going to be fun.

 Chapter 108

    "...If you hadn''t saved me, I wouldn''t have let you off so easily."

    Hearing Adri''s words, the thought <em>And what exactly would you have done if you didn''t let me off?</em> immediately came to mind, but I held my tongue.

    After all, provoking someone who''s trying to help me could backfire. I''d rather not get smacked in the back of the head.

    Though, it seems like I¡¯ve already provoked her a bit, I should probably hold back for now.

    ...

    I have this growing feeling that my skill is gradually taking over my personality. At this rate, I might start calling people "pathetic" even without the skill, just out of habit.

    ¡°Damn brat. You take care of the one in front. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±

    ''Understood.''

    "Sure thing, lonely old hag."

    If she means the one in front, that would be the knight who told me to step aside.

    ¡¸She¡¯s just passed the burden to you naturally, hasn¡¯t she?¡¹

    ''Really?''

    ¡¸That guy is the leader of these knights. She¡¯s asking you to keep him upied. You understand what that means, right?¡¹

    Yeah, I get it. No matter how skilled the knights are, without someone to lead them, their coordination will break down.

    And for undead, who have lost most of their reasoning, it¡¯s even more important to have someone directing them.

    So Adri¡¯s request is for me to deal with the strongest, most annoying leader while she takes care of the minions.

    After wandering the afterlife for so long, she¡¯s pretty cunning.

    She¡¯s acting all generous, like she¡¯s going to handle everything, but in reality, she¡¯s dumped the hardest job on me.

    But still, this is better than having to face them all on my own.

    I raised my shield and faced the undead knights.

    Their attention wasn¡¯t on me, but on Adri.

    That¡¯s not only because knights hate necromancers, but because they see her as the bigger threat.

    It¡¯s only natural.

    Which would you find more terrifying, a dungeon boss or a small girl holding a shield?

    Normally, a tank wouldn¡¯t be able to draw their attention here.

    Compared to Adri, my presence is insignificant.

    But I¡¯m no ordinary tank.

    I¡¯ve got a taunt skill that works like a charm.

    "Pathetic knights of the Trash God, dancing like puppets for the Petty Evil God?."

    As soon as I said that, all their eyes turned toward me.

    "Doesn¡¯t it embarrass you to act all tough like that?? If I were you, I would¡¯ve died of shame already?."

    <ul>

    <li>We have embraced disgrace. We follow the will of the god to eradicate necromancers from this world...</li>

    </ul>

    "Oh, you mean the Trash God?? Seriously??"

    <ul>

    <li>How dare you defile the name of the Great God!</li>

    </ul>

    Even while being manipted by Agra, they still cling to Armathi¡¯s name.

    How pitiful and sad.

    Their anger shows they genuinely believe they¡¯re doing the right thing.

    "Did you know?? The Trash God doesn¡¯t even hate necromancers, right??"

    <ul>

    <li>

    What nonsense.

    </li>

    <li>

    How could you know such a thing?!

    </li>

    </ul>

    "I¡¯m the apostle of the Trash God, you moronic knights?."

    The Trash God you think you¡¯re so devoted to even pushed me to save Adri when I hesitated.

    If he truly hated necromancers, that wouldn¡¯t have happened, right?

    <ul>

    <li>You dare try to deceive us!</li>

    </ul>

    "Wow, you guys are <em>so</em> dumb? That¡¯s why you¡¯re getting yed by the Evil God? Pathetic intelligence? Heretics who¡¯ve never even heard the voice of a god? Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll get purified just by looking at a cross??"

    <ul>

    <li>Silence!</li>

    </ul>

    Consumed by rage, the leader of the knights at the front charged at me, while the objects flying around targeted the knights behind him.

    Normally, the leader would have directed how to handle such threats, but now he¡¯s too distracted by me to do that.

    All he sees is my face in his sights.

    I caught his two-handed sword strike on my shield.

    He¡¯s strong, no doubt about it.

    My hands shook from the impact against my shield.

    But I can handle this.

    I¡¯ve been through worse countless times.

    ¡°Are you really the leader of the knights? Even orcs can hit harder than this? Come on?.¡±

    Dealing with swords is second nature to me by now.

    When I first started using a shield, my sparring partners wielded swords.

    And more recently, I¡¯ve been constantly training with Freyr.

    Both of them are exceptionally talented when ites to swordsmanship.

    When you spar with people like them, facing mediocre swordsmen like this knight leader just makes youpare.

    Freyr would¡¯ve pressed me far harder by now.

    And if it were Karl, he¡¯d have noticed that the gap on my right side is a trap and would¡¯ve attacked somewhere else.

    Neither of them would have given me the time to swing my mace.

    To put it bluntly, this knight leader¡¯s swordsmanship pales inparison.

    Physically, he might be stronger than Freyr, maybe evenparable to Karl.

    Butcking the technique to back it up, he¡¯s no real threat.

    ¡°So this is what passes for a knight leader?? The Church must¡¯ve been a real joke in the old days?.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Silence!</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°You should apologize to your subordinates for making them follow such a loser? And apologize to the Church for letting them knight you?.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>I told you to shut up!</li>

    </ul>

    "Are you mad?? What are you going to do about it?? You can¡¯t even scratch my shield, you pathetic loser?."

    From the start, this knight leader¡¯s swordsmanship wasckingpared to Freyr¡¯s.

    Now that he¡¯s lost control of his emotions and is just swinging wildly, his form haspletely fallen apart.

    At this point, he¡¯s no longer a knight.

    How could you call someone who¡¯s lost both skill andposure a knight?

    He¡¯s more like a low-level monster.

    A brainless, weak creature that relies solely on brute force.

    As I blocked his sword, I pushed it aside with my shield and swung my mace.@@novelbin@@

    <em>Thud!</em>

    No matter how sturdy his armor was.

    No matter how strong his body was.

    Since he was undead, there was no way he could withstand a mace imbued with Armathi¡¯s divine power.

    The knight was forced to retreat, clutching his side where I struck him.

    ¡°Heh? Does it hurt to get hit with divine power?? Pathetic undead? Even Hell wouldn¡¯t take trash like you?.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>You damn...</li>

    </ul>

    Smiling, I nced behind him and saw Adri¡¯s magic overwhelming the other knights one by one.

    That¡¯s how it should be.

    Adri, who can turn the mansion itself into a weapon, isn¡¯t someone you can beat just by having numbers on your side.

    Sure, she had a tough time earlier, but now those knights are just clueless idiots who don¡¯t know how to deal with her patterns.

    If their leader were still inmand, maybe they¡¯d stand a chance, but right now, he¡¯s too busy ring at me.

    Without leadership, how could a disorganized rabble resist someone as powerful as Adri?

    With Adri taking care of the rest, all that¡¯s left for me to do is finish off the knight leader.

    I could probably just hold him off until Adri finishes them off, but she¡¯d probably have something to say about that.

    Taking a deep breath, I began muttering a prayer under my breath.

    A series of divine spells to enhance my physical abilities.

    Armathi¡¯s divine power wrapped around my body.

    ¡¸Are you going to finish him off?¡¹

    ¡®That¡¯s the n.¡¯

    ¡¸Do as you wish. You can definitely win.¡¹

    I already know that, Grandpa.

    Even though I answered him in my head, for some reason, a grin crept onto my face.

    I refocused on the knight leader charging at me once again.

    I watched his sword.

    Simple. Predictable.

    No subtlety at all.

    It was just a mindless, rage-fueled strike.

    It looked almost effortless to deflect.

    As I raised my shield, the skill guiding me confirmed that my n was perfect.

    I moved with confidence.

    Shield met sword, and his clumsy strike was deflected once again.

    His exposed side, the one I¡¯d hit earlier, was wide open.

    I struck it with my mace, and the knight leader staggered back, clutching his side again.

    Now, let¡¯s see how durable this knight leader really is.

    I struck his shoulder, making him drop his sword.

    I hit his face, blinding him for a moment.

    Then I kicked him in the stomach, sending him sprawling on the ground.

    I quickly mounted him and brought my mace down on his head.

    Again.

    And again.

    Over and over, until his form finally crumbled into ashes and disappeared.

    Looking around, I saw that the other knights had already been taken care of by Adri.

    ¡°Hey, brat. You¡¯re pretty ruthless, huh?¡±

    Was I?

    I can¡¯t really see myself, so I wouldn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Think there¡¯s any guy out there who¡¯ll want to date you, fighting like that?¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s not something you need to worry about.¡¯

    ¡°Aww, I¡¯m <em>so</em> touched that a lonely, old spinster hag is worried about me. Thanks so much.¡±

    ¡°Hey! You little...!¡±

    I guess calling her a ¡°spinster hag¡± hit a nerve, seeing her stomp her feet in frustration. Ignoring her, I headed for the dungeon¡¯s exit.

    The reward for clearing this dungeon is the sword the knight leader used.

    It¡¯s decent, but it¡¯s not much use to me.

    After all, I n to keep using Grandpa¡¯s weapon until I have no other choice.

    With a semi-endgame weapon in hand, why would I use anything else?

    I could sell it off through the Newman family or give it to Karl or Freyr as a gift.

    Hmm. Freyr¡¯s going to get a dedicated weaponter, so I¡¯ll give it to Karl as a hand-me-down.

    Picking up the sword, I stepped out of the mansion with Adri, where Vissy was leaning against the wall, dozing off.

    I could wake her up myself, but that wouldn¡¯t be very fun.

    Instead, I nced at Adri without saying a word. Catching my drift, she pressed her lips together.

    After a moment of hesitation, she carefully approached Vissy.

    <ul>

    <li>Wake up, Vissy.</li>

    </ul>

    Hearing the ghostly voice, Vissy slowly opened her eyes. The moment she saw Adri smiling, she grabbed her in a tight hug.

    ¡°Adri! You¡¯re back!¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Yes. It¡¯s all thanks to her.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Her? Oh! Lady Allen! Thank you so much! Truly, thank you! I¡¯ll never say a bad word about you ever again!¡±

    So you¡¯ve said bad things about me before, huh?

    Guess you contributed to my bad reputation too, didn¡¯t you?

    That¡¯s kind of annoying.

    I¡¯ll let it slide since you¡¯re crying your eyes out with gratitude, but I¡¯ll remember this.

    As I nced at Adri, I could see her lips trembling.

    Must be tough for her, pretending to be all sweet and innocent around Vissy after speaking her mind inside the mansion, huh?

    Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep your secret.

    It¡¯ll be fun to see how long you can keep up this act.

    Chuckling to myself, I was suddenly struck by how unusually bright it was outside the mansion.

    ¡®Vissy.¡¯

    ¡°Yes, Lady Allen?¡±

    ¡®What time is it right now?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s... 8:47!¡±

    ¡¸Youngdy, didn¡¯t you say your first exam was at 9?¡¹

    Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.

    I¡¯m so screwed.

    Forget this heartwarming reunion¡ªI don¡¯t have time for this!

    I¡¯m going to bete for my exam!

    ¡®I¡¯ll be going now!¡¯ "See youter, losers!"

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Lady Allen?!</li>

    </ul>

    Jumping out through the shattered second-floor window, I bolted toward the exam hall.

    I can¡¯t afford to fail because of beingte!

    This exam is linked to the quest the Trash God gave me!

 Chapter 109

    The students of the academy don¡¯t seem to have a strong sense of solidarity with each other.

    While they recognize each other as peers who entered the academy in the same year, that¡¯s about it.

    Since students don¡¯t stay in the same ssroom with the same group for all their lessons and instead move between various ssrooms to attend the courses they choose, it''s difficult to form a strong bond based on being in the same year.

    Some may care about those close to them, but for the rest, indifference is natural.

    As a result, when someone is absent, it''s usually the professor who notices, while the students remain mostly unconcerned.

    However, right before the 9 a.m. history midterm was about to begin, the students attending the ss were well aware of one missing person.

    The nobledy who had be a dominant presence among the first-year students of Soul Academy¡ªLucy Allen¡ªhad yet to show up.

    It was a peculiar situation.

    Lucy had never missed a ss before.

    True, she spent more time staring at her desk than at the ckboard during lessons, but she always attended.

    So why was she suddenly absent from the exam?

    While Lucy Allen often found herself at the center of rumors¡ªmostly not favorable ones¡ªher presence was always notable.

    It was only natural that several students were puzzled by her absence.

    <em>Why isn¡¯t she here?</em>

    <em>Maybe she wasn¡¯t confident about this exam?</em>

    <em>She probably nned to cheat and failed, so she ran away.</em>

    <em>She¡¯s probably pretending to be sick to avoid taking the test.</em>

    <em>Now that I think about it, the dorm supervisor was looking for Lucy Allen yesterday.</em>

    <em>Was she not in the dormst night?</em>@@novelbin@@

    <em>She¡¯s always getting into something strange.</em>

    As the students whispered among themselves, the door opened, and the history professor entered the ssroom.

    The elderly professor, with his white hair and wrinkled face, walked slowly, leaning on his cane, and scanned the students.

    "Is someone missing?"

    The person the professor referred to was the same one the students had been talking about.

    The professor didn¡¯t know Lucy Allen was absent because he was particrly dedicated to remembering all his students'' faces.

    It was simply because the audacious count¡¯s daughter who often called him a "geezer professor" had left an impression.

    It¡¯s not every day that a highly respected historian like him gets insulted as a "toothless old geezer."

    "I''m not sure what the reason is, but an exam is an exam. Even if someone iste, we have to proceed as..."

    <em>Bang!</em>

    As the history professor was continuing to exin how the exam must follow the rules, the door swung open, and someone stepped inside.

    Wearing armor that showed signs of battle.

    Carrying a shieldrger than most men¡¯s torsos on her back.

    With hair wildly tangled as if she had rushed to get here.

    It was Lucy Allen.

    The very person who had been the center of all the recent whispers now entered the room, breathing heavily, wiping her hair back, and walking toward the ss.

    ¡°Lady Allen? What in the world...?¡±

    The history professor, taken aback by her battle-worn appearance, began to speak, but Lucy Allen didn¡¯t lose any of her confidence.

    ¡°What is it, geezer professor?¡±

    ¡°Why are you in armor for the exam?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no rule saying I can¡¯t wear armor, is there? Or are you getting confused in your old age? If not, I don¡¯t see any problem.¡±

    The history professor bit his lip.

    He had plenty to say.

    Even if there wasn¡¯t a specific rule against it, there was such a thing as decorum andmon sense, wasn¡¯t there?

    Who shows up for an exam in battle gear, intimidating the other students?

    There were countless other things he could point out, too.

    But the professor didn¡¯t say anything.

    From past experience, he knew that if he said one more word, he would be bombarded with countless sharp retorts.

    As he grew older, the professor had be more sensitive and didn¡¯t want to engage in a verbal sparring match with such an audacious student.

    "Take your seat. We¡¯ll begin the exam shortly."

    ¡®Excuse me...¡¯

    "Hey, extra. Got an extra pen? I¡¯ll be gracious enough to use your crappy one, so hand it over."

    ¡°S-Sure!¡±

    Thanks to the kind cooperation of the student sitting in front of me, I managed to get a pen. After taking off my gauntlets and setting them aside, I stretched my arms.

    Phew. I almost thought I was going to bete for the exam.

    Our Trash God gave me a quest to get first ce in the academy exams, and I almost messed it up!

    It¡¯s not just any quest either¡ªit gives me an inventory function! I can¡¯t afford to lose that.

    The uses for an inventory are endless.

    If I¡¯d had an inventory, I could¡¯ve switched out of my armor into my uniform!

    Then I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with all the whispers like, <em>¡°What did she juste from?¡± ¡°Did she destroy something?¡± ¡°She¡¯s scary.¡± ¡°She should¡¯ve just stayed away.¡±</em>

    Sigh. People gossiping is nothing new, so I¡¯ll just ignore it.

    More importantly, I need to open the log function and pull up the exam content in advance.

    Grinning at the thought of being able to cheat legally, I opened the log window¡ªonly to be met with sentencespletely different from what I expected.

    <em>Pathetic?.</em>

    <em>Trash?.</em>

    <em>Useless?.</em>

    <em>Idiot?.</em>

    <em>Hag?.</em>

    The log was filled with conversations from the battle in Adri¡¯s mansionst night.

    What?

    Wha-wha-wha-WHAT?!

    In a panic, I scrolled to the top of the log and saw the phrase <em>¡°You pathetic excuse for a knight?¡±</em> staring back at me.

    I mmed my head on the desk.

    No way.

    This can¡¯t be right.

    How did the log fill uppletely just because I spent all day fighting yesterday?

    Where¡¯s all the history content I studied so hard to memorize?

    You useless log window!

    Give me back all the study notes I desperately recorded!

    You were useless in the game, and now you¡¯re staying useless in real life too?!

    Are you determined to be a failure in my life?

    You should at least be useful now! Stupid, worthless log window!

    ¡¸Why are you acting like that, child?¡¹

    ¡®...Grandpa. Please help me!¡¯

    Grandpa Armathi! Save me!

    At this rate, I¡¯ll have to gamble on this history exam!

    Sure, I might still get a decent score, but I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to ce first in the midterms like I¡¯m supposed to!

    Please help me, Grandpa Armathi!

    ¡¸If only you had studied properly beforehand, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡¹

    ¡®But...¡¯

    ¡¸No ¡®buts.¡¯ I already told you before, I¡¯m not going to help you with this. It¡¯s your own fault. Deal with it.¡¹

    Noooo! Grandpa Armathi!

    Don¡¯t be so harsh with me!

    I¡¯m sorry!

    I won¡¯t do this again! Please!

    Even as I pleaded, Grandpa remained firm.

    Are you still mad about being dunked in the toilet that one time?

    It¡¯s been days since then! Shouldn¡¯t a legendary holy knight like you be above such petty grudges?

    Damn it. Guess I have no choice.

    Looks like I¡¯ll just have to leave my history exam to the Dice God.

    With the curse Agra ced on me, my luck stat¡¯s gone up since thest exam, so maybe I¡¯ll get a higher score than average.

    I¡¯ll settle for that in history and focus on getting high scores in the other exams.

    Just as I began assigning numbers to each side of my pen, Grandpa Armathi spoke up.

    ¡¸Promise me one thing, and I¡¯ll help you with the exam.¡¹

    ¡®...What is it?¡¯

    ¡¸When this exam is over, you¡¯ll start studying properly from the basics.¡¹

    Ugh! Grandpa Armathi!

    You¡¯re really setting my most hated task as the condition?!

    True evil!

    Isn¡¯t there any mercy left in this world?

    Of course not!

    With our Trash God pretending to be a deity, how can I expect any kindness from above?

    ¡¸So, what do you say?¡¹

    ¡®I understand.¡¯

    I thought about it for a moment but gave my answer quickly.

    I¡¯d already been thinking that brushing up on the basics would be useful.

    Besides, I needed something to do while I trained my magic at night.

    It would definitely be boring and tedious, but it¡¯s probably time I give it a try.

    ¡¸Good. The first question is about the Sdin Kingdom...¡¹

    Jackal sat in a corner, watching the little girl dozing off.

    Her tired eyes.

    Her ck jaw.

    Her tiny, rxed body with no hint of tension.

    If she kept her eyes closed and her mouth shut, she looked like a pretty little doll, the kind you¡¯d find in a disy case.

    Lucy Allen.

    At least she was tolerable when she wasn¡¯t speaking.

    Once her mouth opened, though, disaster would follow.

    Despite the time that had passed since thest incident, Jackal still couldn¡¯t stand Lucy Allen.

    Her reckless behavior, fueled by her belief in her own genius, grated on his nerves in a way that made it impossible for him to like her.

    But soon, she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep her head held high anymore.

    Rumor had it that she hadn¡¯t paid attention in any of her sses this semester.

    And apparently, no one had seen her study on her own either.

    No matter how brilliant Lucy Allen might be, there¡¯s no way she can achieve good grades without cracking open a book.

    She¡¯s about to pay the price for her negligence.

    I wonder what expression she¡¯ll make when she falls behind the very people she¡¯s been looking down on.

    Heh. I¡¯ll enjoyughing at her when that dayes.

    "Next! Lady Lucy Allen of the Allen family! And Lady Freyr Kent of the Kent family!"

    After the previous match ended, Anton, thebat instructor, called for the next pair of students to spar.

    Despite Anton¡¯s loud voice, Lucy Allen didn¡¯t wake up.

    Could it be that she, notorious for herziness, actually stayed up studying all night?

    As Jackal found himself thinking how pathetic that was, Freyr Kent walked over to Lucy and poked her cheek.

    The students around them were shocked by the audacity of touching the infamous Lucy Allen, but Freyr didn¡¯t seem to care.

    ¡°Wake up.¡±

    When Lucy didn¡¯t respond, Freyr poked her cheek again, and Lucy¡¯s eyes finally opened.

    Without a word, Lucy lunged at Freyr, tackled her to the ground, and pinned her down, raising her fist to strike.

    A perfect ambush, giving Freyr no time to react.

    Despite the impact of being knocked over, Freyr didn¡¯t so much as flinch. She spoke in her usual calm voice.

    ¡°The match hasn¡¯t started yet.¡±

    Lucy blinked,ing to her senses, and got off of Freyr.

    There was no apology.

    ¡°She¡¯s got a seriously nasty personality.¡±

    ¡°No matter how cranky she is when she wakes up, that¡¯s too much.¡±

    Some students whispered amongst themselves, but Jackal ignored them.

    That wasn¡¯t just a temper tantrum.

    That was more like an automatic reaction.

    What kind of training does the Allen family put their knights through to make them react like that?

    It¡¯s terrifying.

    Freyr stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes after Lucy got off of her.

    ¡°Lucy.¡±

    ¡°What, you useless swordswoman?¡±

    ¡°Mind if I take the first move?¡±

    ¡°Do what you want.¡±

    Rather than being upset about the attack, Freyr seemed pleased to have secured the first strike.

 Chapter 110

    Despite the minormotion, the sparring match preparations proceeded as usual.

    If you asked who the strongest students in thisbat ss were, the first names that woulde up were Lucy Allen of the Allen family and Freyr Kent of the Kent family.

    In all their previous sparring matches, Lucy had dominated.

    No matter how aggressive Freyr¡¯s attacks were, everything became futile in front of Lucy¡¯s shield.

    Like a turtle hiding in its shell, Lucy blocked every attack. When she finally saw an opening, her counterattacks left Freyr with no chance to recover.

    Jackal, having witnessed these matches, felt both awe and jealousy.

    Who was Freyr Kent?

    She possessed the most outstanding martial prowess on the continent, unmatched by anyone.

    Jackal had once faced Freyr in a tournament hosted by a noble, just for fun, and he knew all too well how absurd her skills were.

    At the time, Jackal couldn¡¯t evennd a scratch on her.

    No matter how he swung his spear or what clever moves he tried, nothing worked.

    In the face of Freyr¡¯s overwhelming speed, everything Jackal had was like a child¡¯s y.

    Standing before the storm of her sword strikes, all he could do was be grateful that he survived.

    At the time, Jackal had told himself that it was simply a matter of not having trained enough to beat her, but deep down, he had already given up.

    He had resigned himself to the fact that no matter how much he trained, he could never defeat Freyr.

    That it was impossible to pierce through the genius who had reached the pinnacle of talent with his spear.

    He had no choice but to ept this.

    Yet, Jackal didn¡¯t feel envious of Freyr.

    How could anyone be jealous of someone who was blessed by the heavens with such extraordinary talent?

    Freyr Kent was destined to stand above others.

    She was a genius with a talent no one could rival.

    Everyone said so, and so did Jackal.

    But then Lucy Allen, in the simplest manner, brought Freyr down from her lofty pedestal.

    The very Lucy Allen who had once been called a disgrace to the Allen family.

    The one who caused trouble inside and outside of high society, only spared from ruin because of the Allen family¡¯s reputation.

    The same Lucy whom former teachers had called an idiot, saying they¡¯d never seen anyone so hopeless.

    The frail little girl who once struggled to catch her breath halfway up a staircase had defeated Freyr Kent, the continent¡¯s most renowned genius.

    At first, people dismissed it as a fluke.

    After all, how could that reckless girl, Lucy Allen, beat Freyr Kent?

    It didn¡¯t make sense.

    They said Freyr must have been careless.

    That she wasn¡¯t in her best condition.

    All sorts of excuses circted, but Lucy proved herself again by defeating Freyr once more.

    Lucy, who had no close friends and likely hadn¡¯t heard the rumors, wouldn¡¯t know.

    She wouldn¡¯t know that, despite her character, people were starting to recognize her abilities.

    That some were beginning to see the prowess of the Allen family¡¯s bloodline.

    Freyr Kent and Lucy Allen stood facing each other, ready for their match.

    Jackal knew the result this time wouldn¡¯t be any different from the others.

    Lucy would prove herself once again.

    Grinding his teeth in frustration, Jackal felt the jealousy boiling up inside him.

    <em>Talent.</em>

    In the end, it alles down to talent.

    No matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t defeat Lucy Allen, Freyr Kent, or Arthur Sdin because Ick talent, right?

    What¡¯s the point of being the freshman representative if no one respects me?

    People praise Arthur¡¯s knowledge.

    They gossip about Lucy¡¯s transformation.

    They marvel at Freyr¡¯s swordsmanship!

    Would it have been different if my older brother were here?

    Could I have kept pace with these shining stars?

    Did my brother¡¯s talent steal mine, leaving me a cog that could never turn?

    I...

    I am...

    Freyr stared at Lucy, who stood in front of her with her shield raised.

    There were numerous small scratches on the shield.

    The armor, too, showed signs of wear.

    As usual, Lucy was pretending to be rxed, but there was fatigue in her eyes.

    Lucy, who usually had the stamina to rival even active knights, was clearly tired. Something must have happenedst night.

    If this were any other knight, they might show some consideration for their opponent¡¯s condition.

    But Freyr didn¡¯t care about such things.

    What did it matter what state her opponent was in?

    All that mattered to her was pushing Lucy into a corner.

    Forcing her to speak more.

    And feeling that thrilling sensation crawl up her spine as the tension built.

    If, by some chance, she could win, that would be a bonus.

    Wait, if Lucy¡¯s not in top condition, maybe this is my chance.

    And I¡¯ve already secured the first strike.

    Alright. Today, I¡¯m going to win.

    Then I¡¯ll make Lucy mad.

    That way, next time, she¡¯ll say something even harsher.

    It¡¯s the perfect n.

    Freyr grinned to herself as she gripped her sword with both hands.

    ¡°Are both sides ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Confirmed. Then let the match begin.¡±

    Lucy showed no signs of weakness.

    Even in her exhausted state, she was still Lucy.

    She had trained to fight as if everything was normal, even in extreme situations.

    Freyr never expected Lucy to show any openings from the start.

    To create an opening, she would have to repeatedly strike at the shell of that sturdy turtle until it finally cracked.

    Determined, Freyr charged at Lucy without hesitation.

    Against Lucy, it wasn¡¯t aboutnding a powerful blow.

    It was about quick, relentless strikes.

    Attacks that would shake her concentration.

    Pressuring the turtle until it was forced to stick its head out.

    As Freyr swung her sword, Lucy¡¯s shield was there to meet it.

    It was almost as if she had read Freyr¡¯s mind, her movements were that precise.

    As expected of Lucy.

    She knows exactly how to make things hard for me.

    As her sword was deflected, Freyr¡¯s mind raced with thoughts.

    How should I swing next?

    What should I aim for?

    What kind of attack would make Lucy uneasy?

    ¡°You useless swordswoman? You don¡¯t even know the meaning of progress? All you do is swing that pathetic sword, and even your swordsmanship is trash? Dumb and dull? Heh?.¡±

    Laughter.

    Thatughter pierced through all the other sounds in the sparring hall and echoed in Freyr¡¯s ears.

    Freyr felt her heart pound, a grin creeping onto her face.

    This time, she was going to break Lucy.

    She was going to make sure Lucyy on the ground, defeated and crestfallen.

    She <em>would</em>.

    ¡®I¡¯m so tired I could die.¡¯

    ¡¸You¡¯re moving pretty well for someone who says that.¡¹

    ¡®Moving is one thing, being tired is another.¡¯

    Sincest night, I hadn¡¯t stopped moving for even a moment.

    Fatigue weighed heavily on me.

    If Iy down in bed and closed my eyes, I felt like I could sleep until the sun rose and set again.

    It was a miracle I managed to get through my sparring match with Freyr without copsing.

    There were moments when my mind just went nk.

    If it weren¡¯t for my Iron Wall skill constantly telling me where to hold my shield, I might¡¯ve lost to Freyr.

    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have cared much if I lost to her, but this was an exam.

    Even though sparring exams didn¡¯t focus on the win-loss result, it still bothered me.

    Anyway, I managed to get through the sparring exam, and there¡¯s only one more exam to go before I¡¯m free for the day.

    Then again, it¡¯s hard to call this next one an "exam."

    The dungeon studies test gives full marks if you¡¯ve cleared above the 30th floor of an academy dungeon during the semester, so I¡¯m guaranteed to ace it.

    Even if I show up at the exam site, I won¡¯t have to actually take the test.

    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have to go to the exam site at all, but I had no choice today.

    I needed to be there to observe which student was acting under Nakrad¡¯s orders.

    Back when Soul Academy was just a game, the event during midterms urred during the dungeon studies test.

    While the test was happening, a mysterious dungeon entrance would appear, and monsters would emerge.

    It waster revealed that the reason for this sudden dungeon was because a student, under the influence of an apostle of the Evil God, had used a magical artifact.

    This time, during the dungeon studies exam, I¡¯m sure a student will use a magical artifact.

    Normally, the apostle¡¯s orders wouldn¡¯t havee into y since I cleared out the dungeons, but Nakrad, that bastard, cheated and created a new dungeon.

    He¡¯s probably given the student something that can connect to the dungeon.

    That student, unaware of anything, will follow Nakrad¡¯s instructions and use the artifact, but nothing will happen.

    Why? Because I destroyed that dungeon.

    Looking back, it¡¯s horrifying to think about.

    What would have happened if Adri¡¯s mansion, which wasn¡¯t supposed to exist at this point, had gone berserk and the monsters inside had escaped?

    Even if the professors had responded immediately, there would have been many casualties.

    Several students would have been injured.

    Adri would have been hunted down.

    And Vissy would¡¯ve been devastated.

    It was toughst night, but saving Adri was definitely the right choice.

    I should probably thank our Trash God for that.

    If it weren¡¯t for him, who knows what decision I would¡¯ve made.

    Heh! Just for today, I¡¯ll call him Armathi instead of Trash God!

    Isn¡¯t that generous of me?

    Lost in my thoughts as I tried to forget my fatigue, I arrived at the dungeon studies exam site. In the distance, I saw Joy, who had been talking to some other noble girls, notice me and walk over.

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    Joy¡¯s expression was as intense as ever.

    She always looked intimidating, even when just saying hello.@@novelbin@@

    So, seeing her looking upset wasn¡¯t anything unusual.

    But still, something seemed off. Why did she look more upset than usual?

    ¡®Yes, Joy?¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, stiff-face noble?¡±

    ¡°Where were youst night? You weren¡¯t in the dormitory.¡±

    Huh?

    How does she know I wasn¡¯t in the dormst night?

 Chapter 111

    ¡®How do you know that?¡¯

    ¡°How do I know? Are you a stalker or something? Gross. Disgusting.¡±

    ¡°The rumors have already spread, Lady Allen.¡±

    Rumors?

    I was sure I¡¯d left the dorm unnoticedst night, so how could there be any rumors?

    As I tilted my head in confusion, Joy pressed her fingers to her forehead with a sigh.

    ¡°The dorm supervisor mentioned you were missingst night, and it spread from there.¡±

    Ah, right.

    I did leave in the evening, so of course, the dorm supervisor would have noticed I was gone. That must have started the rumors.

    It¡¯s not a big deal, though.

    The dorm supervisor might scold me, but that¡¯s the worst of it.

    I¡¯m a count¡¯s daughter; they can¡¯t really do anything to me.

    Even if they tried to punish me, I could just rattle off all the idents that have happened here at the academy, and they¡¯d back down on their own.

    I¡¯ve been through enough incidents by now that I¡¯m entitled to this!

    Do you know how much trouble I went through just to stop Benedict from storming the academy?

    I almost died because of Nakrad, and he told me not to worry about graduating from this ce and to juste home!

    I barely managed to convince him to let me stay because I had unfinished business at the academy, but now he contacts me every day through the crystal ball.

    It¡¯s mentally exhausting dealing with an overprotective uncle who keeps clinging, asking for just a little more time to talk. It¡¯s seriously draining.

    ¡°And that¡¯s not all. This morning, there were people who saw you running from the back alleys to the academy. There are also students who saw you arrive for the exam in that armor, covered in scratches. Everyone knows you weren¡¯t in the dormst night.¡±

    Faced with the unemotional list of facts, I couldn¡¯t say a word.

    So, everyone at the academy knows I wasn¡¯t in the dormst night, huh?

    Great. I wonder what wild rumors will spread next.

    This academy is full of people ready to sink their teeth into any morsel of gossip.

    It¡¯s exhausting figuring out how to deal with the constant rumors and nder that get thrown around here.

    At leasttely, people like Joy and Arthur have stepped in to stop the worst of it.

    ¡°So, tell me, what were you up tost night?¡±

    How am I supposed to exin this?

    I went out to prevent a disaster that was going to happen during the academy¡¯s exams?

    Yeah, that sounds too crazy.

    I went to help a friend?

    I don¡¯t have any friends besides Joy.

    Scratch that, too.

    I was making deals with people from the underworld.

    That would only fuel more bizarre rumors.

    As I rolled my eyes, trying toe up with a usible story, Joy let out a sigh.

    ¡°Is it difficult to talk about?¡±

    Difficult to talk about? More like impossible to exin.

    How could I possibly exin that I went and cleared a dungeon created by an apostle of the Evil God to sabotage the academy¡¯s exams?

    There¡¯s no way she¡¯d believe me.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, let me ask you this: you didn¡¯t do anything bad, did you?¡±

    ¡®Of course not!¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m not some brutish fool like you think, you know? Of course not.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s all I needed to know.¡±

    I had been worried she might press me further, but Joy let it go surprisingly easily.

    ¡°I trust you wouldn¡¯t do anything foolish. But next time, can you at least let me know before you go off doing something? I was really worried about you.¡±

    Seeing Joy shrug her shoulders and smile, I nearly felt like crying.

    Joy! That¡¯s not fair!

    My favorite character cares about me!

    Ugh! I¡¯m so touched!

    How could I record this moment? Can I frame that line at the top of my log forever?

    Even though I was internally freaking out with excitement, my outward expression remained calm andposed.

    The Mesugaki skill clearly decided that showing excitement wasn¡¯t fitting for me.

    I wanted to hug Joy and jump up and down, but the skill had different ns.

    All it did was move my hand to hide my smile and raise my lips into a smug grin.

    ¡®Thanks a lot, Joy!¡¯

    ¡°Hmph. Worried, were you? Afraid the cowardly little noble would be defenseless without someone to protect her?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡±

    Joy, seeing me acting like my usual self, shrugged and walked back to where the other noble girls were gathered.

    It seemed that, unlike me, who didn¡¯t need to take the dungeon studies exam, Joy was offering advice to the other noble girls.

    Seriously, for someone who looks so intimidating, she¡¯s incredibly kind.

    Now that Joy¡¯s gone, I can finally get started on what I came here for.

    ¡®Grandfather?¡¯

    ¡¸I¡¯ve been investigating already. Wait a moment.¡¹

    In the game¡¯s story, the student who used the magical artifact during the exam didn¡¯t get caught at the time.

    The chaos that followed erased any traces of the artifact¡¯s use, and the artifact itself was imbued with the power of the Evil God, making it hard to detect.

    But I have a way to track it down.

    After all, I have Grandfather Emon, who¡¯s not only my mace but also an excellent high-performance detector.

    In the dungeon, he could sense monsters from nearby and even from far away.

    With his sharp senses for anything rted to dark magic, finding the artifact¡¯s user should be a piece of cake.@@novelbin@@

    And I wasn¡¯t wrong.

    ¡¸In the direction northeast from where you¡¯re standing. Do you see the girl you knocked over once before?¡¹

    Before long, Grandfather Emon picked up traces of the artifact¡¯s use.

    Looking in the direction he indicated, I spotted a noble girl standing behind a tree, staring at a ck stone with a troubled expression.

    I remember her.

    She¡¯s the one who tried to block my way when I went to visit Joy at the infirmary.

    Her name was¡­ what was it again?

    I remember she was someone who tried to lead other noble girls around Joy.

    What did the Mesugaki skill call her?

    I can¡¯t remember.

    Oh well, not important.

    What matters is that I¡¯ve caught someone who really dislikes me and has spread nasty rumors about me.

    As I watched her frowning in frustration, the fatigue weighing on me suddenly lifted.

    I could feel the corners of my lips curling up on their own.

    How should I y this?

    I can mess with her without feeling any guilt, right?

    Alright, Mesugaki skill, I¡¯m taking the leash off for this one.

    Go ahead and have your fun.

    Let¡¯s start with the word you love to use the most, shall we?

    ¡°Trash?¡±

    Everything¡¯s set.

    Let¡¯s go.

    With the perfect excuse, I¡¯m off to torment this girl.

    Damn it. Why isn¡¯t it working?

    You told me that if I channeled my magic into this stone, there would be a massive disturbance, even I would notice it.

    And in that chaos, Lucy Allen would get hurt!

    Why isn¡¯t anything happening?!

    I¡¯m pouring my magic into it!

    Work! Do what you¡¯re supposed to!

    Punish that smug Lucy Allen already!

    Isn¡¯t that what an Evil God is supposed to do?!

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    As Avery cursed at the stone in her mind, a voice startled her from behind, and she quickly hid the stone.

    ¡°Trash noble? What are you doing here, creeping around like that? Did you decide to start acting like the freak you look like??¡±

    That obnoxious voice pierced Avery¡¯s ears, and she didn¡¯t need to look up to know who it was.

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    The person she hated most.

    The one who had stolen the person she admired and adored.

    When Avery raised her head, her eyes met Lucy¡¯s smirking face, looking down at her with amusement. Avery bit her lip.

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I was just wondering what you¡¯re up to all alone?? Oh! Did you decide to be the academy¡¯s new outcast?? It suits you!?¡±

    Every word Lucy spoke sent a wave of anger bubbling up inside Avery, but she struggled to suppress it.

    Lady Partran is here. If she sees me shouting at Lucy, she¡¯ll be disappointed.

    I can¡¯t let that happen.

    I don¡¯t want her to hate me.

    ¡°Hah. If anyone¡¯s the outcast, it¡¯s you. You¡¯ve got no friends, just a lonely little girl.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve got a friend.¡±

    ¡°Liar.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m getting all sorts of love from Joy? Unlike you, you gloomy loser?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all because you¡ª!¡±

    As Avery¡¯s voice rose in anger, Lucy suddenly reached out and mped her hand over Avery¡¯s mouth.

    Avery struggled to pull Lucy¡¯s hand away, but it was futile.

    How could a noble girl training to be a knight like Lucy be overpowered by a magic student like Avery?

    Seeing the shock and fear in Avery¡¯s eyes, Lucy grinned even wider.

    ¡°Calm down, Trash noble? Are you trying to broadcast to the world that you¡¯re a pathetic believer of a scummy Evil God? Craving attention? Gross~?¡±

    How did she know?

    As Avery¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, Lucy giggled.

    No. No way.

    She¡¯s just bluffing. There¡¯s no way Lucy Allen, a mere student, could know about this artifact, which even the professors hadn¡¯t noticed.

    ¡°You really think I wouldn¡¯t know?? That stone. The tall, show-off jerk gave it to you, didn¡¯t he? Oh, are you in denial?? You really are a dumb little trash noble? So pathetic?¡±

    The show-off jerk.

    Even though Lucy hadn¡¯t named anyone, Avery knew exactly who she was talking about.

    The man who gave her the ck stone.

    The one who had told her to call him ¡°Darkness.¡±

    The one who had given her all the information, along with this stone.

    Lucy wasn¡¯t just throwing out random insults to scare her.

    She knew.

    She knew everything.

    ¡°Are your little gears turning yet?? Trash noble??¡±

    Lucy removed her hand from Avery¡¯s mouth, but Avery was too stunned to respond.

    She couldn¡¯t.

    Even though she was still just a student, Avery had been raised as a noble her whole life.

    She had some political sense.

    And in this moment, Avery knew one thing.

    She had been caught.

    By the wrong person.

    She had revealed her hand to someone who shouldn¡¯t have known anything.

    Someone with ties to the Church of the Deity, someone who could send her straight to the pyre, all while grinning that infuriating grin.

    ¡°Shall we go have a little chat somewhere private? Somewhere quiet, where no one will hear you squeal??¡±

    ¡°...Okay.¡±

    All Avery could do was nod in submission.

 Chapter 112

    In the academy''s private rooms, reserved for students to use for personal reasons, Avery sat alone, staring at her hands. The gravity of her situation weighed heavily on her¡ªbeing involved with the Trash God was no trivial matter.@@novelbin@@

    The continent had seen the havoc wreaked by dark entities in the past, and both nations and the Church held extreme prejudice against anything connected to such forces. As a nobledy, Avery had been educated on these dangers repeatedly. She was all too aware of what fate awaited those tied to the Trash God.

    Her sin was not something she could bear alone. If Lucy Allen reported her to the Holy Church, they''d immediately arrest her. They¡¯d extract the truth from her, one way or another, and when that was done, her head would roll on the execution block.

    The real problem was that the consequences wouldn''t end there. Her family would be dragged down as well. The daughter of a noble house tainted by dark forces would cast suspicion on her entire family, and the Church, along with the state, would conduct a thorough investigation.

    Her family, of course, was innocent¡ªthis was all her fault. Avery, the foolish one, had acted alone. But would the Church or the state believe that? Would they fabricate charges just to make an example out of them? Even if her family¡¯s innocence were eventually proven, they¡¯d lose their honor, their glory, everything.

    Why did I do it? she thought. Why did I take the artifact tied to the Trash God as if I were possessed?

    No matter how much she hated Lucy Allen, there had to have been other ways to deal with her. Why had she trusted the words of that dark figure so easily? Why had she been so foolish to believe that she¡¯d never be caught? Why had she been so consumed by the desire to harm Lucy that she didn¡¯t care about the consequences?

    Now, it was toote for regrets. The artifact she had held in her hands wasn¡¯t going to vanish just because she wished it would. No matter what excuse she came up with, the fact remained that she had used dark magic, and someone had seen her do it. Even if nothing had happened yet, the moment Lucy Allen reported her to the Church, her worst fears woulde true.

    Lucy was right. She was like a fish caught on a hook, or an animal with a noose around its neck. The only thing Avery could do now was beg for Lucy''s mercy.

    ¡°Hey, little noble slut?¡±

    At the sound of Lucy¡¯s voice, Avery slowly raised her head. Lucy was seated across from her, legs crossed, with the same expression she always had¡ªa mocking smile, yful eyes. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. But knowing Lucy¡¯s past, Avery had a good idea that whatever came out of her mouth wouldn¡¯t be kind.

    Maybe all of this is pointless, Avery thought. Maybe Lucy will toy with me for a while and then hand me over to the Church. She¡¯ll probably enjoy watching me fall into despair.

    The Lucy Allen that Avery knew was perfectly capable of doing just that.

    ¡°You understand your situation now, don''t you, little piggie??¡± Lucy said with a sly grin.

    ¡°Yes...¡± Avery replied, her voice barely audible.

    ¡°Good. Now, why don¡¯t you make a noise for me?¡±

    It was humiliating, degrading even, but Avery had no choice. Knowing what Lucy was capable of, Avery was already little more than her ve.

    ¡°Oink.¡±

    The word left her trembling lips, and Lucy burst intoughter, pping her hands as if praising a performing clown. Avery¡¯s face flushed with shame, but Lucy didn¡¯t care. Sheughed for what felt like an eternity before wiping the tears from her eyes.

    ¡°Pfft, ha!? Little noble slut? Are you stupid?? I didn¡¯t mean pig noises. I meant I wanted you to exin your worth to me.¡±

    Lucy¡¯sughter grew louder as she continued to mock Avery, who clenched her skirt tightly in her hands.

    ¡°Ahaha!? I like you?¡±

    Lucy got up and paced around the room, her small footsteps echoing until she came to stand beside Avery. She leaned in, whispering softly.

    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll spare you. But you know I¡¯m a fickle person, right? Just like your fiery little temper.¡±

    Avery wasn''t a genius, but she wasn¡¯t an idiot either. She¡¯d passed the academy¡¯s entrance exams, after all. She knew what Lucy¡¯sughter meant all too well.

    From this moment on, Avery would have to be whatever Lucy Allen wanted her to be. A tool to carry out Lucy¡¯s will without her even needing to speak it aloud. If she didn¡¯t, Lucy would stroll over to the Church and end her life without a second thought.

    Had her tormentor been anyone else, Avery might have found the courage to resist. She might have threatened them, saying, ¡°Can you really bear the weight of ending a life? Of destroying an entire family¡¯s legacy?¡±

    But this was Lucy Allen¡ªsomeone who cared nothing for others¡¯ emotions and would do anything for her amusement.

    ¡°You understand, right?? Now answer me, little piggie? Or have you forgotten how to oink?¡±

    ¡°No! I understand! I¡¯ll do anything. Anything you want.¡±

    Please, just let me live. I¡¯ll do whatever you say. Just spare my life. Spare my family¡¯s life.

    Even as she pleaded, Lucy only smiled.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Watching the terrified noble girl tremble before me was¡­plicated. Sure, I had meant to threaten her, and I¡¯d seeded. But I hadn¡¯t expected her to be <em>this</em> scared.

    Logically, it didn¡¯t make sense. How could someone who couldn¡¯t even kill an orc hope to handle the weight of an entire family¡¯s fate? I was the one who couldn¡¯t even make a clean decision when Bissy asked for help. If Avery had resisted, saying something like, "Go ahead and report me, see if I care," I would have been in serious trouble.

    Thank God she¡¯s a coward.

    Thanks to her fear, the threat worked perfectly.

    Now, my reputation will improve too. Joy and Arthur will vouch for me, and even Avery, who leads many of the noble girls, will speak well of me. Sure, I can¡¯t stop all the rumors that stem from my Mesugaki persona, but the baseless ones should disappear.

    Keeping Avery under my thumb has more perks than just this. I¡¯ll let her stay involved with Nackrad. No, I¡¯ll <em>make</em> her stay involved. It¡¯ll make it easier for me to screw up whatever chaos Nackrad tries to stir up next.

    If she ys her part well, I won¡¯t have to threaten her again. Judging by how terrified she is, I doubt I¡¯ll need to remind her.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be on my way, little noble slut. Make sure you behave like a proper piggie, okay?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes! Of course!¡±

    Leaving the shaken Avery behind, I stepped out of the private room and headed straight for the cafeteria. I hadn¡¯t eaten sincest night, and I was starving.

    I didn¡¯t know what today¡¯s menu was, but I¡¯d order something delicious and dive straight into bed afterward. I¡¯d had a rough day yesterday, so I deserved to skip training and rx.

    I was so tired I¡¯d probably sleep like a rock.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Four days after the midterms, Arthur made his way to the academy¡¯s square early in the morning. Usually, he would¡¯ve done some light training at this time, but today was different.

    Today was the day he would see the results of his efforts over the past two months at the Soul Academy¡ªthe announcement of the midterm results.

    Arthur had never doubted his academic abilities before, but today his heart raced. The reason was obvious. Before, there had been no one who could surpass his intellect, but now there was.

    Now, there was Lucy Allen¡ªthe brightest star on the continent.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Oh, the dim-witted nobledy. Off to check your scores too?¡±

    On his way to the square, Arthur ran into Joy, and he called her by the nickname he¡¯d recently grown fond of.

    ¡°Yes, I wanted to check before my morning training,¡± Joy replied, unbothered by the nickname that had once made her bristle. Nowadays, she barely reacted.

    Hmm. Not fun anymore. It had been much better when she¡¯d get upset. Maybe Lucy Allen wille up with another fun nickname for her.

    ¡°So, Joy, how do you think you did on the exam?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did well. I might even score higher than you, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Haha, now that¡¯s a funny joke.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡±

    Joy¡¯s expression remained firm, but Arthur just smiled. He knew Joy couldn¡¯t possibly score higher than him.

    Arthur didn¡¯t underestimate her¡ªshe was intelligent and worked hard, even more so than most. In fact, she was one of the few people who could bepared to him in terms of ability.

    But Arthur also knew Joy¡¯s w. She always made a critical mistake at the most important moment. In the ten years he¡¯d known her, she had never failed to trip herself up when it mattered most. He doubted this time would be any different.

    ¡°So, Your Highness, are you confident you¡¯ll take first ce?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Well, I¡¯d like to say that, but I can¡¯t be certain.¡±

    The only person Arthur thought could beat him was Lucy Allen. And she had barely studied this semester. Who knew how much effort she¡¯d put in behind the scenes, butmon sense suggested she wouldn¡¯t do well.

    Still, Arthur couldn¡¯t shake his unease. Geniuses were unpredictable like that¡ªthey could defymon sense without even trying.

    ¡°I wonder if Lucy Allen will once again prove her talent and arrogance.¡±

    Arthur couldn¡¯t help but hope she¡¯d slip up, even as part of him wanted to see her shine once more.

 Chapter 113

    The square was already packed with students. Exams at Soul Academy were crucial, determining whether students could advance to the next grade. Every student here had no choice but to keep a sharp eye on the results. Though the scores hadn¡¯t been posted yet, it seemed there were plenty of eager people.

    As Arthur pondered this, someone ced a hand on his shoulder.

    "Brother, you¡¯vee to check your results too?"

    The voice belonged to Cecil Sdin, Arthur¡¯s older brother, known among pce officials for his warrior-like demeanor.

    ¡°Brother,¡± Arthur acknowledged.

    "Good morning, Second Prince," said Joy, who stood beside Arthur. Unlike Arthur, who remained silent, Joy greeted Cecil with a practiced courtesy. Though Cecil told her such formality wasn¡¯t necessary at the academy, the pleased smile on his face showed that he appreciated the gesture.

    After some light conversation with Joy, Cecil turned to Arthur, grinning slyly.

    "So, how about it, little brother? Think you¡¯ll be the top scorer this time?"

    It seemed like a casual question, but it wasn¡¯t. Cecil wasn¡¯t simply asking how Arthur did on his exam. No, he was reminding him of his defeat to Lucy Allenst time and whether he¡¯d be able to surpass her now. His mocking smile made that obvious.

    If this had been the Arthur from before his bet with Lucy, he might have taken the bait and responded with emotion. Back then, losing the top spot had been a huge blow to his pride. But now, things were different.

    Now, Arthur epted that Lucy Allen was a rival who stood above him. One day, he would surpass her. With that in mind, he could smile in the face of Cecil¡¯s provocation.

    ¡°Well, I did my best, but we¡¯ll see.¡±

    "...Hmm, is that so?" Cecil¡¯s face showed clear disappointment at Arthur¡¯s lukewarm response. Without another word, he left to check his own scores.

    What a small-minded man, Arthur thought. Despite his warrior-like appearance, Cecil had such a petty personality. He wasn¡¯t fit to be king.

    As Cecil disappeared into the crowd, Arthur¡¯s attention shifted to a professor carrying arge sheet of paper.

    It¡¯s here.

    What kind of score did Lucy Allen achieve this time? Did her arrogance get the better of her, or did she once again prove her brilliance to the world? I¡¯m eager to find out.

    Arthur¡¯s thoughts raced as the professor posted the results on the board in the center of the square. The first list revealed the first-year rankings.

    And at the top, the name inscribed was...

    ¡®Lucy Allen.¡¯

    Of course.

    Arthur smiled bitterly. So, this is what it means to be a genius? To be able to surpass everyone without even attending sses, relying solely on raw talent? How could anyone ept that?

    She was powerful enough to defeat even Frey Kent, the continent¡¯s greatest swordswoman, and now, without any real study, she had topped the academy in academics too. Was she even human?

    Arthur had always prided himself on being a genius, but Lucy Allen made him question everything. There really is always someone better.

    "Wow! Unbelievable!" Joy¡¯s voice interrupted his thoughts, her usually calm demeanor breaking in excitement.

    Her reaction was strange. She rarely showed such emotion, especially not in public. Did she score well?

    Curious, Arthur nced over the list again. His eyes widened in shock.

    ¡®Joy Partan.¡¯

    Her name was right beneath Lucy Allen¡¯s, in second ce. Arthur¡¯s own name was listed in third.

    How¡­ how could this be?

    How did Joy beat me?

    Arthur¡¯s mind raced with a thousand thoughts. Did I make a mistake? Was there an error in the grading? But looking at Joy¡¯s overjoyed expression, Arthur found himself unable to voice his confusion. He wasn¡¯t petty enough to question his friend¡¯s achievement.

    Instead, he forced a smile.

    ¡°Congrattions, Joy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± she replied, beaming.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    I jolted awake, gasping as I shot up in bed. For a moment, I stared nkly at the wall before copsing forward.

    Ugh, I¡¯m exhausted. I should have gone to bed earlierst night.

    My fatigue was entirely due to the fact that, for the first time, I¡¯d actually studied. After the midterms ended, Grandpa wouldn¡¯t stop nagging me about starting my studies. I tried to reason with him, saying that I deserved a little break, but he¡¯d shut me down with, ¡°Did you take the exam? I took it, so you don¡¯t get a say.¡±

    <If you dy for a day or two, you¡¯ll end up never doing it at all! Start now!>

    Unable to withstand Grandpa¡¯s relentless badgering, I had gone to the academy library and grabbed the most basic, child-level textbooks I could find. Given that I didn¡¯t even have a solid grasp onmon knowledge, I figured starting from the basics was necessary.

    At first, I only cracked open the books because Grandpa had forced me to. But, surprisingly, studying was... fun. At least, at this level. When you¡¯re learning elementary things like addition and subtraction, it¡¯s hard to run into frustrating challenges.

    And every time I got a problem right, Grandpa would praise me, calling me a genius. I got so wrapped up in it that I ended up staying up until the early hours of the morning. It wasn¡¯t until I finished that I realized howte it was.

    What time is it now?

    I nced at the clock¡ª7:10 AM.

    Crap! I¡¯mte!

    Panicking, I scrambled out of bed, quickly getting ready. First, I had to fix my hair, which was a disaster thanks to my restless sleep.

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t you wake me up?!¡¯ Iined.

    <You looked so peaceful. Besides, it¡¯s not like your training is absolutely essential.>

    ¡®That may be true, but still!¡¯

    Even if it wasn¡¯t strictly necessary, routines are important! Normally, I started my training at dawn. After joining the academy, I¡¯d gotten into the habit of training with the knights of the Allen family. Before long, Frey had started training with me, and after that incident, Joy had joined too. The three of us never discussed it, but we had formed an unspoken agreement to train together every morning.

    They were probably already at the training grounds.

    They wouldn¡¯t be waiting for me... right?

    As I rushed out of the dormitory and headed toward the training grounds, I noticed a crowd gathering in the square. What¡¯s going on? There shouldn¡¯t be any reason for so many people to be here unless... oh! Today¡¯s the day the test resultse out. I was so distracted Ipletely forgot.

    Well, I¡¯m alreadyte. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be a littleter.

    They¡¯ll be fine training without me for now.

    Slowing my pace, I headed toward the bulletin board where the results were posted. But there was one problem. My height.

    At my current size, I was a full head or two shorter than the average student. Even on my tiptoes, I couldn¡¯t see over their shoulders.

    Great. I really didn¡¯t want to do this, but I don¡¯t have much choice.

    Giving up on peeking over the crowd, I gently tapped the side of the boy in front of me. He turned, his face twisting into an annoyed scowl.

    ¡°What the¡ª?¡±

    But the moment he saw my face, his expression changed instantly.

    ¡®Excuse me. Could you move aside?¡¯ I asked sweetly.

    "U-uh, yeah! Sure!"

    The boy practically yelped as he jumped out of my way, drawing the attention of others nearby. As more people noticed me, they began to step back, clearing a path in the middle of the crowd.

    Ah, the miracles I can perform as an apostle of Arma-ji.

    They say the god Arma-ji doesn¡¯t have the power to part the seas of people? Well, too bad, I¡¯m the only apostle this "Trash God" has, so whatever I do counts as divine power.

    Ignoring the whispers around me, I made my way to the bulletin board. Scanning the top of the list, I saw the names:

    ¡®Lucy Allen¡¯ ¡®Joy Partan¡¯ ¡®Arthur Sdin¡¯ ¡®Jackal Burrow¡¯

    I blinked and stared again, thinking I¡¯d misread the names. But nothing changed.

    What?

    Why is Joy in second ce?

    Am I still dreaming?

    ¡®Grandpa, is this a dream?¡¯@@novelbin@@

    <Do you think it¡¯s a dream? Wake up!>

    ¡®Right. Of course.¡¯

    But why is dim-witted Joy in second ce? There¡¯s no way she could have done this! Who are you, and what have you done with Joy?

    There¡¯s no way she managed to avoid making any mistakes and scored second!

    Just then, a familiar ding rang in my head.

    [Quest Complete!]

    [Your reward has been granted.]

    [Inventory feature unlocked!]

    Amid my confusion, the system notification brought me back to reality. At least the Trash God is good about rewarding me. I could figure out how Joy pulled this offter. First, let¡¯s check my reward.

    Opening my inventory, I was greeted by a familiar sight¡ªthe sameyout I¡¯d seen countless times while ying Soul Academy. The nostalgia wasforting.

    This is it. This is what it means to y the game.

    As a test, I ced the ring I was wearing into my inventory, watching it vanish before my eyes. I was overwhelmed with joy seeing it appear in the inventory window.

    Thank you, Arma-ji. This convenience is greatly appreciated. Please keep adding features like this. And enough with the useless garbage like the log window.

    -Ding.

    [New quest avable!]

    Another quest already? What now? Will it be something useful, like the inventory? Or maybe something that boosts favorability with others?

    Even if Trash God Arma-ji gives me a pointless, annoying quest, I¡¯ll manage. As long as the reward is decent.

    ¡°Lucy Allen of the Allen family.¡±

    I was about to check the new quest when someone called my name.

    Who is it? Normally, people at the academy avoid me. Is someone picking a fight? If so, I¡¯ll dly show them the full might of Mesugaki.

    Loading my mind with spicyebacks, I turned around, only to freeze when I saw who was standing behind me.

    ¡®Oh¡­ crap.¡¯

    "Nice to meet you. I am Cecil Sdin, Second Prince of the Sdin Kingdom."

    Cecil Sdin¡ªthe Second Prince of Sdin Kingdom and Arthur¡¯s rival in the race for the throne. An NPC whose character was nothing but a brutish, petty man unfit to be king.

    Wow. That was a close one. If I¡¯d opened my mouth, I would¡¯ve called him by the nickname he had among yers¡ª¡®the idiot prince.¡¯

 Chapter 114

    Cecil Sdin.

    If I had to sum this character up in one word, it would be ¡°infuriating.¡± He¡¯s the kind of person who uses his status and power to pressure others, only to get taken downter in a way that brings satisfaction.

    Why? Because his personality stinks.

    Having lost everything to the First Prince, he has an overwhelming sense of entitlement. He¡¯s constantlypared to his younger brother¡¯s intellect, so despite pretending otherwise, he¡¯s deeply insecure about his knowledge. On top of that, he¡¯s a staunch believer in physical strength, always iming that warriors are superior to schrs and that fists are closer to justice thanws.

    Cecil runs the extremes of bullying the weak and kowtowing to the strong. And the worst part? He¡¯s a prince, so he feelspletely justified in acting this way.

    In most NPC storylines, Cecil shows up as an obstacle, especially in quests tied to either the Third Prince or First Prince. Once you get involved in his personal story arc, he bes a full-blown antagonist. Sure, if you manage to reform him, he turns out okay, but until then, he¡¯s more beast than man.

    Thanks to the countless idiotic mistakes he makes, yers call him ¡°the idiot prince.¡± In fact, people rarely even added the word ¡°prince¡± anymore. Just putting his picture under the word ¡°idiot¡± was enough to rack up likes on the forums.

    Personally, I never hated the guy that much. After all, he¡¯s a beast in terms of strength. Who cares about his personality and all that evil stuff? From a yer¡¯s point of view, it¡¯s all about how good the character performs.

    But things are different when the game bes reality.

    In real life, personality matters more than stats. When he acts like a jerk, it has real consequences¡ªespecially for someone like me.

    Given what I¡¯ve seen so far, there¡¯s a 100% chance my <em>Mesugaki</em> skill will make me call him ¡°the idiot prince.¡± How do you think Cecil will react to that? It¡¯s not going to be good, that¡¯s for sure. If he were the type tough off an insult like that, he wouldn¡¯t have earned his nickname in the first ce.

    ¡°I approached you because I¡¯ve taken note of your talents,¡± Cecil said, sounding pleased with himself.

    Oh no.

    How do I get out of this? I can¡¯t open my mouth. Even if I choose my words carefully, <em>Mesugaki</em> will definitely make me call him an idiot. That¡¯s what happened when I dealt with Arthur.

    ¡°The martial prowess you¡¯ve inherited from the great Allen family is nothing short of extraordinary, and your intellect rivals even my brother¡¯s. How could I not take notice?¡±

    Thanks for thepliments, but no thanks. I¡¯d really prefer not to be associated with you. If I stick around, I¡¯ll end up calling you the idiot prince, and that¡¯s a disaster I¡¯d rather avoid. So, could you please spare me the, ¡°Join me!¡± speech?

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m offering you a proposition. Would you consider serving under me?¡±

    Gah! It¡¯s over!

    <Child, what troubles you?>

    Grandpa¡¯s voice echoed in my head, probably because he noticed my panic.

    Oh right, I have Grandpa!

    ¡®Grandpa! Help!¡¯

    <What¡¯s the problem?>

    ¡®You know how my blessing won¡¯t let me say people¡¯s names? If I open my mouth, I¡¯ll end up calling this prince ¡°an idiot¡±! How do I keep my mouth shut and escape?!¡¯

    I could usually handle things when it came to game mechanics, but this wasn¡¯t one of those situations. If I end upmitting l¨¨se-majest¨¦, my head will roll for sure!

    <That¡¯s quite a predicament.>

    Grandpa sounded so calm, like it wasn¡¯t even a big deal. But this <em>is</em> a big deal!

    Give me an answer! Fast!

    <Child, would it be fine if this person ended up disliking you?>

    ¡®That would be perfect!¡¯

    It¡¯d be even better if he hated me and wanted nothing to do with me. That would save me from identally calling him ¡°the idiot prince.¡±

    <Then simply stay silent, bow politely, and walk away. If he tries to stop you, just ignore him.>

    ¡®Is that really okay?¡¯

    <It is. He¡¯ll interpret your actions in a way that benefits you.>

    Wait, what? He¡¯ll interpret it¡­? How?

    I didn¡¯t fully understand what Grandpa meant, but he hadn¡¯t been wrong about anything so far. So, I gave a polite nod to Cecil and turned to walk away.

    Will he take this as a firm rejection?

    ¡°Hey!¡± Cecil called after me as soon as I took a step, but it wasn¡¯t hard to dodge him. My <em>Iron Wall</em> skill alerted me to his attempt, and I smoothly evaded it.

    Ignoring the grumbling behind me, I pushed through the crowd and sped up, eager to escape.

    He¡¯s not going to chase me, right? Please, just give up on me already! Why are you so eager to recruit a troublesome <em>Mesugaki</em> underling, you masochistic prince?!

    <ul>

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    </ul>

    "Bold."

    Cecil clenched his hand, staring at where Lucy had walked away.

    "Very bold."

    He had expected to be rejected. He knew Lucy Allen¡¯s temperament well enough by now. After all, this was the same girl who had dared to disrespect his father, the king. Someone like her would never take orders from anyone.

    She didn¡¯t care about anyone¡¯s approval. She moved through life as though she were the only one that mattered, as if she were the sky itself. Of course, she would refuse to serve under him. Cecil had predicted this oue.

    But that didn¡¯t mean it didn¡¯t irritate him.

    Normally, if someone had refused him so publicly, Cecil would have flown into a rage, demanding how they could dare reject him. But Lucy Allen was different. To someone like Cecil, who divided the world into strong and weak, Lucy was someone worthy of respect, even if she humiliated him in front of the other students.

    Even though his pride burned from the embarrassment, it was worth swallowing.

    ¡°Holden.¡±

    Now far from the square and other people¡¯s prying eyes, Cecil called for his most trusted subordinate.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°What do you think of Lucy Allen¡¯s reaction?¡±

    Holden, known for his keen strategic mind, didn¡¯t answer immediately. After a thoughtful pause, he spoke.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s entirely negative, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°How so? I was humiliated in front of everyone.¡±

    ¡°That may be true, but the opponent was Lucy Allen.¡±

    Had it been anyone else, remaining silent in response to Cecil¡¯s offer would have been a sign of firm refusal. But Lucy wasn¡¯t just anyone. If she had truly despised the idea, she wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to say so, spitting insults like she always did.

    That she remained silent and even showed respect by bowing indicated that she acknowledged Cecil, at least to some degree.

    ¡°Just look at how she openly calls the Third Prince ¡®the pathetic prince.¡¯ Lucy Allen doesn¡¯t hold herints inside.¡±

    Cecil raised an eyebrow at Holden¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°Could she really have considered this?¡±

    ¡°The Lucy Allen of old, who was little more than a troublemaker, might not have. But the current Lucy Allen, who has proven herself intellectually, is certainly capable of such consideration.¡±

    Cecil nodded, satisfied with Holden¡¯s reasoning.

    ¡°If what you say is true, then why did she leave without saying a word?¡±

    ¡°She likely needs time to think. She may not have been ready to give you an answer yet.¡±

    Time to think, hmm?

    Did that mean she was weighing him on the scales,paring him to others before making a decision? Such arrogance! But Lucy had the talent to back it up. She was like a star, shining far above others.

    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll give her some time.¡±

    But my patience is limited, Lucy Allen.

    You¡¯d better make your decision soon. If not, this lion will hunt you down.

    <ul>

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    </ul>

    Thankfully, Cecil didn¡¯t chase after me.

    See, Grandpa¡¯s advice is unbeatable! He¡¯s the best when ites to stuff like this. If only he didn¡¯t nag me so much.

    Having survived that massive crisis, I headed to the training grounds to find Joy and Frey. Only Frey was there, though.

    Weird. Did Joy oversleep like me?

    When I asked Frey, she exined that Joy hade earlier but left with Arthur to check the exam results again.

    ¡°They said they were going over the test answers.¡±

    The answers? Why bother when the results are already out? Was something strange about the scores?

    It¡¯s possible. After all, Joy did ce second in the academy exam. The Joy I know is usually in the ninth or tenth range because of all her dumb mistakes.

    Arthur must be thinking the same thing, which is why he took her with him. I¡¯m curious about how Joy managed to score second too. With my curiosity piqued, I said goodbye to Frey and started looking for the two of them.

    After asking around for about ten minutes, I finally found them.

    ¡°How could you score higher than me with these kinds of mistakes?!¡±

    I could hear Arthur¡¯s voice, filled with disbelief.

    ¡°You messed up this part! And that part! And look at this! The calction here ispletely wrong!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°¡®You¡¯re right¡¯ isn¡¯t good enough, dimwit!¡±

    ¡°But what does it matter? In the end, I scored higher than you.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Ughhhh!¡±

    Why is Arthur so worked up? Curious, I moved closer and saw Joy smiling brightly¡ªa rare sight for her.

    ¡°Lady Allen! Did you see? I came in second in the academy exam!¡±

    ¡®I saw it. It was surprising.¡¯

    ¡°I saw. How did a dimwit like you manage to get second? Just how weak are the people below you?¡±@@novelbin@@

    Arthur, not Joy, reacted to my <em>Mesugaki</em>-stylement. His face turned red as he clenched his jaw, barely containing his fury.

    ¡®Arthur, why are you so mad?¡¯

    ¡°Poor prince, are you feeling inferior? Losing to a dimwit must be tough. Huhu~ Pathetic~ Loser~¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Lucy Allen! I can¡¯t ept this! There¡¯s no way this dimwit, who made so many mistakes, should have beaten me!¡±

    Wait, what?

    So Joy didn¡¯t stop being dimwitted. Then how did she get second ce?

    As I tilted my head in confusion, Joy smiled even more and said something that made my jaw drop.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Lady Allen.¡±

    Thanks to me? Why?

    Could you exin that to me, please?

 Chapter 115

    It seemed that in most of the exams, Arthur had consistently scored higher than Joy. True to her nickname, Joy had made countless ¡°dimwitted¡± mistakes, messing up on problems she shouldn¡¯t have. If the world had continued as normal, Joy would have likely ended up in her usual spot¡ªaround ninth or tenth ce.

    But what had skyrocketed Joy¡¯s rank was <em>Magic Maniption Studies</em>. Both she and Arthur, being students of magic, had taken this mandatory ss, and the exam was, of course, a practical one.

    ¡°The task this time was to see how many spells could be stably controlled at once,¡± Arthur exined, and I finally understood why Joy had thanked me.

    That was exactly what I¡¯d made her practice.

    ¡°Dimwit over here showed off incredible skill during that exam,¡± Arthur continued, clearly frustrated.

    Of course she did. Every night, Joy had probably been practicing until her mana was depleted, just as I¡¯d instructed her. NPCs in the game couldn¡¯t raise their skill proficiency the way Joy had been able to through my training methods. Naturally, she would have outshined the rest of the students during the exam.

    And she did. Joy had not only surpassed her ssmates but had also earned the highest score in <em>Magic Maniption Studies</em>, receiving a perfect score that the strict professor had only awarded to four students in his entire career.

    Arthur had performed well, too, butpared to Joy¡¯s brilliant disy, his results paled inparison. And that had been enough to tip the scales, knocking him down in the rankings.

    ¡°Do you see now? Does it make sense that one exam could affect the rankings so much?! Even though I came second overall in the other exams, the gap between first and second in that test was sorge that my ranking dropped!¡± Arthur was fuming, and I couldn¡¯t me him. If I¡¯d won every other test but lost because of a single exam, I¡¯d be pissed too.

    ¡°But Your Highness, a win is a win. Refusing to ept it is... quite unbing,¡± Joy replied, her smile wider than I¡¯d ever seen it.

    It was rare to see Joy this cheerful, given her usual stern appearance. She¡¯d clearly been holding onto all the times Arthur had called her ¡°dimwitted¡± and was now relishing her victory.

    ¡°Well, you should have scored better. Then you wouldn¡¯t have lost to me,¡± Joy said, her tone smug.

    Whoever taught her that line deserves a medal because Arthur looked like he was about to lose it.

    Arthur, unable to respond, clenched his teeth in frustration. Joy, finally satisfied with her teasing, turned toward me.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Lady Allen. Your suggestion to practice helped me earn the professor¡¯s praise.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, Lucy Allen! Did you meet the Prophet in ck as well?!¡± Arthur groaned.

    The Prophet in ck? What the heck was that?

    I tilted my head in confusion, and Arthur sighed, as if remembering something.

    ¡°Oh, right. You wouldn¡¯t know. You don¡¯t have any friends.¡±

    ¡®Arthur?¡¯

    ¡°Are you picking a fight, pathetic prince?¡±

    ¡°Apologies. That was a slip of the tongue. As an apology, I¡¯ll exin.¡±

    Apparently, the Prophet in ck was thetest rumor spreading among the academy students. Supposedly, if you walked through the vige near the academy at dusk, you might encounter a man in ck robes who could answer any question you had¡ªfor a price, of course. His answers were said to be 100% urate, and in some cases, he even offered solutions to students'' problems.

    As Arthur finished exining, I immediately knew who the Prophet was.

    It¡¯s Nackrad, isn¡¯t it? What the hell is that idiot doing now?

    Nackrad, the scoundrel I¡¯d thwarted before, was clearly up to something again, likely trying to gather more pawns after his previous n had failed. And now he was resorting to giving out information on the sly, probably hoping to win over students.

    He must be really pissed off at me for ruining hisst scheme. I¡¯ll have to pay him a visit with Kal and Alsatin and teach him another lesson. With Grandpa¡¯s detection ability, finding him won¡¯t be a problem.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t know about this rumor? Then that means your foresight isn¡¯t just limited to dungeons¡ªit extends to the academy as well!¡± Arthur eximed, amazed.

    ¡°Come now, Your Highness, this is hardly surprising from Lady Allen,¡± Joy chimed in.

    ¡°I suppose so, but still¡­ Lucy Allen! Next time, let¡¯s make things fair, alright? Fair!¡±

    Excuse me, what? I didn¡¯t know anything!

    I had no idea what kind of exams wereing up, and if I had known, I would have panicked. I only made Joy practice because it¡¯s the first thing anyone training in magic should do. It was pure coincidence that it worked out for the exam.

    Don¡¯t expect me to know everything!

    ¡®I swear, I¡¯m clueless! I¡¯m not some genius!¡¯

    ¡°Hah. Begging for fairness, pathetic prince? I¡¯m telling you, I had no idea. You¡¯re getting worked up over nothing,¡± I teased.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie, Lucy Allen! Are you only helping the people closest to you?!¡±

    Seriously, I didn¡¯t know!

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    </ul>

    After finally shaking off Arthur, who kept demanding that I share my ¡°insider information¡± with him next time, I attended a few sses at the academy. Since the midterms had just ended, everyone was pretty rxed, and the professors seemed to understand, keeping the lessons short.

    With more free time than usual, I headed straight for the back alleys of the academy district. There was something I¡¯d left behind at the manor that I needed to retrieve.

    ¡ª"Oh, hey... Oh. It¡¯s you?"

    As soon as I stepped into the manor, Adrienne appeared, greeting me with a cheerful smile that quickly disappeared when she saw me. Her face immediately twisted into a frown.

    Okay, I get that you like Bissy more than me, but isn¡¯t this a bit much?

    If I wasn¡¯t so used to this kind of treatment, I¡¯d be hurt!

    But Adrienne¡¯s cold look only seemed to say, "Ugh, not this nonsense again."

    Jeez. Why does she treat me like this?

    Most people are scared stiff just by looking at me! I¡¯m not that scary!

    ¡ª"So, why are you here?"

    ¡®I came to keep youpany.¡¯

    ¡°I was worried the lonely old hag might die from loneliness, so I decided to visit.¡±

    ¡ª"Oh, really? Then can I tell you I¡¯m not lonely, so you can leave now?"

    ¡®Nope!¡¯

    ¡°Why should I listen to the lonely old hag? Nope, I¡¯m staying.¡±

    ¡ª"Fine, do whatever you want."

    Adrienne waved me off as if she couldn¡¯t be bothered, but I had other things to do, so I didn¡¯t tease her further. I passed by her and headed upstairs to find the sword I¡¯d left behind when I hastily escaped the manorst time.

    ¡ª"So that¡¯s what you came for?"

    ¡®Yep.¡¯

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    I nned to give this sword to Kal as a gift. He¡¯d been working hard as a professortely, and his current weapon was decent but couldn¡¯tpare to this.

    Besides, since Kal is my loyal dog, imagine how happy he¡¯ll be when I give him a gift!

    ¡ª"Be careful with that. It¡¯s cursed by a wraith. You might be fine, but an ordinary person who touches it would be cursed to death."

    I was thinking about how to calm Kal down after he inevitably freaked out over the gift when Adrienne, in her usual blunt tone, offered a warning.

    Oh? She¡¯s worried about me?

    She may pretend to be indifferent, but deep down, she cares. She¡¯s just not good at expressing herself after living alone for so long.

    If only she¡¯d be honest and admit that she¡¯s worried about me.

    As I smirked at Adrienne, she quickly looked away, flustered.

    ¡ª"I was only worried about a disaster happening because of that sword, nothing more!"

    ¡®Oh, is that so?¡¯

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, though. What¡¯s the matter, old hag? Feeling guilty? Haha, you¡¯re such a lonely, socially awkward granny. Need a hug? Or should I hold your hand?¡±

    ¡ª"Just get out!"

    After grabbing the sword, I fled the manor before Adrienne could explode. I didn¡¯t want to destroy the ce by getting into a fight with her.

    With the sword in hand, I headed toward the church. I knew all about the curse on this weapon. It was once wielded by a pdin who had turned into a wraith after being consumed by his hatred of the undead.

    In the game, wielding this sword came with the penalty of losing control whenever you encountered undead, which wasn¡¯t ideal. I couldn¡¯t give such a dangerous weapon to Kal, or who would protect me if he lost control?

    That¡¯s why I needed to remove the curse first.

    Luckily, I¡¯m a VIP at the church, thanks to lifting two of Agra¡¯s curses. Even if they weren¡¯t thrilled about it, they still pretended to treat me well. Getting rid of the curse on this sword should be a piece of cake for them.

    As I walked toward the church, I spotted a familiar face.

    ¡®Oh, Lady Saintess.¡¯

    ¡°Hmph, lowly saintess.¡±

    It was Lady Favie, the saintess I¡¯dst seen in the infirmary. It had been a while since I¡¯d run into her. Strange, considering we used to cross paths often.

    Is it just me, or has she been avoiding metely?

    ¡°Lady Allen. Is there something you need at the church?¡± she asked.

    ¡®Yes. I need this sword¡ª¡¯

    ¡°This sword has a curse on it, and I¡¯d like it removed. Your pitiful church can handle that much, right?¡±

    "...May I see the sword for a moment?"

    She reached out, offering to help. I trusted that if Favie handled the purification, it would be done properly, so I handed her the sword without hesitation.

    <ul>

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    </ul>

    From the moment she could remember, Favie had been raised by the church as a saintess. If there was one thing she knew in great detail, it was anything rted to the church of the Lord.

    And this sword was no exception.

    Its design was unmistakably that of the Church¡¯s, specifically a rare item that only those at the rank ofmander would receive. It was an antique, something from long ago, but how had Lady Allene to possess it?

    And why did it bear the curse of a wraith?

    Unable to hold back her curiosity, Favie asked Lucy, who responded nonchntly.

    ¡°I got it as a reward for clearing a dungeon, guided by our Trash God.¡±

    Guided by the Trash God?

    Favie looked up from the sword and stared at Lucy.

    Again?

    Why is it always her?

 Chapter 116

    "Why is it only <em>you</em> who hears the voice of God?"

    "Why does He only speak to <em>you</em>?"

    "Why?"

    Favie¡¯s thoughts spun in a whirlpool of envy as she stared at Lucy. The girl in front of her had the direct favor of Armathi, the God they both served, yet it was Lucy who received His voice and guidance¡ªwhile Favie, who had devoted her life to piety, heard nothing.

    It wasn¡¯t fair. No matter how much she tried to understand, she couldn¡¯t.

    Favie had lived her entire life with care, each step meant to please Him. She''d been diligent, obedient, and dedicated. And yet, all of that was overshadowed by Lucy, who seemed to receive the divine favor so effortlessly. Why?

    Lost in her thoughts, Favie didn¡¯t notice Lucy¡¯s voice at first.

    "Saintess?"

    "Ah!" Favie stumbled back, startled out of her reverie. "Yes! The sword! I will take care of the curse right away! Please, wait inside while I work on it."

    Without waiting for a response, Favie fled into the church, almost tripping over her own feet. It was behavior unbing of a saintess, and if a priest had witnessed it, he would have scolded her. But she didn¡¯t care¡ªbecause if she stayed near Lucy any longer, the ck feelings inside her heart would consume her.

    Once she was safely inside a quiet room, Favie finally stopped and copsed to the floor, gasping for breath. Her hands trembled, and she clenched them into fists, trying to calm the storm raging within her.

    Why am I like this?

    It wasn¡¯t the first time she''d met someone who imed to hear the voice of God. She knew if she just waited patiently, one day He would answer her, too.

    But why did she feel like this whenever she looked at Lucy Allen?

    Why did those feelings surge inside her every time she saw Lucy¡¯s ne, or the mace she sometimes carried? Every time she was near, that ck emotion grew stronger.

    Favie hadn¡¯t understood her feelings at first. She¡¯d always been a pure soul, a saintess, raised in the church with the strictest discipline. There had been no room for dark emotions within her.

    But now, she knew what it was: <strong>jealousy</strong>.

    Jealousy of Lucy Allen, who seemed to monopolize the love of Armathi.

    Lucy had clearly earned the love of God. That was indisputable. She heard His voice regrly¡ªsomething even the most devoted followers could only dream of experiencing once in their lifetimes. If Lucy wasn¡¯t favored by Armathi, then who could im to be?

    When Favie looked at Lucy, she couldn¡¯t help but recall the days she spent in the orphanage before she was taken into the church. Back then, she often wondered if she was worthy of being loved.

    The head of the orphanage was a kind woman, full of mercy, but even she couldn¡¯t give attention to every child all the time. Sometimes, when the headmistress was busy with others, Favie would watch from the shadows, wondering if she¡¯d be forgotten forever. Would the hand that offered warmth to others ever return to her?

    But, of course, those fears had been baseless. The headmistress was a good person, and she always made sure to spread her care to all the children.

    Now, though, Favie found herself gripped by a simr fear¡ªthat Armathi would forget about her, overwhelmed by His love for Lucy Allen. What if He became so focused on Lucy that He forgot to spread His warmth to the world?

    Favie knew it was a ridiculous fear. Armathi was the Lord of All, far beyond such petty favoritism. Even if it seemed like He was focused on one person, it must be for a greater purpose, something beyond her understanding.

    Yet, despite all the teachings she¡¯d grown up with, despite her knowledge of the divine, she couldn¡¯t stop the doubt from creeping into her heart.

    "Armathi," she whispered.

    "Please, take away this ckness from my heart. Show me that Your love is spread across the world. Grant this unworthy believer a sign of Your miracles. Please."

    As she prayed, Favie was startled by the sudden sound of the door creaking open. She jumped to her feet, quickly trying topose herself.

    "Saintess, what are you doing here?" a priest asked.

    "...I was just resting for a moment," she replied, forcing calm into her voice. But she couldn¡¯t hide the disheveled state of her hair and clothing, nor the tear stains on her cheeks.

    The priest noticed but said nothing, instead directing his attention to the sword in her hands.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    When I handed the purified sword to Kal, his hands trembled as he took it, eyes wide with awe.

    "A gift... from you, mydy?!" His voice was shaky as if he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Kal stared at the sword as though it were a holy relic, clutching it to his chest with reverence. Then, with a blissful expression, he copsed backward onto the ground.

    With a loud thud, his body hit the hard pavement, but Kal didn¡¯t seem to care. Hey there, smiling like he¡¯d achieved the greatest joy in the world.

    "What¡¯s going on?!"

    "Why is Professor Kal acting like that?!"

    "Is this another one of Lady Allen¡¯s strange antics¡ª"

    "Shh! Keep your voice down!"

    Kal, do you not see the crowd you¡¯ve drawn?

    I tried to be nice by giving you a gift, but now I¡¯m going to have to deal with more weird rumors!

    Why is it that whenever I try to do something good for my loyal subordinates, I¡¯m the one who ends up suffering?

    Frustrated, I kicked Kal in the leg, but his smile remained serene. It didn¡¯t seem to hurt him at all.

    Seriously, this guy...

    "Is this what you wanted, you perverted mutt?? A knight groveling at the feet of a girl?? Disgusting? Freak? You¡¯d better just stay down and die?"

    Even as I hurled insults at him, Kal remained blissfully unaware, lost in his happiness.

    It¡¯s unbelievable that <em>this</em> is my most dependable knight. I¡¯m grateful for his loyalty, but I really wish he could be a bit more... normal.

    Well, I guess he¡¯ll get up eventually. In the meantime, I¡¯ll check something else.

    I¡¯d been meaning to check my quest, but then Cecil interrupted me, and I forgot about it.

    <strong>[Field Trip Events!] [Gain the approval of the Forest''s Master.] [Reward: ???] [Failure: Something truly humiliating]</strong>

    The field trip is a regr event held each semester. It¡¯s meant to give students realbat experience outside the academy.

    The rewards vary depending on performance, and each location has a specific event that, ifpleted, provides bonus rewards. For the first-year, first-semester field trip, the event involves meeting the <em>Master of the Forest</em>.

    You must meet certain conditions to encounter the Master and engage in a battle. The rewards for seeding are excellent, and it''s something veteran yers always aim toplete.

    Since I was already nning to meet the Forest Master, the quest reward is a nice bonus.

    But¡­ Armathi, this streak of helpful behavior is making me nervous.

    You''ve never been this generous before. What''sing next?

    And what¡¯s with this ¡°truly humiliating¡± failure penalty? I don¡¯t even want to imagine what <em>that</em> means. Just thinking about what our sadistic, masochistic Trash God considers ¡°humiliating¡± is enough to make me break out in a cold sweat.

    As long as I don¡¯t fail, I won¡¯t have to find out. But what if¡­ what if I do fail? What then?

    Dammit, this is stressing me out!

    I need something to vent my frustration on. I need to break something. To torment someone.

    And then, I remembered: Nackrad.

    He¡¯s skulking around the outskirts of Soul Academy, causing trouble.

    As a servant of the Dark God, he¡¯s a target that needs to be dealt with eventually. I¡¯m not strong enough to defeat him right now, but I can definitely make him suffer.

    Since the Dark God''s seal hasn¡¯t fully been broken yet, Nackrad is probably still weak. If I bring Kal and Alsatin with me, we can definitely make him cry.

    Ah, just the thought of Nackrad¡¯s miserable face after I torment him... It¡¯s already delicious.

    Let¡¯s see. Arthur said he tends to appear around dusk, right? Then, I should start moving soon.

    "Hey, mutt? How long are you going to ignore your master?? Do you want to be a stray dog??"

    "N-no, mydy!"

    Kal shot to his feet at my words, his face still shining with happiness.

    I sighed. He only gets up when I insult him. Is this guy trying to be a masochist now, too?

    If you weren¡¯t sopetent, I would¡¯ve kicked you to the curb already.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    "Thank you so much!"

    Nackrad smiled as another academy student bowed in gratitude before leaving.

    Thank you?

    No, I should be the one thanking you.

    After all, every time another student sought my advice, the Dark God''s influence spread a little further into the academy.

    Nackrad had been devastated after his previous n had failed. It was an unimaginable oue. Who could have possibly infiltrated the dungeon he''d created in the outskirts? How had it been cleared so swiftly?

    Only one person came to mind.@@novelbin@@

    That cursed servant of Armathi.

    Only <em>he</em> could have intervened, with that wretched god whispering into his ear. There was no other exnation.

    Nackrad had been ready to atone for his failure with his life, but the Dark God had been merciful. Instead of punishment, He had granted Nackrad another chance.

    Filled with gratitude, Nackrad devised his next n. This time, it was subtle. Instead of a grand scheme, he began spreading the Dark God''s influence slowly, infecting the students of the academy with the god''s power without their knowledge.

    Every time a student sought Nackrad¡¯s ¡°guidance,¡± they unknowingly absorbed a bit of the Dark God''s energy.

    No one would notice. The Dark God''s touch was too subtle, too well-hidden for even the likes of Armathi to detect. Bit by bit, the academy was being tainted, and soon it would be ripe for the Dark God''s n.

    Another sessful conversion today. Just a few more like this, and¡ª

    Nackrad froze. He felt it¡ªan unmistakable presence he loathed.

    The servant of Armathi.

    How careless of you, walking into my domain at this hour. Didn¡¯t that weak god of yours warn you of the danger?

    Well, no matter. You''vee straight to me, and now you¡¯ll pay the price for getting in my way.

    Armathi¡¯s servant, prepare to face your reckoning.

 Chapter 117

    Nacrad walked, following the aura of Armadi, feeling content.

    If trials existed in this world, then surely a reward awaited those who overcame them.

    By following the guidance of Tariki, the things I desired naturally fell into my hands.

    Armadi¡¯s apostle... that wretched child who ruined my ns and prevented Tariki''s will from being carried out.

    Are you there?

    Nacrad spotted the child standing in the darkness, arms crossed, wearing an irritating smirk.

    "What are you waiting for over there?"

    "Curious about the rumors that others have been spreading?"

    "Well, let me fulfill what you desire then."

    "I shall grant you what you wish in exchange for letting me hear your cries."

    "Crawl on the ground and scream your tear-stained pleas."

    "Give me that beautiful voice, one that cannot be hidden even by this oppressive night."

    As Nacrad pondered how to torment Armadi''s apostle, he noticed her turn her face toward him.

    Even in the dim moonlight, her piercing eyes locked onto Nacrad¡¯s face, curving into a crescent smile.

    "What is it?"

    "Why are you smiling?"

    "You should be aware of the danger you''re in if you¡¯ve looked at me, right?"

    "Why¡­?"

    "Have you lost your mind?"

    "Have you resigned yourself to death?"

    No, that wasn¡¯t it.

    Her confidence was too strong to be mere bravado.

    Which means...

    Just as a shiver crept up his spine, Armadi¡¯s apostle moved her lips.

    Nacrad, having learned to read lips, immediately understood the words she mouthed.

    "Take him down."

    At the same moment, a presence that had been hidden behind him made a move.

    Rolling across the dirt in a humiliating escape, Nacrad barely avoided the ambush. He summoned his magic as he nced at the person who had appeared behind him.

    ¡°Damn it."

    "A knight."

    "And not just any knight, but one of considerable skill.¡±

    Just from the way he moved his sword, Nacrad could tell.

    This was an opponent he couldn¡¯t handle in his current state.

    This wasn¡¯t a prey that had wandered into his trap.

    Armadi''s apostle had used herself as bait to lure me out.

    In my blind pursuit of revenge, I was nothing but a foolish fish who bit down on the lure.

    Though Nacrad let out a rough breath in frustration at being outyed, there was no viable option left.

    There was no way to deal with the knight and harm Armadi¡¯s apostle at the same time.

    The only option was to flee.

    After all, that knight is still just a knight.

    If I hide in the darkness and attempt to escape, he won¡¯t have an easy way of catching up.

    I¡¯ll treat today as a stepping stone and remember this forter.

    As Nacrad prepared to execute his escape n, he instinctively conjured a barrier of darkness.

    However, an arrow cloaked in magic flew from the distance and pierced the barrier, rendering it useless.

    An arrow lodged itself in Nacrad¡¯s ankle, and he gritted his teeth.

    "Young Lady, these arrows are expensive, you know?"

    "Shut up, Informant. Are you really in a position to say something like that?"

    ¡°I was just hoping you¡¯d appreciate how much I¡¯ve invested.¡±

    ¡°Tch. So it wasn¡¯t just one.¡±

    I was wondering how that assertive knight managed to disappear so suddenly¡ªturns out he had a thief with him as well.

    Nacrad scowled and merged his ankle with the shadows.

    The arrow that had pierced his ankle passed through the shadows and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quite an impressive technique,¡± the thief said.

    Nacrad, back on his feet, watched as the thief drew another arrow from his quiver. He pressed his lips into a thin line.

    If it was just the thief, I could easily deal with him. But the problem is the knight.@@novelbin@@

    This is bing troublesome.

    With that thought, Nacrad scattered his magic into the surroundings.

    The apostle of the god who controls darkness issued hismand, and one by one, his minions began to emerge from the shadows.

    At least it''s night, he thought, grateful for the cards in his hand.

    They¡¯re not familiar with the powers granted by my god. If I use that to my advantage...

    "Informant, shoot your arrows into the darkness. They¡¯ll work. Useless Knight, ignore the darkness and keep pressuring that pretentious fool. Can you handle it?¡±

    ¡°Of course, mydy!¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    Armadi¡¯s apostle issued hermands to the two of them, her eyes locking onto Nacrad once again.

    Seeing his face clouded with confusion, she burst intoughter, her voice dripping with mockery.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?? Are you getting dizzy just looking at your own face?? Could you lower your eyes for me?? It¡¯s nauseating?.¡±

    ...That damn wench!

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    It was obvious that Nacrad was boiling with rage because of my provocations, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he couldn¡¯t break through Karl and Alsetin¡¯s assault.

    Watching him struggle, the weight I had been feeling in my chest lifted slightly.

    Ahh, this is life.

    Is this why Lucy used to taunt people like this?

    Seeing someone you hate getting frustrated is so damn satisfying.

    I think I can understand that feeling now, even if just a little.

    ¡°Useless Knight? What are you going to do, staring at me like that?? You can¡¯t do anything, can you?? Oh wait, are you staring because you think I¡¯m cute?? Pervert? Loli-loving freak? Disgusting?.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you filthy trash!¡±

    ¡°Pffft? Are you mad?? You¡¯re mad, aren¡¯t you?? Oh, I¡¯m sooo scared?.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight of Nacrad ring at me, only to suffer under Karl¡¯s relentless swordy.

    ¡°Priestess.¡±

    <em>Oh, Armadi. Please, grant this poormb your forgiveness¡­</em>

    ¡°Priestess!¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Faybi startled at the booming male voice that echoed in her ears, her face turning red as she cleared her throat awkwardly.

    ¡°I apologize for interrupting your prayers.¡±

    ¡°No, it''s fine. So, what brings you here, Father?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to return to the dormitory.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡±

    She hadn¡¯t been praying for long¡ªthere was no way it could already be that time.

    Faybi was about to voice her confusion when she nced outside the window and saw the disy of stars. Her mouth hung open.

    The dark sky signaled that it was indeed night.

    ¡°Thank you, Father. I almost got in trouble with the dormitory supervisor.¡±

    ¡°No trouble at all. Please, go ahead.¡±

    Offering her thanks, Faybi quickly left the church with hurried steps.

    After cleansing and returning Lucy Alrn''s sword earlier today, Faybi had spent the rest of the day praying to Armadi, pleading for him to remove the jealousy and envy that had taken root in her heart.

    But the more she tried to forget, the more those thoughts seemed to engrave themselves in her mind.

    Her prayers and repentance didn¡¯t seem to have much effect.

    <em>Oh Armadi, if only you could speak to me someday, I wouldn¡¯t be so lost like this.</em>

    If only she could be certain that Armadi loved the world equally, as written in the scriptures, and not just Lucy Alrn. Then, she wouldn¡¯t have to struggle with these thoughts.

    Faybi knew that her thoughts were terribly sphemous, but she couldn¡¯t stop the dark thoughts from creeping into her mind.

    And each time they did, Faybi silently apologized to those around her.

    <em>I¡¯m sorry.</em>

    <em>I¡¯m not worthy of being a priestess, am I?</em>

    <em>You all praised me, so I tried to be someone worthy of that, but it seems I¡¯mcking.</em>

    <em>I¡¯m sorry.</em>

    <em>I¡¯m sorry.</em>

    <em>I¡¯m so...</em>

    As she walked back to the dormitory, her shoulders slumped further and further until a metallic scent hit her nose, making her stop in her tracks.

    <em>This is... the smell of blood.</em>

    <em>Did something happen?</em>

    That thought alone made Faybi instinctively follow the scent of blood.

    She didn¡¯t consider whether it was being nosy or not.

    If someone was injured, it was only natural for her to heal them.

    That was simplymon sense for Faybi.

    At the end of the trail, Faybi found herself standing before a man copsed in the alley.

    He was gasping for breath, his body covered in wounds.

    Normally, Faybi would have immediately rushed to help the injured man, but she hesitated because of the dark aura emanating from his body.

    <em>This is definitely... the power of an evil god, an enemy of the church.</em>

    She needed to go get the other priests...

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Faybi flinched at the voice that came from the darkness.

    ¡°You, priestess. Heal me.¡±

    ¡°I cannot¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then I will answer the questions that gue your heart.¡±

    At that moment, Faybi remembered the rumors that had been circting around the academy.

    If you wandered the streets at night, a person dressed in ck would appear.

    If you offered them the right price, they could answer any question you had.

    They said that person¡¯s answers were always 100% urate.

    <em>If that¡¯s true...</em>

    <em>What if...</em>

    <em>What if I could pull out the question hidden in my heart?</em>

    <em>Could that be resolved too?</em>

    ¡°I can see it¡ªthe doubt that fills your heart. Don¡¯t you want to resolve it?¡±

    That voice...

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I swear in the name of the god I serve that I will not harm you.¡±

    The voice wrapped around Faybi like a rope, pulling her in.

    ¡°We will make a trade. You heal me, and I¡¯ll answer what troubles you.¡±

    Before she realized it, Faybi had taken a step into the darkness.

    ¡°Now, speak. What is it you wish to know?¡±

    ¡°What I want to know is...¡±

 Chapter 118

    "The headmaster asked me to deliver this to you, mydy."

    The morning after we drove off Nacrad.

    Karl came to see me early, pulling a box from his chest and handing it to me.

    At this time of year, there could only be one thing the academy would give as a gift.

    It was the reward given to the top student at Soul Academy.

    "I heard that there''s an elixir inside."

    The reward for ranking first is an elixir.

    The type changes depending on the student''s ss, so for someone like me, it''s likely to be an elixir that enhances strength and stamina.

    Normally, this would be an item that forms the foundation for rapid growth at the start of the academy, but for me, it''s useless right now.

    It''s not even been a year since I consumed three elixirs.

    However, it¡¯s still a valuable item, so there¡¯s no reason to refuse the reward.

    I¡¯ll just store it in my inventory for now.

    I¡¯ll find some use for it eventually.

    And if not, I can just drink it down in a few months.

    Karl had delivered the reward, but he hesitated, clearly wanting to say something, watching me nervously.

    What''s wrong with him?

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    "Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, you useless knight?"

    "It¡¯s about yesterday¡¯s incident. I made a mistake because I wasn¡¯t strong enough. If I were just a bit stronger, I wouldn¡¯t have let that man escape."

    ¡®Didn¡¯t I tell you not to worry about it?¡¯

    "You should clean your ears, you useless knight. I told you it¡¯s fine."

    Although we tormented Nacrad yesterday, in the end, we failed to capture him.

    But there was nothing we could have done.

    With the power of darkness at his disposal, once Nacrad decided to escape, we didn¡¯t have the means to stop him.

    Even in the game, we couldn''t kill Nacrad without obtaining the staff that could bind the darkness.

    And now, in reality, we still couldn¡¯t take him down.

    I had intended to merely torment him and drive him off anyway.

    Yesterday''s events were satisfying enough.

    Seeing Nacrad scream in frustration, his face flushed red as he fled without any recourse, was enough to clear all my stress.

    There was no need for an apology, but Karl clearly couldn¡¯t get it out of his mind.

    "Ahh, as expected, mydy, you are truly merciful!"

    That¡¯s not it¡ªreally, it¡¯s fine.

    I appreciate the sense of duty in a knight, but shouldn¡¯t you at least pretend to listen to your master?

    Even the Chihuahua my friend used to raise was more obedient than this.

    Damn knight!

    If I leave him alone, he¡¯ll keep digging himself deeper, so I¡¯d better change the subject.

    Fortunately, I have the perfect topic.

    ¡®By the way¡­¡¯

    "Hey, why didn¡¯t you bring the sword I gave you yesterday?"

    "The cursed sword? I hung it up in my quarters."

    ...What?

    "How could I dare to use a gift from you, mydy? What if it gets damaged?"

    Are you serious?

    "I¡¯ve currently ced it in a ss disy, but I n to have preservation magic cast on itter..."

    ¡®Why are you putting it on disy?!¡¯

    "You useless mutt! I gave it to you to use!"

    "But, mydy..."

    I don¡¯t care about ''but''!

    That¡¯s a pretty good item!

    In the game, it was usable well into the midte stages!

    It¡¯s leagues beyond the sword you''re using now!

    So why aren''t you using it?

    Is it because someone you like gave it to you, and you want to cherish it forever?

    Why are you fangirling over your master, you stupid mutt?!

    I felt a storm of words rising within me, but I suppressed them, fearing that once they were out, there¡¯d be no going back. I ran a hand over my face to calm myself.

    Then I sighed and spoke to Karl.

    ¡®Later...¡¯

    "You useless mutt, I¡¯ll give you a cor to hang on disyter. But for now, use the damn sword."

    "Really?! I would be eternally grateful for such a gift!"

    As I watched Karl''s bright smile, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.

    Has he always been this weird?

    Or did he be like this after meeting me?

    It¡¯s probably the former.

    There¡¯s no way he¡¯d be spouting such craziness unless he was already like this.

    Watching Karl skip away with a spring in his step, I copsed onto a nearby bench and let out a long sigh.

    I¡¯m exhausted.

    I didn¡¯t even do much, but I feel more drained than when I stayed up all night clearing a dungeon.

    Is this what it feels like to be the owner of an unrulyrge dog?

    "Lady Alrn?"

    While I was slumped in exhaustion, a voice called out to me, and I turned my head.

    It was Faybi.

    She stood there with an awkward smile, so obvious that anyone could notice.

    She¡¯s nevere to see me first before¡ªwhat could it be?

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    "What is it, useless priestess?"

    "Ah, um. It''s about the uing field trip."

    Does Faybi have something troubling her regarding the field trip?

    Anyone who¡¯s yed RPG games knows that clerics, who provide healing and buffs, never have trouble finding a party.

    Every party needs at least one, and since the number of clerics isn¡¯t that high, people would beg them to join.

    This principle applies even within the academy.

    The number of clerics in the academy isn¡¯trge, but every party wants one.

    And this is reality, so it¡¯s even more important.

    Who wouldn¡¯t want someone who could heal them when they¡¯re injured?

    Even an average cleric would have people pulling all sorts of tricks to get them into their party, and Faybi, who has exceptional skills, is no exception.

    She¡¯s beyond noble¡ªshe¡¯s practically royalty. No, she¡¯s worthy of being called a goddess.

    If she wanted, she could join any party she desired, and she could gather any members for the field trip.

    Isn¡¯t a rare tank that can out-damage DPS valuable?

    Of course they are.

    If this were the game, I¡¯d probably rank higher than the priestess.

    But this isn¡¯t a game.

    In reality, reputation is extremely important.

    You have to stick with your party members for the whole three-night, four-day trip. Would anyone want to be stuck with someone whose reputation has gone down the drain?

    Even I would refuse.

    But Faybi is different.

    She¡¯s loved by everyone, no matter their gender or age, so she¡¯spletely free from such issues.

    Her spotless character is even a bonus.

    There¡¯s no way she¡¯d have trouble forming a party.

    So why is she talking to me?

    "Have you put together a party, mydy?"

    ¡®More or less.¡¯@@novelbin@@

    "It¡¯s mostly set."

    Zoi had already agreed to join my party long ago.

    And Frey, who, like me, doesn¡¯t have many friends, naturally joined my party as well.

    So now there¡¯s just one spot left.

    I originally nned to ask Arthur.

    Someone who could switch between frontline and rear guard roles was rare.

    But he refused the moment I brought it up.

    He said he couldn¡¯t win if he was in the same party as me.

    Arthur dered that he¡¯d defeat me during this field trip, leaving me puzzled.

    In the game, Arthur wasn¡¯t such an intense character.

    If I had to say whether it¡¯s a good change or a bad one, it¡¯s a good change, but there are still some concerns.

    If he sees me as a rival, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll ever be able to beat me.

    No matter how talented Arthur is, there¡¯s no way he could defeat me.

    How is he supposed to win against someone who¡¯s invested tens of thousands of hours into this game?

    If it seems like he¡¯s heading toward a dark path, I might have to let him win on purpose.

    But if he finds out I let him win, will he get even angrier?

    Whatever. Anyway, after Arthur refused, I chose Bisi as a recement.

    It seems like she¡¯s already decided to team up with her friends, but does that matter to me?

    I¡¯m her benefactor, and I hold a secret over her, so I¡¯m basically her master.

    When a ve is ordered, they obey. Who cares about her personal ns?

    Avery?

    Nah, not her.

    I have no issue giving orders, but spending three nights and four days with her? No thanks.

    I¡¯m a really kind and nice person, but having someone who talks behind my back nearby is a bit much.

    "Just out of curiosity, would it be possible for me to join your party, Lady Alrn?"

    ¡®...What?¡¯

    "What?"

    I asked again, unsure if I heard correctly, and Faybi flinched before repeating herself.

    "I¡¯d like to join your party, Lady Alrn."

    Faybi?

    Why?

    She could join any good party she wanted.

    She¡¯s not thepetitive type, so she could easily join afortable group, enjoy some peace, and do just fine.

    Why ask me?

    Oh. Is it because of Zoi?

    That must be it.

    Faybi and Zoi are close friends.

    It makes sense if she¡¯s asking because she wants to be with Zoi.

    "Is that okay?"

    ¡®Of course!¡¯

    "How could I refuse when the useless priestess asks me so nicely?"

    There¡¯s no reason to refuse a Tier 1 healer joining my party!

    She¡¯s taking the spot of dead weight like Bisi!

    And it¡¯s not like this will mess up the party dynamics.

    Zoi would wee Faybi, and Faybi has the mental fortitude to handle whatever crazy antics Frey and I get up to.

    Who knew that winning the affection of the dimwitted nobledy would be so useful!

    This is a great chance to build rapport with Faybi during the field trip.

    Since we both deal with holy powers, we can form a strong bond through shared experiences.

    Faybi¡¯s favorability is rtively easy to raise to 70, so maybe I can hit that target during the field trip.

    If I seed, not only will I clear the useless god¡¯s quest, but I¡¯ll also secure a professional healer for the party!

    Alright, I was nning to just coast through the field trip and take first ce, but I¡¯m changing the n.

    I¡¯m going to give this everything I¡¯ve got.

    Let¡¯s break the academy records.

    "Then I look forward to working with you."

    ¡®Likewise!¡¯

    "Yes, useless priestess. I hope you don¡¯t drag us down."

    "Haha, I¡¯ll try my best."

    As I exchanged pleasantries with Faybi, one thought crossed my mind.

    I¡¯ll have a priestess as a party member.

    Does that mean I can use the trick from the Soul Academy dungeon I used to pull off in the game?

    ¡®Hey, Faybi.¡¯

    "Useless priestess, are you free this Saturday?"

    "Huh? I don¡¯t have anything important. I could make time."

    Is that so?

    Perfect.

    I needed to finish the Soul Academy dungeon anyway.

    I grinned as I plotted in my head, causing Faybi to flinch and take a step back.

    What¡¯s with her?

    Was my expression strange?

 Chapter 119

    On the way to the dungeon entrance at the academy, Faybi couldn¡¯t hide her anxious heart.

    Although she kept moving forward because of the promise she made, her steps faltered several times, forcing her to stop, turn around, and then walk forward again.

    Her feet kept repeating the same path, over and over.

    The reason for her hesitation was simple.

    It was because she had followed her own desires, viting the teachings of the church due to a question that weighed on her heart.

    "Idiot."

    Faybi always said in formal settings that anyone could falter.

    As long as one repented and steeled their heart once again, Armadi would surely offer forgiveness.

    She would say that what mattered wasn¡¯t the sin itself, but how one acted afterward.

    However, in this moment, havingmitted a wrongdoing herself, Faybi couldn¡¯t think that way.

    In her mind, the sin shemitted wasn¡¯t something that could be forgiven simply by asking for forgiveness.

    "Idiot. Fool."

    No matter how much turmoil she felt in her heart, how could she have done such a thing?

    To make a deal with an apostle of an evil god, no less.

    That night.

    The night she had cursed her own petty heart and left the church.

    The moment she stepped forward without hesitation to heal someone who was injured.

    Faybi had encountered a person with the aura of an evil god.

    Normally, she should have immediately called the church¡¯s people to hunt him down, but Faybi didn¡¯t.

    Because she had been swayed by the words that had slipped from his lips.

    The promise to resolve all her doubts had touched the deepest part of Faybi¡¯s heart, and in that moment, she took a step forward.

    "Does Lady Alrn receive Armadi''s love?"

    That was the first question Faybi asked, and the man narrowed his eyes and smiled.

    "Why do you ask something you already know? Do you wish for her not to be loved?"

    "No!..."

    That wasn¡¯t it.

    What she wanted was for everyone to be loved equally.

    She didn¡¯t want to steal anyone else¡¯s love.

    Faybi just...

    Just?

    "I''ll tell you. Yes, Lucy Alrn is loved by Armadi. How could she not be? She¡¯s been chosen as Armadi¡¯s apostle. It would be impossible for her not to be loved."

    <em>Armadi¡¯s apostle.</em>

    The shock of hearing that word was not something Faybi could easily bear.

    Historically, Armadi had never taken an apostle.

    It was even stated in the scriptures.

    Because Armadi loved the world equally, he didn¡¯t choose an apostle.

    Anyone working for the church would know this asmon sense.

    How could she not be surprised to hear something that contradicted that?

    "Lies."

    "Think whatever you want. I only speak the truth. How you take it doesn¡¯t matter to me."

    As Faybi backed away, shaking her head in denial, the manughed as if he couldn¡¯t hold it in.

    "This is amusing. Since I¡¯m in a good mood, I¡¯ll answer one more question. Ask."

    "You¡¯ll just lie again."

    "I might. But wouldn¡¯t it be better to hear it?"

    Faybi hesitated.

    Logically, she knew she should turn around right now.

    Despite the deal, it would be better to ignore it.

    But Faybi couldn¡¯t take her feet off the ground, stuck in the darkness.

    "...Will I be loved by Armadi?"

    "Oh? You¡¯re asking an apostle of an evil god that?"

    "..."

    "That¡¯s too expensive a question. I can¡¯t answer that now. First, heal me. And then¡ª"

    "Useless priestess?"

    "Hiyaaah?!"

    A voice from behind startled Faybi, causing her to lose her bnce and fall forward.

    Faybi braced herself for the impending pain, squeezing her eyes shut, but the impact never came.

    Cautiously opening her eyes, she saw a gauntleted hand around her waist, catching her mid-fall.

    "What are you doing? Are you trying to be an airheaded priestess like your friend?"

    The sarcastic remark gave Faybi an idea of who had saved her.

    Lucy Alrn.

    The very person she both wanted and didn¡¯t want to meet right now.

    What should she do?

    Even after being helped up by Lucy, Faybi trembled, staring at the ground.

    "What¡¯s wrong? Are you nervous? Scared? Turns out you''re even more useless than your friend?"

    "That¡¯s not it."

    Faybi shook her head at Lucy¡¯s words.

    Entering the dungeon didn¡¯t scare her.

    Although she had lived as a priestess of the main church, Faybi hadn¡¯t been raised like a flower in a greenhouse.

    She had entered dungeons and faced monsters before. There was no reason for her to be afraid of the academy¡¯s dungeon.

    "Then what is it?"

    Faybi couldn¡¯t answer that question.

    She couldn¡¯t.

    How could she confess that she was afraid of being found out for making a deal with an apostle of an evil god?

    Especially not to someone who might be Armadi¡¯s apostle.

    Lucy wouldn¡¯t know.

    She wouldn¡¯t know how much courage it had taken Faybi to speak to her after that night.

    How every time she saw Lucy smile, Faybi feared that her own shadow would be exposed under Armadi¡¯s light.

    Deep down, Faybi had wanted to hide in a church room and offer prayers of repentance forever, but she had pushed down her fear and spoken to Lucy for one reason.

    She wanted to know why Lucy received Armadi¡¯s love.

    She wanted to know what about Lucy had caught Armadi¡¯s favor.

    And she hoped that by following in her footsteps, she too could receive Armadi¡¯s love.

    That she might hear his voice.

    That¡¯s why Faybi stood here, forcing herself to suppress her fears.

    As she continued to fidget, unsure of what to do, Lucy suddenly bent down, stepping under Faybi¡¯s long hair, then looked up at her with that usual irritating smile.

    "You¡¯re scared, huh?? You pathetic coward?"

    At those words, the darkness that had filled Faybi¡¯s heart for days was tinged with red.

    "No, I¡¯m not scared."

    "Really?? Doesn¡¯t seem like it~?"

    "I¡¯m really not."

    As Faybi spoke with conviction, Lucy scrutinized her face for a moment before stepping out from under her hair.

    "Alright then, let¡¯s go, useless priestess. We don¡¯t have time to waste."

    With that, Lucy began walking ahead. Faybi stared at Lucy¡¯s small back, thinking how, somehow, it seemed sorge.

    "What are you waiting for? Noting? Are your legs still frozen, cowardly priestess?"

    "Ah, no, I¡¯ming."

    Snapping out of her daze, Faybi hurriedly quickened her pace to catch up to Lucy.

    "Um, Lady Alrn."

    "Yes."

    "I wanted to ask... how far are we going in the dungeon today?"

    Faybi had only heard from Lucy that they¡¯d be going to the dungeon today, but she hadn¡¯t been told how far they¡¯d go.

    The only thing Zoi had told her was to mentally prepare because it would be exhausting.

    "All the way."

    "...What?"

    Faybi wondered if she had misheard Lucy¡¯s response.

    Maybe she meant they would explore until the time limit was up.

    But Lucy shook her head.

    "We¡¯re going to the 100th floor. I¡¯ve already made all the preparations."

    "But we¡¯re starting from the 1st floor."

    Faybi had never cleared the academy¡¯s dungeon before, so she had to start at the 1st floor.

    Even though Lucy was known for her fast dungeon-clearing pace, it seemed impossible to clear from the 1st to the 100th floor in one day.

    It wasn¡¯t that Faybi doubted Lucy¡¯s abilities.

    It was just that, logically, it seemed physically impossible.

    Just walking from the 1st floor to the 100th would take more than a day, not to mention the battles in between.

    "Listen, useless priestess."

    "Yes?"

    "Just because the ipetent priestess can¡¯t do it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t."

    At Lucy¡¯s answer, paired with her usual mocking smile, Faybi almost snapped back in frustration but held herself in check.

    Calm down.

    She¡¯s just teasing me because it¡¯s my first time in the dungeon.

    She¡¯s just yful like that.

    Don¡¯t fall for it, Faybi.

    You¡¯re not a child.

    "Of course."

    Faybi smiled in return, and Lucy simply smiled back without saying anything more.

    In the silence that followed, they arrived at the entrance to the dungeon, where the rest of their group awaited.

    "It¡¯s an honor to enter the dungeon with you, priestess."

    It was Karl, thebat instructor.

    He was a newly appointed professor but had already earned a good reputation among the students.

    He was dedicated to teaching and had a pleasant personality, making him especially popr with the female students, thanks to his knightly appearance that seemed straight out of a fairytale.

    Faybi had heard her friends gush about Professor Karl many times.

    "It¡¯s an honor for me as well, Professor."

    "I¡¯ll be relying on you, too."

    Next to him stood Frey Kent.

    She was considered a strong candidate for the next Sword Saint, known for her exceptional martial skills, considered the best on the continent.

    Though Lucy¡¯s rise had slightly dampened her reputation, Frey¡¯s strength was still undeniable.

    Even themander of the main church¡¯s Holy Knights had expressed a desire to recruit her.

    "Yes, I¡¯ll be relying on you, too."

    "By the way, priestess, is your stamina good?"

    "Me? I think it¡¯s about average for a cleric."

    Faybi¡¯s stamina wasn¡¯t bad, but it wasn¡¯t particrly impressive either.

    As a cleric, she had enough endurance to move around, but that was all.

    After hearing her response, Frey gave her a long look and then quietly said:

    "Good luck."

    ...Huh?

    <em>Good luck?</em>

    Faybi blinked at Frey¡¯s mysterious words, but Frey didn¡¯t offer any further exnation.

    "...Um."

    "Are the introductions over? Let¡¯s get going."

    Faybi tried to ask Frey what she meant, but Lucy¡¯s voice interrupted, and the moment was gone.

    As she followed the others into the dungeon, Faybi couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the scene before her.

    <em>The professors at the academy made this?</em>

    <em>It¡¯s really well-made.</em>

    <em>It¡¯s just like a real dungeon.</em>

    <em>As expected from Soul Academy.</em>

    As Faybi admired the dungeon, she felt eyes on her and turned to see Lucy, who was sizing her up with her arms crossed.

    "What is it, Lady Alrn?"@@novelbin@@

    "Useless priestess. Can I carry you?"

    "...What?"

    Carry me?

    Why?

 Chapter 120

    Faybi had been part of dungeon explorations with the Holy Knights of the main church several times before.

    In order to pass the academy''s trials, it was essential to know how to clear a dungeon, so she had to enter the dungeon to learn it.

    It was never dangerous.

    After all, she was a priestess of the main church, and those who apanied her were no ordinary individuals.

    They were powerful enough to hold the position ofmander in most prominent families, yet they were sent to clear lower-level dungeons.

    In reality, rather than saying Faybi cleared the dungeons, it was more urate to say she simply experienced them.

    However, because those who taught her were so skilled, Faybi learned what a standard dungeon exploration should be like.

    Her understanding of dungeon clearing involved caution.

    A dungeon is an unknown space, and as such, one must move forward while considering all possibilities.

    What kind of monsters might appear and where?

    Could there be traps along this path?

    Is this the right way?

    Is our stamina sufficient to survive the next battle?

    Of course, overwhelming strength could eliminate most variables, but usually, you had to approach a dungeon cautiously, as if crossing a frozenke.

    But Lucy Alrn''s dungeon strategy was different.

    Her approach to the dungeon felt like a scripted y.

    On the stage of the dungeon, Lucy Alrn, the director, writer, and lead actress, orchestrated the entire performance.

    This couldn¡¯t be called "clearing a dungeon."

    Everything happened exactly as Lucymanded. How could this be called an exploration?

    ¡°Ten steps ahead, turn the corner. Three useless orcs. I¡¯ll take the lead, knock them down, and we¡¯ll pass through.¡±

    Even though there was no way to confirm if there were monsters ahead, Lucy gave the order, and no one questioned her.

    Not even Faybi.

    And sure enough, as soon as they turned the corner, three orcs were waiting for them.

    At first, Faybi doubted Lucy¡¯s words.

    No matter how gifted Lucy was, it was impossible to give such precisemands in a dungeon filled with countless variables.

    But Lucy, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, made the impossible possible.

    Initially, Faybi thought it was just a coincidence.

    But when that "coincidence" happened ten, twenty times, it became clear it wasn¡¯t luck.@@novelbin@@

    In the dungeon, Lucy moved as if she had received divine miracles, her knowledge omniscient.

    After witnessing these miracles several times, Faybi couldn¡¯t help but wonder.

    <em>Is this what it means to be Armadi¡¯s apostle?</em>

    <em>Could someone loved by Armadi create such miracles?</em>

    ¡°Ugh!?¡±

    Faybi¡¯s thoughts shattered as Lucy rammed into an orc.

    Since Faybi was piggybacking on Lucy, she felt the shock just as Lucy did.

    As Lucy trampled over the orc lying on the ground in her armor, Faybi, feeling nauseous, cast a miracle on herself to prevent dizziness.

    <em>Ugh.</em>

    <em>I had no choice but to get carried, but this isn¡¯tfortable.</em>

    <em>Of course, it¡¯s better than running like Lady Alrn, but still...</em>

    At first, Faybi had refused to let Lucy carry her.

    After all, she was a priestess.

    Even though it was physically tough, she wanted to maintain her dignity and pride. The thought of being carried on the shoulders of someone much smaller than her was not easy to ept.

    <em>¡°Are you sure? With your pathetic stamina, you¡¯ll be out ofmission halfway through.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±</em>

    Despite her determination, it didn¡¯t take long for Faybi to admit her mistake.

    After copsing repeatedly, her legs giving out, and gasping for breath to the point where she could hardly breathe, she had no choice but to lower her head in defeat.

    There are some things in this world that sheer willpower alone can¡¯t ovee.

    So, Faybi reluctantly climbed onto Lucy¡¯s shoulders and quickly realized that Lucy had been slowing down out of consideration for her.

    <em>Ugh, Zoi...</em>

    <em>You must have known this would happen, so why didn¡¯t you warn me?</em>

    <em>If you had told me in advance, I wouldn¡¯t have had to embarrass myself by copsing repeatedly.</em>

    <em>Did you do this to trick me, Zoi?</em>

    <em>I won¡¯t say anything if you simply forgot, but if you did this on purpose, I¡¯m going to give you a lecture!</em>

    ¡°More monsters.¡±

    Regardless of what Faybi was thinking, Lucy didn¡¯t stop, and their dungeon progress continued smoothly.

    10th floor.

    20th floor.

    30th floor.

    40th floor.

    50th floor.

    60th floor.

    As they ascended the levels, the dungeon expanded, causing some dy, but that was all.

    The party''s speed didn¡¯t slow down in the slightest.

    Even now, running at a paceparable to a warhorse, they were conserving their stamina.

    Meanwhile, Faybi, piggybacked on Lucy, was exhausted just from enduring the constant shaking.

    <em>So this is what it¡¯s like when the two strongest people on the continent push themselves to the limit.</em>

    <em>How did Zoi manage to keep up with them on a regr basis?</em>

    <em>Now I understand why Lady Kent told me to ¡®hang in there¡¯ before we entered the dungeon.</em>

    <em>This isn¡¯t something an ordinary person can endure.</em>

    Just before reaching the boss room on the 70th floor, Lucy finally set Faybi down and looked around.

    ¡°Useless swordswoman. You okay?¡±

    Finally!

    Finally, it seemed like they were going to take a break!

    Although she hadn¡¯t said anything while being carried around like a sack of potatoes, Faybi was on the verge of copsing from exhaustion.

    More than anyone else, she longed for a break.

    Swallowing her dry throat, Faybi looked at Frey¡¯s expression.

    Strangely, Frey seemed to be hesitating.

    <em>What¡¯s she thinking about?</em>

    <em>Why not just say we should rest?</em>

    <em>Even though Lady Alrn and Lady Kent have extraordinary stamina, they¡¯re still first-year students at the academy.</em>

    <em>No matter how well they know the dungeon, if they keep pushing without rest, there could be an ident.</em>

    <em>So, we need to take a break.</em>

    <em>We have to!</em>

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡±

    But Frey¡¯s words were the exact opposite of what Faybi had hoped for.

    <em>How could she be fine?</em>

    <em>After sprinting all the way up to the 70th floor, how could she be okay?</em>

    <em>You¡¯re clearly out of breath!</em>

    <em>What if you make a mistake during the 70th-floor boss fight?</em>

    <em>Of course, up until now, Lady Alrn had meticulously prepared for every boss, so they had been able to finish them off easily, but this time could be different.</em>

    <em>There must be a reason why Lady Alrn suggested taking a break!</em>

    As Faybi tried to convey her thoughts to Frey with her eyes, she met Lucy¡¯s gaze and quickly looked away, her face turning red.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going, then.¡±

    At Lucy¡¯s words, Faybi sighed and cast another recovery spell on herself.

    Though it was only a temporary solution, without it, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep going.

    <em>I almost wish the 70th-floor boss were really difficult.</em>

    <em>At least then, we¡¯d be forced to rest.</em>

    But Faybi¡¯s wish wasn¡¯t granted.

    ¡°Dispose of the intruders.¡±

    As soon as they entered the boss room, the boss cast a massive spell, but it was blocked by a scroll Lucy had prepared.

    Then Lucy used another scroll to activate the boss¡¯s own magic, which blew off its head.

    The entire fightsted barely a minute.

    It was far too short for Faybi¡¯s exhausted body to recover.

    As the boss¡¯s corpse crumpled to the ground, Lucy stood before Faybi.

    Having given up everything at this point, Faybi climbed onto Lucy¡¯s shoulders again without any hesitation.

    By the time half a day had passed since entering the dungeon, we were standing in front of the 100th-floor door of the academy dungeon.

    As much as I wanted to charge straight in, we couldn¡¯t, given Faybi¡¯s current condition.

    Her divine magic would be crucial tofortably clearing the 100th floor.

    If she entered in her current state, unable to even speak properly and hanging onto me like a corpse, anything could happen.

    There was still time before the academy dungeon closed, so we might as well rest for a while.

    After setting Faybi down, she copsed to the ground as soon as her feet touched it.

    It was strange to see the priestess in such a disheveled state, something I¡¯d never witnessed during the game.

    In <em>Soul Academy</em>, she had always maintained a dignified, priestly appearance.

    But of course, even a priestess is human. When she¡¯s exhausted, she can¡¯t help but show it.

    Looking away from Faybi, I nced at Frey. She was tired, but not to the point of being unable to move.

    Her stamina had improved a lot since we started training together.

    In the beginning, she had to take breaks multiple times, but now she was able to push herself all the way to the end.

    Thanks to that, even with Faybi in the party, our dungeon-clearing speed was incredibly fast.

    Unfortunately, that speed had pushed Faybi to her limits.

    But what could we do?

    She had agreed to join the dungeon exploration the moment she nodded her head.

    If she didn¡¯t want an extreme experience, she should have refused from the start.

    Should I have given her a heads-up?

    Well, there¡¯s now that says I had to.

    I did nothing wrong.

    If she didn¡¯t like it, she should have done her own research.

    And hey, I¡¯m giving her a proper reward for all her hard work.

    I¡¯m literally serving her the title of "First Clearer of the Academy Dungeon."

    That¡¯s a pretty big honor.

    In the game, it boosted both reputation and prestige significantly.

    Not to mention, there are special rewards for the first clear, so thepensation more than makes up for a day of exhaustion.

    She might not appreciate it now, butter, she¡¯ll realize, <em>Oh, Lady Alrn had a n all along.</em> She¡¯ll thank me for it.

    As the silence of rest continued, Faybi, sprawled out on the ground, suddenly blushed and adjusted her posture.

    Looks like she¡¯s finallying to her senses.

    She¡¯ll still need more time to fully recover, but at least she can talk now.

    ¡®Faybi.¡¯

    ¡°Useless priestess.¡±

    ¡°...Neh?!¡±

    Startled by my words, Faybi bit her tongue as she tried to reply, causing me to let out a smallugh.

    I¡¯m starting to see why the <em>mesugaki</em> skill calls her "useless priestess."

    She really does act useless sometimes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not telling you to move. Just listen.¡±

    ¡°Were you scared I¡¯d tell you to get up? Pfft. You¡¯re so useless. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not asking for that. Just sit and listen.¡±

    After all, your role is important for the 100th floor.

 Chapter 121

    ¡°Beyond this door, there''s a weakling of a dragon,¡± Lucy said nonchntly.

    <em>A dragon.</em>

    Calling it a living creature felt wrong¡ªmore fitting to think of it as a force of nature. With the ability to destroy entire nations depending on its form, how could anyone consider it a mere creature?

    A dragon was more like a hurricane, an earthquake, or a tidal wave¡ªa natural disaster.

    That¡¯s why many countries had formed an anti-dragon pact centered around the Church of Armadi.

    And now, a creature like that awaited beyond this door?

    For a moment, Faybi thought Lucy must be lying. But that thought disappeared almost immediately. After all, Lucy had said countless things that seemed impossible before, yet none of them had been lies.

    This time would be no different.

    ¡°More precisely, it¡¯s a dragon soul embedded in a golem¡¯s body¡ªa cheap patchwork excuse of a dragon. It¡¯s nowhere near the level of a real dragon, but it¡¯s still strong enough to be a pain.¡±

    Even a diluted version of a dragon was powerful, considering the original was a walking catastrophe. The fact that Lucy, despite throwing around words like "trash" and "weakling," still acknowledged its strength was proof enough.

    For first-year academy students like them, this dragon would be a difficult opponent.

    Faybi swallowed nervously, imagining the dragon behind the door.

    ¡°It would be hard to beat it the normal way. I¡¯d be fine, but with that weak, useless swordswoman and our scatterbrained useless priestess along for the ride, it¡¯s going to be a challenge,¡± Lucy remarked casually.

    ¡°Just get to the point,¡± Frey¡¯s voice cut in, sharper than usual. Clearly, she didn¡¯t appreciate being called weak.

    Though Frey¡¯s tone was lethal, Lucy just chuckled softly, used to such reactions by now.

    ¡°It¡¯s necromancy, more or less. Even you should understand what that means, right, Miss Useless Priestess?¡± Lucy teased.

    ¡°Purification,¡± Faybi answered immediately, understanding Lucy¡¯s n.

    Even though the creature had a golem''s body, it was still a dragon at its core, making it a tough opponent. But there was no need to defeat the golem itself¡ªif they could purify the dragon¡¯s soul, the soulless body would crumble on its own.

    ¡°Of course, even though it¡¯s a weakling dragon, purifying its soul isn¡¯t going to be easy. Most priests wouldn¡¯t dare try it. But hey, we¡¯ve got our so-called useless priestess here, right?¡± Lucy continued with a grin.

    Purifying a dragon¡¯s soul.

    Even with dozens or hundreds of priests gathered, such a task would be impossible.

    Dragons live for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, spreading disaster wherever they go.

    A soul that had experienced so much devastation couldn¡¯t possibly be light.

    In the past, when a dragon returned as an undead, three bishops had to join forces to purify it. Even if the dragon behind this door was a diluted version, at least a bishop-level priest would be required to purify it.

    Normally, a first-year academy student wouldn¡¯t have the divine power for such a task. Even a talented student wouldn¡¯t have had enough time to umte the necessary strength.

    But Faybi was a priestess¡ªrevered as a symbol of the Holy Church, a miracle worker recognized in many ces.

    No matter how young or inexperienced she might be, the divine power within her remained intact.

    She had enough divine power to purify the dragon¡¯s soul.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it easy. Who cares how hard the useless academy professors worked on this dungeon?¡± Lucy snickered.

    As always, her n seemed perfect.

    Just like it had been throughout the dungeon.

    While climbing the dungeon¡¯s levels, while fighting the bosses guarding each floor, Lucy had always known exactly what to do.

    It was as if God had told her the method to conquer the dungeon.

    <em>So what if...</em>

    <em>What if, as the evil apostle had hinted, Lucy truly was Armadi¡¯s apostle?</em>

    <em>What if every strategy she voiced was given by Armadi?</em>

    <em>Would my name also be part of those ns?</em>

    <em>Despite my dealings with the evil apostle, does Armadi still trust me?</em>

    <em>Do You believe that Your lostmb will find her way back to the righteous path?</em>

    <em>I¡¯m sorry, Armadi. I don¡¯t have that kind of faith in myself.</em>

    Ovee by her own doubts, Faybi feared she wouldn¡¯t meet the expectations ced upon her.

    ¡°Miss Useless Priestess?¡±

    Hearing her name, Faybi looked up to meet Lucy Alrn¡¯s gaze.

    Her eyes were filled with confidence as she stared down at Faybi.

    ¡°You can do it, right?¡±

    Faybi blinked, startled by Lucy¡¯s confident question, as if failure wasn¡¯t even an option.

    <em>Can I?</em>

    Faybi had performed countless purification prayers in her life.

    She had traveled far and wide as a priestess, mostly to ces full of sorrow rather than joy.

    In ces where cries of despair far outnumberedughter.

    For her, offering a requiem was something she did whenever she arrived at a new ce.

    But Faybi had never purified such a high-level soul before.

    Tasks like this were usually handled by bishops or cardinals, with Faybi watching from the sidelines.

    Before entering the academy, she would have epted the task without hesitation.

    Being sent here by Armadi meant that He trusted her toplete the task.

    Back then, Faybi would have relied on Armadi¡¯s will, not her own confidence.

    But now, things were different.

    Now, she doubted whether Armadi even loved her.

    Now, her heart was tainted with darkness from her dealings with the evil apostle.

    Faybi couldn¡¯t bring herself to say that she could do it.

    ¡°What, you can¡¯t?¡±

    But Lucy¡¯s next words made Faybi instinctively shake her head.

    ¡°No, I can.¡±

    She had reacted emotionally to Lucy¡¯s taunt, red creeping into her face as she blurted out the answer.

    Realizing her mistake, Faybi tried to correct herself, but it was toote.

    ¡°Good, let¡¯s get moving. Useless swordswoman, stay behind the priestess and guard her. Don¡¯t interfere¡ªjust protect her. Miss Useless Priestess, start preparing the purification prayer as soon as we enter. When you¡¯re ready, cast it immediately.¡±

    With a quick scan of the party, Lucy pushed open the massive door leading to the boss room.

    ¡ªROOOOAR!

    The door creaked open, and a gust of wind carrying a deafening roar echoed through the room.

    The roar was filled with malice, resentment, and hatred.

    <em>Can I really do this?</em>

    <em>Can I really confront the emotions behind that voice?</em>

    <em>Armadi, please answer me.</em>

    <em>Give this foolishmb the strength to carry out Your will.</em>

    <em>God, that¡¯s loud.</em>

    It feels like my eardrums are going to burst.

    Even back when I watched movies in a theater with speakers cranked up to full st, it wasn¡¯t this loud.

    Well, a dragon is a dragon, after all.@@novelbin@@

    As soon as we stepped inside, the door behind us mmed shut, and the boss room was swallowed by darkness.

    Not long after, I heard a gust of wind from above, followed by a tremor as something heavynded on the ground. A soft, dawn-like light filled the room.

    ¡ªROOOOAR!

    That¡¯s when I finally caught sight of the enemy.

    Standing atop a boulder in the center of the room was the dragon.

    A massive creature made of stone, its body inhabited by the soul of a dragon that had been hunted down by humans, now forced to serve as their puppet.

    <em>Wow, it¡¯s been a while.</em>

    I rarely bothered with the academy¡¯s dungeon bosses during the first semester because the effort didn¡¯t justify the rewards.

    Thest time I faced this thing was probably during a challenge run, clearing all the bosses barehanded.

    But no problem.

    I know exactly how to hunt this thing.

    And besides, we have our cheat code with us¡ªthe priestess.

    Unless our luck takes a turn for the absolute worst, it¡¯s nearly impossible to have a priestess in the party at this stage of the game.

    No matter how deep your grudge runs, all you¡¯ll do is get purified.

    That¡¯s all you can do, you pathetic excuse for a dragon.

    Just quietly die and hand over your rewards.

    Confirming that Faybi had started her purification prayer, I turned to face the dragon and opened my mouth.

    ¡°Hey, you worthless piece of junk dragon. How does it feel to be hunted by humans and then treated like a toy? Huh?? How does it feel to be mocked by a girl like me??¡±

    As soon as the dragon¡¯s red eyes focused on me, a wave of exhration washed over me.

    The provocation worked perfectly, so Faybi wouldn¡¯t be in any danger now.

    All I had to do was hold out until shepleted the purification.

    Piece of cake.

    In the early game, this dragon was only tough because it could fly.

    That thing was so cowardly, it barely ever came down from the sky.

    To bring it down, you¡¯d have to rely on ranged attacks, but early in the game, those were pretty scarce.

    That¡¯s why hunting this dragon was such an annoying grind.

    But not now.

    As long as Faybi purifies its soul, we¡¯re good.

    All I have to do is stall for time.

    Too easy.

    ¡°Oh, right? I forgot you can¡¯t speak because you¡¯re just a stupid, worthless lizard? My bad? You pathetic, brainless piece of trash?¡±

    As soon as my taunts ended, the dragon let out another roar and spread its wings, soaring into the high ceiling of the cavern.

    Honestly, the academy professors who designed this dungeon must¡¯ve been jerks.

    They had students fight a dragon, yet left its greatest advantage¡ªflyingpletely intact.

    Not that it matters to someone like me.

    This dragon has only two main attack patterns.

    Breath attacks.

    And spell bombardment.

    There¡¯s also a third pattern when it takes enough damage and falls to the ground, but that won¡¯t be our problem today.

    It¡¯s going to crash soon enough.

    Alright, what¡¯s first?

    Raising my shield, I stared up at the dragon. As soon as its jaws opened, I sprinted forward.

    Momentster, a jet of fire erupted from where I had just been standing, with the mes chasing me as I ran.

    This pattern¡¯s easy.

    All I have to do is keep running.

    The fire stays on the ground for a while, so if you choose the wrong route, you¡¯re toast. But that¡¯s not an issue for me.

    I¡¯m a veteran at this.

    I¡¯ve run this route so many times I could do it blindfolded.

    Back when I was ying with a level 1 bald character, I dodged this same pattern with ease, so there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll mess it up now, especially with my current speed and stamina.

    Once the entire cavern had turned into a sea of mes, the dragon finally stopped its breath attack and flew to the center of the room.

    It spread its wings wide and opened its jaws again.

    The second pattern¡ªspell bombardment.

    The spells it casts depend on its health, but at full HP, there are usually three types.

    Lightning.

    Earth spears.

    And summoning spirits.

    No matter which spell it casts, my strategy is the same¡ª

    <It seems the purification prayer is starting.>

    As I was strategizing, I heard Grandpa¡¯s voice in my head.

    Already?

    Wow, that was fast. As expected of a priestess.

    Carrying her all the way up to the 100th floor was worth it after all.

    I turned my attention back to the dragon, anticipating the moment when it would be nothing more than a falling statue. But to my surprise, that moment never came.

    Instead, the dragon began casting its spells.

    I dodged a spear of earth with a roll and nced over at Faybi.

    Her eyes were locked on the ground, lost in confusion.

    ...Did she fail?

    Faybi?

 Chapter 122

    There had never been a failure using the purification strategy with a saintess in <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    The saintess character, in this regard, was undeniably overpowered.

    It''s to the point that veteran yers would purposely exclude the saintess from their party, iming it made the game too easy and boring.

    So here I was, utterly perplexed that Faybi, of all people, had failed.

    Faybi wasn¡¯t the type to stumble at this stage.

    Which meant¡ªthis was an anomaly.

    An anomaly that didn¡¯t exist in the game.

    The kind of anomaly that had persistently tormented me until now.

    But maybe I¡¯ve grown used to the absurdities that have gued me so far.

    This kind of anomaly now just seemed¡­ adorable inparison.

    Don¡¯t you think?

    This time, it was just that I couldn¡¯t cheese my way through.

    It¡¯s not like I was facing death or anything.

    It¡¯s not like I was about to fail the quest and face total disaster.

    No NPC rtionships were messed up, and my reputation wasn¡¯t in tatters.

    And most importantly, this was an anomaly I could handle.

    There was no reason to panic.

    Blocking the iing magical projectiles with my shield, I focused my gaze on the dragon¡¯s chanting form and threw a question to the old man.

    ¡°Gramps! What do you think went wrong?¡±

    The first thing I needed to know was whether cheesing was still an option.

    If Faybi had merely made a mistake, all I needed to do was stall until she finished her prayer.

    <It seems her faith wascking.> ¡°Huh?¡±

    Faith is the most crucial element in wielding holy magic.

    It¡¯s the belief that by reciting your prayer, a miracle will happen.

    That¡¯s why it had always been easy for me to use holy magic.

    I was an outsider in this world.

    Knowing that using holy magic would always produce results, there was no room for doubt in my mind.

    ¡°Are you saying Faybi doubted the miracle?¡±

    <Judging by the way it failed, it seems that way.>

    Faybi doubted the miracle. She doubted Armadi.

    She didn¡¯t believe she could purify the dragon¡¯s vengeful spirit.

    The shock of this revtion wasn¡¯t something I could easily shake off.

    Gramps had mentioned it before.

    That Faybi might be wavering.

    At the time, I brushed it off, believing that Faybi would naturally ovee it.

    Because that¡¯s what she always did in the game.

    She was the type of person who would face any crisis with a smile in the end.

    But that was my naive assumption.

    Faybi was wavering.

    She doubted herself.

    She lost faith in miracles.

    For the saintess to end up like this¡­

    What on earth was going on inside her mind?

    Ha. It¡¯s a bit overwhelming when something happens that never urred in the game.

    Let¡¯s think about this.

    Bringing down that lizard flying around in the sky isn¡¯t too difficult.

    If I can¡¯t cheese it, I¡¯ll just handle it the standard way.

    The tools I bought through Alsatin for hunting that lizard are still sitting in my inventory.

    It should be more than possible to take it down if I throw them andnd a few critical hits when it¡¯s weak.

    But that wouldn¡¯t work. Faybi¡¯s already doubting herself.

    Imagine hunting down that golem-dragon without her.

    She¡¯d think she was a useless burden, just sitting there and taking credit for nothing.

    The Faybi I know isn¡¯t someone whose self-esteem would plummet like that. But the Faybi I know wouldn¡¯t have failed in the first ce!

    So I need to rethink this.

    The Faybi here isn¡¯t the NPC I knew.

    This is the real Faybi.

    I have no idea what she¡¯s thinking.

    The best approach is to help her ovee it herself.

    I need to help Faybi stand back up and perform a miracle again.

    If her self-esteem copses now, who knows what might happenter!

    The real trials haven¡¯t even started yet, and we can¡¯t afford for this to happen!

    It might be harder and more exhausting than the standard method, but I¡¯ve got to do it.

    Well, whatever. For an old-timer like me, this is nothing.

    The situation¡¯s still better than when Nacrad almost obliterated me. No reason to give up.

    Let¡¯s think of it as new content.

    Man, reality online sure updates fast.

    But hey, admins.

    Could you update the game to be a bit more user-friendly?

    Otherwise, your yers are going to explode from all the stress!

    Enough with the nonsense.

    Alright.

    How should I handle this?

    The decision was made quickly.

    There¡¯s only one way I operate.

    The Mesugaki way.

    ¡°Cowardly saintess!?¡±

    I¡¯m no good atforting people.

    I¡¯m not great at boosting someone¡¯s confidence either.

    And I have no clue how to motivate someone.

    But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m really good at.

    Making people mad.

    ¡°Did you fail?!? Heh? You really live up to being the saintess of that pathetic god!? Just like your god!? I guess the doctrine of your wimpy god is to be a nuisance to others!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±

    Faybi shouted, her face flushed red.@@novelbin@@

    I¡¯d never seen her look so livid.

    She might have tolerated insults towards herself, but she couldn¡¯t handle nder against Armadi.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s not true?? But that¡¯s what it looks like to me!? Pathetic? Coward? Useless deadweight?¡±

    ¡°Take it back! I might be, but Armadi is wless!¡±

    As I dodged and blocked the dragon¡¯s attacks, its wings red again, giving us a momentary reprieve.

    I had to wrap this up while the dragon was resting.

    I couldn¡¯t keep up this bickering with Faybi indefinitely while dodging spells.

    ¡°Then prove it? Prove you¡¯re not the pathetic saintess of a pathetic god?¡±

    The word "prove" made Faybi flinch.

    Even in her anger, she stopped at that word, which meant she had no confidence.

    No wonder she failed her prayer.

    ¡°You can¡¯t, can you?? You¡¯re not confident, are you?? That¡¯s right, you¡¯re just a cowardly saintess?¡±

    ¡°I...¡±

    ¡°What about your god?? Must be a huge coward, too, right?? Probably so scared of facing an evil god that they¡¯ve gone silent, huh??¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Lucy Alrn! I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    There it is.

    If she doesn¡¯t have confidence, I¡¯ll just make her angry enough to find some.

    Ah. Maybe this isn¡¯t confidence; maybe it¡¯s just spite or sheer grit?

    Whatever.

    They¡¯re close enough, right?

    As long as it works.

    Faybi turned her gaze toward the dragon, its mouth opening wide.

    Now, it¡¯s time for the old pro to toy with the boss.

    ¡°Hey!? Lizard-brain!? Can¡¯t you see?? You¡¯ve got no brains and no eyes!? How can you notnd a single hit?!? What aplete joke? You¡¯re trash? The academy professors must be idiots to have you as the boss!?¡±

    ___________

    No way. There¡¯s no way someone like that could be Armadi¡¯s apostle!

    How could someone who was chosen by the god dare to insult him like that!

    I had heard rumors that Lucy Alrn had improved a lot, but nothing¡¯s changed at all!

    She¡¯s the same person who caused chaos in the church!

    To call Armadi... <em>that</em>!

    Faybi bit her lip hard.

    Moments ago, she had failed toplete the prayer of purification.

    It wasn¡¯t because her divinity wascking or because the vengeful spirit was too powerful.

    It was because Faybi doubted that a miracle could happen, which caused her prayer to crumble halfway through.

    Until now, Faybi had never once doubted that Armadi would perform a miracle.

    It was so obvious that her god would make miracles happen.

    And as the saintess chosen by the god, it was natural that she should seed in performing them.

    But maybe because of that certainty, Faybi waspletely unprepared for the doubt that crept into her heart.

    Never having faced it before, she couldn¡¯t stop the cracks from spreading.

    After failing the prayer, what filled Faybi¡¯s heart was a dark emotion.

    Guilt toward the party members who had brought her this far.

    Disappointment in herself.

    Doubt as to whether she was truly worthy of the title of saintess.

    All of these things meshed together, forming a sticky, ck mess inside her.

    Just as Faybi was about to sink into despair, Lucy called out to her.

    And she provoked her.

    Insulted the name of her god.

    Faybi might have been able to bear the insults directed at herself, but she couldn¡¯t stand hearing her god being mocked.

    She became more furious than she had ever been in her entire life.

    And before she realized it, she found herself in a position where she had to prove something.

    But Faybi didn¡¯t find that strange at all.

    With her mind dyed red by anger, she could only look straight ahead.

    I have to do this.

    I absolutely have to.

    I need to seed in this purification prayer and knock Lucy Alrn down a peg!

    I need to make that arrogant woman, who thinks she¡¯s above everyone just because she¡¯s favored by the god, acknowledge Armadi¡¯s greatness!

    Fueled by that thought, Faybi sped her hands together.

    But at that moment, a flicker of doubt crossed her mind.

    Can I really do it?

    I failed just a moment ago.

    How can I be sure this time will be different?

    The red tint that had colored her thoughts began to be consumed by a creeping ckness.

    The learned despair pushed her deeper into the abyss, and the strength in her sped hands began to falter.

    But just then¡ª

    ¡°Useless saintess!? Are you still not done?!? So slow, and ipetent, just like your worthless god!?¡±

    <em>Creak.</em>

    Once again, Faybi¡¯s heart was set aze with red anger.

    That¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t about whether I can or can¡¯t do it.

    I have to do this! I have to stop her from sullying Armadi¡¯s name!

    Reaffirming her resolve, Faybi closed her eyes and began reciting the prayer of purification.

    She was wless.

    The prayer of purification was something she had repeated countless times before.

    There was no way there could be any awkwardness in a prayer she had recited for so long.

    ¡®The reason the dead linger on the earth is...¡¯

    Faybi chanted with the single-minded determination to put Lucy in her ce, as she watched the spectacle unfold before her.

    A tiny girl, barely the size of a child¡¯s shoulder, was toying with a flying dragon,ughing all the while.

    ¡°What are you aiming at?? Do you see ghosts or something?? Ooh!? So scary!?¡±

    How is she able to do that, even against a dragon that could crush her with one swipe?

    Does that woman even know what fear is?

    Watching Lucy taunt the dragon, Faybi gritted her teeth.

    If I fail again while facing this dragon, I can only imagine what she¡¯ll say.

    I absolutely cannot fail.

    Failure is not an option.

    I¡¯m going to prove that Armadi will perform a miracle!

    As the hesitation in Faybi¡¯s heart faded, the pace of her prayer quickened.

    By the time the dragon had stopped breathing fire, Faybi had sessfullypleted the prayer.

    ¡°Miss Alrn!¡±

    Watch closely.

    This is the miracle of the god you¡¯ve been mocking!

 Chapter 123

    I stepped back as Faybi yelled.

    Is it just me, or is she casting faster than in the game?

    Looks like she¡¯s really pissed off by my provocation.

    Just look at those fiery eyes.

    Seeing Faybi¡¯s flushed face made meugh without realizing it.

    Back in the game, I did everything I could just to see Faybi angry on the other side of the monitor.

    You know how there¡¯s always that one character who''s too kind and only gives a wry smile no matter what mischievous things you do to them? It feels like there should be some special interaction, right?

    That¡¯s why all the veterans in <em>Soul Academy</em> used every trick in the book to make Faybi mad.

    And in the end, they found out there were no interactions where Faybi got angry.

    I remember everyonementing the developers¡¯ck of insight when that conclusion was reached.

    How great would it be if I could take a screenshot of this angry Faybi and post it in themunity?

    It¡¯d definitely get a hrious reaction.

    But now, it¡¯s something I can only imagine.

    ¡°I will begin the purification prayer!¡±

    The moment Faybi shouted, divine power surged around her.

    Even though the old man hadn¡¯t said anything, I could tell.

    This time, Faybi wasn¡¯t going to fail.

    Ha. Seriously. She could¡¯ve done it so well from the start¡ªwhy did she have to fail the first time?

    Because of that, I ended up looking like the bad guy for no reason.

    I wanted to get closer to Faybi, but now I had to lower my favorability by teasing her like this.

    It¡¯s really enough to bring tears to my eyes.

    I wonder if I can make up for this during field practice.

    As Faybi followed the prayer and chanted, the dragon''s wingbeats in the sky began to slow.

    Even a dragon couldn¡¯t withstand the immense divine power of a saintess.

    The dragon, overwhelmed by the divine energy surrounding it, fell to the ground.

    The cave trembled, and dust billowed up from where the dragon crashed.

    It was almost over, but it wasn¡¯t time to rx just yet.

    I raised my shield and stood in front of Faybi and Frey, blocking their path.

    Not long after, the ground shook again, and the dust cleared.@@novelbin@@

    Even if the dragon had bowed to the divine power, its essence hadn¡¯t changed.

    Its tenacious vitality still animated the golem¡¯s body.

    Now, my role was simple.

    I just had to hold the line until Faybi finished the purification prayer.

    I had to make sure this lizard didn¡¯t cross that line.

    It¡¯s what a tank is supposed to do.

    And it¡¯s something I was more confident in than anyone else.

    Even with a golem¡¯s body, a dragon is still a dragon.

    It could quickly figure out who was causing it the most harm.

    As I saw the red eyes of the beast focusing on the saintess behind me, I took a deep breath and smiled.

    Oh? Trying to look behind you?

    There¡¯s a small, cute, and annoying girl standing right in front of you.

    A dragon who¡¯s lived for eons, and yet doesn¡¯t know a single thing about manners?

    If ady asks you to dance and extends her hand, it¡¯s only polite to join her for a song.

    But it looks like your brain turned into a golem¡¯s too.

    If your head doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll drill some sense into it.

    You¡¯re headed to the underworld today, but who knows?

    Maybe you¡¯ll need some manners even in the afterlife.

    If that dayes, you¡¯ll have to thank me.

    Got it?

    ¡°Hey, loser lizard? Look at me?¡±

    Let¡¯s y together.

    After the purification prayer waspleted, the golem¡¯s body lost its power and copsed forward.

    Watching it fall, Faybi, who had been anxiously tense, sighed in relief as the exit to the dungeon appeared.

    Thank goodness.

    I did it!

    I showed Lady Alrn the miracle of Armadi!

    Faybi had never experienced emotions that burned as fiercely red as these before.

    Because of that, oveing them and achieving sess now gave her a sense of exhration she¡¯d never felt before.

    I wonder what Lady Alrn will say now.

    After all, I just pulled off this feat thanks to the very god she so arrogantly dismissed!

    Faybi puffed out her chest and waited for Lucy to return.

    ¡°Lady Alrn! Don¡¯t you have anything to say?!¡±

    Faybi shouted as Lucy approached, sweeping her dust-covered hair back.

    Hearing Faybi¡¯s words, Lucy shot her a sidelong nce before bursting outughing.

    W-what?

    Why is sheughing?!

    Shouldn¡¯t Lady Alrn be apologizing, notughing?!

    ¡°Aha! So petty. You¡¯re still hung up on that?¡±

    ¡°You were the one who insulted my god first, Lady Alrn!¡±

    How could she be so shameless after spouting all that sphemy?!

    I can still vividly remember her calling Armadi... <em>that</em>!

    ¡°But you really did fail the first time, didn¡¯t you? If you didn¡¯t want to be mocked, you should¡¯ve seeded. Pathetic saintess.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    Faybi, never having been in such a verbal sparring match, couldn¡¯t stand the sight of Lucy looking at her with a smug, condescending smile.

    Gripping her academy uniform¡¯s skirt tightly in both hands, Faybi red at Lucy, who walked right up to her, stretched out her hand, and poked Faybi on the nose.

    Caughtpletely off guard, Faybi stumbled back, clutching her nose with both hands, as Lucy¡¯s smile grew even wider.

    ¡°You did well in the end. If you could¡¯ve done that from the start, why didn¡¯t you? Truly pathetic.¡±

    With that, Lucy turned around and headed toward where the dungeon rewards had appeared.

    Is¡­ is that¡­ acknowledgment?

    Hey! Mesugaki Skill!

    Why did you have to poke me on the nose?!

    Do you know how flustered I was because of that?!

    It¡¯s one thing to not apologize when someone¡¯s angry, but provoking them more is crossing the line!

    Ugh. I¡¯m losing it.

    What does Faybi think of me now?

    I¡¯m used to people looking at me with hostility, but I never expected to end up being hated by a saintess.

    Is there no way to remove the penalty of the Mesugaki skill?

    Considering that even our useless god once reduced my penalties, maybe he¡¯ll do it again someday?

    I entertained the thought for a moment, but quickly dismissed it.

    Our pathetic god is a twisted pervert who enjoys being humiliated by little girls. Unless I achieve something on the level of resealing the evil god, there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll do me any favors.

    Resigned, I approached the table near the dungeon¡¯s exit to collect the rewards.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Frey tilted her head as she examined four orbs with a cloudy glow inside.

    ¡®Those are...¡¯

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know, Frey? These are proficiency-enhancing orbs.¡±

    ¡°And what are those?¡±

    Well, it makes sense that she wouldn¡¯t know.

    The first-clear reward for the academy¡¯s first-semester dungeon is these proficiency-enhancing orbs.

    You hold one, focus on what proficiency you want to improve, and it¡¯ll increase that skill level.

    The proficiency I¡¯d normally have to spend a month sweating over could be boosted instantly with just one of these orbs!

    They¡¯re super efficient and useful items, but so rare that you can¡¯t get them no matter how much money you have.

    There¡¯s a reason they¡¯re chosen as the reward for clearing the academy dungeon first.

    If you put them up for sale, the price would be astronomical.

    In the game, the reason why the first-semester dungeon was often skipped wasn¡¯t because the rewards weren¡¯t worth it, but because the effort to efficiency ratio was poor. Still, if you could get these orbs, you¡¯d want them.

    As I exined what the orbs were to Frey, she grabbed one without hesitation and closed her eyes.

    The cloudy substance inside the orb flowed into Frey¡¯s body, and the orb transformed into a clear, glowing crystal.

    Frey, inspecting herself after putting down the now-empty orb, frowned slightly and approached the fallen golem''s body, brandishing her sword.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Looks like she felt something change.

    Without a word, Frey started swinging her sword at the golem, her expression focused.

    Her concentration was intense.

    At this rate, she won¡¯t listen to anything for a while.

    Like Frey, I picked up an orb and muttered the skill I wanted to enhance in my mind.

    It¡¯s down to two choices: mace or shield.

    I could always grind up my mace proficiency just by swinging it around, but that¡¯s not as easy with shields.

    Let¡¯s boost my shield proficiency first.

    As soon as I decided, the cloudy mist from the orb flowed into my body.

    This feels¡­ strange.

    It makes my body itch a little.

    Alright, now there¡¯s one for Faybi, and¡­

    The real problem is thest orb.

    Normally, a party of four would each take one, and that would be the end of it.

    But this party isn¡¯t exactly made up of four members.

    Technically speaking, we¡¯re three party members and one safety officer.

    Which means, if I y my cards right, I could snag two orbs.

    Since there¡¯s no limit to how many orbs you can use, unlike potions.

    I nced over at Karl, and he immediately waved his hands in refusal.

    ¡°I can¡¯t ept any rewards. I didn¡¯t contribute. You three should decide how to use the remaining orb.¡±

    Called it.

    Alright, I¡¯ll make it up to you for your troubleter.

    I¡¯ve been meaning to gift you something to disy in ce of that cursed sword, anyway.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with just one. After all, I didn¡¯t really do much except at the end. Honestly, I feel a bit guilty taking even one.¡±

    As expected, Faybi declined before I could even bring it up.

    Yeah. She might¡¯ve been the MVP on the 100th floor, but she was deadweight for the other 99. One is more than enough for her.

    So now, thest one goes to¡­

    ¡°Hey, loser swordswoman?!¡±

    No matter how focused Frey was, she was powerless before the Mesugaki skill¡¯s provocation.

    The moment I called out, she stopped mid-swing and walked over with a disgruntled look.

    I exined the situation to her, that there was one orb left and we needed to decide who got it.

    Greed flickered in Frey¡¯s eyes as she looked at the orb.

    Oh? You want it?

    You really think you deserve it after just following my lead the whole time?

    I gave her a pointed look, but Frey¡¯s expression didn¡¯t budge.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, we wouldn¡¯t have cleared the dungeon in a day.¡±

    Well¡­ that¡¯s true.

    No other first-year student could¡¯ve kept up with my pace.

    Joey still has a long way to go before he¡¯s in decent shape.

    ¡°So I deserve it too.¡±

    Not willing to give up, huh?

    Is the proficiency boost really that tempting?

    Well, I¡¯m also doing this petty nonsense for the proficiency boost, so I can¡¯t really talk.

    Alright.

    Fine.

    I¡¯ll admit it, Frey. You did pull your weight.

    ¡®Then¡­¡¯

    ¡°Alright, loser swordswoman. Let¡¯s settle this fairly with rock-paper-scissors.¡±

    ¡°One round?¡±

    ¡®Yep.¡¯

    ¡°Fine. One round.¡±

    A pure test of luck, where nothing else can interfere.

    A 50/50 chance.

    That¡¯s fair, right?

    ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±

    Haha! Got you! You fool, Frey!

    You don¡¯t know this, but I have amazing luck!

    I aced the academy exams just by leaving everything up to the dice god!

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll lose in a game of luck!

    Now, hand over that proficiency orb, loser swordswoman!

 Chapter 124

    <strong><"Rock-paper-scissors, a fitting choice for a warrior."></strong>

    Just as I was staring confidently at Frey, sure of my victory, the old man suddenly spoke.

    A fitting choice for a warrior?

    What does that even mean?

    What¡¯s the connection between rock-paper-scissors and a warrior?

    <strong><"Do you not understand?"></strong>

    "Rock-paper-scissors is a game of luck."

    If there¡¯s any skill involved, it would be in psychological warfare, but in a single round, luck ys the biggest role, right?

    That¡¯s why I suggested a single round to Frey.

    <strong><"What nonsense. Rock-paper-scissors is a game that tests your reflexes and reaction speed. You watch what your opponent is about to throw, make your decision, and win."></strong>

    "...What? That¡¯s ridiculous."

    I started to think the old man was teasing me, but then I remembered¡ªI¡¯m in a fantasy world.

    In this world, where skilled warriors are expected to react to iing arrows, reacting to hand movements in rock-paper-scissors is probably just as natural.

    <strong><"Of course, there¡¯s a psychological element. Before making your move, you have to keep moving your fingers so your opponent doesn¡¯t figure out what you¡¯ll throw."></strong>

    When I think about it, even I¡¯ve reached the level where I can respond to most people''s movements.

    So, it¡¯s not impossible for me to do this with rock-paper-scissors, right?

    Wait a second.

    If that¡¯s the case...

    <strong><"There was a madman among my subordinates who practiced rock-paper-scissors all day long. Whenever the knights needed to settle something, we sent him, and he would always win."></strong>

    Rock-paper-scissors is a skill-based game?!

    This is insane.

    I¡¯m in trouble.

    I¡¯ve never tried to win rock-paper-scissors with skill before.

    In short, I¡¯m a total newbie in this field.

    Naturally, I don¡¯t know any of the advanced techniques involved in this so-called skill game.

    If it were purely luck-based, I might have had a chance. But in a skill-based game, knowing or not knowing the techniques makes a huge difference.

    In this world, it¡¯s no ident that humans can defend themselves against monsters.

    They don¡¯t understand martial arts, but we do¡ªthat¡¯s why we can fight them.

    The same principle applies here.

    I don¡¯t know rock-paper-scissors, but Frey does.

    Judging by how she nodded without hesitation, she¡¯s definitely familiar with the game.

    Why did my opponent have to be Frey?!

    If it had been someone like Joey or Faybi, I could have used my strength to overpower them, but that won¡¯t work against Frey!

    In terms of reflexes, she¡¯s already better than me!

    Damn it!

    I¡¯ve been tricked!

    I¡¯m the one who¡¯s been caught!

    What do I do?!

    There¡¯s no backing out now.

    I was the one who suggested this. If I refuse now, I¡¯ll look pathetic!

    <strong>"Shall we?"</strong>

    Frey, looking down at me slightly, made me bite my lip.

    No.

    It¡¯s not over yet.

    Frey¡¯s reflexes might be a little better, but they¡¯re not that different.

    Our physical abilities are equal.

    And as for technique...

    This sword-obsessed maniac¡ªthere¡¯s no way she knows any rock-paper-scissors techniques, right?

    If everything is equal, then what I need is luck!

    Luck is all that matters!

    <strong>"Alright!"</strong>

    "Okay, loser swordswoman. Get ready to lose."

    "Sure."

    "I¡¯ll give the signal."

    Karl, who had apparently been watching us the whole time, naturally stepped in as the referee.

    <strong>"Ready? Rock."</strong>

    Alright, Frey.

    What are you going to throw?

    Her fist is clenched, so it¡¯s hard to tell.

    <strong>"Paper."</strong>

    Her hand ising down.

    It¡¯s opening.

    Is she going for scissors?

    Alright, I¡¯ll throw scissors too.

    At worst, we¡¯ll tie.

    If I¡¯m lucky, I might win.

    <strong>"Scissors."</strong>

    Just as I decided and reached out my hand, Frey¡¯s hand clenched back into a fist.

    What?!

    Was she faking me out?!

    Did she pretend to open her hand, expecting me to react?

    Frey, the sword-crazed maniac, knows psychological tricks like this?!

    By the time I realized what was happening, it was toote to withdraw my hand.

    My two fingers, extended for scissors, were met by Frey¡¯s clenched fist.

    <strong>"I won."</strong>

    I lost.

    Do you know how much proficiency I could¡¯ve gained with that orb?!

    That one orb could¡¯ve saved me a month of hard work, and now I¡¯ve lost it!

    And what makes it worse is that this loss is 100% my fault, which makes me even angrier.

    I can¡¯t even me anyone else!

    I want to channel this anger somewhere, but there¡¯s no one to me but myself!

    Ugh.

    Ughhhh.

    Calm down.

    It¡¯s fine.

    I can still get stronger without that orb.

    Sure, I¡¯ll lose out on some¡ªokay, a lot of proficiency, but I can make up for it with hard work.

    Yeah. Let¡¯s just think of it as giving Frey a gift.

    She¡¯s going to stay in the party for a long time anyway, right?

    Her getting stronger benefits me too.

    Yeah. That¡¯s the way to look at it.

    <strong>"Lucy, do you want this?"</strong>

    What? Is Frey teasing me now?

    If that¡¯s what she¡¯s trying to do, she picked the wrong target.

    I¡¯m incredibly petty, you know.

    I¡¯ll remember this and get my revengeter.

    <strong>"I might give it to you."</strong>

    Seriously?

    ¡­No.

    Calm down.

    There¡¯s no way she¡¯ll give it to me.

    She¡¯s probably just messing with me to see my reaction.

    It¡¯s like how she gets annoyed whenever I call her a loser swordswoman and tries to provoke me back.

    This is just more of the same.

    If I get my hopes up, I¡¯ll only be disappointed.

    But...

    What if?

    <strong>"What do I have to do?"</strong>

    "Loser swordswoman, what do you want?"

    <strong>"Two things. First, you have to bow your head to me."</strong>

    Oh. So she wants to see me bow my head for once, huh?

    If I can get a proficiency orb in exchange for swallowing my pride, that¡¯s a pretty cheap price.

    Besides, it¡¯s not like I have much pride to begin with.

    I¡¯d even kneel down and lick her shoes if it meant getting that proficiency orb!

    Okay, maybe not that far.

    Anyway, I have no problem bowing my head.

    The real problem is the Mesugaki skill.

    Can I really force myself to bow in front of this stubborn woman?

    Well, I¡¯ll give it a shot. If I act submissive enough, it might just work.

    <strong>¡®Oh, great and legendary swordswoman, Frey Kent, who is destined to be the Sword Saint. Please grant me the honor of receiving the orb you are bestowing upon me.¡¯</strong>

    "Loser swordswoman. Hand it over. I¡¯ll put it to better use than an idiot like you ever could."

    Wow. Where did all those fancy words I thought of go?

    And why am I holding my head high when I¡¯m supposed to be bowing?

    Are you the boss here?!

    Are you the boss, you crazy woman?!

    I knew this was going to happen, but actually experiencing it makes me even more annoyed.

    At least Frey doesn¡¯t seem too bothered by it.

    <strong>"Alright. Now for the second thing."</strong>

    ...

    Is she satisfied with just that?

    Frey, how low must you think of me if that¡¯s enough for you to feel like I¡¯ve bowed down?

    How much of a lowlife do you imagine Lucy Alrn is?

    Well, thanks for letting it go so easily, I guess, but I still feel weird about it.

    <strong>"Keep sparring with me after the dungeon clears."</strong>

    I stared nkly at Frey after hearing her second request.

    Huh?@@novelbin@@

    <strong>¡®Weren¡¯t we going to do that anyway?¡¯</strong>

    "Loser swordswoman, what are you talking about? Of course, we¡¯re going to keep sparring, you idiot."

    <strong>"Really? You¡¯ll keep doing it?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®Yes.¡¯</strong>

    "Okay. Wow, you¡¯re such a loser."

    <strong>"Sure."</strong>

    Frey nodded to herself and handed me the orb.

    Wait. She was serious about that?

    Watching Frey hand me the orb while tilting her head in confusion, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    Ah, damn it. I never thought I¡¯d find this sword-crazy maniac cute.

    <strong>¡®Thanks, I¡¯ll use it well.¡¯</strong>

    "Make good use of it, loser swordswoman."

    <strong>"Yeah. Keep sparring with me, alright?"</strong>

    You don¡¯t have to keep confirming it; I¡¯ll spar with you as much as you want.

    There aren¡¯t many people at the academy who can keep up with me in closebat, you know?

    So don¡¯t worry.

    I¡¯ll keep training with you until you stop calling me a ¡®loser.¡¯

    A few days had passed since we cleared the dungeon.

    Apparently, it was unheard of for a first-year student to earn the title of First Clear in the first-semester dungeon at the academy. After the announcement was made, the ce was abuzz with excitement.

    Joey came toin about why I didn¡¯t take him along.

    Arthur dered that even though I won this time, he¡¯d be the one to win next time.

    Vishy and Jacob came by to congratte me and chat for a while.

    Avery cautiously approached and offered congrattions.

    While I was eating, Luca showed up out of nowhere, saying, "I knew you had potential," and wouldn¡¯t let me finish my meal.

    Even Benedict contacted me.

    <strong>"This father is so proud to have such an outstanding daughter. I always knew you had it in you! When you were young..."</strong>

    I don¡¯t know how he heard the news, but just as I was about to go to bed, he contacted me via crystal orb and rambled on for nearly an hour about the old days.

    If I hadn¡¯t cut him off, I would¡¯ve had to listen to his rambling all night.

    Thanks to this achievement, my reputation has improved significantly.

    I¡¯ve been maintaining good rtionships with several youngdies, so ording to Avery, who always knows thetest gossip, it seems that while people still don¡¯t care for me personally, they at least acknowledge my skills.

    In other words, I went from being the "talentless and rude bitch" to the "skilled but still rude bitch."

    They¡¯re both rude, right?

    Of course, but thetter is better.

    A talented bitch is tolerable, but a talentless bitch is unbearable.

    While I was thinking about this, the ssroom door opened, and the professor appeared.

    He stood at the podium, looked around the students, and began speaking in a quiet voice.

    <strong>"As you all know, in a week, the field trip will begin."</strong>

    Finally, the moment hase.

    Even as I listened to the professor, I had no concerns.

    I had already made all the necessary preparations for the field trip.

    My party would be me, Frey, Joey, and Faybi.

    The items needed for the field trip were already packed in my inventory.

    I had even prepared bribes to win over the guardian of the forest we would visit.

    In other words, I was all set and ready to go.

    Great. During this field trip, I¡¯ll raise Faybi¡¯s favorability to 70!

    I may have lost some points clearing the academy dungeon, but that¡¯s fine.

    I¡¯ll make up for it.

    We¡¯ll be together throughout the field trip, so I¡¯ll just have to show her how capable I am.

    I can do this.

    I¡¯ve done this Saintess route so many times I could do it in my sleep.

    <strong>"The location is the Sytill Forest, south of Soul Academy. Some of the professors have already gone ahead..."</strong>

    ...Wait? The Sytill Forest?

    What did you just say, professor?

    The forest we¡¯re supposed to visit in the first semester is the Sylph Forest.

    The one where the guardian is a centuries-old wolf.

    Sytill Forest is for the second semester of the first year, though?

    There must be some mistake.

    Confused by the professor¡¯s change of n, I raised my hand to ask, but the professor shook his head.

    <strong>"No, Lady Alrn. It¡¯s the Sytill Forest."</strong>

    What?

    No.

    Wait.

    Fuck.

    I¡¯m screwed.

    The difficulty of the field trip itself doesn¡¯t matter.

    The professors will adjust that as needed.

    Different supplies? Not a problem either.

    I can always get more from Alsetin.

    But the issue is this:

    Because of that damn quest from our lousy god, I need to meet the guardian of the forest. But if the field trip is in the Sytill Forest, I won¡¯t be able to meet the guardian!

    Fuck. What do I do?

    What do I do?

    I don¡¯t want to be penalized!

    I don¡¯t want to know what the humiliating thing is!

 Chapter 125

    In the world of <em>Soul Academy</em>, any forest of significant size is home to beings that can be called its rulers.

    In the distant past, these beings were considered gods. Their abilities far surpass those of ordinary creatures, and they sometimes grant blessings to those they deem worthy.

    Naturally, these former gods do not grant an audience easily. They will only reveal themselves to those they believe are worthy.

    Each spirit has its own conditions, and in the case of the Silver Wolf of the Silup Forest, it¡¯s strength that matters.

    In the game, you could meet the Silver Wolf after reaching a certain level, which signified that you were a promising enough individual to warrant its attention.

    Because of this, I wasn¡¯t worried. I had been leveling up consistently and felt sure I¡¯d be able to meet the Silver Wolf.

    I also didn¡¯t think it would be difficult to gain its recognition. After all, even by the game¡¯s standards, my current strength was in the top tier.

    Fighting the Silver Wolf would be much easier than dealing with Nacrad.

    But now, there¡¯s been an unexpected twist!

    ¡°I just found out as well. They decided on Saitil Forest instead.¡±

    ¡®Why?!¡¯

    ¡°Loser. Why the change?¡±

    Saitil Forest?!

    That¡¯s where we¡¯re supposed to go in the second semester!

    Why did the forest order suddenly change?!

    ¡°From what I heard, it¡¯s a matter of safety. With all the incidents that have happened at the academy this year, they¡¯ve decided that Saitil Forest is a safer environment for students than Silup Forest.¡±

    Ah. That¡¯s the reason?

    Karl added that he didn¡¯t know all the details, but I think I get it.

    Simply put, the ruler of Saitil Forest is more cooperative than the Silver Wolf.

    If the goal is to keep the students safe, Saitil Forest is a better choice.

    If it¡¯s a matter of safety, there¡¯s no changing the decision now.

    Damn. This is a real problem.

    Can¡¯t I just meet the ruler of the new forest and gain recognition?

    In theory, yes.

    But think about it: I¡¯ve been ying this game long enough to memorize exactly how to meet the rulers of each forest and earn their recognition.

    So why am I so troubled?

    The requirement to meet the ruler of Saitil Forest is charm.

    To put it simply, beauty, grace¡ªthose kinds of qualities.

    To raise this stat, I can¡¯t just keep mindlessly fighting battles like I¡¯ve been doing.

    I would need to start focusing on my appearance, attending social events to build grace, and possibly even hire a personal tutor.

    And what have I done in that regard so far?

    Nothing.

    All I¡¯ve done is raise my level andbat stats to prepare for battles.

    I haven¡¯t done anything to raise my charm stat at all.

    In other words, my charm stat is still the same as it was when I created my character!

    What do I do?

    At this rate, I won¡¯t be able to gain the recognition of the ruler of Saitil Forest.

    Sure, I could take Faybi or Joy along, since they have high charm stats and could secure a meeting. But if I don¡¯t get recognized by that vain fox myself, it¡¯s meaningless!@@novelbin@@

    No. I can already feel the nuisance god¡¯s harassment crawling toward me.

    ¡°Miss? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡®Be quiet.¡¯

    ¡°Loser. Keep your mouth shut.¡±

    ¡°Yes, understood.¡±

    Think. I can¡¯t just sit back and do nothing.

    I don¡¯t know what the penalty for failure is, but I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t want to find out.

    The situation isn¡¯t all that bad, though.

    I still have debt tied to Alsatin, and I can use the Neumann family as I please.

    I have enough means to work on increasing my charm stat.

    The real question now is how high I need to raise it.

    After pondering for a moment, I looked up at Karl.

    The easiest way for me to check my charm stat without ess to my status screen is to observe NPC reactions.

    Their responses change based on how high your charm is.

    Specifically, if your charm stat is low, their reactions are cold, and if it¡¯s high, they respond favorably.

    ¡®Karl. Do you think I¡¯m pretty?¡¯

    ¡°Loser. Do I look pretty to you?¡±

    ¡°Why would you even ask such a thing? You possess a beauty as if descended from the heavens. Your skin is...¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯

    ¡°Disgusting. Stop it, you loser lolicon.¡±

    Right. I expected that kind of answer from Karl.

    For whatever reason, he¡¯s overly fond of me. I don¡¯t know why he likes me so much when I¡¯ve done nothing to earn it.

    Who would give me a more objective opinion?

    Most NPCs won¡¯t give me a straight answer because my reputation precedes me.

    As soon as they hear the name Lucy Alrn, they wince. What¡¯s the point in asking them if I¡¯m pretty?

    Joy has a high favorability score with me, so she wouldn¡¯t be objective.

    Frey would just give me some strange answer.

    Faybi would only say nice things, so she¡¯s no help either.

    Bishina and Avery Alsatin would give me sugarcoated answers to stay on my good side.

    That leaves Arthur, I suppose.

    Hmm. He seems like a decent choice.

    Thanks to that fight we had earlier, he probably doesn¡¯t harbor any ill feelings toward me, but his favorability score isn¡¯t particrly high either.

    His reaction should give me the most urate idea of my current charm stat.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Ever since his defeat by Joy in the midterms, Arthur had thrown himself into training.

    He had never been one to ck off, but recently, his efforts had be even more intense.

    While he had grumbled andined at the time, in the end, a loss is still a loss.

    If Arthur had managed to score higher in the midterms¡ªif he had even surpassed Lucy Alrn¡¯s score¡ªthere wouldn¡¯t have been any issue.

    Being mocked for his defeat by Lucy only strengthened his resolve. He was determined to not only defeat Joy next time but also bring Lucy Alrn down a peg.

    The problem, however, was that Lucy kept moving further and further ahead.

    ¡°The first person to clear the Academy Dungeon...¡±

    In the long history of the academy, Lucy was the first freshman to achieve a dungeon clear in her first semester.

    Lucy Alrn.

    This was something that had been anticipated.

    She had the entire dungeon in the palm of her hand.

    For Lucy, the dungeon was merely a ce she could clear whenever she wanted.

    Her sess was only to be expected.

    ¡°With that kind of talent, she could afford to rx a bit.¡±

    Yet she continued to use her abilities to achieve even greater feats, as if she was running to a ce no one else could follow.

    ¡°But one day, I will defeat Lucy Alrn.¡±

    It might sound arrogant, but Arthur had never thought himselfcking in talent.

    He was a star in his own right.

    No matter how brightly Lucy Alrn shone, one day he would catch up.

    And when that time came, he would ask her about the meaning behind her words.

    ¡°Me? Oh, poor prince. You have such grand dreams for someone who¡¯s always losing.¡±

    Arthur clenched his fists as he heard a voice behind him, slowly turning his head.

    There stood Lucy Alrn, dressed in the academy¡¯s uniform, looking up at him with her usual half-lidded gaze.

    ¡°How much of that did you hear?¡±

    ¡°Everything. Pfft. Are you feeling inferior, poor prince?¡±

    She had heard everything he said while he was lost in thought?!

    Mortified, Arthur turned his face away to hide his blush.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to ask you something. Oh, poor little prince who feels inferior to a girl.¡±

    ¡°...Please, enough. I apologize.¡±

    As a prince, Arthur was not ustomed to being teased, and he had little defense against Lucy¡¯s yful jabs.

    Seeing Arthur¡¯s blushing face, Lucyughed before finally getting to the point.

    ¡°Hey, poor prince. What do you think of me? Am I pretty?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Where did thate from?¡±

    Pretty?

    Why was she asking something like that out of the blue?

    ¡°Just answer the question. Or I¡¯ll reenact your monologue...¡±

    ¡°No! Wait! I¡¯ll answer!¡±

    Damn. She had caught him in an embarrassing moment he couldn¡¯t afford to let her use against him.

    What was her question again?

    Oh, right. Was she pretty?

    Arthur rubbed his face before ncing at Lucy.

    Objectively speaking, Lucy was attractive.

    Even Arthur, who had lived in the royal pce surrounded by beauties, could admit that.

    Despite her intense training, which would scare off most knights, her skin was wless and pale.

    Her crimson eyes glittered like rubies, and her red hair flowed like silk, tempting anyone to touch it.

    If she stood still and kept quiet, Lucy Alrn could easily be mistaken for a beautifully crafted doll.

    Even in the entire high society, there were few who couldpare to her.

    It was an undeniable fact.

    However, Arthur hesitated to tell Lucy that she was beautiful.

    If he did, who knew what annoying things mighte out of her tiny mouth next?

    ¡°You¡¯re... decent enough, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Lucy looked noticeably disappointed by Arthur¡¯s indifferent response.

    Ah. Maybe he¡¯d made a mistake?

    Even if Lucy Alrn was annoying, she was still a nobledy. Saying she was ¡®decent¡¯ was hardly proper etiquette.

    ¡°I¡¯m joking. You¡¯re quite beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. Really, poor prince?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Then keep working hard. Though you won¡¯t ever beat me, poor little prince.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re done, then leave!¡±

    ¡°Ahaha. Fine. I¡¯ll go.¡±

    Arthur sighed as he watched Lucy walk away with light steps.

    Did she seriously juste here to ask that?

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Hmm. Judging by Arthur¡¯s response, my charm stat isn¡¯t too low.

    If he said I¡¯m beautiful, then it¡¯s definitely above average.

    With a few items, I should be able to boost it enough.

    Okay. I¡¯ve got it now.

    No matter how much the nuisance god tries to sabotage me, I¡¯ll break through!

    That¡¯s the power of a veteran!

 Chapter 126

    In the world of <em>Soul Academy</em>, there are three main ways to raise the charm stat.

    Like other stats, you can either improve your character''s base performance, push through with gear, or use consumables to handle it.

    Typically, when arge charm stat is required in <em>Soul Academy</em>, yers resort to items or doping. Since charm is practically useless for dungeon raids, most yers don¡¯t bother with it.

    Of course, if you''re ying with a specific concept in mind, you can solve everything by charming other characters with a charm-focused build, but that¡¯s a rare exception.

    The method I n to use is the same as in the game.

    How much charm could I possibly raise in just a week?

    Thanks to the <em>Mesugaki</em> skill, I seem to have a basic charm stat guaranteed, so I¡¯ll handle the rest with items and doping.

    "So, you want me to get these items?"

    ''Yes, that''s right.'' "Exactly, you sly info broker. I see you''ve developed some intuition from doing your little errands, huh?"@@novelbin@@

    "Haha, of course."

    Alsatin briefly skimmed through the list I handed over and frowned slightly.

    "Uh, is this really correct?"

    ''Why, are you concerned?'' "Interested in me, are you, info broker?"

    "I apologize. It''s just that these don¡¯t seem like items you¡¯d normally be interested in, mydy."

    Well, it¡¯s understandable.

    Everything I listed has to do with appearance.

    Clothing from a famous shop in the capital.

    Cosmetics and perfumes.

    And several essories I n to use.

    Considering my usual focus onbat strength, it''s only natural Alsatin found this strange.

    ''It¡¯s correct, Alsatin.'' "Info broker, just follow my orders quietly. Don¡¯t get cocky. Got it, loser?"

    "Yes, I understand."

    ''How long will it take to get these?'' "How long will it take to get them?"

    "Is there a deadline you¡¯d like? I¡¯ll try to meet it as best as I can."

    ''One week.'' "One week. Can you do it?"

    "It won¡¯t be a problem."

    Alsatin nodded without hesitation at my request.

    That''s what I like to hear.

    I had to make somepromises because this needs to be handled quickly.

    If you¡¯d said no, I would have been disappointed.

    ''Then...'' "Then do your best to handle this swiftly, info broker."

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Just as Alsatin promised, he delivered the items before the field trip began.

    Seeing these things in person made my head spin a little.

    In the game, no matter what item I equipped, it was the character on the screen that wore it, so it never felt like an issue. But now it¡¯s different.

    If I¡¯ve prepared an outfit, it means I¡¯m the one who has to wear it.

    In other words, I''m the one who¡¯ll have to put on this bunny girl costume Alsatin brought.

    It seemed fine when I thought about it in my head.

    After all, I¡¯ve gotten used to wearing the academy uniformtely.

    I thought I could handle going a little further.

    Besides, I¡¯d only need to wear it when meeting the forest¡¯s ruler.

    In my mind, the simtion seemed fine.

    I figured it would only be a momentary embarrassment to endure.

    But seeing it in person, holding it up to my body, feltpletely different.

    This... this isn¡¯t clothes!

    It barely covers anything¡ªit''s failing at the most basic function of clothing!

    You might say as long as the important parts are covered, it¡¯s fine, right?

    Try being in a position where you have to wear a bunny girl costume!

    You¡¯ll see if you still think that!

    Reluctantly, I stored the costume in my inventory, but to be honest, I had no desire to wear it.

    If it weren¡¯t for the annoying quest from that perverted nuisance god, I would have just burned it.

    But the fear of the word ¡°humiliation¡± blocking my escape route was too strong.

    The unknown punishment awaiting me was just too terrifying.

    Think about it. When the nuisance god powered up the <em>Mesugaki</em> skill just to mess with me, he called Faybi a "lewd saint."

    That nuisance is dead serious about his punishments.

    Do you think he¡¯d give me a light penalty for failing this quest?

    Not a chance.

    Looking back, maybe the bunny girl costume was a bit too much.

    It raises the charm stat the most, but there are other outfits that could do the job too.

    But I was paranoid when I made the decision.

    What if my charm stat isn¡¯t high enough and the ruler of Saitil Forest refuses to meet me?

    If I wore something else and ended up building embarrassing memories and still got punished, it would be too frustrating!

    Ah, it¡¯s toote for regrets now.

    There¡¯s no turning back.

    Fine. I¡¯ll just close my eyes and put on the bunny girl costume.

    That¡¯s all I need to do.

    In front of Frey, Joy, and Faybi... wearing a bunny girl outfit...

    Arghhh!

    You damn perverted nuisance god!

    You really are cunning!

    You knew I¡¯d end up preparing this bunny girl outfit once you backed me into a corner, didn¡¯t you?!

    Right?!

    You nned this from the start, knowing I¡¯d umte embarrassing moments no matter which path I chose!

    Don¡¯t use your divine powers for stuff like this, you damn pervert!

    "Students!"

    As I was cursing the nuisance god, I was pulled back to reality by a voice from the front.

    "That forest ahead is where we¡¯ll be conducting our field trip¡ªSaitil Forest!"

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The academy¡¯s field trip is, simply put, a hunting exercise in a forest environment.

    It¡¯s meant to give students, who haven¡¯t experienced real danger in the safety of the academy, a taste of actual peril.

    After all, the academy¡¯s purpose is to train individuals to face the dungeons that threaten the world.

    They can¡¯t let the students rx within the safety of the walls forever.

    But what happens if someone tries to avoid fighting and just hides during the field trip?

    There¡¯s a system to prevent that.

    If a student doesn¡¯t bring back at least 15 pieces of loot from the monsters in the forest, their grade will be penalized.

    To advance to the next year, you need far higher grades than the average, so for most people, failing means being held back.

    In other words, if you don¡¯t want to repeat the year, you have to fight.

    Of course, there are rewards too, not just penalties.

    Your grade is boosted based on the number of items you bring back at the end of the trip.

    I think you get the maximum bonus if you collect 100 pieces of loot.

    The top five teams also receive material rewards on top of grade bonuses.

    So, our goal is simple.

    ¡®Our goal is...¡¯ "Our goal is simple. First ce. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting those losers rank higher than us."

    To take first ce in the field trip.

    And, of course, to meet the ruler of the forest and gain their recognition.

    "I thought you¡¯d say that."

    When I dered this, Frey nodded knowingly.

    "Let¡¯s do our best."

    Joy clenched her fists with determination, ready to aim for the top.

    "I¡¯ll try my best."

    Faybi smiled and nodded.

    Looking at my party, I couldn¡¯t help but feel proud.

    This isn¡¯t the kind of party you¡¯d normally assemble at this stage of the academy.

    If you managed to recruit just one of these characters, people would say you¡¯d done well. If you had two, they¡¯d call you a veteran. But having all three?

    If I posted this in themunity, people would use me of cheating.

    I feel like all the hardships I¡¯ve been through are finally paying off, and it makes me smile.

    Frey raised her hand.

    "Do you have a strategy?"

    ''Yes, I do.'' "Of course, curious loser swordswoman."

    "Tell me."

    ''We¡¯re going to hunt people.'' "We¡¯re going to hunt those loser nobodies."

    "Huh?"

    Faybi looked at me in shock.

    What? Did I say something strange?

    "What exactly do you mean by ¡®hunting people¡¯?"

    ''It¡¯s exactly what it sounds like.'' "Holy loser saint, are you bing as dense as Joy? It¡¯s exactly what I said. We¡¯re going to take the loot those losers collected. They should be grateful for contributing to our sess."

    The most efficient way to gather loot during the field trip is to steal what other students have hunted.

    There¡¯s a limit to how much loot you can get by killing monsters one by one.

    In the game, you could reach first ce that way, but unfortunately, I¡¯m not just a yer behind a monitor anymore.

    I have no choice but to y the viin.

    "But is that allowed? Isn¡¯t that breaking the rules?"

    "Faybi, that¡¯s fine."

    It was Joy who answered Faybi¡¯s question, cing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

    "Piging is encouraged during the field trip."

    "...What?"

    "It¡¯s something my brother told me."

    It¡¯s simple.

    The number of monsters in the forest is limited.

    Even though Saitil Forest isrge, it¡¯s not like a dungeon where monsters spawn endlessly.

    At first, you¡¯ll run into them frequently, but after two days, it won¡¯t be like that anymore.

    So, what do you do when you need more loot?

    You could waste time searching for the few remaining monsters, but that¡¯s extremely inefficient.

    Instead of spending half a day for just two or three pieces of loot, it¡¯s much easier and faster to target other students who are already carrying loads of it.

    "But still..."

    "Faybi, think about it. Did the professor mention any rules saying we couldn¡¯t steal from other students?"

    "They said we couldn¡¯t endanger their lives."

    "Exactly. As long as we don¡¯t endanger their lives, it¡¯s fine."

    If the academy wanted to prevent looting, they would have said so explicitly.

    But they didn¡¯t. By staying silent, they¡¯re basically allowing it.

    Back when this was just a game, looting was the standard for veteran yers.

    "But... but still..."

    Sweet-natured Faybi clearly felt guilty about taking others¡¯ belongings, but reality doesn¡¯t care about her feelings.

    Just like the bunny girl outfit sitting in my inventory doesn¡¯t care about mine.

    ''Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t start looting on the first day.'' "Rx, loser saint. We won¡¯t be robbing anyone on the first day."

    There¡¯s no point in attacking students before the hunting even begins.

    The best time to strike is the first night.

    When everyone¡¯s exhausted after fighting monsters all day and has fallen asleep, that¡¯s when we¡¯ll make our move.

    Once a team gets looted, they be more cautious, which makes them harder to robter on.

    "We¡¯ll just be taking what others worked hard to get, won¡¯t we?!"

    ''Yes, and?'' "So what?"

    Faybi, you seem to be under a misunderstanding. This isn¡¯t a bad thing at all.

    The academy is practically encouraging us to do this, so what else can we do?

    I¡¯m not the viin here!

    I¡¯m just a victim of the system the academy set up!

    If you ask any second or third-year students, they¡¯ll tell you looting is the way to go. So why are you giving me such a hard time about it?!

 Chapter 127

    I had to spend some time convincing Faybi why looting during the field trip wasn¡¯t a bad thing.

    As a fellow party member, I couldn¡¯t force her to do something she didn¡¯t agree with.

    If it had been Bishina or Avery, I would have just yelled, ¡°Who cares about your opinion?!¡± But Faybi wasn¡¯t like that.

    I didn¡¯t want to risk doing something that would make Faybi hate me.

    ¡°So, it''s like a necessary evil to improve students¡¯bat skills?¡±

    ¡®Yes, exactly!¡¯

    ¡°Huh, the clueless loser saint finally gets it. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying this whole time.¡±

    Because the number and strength of the monsters in the forest are limited, it¡¯s difficult to gain the realbat experience the academy wants the students to have.

    That¡¯s why they encourage conflict between the students¡ªto provide a more realistic experience.

    Right now, it might look like we¡¯re the bad guys, but if we don¡¯t act, it¡¯ll just end up causing problems for the other students.

    With Joy chiming in to back me up, Faybi eventually nodded in understanding.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Alrn. I hadn¡¯t thought about it like that. My thinking was too narrow.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s fine.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s fine, loser saint. I didn¡¯t expect anything from you anyway.¡±

    Thanks to my unnecessaryment, Faybi¡¯s eyebrow twitched, but that couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°But, Lucy. Does that mean we¡¯re doing nothing for now? Just resting?¡±

    ¡®No...¡¯ ¡°No. There¡¯s something we need to do.¡±

    A veteran never wastes time doing nothing.

    I already had a n for what we should do at this moment.

    ¡®We¡¯re going...¡¯ ¡°We¡¯re going to meet the ruler of this forest.¡±

    After all, I need to see that fox¡¯s face at least once to clear the quest the annoying god gave me.

    ¡°The ruler of the forest? Why?¡±

    ¡®Because the blessing they give is very useful.¡¯ ¡°That dumb fox¡¯s blessing is incredibly useful.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Just as she had led her party during dungeon raids, Lucy Alrn guided them through the forest with the same skill.

    Hermand was so adept that she moved like a hunter who had lived in these woods for decades. No one in the party doubted her.

    They gradually made their way deeper into the forest without much trouble, but then Lucy suddenly stopped, looking up at the sky through the leaves before letting her arms fall.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡±

    Hearing this, her party members blinked in disbelief.

    Everyone here had been on dungeon raids with Lucy before.

    They all knew how much she loved pushing them to the limit.

    No one had copsed, so why was she suggesting they take a break?

    ¡°You¡¯re not Lucy, are you?¡±

    Instead of celebrating the chance to rest, the group exchanged confused nces until Frey finally spoke up.

    ¡°Huh? What nonsense are you spouting now, loser swordswoman?¡±

    ¡°Lucy never says we should rest. Even if someone copses, she only suggests a break when there¡¯s no other option. She doesn¡¯t do it when there¡¯s still plenty of energy left.¡±

    Both Joy and Faybi, who had experienced Lucy¡¯s grueling pace firsthand, found themselves nodding at Frey¡¯s words.

    If someone copsed, Lucy would throw them over her shoulder and continue marching. A break? It didn¡¯t make sense.

    Lucy sighed deeply, her toneced with annoyance that was hard to miss.

    ¡°Alright, if that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll make you crawl on the ground unti¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yay! A break! I love breaks! Let¡¯s rest right now!¡± Joy suddenly shouted, sensing a crisis approaching, and Frey and Faybi quickly followed suit.

    ¡°Actually, I like breaks too.¡±

    ¡°M-me too.¡±

    Though Lucy looked dissatisfied as she nced between the three of them, she didn¡¯t say anything more.

    ¡°Move aside, losers.¡±

    Instead, she started pulling various items from her spatial pouch.

    It was as if she had learned how to camp from the knights of the Alrn family. Her preparations for the rest were remarkably efficient.

    Watching Lucy set up the rest area with ease, Faybi couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of admiration.

    She had felt the same during theirst dungeon raid together. Lady Alrn is so thorough in her preparations.

    For someone so young, she was incredibly capable.

    Is this what it means to be loved by Armadi?

    Ever since that previous dungeon raid, Faybi had been constantly thinking about Lucy.

    At the time, Faybi had been overwhelmed by her emotions and hadn¡¯t noticed many things. But after her anger subsided, those things became clearer.

    Normally, people who insult the gods either don¡¯t believe in them or worship a different deity.

    Armadi is the lord of all gods except for the evil ones, so unless someone worships a dark god, no one would dare insult Armadi.

    If someone like that had insulted Armadi, Faybi would have pitied them.

    How could you not feel sorry for someone who denies the existence of a god who clearly exists?

    But Lucy was different.

    There was no way she didn¡¯t know gods existed.

    She had heard the voice of the gods countless times.

    She had found the Mace of Luel.

    She had twice lifted the curse of Agra.

    All of it had been guided by divine revtion.

    There was no way Lucy could deny Armadi¡¯s existence.

    So, Faybi thought she had to consider things from a different perspective.

    How could someone who knew a higher power existed still insult that being?

    How could she so freely say things that could provoke the wrath of an omnipotent being?

    The reason, as Faybi saw it, was simple.

    Lucy was confident that such insults wouldn¡¯t anger Armadi.@@novelbin@@

    Sometimes Faybi teased Joy under the guise of a lecture.

    The reason she could do so without worrying about hurting Joy¡¯s feelings was because she knew Joy wouldn¡¯t get mad at something so minor.

    Faybi thought Lucy must be the same.

    She knew that what she was saying wasn¡¯t enough to make Armadi¡¯s grace falter, so she could mock him with confidence.

    How could a mere mortal gauge the patience of a god like Armadi?

    How could anyone guess how much a god would tolerate?

    Faybi knew the answer.

    It was because Lucy was Armadi¡¯s chosen.

    Since hearing about Lucy¡¯s identity from the apostle of the dark god, Faybi had thought deeply about it many times.

    Each time, she came to the same conclusion.

    No matter how much she tried to deny it.

    No matter how many details she examined, hoping to find a w.

    It was clear that Lucy was loved by Armadi and had a close connection to him.

    At this point, Faybi had half epted it.

    So she constantly watched Lucy, wondering what it was about her that had caught Armadi¡¯s attention.

    Each time, she saw something different. But all of Lucy¡¯s actions could be summarized in one word.

    Lucy waspetent.

    Whether it was studying.

    Or fighting.

    Even in dungeon raids, she was overwhelming, and her leadership skills were reminiscent of a highly skilledmander.

    That was it.

    Lucy Alrncked nothing, aside from her harsh words.

    The question wasn¡¯t why Armadi was interested in her.

    Everything about her was extraordinary enough to capture the attention of a god.

    It was hard to believe this was the same person once known as a delinquent.

    No normal person could change that much in just a year.

    No matter how talented Lady Alrn was, there was no way someone who did nothing for 15 years could be the continent¡¯s greatest prodigy in just one.

    Armadi¡¯s blessing must have had a hand in her transformation.

    That¡¯s what Faybi had concluded, so she decided to focus on Lucy¡¯s past rather than her present.

    If Lucy¡¯s change began when she became Armadi¡¯s apostle, then there must be something from before that caught the god¡¯s attention.

    ¡®Lady Alrn wasn¡¯t like this before.¡¯

    Joy, who had frequently seen Lucy at social events, told Faybi that Lucy had been apletely different person in the past.

    Aside from her sharp tongue, the rest of her was unrecognizable.

    ¡®Back then, Lady Alrn was terrifying in social circles.¡¯

    Hearing about Lucy¡¯s past as a spiky porcupine who constantlyshed out, Faybi had been shocked at every detail Joy revealed.

    If what Joy said was true, it was a miracle Lucy hadn¡¯t been executed.

    ¡®If it weren¡¯t for the prestige of Benedict Alrn, there would have been a major scandal long ago.¡¯

    As Joyughed, recounting the stories, Faybi thought it was hard to see anything in Lucy¡¯s past that would have caught Armadi¡¯s attention.

    She wasn¡¯t kind.

    She didn¡¯t do good deeds.

    She didn¡¯t have any extraordinary talents.

    And she wasn¡¯t particrly devout either.

    No matter how Faybi looked at it, there was no reason for Armadi to have taken an interest in her.

    The only thing that remained constant between the past and present Lucy was one thing.

    ¡®Pathetic wolf? Is that all it takes for you to roll over so easily?? Pfft? Weakling? Loser? You¡¯re not even a real man?¡¯

    Her manner of speaking.

    No matter who she was talking to, she would insult them, provoke them, and fan the mes of anger.

    That crude way of speaking, so far beneath the dignity of a nobledy.

    Could it be?

    This was an utterly sphemous thought, but could it be that Armadi liked such behavior?

    That he enjoyed seeing her mock and belittle others as ¡°losers¡±?

    ording to the teachings of the scripture, that couldn¡¯t be true. But recently, Faybi had found herself questioning the scriptures more and more.

    After all, the scriptures had never mentioned the existence of an apostle of Armadi, yet one stood before her now. Who¡¯s to say the scriptures weren¡¯t wrong about other things?

    So, to gain Armadi¡¯s favor, would she have to start calling others lo... los...

    No.

    No, that¡¯s not it.

    There¡¯s no way Armadi would like hearing me say something like ¡°loser¡± or... or ¡°di...¡±

    No.

    This can¡¯t be it.

    There must be something else I¡¯m missing.

    Desperate to shake off the sphemous thoughts, Faybi pped her cheeks hard and let out a deep breath.

    Now I¡¯m even thinking about such sacrilegious things.

    I really am a fool.

    Just like Lady Alrn said.

    It was then that Faybi heard rustling in the nearby bushes.

    Huh? I don¡¯t think anyone from the group moved.

    Instinctively turning her head, Faybi spotted a white fox peeking out from the foliage.

 Chapter 128

    When I saw the fox¡¯s face emerging from the bushes, I tilted my head.

    Why is it showing up here?

    I knew that vain fox liked to wander around looking for attractive people, which is why the academy was allowed to use this forest for its field trip.

    The deal was simple: the vain fox enjoys gazing at beautiful students, and in exchange, it grants permission for the field trip to take ce.

    If all it wanted to do was sit around and watch the forest get chaotic, it wouldn¡¯t have allowed something like a field trip.

    But when it usuallyes out to observe, it uses one of its clones.

    Even as the ruler of this forest, it knows what it should and shouldn¡¯t do.

    But now... Is that its real body?

    Could I be wrong?

    Am I under some sort of illusion?

    <Why would the ruler of the forest appear so recklessly?>

    It seemed that the problem wasn¡¯t me, but the vain fox.

    Even if I was mistaken, the old man wouldn¡¯t be. If he says it¡¯s odd, it must be.

    The white-furred fox, which had been peeking out from the bushes, stepped forward and positioned itself in the center of our resting spot.

    ¡°What a cute fox.¡±

    ¡°I feel a divine energying from it.¡±

    It¡¯s not that the vain fox never revealed its true form in the game. It did, but only under specific conditions.

    The condition was simple.

    If thebined charm of the party reached a level that the fox couldn¡¯t resist, it would show up in person.

    If your charm stat was high enough, the fox would appear, unable to suppress its desires.

    But this is strange.

    Is the charm level of our party really that high?

    Sure, it¡¯s probably somewhat elevated.

    Joy and Faybi have extremely high charm stats.

    Frey isn¡¯t as charming as them, but her charm is still not low.

    And me?

    Judging by Arthur¡¯s reactionst time, my charm is probably on par with Joy¡¯s at best.

    So, in short, our charm is higher than average, but it shouldn¡¯t be enough to drive that fox to reveal its true form.

    So why is it here?

    Is there some other variable I¡¯m not aware of?

    While I was lost in thought, the fox walked on all fours and stopped in front of me.

    Mew, mew, mew.

    It cried softly to get my attention, then started rubbing its face against my feet, clearly showing affection.

    ¡°Looks like the fox really likes Lady Alrn.¡±

    The rest of the party watched the scene with amusement, but I couldn¡¯t find any joy in it.

    I knew all too well that this wasn¡¯t just some cute fox¡ªit was a creepy old pervert with ulterior motives.

    Why is this old pervert doing this to me?!

    There are so many other pretty people around, so whye to me and show affection, you crazy fox?

    Don¡¯t tell me... you have the same tastes as that loser god?! Are you into kids?!

    Is there some hidden lore that wasn¡¯t revealed in the game?!

    Sigh. Well, I guess this is a good thing in some ways.

    When I lifted the fox by the scruff and looked it in the eyes, the fox smiled.

    Even though it¡¯s hard to read expressions from a different species, it was clear that this vain fox was pleased.

    Do you really like me that much, vain fox?

    ¡®Hello, oh great ruler of the forest.¡¯ ¡°Vain fox, are you really enjoying being treated like a pet by a girl hundreds of years younger than you? Pathetic.¡±

    The moment I hinted that I knew its true identity, the fox¡¯s smile froze.

    It tried to act innocent, wagging its tail and crying out like a normal fox, but that wouldn¡¯t fool me.

    <There¡¯s no doubt it¡¯s the ruler of the forest. With such power in its body, trying to act cute is meaningless.>

    To be more precise, it wouldn¡¯t fool the old man.

    ¡®You¡¯ve already been caught.¡¯ ¡°You didn¡¯t think you¡¯d get away with it, did you? Losing your judgment in your old age, loser~ Dementia~¡±

    ¡°...How did you know?¡±

    When I said that, the fox finally spoke in a human voice.

    ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The fox is talking?!¡± ¡°Amazing.¡±

    The three others were shocked, but the fox slipped out of my grasp and did a flip in the air.

    Smoke billowed, and when it cleared, a woman stood where the fox had been.

    ¡°As expected of one who is wrapped in divine energy. You saw through my disguise with ease.¡±

    She was dressed in silk, an unlikely sight in western fantasy settings, fitting her role as an NPC from the game.

    Narrow eyes, a rxed smile.

    White fox ears on her head and nine tails waving behind her.

    And, of course, a body that demanded attention.

    This alluring, dangerous-looking woman rubbed her chin as she gazed down at me.

    ¡°Not only is your insight impressive, but your voice is pleasant too. I¡¯m starting to like you even more. Will you say more things to me?¡±

    ¡®Sorry, but your gaze is creeping me out.¡¯ ¡°Vain fox, your eyes are disgusting and revolting. Could you stop staring?¡±

    ¡°Haaah. I like this too. That rebellious attitude is so charming.¡±

    All of that was before the fox opened its mouth.

    In terms of appearance, she was among the top tier of <em>Soul Academy</em> characters. Unfortunately, her personality was a major drawback.

    As I mentioned before, she¡¯s a face fanatic.

    Despite her looks, her nickname stems from her obsession with attractive people.

    If your charm is high, she¡¯ll find everything you do delightful.

    I wasn¡¯t worried at all about how I spoke because once she shows interest, she¡¯ll brush everything off with a smile.

    She was annoying in the game, and it¡¯s even worse now that it¡¯s real.

    Especially since I¡¯m the target.

    While my eyes lowered and the fox¡¯s grin grew wider, Joy finally snapped out of her shock and spoke.

    ¡°Um, sorry, but can someone exin what¡¯s happening here?¡±

    Ah. Right.

    I got so caught up in dealing with this perverted fox that I forgot to exin.

    I thought I¡¯d grown immune to this stuff thanks to Karl, but I guess I¡¯m not.

    A true pervert doesn¡¯t care about others¡¯ boundaries.

    ¡°I apologize. I lost control of myself for a moment.¡±

    Turning her head towards Joy, the fox dipped her head in a graceful, soft tone.

    Of course, since Joy and Faybi have high charm stats, she¡¯s being so polite.

    If we had brought along some nameless extra, she¡¯d be looking down her nose at them and telling them to shut up.

    ¡°I am Rina, the ruler of this forest. I sensed a divine aura and came to observe. Rest assured, I mean you no harm.¡±

    By ¡°divine aura,¡± she must mean the energy of Armadi.

    First, Nacrad felt something, and now this vain fox does too. I guess people who can sense power feel something odd from me.

    And judging by how friendly this fox is, maybe that energy also enhances my charm.

    I suppose that loser god is helpful in some ways, aside from his perverted tendencies.

    Though it¡¯s his perversion that¡¯s caused me the most trouble.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, why don¡¯t we move to a morefortable spot? I¡¯d like to spend some time with you all.¡±

    The three of them, who had been curiously watching the vain fox, were now growing visibly ufortable with each word she said.

    That creepy smile and the drooling... Anyone would find it gross.

    Even I do.

    ¡°I swear I won¡¯t harm you. In fact, I couldn¡¯t even if I wanted to. The forest is filled with other powerful beings, and if I tried anything, they¡¯d chop off my head.¡±

    As soon as the fox finished, the rest of the party looked at me.

    Since I was the one leading them, they expected me to make the decision.

    The sudden appearance of the fox had thrown off my ns, but this wasn¡¯t a bad development.

    After all, our goal from the start was to meet the fox.

    She¡¯s offering to take us to her dwelling, so there¡¯s no reason to refuse.

    I was about to nod in agreement when a thought crossed my mind.

    This fox, even if it¡¯s because of Armadi¡¯s power, seems to have taken a real liking to me.

    She¡¯s even inviting us to her home.

    Isn¡¯t that an indication that I¡¯m the one holding the power here?

    After all, the one who falls in love first always loses.

    And in this situation, it seems like the loser is the vain fox.

    ¡®Alright. But on one condition...¡¯ ¡°Fine, vain fox. But there¡¯s a condition.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Tell me. I¡¯m inclined to agree to whatever you ask.¡±

    ¡®You have to...¡¯ ¡°Recognize us and give us a reward. If you do that, I¡¯ll overlook the fact that you¡¯re a creepy, disgusting pervert and follow you.¡±

    When I lifted my head arrogantly and said that, the fox narrowed her eyes, as if trying to gauge something.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible. While I hold you and yourpanions in high regard, a ruler¡¯s recognition isn¡¯t so easily granted.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Was I too bold?

    Even though this fox is a face fanatic, she¡¯s still the ruler of the forest. It was probably na?ve to think she¡¯d just give in so easily.

    But even if I went too far, she won¡¯t think less of me now that she¡¯s already deemed me charming.

    She¡¯ll probably find my confidence appealing.

    That¡¯s just the kind of maniac this fox is.

    ¡°However, I will allow you to take the trial right away. Normally, you would have to journey deep into the forest to even reach the trial site, but I will bring it to you now. I think that¡¯s a fairpromise, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Of course.

    This was more than enough goodwill.

    Normally, you¡¯d have to ovee various obstacles to even meet the ruler and take their trial.

    Allowing us to skip that and face the trial right away is the greatest favor a forest ruler could grant.

    If the other rulers heard about this, they¡¯d be shocked.

    ¡®That works for me.¡¯ ¡°Fine, vain fox. That¡¯s a pretty generous move for an old pervert.¡±

    ¡°What about the rest of you? Are you all willing to take my trial as well?¡±

    The others nodded in agreement.

    I had already exined beforehand what the fox¡¯s blessing was and why it was worth obtaining, so of course, they were ready.

    No one was going to back down at this point.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, the one with the sword¡ªyou¡¯re an exception. You don¡¯t qualify to take my trial yet.¡±

    ¡°...Why?¡±

    ¡°Youck charm.¡±

    Frey blinked in disbelief at being told she wasn¡¯t charming enough.

    Hah. Now that¡¯s the vain fox for you.

    Endlessly kind to those who meet her standards but cold as ice to anyone who doesn¡¯t.

    ¡®Hey...¡¯ ¡°Vain fox. That loser swordswoman is myrade. Aren¡¯t you a little too petty for someone as old as you?¡±

    Frey is a permanent fixture in my party now.

    The stronger she gets, the more it benefits me, so it¡¯s in my best interest for her to receive as many rewards as possible.

    I was prepared to pull out some charm-enhancing items from my inventory to convince the fox, but to my surprise, she nodded easily.

    ¡°...Hmm. Fine. If you insist, I¡¯ll allow it. Her charm isn¡¯t thatcking, so I¡¯ll let her take the trial as well.¡±

    Wow. How much of a charm boost does Armadi¡¯s power give me for the vain fox to back down so easily?

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s begin. I¡¯ll now present you with the trial to earn my recognition.¡±

    With a snap of the fox¡¯s fingers, a mist rose around us.

 Chapter 129

    After the mist that had obscured my surroundings cleared, I opened my eyes again to find myself in front of the Alrn family estate.

    Why is this ce showing up now?

    There¡¯s absolutely nothing here that I want.

    The trial of the Saitil Forest involves escaping the illusion created by that foolish fox.

    When the trial begins, the fox uses its power to show the participants what they most desperately desire. Oveing the trial means escaping from that illusion, while sumbing to it results in failure.

    Describing this in game terms is difficult, but when actually ying, it felt less like testing a character¡¯s mental fortitude and more like navigating a maze.

    Now, though, this is the real world, not some reality behind a monitor. Instead of a maze, what I desire should appear. But since this estate is what has materialized, it must be Lucy¡¯s desire being reflected.

    Just likest time, when I faced the trial from that old man and Lucy¡¯s nightmare yed out before me.

    Talk about disappointing. If something I truly wanted had appeared, I might¡¯ve enjoyed it for a while before returning.

    But now there¡¯s nothing here for me to enjoy.

    As I went to sling my shield across my back, I realized that both of my hands were empty.

    Ah. Since this is Lucy¡¯s illusion, of course, there wouldn¡¯t be any weapons or armor.

    So, the clothes I¡¯m wearing now must be that cursed dress with too many frills and gemstones stered all over, right?

    Furrowing my brow, I looked down, only to be surprised by the fact that my outfit was more normal than I expected.

    What the¡ª? For something Lucy¡¯s wearing, it¡¯s actually pretty decent.

    It¡¯s still a dress, but it¡¯s not shy. It¡¯s calm.

    This is actually something I wouldn¡¯t mind wearing.

    I¡¯ve been in a skirt so oftentely because of the academy uniform that I¡¯ve gotten used to it.

    Feeling a bit better, I decided to end this trial quickly. I opened the door and stepped inside.

    What is Lucy¡¯s deepest desire, I wonder? Judging by what I saw during the old man¡¯s trial, I can make a guess.

    ¡°Oh my, Lucy! Are you back from ying outside?¡±

    As soon as I entered the mansion, I was greeted by a woman wearing a white dress.

    I recognized her face. Not from the game, but because I had seen her during the old man¡¯s trial.

    Lucy¡¯s mother. The same woman who, during the old man¡¯s trial,y in bed, hurling cruel words at Lucy. But now, she was smiling brightly, her face lively and full of warmth.

    ¡°Yes, mother... Huh?!¡±

    What the¡ª? Why did that just slip out of my mouth?!

    I thought it was only Lucy¡¯s wish being granted, but has mine also been fulfilled?

    ¡°Lucy?¡±

    I was nning to escape the illusion as quickly as possible, but now things are different.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Maybe I can talk like a normal person for once!

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    ¡°Joy! Let¡¯s try that bakery this time! I heard it¡¯s absolutely delicious!¡±

    Joy looked at the girl pulling her hand and sighed.

    As soon as the field trip began, Lady Alrn exined the trial that the forest ruler would impose.

    Once inside, you would see thendscape you most desperately desired. If you realized it was an illusion and escaped, you would pass the trial.

    Joy had mentally prepared herself before the trial began, and it didn¡¯t take long after entering to realize that this was an illusion.

    ¡°Wow! The smell alone makes my mouth water! What do you think? Do you think we can eat everything in there?!¡±

    That¡¯s because there¡¯s no way a lively, kind-hearted, and innocent Lucy Alrn could exist.

    Sigh. So my deepest desire is to visit a bakery with a sincere and honest Lady Alrn? Really?

    Lady Rina, are you serious? Is this some kind of joke? There¡¯s no way this is truly my greatest wish.

    ¡°Oh my! Isn¡¯t this the great sorceress, Lady Joy Patran?!¡±

    As Lucy dragged me, almost forcibly, into the bakery, the shop attendant inside gasped in admiration. And Lucy, of course, responded in kind.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! She¡¯s an incredible friend, far too amazing for me!¡±

    ...So, if this illusion is entirely urate, it means I want Lady Alrn to acknowledge me, to be my friend, and to be praised by others as a great sorceress?

    Joy thought this over and ran her hands down her face.@@novelbin@@

    This is so embarrassing and humiliating.

    I can¡¯t even hold my head up because I can¡¯t bring myself to scream that this illusion is mocking me.

    Because, deep down, these are things I¡¯ve wished for at least once in my life.

    But what am I supposed to do?! Every time Lady Alrn looks at me with that pure smile, I keep thinking, ¡®Maybe it¡¯s okay to enjoy this for a little while longer.¡¯

    In the real world, she¡¯ll call me ¡®idiot noblewoman¡¯ and mock me, but here it¡¯s different!

    Here, she¡¯s holding my hand, calling my name, and considering me a friend!

    And there¡¯s delicious bread on top of it all!

    Lady Alrn said herself that all I have to do is escape at the end of the trial. So until then, I can enjoy it, right?

    ¡°Wee, Lady Patran. We¡¯ve prepared a seat for you.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    Up until this point, Joy had gritted her teeth and endured the innocent version of Lucy and everything else. But when her childhood dream of a prince on a white horse appeared, she hit her limit.

    Unable to bear the sight of her past embarrassmentsing to life, Joy quickly escaped the illusion. Gasping for breath, she pressed her hands firmly against her eyes.

    I can¡¯t believe I still wanted that? Seriously? After all this time? It can¡¯t be. I thought I¡¯d left that dream behind as a child!

    ¡°Oh. You woke up quickly. I thought you would enjoy it for a little longer.¡±

    Hearing a voice, Joy cautiously lifted her head. There, propping up her chin with her hand, was the ruler of the forest.

    ¡°Lady Rina?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what I saw in the illusion?¡±

    ¡°A little girl with charming twin tails showing off her pure and innocent side, just as befits her small stature. As much as rebellion is delightful, a cheerful childlike demeanor is just as good. ssic is ssic for a reason. And then¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please stop right there!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe.¡±

    Joy felt utterly humiliated as Rinaughed at her. Theugh wasn¡¯t one of dignity but more like the creepy cackle of a sleazy old man telling dirty jokes at a bar.

    I know she¡¯s an important figure, but... she really gives off that unsettling vibe.

    She feels like one of those nasty aristocrats who stick their nose everywhere and try to charm women.

    Joy did her best to ignore Rina¡¯sughter and looked around.

    Just moments ago, she¡¯d been in the middle of the forest for the field trip, but where am I now?

    ¡°This is my residence. I couldn¡¯t leave you lying on the dirt, so I brought you here personally.¡±

    Before Joy could turn her head fully, Rina answered.

    ¡°And before you ask, the others are in different rooms. We mustn¡¯t interrupt their trials, after all.¡±

    ¡°Was I the first to wake up?¡±

    ¡°No, not quite. From my experience, the more charming a person is, the more they tend to be greedy.¡±

    Joy hadn¡¯t spoken much with Rina yet.

    But even so, she already felt like she knew a fair amount about her. That¡¯s because Rina didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of hiding herself.

    If Rina treated Lady Kent with such cold indifference, calling her cking in charm,¡¯ then that means she must be awake already.

    And since Lady Alrn received the most favor from Rina, she must still be in the middle of her trial.

    How odd. I would¡¯ve thought Lady Alrn would wake up first and mock me with something like, ¡®You¡¯re so slow, idiot noblewoman. Even when I give you a hint, you can¡¯t do anything with it? Useless. Idiot.¡¯

    ¡°Well now, it¡¯s boring to sit here and talk idly. As your host, it¡¯s my duty to offer you hospitality. Come, follow me.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to drink? I¡¯ll do my best to match your tastes.¡±

    Rina, who had been spouting her usual nonsense, suddenly fell silent.

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°It seems like an exception to my theory might be arising.¡±

    Joy tilted her head in confusion at the cryptic answer, but Rina offered no further exnation.

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    ¡°How is life at the academy? Are you enjoying it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Very much.¡±

    Lucy¡¯s mother was an incredibly bright and cheerful person. It was hard to believe she was the parent of Lucy, who was often called the disgrace of the Alrn family.

    Even considering that this is Lucy¡¯s ideal illusion, this version of her parents is way too perfect.

    No matter how you look at it, these are the parents of that bratty mesugaki Lucy. Given that Benedict shows no signs of such behavior, there must be something off about this woman, right?

    But from what I¡¯ve seen so far, there¡¯s nothing wrong with her. She¡¯s just a kind mother, in and simple.

    I even tried provoking her on purpose, wondering if she was suppressing her true nature, but she just smiled andughed it off.

    How in the world did this sweet, kind mother and that boastful Benedict end up raising someone like Lucy, who¡¯s such a bratty mesugaki? Did her personality change over time?

    I¡¯m a little curious now. I might look into it when we return to the Alrn estate during the break.

    But whatever. It¡¯s time to wake up.

    I enjoyed the conversation, happy to speak without the mesugaki skill affecting me, but I can¡¯t linger any longer.

    If I stay asleep much longer, who knows what that foolish fox will do next.

    ¡°Oh, are you leaving already?¡±

    As I stood up from the chair, Lucy¡¯s mother looked visibly disappointed. If it were the real Lucy in my ce, she might have hesitated, but I wouldn¡¯t.

    To me, the woman in front of me is nothing more than a pretty stranger.

    ¡°Yes, I should go now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sad to see you go, but take care.¡±

    After breaking free from the illusion, I found myself staring at the wooden ceiling, slowly rising to my feet.

    ¡®Hello.¡¯

    ¡°Hey. Useless.¡±

    Just in case, I tried talking to myself, but the mesugaki skill was as strict as ever.

    Sigh. Of course. There¡¯s no way the masochistic god, who loves verbal abuse, would let me off the hook. I was foolish for even hoping.

    I let out a long sigh and was about to get up from the bed to inform everyone I had cleared the trial when the door suddenly swung open, and Joy, Frey, and that foolish fox all rushed into the room.

    What¡¯s going on? Did theye to congratte me? But they all look so serious. I haven¡¯t seen Joy this tense in a long time.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, something terrible has happened. It¡¯s Faybi.¡±

    Huh? What happened to Faybi?

 Chapter 130

    Faybi looked around nkly.

    The yellowing walls covered with children¡¯s scribbles. The old furniture, none of it in good condition.

    When the wind blew in, it brought with it the scent of dust and a musty odor. In the kitchen, where mealtime was approaching, the sounds ofughter were drowned out by shouts and screams.

    This was the ce that held precious and beautiful memories for young Faybi¡ªher orphanage.

    Usually, this ce was never quiet, bustling with countless children running around. But today, it was strangely silent.

    It felt as if everyone who once stayed here had left Faybi behind.

    ¡°What do you think, Faybi?¡±

    Startled by the gentle, warm voice behind her, Faybi turned around.

    There stood a man.

    His spotless white clothes gleamed. Even from a distance, she could feel the warmth radiating from his outstretched hand. His face shone with a divine light so bright that Faybi dared not gaze upon him.

    ¡°Armadie.¡±

    Armadie? Faybi was confused by the name she had just spoken but quickly shook her head.

    What am I thinking? That¡¯s Lord Armadie. The supreme ruler of many gods, the one who spreads love equally across the world.

    He is the great god I¡¯ve served up until now and will continue to serve for all eternity.

    Faybi, how could you even doubt him?

    ¡°I chose this scenery, your childhood orphanage, as the ce for our conversation. Do you like it?¡±

    ¡°Lord Armadie, did you recreate this ce?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Wasn¡¯t it the most precious ce to you?¡±

    Armadie¡¯s words were correct. This orphanage was the most precious ce to Faybi.

    Before she received her duties as a saint, it was the ce where she couldugh purely, a ce where she could y with her friends without a care in the world.

    Even now, when she dreamed, she often recalled running around the orphanage. If this ce wasn¡¯t precious to her, then what was?

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve seen this scenery. Would you like to walk around and talk?¡±

    ¡°...Is it really okay for me to speak with Lord Armadie? You¡¯ve heard all my prayers, but I am not a righteous person.¡±

    I¡¯ve hated others, felt jealousy, and wished for someone¡¯s downfall. I couldn¡¯t resist my sinful curiosity and even made a deal with the apostles of an evil god.

    All the many sins I¡¯vemitted were piled up in my memory. How could I dare to converse with the great god himself?

    As Faybi sped her hands together and bowed her head, Armadie approached her, lifting her face gently with his warm hand.

    ¡°What are you talking about? If a saint who has worked harder than anyone else doesn¡¯t deserve to speak with me, then who does?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say this before? It¡¯s okay to make mistakes. What¡¯s important is¡­¡±

    ¡°Whether you can repent for your mistakes and correct your actions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. So don¡¯t say you aren¡¯t righteous. You still have a chance.¡±

    Oh, merciful one. Even though I am unworthy and impure, you forgive me and embrace me. I am so happy that I don¡¯t know what to do with myself.

    ¡°Come now, let¡¯s walk and talk. Surely you have much to say.¡±

    When Armadie extended his hand, Faybi hesitated for a moment before taking it.

    Oh, Lord Armadie. This is how you reward my faith. My belief was not in vain after all.

    If this is a dream, then I hope never to wake up. I want to stay in this dream forever, by Armadie¡¯s side.

    Faybi was lost in these thoughts when she suddenly felt a sense of unease, but she shook her head and dismissed it.

    How could she think of anything else when the being she longed to meet was standing right beside her?

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    "Faybi..."

    ¡°The useless saint has been consumed by the illusion?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. She has no intention of waking up from the illusion. She¡¯s sofortable in a fantasy that could never happen in reality that she wishes it wouldst forever.¡±

    That foolish fox chuckled as she spoke, her wordsced with ridicule.

    Of all people, Faybi being consumed by an illusion?

    I hadn¡¯t considered that possibility, and now my thoughts were inplete disarray.

    I knew that Faybi had been struggling more than her in-game counterpart, but I didn¡¯t think it had be this severe. After her sess with the purification prayerst time, I thought she had regained some of her self-confidence. So why?

    My head throbbed, and I pressed my palm to my forehead.

    This sort of thing wasn¡¯t unheard of at the Soul Academy. If a character¡¯s mental strength stat was too low and they pushed through a trial, they could be consumed by the illusion.

    But there were characters immune to this trial.

    In Frey¡¯s case, she didn¡¯t break down because she couldn¡¯t feel emotions, even when faced with what she desired in the illusion. And Faybi? Her mental strength was low, but she always overcame trials, so there shouldn¡¯t have been a problem.

    What good is all this thinking? The damage is already done.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, Lady Rina says that if Faybi doesn¡¯t wake up soon, she¡¯ll be trapped in sleep forever. What should we do? How can we...?¡±

    "Wait a moment."

    ¡°Idiot noblewoman, be quiet.¡±

    I cut off Joy¡¯s trembling voice with a sigh.

    Is there no solution? There is. If there wasn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have even considered participating in this trial in the first ce.

    It¡¯s simple. The one who created the illusion is right in front of me. Naturally, they also hold the key to the solution.

    I raised my head and red at the foolish fox, who was still grinning as ifpletely unaware of the situation. The moment I locked eyes with her, her smirk widened even more.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to ask for help, I refuse. A trial is a trial. Even if it¡¯s unfair, it¡¯s something she has to deal with herself.¡±

    This foolish fox bes more favorable to people with higher charm stats.

    If someone¡¯s charm reaches an extreme level, she¡¯ll offer them everything she has, even willingly bing their servant. In some cases, she even begs to be enved.

    So, if she says no, it just means I don¡¯t have enough charm to sway her.

    The solution is simple. I just need to raise my charm even higher¡ªto the point where I can turn the tables and charm her.

    Luckily, I have several items in my inventory that can boost my charm.

    ¡°Lady Rina¡­¡±

    ¡°Foolish fox, we need to talk. Alone.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You want to be alone with me? Is this a confession? I do enjoy boldness, but I fear for my poor heart¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. The thought of breathing the same air as a disgusting pervert like you makes me sick, but I¡¯ll endure.¡±

    ¡°Hahh, such sharp res and insults... I feel tingles all over.¡±

    Even when watching her from behind a monitor, I always felt like her lines were cringe-worthy, but seeing it in reality makes it even worse. It¡¯s so disgusting it gives me chills.

    But since she¡¯s my only option, I have no choice.

    After telling Joy and Frey I¡¯d handle it, I pulled out several items from my inventory.

    First, I sprayed Lano¡¯s Sweet Perfume on myself¡ªa consumable item that instantly raises charm when applied.

    ¡°The scent is lovely. With you as the flower and this scent as its fragrance, the bees will surely lose their minds.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Does this make you want to help me?¡±

    ¡°No, while you are beautiful, beauty alone won¡¯t sway me.¡±

    The foolish fox¡¯s smile widened as she rambled on, but it wasn¡¯t enough to persuade her yet. Next, I pulled out a selection of cosmetics¡ªthe best consumables I had gathered so far.

    I didn¡¯t hesitate as I applied them, thanks to what I had learned from Erin before joining the academy.

    ¡°Oh, this is quite something. Adding beauty on top of beauty, but still... it¡¯s not enough to move me.¡±

    Still not enough? Fine. I pulled out several essories¡ªitems that raise charm immediately when equipped.

    ¡°How about now?¡±

    ¡°How about now, perverted foolish fox? Does this align with your disgusting preferences?¡±

    When I had finished equipping all the items, the foolish fox fell silent, stunned.

    ¡°Hah!¡±

    I smiled at her as she gazed at me in a daze, and she blushed, stepping back.

    Up until now, she had been shamelessly spouting lewd lines like some creepy old man, but now it was different. She seemed genuinely entranced.

    Is this enough to satisfy you? Are you ready to wake Faybi now?

    After a brief silence, she wiped the drool from her lips and stammered, avoiding my gaze.

    ¡°W-well... you are even more charming than I am, but still, still¡­¡±

    Still not enough?! Why? You¡¯re practically won over already! Can¡¯t you just round it up and give me a nod?

    I still had onest item left in my inventory¡ªa piece that could raise my charm higher than anything I had used so far.

    Sigh. I really didn¡¯t want to use this.

    ¡°Lady Rina, if you could wait just a moment...¡±

    ¡°Foolish fox, stop gawking and get out. Ande back when I call.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Is there still something else? Is there something that will steal my heart awaypletely?¡±

    ¡°Just get out.¡±

    ¡°A beast like you doesn¡¯t understand words? I said get out, you perverted animal.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Very well. I¡¯ll wait outside for now.¡±

    After the foolish fox left, unable to control her creeping grin, I pulled out a bunny-girl costume from my inventory and tossed it onto the bed.

    I had nned to burn thister, but now I actually have to wear it. Damn it.

    <Are you really going to wear it?>

    ¡°Eek?!¡±

    Startled by the sudden voice, I shrank back and realized that the old man was beside me. I sighed in frustration.

    ¡°It¡¯s the fastest and easiest solution.¡±

    I could find other ways, sure. Give me a few days, and I coulde up with dozens of ways to wake Faybi.

    But since there¡¯s an immediate solution right here, why would I waste time? I¡¯m the one who suggested taking on this trial, so it¡¯s only right that I take responsibility.

    <You¡¯re working hard, aren¡¯t you?>

    ¡°Thanks for the encouragement, but could you go back into the inventory now?¡±

    <Wait! Hold on, youngdy!>

    Sorry, but I don¡¯t want to burn this image into your memory. You¡¯d never let me live it downter.

    After shoving the old man into the inventory, I stared down at the bunny-girl outfit on the bed and let out a long sigh.

    It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just the foolish fox. I just have to endure her disgusting lines, and there won¡¯t be any problems.

    After finishing my internal rationalization, I reached for the sps of my armor.

 Chapter 131

    "Are you really nning to wear this?"@@novelbin@@

    Alsetin asked as he handed me the bunny girl outfit, showing it to me with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

    The moment I saw it, a simr thought crossed my mind.

    Am I really going to wear that?

    A bunny girl outfit wasn''t even clothing.

    How could you call something that covered less than it revealed an outfit?

    Although my mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts, the Mesugaki skill didn¡¯t allow me to show any embarrassment.

    Thanks to that, I was able to confidently take the bunny girl outfit in front of Alsetin with an attitude of ¡°Why are you making such a fuss when I¡¯m the one wearing it?¡±

    While I was at it, I learned how to properly wear the bunny girl outfit from one of his subordinates.

    That woman, who had once worked at a casino, not only taught me how to wear the outfit properly but also how to use it to its fullest effect.

    She was so articte that, even now, three dayster, I had no trouble recalling the details of how to wear it.

    After I finished dressing, I added the final touch¡ªcing bunny ears on my head. Then, I took out a mirror from my inventory and checked my reflection.

    As humiliating as the situation was, with me wanting to just die from embarrassment, the Mesugaki skill forced me to maintain a confident expression, while strands of hair draped down, covering my bare shoulders.

    Despite undergoing intense training that would make most knights cringe, my soft, pale skin still resembled that of a delicate doll, so smooth and white it seemed unreal.

    Even though I had worn the outfit properly, the red bunny girl outfit was just slightly loose around the chest area, and the stockings that were supposed to cover my legs barely did so. The high heels were quite tall too.

    If I had to be honest, it suited me well. Lucy¡¯s appearance was already doll-like, so no matter what clothes she wore, they would adjust to her and look perfect.

    Of course, it suited me. But admiring it was something you could only do when it wasn¡¯t happening to you. When it¡¯s you, all you feel is embarrassment!

    Good thing I shoved the old man into the inventory. If he¡¯d seen this, I¡¯d bite my tongue every time he brought it up in the future.

    Huff. Maybe I should buy a few extra nkets. I¡¯m going to kick them off in frustration every night from now on, and no ordinary nket can survive the strength I¡¯ll be putting into it.

    "Lady Rina...?"

    ¡°Foolish fox,e in.¡±

    As soon as I called her name, the door burst open, and the foolish fox peeked her head in.

    With a slimy grin on her face, she wiped her drool and sauntered inside. The moment sheid eyes on me, she froze in ce at the doorway.

    What is it? What? If you¡¯ve got something to say, say it quickly! I¡¯m gritting my teeth and preparing to listen to your disgusting nonsense! If you stay quiet, it just makes me feel more embarrassed, you perverted wench!

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡±

    "Really?"

    ¡°Ha. Really? Guess it suits your twisted tastes, huh?¡±

    The foolish fox scanned me from head to toe like she was examining her prey, her face practically glowing with delight as she slowly stepped further into the room.

    ¡°Oh, how do I even describe it? Your skin is soft like a baby¡¯s and looks delicious, and your eyes¡­¡±

    "Shut up."

    ¡°Foolish fox, can you close that stinking mouth? You¡¯re disgusting.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s an order, I shallply.¡±

    Honestly, I don¡¯t usually think this way, but right now I really want to crack her skull open. I want to m a mace into that smug grin and shatter her teeth to pieces. Seriously.

    ¡°So¡­ are you satisfied now? Do you really like seeing a little girl in a bunny girl outfit that much? You perverted wench. You¡¯re revolting. I can¡¯t believe something like you is the ruler of this forest. The creatures that live here deserve better.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be too harsh. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s melting away quite nicely?¡±

    The moment I saw the foolish fox¡¯s eyes droop in pleasure, I nearly let out a string of curses.

    I hate her. I really hate her. Honestly, I¡¯d prefer someone who genuinely got mad at my Mesugaki skill or sneaked around doing shady things behind my back. Having someone tantly act like a pervert in front of me just triggers a deep, visceral rejection.

    Let¡¯s get this over with quickly. If I stay around this foolish fox any longer, I¡¯m going to throw up.

    ¡°You¡¯ll grant my request now, right?¡±

    ¡°Foolish fox. So, are you going to grant my request now?¡±

    ¡°A request? Oh, yes, the request. Right. How could I refuse someone as beautiful as you? Waking up a simple child from sleep is no trouble at all.¡±

    Thank goodness. If she had said no after all this, I would have pulled the old man out and cracked her skull to erase her memory.

    ¡°But there¡¯s one condition.¡±

    Huh? What? I¡¯ve already thrown away all my dignity and pride, and now that¡¯s still not enough? Has she grown so old that her greed has expanded with her age too?! Huh?!

    ¡°Step on me with those high heels.¡±

    ¡­

    ...What?

    Was I hearing this right? My mind nked out for a moment, trying toprehend the absurdity of what I had just heard.

    Are you insane? I¡¯m seriously going to lose it. I already knew this foolish fox was a twisted pervert, designed that way as a joke character.

    I¡¯d seen her spout even more ridiculous nonsense through the monitor. But hearing it in person? With my own two ears? It¡¯s driving me insane.

    ¡°Come now, I¡¯ll even position myself for you. Step on me hard enough to leave a mark. I¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Ah, for crying out loud. I¡¯ve been holding it in with superhuman patience, but I can¡¯t anymore. Ignoring the foolish fox who had thrown herself on the floor, I reached into my inventory.

    <Youngdy, what are you doing, suddenly throwing me in there? Youngdy?!>

    Then, I pulled out the old man and swung him at the foolish fox. I didn¡¯t hold back. I really wanted to crack her head open and end her.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Lady Alrn should be persuading Lady Rina well, right?

    Sitting in Lady Rina¡¯s reception room, waiting for Lucy, Joy couldn¡¯t hide her growing anxiety.

    It wasn¡¯t that she doubted Lucy¡¯s capabilities. Joy had been saved by Lucy¡¯spetence multiple times. How could she ever doubt her?

    But¡­ yes, it was because her dear friend, who had fallen into a deep slumber, was still in danger. Joy simply couldn¡¯t sit still.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes?¡±

    Joy hadn¡¯t expected Frey to speak to her, so she responded a beatte.

    ¡°What did you see in the trial?¡±

    ¡°The trial?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    What did I see in the trial? A kind, lively, and adorable Lady Alrn. Me as a grand sorceress. A delicious bakery. And a prince on a white horse¡­

    Ack!

    Joy screamed internally as she recalled her embarrassing memories and quickly pushed them out of her mind.

    I can¡¯t say that. I can never say that. But if I don¡¯t answer, won¡¯t Lady Kent think I¡¯m hiding something strange? What¡¯s a reasonable answer?

    ¡°Seeing myself as a grand sorceress.¡±

    That should do, right? It sounds reasonable, with just the right amount of ambition.

    Though she was nervous Frey might ask more, Frey simply nodded with no reaction, saying, ¡°I see,¡± as if she werepletely indifferent.

    Joy felt slightly annoyed by Frey¡¯sck of interest and found herself asking a question in return.

    ¡°So, what did you see in your illusion, Lady Kent?¡±

    ¡°Me? I saw myselfughing happily with my family. It was boring, so I shed it.¡±

    "...Pardon? What do you mean¡­?"

    Before Joy could ask further, they both heard the sound of something breaking in the distance.

    That¡¯s where Lady Alrn is! What¡¯s happening?!

    ¡°Lady Kent!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Joy and Frey sped up as they ran toward the source of the noise, and the closer they got, the louder the sound of destruction became.

    Lady Alrn, please let nothing be wrong! Please don¡¯t try to handle everything on your own again! Please!

    Praying as they reached the scene, what they saw left them speechless.

    ¡°Die! Die, you perverted fox!¡±

    ¡°Hyaah! The strength and emotion behind those strikes are wonderful.¡±

    It was Lucy, dressed in a bunny girl outfit, attacking Lady Rina with a mace.

    Uh¡­ wait¡­ huh? Joy¡¯s brain momentarily froze as she tried to process the sight before her.

    Why is Lady Alrn swinging a mace? And why is Lady Rina smiling weirdly while getting hit by it?

    Wait, why is Lady Alrn wearing a b-bunny¡­ bunny girl outfit?! When we parted ways, she was wearing armor, wasn¡¯t she?!

    Lucy, standing there in a bunny girl outfit that looked like something from a seedy nightclub, was undeniably beautiful.

    There was a mesmerizing charm in thebination of her cuteness, confidence, and sensuality that made even the bewildered Joy unable to look away for a moment.

    But no matter how beautiful she looked, it didn¡¯t exin why she was dressed like that. What on earth is going on? Am I still stuck in an illusion?!

    Lucy, seemingly noticing Joy and Frey¡¯s presence, looked up.

    In that moment, her usual confidence faltered as her bewildered gaze met Joy¡¯s.

    ¡°Nothing much.¡±

    Frey,pletely unfazed by the scene, shrugged and turned back to the reception room, leaving the two frozen in ce.

    The sound of her footsteps faded away, and the ufortable silence lingered until it was finally broken by Lady Rina, who was still getting hit by the mace.

    ¡°Hahh. Such poor timing. It was just getting interesting. Ah, well. Go on, then. I¡¯ll keep enduring this child¡¯s anger a bit longer.¡±

    The look of disappointment on Lady Rina¡¯s face suddenly made everything click for Joy.

    Lady Alrn had endured this humiliation for the sake of rescuing Faybi! She had sacrificed her dignity to save her friend from this perverted fox who calls herself the ruler of the forest!

    ¡°Lady Alrn! Thank you so much! I¡¯m so sorry for letting you face this alone!¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Joy shouted, rushing forward and wrapping her arms around me.

    I had no idea what kind of misunderstanding she was having, but¡­ yeah, I won¡¯t bother exining. No matter what I say, I doubt things will improve from here.

    <In the end, you¡¯ve shown everything to the one person you didn¡¯t want to see it.>

    ¡°Grandpa, please read the room. You¡¯re too old to be acting like this!¡±

    <Better me than that fox down there licking her lips, wouldn¡¯t you say?>

    ¡°If you were worse than her, I would¡¯ve buried you in the ground by now.¡±

    <...I¡¯ll shut up.>

    After silencing the old man, I gently pushed Joy off me. While I appreciated her support, I had things to deal with.

    ¡°Foolish fox, you¡¯ll help us, right?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you perverted foolish fox. You¡¯re going to help us, right? Unless you¡¯re apletely irredeemable piece of trash.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. After receiving such a generous reward, it would be rude not to.¡±

    The foolish fox staggered to her feet, adjusting her disheveled clothing, and crossed her arms, trying to act trustworthy while shing a smile.

    ¡°Come. Let us go wake your friend.¡±

    Honestly, I don¡¯t care how trustworthy you try to look. That disgusting scene from earlier won¡¯t just disappear.

    You filthy, masochistic, perverted foolish fox.

 Chapter 133

    Even though the message said my reward would be increased, I didn¡¯t feel happy at all. I had seen simr messages before, and what I gotst time was an upgrade to the Mesugaki skill.

    Thinking back on it still makes me cringe. "Pathetic Dog," "Perverted Saint,"¡ªthe Mesugaki skill made me spew all sorts of things I should never have said to people I actually had some fondness for. It was nothing short of a nightmare.

    And now, the situation was starting to feel eerily simr. After oveing a tough challenge andpleting the Pathetic God¡¯s quest, I was about to receive a reward, all while cursing the god in the process.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t insult him as much this time. Back then, I had barely escaped a deadly situation, and the reward I got was so underwhelming that I went into a fit. This time, I was just grumbling a bit.

    But honestly, do you think the Pathetic God would care about that distinction?

    This petty, spiteful god¡ªwho seems far too wed in character to be called "great"¡ªprobably wouldn¡¯t bother differentiating between small insults and big ones. He likely only thinks of me as the insolent girl who dared to mock him.

    When I think about it, I realize my history with this god isn¡¯t exactly clean. How many different names have I called him?

    I thought about it for a while but quickly stopped. The memories were too painful.

    Ugh. Maybe I was a bit sphemous? Judge! This wasn¡¯t my fault! It was Lucy inside me who kept talking on her own!

    I was about to speak of Armadie¡¯s glory, but Lucy cut in and called him "Pathetic God!" Doesn¡¯t that make sense to you?

    Come on! Let¡¯s be honest, Judge¡ªyou would¡¯ve cursed the Pathetic, Sadomasochistic, Perverted God in the same situation, wouldn¡¯t you?

    [...]

    Is this how a prisoner on death row feels, waiting for their punishment? The waiting is worse than the actual punishment. Ugh, damn it. Just sitting here is useless. I might as well put my armor back on. The others must be waiting for me by now.

    ¡ªDing!

    The moment I reached for the armor lying on my bed, I heard a notification sound.

    It¡¯s just a coincidence, right? You¡¯re not messing with me on purpose, are you? I¡¯m going to believe it was just a coincidence, okay? Even though the message will tell me whether it was a coincidence or not, I¡¯m going to believe it was idental for now.

    The message appeared before me, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look at it. I had a bad feeling about it.

    Could it be another upgrade to the Mesugaki skill? Something that makes my speech even worse? Maybe it forces me to act out things or gets me into fights every time I speak? What if I end up constantly getting challenged to duels because of it?

    And if it¡¯s not that, what could it be? I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t even guess. Maybe because I¡¯m a mere mortal, I can¡¯t fathom the great Pathetic God¡¯s divine schemes.

    Ugh. Whatever. Let¡¯s just get it over with. It¡¯s probably just some form of torment. After all, I¡¯m just the Pathetic God¡¯s amusing toy right now. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d go easy on me.

    Resigned to my fate, I nced at the message, reading only a few words before immediately lowering my head again.

    [...Skill enhancement...]

    F***?! It¡¯s exactly what I feared?! Is the Pathetic God really so unimaginative that his idea of torment aligns perfectly with a mere mortal¡¯s expectations?!

    Wait, no. Calm down. I haven¡¯t checked the full message yet. It might not even be about the Mesugaki skill. Who knows? Maybe the first part isn¡¯t even talking about that.

    Gathering my courage, I cautiously raised my head again to read the entire message. And then I forgot how to blink.

    ["Iron Wall" skill enhancement.]

    [When blocking at the precise moment, iing damage will be reduced.]

    Parry.

    The ability that exists in pretty much every game that emphasizes skill-based mechanics.

    Soul Academy had parrying as well. It was notoriously difficult to time, so only seasoned veterans could use it effectively.

    But for those yers, it was a vital technique. Without mastering it, they couldn¡¯t even hope to survive boss fights without getting wrecked.

    I used to rely on parrying all the time back when this world was just a game. But once this world became reality, parrying, along with other in-game mechanics, had disappeared.

    But now, it¡¯s back as an enhancement to my Iron Wall skill. Technically, it¡¯s a weaker version of parrying, but who cares?

    Parrying is back!

    I couldn¡¯t believe it. I kept reading the words in the message over and over.

    It was like the time I first started ying Soul Academy and found a top-tier item by sheer luck¡ªI just couldn¡¯t stop staring at it in disbelief.

    ¡°Pfft. Puhahaha!¡±

    Laughter bubbled out of me. The kind that came from deep within and made it feel like the word ¡°stop¡± had vanished from existence. I couldn¡¯t help it¡ªIughed for what felt like ages.

    Eventually, I managed to pull myself together and sped my hands together in prayer.

    Oh, noble and great Lord Armadie, thank you. By granting this sinner a gift instead of punishment, you have shown me how merciful and grand you truly are.

    From now on, I¡¯ll offer my thanks to you every night before bed, facing wherever you may reside.

    Kya-hoo! Parry! The parry is back! That sweet, satisfying feeling of perfectly timed defense is back!

    Ahhh, I want to fight. I want to parry!

    Come to think of it, this forest is full of perfect test dummies for my newly enhanced skill, right?

    Heh. Those first-year academy students are going down today, no doubt about it.

    Hehehe. Hehahaha!

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    ¡°So, Lady Alrn did all that just to save me...¡±

    ¡°Do you think Lady Alrn would wear that kind of outfit for no reason?¡±

    After hearing from Joy why Lucy had been dressed as a bunny girl, Faybi could only gape in disbelief before looking down and clenching her hands near her chest.

    Of course. Anyone withmon sense wouldn¡¯t willingly wear something so embarrassing.

    While Lady Alrn might do all sorts of strange things, she always maintains her dignity. Her speech may be harsh, and she may criticize others, but she¡¯s never done anything inappropriate with her actions or appearance.

    If she¡¯s wearing something so shameful, there must have been a reason for it. Yet, all I did was wonder why Lady Alrn would do such a thing. I even let myself think it was vulgar.

    While Lady Alrn endured humiliation to save me from my illusion, what was I doing?@@novelbin@@

    ...I should go apologize.

    Faybi made up her mind, stood up from her chair, and spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see Lady Alrn.¡±

    Thinking about what she would say, Faybi made her way to Lucy¡¯s room.

    She said she was changing her clothes, right? But if she¡¯s putting on armor, it¡¯s awfully quiet. Is she doing something else?

    As Faybi approached the door, ready to knock, she noticed it was slightly ajar. Maybe she¡¯s changing somewhere else?

    Without thinking, Faybi peeked through the crack, only to see Lucy in the middle of a prayer.

    Stripped of her armor, with bare skin exposed between the pieces lying scattered on the floor, Lucy knelt in silent reverence, facing the great god. She looked divine.

    It was like watching one of the religious paintings that hung at the center of the church.

    Who could see her like this and think that Lucy was an arrogant person, constantly looking down on others with that mocking smile?

    Faybi stared at her in awe.

    Is Lady Alrn speaking with Armadie right now? Is she hearing the god¡¯s voice?

    Unlike me, who had to listen to a false voice in a dream, she¡¯s hearing the true voice of Armadie, isn¡¯t she?

    At that moment, Lucy smiled¡ªa genuine, solemn smile, different from her usual smirks.

    Faybi took an unconscious step back before catching herself.

    I can¡¯t run away from this. Faybi, if you turn back now, you¡¯ll only repeat the same mistakes again.

    When you do something wrong, the most important thing is to recognize it and correct it. Don¡¯t retreat. Move forward.

    Taking a deep breath, Faybi raised her hand and knocked gently on the door.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, may Ie in?¡±

    ¡°Ah, the pathetic saint? Give me a moment. You¡¯re good at waiting, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°...Yes.¡±

    My whole life has been a long wait, after all.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Faybi hade to me to apologize and express her gratitude.

    She said she was sorry for falling into the illusion despite my warning, and she thanked me for enduring the humiliation to save her.

    I told her I had simply taken responsibility because I was the one who had involved her in this trial, but she was adamant.

    So, in the end, I just epted her apology. Faybi¡¯s stubbornness made it impossible to refuse.

    After that, we returned to the reception room, where the foolish fox gathered us together.

    ¡°Now, I shall grant you the reward for passing the trial.¡±

    Finally.

    While the foolish fox may be an unbearable pervert, the blessings she bestows are actually quite useful.

    Considering her trial was focused on mental resilience, the reward would likely be rted to that.

    It was simple: a blessing that increases resistance to mental debuffs. In other words, it reduces the chance of falling victim to illusions or mind tricks.

    As you can imagine, this blessing is exactly what I need right now.

    If I ever fall under the influence of the Mesugaki skill¡¯s debuff, it¡¯s game over for me. So, a skill that reduces that risk? Always wee.

    I waited with excitement for my reward, but the foolish fox cleared her throat and added something else.

    ¡°However, little saint who follows the god, you are an exception. You were devoured by the illusion.¡±

    Well, that¡¯s true. Faybi didn¡¯t pass the trial. But considering how unsteady she¡¯s beentely, she probably needs this blessing more than anyone.

    If this were the Faybi from the game, I wouldn¡¯t be worried, but the Faybi standing next to me now is so shaky that I¡¯m constantly afraid she¡¯ll copse.

    Hmm. Is there a way around this?

    ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± Faybi said, nodding as though she agreed with the fox¡¯s reasoning.

    Seeing her eptance, I racked my brain for a solution.

    If I think about it, the foolish fox is both an airhead and a masochist. So, if I insult her sincerely, won¡¯t she be happy?

    Since I¡¯ve alreadypleted Armadie¡¯s quest, there¡¯s no need to hold back anymore, right? And if pushes to shove, I could always kick her ass while wearing the bunny girl outfit.

    Alright, I¡¯ll take this opportunity to get some revenge for all the humiliation and give her a good verbalshing.

    ¡°You pervy fox? Why are you being so stingy?? Ahaha? Are you spouting nonsense because you want to be insulted?? Pervert? Just looking at you makes me sick?¡±

    ¡°Beautiful child, that is not the reason for this part¡ª¡±

    ¡°Liar? You filthy masochistic pervert? Tell the truth? You want to be stepped on by me? Foxes are part of the dog family, right?? Woof woof, you pathetic dog?¡±

    The foolish fox blushed, her lips trembling in response to my taunting. Hmm. No matter how serious of a masochist she is, it seems even she can¡¯t handle the full power of the Mesugaki skill¡¯s provocations.

    I was about to consider whether I should go back to wearing the bunny girl outfit to clean up this mess when, all of a sudden, the foolish fox dropped to her knees.

    ¡°Woof! Woof woof!¡±

    She then proceeded to crawl around on all fours, barking like a dog.

    Sigh. This is the ruler of the forest?

    ...

    I really hate her.

 Chapter 134

    Watching the pathetic fox rub her face against my leg was one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life.

    There¡¯s a saying that entricities can be charming, but if they cross a line, they be disgusting. Anyone who saw that pitiful fox rubbing her face against my leg would feel the same. At least my party members did.

    Joy stood frozen in disbelief at the sight, and even Faybi closed her eyes and began praying the moment she witnessed the fox''s antics.

    While everyone else was shocked, Frey was the only one who remained calm. Being someone who could match the fox in insanity, she crouched in front of the fox and reached out to pat her chin.

    ¡°Good girl, good girl.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Get away from me! I want to be treated like a dog by someone truly beautiful, not by someone who¡¯s just moderately pretty like you!¡±

    The fox might be a pervert, but she had her principles.

    She pped Frey¡¯s hand away and crawled over to me, whining as if begging to be stepped on.

    The whole thing was so disgusting that I didn¡¯t want to touch her, even with a finger. But if this was the only way to give Faybi her blessing, then I guess it was worth it.

    I just had to sacrifice my dignity. It was fine. This was still better than wearing the bunny girl outfit, right? I clenched my teeth and ced my foot on the fox¡¯s head.

    ¡°Excuse me, little one, but could you take off your armor and step on me with your bare foot instead?¡±

    ¡°Shut up? You pathetic pervert fox? How dare a dog like you talk back to your master?? Just wag your tail and be satisfied with what I give you?¡±

    I pressed her head harder with the cold metal of my armor, and the fox obediently barked and wagged her tail, clearly enjoying it.

    ¡­I¡¯m definitely cleaning this armorter. Especially the part that touched her.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Alrn. Because of me¡­¡±

    ¡®Please don¡¯t say anything.¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic saint? Be quiet. I have no interest in hearing theints of someone so ipetent.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Stop reminding me of what just happened! I¡¯m trying my hardest to forget, but you keep bringing it up!

    If I endured that humiliation to give you a skill, just take it, say thank you, and keep your mouth shut!

    After being stomped on and insulted for quite some time, the fox finally got up with a flushed face and dered that she would grant everyone¡ªincluding Faybi¡ªa blessing.

    She looked like someone who had just returned from a drug trip, drooling and eyes zed, devoid of any dignity. Still, she gave us the rewards.

    The system message confirmed that we had gained a new skill, so at least that part was done right.

    After that, the fox tried to convince us to stay a bit longer, but we all worked together to firmly reject her offer.

    Everyone understood that nothing good coulde from sticking around with that perverted fox.

    We escaped her mansion and returned to the forest where the field trip was still ongoing.

    It seemed we had spent quite a bit of time with the fox. The moon now hung high in the sky, sharing its light with the stars.

    The field trip had started around noon, so by now, the first-year students from the academy were probably exhausted and resting.

    I¡¯m sure they¡¯re all having fun. Other than the fact that there are monsters in the forest, it¡¯s essentially a camping trip with their closest friends.

    By now, they¡¯re probably patting each other on the back, saying, ¡°You did great today!¡± while praising each other¡¯s achievements.

    Sure, they¡¯ll be on guard for monster ambushes as they¡¯ve been taught in ss, but do you really think those overexcited little kids will have proper defenses up? I bet there¡¯ll be plenty of holes in their security.

    This is the perfect time to teach those first-year academy students a harsh lesson about reality.

    I feel bad for them, but I¡¯m stressed out to the max because of that stupid fox. I need somewhere to release all this tension.

    ¡®Everyone...¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic fools, it¡¯s time to do what I first mentioned. Surely none of you have forgotten, right?¡±

    Let¡¯s begin the hunt.

    I¡¯m going to take out all this pent-up frustration on some innocent students.

    <ul>

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    </ul>

    Arthur poked the campfire with the tip of a stick, ncing around at the cheerful faces of hispanions.

    ¡°Matthew, you really live up to the reputation of someone being noticed by the Holy Church. The timing of your holy magic was impable.¡±

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s all thanks to Vigo holding the front line so well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, no, I couldn¡¯t have done it without you. He¡¯s the real¡­¡±

    Arthur¡¯s party had had an extremely sessful day. While each member was talented in their own right, it wasrgely thanks to Arthur¡¯s leadership that they achieved such great results.

    As soon as Arthur had learned that this academy field trip would take ce in the Sytil Forest, he began preparing thoroughly.

    To beat Lucy Alrn. To finally surpass her.

    He studied the geography of the forest, learned which monsters lived there, how to hunt them, and even how to attract more monsters. He gathered various items to ensure his ns were executed wlessly.

    Thanks to all this preparation, Arthur¡¯s group had managed to kill fifty monsters on the first day alone. Without Arthur¡¯s meticulous nning, such a feat would have been impossible.@@novelbin@@

    The process had been grueling and exhausting, but the rewards made it worth the effort. The atmosphere in the group was bright and lively.

    As Arthur watched his party membersughing and chatting, he began to n for tomorrow.

    In his mind, this field trip was designed to benefit whoever took the lead early on.

    Since there was a limited number of monsters in the forest, those who hunted the most early on would leave the rest of the students with nothing to hunt, making it impossible for them to catch up.

    No matter how skilled Lucy Alrn was, if there were no monsters left for her to hunt, she wouldn¡¯t be able to score well.

    That¡¯s why this field trip was the perfect opportunity for Arthur to finally defeat Lucy. Here, strategy mattered more than individual skill.

    By continuing the aggressive pace and securing all the monsters in the forest, he would guarantee victory.

    His team mightin, but once they saw the overwhelming results and got some well-deserved rest afterward, they would understand.

    Yes. This time, I¡¯ll defeat Lucy Alrn. I¡¯ll engrave the taste of defeat on her arrogant face.

    As Arthur clenched his fists with determination, he heard the snap of a branch from the bushes beyond.

    What? Is it a monster?

    ¡°Everyone, get up!¡±

    Having grown ustomed to Arthur¡¯smands throughout the day, his team immediately snapped intobat mode without hesitation.

    ¡°Well, well, looks like it¡¯s Prince Pathetic¡¯s party. I thought I smelled the stench of losers.¡±

    Arthur let out a dry chuckle as he recognized the infuriating voice that came from the shadows.

    Lucy Alrn. In some ways, she¡¯s worse than a monster.

    ¡°Hello, Prince Pathetic.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Nice to see you, Lucy Alrn.¡±

    Arthur lowered the sword he had raised as Lucy, dressed in her armor, emerged from the bushes.

    Lucy Alrn, Joy, Frey Kent, and even the Saint herself.

    This is absurd. It¡¯s basically the best team you could put together from the current first-year academy students.

    There¡¯s no way we could beat them. Even if I added Jaqal to the mix, a direct confrontation would be impossible.

    It¡¯s hopeless. We¡¯d need professional knights just to stand a chance against them.

    ¡°What are you doing wandering the forest at thiste hour? It¡¯s dangerous out here at night.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯tpare my party to your pathetic excuse of a group, Prince Pathetic. It¡¯s insulting.¡±

    Is she continuing the hunt even at night, relying on the sheer power of her team? Well, of course, Lucy Alrn could pull something like that off.

    She¡¯s always leading her party on forced marches to practice their endurance.

    With her constant training, Frey Kent and Joy would¡¯ve built up significant stamina by now. Staying up all night wouldn¡¯t be a problem for them.

    Even the Saint seems to be holding up well, showing little sign of fatigue.

    Arthur had hoped to keep up such a grueling pace himself, but that was impossible for his team.

    Unlike Lucy¡¯s party, which was used to her intense routines, Arthur¡¯s team had clear limits.

    Even with all the preparation I¡¯ve done, I can¡¯t be sure of victory now. There¡¯s just too much difference in the overall hunting time.

    Damn it. I should¡¯ve prepared my team in advance, even before this event.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be taking a rest now. You should move on.¡±

    Feeling his shorings acutely, Arthur urged Lucy to move on, but she didn¡¯t budge.

    What now? Does she have something more to say?

    ¡°Dull-witted noblewoman.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    At Lucy¡¯s call, Joy cast the spell she had prepared earlier.

    A st of ice magic shot directly at the campfire, snuffing out the only source of light in the dark forest.

    What the¡ª?!

    ¡°Guh?!¡±

    As Arthur struggled toprehend what was happening, a heavy blow struck his abdomen, knocking him to the ground.

    The surprise attack left him with no chance to react. All he could do was w at the dirt as he tried to pull himself up.

    While Arthur fought to regain his footing, he could hear the sounds of chaos erupting in the darkness.

    The sounds of people grappling.

    The screams of men.

    One by one, the thuds of bodies copsing to the ground.

    When the dust settled, and only the groans of defeated men remained, light finally returned to the forest.

    It was only then that Arthur, still struggling, managed to lift his head. He saw hispanions writhing on the ground in pain.

    ¡°Lucy Alrn! What are you doing?! Attacking fellow students?!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I just reminded these pathetic fools of their ce.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it?! How can you say that?!¡±

    ¡°Look around. Do you see any of the academy¡¯s professors stepping in?¡±

    Arthur froze, realizing what she meant.

    Even though the professors were hidden, they should have been patrolling the forest to ensure the students¡¯ safety.

    So why hadn¡¯t they intervened during thismotion? Could they not have noticed?

    Impossible. Look at who¡¯s here.

    A prince. A saint.

    The daughter of a duke, and the daughter of a count.

    Not a single one of them is unimportant.

    There¡¯s no way they would have cked off in monitoring us. Especially after all the issues we¡¯ve had this year.

    So, this means¡­

    ¡°The academy is allowing this to happen?¡±

    ¡°Are you stupid, Prince Pathetic? It¡¯s not that they¡¯re allowing it. This is what the field trip is all about.¡±

    Lucy Alrn spoke as she kicked Arthur¡¯s sword out of his hand, sending it flying.

    This is what it¡¯s all about?

    The academy is encouraging fights between students?

    Looking back, it all makes sense.

    There were no rules against attacking other students.

    The limited number of monsters in the forest.

    The rewards for collecting arge number of trophies.

    I see! That¡¯s what this was all about!

    ¡°You may be stupid and pathetic, Prince, but you¡¯re not entirely slow on the uptake.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to steal our trophies.¡±

    ¡°Steal? No. This is tuition. You should be grateful that I¡¯m educating you. Don¡¯t make me out to be the viin here. The real viin is you, Prince, for being such an idiot.¡±

    As Arthur looked at Lucy¡¯s smug, mocking grin, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitterugh.

    His blood was boiling.

    ¡°Now, hand over your trophies. I¡¯ll leave you with just enough to meet the minimum requirements.¡±

    As much as it enraged him, Arthur knew he had no other choice. If Lucy wanted, she could easily wipe out his entire party.

    With trembling hands, Arthur had no choice but to hand over the hard-earned trophies he had spent all day collecting.

    ¡°I will get my revenge, Lucy Alrn.¡±

    ¡°Pffft. You? Revenge? Go ahead and try. But you¡¯ll never get past writhing at my feet.¡±

 Chapter 135

    Most of the academy students were, as I expected, in a loose, careless state. They didn¡¯t seem to think that they would be ambushed by other students, and as a result, they allowed it far too easily.

    Of course, there were some who were wary of the risk of raids. These were the students who had upperssman friends who had tipped them off ahead of time, or those who had failed to advance to the second year and remained as first years.

    Unlike the others, they kept a sharp eye on me, aware of the possibility of a surprise attack.

    In this process, Faybi was the most useful. As the saintess of the Church of the Lord, she had an impable reputation among the students. No one could stay tense in the face of her smile.

    There was no way anyone thought the saintess herself would be raiding them. So, when we told them we were merely passing through, they believed us far too easily and let us approach.

    If it weren¡¯t for Faybi, we¡¯d be in a lot of trouble. Even though my reputation has improved somewhat, it''s still crawling in the gutter.

    Without the saintess title offsetting it, it would¡¯ve been impossible to carry out this easy massacre.

    ¡°These guys¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow. These weaklings sure have a lot of loot for being so pathetic.¡±

    ¡°No! You can¡¯t take that!¡±

    ¡°Even up to your quota¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow. You really want to give me everything down to thest bit, huh?¡±

    ¡°Grr¡­¡±

    Maybe because this party included some students who had only enrolledst year, they had amassed quite a bit of loot.

    It was quite the feast, perhaps because they had some experience with field trips. Though, it still couldn¡¯tpare to Arthur¡¯s party.

    Arthur really is quite capable. How did a first-year manage to gather almost a hundred pieces of loot in a single day?

    Well, all the hard-earned spoils that Prince Ant worked so hard to collect are now in the hands of the Mesugaki faction.

    That¡¯s why you should have been more careful about who you invested in.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had no choice.¡±

    Faybi was sping her hands together as she looked down at the ones lying on the ground, groaning.

    I¡¯d convinced her that this was all for the sake of the other students¡¯ growth, but it still seemed to weigh on her.

    But you know, Faybi, even though you¡¯re genuinely sorry, the way you¡¯re saying it probably sounds like teabagging to them.

    If the person who set up the trap says something like that, wouldn¡¯t it be infuriating?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Saintess. We understand.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not your fault, Saintess.¡±

    Judging by their reactions, it seems they don¡¯t feel that way at all.

    <It¡¯s the difference in how you behave normally.>

    ¡®Grandpa, stop hitting me with facts.¡¯

    I understand why they¡¯re reacting like this. Faybi¡¯s usual image is too good, and mine is too bad.

    If Faybi had done this alone, they would have been wondering, <em>Why would the saintess do this?</em> But with me standing beside her, they¡¯re probably thinking, <em>That bad woman must have threatened the saintess into doing this!</em>

    It¡¯s unfair.

    Sure, I did ask her to do it, but I didn¡¯t threaten her! I just persuaded her slowly!

    And maybe I did say something like, <em>I went through this humiliation because of you, and you won¡¯t even do one thing for me?</em>

    Ahem. Well, anyway, it¡¯s unfair! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!

    <Oh, Armadis, why did you choose this child as your apostle?>

    ¡®Please, if you ever get an answer, let me know.¡¯

    I¡¯m curious too. Was there a reason, or was Armadis just ying around with the Mesugaki as a toy?

    ¡°Faybi¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, weak Saintess. There¡¯s no time to waste. There are still plenty of weaklings to rob.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Let me just heal these people.¡±

    Because of Faybi¡¯sst remark, the stares directed at both of us became even more pronounced.

    Even though I was the one who gave permission for her to heal them.

    Yeah, I get it. You all think of me as the viin, don¡¯t you?

    Fine. Then let me show you what a real viin is.

    It¡¯s only been one day since this field trip started. You still have three more days to spend in this forest with me.

    Look forward to it. I¡¯ll make sure you learn just how hard and grueling things are going to get.

    <Didn¡¯t you once say you wanted to improve your reputation?>

    ¡®I gave up on that a long time ago.¡¯

    <ul>

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    </ul>

    Bish, who had been keeping watch over the campfire with open eyes, eventually sumbed to exhaustion and started to doze off.

    She had been so enthusiastic while roaming around the forest today. Adrie, who was floating in midair, smiled as she watched Bish drool in her sleep, lost in pleasant dreams.

    It¡¯s nice to be able to wander around with Bish.

    Not long ago, Adrie had been freed from her curse of being a dungeon boss by the apostle of the evil god.

    Adrie, who had been bound to the dungeon as a spirit, could resist the restrictions of being trapped in one ce due to her immense power.

    However, since her essence was still that of a bound spirit, she still needed a ce to stay, one that held a connection to her.

    Fortunately, Adrie had a person who shared such a bond with her: Bish. The kind person who considered her a friend, even though she was a spirit.

    Thanks to Bish, Adrie was able to escape the long, lonely istion and see the world again.

    After being confined to that old, dpidated mansion for so long, the world she encountered was breathtakingly beautiful.

    Buildings, forests, roads, skies, and people¡ªall of it.

    Though now she looks at Bish like an innocent younger sibling, Adrie herself had been just as overwhelmed when she first entered the forest.

    She had been so excited that she forgot to maintain her usual bright, girlish facade and made a fuss.

    Luckily, her behavior fit the role she was pretending to y. Otherwise, Bish might have been suspicious.

    While gazing at the stars in the night sky, Adrie was savoring the beauty of the outside world when she sensed something approaching from afar and straightened up.

    This energy¡­ It¡¯s that arrogant brat. Judging by the fact that she¡¯s walking straight toward us, she must being to see Bish?

    No, she doesn¡¯t care that much for Bish. She probably just sees her as a convenient tool. There¡¯s no way she¡¯de all the way here at thiste hour to visit her.

    There must be another motive.

    Adrie recalled the events of earlier in the day, when Bish¡¯s party had encountered another group.

    As soon as they met Bish¡¯s party, instead of greeting them, the other group hadunched an attack.

    When Bish¡¯s party asked why, all they got in response was, <em>This is a field trip.</em>

    The only reason Bish¡¯s party had won that battle was because Adrie had subtly helped her. If not for that, they would have been easily overpowered.

    Afterward, they learned what had happened.

    ¡°We were raidedst night.¡±

    That was the exnation they received.

    Apparently, Lucy Alrn¡¯s party had raided several groups the previous night.

    Since then, parties that realized the true nature of this field trip had begun ambushing others, spreading chaos throughout the forest.

    ¡°There are only two kinds of people in this forest now: those who get raided and those who raid.¡±

    The group that had attacked Bish¡¯s party begged them to leave behind just enough to meet their quota after telling them everything.

    The purpose of the chaos engulfing the forest was clear: looting.

    Should I wake Bish? Adrie pondered for a moment before shaking her head as she looked at Bish, who was now fast asleep against a log.

    That arrogant brat is someone I can talk to. I¡¯ll send her away with words. There¡¯s no need to wake up someone sleeping so soundly.

    Floating into the air, Adrie moved in the direction of Lucy.

    Sensing Adrie approaching, Lucy stood alone in the middle of the forest, separated from her party members.

    ¡°Lonely old hag? What brings you here? Shouldn¡¯t you be rotting away in some musty corner like the spirit you are?¡±

    ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m neither old nor lonely, how many times do I have to tell you that, you brat!¡±

    The moment Lucy saw her, she immediately started provoking her. Oh, for goodness¡¯ sake. If it weren¡¯t for the favors I owe her, I would¡¯ve crushed her by now!

    ¡°Just answer me, hag. Even if you¡¯re senile, you can still talk, right? Or do you need me to fetch your dentures?¡±

    ¡ª ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Adrie, taking another verbal hit with each word, quickly decided to get to the point and tell her to leave.

    ¡ª ¡°The group up ahead is Bish¡¯s party. Don¡¯t touch them.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡ª ¡°Aren¡¯t you acquainted with Bish?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know the little side character. So what? This is a field trip. If they didn¡¯t want to get attacked, they should¡¯ve been stronger. Have you been holed up for so long that you¡¯ve lost your sense of reason, you lonely old hag?¡±

    This girl¡¯s got no mercy. She doesn¡¯t care if it¡¯s someone she knows or not, huh? She¡¯ll do whatever needs to be done?

    Adrie, watching Lucy¡¯s unshaken attitude, let out a sigh of frustration.

    ¡ª ¡°If you keep this up, I¡¯ll get involved.¡±

    Adrie¡¯s words carried a warning, though she wasn¡¯t sure if it would work.

    After all, the person she was dealing with was Lucy Alrn.

    She was a monster who had toyed with Adrie, even when she was at the peak of her power as a dungeon boss. Even if Adrie were to go all out, defeating her would be a near-impossible task.@@novelbin@@

    While she could hurt Lucy¡¯s party members, taking down Lucy Alrn herself would be a grueling challenge.

    Despite her inner tension, Adrie was surprised when Lucy stepped back more easily than expected.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let it slide this time since the lonely old hag is trembling so pitifully.¡±

    ¡ª ¡°I¡¯m not trembling, dammit!¡±

    Even as she left, Lucy threw a mockingugh over her shoulder. After she was gone, Adrie returned to where Bish was.

    There, she saw Bish sprawled on the ground, snoring away.

    Adrie, watching this scene, couldn¡¯t help butugh, feeling as if all her earlier frustrations had vanished.

    Bish, you should be grateful you have a friend like me, you know that?

    <ul>

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    </ul>

    ¡°What a mess.¡±

    On the night of the second day of the field trip, Anton, the professor ofbat studies,mented openly in a meeting with the other academy professors.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it going ording to n?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the pace is too fast. At this rate, there¡¯ll be nothing left but distrust between the students by the end of the trip.¡±

    It was true that the professors had intentionally sown discord. The purpose of this field trip was for the students to gain experience through constant realbat situations.

    However, things had escted far beyond what the professors had intended.

    Now, students were acting like beasts, attacking each other for loot whenever their parties met. This was not what the academy had envisioned.

    ¡°It all started with Lady Alrn¡¯s impressive performance.¡±

    The origin of this chaos was Lucy Alrn¡¯s raid.

    She had struck the students when they were at their most careless on the first night, ambushing countless parties. On top of that, she had even taught the victims how to raid weaker parties in retaliation.

    Those who had been raided by Lucy had attacked other parties, who in turn attacked even more, leading to a vicious cycle.

    ¡°That youngdy is certainlypetent.¡±

    ¡°Professor Karl, now is not the time¡­ No, never mind.¡±

    Many of the professors sighed at Karl¡¯s casual praise of Lucy.

    Those who had worked with Karl long enough knew just how highly he regarded his young mistress, Lucy, and that no matter what they said, he would just let it go in one ear and out the other.

    ¡°We need to discuss how to handle this situation. Things have gotten out of control.¡±

    There were still two days left of the field trip. If this pattern continued, it wouldn¡¯t end well.

    As Anton¡¯s words found agreement among the professors, Professor Luca raised his hand.

    ¡°Professor Luca, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Is it really necessary for us to intervene? From what I¡¯ve seen, the students seem to be uniting on their own.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Anton blinked in confusion as Luca smiled.

    ¡°There is amon enemy, after all.¡±

 Chapter 136

    "Ah, damn. Footsteps again."

    "Let''s stay on guard and assess the situation."

    Jacob swallowed nervously as he heard the sound of footsteps from a distance.

    It was the morning of the third day since the field trip began, and this forest had turned into hell.

    The academy students, in order to avoid failing, were attacking other parties, and those who were attacked retaliated by attacking weaker groups to maintain their grades.

    In this hellish environment, where one could experience survival of the fittest firsthand, Jacob''s party was ying the role of the weak.

    That made sense, as Jacob''s party wasn¡¯t put together with such considerations in mind.

    They hadn¡¯t intended to aim for high grades in this field trip.

    They were a group of old friends who had gathered with the simple goal of collecting enough loot to avoid failing, nning to spend the rest of their time leisurely camping in the forest.

    As a result, their party wasn¡¯t strong. If they entered the academy¡¯s dungeon, they¡¯d struggle and likely lose to the boss on the 10th floor.

    Thanks to that, from the first night when Lucy Alrn began her raiding spree, they had consistently been prey for other parties.

    They had risked their lives to painstakingly collect loot, only to have it taken away.

    They shed tears of blood as they fought monsters to collect more loot, only to be raided by yet another party and lose it all again.

    In the midst of numerous hardships, they managed to gather loot piece by piece, only to be attacked by another group.

    For Jacob¡¯s party, this field trip was no longer a learning experience. It was pure torment¡ªpunishment for the grave sin of being weak.

    This wasn¡¯t the field trip Jacob had envisioned.

    He had dreamed of hunting monsters with his friends, gathering around a campfire under the starry skyte at night, enjoying its warmth as they chatted.

    How did what should have been a fun field trip turn into this? Jacob clenched his teeth as he listened to the approaching footsteps.

    We won¡¯t just sit back and let them take from us anymore. I¡¯ve been through enough hardship. This time, I¡¯ll strike back properly.

    Yes, this time, we¡¯ll be the ones taking! With that resolve, Jacob gripped his sword tightly, but as soon as he saw the face of the person emerging from the bushes, his determination vanished.

    "Good to see you."

    Arthur Sdin. The third prince of the Sdin Kingdom and one of the top ten most powerful individuals at Soul Academy.

    The people behind him were equally capable, strong enough to be members of Arthur''s party.

    No matter how much Jacob¡¯s party struggled, they had no chance of winning against them.

    Damn it, of all people! Jacob bit his lip when he saw them. There was no point in resisting. They¡¯d be crushed by the overwhelming power in front of them.

    Instead, it was better to plead for mercy. Since they had nothing to offer, they could at least beg not to be stripped of what little they had.

    "Ah, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re not here to take your loot."

    "...Really?"

    "Of course. If we were here to steal, do you think we''d be having this conversation?"

    Arthur¡¯s words made sense. If he intended to raid them, there wouldn¡¯t be any need for this conversation. A singlemand from him, and Jacob¡¯s party would be on their knees.

    "Then why are you here?"

    "I¡¯m nning something. And for that, I need the students of this academy to unite."

    "What? What do you mean?"

    "Do you think it¡¯s right for the one responsible for turning this field trip into a disaster to be walking around with a smile on their face?"

    The one responsible for the chaos. There was no need to ask who he was referring to. Everyone in the forest knew the name.

    Lucy Alrn.

    The most powerful individual on the continent.

    The most knowledgeable person at the academy.

    A genius breaking records at Soul Academy.

    The very person who had saved Jacob¡¯s life during the entrance exam.@@novelbin@@

    "I n to make her understand the original sin shemitted. Ideally, I¡¯d like to take her down with just my party, but Lucy Alrn is too strong for that."

    "So, you n to unite all of the academy¡¯s students to attack her together?"

    "Exactly. I don¡¯t want to leave even the smallest variable in her favor."

    Arthur¡¯s words were filled with determination. It was clear how much thought he had put into this.

    "And of course, those who participate in this will be fairlypensated. We¡¯ll divide Lucy Alrn¡¯s loot equally among everyone."

    Fair distribution of Lucy Alrn¡¯s loot.

    Since the first night, Lucy had raided countless parties, amassing a great deal of loot. No one knew exactly how much she had, but it had to be substantial.

    If they could take it from her and share it equally, Jacob¡¯s party might be able to avoid failing the field trip.

    "Is that really true?"

    One of Jacob¡¯s friends, thinking along the same lines, spoke up, and Arthur nodded.

    "I swear on my honor as a prince."

    The promise made by the prince of a kingdom carried a weight that could not be taken lightly.

    As Jacob¡¯s party members began to murmur with newfound hope, Jacob, who had brought the group together, stepped forward.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Prince Arthur."

    "Are you saying you refuse my offer?"

    "Yes. Lady Alrn saved my life. I cannot betray her."

    Lucy had probably long forgotten Jacob even existed. To a star like her, writing new history, someone like Jacob was insignificant.

    But even so, a creature of the earth could not forget a star in the sky. Arthur watched Jacob bow his head in silence, then let out a smallugh.

    "Don¡¯t you want to ask what your friends think?"

    "Ah, well..."

    "No, Your Highness. We agree with Jacob."

    "How could we attack someone who saved our friend¡¯s life?"

    Before Jacob could respond, his friends spoke up from behind him. They all shared the same sentiment as Jacob.

    "She mighte to see you as her enemy."

    "We¡¯ve got nothing left to lose anyway! If she wants to take dust from our empty pockets, she¡¯s wee to it!"

    Jacob¡¯s normally talkative friend, his voice trembling, made the remark, causing Arthur to burst intoughter.

    As the rest of the group remained silent, Arthur chuckled for a long time before clearing his throat and speaking with a soft smile.

    "Very well. I¡¯ll respect your decision. But don¡¯t interfere. If you do, I¡¯ll have no choice but to treat you as enemies."

    With that final remark, Arthur left, and Jacob¡¯s legs gave out beneath him as he copsed to the ground.

    That was terrifying. Is that what it means to have the blood of a king? I thought I was going to be devoured.

    "You idiot! Why¡¯d you say something like that without discussing it first?!"

    "I thought we were going to die, you moron!"

    "Screw you! You go hunt monsters by yourself and gather the loot, you piece of trash!"

    But Jacob didn¡¯t have time to reflect on what had just happened. His friends¡¯ affectionate hands and feet began to pummel him before he could think any further.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Maybe it was because I¡¯d raided too aggressively for the past two days, but the other students at the academy had be far more cautious.

    Even when Faybi stepped forward, they didn¡¯t rx. Instead, they were quick to point their weapons at us.

    Not that it made any difference. It¡¯s not like ring harder is going to stop my party.

    After Faybi¡¯s buffs, Joy would cast the first spell, creating confusion. Then I¡¯d break through and draw their aggro, allowing Frey and me to take them out one by one.

    Even if they all teamed up, they couldn¡¯tnd a scratch on me, those weaklings.

    After looting yet another party, I stowed their offerings in my inventory and checked the spoils I¡¯d collected so far.

    Wow. I really have gathered a lot. Even in terms of a game, this is quite a haul.

    Maybe it¡¯s because I worked so hard for it, but it feels really satisfying. With this, I¡¯m pretty much guaranteed first ce for the field trip.

    As I smiled contentedly at the sight, I heard the sound of rustling in the bushes, but I didn¡¯t bother turning my head. I already knew who it was.

    "Miss Lina? What brings you here?"

    "There¡¯s only one reason I woulde to this ce, wouldn¡¯t you agree?"

    "Ah..."

    As soon as the dumb fox raised her voice, Joy gave me a look of pity.

    Even Faybi, who usually gave me wary nces when we were raiding, now had a sympathetic expression as she looked at me.

    You really are impressive, dumb fox. You¡¯re so gross that you¡¯re making everyone feel sorry for me.

    I didn¡¯t bother hiding my disgust as I looked down at the fox, whose tail was wagging wildly.

    "I like that look. Could you re at me a bit more?"

    ¡®Die.¡¯

    "Why are you still alive? Disgusting. Die. Go kill yourself."

    "Mmm, how delicious. I¡¯d love to savor more, but I have something to tell you, so I¡¯ll stop for now."

    The dumb fox said that and reverted to her human form.

    The fox, who was unusually tall for a woman, stood in front of me, who was practically a child inparison. As she took on her human shape, I naturally had to look up at her.

    Just seeing her look down at me with those filthy eyes made me angry. For some reason, whenever I¡¯m with her, my tolerance for anger seems to drop.

    "Aren''t you supposed to be crawling on all fours, like the livestock you are? Why are you pretending to be human? Sit down, you disgusting perverted fox."

    "Wooof!"

    Just watching the dumb fox bark like a dog without me even having tomand her¡­ it wasn¡¯t calming me down at all.

    Ah, damn. The longer I¡¯m around this pervert, the more I feel like I¡¯m bing tainted too.

    "So, what is it you wanted to say?"

    "Wooof!"

    "Are you the master of this forest or just an idiot who can¡¯t even grasp the situation? Pathetic. You''re a lowly perverted mutt who can¡¯t do anything but act like a freak."

    The dumb fox panted and wagged her tail happily at my words, but when she caught the stern gazes of Joy and Faybi, she coughed awkwardly and began to speak.

    Of course, she was still on all fours as she did.

    "It seems that the academy¡¯s students are nning to unite and attack you."

    ¡®Centered around Arthur, I presume?¡¯

    "Yes, that pitiful little prince is at the center of it all."

    "You already knew?"

    Of course, I knew. I¡¯ve caused enough chaos in this forest that it¡¯s only natural for hatred to be directed my way.

    My reputation is already in the gutter, so it¡¯s no surprise that I¡¯d be themon enemy.

    "I could hide you and your party in my mansion, if you''d like."

    ¡®I don¡¯t need it.¡¯

    "Hide in the house of livestock? No thanks. I don¡¯t want to reek of animal stench."

    Why would I need to hide? The loot is practically walking right up to me, begging to be taken.

    "Do you have a n?"

    ¡®Of course I do.¡¯

    "Of course."

 Chapter 137

    On the evening of the third day of the field trip, more than half of the first-year students from the academy were gathered in a corner of the forest.

    The reasons they had gathered there differed, but their purpose was the same: to take down Lucy Alrn.

    "We will make Lucy Alrn pay for turning this field trip into chaos."

    "Woooooo!"

    As Arthur finished his speech, the gathered students shouted out in unison.

    What filled their eyes was hatred, resentment, and determination.

    Arthur smirked to himself amidst the cheers. If you think about it, Lucy Alrn hadn¡¯t actually done anything wrong.

    Raiding during the field trip was something the academy¡¯s professors had allowed. Lucy had simply acted within the rules they had set.

    If anyone was to me for the mess this forest had be, it should be the professors who created these rules.

    If Lucy Alrn had any sin, it was that she fired the first shot far too spectacrly.

    Arthur knew the truth but didn¡¯t point it out. If Lucy hadn¡¯t made so many enemies, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to rally the students like this.

    Sure, Lucy Alrn was an extraordinary talent when it came to physical strength and intelligence, but she was quitecking when it came to political strategy.

    If she had been more cunning, Arthur wouldn¡¯t have even dreamed of getting his revenge like this.

    After finishing his speech, Arthur returned to where the leaders of the various parties had gathered.

    The people there were quite significant. Each one was considered the bright future of their respective kingdoms.

    Even being admitted to the academy was enough to be considered an elite, and these were the students who stood out even among those elites. No one here was ipetent.@@novelbin@@

    "So, what¡¯s the exact n?"

    The first to speak was Merrill of the Baines County.

    Though she was rtively less knownpared to Lucy Alrn and Frey Kent, Merrill was definitely among the top in terms of strength within the first-year students. Her eyes were burning with passion as she looked at Arthur.

    I heard she had some bad blood with Lucy Alrn. She¡¯s probably hoping to use this opportunity to get revenge. I just hope her personal feelings don¡¯t make her act recklessly.

    "Merrill Baines, you¡¯re taking the monster hunting ss, right?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s correct."

    Monster hunting was a ss that taught students about the various monsters that had existed throughout human history and how to hunt them.

    It was almost a mandatory course for the children of noble families, who would have to take onmanding roles.

    "In that ss, don¡¯t they show examples of groups hunting a single monster?"

    "A war of attrition, you mean?"

    "Exactly. I n to apply what we learned in that ss here."

    In that ss, they even taught how to hunt monsters that took human form.

    The most textbook method was this: several parties would form an alliance and slowly wear down the target through repeated attacks.

    Monsters in human form were small in size, so unlike when fighting giants or dragons, you couldn¡¯t just overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

    Thus, the most effective strategy was to gather a small, elite force and have them take turnsunching attacks in a war of attrition.

    Arthur, who had one of the highest grades in the monster hunting ss, second only to Lucy, had memorized that method perfectly.

    "What do you n to do about Lucy¡¯s party members?"

    Jacal Burrow, who hade running at the mention of taking down Lucy Alrn, asked with a smile.

    "I told you, I¡¯m going to apply what we learned in monster hunting ss. There are a lot of people gathered here, but we don¡¯t need all of them just to take down Lucy Alrn. We¡¯ll divide them into four groups."

    There¡¯s no reason to take on her whole party at once. They¡¯re stronger as a group of four than they are individually.

    "With a grand ambush, we¡¯ll split them up and take them down one by one."

    If we rank the danger levels of her party members, the most dangerous is Lucy, followed by Frey. Thenes Joy and Faybi.

    Lucy and Frey are strong enough to hold their own, even surrounded by dozens of people, but the same can¡¯t be said for Joy and Faybi.

    So we¡¯ll assign people to hold off Lucy and Frey while the elite members of the group focus on taking down Joy and Faybi first.

    After that, we¡¯ll overpower Frey and finally gather everyone together to hunt down Lucy Alrn.

    After Arthur finished exining his n, murmurs spread among the gathered students.

    It was, without a doubt, a sound n. When it came to hunting exceptional individuals, there probably wasn¡¯t a better strategy. But there was still a crucial issue.

    "Do you really think the academy students can move in such an organized way?"

    One of the students raised their hand and asked the question. It was a perfectly reasonable concern.

    The academy students, though undoubtedly skilled, were not trained soldiers.

    Most of them still hadn¡¯t fully adapted to working in sync with their four-person parties. How could a hundred people move in unison?

    The answer was obvious.

    "Of course not."

    If it were possible, why would territories bother gathering soldiers and knights for training? They could just mobilize peasants to handle things when needed.

    "But that doesn¡¯t matter. Most of them only need to stall for time."

    If this were a discussion about hunting a dangerous monster, Arthur¡¯s statement might have sparked outrage.

    After all, he was essentially telling them to throw themselves into a fight just to buy time.

    But this wasn¡¯t such a dangerous situation. It was part of the field trip.

    "All that matters is that the elite members of the group move in sync for the individual takedowns."

    With that, Arthur confidently wrapped up his exnation and began outlining the details of the n.

    "Lady Alrn, are you sure about this?"

    Joy mumbled nervously as she watched the sunrise, clearly worried about the impending ambush.

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¯

    "Clueless Joy, what¡¯s there to worry about? It¡¯s not like those pathetic weaklings could actually beat me, is it?"

    "But still, there are nearly a hundred peopleing after you..."

    Last night, after the dumb fox had warned us about the impending ambush, I had been preparing for the academy raid Arthur was organizing.

    I¡¯d expected something like this to happen, given that I¡¯d decided to y the viin and raid everyone in the forest, but I hadn¡¯t thought the number would be this close to a hundred.

    If the dumb fox hadn¡¯t warned me ahead of time, I would have been shocked to see such arge grouping my way. Seriously, how many perverts are there at this academy?

    ¡®It¡¯s fine, really.¡¯

    "You think I¡¯m as clueless and reckless as you, Joy? I¡¯ve got a n. Don¡¯t worry about it."

    "Okay."

    Although more people were gathering than I had anticipated, it didn¡¯t change my n.

    In fact, the more people gathered, the better it was for me. The more there are, the harder it will be for them to control the chaos once it breaks out.

    ¡®Besides, Joy...¡¯

    "Clueless Joy, instead of wasting time worrying, why don¡¯t you check your magic again? Did you prepare properly?"

    "Don¡¯t worry about that. Do you think this is my first time casting that spell?"

    ¡®Still...¡¯

    "Are you sure? No mistakes, right? Really?"

    "I said it¡¯s fine. I didn¡¯t make any... wait, what?"

    Knowing how often Joy screwed up at critical moments, I pressured her to check her magic one more time.

    Unable to withstand my nagging, she assured me that everything was ready, but as she looked over her spell, her eyes widened, and she turned her head slightly.

    Even someone like me, who wasn¡¯t well-versed in magic, knew what that meant.

    ¡®You messed up again, didn¡¯t you?¡¯

    "Clueless Joy, what kind of stupid mistake did you make this time?"

    "It¡¯s nothing big. Just a small miscalction in the volume adjustment."

    Sigh. What would¡¯ve happened if I hadn¡¯t made her check again?

    You really are Clueless Joy. Always making mistakes at the most important moments.

    As I let out an exaggerated sigh, Joy tried to exin that it was no big deal and she could fix it quickly.

    Joy, that¡¯s not the point. The problem is that you made a mistake again.

    As I gave her a disapproving look, Joy¡¯s face started to flush with embarrassment. At that moment, Frey came running from the distance.

    "They¡¯reing."

    It¡¯s about time.

    ¡®Joy...¡¯

    "Clueless Joy, fix it fast. And don¡¯t make any more stupid mistakes."

    "I know, I know! Just wait a minute!"

    "Your Highness, we¡¯ve found Lucy Alrn."

    "Where is she?"

    "She¡¯s waiting in the middle of a clearing."

    "...What?"

    A clearing? What clearing? This forest is full of ces perfect for getting lost¡ªwhere would you find a clearing?

    Arthur furrowed his brows at the student¡¯s report, but when he saw it with his own eyes, he had to admit it was true.

    Lucy Alrn was indeed standing in the middle of a clearing.

    Judging by the cut trees around, it seemed like Lucy herself had created this open space.

    So, she was expecting the ambush and prepared something in advance.

    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t go down quietly.

    Arthur clicked his tongue but wasn¡¯t surprised that she had anticipated the ambush.

    She is, after all, Lucy Alrn. It¡¯s no wonder someone of her intellect could predict Arthur¡¯s n.

    But what was she nning? What kind of trap had she set in such a short time?

    As talented as she was, her strength was purely inbat.

    She wasn¡¯t some great archmage who could change the situation with magic.

    So why was Lucy Alrn standing there so confidently?

    It had to be a bluff. She was trying to stall for time, hoping to survive until the field trip was over.

    Ha. I¡¯m not falling for that! After a brief moment of thought, Arthur concluded that Lucy¡¯s confidence was just a ruse, and he prepared to give orders to the students following him.

    But at that moment¡ª

    "Ahem."

    Lucy¡¯s voice echoed throughout the clearing.

    This¡­ Is this a voice amplification spell? The kind normally used for giving speeches? Why would she prepare something like that?

    "Hey there? All you sick freaks who gathered here to bully one little girl? You disgusting perverted pedos?"

 Chapter 138

    Is having more people in battle always an advantage?

    If we get into the details, we could go on endlessly, but generally speaking, this is true. Having more people in a fight usually gives an advantage.

    Just look at games, right? The harder the boss is, the more people you bring to the raid. There¡¯s a reason for that.

    It¡¯s the same in this case. Right now, I have absurd specs for a first-year academy student.

    I could probably take on two decent parties by myself. In fact, during the field trip, I¡¯ve easily taken down at least one party in my raids.

    But I can''t handle the number of people surrounding me right now on my own.

    ording to the dumb fox, there are close to a hundred people.

    Haha, seeing it in person is overwhelming. I guess I¡¯ve really piled up a lot of karma. Seeing all these people gather just to take me down is a bit intimidating.

    Well, thanks to my Mesugaki skills, I still look confident on the outside.

    I suppress the tension inside and scan the people who¡¯vee to raid me.

    Since I¡¯m standing here openly, showing my face, the students look confused.

    They probably think I¡¯ve set some kind of trap.

    The old Lucy Alrn might not have done this, but the current me is a skilled bitch, even if I¡¯m nasty. They expect I wouldn¡¯t just sit here without any preparation.

    In reality, the only thing I¡¯ve done is ask Faybi to cast a barrier spell to buy time if they charge blindly through this clearing!

    As I watched with satisfaction, Arthur finally appeared.

    It¡¯s about time.

    Honestly, if I fought them head-on, I couldn¡¯t win.

    If Benedict were here, he could knock them all out with a single punch, and even Karl could handle them with ease. But me? I¡¯m not there yet.

    Maybe if I were already a second-year, but I¡¯m not even finished with the first semester of my first year.

    I can hold out for a while, but eventually, I¡¯d be crushed by their numbers.

    Even if my party fights alongside me, the result won¡¯t change. We might hold out a bit longer, but in the end, it would still be defeat.

    So why am I standing here instead of running away? You think I¡¯m here to atone for all my misdeeds by letting them teach me a lesson?

    As if. I have no intention of letting anyone "educate" me.

    Do you know how awful it is when your mind is taken over by negative thoughts during a punishment?

    Unlike the dumb fox, I¡¯m not a masochist. I have no desire to go through that experience voluntarily.

    There¡¯s only one reason I¡¯m standing here: to defeat this crowd of a hundred people and take all their loot.

    "Ahem."

    My voice echoed throughout the clearing. It came out a bit louder than I expected, but that¡¯s fine.

    Joy¡¯s magic is pretty good, after all. It¡¯s just that she makes huge mistakes every time something importantes up.

    Imagine if my voice hadn¡¯t projected just now. I would¡¯ve had to shout at the top of my lungs.

    "Hello? All you disgusting perverted pedos? freaks? and weaklings? who¡¯ve gathered to bully one little girl??"

    As soon as I spoke, the attention of everyone surrounding me focused on me.

    Most of their expressions were a mixture of confusion and disbelief. Of course, the words I just spat out didn¡¯t exactly fit the situation.

    "Aren¡¯t you ashamed?? Gathering in a group because you¡¯re scared of one cute little girl?? Why didn¡¯t you run away crying to your mommy?? Huh?? You cowardly perverts??"

    But it didn¡¯t take long for the confusion to turn into anger.

    Even Karl, the knight of the Alrn family, can¡¯t handle my Mesugaki skill¡¯s provocations easily.

    There¡¯s no way academy students, who haven¡¯t even fully matured, could endure it either.

    I could hear the sound of lips being bitten, the clenching of weapons, curses, and furrowed brows. And inside me, a wave of exhration was building.

    Once again, the Mesugaki skill was doing its job.

    "Even the pathetic little prince? couldn¡¯t beat me with just his party, so he had to gather all these people?. Did you forget what honor is?? Or are you just too dumb after losing to Clueless Joy??"

    "Shut up, Lucy Alrn! Prince Arthur gathered us to punish you for your crimes!"

    My taunt, aimed at throwing off Arthur¡¯sposure, had caught someone else instead.

    I don¡¯t know their name, but judging by the way their eyes are zing, they must be a noble who supports the royal family. One of those types who values honor. These kinds of people are easy to mess with.

    "Crimes?? What exactly did I do wrong, you pathetic weakling??"

    "Everyone knows what you did during this field trip! How dare you deny it!"

    "Oh, that?? And why is that my fault?? Isn¡¯t it because you maggots are just weak??"

    As my words spread through the crowd, I could see the anger gradually infecting everyone.

    Normally, Arthur or the other party leaders would step in to calm things down, but even they were too flustered to control the situation.

    The fuse of the bomb was already lit, and no one had noticed.

    Everything was going ording to n.

    "Isn¡¯t that right?? If you weren¡¯t such pathetic weaklings? who get crushed by a little girl like me, there wouldn¡¯t be any problem, would there??"

    "That¡¯s not...!"

    "Aww, you don¡¯t want to admit you¡¯re just trash, huh?? Sorry for ruining your n to jerk off after winning by cheating?. But you should have been born better than trash?."

    "Lucy, I¡¯m going to kill you!"

    The moment I finished speaking and let out a mockingugh, one person, unable to contain their anger, rushed at me.

    I recognized the face. It was a girl who had constantly picked fights with me after losing to me in the academy entrance exam.

    What was her name again? Something like "Pathetic Noble Lady" or "Weakling Noble Lady," ording to my Mesugaki skills.

    Anyway, thank you, Extra. Thanks to you bing the starting point, my n isplete.

    People are always afraid to take the first step. But once someone else takes action, it¡¯s easy to follow along.

    It¡¯s like when you¡¯re standing at a red light and someone next to you crosses the street¡ªbefore you know it, you find yourself following.

    Look now. As soon as Extra took a step forward, the rest of the academy students have started charging too.

    Arthur¡¯s trying to shout and regain control, but it¡¯s toote.

    If he wanted to stop this, he should¡¯ve done it before the bomb exploded. What¡¯s the point of trying to stop it after the explosion?

    "Are you mad?? Are you mad?? Puhaha? You all look like cockroaches running at me? So gross? So disgusting?."

    Is having more people in a battle an advantage? Like I said earlier, in most cases, yes.

    But, if we change the context a bit, there are cases where it¡¯s not.

    This is one of those times.

    In a situation where the soldiers should be following themander¡¯s orders but have lost control, having more people turns into a disaster.@@novelbin@@

    The vanguard charges blindly at the enemy, ignoring whether the person next to them falls.

    The rear guard prepares their attacks, not caring if the front lines get caught up in it.

    The ones who are supposed to coordinate things have already mixed into the vanguard, charging ahead.

    And even the ones responsible for maintaining order have been consumed by anger.

    The chaos had only just begun, but already several students had been taken out¡ªnot by me, but by their ownrades.

    Do you see it now?

    This isn¡¯t a group.

    How can you call an uncoordinated, unorganized mess a group?

    These are just individuals, each driven by the same goal of "educating" me.

    Everything is going ording to n.

    Since I knew they¡¯de after me as a group, I nned to turn that against them. This strategy was something I came up with, with advice from the old man.

    Now, the important thing is to stall for time. I need this chaos to grow until no one can control it anymore.

    And that¡¯s what I¡¯m best at.

    After all, no matter what anyone says, I¡¯m a tank.

    "Dieeeeee!"

    The Extra, who had cut the fuse, reached me first, swinging her sword.

    Hey, Extra. We¡¯re not exactly friends, but haven¡¯t you picked enough fights with me to know by now?

    Like I always say, you get too emotional. That¡¯s why your movements are so predictable.

    Even without my Iron Wall skill, I could easily tell how to block your strike.

    The moment I raised my shield and blocked Extra¡¯s sword, I felt the impact lessen.

    My Parry skill had activated.

    Her sword was already easy to deflect, but now that the parry skill was in y, the impact was even lighter.

    It was as if her sword hadn¡¯t even touched my shield.

    I pushed my shield forward and grabbed Extra by the cor, lifting her off the ground.

    She struggled, twisting her body in resistance, but escaping my grip was impossible.

    The gap in strength between us was just toorge.

    I wonder what it feels like to be dangling in the air, held up by a girl smaller than you?

    Extra had no choice but to be thrown back toward where she had charged from.

    After watching Extra fly through the air, I clenched and unclenched my hand.

    I definitely feel lighter than usual.

    Provoking nearly a hundred people with the Mesugaki skill has given me quite the buff.

    At this rate, I could probablynd a solid hit on Karl too.

    Looks like I¡¯ll have to skip using my mace today.

    If I swing that thing, I might identally kill someone with one hit.

    A minor injury, Faybi or the professors could heal, but if I send someone straight to meet their god with one blow, there¡¯s no fixing that.

    I don¡¯t want to kill anyone just yet.

    So today, I¡¯ll stick to my shield and bare hands.

    As I flexed my hand and looked up, I saw the students who had gathered around me hesitating.

    It seems the sight of Extra flying through the air like an airne had sobered them up.

    That won¡¯t do. I need you all to create more chaos.

    "What¡¯s wrong?? Weaklings?? Too scared toe at me?? Then why aren¡¯t you running away?? Did you wet yourselves?? Puhaha? What cowards? Better go home and suck on your mommy¡¯s tit, huh??"

    Come on. Let¡¯s go.

    I¡¯m way stronger than you, and I¡¯m offering to y.

    Consider yourselves lucky, you pathetic trash.

 Chapter 139

    ¡°Carl, your youngdy truly carries the blood of the Alrn family.¡±

    Anton let out a dryugh as he watched Lucy Alrn stand her ground, shouting for the hundred-strong crowd toe at her instead of retreating.

    Who could believe that this was the confidence of someone who had been at the academy for less than half a year?

    Even among active knights and adventurers, few could show such boldness.

    What was even more surprising was that Lucy was holding her own against the hundred-strong crowd.@@novelbin@@

    Since she tossed Lady Merill from the Baines family aside with one hand, Lucy had been demonstrating her prowess in the battle.

    Her shield technique was nothing short of miraculous, blocking most of the attacks directed at her.

    Her strength allowed her to shake off four or five men around her without breaking a sweat.

    She had sharp awareness and quick judgment, managing to avoid being surrounded.

    ¡°You weaklings? Is that all you¡¯ve got?? Running around like idiots because you can¡¯t catch one girl? This is hrious?¡±

    Even in a situation where one mistake could lead to her being overwhelmed, she didn¡¯t lose herposure.

    Lucy Alrn was indeed carrying the blood of the Alrn family¡ªof the knightly bloodline with a rich history.

    Anton had expected Carl to respond with some proud exmation, something like, "Of course! That¡¯s our youngdy. This is nothing special for her!" But to his surprise, Carl was silent.

    Huh? That¡¯s unusual. Knowing his personality, Anton had fully expected him to say something like that.

    When Anton turned to look at Carl, he found him uncharacteristically serious, observing Lucy from above.

    ¡°Carl?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, yes, Professor Anton.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ surprised. The youngdy has grown much faster than I expected.¡±

    Carl usually tried to keep an eye on Lucy as much as possible, but even he had his limits.

    In name, at least, he was a professor. He couldn¡¯t abandon all his responsibilities to stay by Lucy¡¯s side at all times.

    Even so, Carl made sure to carry out his duties so that he could rush to her side whenever she needed him.

    As a result, he didn¡¯t know just how much stronger Lucy had be. Recently, Lady Kent had been sparring with her instead of him.

    So now, witnessing Lucy grow far beyond his expectations, Carl couldn¡¯t help but shiver.

    This was the youngdy¡¯s true power. I see now. In sparring sses, during dungeon raids at the academy, the youngdy was holding back.

    She never needed to go all out.

    And I, without realizing, had been putting her in the category of ordinary people! But she was breaking through the limits ofmon sense and writing her own history! How sphemous, as her knight, for me to have failed to see that!

    Ah, once this is over, I must report to the head of the family. When he hears of how much the youngdy has grown, he will surely shed tears of joy.

    I should also report how well she gets along with those around her.

    ¡°You two! Is this really the time to be standing around watching?!¡±

    As Anton and Carl were observing the chaotic battle from the trees, another professor approached them, his voice filled with exasperation.

    Professor Jessel, who taught Monster Hunting, didn¡¯t bother to hide his frustration.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Professor Jessel?¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Wrong?! Look at the state of this battle! It¡¯s aplete mess!¡±

    Not all chaotic battles are the same.

    Some still have a propermand structure, with coordinated attacks despite the confusion, while others devolve into everyone losing their minds and attacking aimlessly.

    The battle below was clearly thetter.

    ¡°At this rate, something serious could happen!¡±

    Friendly fire was rampant. Students were trampling over their fallen allies. Many were copsing as they tried to attack Lucy but got entangled with others.

    It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if this turned into a major disaster at any moment.

    From the perspective of the professors, who were supposed to ensure the students¡¯ safety, this situation was near disastrous.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much time left until the field trip ends! I believe we should use our authority as professors to stop this now and ensure the students¡¯ safety!¡±

    Anton thought it over for a moment and then nodded.

    ¡°Professor Jessel is right. What about the other professors?¡±

    ¡°They all agree. We just need your permission, Professor Anton!¡±

    ¡°I see. Then I¡¯ll take the lead.¡±

    With that, Anton leaped down from the tree,nding on the ground with surprising lightness for someone of his size.

    He surveyed the chaos around him and stretched his neck. It didn¡¯t seem like an ordinary warning would stop them.

    Seeing no other option, Anton opened his mouth and took a deep breath. His lungs expanded rapidly.

    When it looked like his chest might burst, Anton finally spoke.

    ¡°EVERYONE, STOP!!!!¡±

    The volume of his voice was so loud, it echoed throughout the clearing and into the forest, easily dwarfing the sound from Lucy¡¯s voice amplification spell earlier.

    The students who had been charging at Lucy all clutched their ears and fell to the ground, unable to bear the pain.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Aaahh, my ears! My ears hurt! Did my eardrums rupture?!

    I tried using Armahdi¡¯s Touch on myself, but the pain didn¡¯t go away. Looks like my eardrums are fine after all.

    In games, I never thought a person¡¯s voice could be <em>that</em> loud. But experiencing it in real life, I get it now.

    That voice is no joke. I was kind of pleased to have experienced an event I¡¯d only seen in the game, but the pain outweighed any excitement.

    If it¡¯s this bad for me, with my ridiculously high physical stats, imagine how the other students are feeling. Most of them were already on the ground, writhing in pain.

    ¡°At this moment, we, the professors, have decided to end the first semester field trip! Thank you all for your efforts!¡±

    Anton¡¯s deep voice announced the end of the field trip.

    Hey, Professor Anton. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re ending the trip, but look around you.

    How many students do you think are actually able to hear you right now? Shouldn¡¯t you give them a moment to recover first?

    As I watched Anton, thinking that to myself, another professor approached and started scolding him.

    Right? See? I¡¯m the reasonable one here, and he¡¯s the irrational one. I feel reassured now.

    <Everything is going ording to n.> ¡®Exactly.¡¯

    My n had always been to force the end of the field trip.

    There was no way I could take down a hundred students without seriously injuring them.

    If I didn¡¯t care about the consequences, there were a few ways I could¡¯ve gone about it, but I wasn¡¯t ready to kill anyone yet.

    And the professors wouldn¡¯t allow something that dangerous to happen anyway.

    Knowing all this, I never considered winning the chaotic battle. Instead, I aimed for the situation to spiral out of control.

    I wanted the professors to realize that if this chaos continued, the academy students could get seriously hurt.

    Why? Because that way, everyone gets a happy ending.

    Let¡¯s see¡­ ording to n, Frey should have taken Joy over to Arthur by now.

    I nced over at Arthur¡¯s side and saw him talking with Joy. Perfect. Everything was going smoothly.

    <Now let¡¯s go finish this n.>

    I walked past the students lying on the ground and approached the professors.

    Anton, who had been getting an earful from Jessel, brightened up when he saw me. He must¡¯ve thought I was here to save him from the scolding.

    Little did he know, I was bringing him an even bigger headache.

    ¡®Hey, professors.¡¯

    ¡°Hey, useless professors. What¡¯s this about ending the field trip early? There are still a few hours left, aren¡¯t there? Are you all dumbasses who can¡¯t even remember what you said?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we understand that, but this is the judgment of the professors. We ask for your understanding.¡±

    It was Jessel who responded to my sharp question. She spoke politely but firmly, asking for my cooperation.

    Her exnation was reasonable, citing various points to justify the decision to end the field trip early.

    If I were a rational person, I might have nodded in agreement.

    But unfortunately for her, I had no intention of being rational.

    After all, I¡¯m a bratty Mesugaki. Rationality? Logic? I don¡¯t care about any of that! Mesugakis are always unpredictable!

    ¡°h h h, shut up, old hag? I¡¯m asking why you ended the fight so arbitrarily?.¡±

    ¡°As I just exined¡ª¡±

    ¡°Aaah~? Shut it? If the fight had continued, I would¡¯ve won and taken all the loot from these weaklings?. How are you going to make up for that, huh?? What, are you too stupid to understand??¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I understand your frustration, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hag? Are you going to keep throwing a tantrum?? It¡¯s not my fault that no man wants you because you have no charm, is it??¡±

    As I continued provoking her, cracks started to appear in Jessel¡¯sposed expression.

    Wow. She looks furious. I can practically see how badly she wants to teach me a lesson about manners.

    I know Jessel¡¯s strength and true nature better than anyone, so I¡¯m a little afraid of the consequences, but what can I do? We¡¯re already this far in.

    ¡°Take responsibility? You spinster professor?.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think you would have won? Perhaps we stopped the fight to prevent you from losing your loot instead. With the chaos in the battle, nobody can say for sure how it would¡¯ve ended.¡±

    Ahaha. You fell for it, Professor Jessel. That¡¯s not the kind of thing you¡¯d usually say when you¡¯re being rational.

    Thanks for ying right into my hands.

    ¡°Me?? Lose to those weaklings?? Ha? You really have no sense of humor, old hag?.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not denying your abilities, Lady Alrn, but given the special circumstances of the field trip and the chaotic state of the battle, we can¡¯t say for certain that you wouldn¡¯t have lost.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±

    As Jessel confidently continued her exnation, Arthur suddenly intervened.

    He looked at me with an expression I couldn¡¯t quite decipher before turning his gaze to Jessel.

    ¡°Professor Jessel, if we follow your reasoning, are you saying that Lucy Alrn¡¯s loot could have been fairly distributed among everyone?¡±

    Hearing Arthur¡¯s words, Jessel finally regained her senses.

    You realize now, Jessel?

    What you said earlier is going to have a bigger impact than you thought.

    Sure, ending the field trip for the students¡¯ safety is all well and good.

    But do you think the students who end up failing this trip are going to care about that?

    If I had been defeated, they might have scored high marks, but the professors robbed them of that opportunity.

    What do you think will happen when that opinion starts circting?

    I don¡¯t know exactly, but it¡¯s probably going to be a huge headache for you, don¡¯t you think, Professor Jessel?

 Chapter 140

    When I first started plundering, I expected to earn the enmity of other students.

    My reputation wasn¡¯t exactly spotless, and plundering isn¡¯t exactly a clean action.

    Even if the academy sanctioned it, in the end, I was the one doing it, so of course, they would call me a terrible bitch.

    But you know, as I kept plundering, I realized the hostility from others was way worse than I had imagined.

    Some of the kids I robbed had actual murderous intent in their eyes.

    I had joked that I had long thrown away my reputation, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to be everyone''s punching bag.

    I went from being a dumb bitch to apetent bitch, but I didn¡¯t want to evolve into apetent, obnoxious bitch with a horrible personality, someone everyone was plotting revenge against!

    My mental fortitude isn¡¯t that strong! I don¡¯t want to experience the academy students clicking their tongues and cursing me every time I walk by!

    I was certain that, at this rate, I¡¯d be the academy¡¯s public enemy, so I thought about how to resolve this situation and came up with a n.

    A n that was only possible because this world wasn¡¯t following a fixed script like a story.

    To be precise, I didn¡¯te up with the n myself.@@novelbin@@

    I was more like, ¡°Hey, Grandpa, what do you think of trying something like this?¡± And then he went ahead and wrote the entire script from start to finish.

    Having been amander in great wars, a high-ranking noble, and a holy knight who had dealt with all sorts of things, Grandpa¡¯s mind worked on a whole different level.

    Listening to him casuallyy out the n made my brain go numb. I wonder if I¡¯ll ever be able toe close to doing something like that.

    Anyway, the core of this n was simple: redirect all the hostility aimed at me toward someone else.

    From the moment I started plundering, it was inevitable that people would harbor negative feelings toward me.

    If your hard-earned belongings are taken from you, of course, you¡¯d get angry. But just because those negative emotions exist doesn¡¯t mean I have to shoulder them all.

    The direction of emotions can change depending on the situation.

    So, I chose the academy¡¯s professors as the scapegoat.

    There were two reasons for this:

    First, it¡¯s easier to direct anger toward someone in a position of power than toward the weak.

    And second, if the me fell on the professors, it would likely lead to a favorable oue for everyone.

    After all, the professors are responsible for this field trip, right?

    If the students get upset and me them for their suffering, wouldn¡¯t they be obliged to offerpensation?

    When I voiced this thought internally, Grandpa said it wasn¡¯t a bad idea and added a few suggestions.

    ¡°Create such chaos that the professors have no choice but to intervene. You need to make them mess up.¡±

    ¡°And at the end, use your blessing to shake the emotions of someone in authority to wrap things up.¡±

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t think it would work this well.

    If Arthur hadn¡¯t desperately rallied people to take me down, this level of chaos wouldn¡¯t have been possible.

    I guess I owe Arthur a gift for making the n wless. What should I get him?

    I nced at Jessel¡¯s face, watching as she realized her mistake.

    She was in herte twenties but had already earned a position as a professor at Soul Academy. Naturally, she waspetent and quick-witted.

    Until a moment ago, she had lost her cool due to my provocations and ended up running her mouth, but now that Arthur had spoken, she¡¯d regained herposure and realized the gravity of what she had said.

    But it was toote to change anything now.

    You can¡¯t take back words once they¡¯re out there, right?

    "I feel like I have to ask again, just to be sure. If what you just said is true, it means there are students who will fail this field trip due to the professors¡¯ judgment."

    ¡°Well, um...¡±

    I¡¯ve done my part, haven¡¯t I? Arthur can handle the rest from here.

    He¡¯s articte, smart, and has a high status.

    I¡¯ve set the stage perfectly; how could he mess this up?

    Now it¡¯s time for me to rest. I haven¡¯t slept in days, and I¡¯m exhausted.

    Doing everything¡ªleading, fighting, setting up camp, and keeping watch¡ªon my own is kind of tough, you know?

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    ¡°What will you do topensate us? You admitted that we¡¯ve suffered losses.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s one thing for us, but what about the students who will fail because of this?¡±

    As the students who had copsed due to Anton¡¯s outburst slowly got back on their feet, theints directed at Jessel intensified.

    Jessel tried to exin that it was for their safety, but it wasn¡¯t working. The students had the moral high ground now.

    The problem was simple. Jessel herself had mentioned the possibility of the students suffering losses due to the professors¡¯ actions.

    If she hadn¡¯t said that, there wouldn¡¯t have been any issue. If she had just stuck to the line about prioritizing the students'' safety, what could they have said in response?

    But she couldn¡¯t withstand Lucy Alrn¡¯s taunting and ended up providing justification for the students¡¯ints.

    Why did I say that?

    These high-and-mighty noble kids have been running their mouths at me for ages, so why did I...?

    ¡°Professor Jessel, will you give us an answer?¡±

    Arthur¡¯s question made Jessel clench her fingers. What should I do? How can I resolve this situation?

    ¡°I¡¯ll answer that.¡±

    Just as Jessel was hesitating, unable to figure out what to say, Anton stepped forward and gently pressed down on her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that we, the professors, made a mistake in this matter. I apologize, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. So, how will you handle it?¡±

    ¡°No student who participated in this field trip will fail. Of course, the rewards will still be based on how much loot they gathered, but no one will fail.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Jessel was more shocked than anyone by Anton¡¯s shocking announcement. No one would fail the field trip?!

    ¡°Professor! You can¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There won¡¯t be any problems.¡±

    Anton smiled as he reassured Jessel, who turned to him with a pleading look in her eyes.

    Unable to respond, Jessel remained silent as Anton patted her head roughly and turned back to Arthur.

    ¡°Does this satisfy you, Your Highness?¡±

    ¡°It certainly does. I thank you for your generosity.¡±

    After offering a polite bow to Anton, Arthur turned around and let out a long breath.

    Lucy Alrn. Did you foresee all of this?

    From the very first night, when you ambushed the other students, were you aiming for this moment?

    Arthur didn¡¯t ask Lucy directly, but somehow, he felt like he knew the answer.

    She had foreseen everything.

    The hostility the students would feel toward her.

    That Arthur would use that to rally the others.

    The chaos that would follow.

    And that the professors would have to intervene to stop it.

    ¡®Your Highness, Lady Alrn orchestrated this entire situation.¡¯

    ¡®You should hurry to where she¡¯s speaking with the professors. You¡¯ll hear something useful there.¡¯

    Otherwise, why would Joy have rushed over to deliver such a message right after Anton quelled the chaos?

    Haha. I¡¯ve been outyed. Completely.

    I had intended to use Lucy Alrn¡¯s mistake against her, to threaten her with it. But in reality, I¡¯ve been ying right into her hands the entire time.

    Damn it, Lucy Alrn. If you¡¯re this good at manipting things, what am I supposed to do with you?

    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to thank herter.¡±

    Originally, I would have faced criticism for failing to take down Lucy Alrn. But now, since no one was going to fail the field trip, that reason had disappeared.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll have to make sure everyone knows that Lucy Alrn is the reason for this oue.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how the students who suffered at her hands will feel about that, but I need to do my best to ease their resentment.

    Lucy cleaned up the mess I made, so it¡¯s the least I can do.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The day after we returned to the academy from the field trip.

    As I was unpacking my inventory, I came across something that should never have been there¡ªa living being.

    One of the bags I had packed during the trip contained none other than the idiot fox herself.

    As soon as the bag opened, the pervert jumped up and tried to cling to my face, but I caught her by the scruff of her neck with my superhuman reflexes.

    ¡®Why were you in there?¡¯

    ¡°Hey, perverted fox. What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of not being able to see someone as beautiful as you after the field trip ended! So I snuck my real body into your luggage!¡±

    So, you¡¯re telling me that you started stalking me because you couldn¡¯t stand the idea of me leaving?

    You, the so-called ruler of the forest?

    I¡¯m seriously losing it.

    ¡®Grandpa, how did you not notice this?!¡¯

    Grandpaaaa! Why didn¡¯t you do your job properly?!

    You¡¯re supposed to detect things like this and prevent them from happening!

    <No excuses. I don¡¯t know what tricks the ruler of the forest pulled, but I wasn¡¯t able to sense her.>

    ¡®What are we going to do?! The pervert followed me all the way here!¡¯

    Gyaaaah!

    I was so happy when we left the forest, thinking I¡¯d never have to see that stupid fox¡¯s face again!

    I promised myself I¡¯d never go back to the Cytil Forest, but here we are!

    Why?! Just why?!

    <Well, child, at the very least, she¡¯s not a harmful entity. You could tolerate her, if you ignore the mild disgust.>

    ¡®Mild?! How can you call it mild after seeing everything she does, Grandpa?!¡¯

    Grandpa, you¡¯ve had it easytely, haven¡¯t you?! Huh?!

    Do you want me to dunk you in the toilet again? Because I¡¯m not afraid to!

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I have no intention of bothering you! I¡¯ll be satisfied just watching you from afar!¡±

    What the hell is this perverted fox talking about now?

    Just your existence stresses me out, you damn freak!

    ¡°Just get lost, will you?? Go back to your filthy fox hole, you disgusting pervert?.¡±

    Go back! Get out of here! Please!

    ¡°Do you really think you can get rid of me?¡±

    ¡°Of course,? why should I tolerate a disgusting pervert like you??¡±

    ¡°Think carefully. Even if you chase me away, do you think I¡¯d simply give up?¡±

    ...Ugh, no. There¡¯s no way she¡¯d just give up.

    She¡¯s the kind of freak who would enjoy my taunts with a ¡°Heeeung~¡± and ask for more.

    If she was the type to give up after being kicked out, she wouldn¡¯t have followed me all the way here.

    ¡°Even if you send me away, I will always linger near you.¡±

    Excuse me, psycho? Stalking is a crime, you know?

    Why are you proudly exining how you n tomit a crime?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to keep me close and watch over me than to let me roam free?¡±

    Ugh. I hate this.

    Every word thates out of her mouth feels like it¡¯s draining my soul.

    But you know what pisses me off the most?

    The fact that what she¡¯s saying actually makes sense.

 Chapter 141

    Here¡¯s the trantion of the provided text into English, following the tone and style guidelines from the cheat sheet:

    At Soul Academy, it wasn¡¯t umon for this airheaded fox to follow me around.

    After all, if someone caught her eye, she¡¯d throw away all rules and regtions like they didn¡¯t even exist.

    But at least back then, it wasn¡¯t some forced ¡°join the party¡± event. At the very least, she would ask for the other person¡¯s consent first.

    This fox might not care about being disliked by the ones she¡¯s interested in, but she definitely doesn¡¯t want to be truly hated.

    In the game, if you told her to back off, she¡¯d pout and get all sulky, but she never stalked you like this!

    But what is this now? What kind of weirdo deres that they¡¯ll stalk me no matter what, whether I like it or not?

    I stared down at the lovesick fox wagging her tail under me and pressed my hands hard against my eyes.

    In this situation, where this dumb fox was practically shouting "Does it even matter?," there was nothing I could do.

    If I kicked her out, she¡¯d just keep following me in secret, watching from a distance. But if I let her stay, she¡¯d grin and pull all kinds of weird stunts.

    Honestly, I¡¯d love to beat her to death, but there¡¯s a slight problem¡ªshe¡¯s stronger than me.

    After all, this is a creature powerful enough to be the ruler of the forest. I can¡¯t take her down yet.

    If this were a game, I¡¯d solve it with all kinds of tricks and controls, but this is real life.

    Even if I hit her with my full strength using a mace, she¡¯d just tell me to do it harder. How am I supposed to beat someone like that?

    ¡°You seem troubled.¡±

    ¡®Shut up.¡¯

    ¡°Airheaded fox? Could you close that foul-smelling mouth? It¡¯s making me sick.¡±

    In theory, the old man was right. Having this creature around could definitely be useful.

    This lovesick fox, one of the most versatile rulers of the forest, wouldn¡¯t be bad to have around.

    But still¡­ just still¡­

    I just can¡¯t handle it.

    Even if I spat on her, she¡¯d probably lick it up and thank me for the reward. How am I supposed to deal with a maniac like that?!

    Even before I became Lucy, back when I was still a man, I would have been horrified by a beast like her.

    Ugh. My head was such a mess that I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to speak.

    Every time I tried to say something rational, the word ¡®fuck¡¯ felt like it was about to slip out.

    No, seriously. Are you a cat? No, you¡¯re a fox! So why the hell are you crawling to me, acting like I¡¯m supposed to be your master?!

    Knock, knock.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, are you inside?¡±

    I looked up from ring at the annoyingly happy fox to the sound of someone calling me from outside the door.

    That voice¡­ it¡¯s Professor Anton, isn¡¯t it? The guy in charge ofbat studies, so he¡¯s super busy. What¡¯s he doing here?

    If I had to guess, maybe it¡¯s something to do with thest field trip. I don¡¯t know for sure, but I have nothing to worry about. I did everything by the book.

    Honestly, the funniest part is that after the field trip, my reputation actually went up.

    I mean, my n was aplete sess¡ªI got the students to direct their anger at the faculty. But still, I thought my reputation would take a bit of a hit, considering what I did.

    Yet after all that, I don¡¯t know what Arthur said to the others, but my reputation actually got a bit better.

    Now people think, ¡°She may talk rough, but at least she¡¯s more considerate of others than before.¡±

    I¡¯ll take it with a grain of salt since Avery, Bissy, and Joy were the ones who told me, but I think my reputation really has improved a little.

    Arthur. What on earth did you say to those students with that smooth tongue of yours? Thank you!

    Unlike a certain disgusting fox, you¡¯re actually helpful!

    Not only did you rally everyone during the field trip, but now you¡¯re even handling the fallout afterward!

    Just wait! I¡¯ll bring you the best gift you could ever need!

    ¡°Lady Alrn?¡±

    ¡®Hold on.¡¯

    ¡°Wait a second, you gori professor. I¡¯ll be out.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Ugh. Dealing with this airheaded fox won¡¯t get solved by racking my brain right now, so let¡¯s push it off forter.

    Maybe if I get some fresh air, I¡¯lle up with a better idea than I have now.

    ...Hmm. But is it really okay to leave this airheaded fox in my room? What if this pervert does something weird while I¡¯m gone?

    The word ''shame'' doesn¡¯t apply to this airheaded fox.

    There¡¯s nomon sense in a lunatic who straight-up deres, ¡°I¡¯m going to stalk you!¡±

    But I don¡¯t exactly want to drag my source of stress out with me either.

    What should I do?

    ¡®Grandpa?¡¯

    <What is it?>

    ¡®I¡¯m leaving this pervert here, so if she does anything weird, tell meter.¡¯

    I was genuinely worried she¡¯d steal my underwear or something. I wouldn¡¯t be gone for long, so I asked him to keep an eye on her for me.

    The old man agreed, saying he would.

    Alright, I guess I¡¯ll take a quick break. Even if it¡¯s weird to say I¡¯m taking a break while leaving my own room.

    <em>Sigh</em>. Oh well. What¡¯s done is done.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    After Lucy said she¡¯d be back soon and told Rina to wait in the room, Ruell observed as Rina nced around the room.

    The world really has some bizarre things. She¡¯s the ruler of the forest, yet she has absolutely no dignity.

    What made it worse was that it wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t know how to act properly.

    Before Lucy started wearing those revealing outfits, she at least kept up appearances.

    As someone who had once been a noble, a holy knight, and a hero, Ruell could tell that Rina had mastered courtly manners. Even in a noble court, she wouldn¡¯t be out of ce.

    But the moment Lucy donned those skin-baring clothes, Rina threw everything aside.

    Her desires overtook her, and she couldn¡¯t even manage basic decency.

    I mean, sure, our girl has a beautiful appearance, but this is way too much.

    If she weren¡¯t the ruler of the forest but just a regr human, she¡¯d already be locked up as a criminal.

    As Rina sniffed around the room with a disgusting grin, Ruell noticed her steps moving in a strange direction.

    Hmm? Why is sheing over here? There¡¯s nothing around me that rtes to our girl.

    ¡­Oh wait. There¡¯s one thing.

    Something that has always been with our girl, the weapon that has been in her hands for so long¡ªme.

    No way. She¡¯s not targeting me, is she?

    No. Stop. I don¡¯t want to be messed with!

    Filled with desperation, Ruell shouted inwardly, but Rina paid him no mind.

    Gracefully jumping onto the table, she looked at Ruell and licked her lips.

    Girl, pleasee back soon!

    I¡¯m so scared of what this maniac might do!

    Ruell was praying for Lucy¡¯s return when Rina reached out and ced her hand on him.

    At that moment, as Ruell tensed up, fearing the worst¡­

    "Greetings, spirit within the mace."

    Rina spoke to Ruell.

    <¡­Are you talking to me?>

    ¡°Who else would I be talking to?¡±

    <Well, yes. How did you know I was here?>

    ¡°I¡¯m a fox. I can see spirits.¡±

    I have no idea what seeing spirits has to do with being a fox, but given that she¡¯s powerful enough to be the ruler of the forest, I guess it¡¯s not that surprising.

    <In a way, this might be fortunate. Miss Rina, could you please refrain from doing anything strange here?>

    Now that she knew someone was watching, maybe she¡¯d tone down her anticspared to being alone.

    ¡°What do you think I am?¡±

    <Considering everything you¡¯ve done so far, you¡¯ve earned that reputation.>

    ¡°I was just expressing my love.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Rina didn¡¯t seem the least bit remorseful about her actions, and her casual attitude left Ruell momentarily speechless.

    Is it my mistake for expectingmon sense from a madwoman?

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point. The girl could be back any moment.¡±

    <That wasn¡¯t nonsense, by the way.>

    ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. Help me stay by the girl¡¯s side.¡±

    <I refuse.>

    Ruell knew Rina was a formidable entity. He wasn¡¯t being polite out of ignorance.

    But even so, this perverted fox would never have a positive influence on Lucy.

    Sure, she¡¯d be helpful, but the mental stress she¡¯d cause far outweighed any benefit.

    ¡°It¡¯s necessary for that girl¡¯s sake.¡±

    <You mean for your own selfish desires.>

    ¡°Sure, that¡¯s part of it, but it¡¯s secondary. There¡¯s something more important.¡±

    Ruell fully expected nonsense from her, but he let her continue.

    After all, the more she rambled, the closer it got to Lucy¡¯s return.

    ¡°Right now, the girl is basking in too much light. You could say she¡¯s showered with love from the heavens. Given her beauty, it¡¯s no surprise she¡¯s being favored, but when love is concentrated on one person, it naturally draws the hatred of others.

    ¡°You understand what I¡¯m saying? The girl is going to face a great threat. Sure, she¡¯s managed to survive up to now, but can you guarantee she¡¯ll continue to do so?¡±

    <...It sounds like you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll protect her when the timees.>

    ¡°Exactly. Why else would I be following her around without even asking for permission?¡±

    It¡¯s fine for her to be pushed to the brink, to im victory through hardship¡ªthat would only add beauty to her life.

    But she must not be broken. As Rina casually said that, Ruell fell silent.

    Having spent so much time with Lucy, he knew how many crises she¡¯d ovee so far.

    If, in the worst-case scenario, the fox¡¯s help was avable¡­

    ¡°If you still have doubts, I¡­¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The reason Professor Anton hade to see me was to deliver the reward for the field trip.

    It seems the final tally of the spoils wasplete, and once it was confirmed that our party had taken first ce, he came to find me.

    He even smiled andplimented me on gathering the most loot in the history of Soul Academy¡¯s field trips, so it didn¡¯t seem like he held any grudges.

    Even though the bags under his eyes from all the stress I caused were obvious.

    What a generous guy. Seriously, Professor Anton.

    The first-ce reward from the academy was a Guardian¡¯s Brooch. The same one that had saved my life from the Minotaur before.

    At least now I have something to get me out of another near-death situation.

    Ideally, I¡¯d never have to use it, but that¡¯s probably asking too much.

    Given everything I¡¯ve been through so far, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if danger popped up again at any moment.

    With that thought, I sighed as I stood outside my dorm.

    Ugh, I have to face that perverted airheaded fox again.

    It¡¯s disgusting just thinking about it, but what choice do I have? This is my room. I can¡¯t exactly run away from my own room.

    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I opened the door to see the fox, now in human form.

    She was kneeling by the entrance, and as soon as she saw me, she bowed deeply.

    ¡°Wee back, my master.¡±

    ...What kind of y is this, you airheaded fox?

 Chapter 142

    ¡®A familiar?¡¯

    ¡°A familiar? This airheaded perverted fox?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. If keeping me by your side feels too burdensome, I shall be your familiar, Master.¡±

    The lovesick fox puffed out her chest as if she were making some grand gesture, but I couldn¡¯t find the words to respond.

    Her offering to be a familiar was, admittedly, worth that kind of reaction.

    At Soul Academy, familiars are basically like pets. You tame a specific creature and use it as you see fit.

    Like most systems in the game, though, you can¡¯t tame just any creature, and the stronger a creature is, the harder it bes to control.

    Especially with something as powerful as the ruler of a forest¡ªtaming a creature of such strength is considered impossible.

    How could a being that rules over an entire forest bow its head to another living creature?

    I would know, because I tried to tame every single creature in Soul Academy.

    The rulers of the forest are beings who would choose death over bing someone¡¯s familiar.

    This airheaded perverted fox in front of me was no different. Even if she acted like a lunatic, she was still the ruler of her forest.

    And yet, here she was, offering to be my familiar.

    Sure, she was giggling to herself and repeating ¡°Master¡± under her breath now, but there must have been a lot of thought behind that decision.

    ¡­Right? There had to be, right?

    Though, with this airheaded fox, I couldn¡¯t be sure.

    Whether she wanted to be my pet just for fun or if she had some deeper motive, I couldn¡¯t tell. But if she became my familiar, it would definitely make keeping her around less burdensome.

    ording to what I knew about Soul Academy, the familiar contract process allows you to set certain terms.

    Since I¡¯d be contracting with a creature stronger than me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to force much. But if I could at least put a stop to her perverted antics, that would be enough.

    Besides, rejecting her wouldn¡¯t stop her from following me. If she¡¯s willing to put on a cor, I¡¯m all for it.

    ¡®Fine.¡¯

    ¡°Alright, if you really want to be my pet so badly, I¡¯ll put a cor on you, you masochistic fox.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Master. Here, I¡¯ve even prepared a cor for you¡­¡±

    Ignoring the nonsenseing from the airheaded fox, I went into the room and picked up the old man (Ruell).

    ¡®Grandpa, did that airheaded fox do anything weird while I was gone?¡¯

    <You assume she did something?>

    ¡®She obviously did.¡¯

    I mean, this pervert had already begged me to step on her, so there¡¯s no way she didn¡¯t do something.

    Come on, Grandpa. Be honest with me. I¡¯m mentally prepared for whatever she did, so just tell me.

    <She did nothing. Surprisingly.>

    ¡®Liar.¡¯

    <I swear on my honor, it¡¯s the truth.>

    Huh?

    Really, nothing?

    Are you serious?

    The old man was a stiff, noble knight¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t vouch for this perverted fox if it weren¡¯t true.

    So that means she actually behaved. Now that¡¯s a shock.

    <More importantly, are you really going to contract her as a familiar?>

    ¡®Yes. She¡¯s alreadytched onto me, so I might as well put a cor on her.¡¯

    Who knows what kind of weird stuff she¡¯ll do if I don¡¯t? I just want some kind of safeguard in ce.

    ¡®So please, help me out, Grandpa. You¡¯re the expert in this kind of thing.¡¯

    I don¡¯t care whether she fights for me or not.

    Most of the threats, I can handle on my own like I always have.

    What I care about is making sure we craft a contract that minimizes her perverted behavior.

    I can¡¯t force much since she¡¯s the one epting the contract, but I want to be as thorough as possible!

    <Understood. Wait a moment. I¡¯ve been thinking about it since I overheard the conversation.>

    The old man immediately started outlining the contract, as if he¡¯d prepared it beforehand.

    <Let¡¯s focus on preventing any criminal behavior first and foremost.>

    ¡®Yes! That¡¯s exactly what I wanted!¡¯

    <I don¡¯t know how much of this can be enforced, but let¡¯s start by¡­>

    Heid out a n that would minimize as much of the difort caused by the airheaded fox as possible.

    We couldn¡¯t change her basic nature, but at least we could stop any sexual harassment.

    As expected of Grandpa! I knew I could count on him! I guess I¡¯ll save my academy dungeon run for another time.

    When I told the fox about the terms Grandpa hade up with, she noticeably pouted.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this, Master? No clinging to you, no following you around in secret, no sneaking peeks at you? That defeats the whole purpose of meing here!¡±

    Is it really that hard to stop doing perverted things? I guess for you, it is.

    ¡®If you don¡¯t like it, you can leave. Please, I¡¯m begging you.¡¯

    ¡°Ugh. No, leave if you want! I don¡¯t need an airheaded perverted fox like you. In fact, it¡¯d be great to not have to hear your annoying voice anymore.¡±

    ¡°Mmm...¡±

    The airheaded fox didn¡¯t really have much of a choice, though.

    You¡¯re the one who suggested the familiar contract! Suck it up and deal with it!

    If you don¡¯t like it, just go back to your forest!

    But thinking about it now, it¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? Is my charm stat really that high?

    If this airheaded fox is this obsessed, I must¡¯ve maxed out my charm stat. But if that¡¯s true, why isn¡¯t everyone else looking at me that way?

    Even if all my other stats were garbage, people should at least be treating me more favorably.

    ¡­Wait, could it be? Is my reputation so trashy that it cancels out my high charm stat?!

    Is that it?!

    Is my reputation really that bad?!

    ¡°I understand. I ept.¡±

    As I realized the harsh reality and spiraled into despair, the airheaded fox reluctantly nodded.

    She figured that being my familiar with a few restrictions was better than leaving my side.

    I wonder how much the fact that she¡¯d get to call me Master influenced her decision.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s proceed with the contract.¡±

    The airheaded fox spoke and pulled out a talisman from her robe.

    ¡°This is a talisman imbued with my power. Hold it and recite the terms of the contract to yourself. Then...¡±

    The contract process she described was simr to the cutscene in the game.

    There was nothing new, but the familiarity made me a little excited. It felt like I was recreating something from the game.

    But that excitement quickly faded. Unlike the shy cutscenes in the game, the contract in real life was pretty boring.

    After holding the talisman and doing as she instructed, the talisman glowed and merged into my body. That was it.

    It was mysterious, sure, butpared to the game¡¯s dazzling effects, I couldn¡¯t help but think, <em>That¡¯s it?</em>

    Reality can be disappointing sometimes.

    As I stared at the spot where the talisman had disappeared, there was a sudden <em>poof</em> sound, followed by smoke.

    What the heck? Is this an explosion? Did something go wrong with the contract?

    Maybe the reason the contract process was so dull was because something went wrong!

    ¡°As expected, it turned out this way.¡±

    When the smoke cleared, what appeared was a tiny fox.

    The airheaded fox had transformed into a small, fluffy version of herself.

    She sat on the floor, ncing at her new form before raising her head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The contract didn¡¯t fail. It¡¯s just that your power isn¡¯t strong enough yet for me to fully manifest. Over time¡­¡±

    ...Wow.

    I never thought I¡¯d say this about the airheaded fox.

    It feels weird to even think this, but¡­

    She¡¯s cute.

    Those sparkling eyes.

    Those tiny paws.

    That soft-looking fur.

    That wagging tail.

    She¡¯s like a stuffed animal.

    So fluffy. So fluffy!

    ¡°Master?¡±

    Knowing that it was still the airheaded fox inside was a bit annoying, but if I could just ignore that, this wasn¡¯t so bad.

    I¡¯ve always liked animals! Especially tiny ones!

    ¡°Master?¡±

    Seeing her tilt her head in confusion made me lose my focus for a moment.

    It was like when I saw my friend¡¯s puppy back in the day. I reached out and stroked her head, and the soft warmth filled my hand.

    This. This is what I wanted.

    The warmth and softness I could never feel through the monitor.

    Even in her true form, the airheaded fox had always taken good care of her appearance, so her fur was incredibly soft.

    This had to be top-quality fur, right?

    I got so hooked on that fluffy feeling that I kept stroking her head. But then, the airheaded fox quickly jumped up and darted away.

    ¡®Where are you going?!¡¯

    ¡°Airheaded fox! Where are you going?!¡±

    Where do you think you¡¯re going?! If you¡¯re my familiar, you should stay here and let me enjoy your warmth and fluffiness!@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Wa-wait! Um. Wh-what? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re getting a bit too close?!¡±

    What is she saying? She¡¯s the one who always clings to me, but now I can¡¯t touch her?

    You like this too! This is what you¡¯ve been wanting!

    Why are you acting all innocent and running away now?

    Come here! Determined to feel more of that fluffy fur, I chased after the airheaded fox, but she dodged my every attempt with swift, nimble movements.

    What the heck?! How is she so fast?! My stats should be pretty decent by now, but she¡¯s still quicker?!

    Is that because she¡¯s the ruler of the forest?!

    Knock, knock.

    Just as I was about to catch her, someone knocked on my door again.

    Who is it this time?! I¡¯m busy right now!

    If they¡¯re interrupting my fun for no good reason, I¡¯m not going to forgive them!

    ¡°Oh, mydy? Is everything alright?¡±

    Panting as I opened the door, I was greeted by Karl.

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    ¡°What do you want, weakling?¡±

    If he interrupted my chase for no reason, there¡¯d be hell to pay. I shot him a re, and Karl, looking a bit uneasy, continued speaking.

    ¡°Ah. Well, it¡¯s just that Alsatin sent a message. He says he found what you asked him for.¡±

    Alsatin?

    ...If it¡¯s that, then it¡¯s important.

    <em>Sigh</em>. Fine. The airheaded fox is my familiar now anyway. I¡¯ll enjoy that fluffy furter.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The Church of the Principal God, thergest religion in Soul Academy, is so huge that it rivals an entire country. In fact, its influence surpasses many nations.

    There are even ces that have been wiped off the map because they angered the Church. Officially, the reasons are always something else.

    In games like these, organizations this overwhelmingly powerful are rarely purely good.

    On the surface, they im to stand for justice and possess enormous power, but in reality, they¡¯re rotten to the core, held together only by a few good people.

    That¡¯s exactly what the Church of the Principal God is.

    It¡¯s no wonder I agreed with Grandpa when he said that if he revealed himself as an Apostle, he¡¯d disappear without a trace.

    The Church really is that kind of ce.

    So you can imagine, right? Faybi¡¯s backstory is going to be dark as hell.

    ¡°You¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    The moment I opened the door to the shady back-alley bar, Alsatin greeted me with a grim look.

 Chapter 143

    As I stepped into the office, Karl naturally tried to follow behind me, but I stopped him.

    The conversation we were about to have was not something an ordinary person should overhear.

    After practically shoving Karl out, I walked into the office and immediatelymanded Alsatin to set up a soundproofing spell.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how much Alsatin had discovered, but it was better to be cautious.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already set it up, mydy. This conversation could be dangerous if overheard.¡±

    Seems like Alsatin was thinking the same thing, as he had the soundproofing spell in ce before I even asked.

    Judging by how seriously he was treating this, he must have uncovered some truth.

    As soon as the door closed, Alsatin, as expected, seated me in the main chair and stood in front of me.

    ¡®How much have you uncovered?¡¯

    ¡°Information broker, how deep did you dig?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get too far. The timeframe was too short.¡±

    Of course. The Church of the Principal God, with its influence spanning the entire continent, wouldn¡¯t have any ring weak spots.

    If Alsatin had the kind of skills to unravel everything in just a month, he wouldn¡¯t be wasting away in some back-alley job like this.

    If he were that skilled, he¡¯d already be the mastermind pulling the strings of the underworld.

    ¡°However, I believe I¡¯ve uncovered what you were looking for. The Church of the Principal God is conducting some kind of research. And it involves the children from their orphanages.¡±

    That doesn¡¯t mean Alsatin was ipetent¡ªfar from it. The fact that he managed to get this close to one of their operations proves how capable he really is.

    I hadn¡¯t given him many clues, yet he still managed to dig this deep. Even with all the connections his mentor had passed to him, it was impressive.

    Hmm. I should definitely maintain my rtionship with Alsatin, even if the Newman family gets involvedter.

    ¡®What¡¯s your evidence?¡¯

    ¡°Information broker, how do I know you¡¯re not just spouting nonsense?¡±

    ¡°I was just about to exin.¡±

    Alsatin began his exnation, saying that my tip about the Church¡¯s possible misdeeds was a big help.

    He had used his pre-existing connections to dig deeper, eventually tracking the trail to an orphanage in a remote vige, where he found the first signs.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t pinpointed the exact nature of the research, but strangely enough, several notable figures were frequenting the orphanage. High-ranking clergy who rarely leave the church¡¯s headquarters. An alchemist who had been discredited for conducting experiments rted to life. Even a dark mage who should have been emunicated. None of these people belong in a small, rural vige.¡±

    Even more suspicious, there was a mortician who regrly visited the orphanage.

    ¡°I believe they are conducting some sort of experiment using the children. I had to pull back before I was detected, but given more time, I could find out more.¡±

    As I listened to Alsatin¡¯s report, I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by his information-gathering skills.

    In the game, I always saw him as a convenient NPC delivering all kinds of intel, but now that this world has be real, his abilities seem even more remarkable.

    An ordinary person would have vanished without a trace trying to follow the Church¡¯s trail.

    Even though I trusted him with the job, I couldn¡¯t help but be amazed.

    ¡°This is as far as my investigation has gone for now.¡±

    <Girl, is what he says true?>

    As soon as the conversation ended, Grandpa spoke in a voice that trembled slightly, something unusual for him.

    Unlike me, who had no love for the Church or the so-called Principal God, Grandpa held deep, unwavering faith.

    Given his position as one of the founding figures who helped the Church rise to power, it must be hard for him to hear that the institution he helped build was now so corrupt.

    ¡®Yes, it¡¯s true.¡¯

    But I had to tell the truth.

    Since he was traveling with me, he¡¯d eventually have to face everything, and it was better he prepared himself now than be blindsidedter.

    ¡®To add to Alsatin¡¯s exnation, the Church is currently conducting experiments to create a being with immense divine power.¡¯

    It¡¯s well-known that our so-called Principal God doesn¡¯t choose apostles.

    Even while apostles of various gods roamed the continent, Aramadi never chose one for himself.

    He only spoke to his believers, guiding them in their direction, but never directly appointing someone as his apostle.

    The Church publicly imed that this was because the Principal God loved everyone equally, and they praised Aramadi for it. But privately, they had other thoughts.

    They envied the apostles of other gods.

    It wasn¡¯t because apostles were closer to their deities or wielded special powers.

    The Church envied the apostles for one reason: authority.

    Whatever an apostle said was considered the will of their god.

    For the higher-ups in the Church, who were constantly met with opposition to their actions, the existence of an apostle was an irresistible tool.

    So the leaders of the Church decided to create one for themselves. Using the title of ¡°Saint,¡± which had existed in the past but rarely manifested.

    ¡®At first, they tried selecting orphans who already had some divine potential to mold into a saint, but finding such geniuses was no easy task.¡¯

    <So now they¡¯re artificially creating someone with immense divine power?>

    ¡®Exactly.¡¯

    <Hah. This is maddening. How can those who im to believe in a god grow darker and more depraved as time goes on?>

    Grandpa let out a deep sigh, which made it clear that even in the past, the Church had never been apletely clean institution.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t. No group is entirely good. That only happens in fairy tales.

    <That means your friend Faybi...>

    ¡®Yes. She¡¯s one of the artificially created saints.¡¯

    Faybi probably doesn¡¯t realize it yet, but she was also manufactured by the Church.

    Her personal story in the game involved her discovering she was a false saint and going through a period of turmoil before bing a true saint.@@novelbin@@

    I¡¯d always admired her for never losing her kindness, even after all the hardships she endured.

    <...If that girl, who is already so shaken, learns the truth, it will be devastating.>

    ¡®Yes, it will.¡¯

    Faybi, unlike her game counterpart, was already struggling with many doubts.

    She was anxious about her failures and doubted her faith in the Principal God. If all of this were to be thrust upon her now?

    Since this scenario didn¡¯t exist in the game, I couldn¡¯t say for sure how it would y out, but it certainly wouldn¡¯t be a happy one.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯d ordered Alsatin to investigate¡ªto gradually reveal the truth to Faybi.

    It¡¯s like giving someone a vine. You don¡¯t start with a full dose right away.

    You introduce it slowly so they can build up the strength to handle the real thing when ites.

    For now, Alsatin¡¯s evidence is stillrgely circumstantial, so I won¡¯t be telling Faybi anything yet.

    But there¡¯s no rush. Faybi¡¯s path to uncovering the truth doesn¡¯t begin until her second year, anyway.

    By then, Alsatin should have solid proof.

    ¡®Keep up the good work.¡¯

    ¡°Hmph. Information broker, and you still only have circumstantial evidence? Aren¡¯t you ashamed to say you¡¯ve done your job? What a weak performance. Even your title as ¡®information broker¡¯ feels wasted.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯ll try harder.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    A few days after the field trip had ended, Faybi had somewhat regained herposure from the recent chaos.

    It wasn¡¯t that she no longer envied Lucy. As the apostle of a god, someone who could hear divine voices, Lucy remained an object of jealousy.

    But Faybi no longer blindly resented or envied her. She hade to acknowledge that Lucy was worthy of her role as the apostle.

    What had influenced Faybi¡¯s change of heart was the field trip.

    She had seen Lucy endure great humiliation for others, fearlessly taking on the role of a viin to help others grow. And in the end, she had seeded in bringing about a happy ending for everyone.

    Having witnessed all of that, Faybi could no longer deny Lucy¡¯s worth.

    Unlike herself, who was full of shorings, Lucy was truly someone who deserved to be an apostle.

    It was only natural. The great Principal God wouldn¡¯t have chosen someone with selfish intentions.

    From the moment Lucy was chosen as an apostle, she had proven herself worthy.

    After epting all of this, Faybi felt a sense of peace.

    In other words, the reason the Principal God hadn¡¯t spoken to her yet was simply because she wasn¡¯t ready.

    If she worked hard and became a better person, then one day, Aramadi would surely speak to her.

    So, until then, she would strive to improve herself.

    Yes, there¡¯s no way the Principal God favored Lady Alrn¡¯s sphemous remarks, right?

    It¡¯s just that Lady Alrn has something special to offer thatpensates for her behavior.

    Even though Faybi knew there was no way the Principal God would allow such things, she still felt inadequate and med herself.

    As Faybi walked back to the church after academy sses, lost in self-criticism, she suddenly stopped and chuckled to herself.

    <em>Sigh</em>. Now that I¡¯ve set down my burdens, I feel so much lighter. I should have done this from the start.

    ¡°What are you thinking about that¡¯s making youugh like that?¡±

    Just then, a voice called out from behind Faybi. It was a deep, heavy voice, dripping with shadow.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I¡¯ve been preparing a satisfying answer for you, but it took longer than expected. I¡¯m sorry for the dy.¡±

    The Apostle of the Evil God smiled as he loomed over Faybi with his towering height, casting her in his shadow.

    ¡°I¡¯ve brought you the answer you¡¯ve been waiting for¡­¡±

    ¡°Leave.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    Faybi took a step back from his shadow and spoke firmly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear any more of your words. If you get any closer, I¡¯ll call the people from the church. Leave.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t you want to know why Aramadi doesn¡¯t speak to you?¡±

    ¡°I already know, so there¡¯s no need.¡±

    If this had been the Faybi from before, lost in her doubts, it might have been different. But now she had found her answer.

    There was no need to hear anything from him, as she already knew that all her problems stemmed from her own shorings.

    ¡°Ah. You¡¯re thinking that because you¡¯recking, the voice of your god can¡¯t reach you, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The Apostle of the Evil God smirked and said it as though mocking Faybi¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°That¡¯s such a predictable, boring answer.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make this clear. The reason Aramadi doesn¡¯t speak to you isn¡¯t because you¡¯recking.¡±

    The Apostle of the Evil God smiled darkly as he once again enclosed Faybi in his shadow.

 Chapter 144

    "That''s a lie."

    Faybi shook her head at the words of the Apostle of the Evil God.

    There''s no reason to believe anything he says. He''s trying to deceive me with his slick tongue, to swallow me whole. As expected of a servant of the Evil God, he uses dirty and underhanded tactics.

    Though Faybi red at him with disdain, the Apostle of the Evil God remained unbothered. He simply maintained his sticky, unsettling grin.

    "Why do you pretend to know nothing?"

    There''s no reason for me to entertain his words any longer. I should call the academy staff or someone from the church to¡ª

    "I see. You don¡¯t remember, do you?"

    Before Faybi could react, the Apostle of the Evil God suddenly moved toward her, extending his hand. His speed was far too quick for Faybi to match, and she had no choice but to allow his hand to rest on her forehead.

    As soon as his hand touched her, a surge of magic flowed through her.

    "Now, you should be able to remember."

    Unable to withstand the overwhelming pain in her head, Faybi copsed to the ground.

    The pain was a wave of memories.

    Memories buried deep within the ocean of oblivion, now brought to her by the Apostle¡¯s touch.

    It started with the face of the smiling orphanage director.

    "These new children are impressive. The amount of divine energy they can absorb is increasing. I''m pleased."

    Though she wore a kind smile, her eyes told a different story.

    The orphanage director, like the others around her, spoke of Faybi and her friends as though they were mere objects to be appraised. None of them saw the children as people to be nurtured or cared for.

    That¡¯s strange. Didn¡¯t the director say this was a ce where we were supposed to be together?

    Despite Faybi¡¯s confusion, the memories continued.

    Next was a room in the basement.

    In the dim light of a flickering candle, the orphanage director and a man with sses were deep in conversation.

    "I remember. This child is the most promising among this batch. Handle her carefully." "Don¡¯t worry. You know my skills." "Still, be cautious. This time, we need to produce something that will please those above us. Damn, do you know how angry I was when I saw that woman Keeple smilingst time?" "My future depends on it too. I¡¯ll give it my best."

    As the conversation ended, the man with sses injected something into Faybi.

    Momentster, screams tore from her throat.

    It hurts. It hurts so much. I think I¡¯m going to die. Please, someone save me. Faybi cried out endlessly, but neither of them flinched.

    The orphanage director looked down at her with an emotionless expression and said:

    "Pray. Pray, and the god will save you. Aramadi will take away your pain if you pray hard enough."

    It was a ridiculous statement, but back then, Faybi had no time to care.

    She simply prayed, and prayed, and prayed, until she lost consciousness.

    What is this? Countless other memories shed through her mind.

    A child dragged away for failing to memorize the scriptures.

    Meals eaten inplete silence, devoid of any conversation.

    The icy atmosphere of the orphanage, with friends disappearing day by day.

    "That''s a lie."

    "Do you want to think it¡¯s a lie?"

    "This can¡¯t be real."

    "Oh? Isn¡¯t that something you should know better than I do?"

    Yes, the Apostle of the Evil God was right. Of all people, Faybi knew the answers to her own questions.

    In this moment, she realized that her memories of the ce she once held most dear had be strangely blurry.

    And inversely, the memories swirling in her head now were disturbingly vivid.

    The feeling of wrongness.

    The countless things she had never questioned before now demanded her acknowledgment of the truth.

    Why have I never gone back to the orphanage I used to live in?

    Why can¡¯t I remember the faces of the friends I spent time with at the orphanage?

    Why can¡¯t I remember the names of any of the other clergy members besides the director?

    Why?

    Why?

    Why?

    Faybi, faced with the relentless wave of memories, eventually couldn''t hold back any longer and vomited onto the ground.

    Her white hair shook with her trembling shoulders, a pitiful sight, but the Apostle of the Evil God paid no mind.

    "The artificial saint. Are you ready to listen now?"

    Faybi couldn''t answer.

    She wasn¡¯t able to.

    Her throat was too tight to allow any sound to escape.

    But the Apostle seemed to take her silence as agreement, a satisfied smile creeping across his face.

    "Let me tell you the truth."

    The Apostle began to speak. He detailed the process that created Faybi, the ways she had been used up until now.

    His ount was so precise, so detailed, that even Faybi couldn¡¯t deny its truth.

    As she watched the memories unfurl in her mind, memories she had long thought to be true, and the unsettling feeling that lingered between them, she had no choice but to ept it.

    The truth.

    Her use.

    The Apostle''s words left her no room for denial.

    "I think that answers your questions, don¡¯t you?"

    "..."@@novelbin@@

    "Why can¡¯t you hear the voice of the god, even though you¡¯re a saint? It¡¯s simple. Aramadi never chose you. He¡¯s never even seen you. Your very existence is an insult to Aramadi. Why would he ever acknowledge you?"

    When Faybi didn¡¯t lift her head, the Apostle grabbed her by the hair and forcibly yanked her up.

    Her normally pale face had turned ghostly white, like that of a corpseid in a coffin.

    "Don¡¯t you want revenge? On the people who stole your childhood, who treated you like a convenient tool? If you want it¡ª"

    "Light!"

    Without warning, a burst of light erupted, causing the Apostle to flinch and step back.

    Freed from his grasp, Faybi quickly made her escape, scanning her surroundings.

    Something¡¯s wrong. We¡¯re in the middle of the academy¡¯s streets, so why hasn¡¯t anyone intervened?

    Only then did Faybi notice the darkness surrounding her.

    The sky was pitch ck. The street eerily silent with not a soul in sight.

    This¡­ This isn¡¯t the academy.

    Where am I? How did I end up here?

    "Impressive."

    The Apostle''s voice, which had been behind her moments ago, now echoed from in front of her, causing Faybi to halt.

    "Is your hatred for the god greater than your desire for revenge?"

    Confused, Faybi turned her head in the direction of his voice.

    "No. That¡¯s not it."

    "Hmm?"

    "I don¡¯t want revenge."

    Faybi, still shaken by the revtion that everything she believed was a lie, was tormented by the jumble of truths and lies swirling in her head.

    But that didn¡¯t mean she wanted revenge.

    "Aramadi wouldn¡¯t want that."

    What is wrong should be corrected.

    But personal feelings have no ce in that.

    Justice must be served by justice alone.

    What is done in the name of righteousness through unrighteous methods is no justice at all.

    That¡¯s what Faybi believed.

    "¡­Are you serious?"

    "Yes."

    The Apostle looked into Faybi¡¯s determined eyes, realizing her words were genuine. He chuckled.

    "You, who have never heard Aramadi¡¯s voice, who will never hear it, still speak like a saint?"

    "Is that what you¡¯re hung up on? I should thank you for telling me the truth."

    Faybi had long been gued by the question of whether she was worthy of being a saint.

    Could someone who felt jealousy, who harbored hatred and doubt, really be suited for such a title?

    The Apostle had given her the answer.

    Faybi wasn¡¯t a saint.

    A title granted by human hands, but meaningless in the eyes of the divine, Faybi was nothing more than another follower of the god.

    For someone else, such a revtion might have been devastating. But not for Faybi.

    After acknowledging her own ws, the fact that she wasn¡¯t a saint was not a revocation of her title but a liberation.

    It was a pardon.

    Of course she wasn¡¯t suited for the role of a saint. That exined why she had so many shorings.

    Which meant¡ª

    "The reason Aramadi hasn¡¯t acknowledged me is because I¡¯mcking, right?"

    The answer was simple.

    She only had to work hard to be someone worthy of Aramadi¡¯s love, just like Lucy, Aramadi¡¯s Apostle.

    The Apostle stared at her nkly for a moment beforeughing.

    "You¡¯vepletely lost your mind. After being brainwashed for so long, you truly believe you¡¯re a saint, don¡¯t you?"

    "Maybe so."

    "As a believer, that¡¯s the perfect answer."

    The Apostle took a step toward Faybi, quickly closing the gap between them.

    He towered over her, several glowing orbs appearing around him.

    "But it¡¯s not the answer I wanted to hear."

    Faybi sensed the threat in his words.

    If you don¡¯t want to get hurt, change your answer.

    What an obvious, boring threat.

    You really think I¡¯ll give you the answer you want?

    Faybi red at him, feeling nothing but annoyance.

    Then she paused, remembering she wasn¡¯t a saint, and shook her head.

    She wasn¡¯t a saint, so who cared if she didn¡¯t act like one?

    How can I provoke this man?

    What should I say to unsettle him?

    How can Ind a blow?

    Ah, that¡¯s right. I have the perfect guide for this.

    Lucy, Aramadi¡¯s Apostle, taught me well.

    "Maybe it''s because you''re just a lousy Apostle of a second-rate god?"

    As Faybi uttered words Lucy might¡¯ve said, the smug expression on the Apostle¡¯s face froze.

    "¡­You wretched girl."

    "Pfft! That was the perfect answer, wasn¡¯t it, you third-rate Apostle?"

    As the Apostle clenched his teeth in anger, another voice rang out from above.

    It was a sharp, piercing voice that Faybi knew all too well.

    Turning to the sound of nging armor, Faybi was greeted by a familiar, smug smile.

    ¡°Hey, you pretentious little bastard, you still think you''re cool, when are you going to grow out of puberty, you pathetic little shit?¡±

 Chapter 145

    <strong>The Academy¡¯s Holiday</strong>

    After the field trip ended, a holiday came upon the Academy. What I needed to do during this time was obvious.

    Training and sparring.

    My mind told me that taking a day or two off wouldn¡¯t hurt, but when I actually tried to rest, my body itched with the need to move, making it unbearable.

    After months of pushing myself to the limit, exhausting workouts had be a part of my daily routine.

    <em>Ding.</em>

    As I sprinted along at my usual pace, I heard a notification pop up, drawing my gaze.

    [Head to the Temple of the Principal God.] [Reach the Temple within the time limit.] [Time remaining: 30:00] [Reward: ???]

    I came to a sudden stop, confused by the message.

    What¡¯s this? Go to the temple? Why? The quest seemed pointless,cking any clear reason or meaning, so I tilted my head in thought.

    Hmm. Well, they¡¯re offering a reward, so I guess I¡¯ll go. But why now? Is there a problem at the temple?

    "Why... why did you stop...?"

    Turning around, I saw Frey panting heavily, while Joy was already sprawled out on the ground, exhausted.

    "I just remembered something I¡¯d been putting off."

    "It¡¯s something small and stupid I¡¯d forgotten about, nothing important."

    Going to the temple shouldn¡¯t take long, so I told the two of them to take a break and left the training grounds.

    "Huff. Oh, my dear, even your sweat has a captivating aroma."

    No sooner had I stepped outside than the Vain Fox appeared, spouting her usual disgusting nonsense as she stared at me.

    Hah. Are you trying to disgust me, so I won¡¯t want to touch you?

    Sorry, but if that¡¯s your n, you¡¯ve failed! Even if you pull that perverted face, you¡¯re still just an adorable baby fox in my eyes.

    She once told me that the reason for her current form was because Icked strength, didn¡¯t she?

    So, if I get stronger, will she revert to the form I saw in the forest?

    Ugh. No thanks. Can¡¯t she stay as a cute baby fox forever?

    "Where are you going?"

    "To the temple."

    "And what would a useless fox like you want with that?"

    "I was merely asking if I may apany you?"

    There was no need for her to finish the sentence; I already knew her intentions. Her face, a mix of innocence and slyness, gave it all away.

    She probably wanted to follow me just to sniff my sweat again.

    Perverted freak. Your tastes are seriously messed up.

    And yet, why do you run away embarrassed whenever I try to pet your fur?

    If you were a true pervert, wouldn¡¯t you enjoy even that? Why are you such a pathetic excuse of one?

    "May I?"

    "Do what you want."

    "Not that I care either way."

    At my answer, the Vain Fox trotted happily beside me, though she kept a safe distance¡ªjust far enough that she could dart away if I tried to grab her.

    <em>Sigh.</em> What a pathetic, cowardly fox.

    <You know, it¡¯s hard to tell who the real pervert is here.>

    ''...How is finding a small animal cute considered perverted?''

    Isn¡¯t it a perfectly normal human instinct? You¡¯re being unfair, old man. You admit the fox is cute too, after all.

    <If that¡¯s what you believe, then sure.>

    ''What are you trying to say, old man? Just spit it out.''@@novelbin@@

    Depending on your answer, I might have to resurrect that academy garbage tour I scrapped earlier.

    As I bantered with the old man, I noticed something different about the atmosphere outside the academy.

    What¡¯s going on? Why is everyone whispering like that? And why do the academy guards and teachers look so on edge?

    Did something happen while I was training inside? There¡¯s no event like this in the game¡¯s scenario at this point.

    Unable to make sense of the situation, I stopped a passing professor.

    "Lady Alrn, what brings you here?"

    "What¡¯s going on?"

    "Speak, you useless professor. Stop stalling."

    "Well..."

    As soon as the exnation ended, I sprinted toward the temple.

    Nakrad attacked Faybi in the middle of the academy streets and fled?! What kind of insanity is this?!

    It¡¯s not impossible. Nakrad is the Apostle of Tariki, the Evil God of Darkness. If nothing else, his ability to hide is second to none.

    If it¡¯s not in a ce like the academy, which inherently rejects infiltration, stopping him would be almost impossible.

    Even now, with time left before the Evil Gods fully revive, it would still be hard to block him. However, his other abilities are a different story.

    No matter how powerful he is, there¡¯s no way he could paralyze Faybi with just a touch, especially at this point in time.

    That means something happened that I don¡¯t know about! Damn it! Why can¡¯t things just unfold like the game?!

    As I approached the temple, I could sense the chaotic atmosphere around it.

    People were gathered outside, staring at the temple doors with worried expressions, while several members of the temple staff blocked the entrance.

    The situation, with an Apostle of the Evil God attacking the saint, had caused the temple to forbid entry to outsiders.

    <em>Tch.</em> What a hassle.

    "Move."

    "Out of my way, useless guards. Don¡¯t make me feel worse by touching me."

    My infamous reputation worked even here.

    The merchants, who catered to academy students, were well aware of the rumors circting among the students. Of course, they remembered my face as one of the most feared individuals.

    As soon as someone shouted, "Lady Alrn?!" a path cleared, though the temple doors remained shut.

    The priests who had previously suffered because of me weren¡¯t running this time, though. Instead, they stood their ground.

    "My apologies, Lady Alrn. The temple is currently¡ª"

    "Useless priest? Are your eyes just for decoration?? You can¡¯t even see what¡¯s in front of you, you pathetic idiot? You¡¯re so pathetic it¡¯s hrious?"

    I shed the priest my cross ne, causing him to grimace.

    Right now, I couldn¡¯t exactly be called an outsider by the Principal God¡¯s church.

    Having cured Agra¡¯s curse twice and proven I could hear the god¡¯s voice, how could they possibly call me an outsider?

    And by the way, I officially became a believer of the Principal God after receiving Faybi¡¯s blessing. So, really, an outsider? Is that what you¡¯re going with? Seriously?

    "But still¡ª"

    "Move. You¡¯re in my way?"

    The priest¡¯s face flushed red with anger at my taunt, but he still refused to budge.

    <em>Sigh.</em> Just get out of my way already. I¡¯m trying to save your saint.

    I¡¯m not even doing anything to harm you guys, so why are you being such a pain?

    When I tried to push through, the priests attempted to stop me. But, of course, that wasn¡¯t happening.

    No matter how much training they¡¯d received as priests, they were still just that¡ªpriests.

    Those trying to block me couldn¡¯t withstand my strength and crumpled to the ground like paper.

    "Getting beat by a girl, you pathetic losers? Stay down and cry? It¡¯s sad to watch?"

    "Lady Alrn?!"

    As I entered the temple, I called out to the old man.

    I¡¯d been here a few times, but I didn¡¯t know theyout. And obviously, I had no idea where Faybi was.

    But it didn¡¯t matter. The old man¡¯s navigation was always spot-on.

    <Head through the door to your right...>

    "Stop right there!"

    "Don¡¯t let her through!"

    "How is she this strong?!"

    After forcing my way through, I burst into a room and found Faybi lying on a bed.

    Even paler than usual, her already white face now looked like that of a corpse. If it weren¡¯t for the slow rise and fall of her chest, I might¡¯ve been fooled.

    <em>Ding.</em>

    Just as I bit my lip in frustration, another notification rang out.

    [Quest Update] [Save Faybi!] [Faybi has been rendered unconscious by the Apostle of the Evil God. Save her within the time limit!] [Time remaining: 24:37] [Reward: ???]

    Why does it feel like the god is more desperate to save Faybi than when I¡¯m in danger? What a useless, perverted god.

    I thought you were just a pedophile, but it turns out you like pretty people regardless of gender? How big is your strike zone, anyway?

    "Lady Alrn?! This is¡ª"

    "Shut up, you moronic bishop. If you¡¯re going to spout nonsense, just keep quiet?"

    The bishop hesitated for a moment before noticing the cross ne around my neck and stepping aside.

    Huh. As expected of someone who made it to the rank of bishop. At least he knows when to back down.

    With the bishop¡¯s silent permission, I entered the room and examined Faybi¡¯s face. Her usual frown was still there, but the rest of her looked even more fragile.

    <Her body is fine. But there¡¯s dark magic from the Evil God inside her.>

    ''Inside Faybi?''

    <Yes. That must be what¡¯s affecting her...>

    While I was discussing a solution with the old man, the Vain Fox suddenly leaped onto the bed.

    Hey, what do you think you¡¯re doing? I¡¯m kind of in a hurry here. Can you not do anything weird right now?

    "The Apostle of the Evil God dragged this child into his mental realm."

    ''...What?''

    "What was that, Vain Fox?"

    "Simply put, he kidnapped only her mind."

    Having gone through her own trials of the mind, the Vain Fox seemed particrly skilled in this area as she exined.

    The Apostle had nted his power inside Faybi long ago, slowly taking hold of her. Once his control wasplete, he came to meet her in person and trapped her mind.

    "The Apostle is quite skillful."

    "Vain Fox?? Stop rambling and get to the point?"

    "What¡¯s the rush? The solution is simple. If someone¡¯s been kidnapped, then we just need to rescue them. I¡¯ll send you into her mind so you can defeat the kidnapper and bring her back."

    ''Me?''

    "Me?"

    "Who else would go? My physical body is as weak as it looks. No one else can go but you, her contractor."

    So I can¡¯t just send Karl or someone else to handle it? Damn it.

    Can I even beat Nakrad in my current state?

    I¡¯m stronger than I was back then, sure, but I wouldn¡¯t say I¡¯ve grown enough to guarantee victory.

    If I enter Faybi¡¯s mental world, I¡¯ll probably end up facing the same situation asst time.

    Just thinking about it brought back the memories.

    Blood pouring from holes in my body, soaking the ground beneath me. Bones breaking, then being patched together again, only to break once more. Just when I thought I¡¯d grown used to the pain, a fresh wave of suffering always came to remind me of my arrogance.

    The only reason I survived back then was pure luck. It was only by chance that I¡¯m still here, standing.

    In other words, if my luck hadn¡¯t held out, I would¡¯ve been buried in the dirt by now.

    And right now...

    To save Faybi, I¡¯ll have to rely on luck again.

    Luck so uncertain, it¡¯s questionable whether it even exists.

    Oh well. That¡¯s easy! I¡¯m lucky, so I¡¯ll survive this too!

    I squashed the fear in my chest and looked up at the Vain Fox¡¯s face.

    She was smiling that ridiculous smile again.

    What? Why are you looking at me like that?

    "Master, there¡¯s no need to worry. As long as you carry the light within you, you will never lose to him."

 Chapter 146

    <strong>"Pffft. Pahahaha. Ah, I was so tense beforeing here, but hearing what Faybi said just made all that stress disappear."</strong>

    "You¡¯re saying it¡¯s because he¡¯s just a pathetic Apostle of the Evil God? That¡¯s not something a saint should say, Faybi."

    As I absorbed the impact of mynding and raised my shield, I noticed the stark contrast in the two people¡¯s gazes on me.

    Faybi¡¯s eyes lit up with hope, slowly lifting as if she was looking at a savior, while Nakrad¡¯s re twisted in anger.

    I should probably provoke him first. Can¡¯t let Faybi draw his attention while I¡¯m here.

    "Hello there? You still think you¡¯re cool, you overgrown teenage wannabe?? When are you going to grow out of your puberty phase?? Pathetic? Completely useless?"

    Nakrad¡¯s eyes red at the sound of my mockingughter. Seeing him like that brought back old memories, causing a knot of tension in my chest.

    If it weren¡¯t for the Mesugaki skill preventing me from physically reacting, I¡¯m sure my nerves would¡¯ve been obvious.

    It¡¯s fine. No problem. I don¡¯t have to fight him myself, after all.

    "It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had a physical body," came a voice from beside me.

    I turned my head to see an old man with snow-white hair standing there. The wrinkles on his face spoke of the many years he had lived, but his body told a different story.

    Despite his age, his physique was as sturdy as that of a man half his years, reminiscent of the famed hero Benedict. His spotless white armor gleamed as he created a holy shield with his left arm, turning his gaze to me.

    "It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m seeing you like this, little one."

    It was Ruel¡ªthe soul who resided in my mace, the legendary Holy Knight who once saved the world.

    I didn¡¯t realize it when he was just giving me lectures while trapped in the mace, but this old man is seriously a monster. Just standing near him, I can feel the overwhelming pressure radiating off him.

    Now I get why the Vain Fox was so confident.

    Before entering Faybi¡¯s mind, the Vain Fox had told me this:

    "In the mental world, a physical body means nothing. What matters is the strength of the soul."

    ''Do you understand? The one residing in your mace is linked to you by spirit. So if you enter a mental realm, he naturally follows.''

    Ruel had stroked his mustache with a smile before extending his hand toward me.

    "What do you think, little one? Do I seem reliable now?"

    ''Of course!''

    "Looking for somepliments, are we, old man? Too bad, I¡¯m not in the mood to say what you want to hear."

    "Hmph. Hearing it out loud like that is rather annoying."

    I handed my mace to the old man, who gripped it with a hand easily three times the size of mine.

    As soon as he took hold of it, the mace expanded in size. Ruel casually swung the now enormous weapon, as if it weighed nothing more than a stick.

    "It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve fought directly. Let¡¯s see how this goes."

    ''Old man?''

    "What¡¯s wrong, you pathetic fossil? All that big talk, and now you¡¯re not confident? Some washed-up knight you are."

    "...Little one, I¡¯m sorry, but could you please stop talking for a moment? I feel like I might identally hit you if you keep this up."

    Seriously, how could a legendary Holy Knight have such a thin skin? C¡¯mon, old man, shrug it off like it¡¯s nothing.

    "You."

    "Ah, my apologies. It¡¯s been so long since I had a body, I got a little carried away. Greetings, Apostle of the Evil God. My name is Ruel, one of the heroes who sealed your master. I suppose you have every reason to hate me."

    As Ruel stepped forward, Nakrad took a step back, his eyes darting around in confusion.

    He was startled.

    Nakrad may be strongpared to me, but when you consider the continent as a whole, he¡¯s stillcking in many areas.

    Unless the Evil Gods have fully revived, Nakrad can¡¯t exert his full power. Just look at how he struggles even against someone like Karl, a mere knight of the Alrn family.

    But my old man? Even if Nakrad were at full power, Ruel could take him down. This guy is a monster who fought on the front lines against the Evil Gods.

    The title of "Holy Knight of the Hero¡¯s Party" wasn¡¯t just for show.

    "Lies."

    "You think it¡¯s a lie? Believe what you want. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m standing right here."

    "Don¡¯t threaten me with your bluffs!"

    Nakrad hurled the ck orbs that floated around him. Each one had the power to incapacitate me, but Ruel didn¡¯t even flinch.

    Instead, he simply raised his mace and swung it leisurely.

    Watching him wield the mace like that filled me with awe.

    Maybe I wouldn¡¯t have noticed before, back when I was inexperienced, but now? I practice with the mace every day. I knew exactly how incredible his technique was.

    The grip, the distribution of force, the flow of mana, and the precision in his movements.

    I realized one thing for sure. This was perfection. That¡¯s how a mace should be wielded to achieve maximum power and efficiency.

    "Do you still think this is a bluff?"

    As Nakrad clenched his jaw, Ruel took another step forward.

    "In some ways, this is fortunate. I¡¯ve always been frustrated, having to only give advice. Now, I can finally show you how to fight."

    Watch closely, old man. As soon as Ruel finished speaking, he charged forward.

    Ruel had been by Lucy¡¯s side ever since the day he awoke.

    Whether she was training,

    Sparring with other knights,

    Or burying her face in a book out of frustration,

    Even when she panicked because of the foulnguage the Principal God¡¯s blessing forced her to use,

    Whenever Lucy found herself isted, hurt by the avoidance of those around her,

    And, of course, even during the moments when she stood on the brink of death¡ªRuel had always been there.

    When he first awoke, Ruel thought it was the will of the god to help this child, and so he would do so.

    But now, after spending so much time with Lucy, getting to know just how righteous and good-hearted she truly was, Ruel regarded her as his own granddaughter.

    And the man before him now? He was the bastard who had once tried to kill his granddaughter.

    There was no reason to show mercy. None at all.

    "Where do you think you¡¯re going?"

    As Nakrad tried to slip into the shadows, Ruel stomped down on it with his foot.

    This was the man who had once sealed away the Evil God with his own hands. Of course, he had experience fighting the followers of the Darkness God as well. He knew exactly how to deal with them.

    Grabbing Nakrad before he could escape, Ruel kicked him hard, sending him flying across the room.

    "Not yet. Get up."

    "D-damn it!"

    What¡¯s with you, trying to copse already?

    When Lucy faced you, she endured far worse pain than this and still stood. She blocked your path. She grabbed your ankle.

    Those who torment others must be prepared to face the consequences. Is this all the resolve you have as an Apostle of the Evil God?

    "I still have more to show Lucy. You, however, are just a teaching tool."

    "Die!"

    Nakrad shouted as spikes of dark magic shot up from the shadowy ground.

    But before they could fully form, Ruel crushed them beneath his feet, imbued with divine power.@@novelbin@@

    "Divinity is not just a tool for casting holy spells. Its uses are limitless, depending on how you wield it."

    It might be difficult for you to understand this now, Lucy, as you¡¯re still at the beginning of your journey as a Holy Knight. But one day, you will reach this level.

    I will always be by your side, guiding you. So watch closely.

    "Die already!"

    Despite his failed attempts, Nakrad refused to give up. He charged at Ruel with fists and magic, his dark energy surging.

    Thebination of magic and physical attacks would have been dangerous¡ªif he were facing anyone but Ruel.

    With his shield, Ruel blocked every strike, retaliating with his mace whenever there was an opening, steadily umting damage.

    Look closely, Lucy. This is how one fights with a shield. Use it selfishly, move in ways that irritate your opponent, make them lose their cool.

    Like I¡¯ve always said, fight like a crocodile¡ªhide behind your shield, and strike only when the advantage is yours.

    Nakrad¡¯s attacks were wearing down, and before long, he was once again sent rolling across the floor.

    Though he managed to get back up, his legs were shaking.

    There had been no single killing blow, but each swing of the mace,ced with deadly intent, had slowly torn at his flesh and broken his bones. The umted damage wasn¡¯t light.

    "It¡¯s not over yet."

    Ruel gripped his mace tighter and advanced.

    It¡¯s not over yet.

    Lucy withstood far more at your hands. You¡¯ll need to endure even more than this.

    "Stay back! Stay away from me!"

    This time, Nakrad summoned countless creatures from the shadows.

    The beings made of darkness brimmed with ominous energy, though against divine power, they were nothing but fragile constructs.

    Ruel nced around at the creatures surrounding him and raised his mace.

    "Watch closely, little one. This is the level you will one day reach."

    Divine energy gathered atop Ruel¡¯s mace.

    The holy power of the knight who had once stood on the front lines against the darkness burned like a miniature sun.

    The ck sky receded,

    The shadowy creatures slunk back into their hiding ces,

    And the Apostle of the Evil God could do nothing but scream as he watched.

    When it was over, Ruel walked slowly toward the fallen Nakrad, bathed in the light from above.

    Terrified, Nakrad tried to crawl away, but he couldn¡¯t escape Ruel¡¯s measured steps.

    Standing over Nakrad, Ruel lifted his mace.

    "I will have my revenge! I¡¯ll repay this humiliation to Aramadi¡¯s Apostle!"

    "Do as you wish. When that timees, you will kneel before her."

    The mace descended.

 Chapter 148

    <strong>Practice mode? Is this what you thought would calm me down?</strong>

    <em>Hah.</em> What a ridiculous joke. You really think that unlocking some random feature is going to make me happy?

    This is the most useless feature ever!

    In <em>Soul Academy</em>, practice mode is a function that lets you test new skills by using them on a dummy. It¡¯s designed to show you how to utilize the skills you¡¯ve learned.

    For first-time yers, sure, it¡¯s a wee feature, but for me? Not so much.

    Especially now that this world has be real, and you can¡¯t get by with just a few skills like in a game.

    There¡¯s no skill progression, no new conditions to unlock skills by just messing around in there.

    The only thing it offers is the ability to hit a dummy as much as you want. How useless can that be?!

    Do I look like an idiot to you?!

    <em>Hmph. Hmphhhh.</em>

    I have so much I want to say, but I¡¯m holding back because I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ll retaliate. But just know this.

    You were a <em>lousy god</em> before, and you¡¯ll remain a <em>lousy god</em> in my heart forever.

    From now on, I¡¯m never calling you Aramadi again.

    Got it, you masochistic, perverted lousy god!

    As I dismissed all the floating windows in front of me, Faybi opened her eyes.

    She stared nkly at the ceiling, slowly turning her head to look around. When she saw me, she froze momentarily before forcing a smile.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, is this reality?¡±

    ¡®Yes, it is.¡¯ ¡°Can¡¯t even tell that you¡¯re back in the real world? Some saint you are. Yeah, this is reality, you lousy saint.¡±

    Even though she was out of danger, Faybi¡¯s stiff expression didn¡¯t ease up.

    What¡¯s wrong with her?

    ¡®Faybi?¡¯ "Lousy saint, why are you looking like a guilty puppy?"

    ¡°Uhm¡­ It¡¯s just¡­¡±

    Her lips twitched, and her shoulders flinched every time I called her a saint.

    Hmm¡­ It couldn¡¯t be, could it? I mean, it seems unlikely, but there¡¯s always that tiny chance¡­

    Did she figure it out? That she hasn¡¯t actually been chosen by Aramadi?

    ¡°The title of saint doesn¡¯t suit me.¡±

    <em>Oh no.</em>

    This is bad. She figured it out.

    No way!

    How in the world did she realize that?

    There¡¯s no one around her who could have told her that¡ªexcept for me.

    There¡¯s no way Alsatine, who¡¯s banking on her future with Faybi, would spill such a dangerous secret.

    And it¡¯s not like Faybi has gained the strength to crush the Church¡¯s schemes with her own power.

    As I struggled to understand, I suddenly remembered the enemy that had tormented Faybi earlier and bit my lip.

    Damn it. Nakrad. That bastard must have let something slip.

    Who else could it be?

    No one but him¡ªthe one who had once been used as a test subject by the Orphanage of the Church of the Principal God¡ªcould have known that Faybi was a fake saint.

    This is a mess. Judging by Faybi¡¯s reaction, she seems convinced she¡¯s a fake saint now.

    Does that mean her memories of the orphanage have returned too?

    <em>Sigh.</em> How do I clean this up?

    Faybi was already unstable, unlike her in-game counterpart.

    If she fully realizes her true identity and her past, her mental state will be shattered.

    First, I need tofort her.

    No, I need to make sure she stays quiet.

    Wait, no¡ªwhat I really need to do first is¡ª

    <Calm down, my child.> ¡®How am I supposed to calm down in this situation?!¡¯

    If Faybi asks the Church about herself, it¡¯s going to causeplete chaos!

    She¡¯s a character I liked a lot, and I¡¯ve grown even more attached to her recently after spending so much time together. I don¡¯t want her to disappear!

    Instead of wasting time telling me to calm down, tell me how I can control Faybi, Gramps!

    <She seems to be stronger than we thought.> ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ <Look at her. She¡¯s troubled, but she doesn¡¯t appear to be crumbling.>

    That¡¯s true, now that I think about it.

    Compared to the Faybi I used to walk around with, who was always shaky, this Faybi seems different.

    She could be pretending to be strong, but even being able to pretend shows she¡¯s holding it together.

    If she can still put on a strong front after having her reason for existence denied, that means her mental state is intact.

    Has she grown in her own way after everything we¡¯ve been through?

    Back when we entered our first dungeon together, her emotions were written all over her face.

    <It seems you don¡¯t have to worry too much.> ¡®Gramps, can you really vouch for that?¡¯ <Of course. I take pride in my ability to read people.>

    <em>Sigh.</em> Alright. You want me to trust Faybi?

    Fine, I¡¯ll take your word for it, Gramps.

    But if Faybi ends up going off the rails, you¡¯d better be ready for a tour of the academy¡¯s trash bins.

    I took a deep breath and looked around. The room was still empty, except for me and Faybi.

    But beyond the door, I could hear the priests¡¯ breathing. They could easily overhear our conversation.

    So we can¡¯t talk about Faybi being a fake saint here. If that information leaks, the high-ranking members of the Church of the Principal God will undoubtedly react in a very predictable and dangerous way.

    If they act the same as in the game, Faybi wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it.

    There are so many things I want to say to Faybi and questions I want to ask, but I¡¯ll have to save that for a safer ce.

    For now, there¡¯s only one thing I need to tell Faybi.

    If I say it normally, it¡¯ll definitely get distorted by the Mesugaki skill, right?

    In that case, I might as well just say it Mesugaki-style.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°You lousy saint? Do you think I care about your pathetic, stupid opinions?? I¡¯ll call you whatever I want. Got it? Lousy saint??¡±

    Faybi, I don¡¯t know how much you heard from Nakrad, but I¡¯m sure he told you about me too.

    You probably know I¡¯m connected to Aramadi, right? So when I say you¡¯re a saint, that¡¯s what matters.

    Don¡¯t waver. Don¡¯t doubt yourself.

    ¡°Lady Alrn? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Are you curious?? Curious, are you?? Puhaha? Too bad? I have no intention of exining anything to you right now?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You dumb saint? Can¡¯t you understand even after waiting??¡±

    Trust me and wait.

    It won¡¯t be long before I¡¯ll exin everything to you.

    I¡¯ll tell you that you¡¯ve been chosen as a saint by Aramadi.

    What if the lousy god disagrees? Who cares?

    If he¡¯s mad, he cane down here himself and tell us who the real saint is.

    Silence is eptance, after all.

    ¡®See youter.¡¯ ¡°See youter. Unlike you, I¡¯m a busy person, so I¡¯ve got to go now.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    "Wait! Lady Alrn, I still have so much to say to you. I haven¡¯t even thanked you yet, and you¡¯re already leaving?"

    Faybi hastily tried to stand, but Lucy was quicker, opening the door before she could stop her.

    The bishop and the other members of the Church of the Principal God, who had been waiting outside, widened their eyes when they saw Faybi standing up.

    ¡°The saint is awake!¡±

    ¡°A miracle!¡±

    ¡°Praise Aramadi! We thank you!¡±

    ¡°Lady Alrn, we are deeply grateful! Thanks to you¡ª¡±

    ¡°Whatever. Get out of my way, you pathetic priests. You stink, and it¡¯s annoying.¡±

    With a genuine expression of disdain, Lucy¡¯s words made the Church members quickly back away. Taking advantage of the space they left behind, Lucy stepped outside.

    A few of the priests, along with the bishop, hurriedly followed her, expressing their gratitude, but Lucy didn¡¯t so much as acknowledge them.

    It was as if she hadn¡¯t helped Faybi for their sake at all.

    ¡°Saint, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°How do you feel? Is there any difort?¡±

    ¡°Are you thirsty?¡±

    Faybi, who had been watching Lucy¡¯s retreating figure, told the priests that she was fine.

    After a while, when the bishop finally calmed the situation and Faybi was left alone, she leaned against the wall and reflected on what Lucy had said before leaving.

    Lady Alrn called me a saint until the very end.

    Aramadi¡¯s apostle herself called me a saint.

    Could she really have not known that I¡¯m a fake?

    That¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s no way Aramadi¡¯s apostle wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference between real and fake.

    Lady Alrn knew everything and still told me I was worthy of being a saint.

    Her words were hardly kind, and I did feel a bit angry listening to her, but still¡­

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel moved by the fact that someone as powerful as Lucy recognized me.

    Sir Ruel, you were right. Lady Alrn may speak harshly, but she truly is kind.

    Faybi looked down at the tearstains spreading across her bedsheet and wiped her face.

    Though she had tried to act calm, the emotional shock Faybi had endured wasn¡¯t going away.

    The realization that all her childhood memories were false.

    That she, who had lived her whole life striving to be worthy of the title of saint, was actually a fake.

    These two truths were enough to shake the very foundation of who Faybi was.

    It made sense that she hadn¡¯t lived up to the title of saint from the start.

    There was no reason to feel ashamed of her inadequacies.

    No matter how much she tried tofort herself by promising to be a more devout person, the shock wasn¡¯t something that could easily fade.

    Yet Lucy¡¯s words before leaving had saved her.

    That¡¯s why, even now, as the tears continued to fall uncontrobly, Faybi could tell herself that everything would be alright.

    She gained the conviction that she could improve.

    After a long time, Faybi finally stopped crying. She sighed, looking at the tear- and snot-stained bedsheet.

    I do feel a little better after crying out loud.

    ...Lady Alrn told me to wait for her before she left.

    I suppose she meant that I have many questions and things I want to say, but she¡¯s telling me to wait for now.

    Don¡¯t act on my own, but wait for her.

    If Aramadi¡¯s apostle tells me to wait, then it must be important.

    I had been thinking about taking action on my own, but¡­

    Yes. I¡¯ll wait. If that¡¯s what the great god wishes. If Lady Alrn has a n, I must follow.

    So, what should I think about in the meantime?

    Hmm. Maybe I¡¯ll consider how to properly thank Lady Alrn?

    What does she like? That¡¯s definitely worth thinking about.

    I¡¯ll have to ask Joy for advice.

    I¡¯d like to prepare a gift that would make Lady Alrn actually say thank you.

    Imagining Lucy blushing and stammering as she expressed her gratitude, Faybi let out a softugh, as though she hadn¡¯t been crying just moments before.

    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s possible, but I¡¯ll do my best.

 Chapter 149

    "Are you okay with not receiving anything?"

    As I made my way out of the church, Gramps suddenly spoke up.

    It was probably because of the way I had answered the bishop just a moment ago.

    When the bishop offered a reward, I had responded with,

    "Why would I ept something from a pathetic worm like you? It¡¯s bound to be useless anyway. Plus, I bet whatever you give me is going to smell like old man."

    Gramps seemed concerned about that.

    <strong>"You did save someone they call a saint, so they probably would have offered a generous reward."</strong>

    ¡®Yeah, I guess so.¡¯

    Considering the status of the person and what I had done, I probably could¡¯ve gotten quite a bit if I had tried to take advantage of the situation.

    But right now, I don¡¯t really care about conventional rewards.

    If I need something, I can ask Alsatine or the Newman family to get it. Why bother here?

    It¡¯s better to decline everything and leave the bishop feeling indebted to me.

    The bishop is one of the few people in the Church of the Principal God who has a conscience. If I leave him owing me, it might help when Faybi¡¯s storyline progresses.

    <strong>"I doubt a bishop who you just called a ''worm'' will think highly of you."</strong>

    ¡®...Please don¡¯t hit me with the truth like that.¡¯

    He¡¯s a decent person. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll think, <em>She¡¯s just a naive, but kind-hearted girl.</em>

    <strong>"You can only spout nonsense for so long before it bes unbearable, child."</strong>

    ¡®Please stop hitting me with facts, Gramps.¡¯

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m denying reality on purpose.

    I know my image is bound to be tarnished, but I¡¯m just trying to patch it up however I can!

    <em>Sigh.</em> This Mesugaki skill makes maintaining rtionships so difficult.

    I¡¯m actually a polite person, but because of this one skill, I¡¯m forced to act rude, cocky, and like some brat who needs a reality check. It¡¯s so unfair!

    <em>Ding.</em>

    Just as I was mentally venting my frustrations, another message popped up.

    What now, lousy god? Are you nning to retaliate because I cursed you earlier?

    Come on... Actually, please don¡¯t.

    You know how people get emotionally worked up when their hopes are crushed, right? I was just like that earlier.

    It¡¯s been tough dealing with the Mesugaki skill for so long, and my emotions got the better of me. It¡¯s only human nature, right?

    Hey, didn¡¯t Faybi say that Aramadi believes your actions after you¡¯ve made a mistake are more important than the mistake itself?

    I¡¯ll do better in the future, so how about forgiving me? Please!

    I desperately made excuses to the lousy god, hoping nothing too harsh woulde up, but a message appeared before me nheless.

    <strong>[Faybi¡¯s favorability has exceeded 70!]</strong>

    Huh? What?

    The contents of the message werepletely different from what I had expected. I blinked and rubbed my eyes before rereading it.

    Faybi¡¯s favorability exceeded 70?

    I wasn¡¯tpletely clueless about why that happened.

    After all, I had just returned from saving her in her mental world.

    It¡¯s not surprising that her favorability would increase.

    And there was even a hint earlier.

    Last time, when Joy¡¯s favorability exceeded 70, I started speaking informally to her. This time, I began speaking informally to Faybi after entering her mental realm.

    It¡¯s still just a theory, but it seems like my tendency to drop formal speech is rted to someone¡¯s favorability level.

    ...70 favorability, huh?

    Realizing that Faybi sees me as someone precious made me smile.

    Despite all the twists and turns, I finally seeded in what I wanted.

    As expected, I¡¯m amazing! There¡¯s something special about being a veteran of <em>Soul Academy</em>!

    Thinking back on it, Nakrad yed a big role both times.

    I exceeded 70 favorability with Joy by saving her from Nakrad, and now I¡¯ve done the same with Faybi.

    Seriously, Nakrad!

    You may hate Aramadi¡¯s apostle, but your actions are pretty straightforward, aren¡¯t they?

    By creating crises, you¡¯ve helped meplete quests given by the lousy god!

    Thanks to you, my party is nowplete!

    Joy will handle ranged attacks from the back!

    Faybi will take care of healing and buffs!

    And I¡¯ll be tanking at the front!

    No matter who else joins, the base of the party is solid, so there¡¯s no problem!

    Whoeveres next, my party is already tier 1!

    Man, I really should thank Nakrad, but thanks to the Mesugaki skill, I can never say thank you to anyone.

    Oh, wait. If my intention is to annoy him, I might actually be able to thank him, right?

    Hmm. That might just work. I should definitely tell Nakrad next time that I¡¯m really grateful for everything. I bet he¡¯ll be absolutely furious.

    As I imagined Nakrad trembling in anger, a few more messages popped up.

    <strong>[Quest Clear!]</strong>

    <strong>[You¡¯ve sessfully exceeded 70 favorability with two academy students!]</strong>

    <strong>[Reward: Ruel''s Divine Close-Combat Technique]</strong>

    <strong>[A new quest has been issued.]</strong>

    <strong>[Savior of Menestel]</strong>

    I¡¯ll deal with the new questter. For now, Ruel¡¯s Divine Close-Combat Technique, huh?

    That¡¯s the one.

    It¡¯s the technique Gramps, the hero who once saved the world, used inbat, channeling divine power into martial arts.

    In the game, it was a passive skill that increased damage based on your divine stat.

    It was a good skill, but it wasn¡¯t very efficient to learn, so I didn¡¯t bother with it much.

    I probably only learned it to see the peak performance of the Pdin-type characters.

    So, yeah, if I¡¯m getting it for free, I¡¯ll take it.

    But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m curious about. Since closebat techniques involve moving your body to fight, won¡¯t it be different in reality?

    In the game, it was all implemented as a passive, but here it might work differently.

    ¡®Gramps?¡¯

    <strong>"What is it?"</strong>

    Right next to me was the perfect person to answer my question. The creator of the Divine Close-Combat Technique, Gramps.

    ¡®What exactly is the Divine Close-Combat Technique?¡¯

    <strong>"Hmm? Why are you asking all of a sudden?"</strong>

    ¡®Because Aramadi just gave me that technique.¡¯

    <strong>"...Is that true?!"</strong>

    Gramps¡¯ voice rose suddenly, filled with urgency, which was unusual for him. For a moment, I was caught off guard, but I nodded.

    ¡®Yes. How else would I know about your technique?¡¯

    <strong>"Hold on. Yes. Channel divine power into your hand! You¡¯ll understand immediately!"</strong>

    Channel divine power into my hand? I had no idea what he was asking for, but I decided to follow Gramps¡¯ instructions.

    I trusted he had his reasons.

    As soon as I willed the divine power within me to move to my hand, information began flooding into my mind.

    It was just like when I activated the <em>Iron Wall</em> skill.

    Just as <em>Iron Wall</em> guided my body on where to move the shield, something was now telling me how to channel divine power into my hand.

    I followed the instructions, and as soon as divine power filled my hand, a radiant light appeared.

    It was the same warm light I¡¯d seen Gramps use to repel Nakrad earlier¡ªa small sun in my palm.

    <strong>"...Aramadi, I see. So that¡¯s why you sent me to this child!"</strong>

    ¡®Gramps?¡¯

    Why is Gramps suddenly acting like some kind of fanatical believer? You¡¯re scaring me.

    <strong>"Good! This is wonderful, child! Now I can pass down everything to you!"</strong>

    Gramps¡¯ voice,ing through the mace, was filled with excitement.

    Oh no. I¡¯ve heard this before. Forsell sounded like this when he was determined to make me a proper knight.

    If Gramps is feeling the same way Forsell did back then¡­

    ¡®Gramps, could you calm down a little?¡¯

    I mean, I¡¯ve gotten into the habit of training a lottely, but I really don¡¯t want things to get even more intense.

    I¡¯ve finally made a few friends. I should be able to enjoy my time at the academy too, right?

    Nakrad already exhausted most of his power, so things should be peaceful for a while, right?

    <strong>"Come! Let¡¯s return to the training grounds immediately! You were just in the middle of training, weren¡¯t you?"</strong>

    Ah. You¡¯re not listening to me, are you?

    Well, I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do. I¡¯ll just pretend I can¡¯t hear Gramps for a while too.

    As Gramps continued shouting with a level of enthusiasm that could rattle my brain, I distracted myself by checking something else.

    Didn¡¯t I just get a new quest?

    <strong>[Savior of Menestel]</strong>

    <strong>[The seal within Menestel¡¯s dungeon is about to be broken! You must stop it!]</strong>

    <strong>[Reward: ???]</strong>

    <strong>[Failure: GAME OVER]</strong>

    This is one of the quests from the game.

    It was a side quest, and if you didn¡¯tplete it within a certain time, the difficulty of the main storyline would increase.

    If the time limit is the same as it was in the game, then I still have plenty of time.

    I¡¯ll clear it during summer break. I can help Alsatine find her master as a side mission.

    Phew. Thank goodness.

    For once, the lousy god gave me a proper quest.

    I thought all the bad things I said about the lousy god woulde back to bite me, but it seems like he¡¯s more merciful than I thought.

    Lousy god, you¡¯re surprisingly generous, aren¡¯t you?

    But if that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you give me something better than practice mode, you lousy god?

    I took care of the quest you urgently gave me, so why is the reward so underwhelming?

    If you keep this up, I¡¯ll start ignoring whatever you say next time.

    Well, I should at least check out how the practice mode works. It might be different from the game.@@novelbin@@

    I¡¯ll see if it¡¯s useful, and if not, I¡¯ll toss it aside. Thinking that, I tried to enter practice mode.

    <strong>[Practice mode can only be used in your dorm!]</strong>

    A warning message popped up. One that didn¡¯t exist in the game.

    Hmm. So there¡¯s something different here, after all?

    <strong>"Child? Are you listening? Hurry."</strong>

    ¡®Gramps, sorry, but I need to stop by the dorm first.¡¯

    There¡¯s something I need to check.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    I returned to the academy dorm and immediately activated practice mode.

    Suddenly, my consciousness became hazy, like when the vain fox covered me in mist.

    Eventually, I regained my senses and found myself in another space.

    It was a small training ground, like it had just been built, with no signs of wear and tear. In the middle stood a single, lonely training dummy, just like the ones I had seen countless times in the game¡¯s practice mode.

    What the...? There¡¯s nothing different about it.

    I expected something special, but this is disappointing.

    If this is all practice mode has to offer, there¡¯s no point ining here.

    <strong>"Oh-ho. What is this, child? Is this your mental world?"</strong>

    Normally, Gramps¡¯ voice would echo directly in my mind, but now I heard it right beside me. I turned my head.

    There he was, a sturdy old man in full armor, clenching and unclenching his fists with a grin on his face.

    He nced around, taking in the surroundings, then walked toward me.

    <strong>"This ce seems perfect for training."</strong>

    ...Wait a minute.

    Why is Gramps here?!

 Chapter 150

    Watching the smug smile of the old man, I felt a cold sweat running down my back.

    Why is the old man here?

    Isn''t this practice mode a ce for me to test my skills alone? No other characters should be able to enter!

    I pinched my cheek, wondering if I was seeing things due to exhaustion. The soft flesh stretched, and pain followed.

    "Ouch. Why isn¡¯t this a dream? If it were, I could¡¯ve just written it off as a bad one."

    "It seems that since your soul and mine are connected, this sort of phenomenon urs."

    ''My soul connected with Grandpa?''

    "The smell of an old geezer clinging to me? Ugh. Disgusting."

    Apparently not pleased with the way that tranted, the old man frowned slightly and raised his fist, delivering a swift flick to my forehead.

    I definitely saw him raise his fist and swing it, yet I couldn¡¯t avoid it.

    When I came to my senses, his fist had already hit my head, and the pain that radiated through my skull made me clutch my head in both hands.

    What the¡ª?! I don¡¯t get it. Why couldn¡¯t I resist?! Even my Iron Wall skill didn¡¯t react to his fist!

    What the hell is going on?

    "Child, mind your words."

    ''Like that¡¯s something I can control!''

    "Quiet! Why should I listen to some old geezer who looks like he¡¯s about to lose his dentures? Ugh, you¡¯re the worst! Total boomer!"

    The moment I retorted, the old man raised his fist again. The memory of the pain still fresh, I instinctively grabbed my head.

    Noooo!

    This is so unfair!

    Of all people, he should understand how hard it is for me to deal with this annoying Mesugaki skill! Why is he doing this to me?

    What did I ever do to deserve this?

    Sure, I ignored most of his nagging.

    And maybe when I got angry, I made him take a tour of the bathroom or the trash heap.

    And okay, sometimes I provoked him, teasing that all he could do was talk.

    But still! I treated him decently...

    Hmm. Looking back, maybe I deserve this.

    But still, I don¡¯t care! This is so unfair!

    I braced myself for the pain that would inevitably follow, but luckily, it didn¡¯te.

    The old man had only pretended to swing his fist, smirking mischievously as he watched my scared reaction.

    "How can someone who stared death in the face be so terrified?"

    ...Wait, did he just mock me?

    Grandpa, are you seriously getting a kick out of bullying someone young enough to be your granddaughter?!

    Being the Holy Knight of that lousy god must¡¯ve really messed with your tastes, huh?

    Just wait. Sure, you¡¯ve got a body in this practice mode, but in reality, you¡¯re just a mace that can¡¯t do anything without me!

    "Haha. My apologies. Forgive me. Considering all you¡¯ve done, I¡¯d say we¡¯re even now, don¡¯t you think?"

    I guess that¡¯s fair.

    Hmm...

    Fine. Alright, Grandpa. I¡¯ll let it slide this time, considering all you¡¯ve done for me, and, well, I¡¯m partially at fault too.

    Besides, I¡¯ve got more important questions to ask right now.

    I get that our souls are connected, so we share this mental space. But what¡¯s going on with my body in the real world?

    If this is my mental world, it¡¯s not like time is frozen in the real world, right?

    ''Grandpa...''

    "Hey, what¡¯s happening with my body in reality?"

    "You¡¯ve fallen asleep. Do you know how startled I was when you copsed at the entrance as if you¡¯d fainted?"

    So that¡¯s why I got that message about only being able to enter practice mode from inside my dorm. If I entered from outside, I¡¯d be lying face-down on the ground somewhere.

    Well, that¡¯s surprisingly considerate for that lousy god.

    So, have I checked everything I need to in practice mode?@@novelbin@@

    At a nce, this ce doesn¡¯t seem much different from the game, so I probably won¡¯t need toe back.

    I opened the interface and selected the option to leave practice mode, but...

    [All members have not agreed to exit.]

    The message popped up, and I couldn¡¯t escape.

    What the heck! I¡¯m the master of this ce, so why can¡¯t I leave when I want to?! Why?!

    I need to get out of here fast! If I don¡¯t, the evil spirit that escaped from the mace is going to get me!

    "Child, where are you trying to rush off to?"

    I flinched at the old man¡¯s voice from behind as I repeatedly clicked the exit button.

    ''Uh... you see...''

    "Grandpa, don¡¯t you think that dimwit swordsman and that cluelessdy are waiting for me? Are you so senile you can¡¯t remember something that basic?"

    "It¡¯s fine. Didn¡¯t they say they¡¯d just return if you didn¡¯te back soon? They¡¯ll handle it."

    Well, maybe, but what if they need me?

    Look, I¡¯ve got a sparring match with Frey, or maybe I need to give Joy some advice on her magic practice, and also...

    "It doesn¡¯t matter. That¡¯s not your concern right now. What¡¯s more important is what lies ahead of you."

    I had a good idea of what he meant by that, but I desperately avoided acknowledging it.

    No matter how I thought about it, the oue would just be me getting worked like a dog.

    "As the creator of the Divine Close-Combat Technique, I shall teach you everything."

    The old man¡¯s eyes gleamed with an immense passion, one so clear that even I couldn¡¯t miss it.

    Forget what I said about him being like a pushy mentor.

    That guy pushed me to the limits, sure, but at least he knew his boundaries. He gave me a breather every now and then.

    But Grandpa here? He¡¯s different.

    He doesn¡¯t care about anyone¡¯s opinion but his own. The only thing he¡¯s focused on is passing his techniques on to me, no matter what.

    "Don¡¯t worry. This is a mental world. You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with physical exhaustion."

    Yeah, I get it. Even if I getpletely wrecked here, my real body is resting, so no matter how hard the training gets, my body won¡¯t suffer.

    But what about my mind? You¡¯re not concerned about my mental fatigue?

    I mean, sure, I¡¯ve got a will of steel, but this is still a pretty important issue!

    "...I should first exin what Divine Close-Combat Technique is."

    He conveniently glossed over the part that didn¡¯t work in his favor!

    "It¡¯s a technique I created to harness divine power inbat. Unlike holy magic, this allows the divine to directly intervene in the physical world.

    Though it was taught informally within the Holy Knights, I was the first to properly systematize it into abat art."

    As he spoke, the old man gathered divine energy into his fist.

    Unlike the warm, radiant light of before, this was an intense, searing divine power, as if it could burn shadows away.

    "The Church might call it heretical, but divine power is still just another form of energy, like magic or qi. While the way it¡¯s used differs, the core principle is the same."

    He drew his divine-powered fist back.

    "By applying it like this, we can infuse divine power into our attacks, just like knights do with their sword aura."

    Then he punched the training dummy.

    It was a textbook straight punch, but the result was anything but ordinary.

    The old man¡¯s fist obliterated half the training ground.

    The dummy was unrecognizable, the bricks that lined the ground shattered, exposing the dirt beneath, and a hole appeared in the wall, revealing a deste, white expanse beyond.

    Wait, the dummy could break like that?!

    And the training ground... can it really be destroyed like this?!

    While I stood there, gaping at the scene before me, the old man shrugged, as if what he¡¯d just done wasn¡¯t a big deal.

    "Thatst strike was abination of divine power and mana, amplifying its effect. That¡¯s the core of the Divine Close-Combat Technique, and what I¡¯ll be teaching you."

    Haha, Grandpa. The Divine Close-Combat Technique I saw in the game wasn¡¯t this ridiculous.

    It was just a passive skill that boosted damage by a few percent.

    "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t start with something impossible. I¡¯ve trained countless knights as the leader of the Holy Knights. By the end of this training, you¡¯ll definitely be stronger."

    No matter what I say, Grandpa¡¯s going to work me to the bone, isn¡¯t he?

    The passion in his eyes wasn¡¯t fading. In fact, with each word, it seemed to burn even brighter.

    If resisting won¡¯t make a difference...

    Well, what can I do? I guess I¡¯ll roll with it.

    After all, there¡¯s no downside to getting stronger, right?

    I still don¡¯t know exactly what that lousy god expects from me, but I¡¯ve got a hunch.

    It probably wants me to follow the path the game¡¯s protagonist walked. Maybe even be the hero that saves the world.

    And to meet that expectation, I¡¯ve got a long way to go. I need to get much, much stronger than I am now.

    Sure, I¡¯ve been growing fast, evenpared to the characters I raised in the game, but that¡¯s not enough for someone like me.

    People like us aim for nothing less than maximum efficiency.

    ''Fine. I¡¯ll give it my best shot.''

    "A grandpa obsessed with a girl? You¡¯re such a creep. Heh, but fine, I¡¯ll go along with it."

    "That¡¯s the spirit."

    Satisfied with my answer, Grandpa grinned and ruffled my hair.

    His touch was different from Benedict¡¯s. Where Benedict¡¯s strokes were filled with affection and care, Grandpa¡¯s conveyed trust and boldness.

    Before long, the training ground had restored itself to its original state.

    So, it resets even after being destroyed. Well, I guess it makes sense since this is a mental world.

    "First, we¡¯ll practice controlling divine power. You¡¯ve gotten somewhat used to it through your holy magic, but there are many differences when applying it to closebat."

    As he spoke, Grandpa gathered divine power into his fist again.

    This time, it wasn¡¯t the overwhelming, concentrated energy from before, but it was still awe-inspiring.

    "Let¡¯s start with this level of power as the goal."

    He lightly punched the dummy, causing its neck to snap as it tumbled to the ground.

    Hmm. I think I can manage that.

    I¡¯ve never specifically trained in martial arts, but it¡¯s just a punch with divine power infused, right?

    Given my physical abilities, something like this shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.

    "Shall we give it a try?"

    Taking his ce in front of the dummy, I mimicked the stance I¡¯d just seen and infused my fist with divine power.

    Alright, the skill assist is making it easier to control divine energy. Now I just need toyer it over my fist and throw a full-power punch at the dummy. If I do that, the dummy¡¯s head should¡ª

    "Ouch!"

    ¡ªIt was my own hand bones that shattered.

    The impact I put all my strength into came right back at me, delivering a lesson in physics I didn¡¯t ask for.

    What the heck! Why is this dummy so sturdy?!

    That punch had enough power to shatter a boulder, seriously!

    While I was hopping around, clutching my hand in pain, the old man chuckled and spoke.

    "Come now, no need to exaggerate."

    Exaggerate?! I¡¯m really hurt here! I think I just broke a bone!

    Instead offorting me, you¡¯re dismissing my pain as an exaggeration? Grandpa, you¡¯re the worst!...

    "Again."

    I had turned toin, but the stern look in his eyes made me face the dummy once more.

    ...I should never have tested out this practice mode.

 Chapter 152

    I took a deep breath andyered divine power over my fist.

    Just like the training in the mental world the night before, the heated divine energy gathered around my hand.

    It was as if I was wearing a gauntlet of divine power, and once I confirmed that, I assumed the stance Grandpa had taught me.

    He had said that when delivering a full-force strike, you don¡¯t just use one part of your body¡¯s strength.

    A powerful attack means channeling strength through your entire body.

    Starting from the feet, the force travels through the waist, up to the arms, and then finally explodes in thest moment.

    Following the advice that had be second nature to me, I aimed my punch at the training dummy.

    As my fist connected, cracks started spreading from the point of impact, and the dummy shattered, copsing onto the ground.

    The only thing left to prove it had once stood was the wooden stake embedded in the ground.

    <So the training from the mental world applies to reality as well.> "It seems that way."

    Sure, I had destroyed training dummies before.

    The power of my mace, when swung with all my might, was enough to crumple steel easily.

    But to break a dummy with just one punch? That was a first.

    This is the power of Divine Close-Combat Technique.

    Incredible strength.

    <Feeling more motivated now?>

    "Definitely!"

    Motivated? Is that even a question, Grandpa?

    I¡¯ve barely even begun, and already I¡¯m pulling off something this powerful. How could I not be motivated?

    Of course, I¡¯m not ready to use this in realbat just yet. The amount of divine energy it took to create that one strike was enormous.

    Even though I have a considerable amount of divine power as Aramadi¡¯s Apostle, it still took more than half of it for a single punch.

    This is where practice modees in handy. No need to worry about running out of divine energy in there.

    <Still, you¡¯ve got a long way to go. Your control is socking that all you can do is unleash one massive blow.>

    "I¡¯ll just have to keep practicing."

    It¡¯s not like I have much of a choice anyway. I¡¯ll be grinding away every night, right? If I keep training to the brink of death, eventually, I¡¯ll get the hang of it.

    "Miss, that was truly impressive!"

    Just as I was recovering from the exhaustion of throwing that punch, I heard Karl¡¯s voice from behind me.

    No, he hadn¡¯t been stalking me like some lovesick fool. I had ordered him to stand by, after all.

    For a sparring matchter.

    When ites to Karl, I can go all out without holding back.

    Right now, there¡¯s no one among the first-year students at the academy who can match me in a one-on-one duel if I go all out.

    Frey can push me a little, but even she is a step or two below me. She¡¯s not someone I can really give my all against.

    But Karl is different. He¡¯s still much stronger than I am.

    I¡¯ve always known how strong he is. Even when we first met, I couldn¡¯tnd a single hit on him, and that was when he was holding back.

    But here¡¯s the thing¡ªsince I first took over this body, I¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger.

    And yet, I still don¡¯t have the confidence to catch up to Karl.

    The more my skills improved and the stronger I got, the more I realized just how monstrous he truly was.

    To think someone like him is just amon knight in House Alrn... No wonder Grandpa was shocked when he found out.

    It also makes sense why the professors keepmenting on my talents, saying it must be because I¡¯m from the Alrn family.

    "It¡¯s been a while since west sparred, hasn¡¯t it?"

    Karl stepped in front of me, holding his favorite wooden sword.

    He wasn¡¯t wearing any armor, just simple cloth, but that didn¡¯t matter.

    A skilled knight like him knew how to protect his body with his own mana.

    Even if I swung my mace with full force, it probably wouldn¡¯t leave a scratch on him.

    Unless... if I used Divine Close-Combat Technique, maybe it¡¯d be a different story.

    "Since you¡¯ve exerted yourself quite a bit, do you need more time to rest?"

    "Aww, how sweet of you to worry about your master, you useless mutt? Should I give you a little pat on the head for your dedication, you disgusting dog??"

    Before the sparring even began, I provoked Karl. Going all out meant doing everything necessary.

    I¡¯m still overwhelmingly weaker than Karl. I can¡¯t afford to hold anything back.

    "While I¡¯d love to receive that reward, let¡¯s save it for another time."

    Despite the intensity of my taunt, the buff I received was minimal. Karl had learned to keep his emotions in check.

    After hearing my banter every day, I guess he¡¯s be somewhat immune to it.

    But I wasn¡¯t too surprised. I knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before Karl lost hisposure.

    I raised my shield, crafted by a dwarf, in my left hand, while holding Grandpa¡ªthe mace¡ªin my right.

    After taking a deep breath, I silently cast a series of divine spells in my mind.

    Enhancing my physical abilities. Boosting my vitality. Increasing my luck.@@novelbin@@

    Anything that could help me, I cast it.

    Then I let the remaining divine power flow throughout my entire body.

    Just like how you use mana to enhance your physical abilities, I was using divine power to boost mine.

    I was still clumsy and inefficient, but that didn¡¯t matter.

    My only goal right now was simple.

    Tond a hit on Karl.

    "Are you ready?"

    "And what about you, mutt?? Are you ready to be beaten and cry like a little puppy??"

    "I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t intend to lose to you, Miss."

    Karl remained calm, but I could tell the taunt had gotten to him this time.

    The buff I received was palpable.

    With the preliminary work done, it was time.

    <Alright, give it a try.>

    "Shall we begin, mutt??"

    "Whenever you¡¯re ready."

    I held my breath for a moment and took a step forward.

    The distance between us was short.

    Even with my short legs, it would only take one step to close the gap.

    But Karl wasn¡¯t going to let me get that close.

    He struck my shield, deliberately keeping the distance between us.

    My first charge had beenpletely neutralized.

    Damn, he¡¯s fast.

    Looks like he really wasn¡¯t kidding when he said he didn¡¯t n on losing. Damn mutt.

    His sword speed was different from thest time we sparred!

    I bit my lip as I fended off the relentless strikes.

    "Desperate to beat your master, huh? You¡¯re pathetic? So dirty, so weak, you worthless mutt?"

    "Haha! Better to be dirty than to lose!"

    Is he nervous because he saw me use Divine Close-Combat Technique?

    If I¡¯d known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have used it in the first ce!

    It was nearly impossible to take a step forward between Karl¡¯s flurry of sword strikes.

    And to make things worse, the bastard kept maintaining the distance.

    When I moved forward, he retreated.

    When I tried to create some space, he closed the gap again.

    He¡¯s really fighting dirty!

    <Stay calm, child.>

    ''I¡¯m trying!''

    <If he¡¯s maintaining distance, that means you always have an opportunity to attack.>

    Grandpa had told me to stay behind my shield and observe the opponent¡¯s attacks.

    Easier said than done! But I did as Grandpa instructed.

    After being forced to roll around under his training all night, I¡¯de to realize just how wise Grandpa was.

    If he was offering advice, it must have some merit.

    "How long do you n on just watching, Miss?"

    "ying with you, you dumb mutt? How dumb are you?? Did you swap your brain with a dog¡¯s??"

    Karl¡¯s sword was much faster than before, and at first, it was hard to even keep up with it, but as the exchanges continued, I started to get the hang of it.

    At first, I had relied purely on my Iron Wall skill¡¯s instincts to block his attacks, but as I grew more ustomed to it, I began to make my own judgments in between.

    The instincts I had developed over years of wielding a shield. My high shield mastery. And the advice from Iron Wall.

    When those three things merged perfectly¡ª

    "Hm?"

    ¡ªmy first parry seeded.

    The moment Karl¡¯s sword hit my shield, its power sharply diminished, and his sword bounced back, giving me an opening.

    However, that opening didn¡¯tst long.

    Karl, with his vastbat experience, quickly adjusted to the change.

    As soon as I took a step forward, he countered with three swift strikes, forcing me back.

    This is intense!

    Can a knight really be this desperate to beat their master?! Shouldn¡¯t he take a hint, read the room, and let me win? Isn¡¯t that what society is all about?

    Then again, if I were in his shoes, I¡¯d be gritting my teeth too.

    I mean, I can imagine what Lucy would say if Karl lost to me.

    But Karl, you like being insulted and treated like a dog, right?

    So just give in already!

    As the fight continued, I began to sessfully parry more often.

    At first, I¡¯d only manage to parry a strike by chance in the middle of hisbo.

    But soon enough, I was regrly deflecting his blows, throwing him off bnce.

    Eventually, I reached the point where I could consciously time my parries.

    "You think you¡¯re hot stuff now?? Can¡¯t even break through a little girl¡¯s shield, you weakling? Worthless swordsmanship, you pathetic excuse for a knight?"

    Of course, I didn¡¯t forget to keep up the taunts.

    In games, status effects like rage were no big deal, but in real life, it¡¯s a different story! Forcing your opponent to lose theirposure is a huge advantage!

    Sure, there was the downside that Karl¡¯s attacks grew more intense as he got angrier, but with the buffs from my Mesugaki skill, I could handle it!

    <It seems the time hase to counterattack.>

    By now, Karl¡¯s one-sided offensive had turned into a fierce exchange of attacks between us.

    ¡®Time to bare my fangs, huh?¡¯

    <Do you have a n in mind?>

    ¡®Of course I do!¡¯

    While blocking the heavy swings from Karl¡¯s wooden sword, I had been thinking about one thing:

    How can Ind a hit on this smug mutt, who¡¯s pretending to stay calm despite being furious?

    <Very well. Go ahead and show me what you¡¯ve got.>

    ¡®Watch closely, Grandpa!¡¯

    Watch how the girl you trained drives her mace into this mutt¡¯s face!

 Chapter 154

    Frey? What¡¯s she doing here?

    She¡¯s always swinging her sword at the training grounds, only dragging herself to lunch when it¡¯s almost over.

    Don¡¯t tell me she¡¯s here to spar right now?

    Not today, please. I just used up all my energy sparring with Karl. I need to rest, you know. Well, technically, I¡¯ll be heading into practice mode soon to get beaten up by Grandpa again, but at least my real body should get a break.

    I mean, look at me¡ªI¡¯m still a growing girl!

    Speaking of growth, do you think my height will stop here? It won¡¯t, right?

    Both of Lucy¡¯s parents are above average height.

    Benedict is so huge that you could doubt if he¡¯s even human, and from what I remember of Lucy¡¯s mother in that vision, she was quite tall for a woman too.

    So it would be weird if my height stopped here. I mean, gics are a thing, right? If my parents are tall, it only makes sense that I should grow too!

    I should grow taller someday, right? I won¡¯t have to keep looking up at everyone from down here forever, right?

    I was holding on to that hopeful thought, but deep down, I knew reality wouldn¡¯t be that kind.

    First of all, there¡¯s the issue with the Mesugaki skill.

    The way I talk, the way I act, even the way I write¡ªit doesn¡¯t allow for anything that isn¡¯t Mesugaki. Do you really think it¡¯ll allow me to grow?

    Mesugaki characters are usually small and cute but full of attitude, right? I doubt the skill would let me grow tall and lose my bratty charm.

    And then there¡¯s another problem. Would that pedo pervert scrub god really let me grow taller?

    If there was amunity, I bet that pervert would be spamming ¡°lol¡± and ¡°grow up¡± jokes all day long.

    ¡°Lucy.¡±

    Lost in my despair about the harsh reality of not growing even a centimeter during my time at the Academy, Frey suddenly called out to me.

    ¡®What¡¯s up?¡¯@@novelbin@@

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, you scrub swordsman?¡±

    ¡°Were you going easy on me when we sparred?¡±

    Huh? Where¡¯s thising from?

    Oh. Did she see me sparring with Karl earlier? I guess she must¡¯ve noticed something strange.

    It¡¯s true that my mindset is different when I face Karlpared to when I spar with Frey.

    I mean, if I hit Frey as hard as I hit Karl, she¡¯d probably get seriously injured.

    I don¡¯t want to crush Frey; I want to grow alongside her.

    Since Frey had already caught on, shaking my head would feel like lying, so I nodded.

    ¡®Yeah, I was holding back.¡¯

    ¡°Of course, I wasn¡¯t going all out on you. Why would I need to use my full strength against a scrub like you? I could beat you easily without even trying.¡±

    Whoa, hold on! Mesugaki skill, what are you doing?!

    I didn¡¯t mean to say it like that!

    I just wanted to say I wasn¡¯t using my full strength, not crush her pride with my words!

    Look at Frey! She usually has this slightly spaced-out expression, but now she¡¯s dead serious!

    ¡°Are you calling me a scrub?¡±

    How am I supposed to fix this?!

    Sure, I don¡¯t need to worry about raising people¡¯s favorability anymore.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean I want to be hated by someone I¡¯ve gotten close to!

    If someone I¡¯ve been friendly with suddenly turns their back on me, it¡¯s going to hurt twice as much!

    I knew that whatever I said next would only make things worse, so I kept my mouth shut.

    But despite my silence, the Mesugaki skill kept working.

    It forced the corners of my mouth to curl into a smirk, made me let out a small chuckle, and gave me a look that screamed, <em>I don¡¯t even care enough to answer.</em>

    This makes it seem like I can¡¯t even be bothered to respond!

    Frey red at me with furrowed brows before turning her back and walking away.

    ¡®Grandpa, what do I do?¡¯

    <strong>¡°What¡¯s the issue? She really is a scrub, isn¡¯t she?¡±</strong>

    ¡®That¡¯s not the point, Grandpa!¡¯

    This is serious, okay?!

    Sure, I didn¡¯t like Frey much before entering Soul Academy because her performance was terrible!

    But now things are different! Frey is the person I¡¯ve spent the most time with since entering Soul Academy!

    She¡¯s always been by my side during physical training, so I¡¯ve grown attached to her!

    And now there¡¯s a chance she might hate me, and you¡¯re just making jokes!

    Grandpa! Aren¡¯t you getting a bit too smug about having a new way to torment me?

    Do you even know the meaning of <em>mutually assured destruction</em>?

    <strong>¡°Think about it. When you spar with her, the things you say are even harsher than what you just said now, aren¡¯t they?¡±</strong>

    Grandpa¡¯s words, spoken with a tone of feigned innocence, made me reflect on all the things I¡¯ve said during our sparring sessions.

    He was absolutely right.

    <strong>¡°If she was the type to get upset over something like that, she would¡¯ve run away from you ages ago.¡±</strong>

    ¡®¡­You¡¯re right.¡¯

    <strong>¡°So, you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±</strong>

    Grandpa¡¯s words were convincing, but the uneasy feeling in my gut didn¡¯t go away.

    Even though Frey had walked off, my meal of meat and dessert had just been served, but I couldn¡¯t enjoy it.

    Earlier that morning, Frey had been walking toward the training grounds as usual when she identally caught sight of Lucy sparring with Professor Karl.

    It wasn¡¯t strange for the two of them to spar. After all, they were always close.

    What kept Frey glued to their match, though, was the sheer level of skill on disy.

    The swift, precise swordsmanship that never allowed the opponent to close in.

    The unyielding shield that patiently waited for an opening, constantly searching for a way to strike back.

    Every move they made was so full of strategy and calction that even blinking for a moment would mean losing track of the flow.

    Frey forgot whatever else she had been nning to do and became absorbed in watching the match unfold before her eyes.

    The overall controly with the swordsman, of course.

    Karl was the more skilled of the two, and he was clearly taking on the role of a teacher, so it was only natural.

    But that didn¡¯t mean the one with the shield was just sitting back and taking the blows.

    Even under pressure, Lucy was constantly seeking an opening, moving forward with every step.

    As Frey watched Lucy¡¯s movements, she couldn¡¯t help but think:

    <em>Was Lucy ever this intense when we sparred?</em>

    No.

    Lucy had never been this desperate before.

    Frey had sparred with Lucy countless times.

    They were the only two first-year students capable of handling each other¡¯s strength, so it happened naturally.

    Of course, this didn¡¯t mean they were equals.

    Lucy was stronger than Frey, and their starkly different win rates proved it.

    Still, Frey never saw that gap as something she couldn¡¯t ovee.

    Frey believed in her own talent and trusted that she would one day catch up to Lucy.

    But that belief was shattered in this moment.

    The person Frey thought had been walking just ahead of her was actually miles ahead.

    The duel, which seemed like a miracle to Frey, was ultimately decided by Lucy¡¯s bold decision.

    Lucy created an opening by risking a serious injury, and her judgment was spot on.

    Frey watched as the seemingly imprable wall crumbled under Lucy¡¯s mace, and without realizing it, her fists clenched tightly.

    It was strange.

    Lucy hadn¡¯t mocked her or anything, but something red and simmering settled deep in Frey¡¯s chest.

    Was it anger?

    No. It was something different.

    What was this feeling?

    Was she just imagining it?

    Yeah, that must be it.

    Frey dismissed it as her imagination and headed to training, but the red feeling didn¡¯t go away.

    It clung stubbornly to her chest, refusing to leave.

    Even now, after Lucy¡¯s blunt words confirmed what she already knew, that feeling didn¡¯t disappear.

    <em>So, Lucy didn¡¯t even see me as a real opponent.</em>

    Maybe it was because of Lucy¡¯s taunt, but Frey felt the red sensation growing stronger inside her.

    Not knowing how to deal with emotions, Frey couldn¡¯t understand why she felt so lost right now.

    Wasn¡¯t there someone who could exin this to her?

    As she wandered aimlessly around the Academy, Frey suddenly stopped at the sound of voicesing from the infirmary.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of training they put you through at the Alrn estate, but the doctors here don¡¯t call this a bruise. It¡¯s a fracture.¡±

    ¡°What does it matter? It¡¯s just a small crack in the bone. A potion and one day of rest, and I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°This is why I can¡¯t stand knights.¡±

    The voices were familiar to Frey.

    One belonged to Professor Yangho, and the other was Professor Karl.

    ...Yeah. If anyone could exin this feeling, it would be Karl.

    If anyone knew about the red emotion Lucy stirred up, it¡¯d be him.

    With that thought, Frey entered the infirmary without hesitation.

    She walked straight up to Karl, who looked at her in surprise, and opened her mouth.

    ¡°Professor Karl. I have something to ask.¡±

    ¡°Is it urgent, Lady Kent?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Very.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    d for an excuse to escape Professor Yangho¡¯s nagging, Karl quickly stood up and followed Frey out of the infirmary.

    Professor Yangho shouted something after them, but Karl didn¡¯t pay attention.

    After all, he had already pocketed the potion he came for.

    ¡°Thank you, Lady Kent. So, what¡¯s on your mind? Is it a question about swordsmanship?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s something else.¡±

    As they walked through the Academy garden, Frey exined her dilemma.

    She realized that Lucy had been holding back during their sparring.

    And now, knowing that, there was this red feeling stuck in her chest.

    How could she get rid of it?

    Her exnation, given in her usual blunt manner, was over in no time.

    Karl listened carefully before letting out a small chuckle and answering Frey¡¯s question.

    ¡°You feel hurt, don¡¯t you? Because Lady Lucy has pulled so far ahead.¡±

    ¡°Hurt?¡±

    Frey, unfamiliar with such feelings, tilted her head in confusion, prompting Karl to roll his eyes.

    How should he exin this?

    Actually, does he even need to exin it?

    The important thing is getting rid of that feeling, right?

    The reason Lady Kent feels hurt is that she realizes how far ahead Lady Lucy is.

    So, if Lady Kent could move forward and catch up...

    Not a bad idea. It¡¯d be good for Lady Lucy¡¯s growth, too, if she had a peer to push her.

    ¡°Lady Kent, I have a suggestion for how you might get rid of that red feeling.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Would you like me to teach you how to use a sword?¡±

    Frey tilted her head in confusion at Karl¡¯s offer.

 Chapter 157

    The main storyline of <em>Soul Academy</em> is divided into three major arcs.

    First, there¡¯s the storyline involving the evil god who¡¯s currently trying to mess with me.

    Long ago, a group of heroes, including my grandfather, seeded in sealing the evil god, but of course, that seal wasn¡¯t meant tost forever.

    This story forms the foundation of <em>Soul Academy</em>''s grand narrative, and if you fail to defeat the evil god within a certain time frame, it¡¯s game over.

    No matter what route you take or what concept you follow, if you want to see the game through to the end, you¡¯ve got to deal with the evil god.

    I think this is what that worthless god who gives me quests expects from me.

    Considering how he overreacts when Ipare him to the petty evil god, he clearly has a lot of resentment toward that side.

    Well, it makes sense. If you¡¯re one of the main gods, you wouldn¡¯t exactly have fond feelings toward a faction that betrayed you and tried to monopolize power.

    Another storyline involves the corrupt main church.

    As you can see from Faybi¡¯s case, that side isn¡¯t exactly clean. If you dig deeper into that plot, you¡¯re bound to uncover all sorts of ugly truths.

    And the final main storyline is rted to the kingdom where <em>Soul Academy</em> is set.

    This story revolves around the struggle over who will im the throne, and in this arc, the final boss is none other than the kingdom''s First Prince.

    He¡¯s the one closest to inheriting the crown.

    Rene Sradin.

    Yes, the same Rene Sradin whom Lucy insulted, calling him a "creepy, loser prince" in that document I just read.

    So, essentially, I¡¯ve unknowingly picked a fight with the final boss of the main kingdom storyline.

    Past Lucy was a lunatic who insulted the king to his face, calling him a "smelly pig."

    Do you really think someone like that would have held back when facing the First Prince?

    Of course not!

    She probably hurled all kinds of insults at him to his face!

    Ugh. As if dealing with this guy wasn¡¯t going to be hard enough, now I¡¯ve got to start off with him already at max hostility toward me.

    This is making me feel sick.

    I haven¡¯t run into him yet since the academy''s tutorial phase isn¡¯t over, but once we¡¯re in our second year, I¡¯m bound to bump into him more often.

    Ughh. It¡¯s already hard enough trying to avoid Cecile whenever I see her around the academy, and now I¡¯ll have to worry about Rene too...

    This is a nightmare. Seriously.

    <"My child."> ¡®What is it, grandpa?¡¯ <"I must apologize."> ¡®Huh?¡¯ <"It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯vemitted far too many sins without considering your feelings. Could you ever forgive me for my mistakes?">

    At first, I thought grandpa was just surprised by how different I was nowpared to back then, but that wasn¡¯t it.

    He was outright mocking me.

    It¡¯s like he¡¯d found his granddaughter¡¯s old, embarrassing diary and was nowughing at it while reading through all the cringe-worthy entries.

    You¡¯d think someone as old as him would be more mature.

    ¡®Do you really think I¡¯m like that now?¡¯

    Still, grandpa, no matter what you say, I don¡¯t really care, you know? After all, none of this was my doing.

    Seeing how unaffected I was by his teasing, grandpa cleared his throat and continued.

    <"Hmm. That¡¯s true. People do change."> ¡®But if you keep bothering me, I might revert back to that time.¡¯ <"Haha. I¡¯ll be careful, then.">

    Seriously, though, how on earth did Lucy manage to survive all this time?

    With all the messes she¡¯s caused, even being the daughter of an earl shouldn¡¯t have saved her from the guillotine.

    From the looks of it, it seems like Benedict was the one who cleaned up most of Lucy¡¯s problems. I wonder what that¡¯s all about.

    Maybe Alsatin knows something about that too.

    ¡®Hey, Alsatin¡­¡¯ ¡°Hey, informant. Forget this for a second. I¡¯ve got another question for you. What kind of person is our fool of a father?¡±

    I mean, he smoothed things over when she insulted the king, covered up her insults toward the prince, and even dealt with the mess she caused at the church.@@novelbin@@

    Normal people can¡¯t do things like that.

    So what kind of person is Benedict?

    ¡°¡­Lady Lucy, are you telling me you don¡¯t know about Sir Benedict Alrn?¡±

    Alsatin looked at me with an expression of shock, like he couldn¡¯t believe the daughter of the Alrn family didn¡¯t know who her father was.

    Yeah, I know it¡¯s weird. But, you know...

    ¡®Why should I know that?¡¯ ¡°Why should I care about what kind of nonsense my fool of a father gets up to?¡±

    Think about it logically.

    If a lunatic who insults the king and prince can erase those events from her mind, why would she bother to remember anything about her father?

    Using Lucy¡¯s irond shield of spoiled brat logic, I watched as Alsatin hesitated, then slowly nodded in understanding, with a somewhat pitying look in his eyes.

    What?

    What¡¯s with that reaction?

    <"Poor Benedict..."> ¡®Grandpa, why are you joining in too?!¡¯ <"No matter how much of a troublemaker his daughter was, he always did his best to take care of her, and in return, she just says it¡¯s none of her business.">

    Looking back, yeah, that really is messed up.

    No matter how trashy a person might be, if they¡¯re your child, you¡¯d do everything you could to save them, running around and fixing their messes. And here I am, the so-called daughter, responding with ¡°Who cares what my father does?¡±

    But I¡¯m not Lucy!

    I¡¯m just a poor victim who got stuck in Lucy¡¯s body thanks to that bastard who created Mesugaki mode!

    How am I supposed to know anything about Benedict?!

    He wasn¡¯t even a character in the game!

    I desperately tried to reassure myself that I wasn¡¯t the problem, but it was a pointless effort.

    These were just hollow cries that couldn¡¯t be said aloud.

    <"At least try to remember from now on. It seems like Benedict went through a lot for your sake. The least you could do is acknowledge that."> ¡®...Fine.¡¯

    Grandpa was making too much sense for me to argue, so I had no choice but to nod.

    This is so unfair. I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, yet here I am feeling guilty.

    ¡°Sir Benedict Alrn is a hero who saved the kingdom.¡±

    Without even needing to check his information, Alsatin began reciting the achievements of Benedict right in front of me.

    He single-handedly repelled a dragon that had invaded the royal pce.

    He led his knights to subdue an S-ss dungeon that had threatened the country¡¯s stability.

    He stopped a conflict with another country just by the mention of his name.

    There were several more legendary feats Benedict had aplished during his prime.

    <"I knew he was strong, but calling him a monster is more urate.">

    Even grandpa, who was once part of the hero party that saved the world, used the word "monster" to describe Benedict, so it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to call him a living legend.

    While I was impressed by all of this, I couldn¡¯t help but think something else.

    All of these feats that Benedict achieved... they were supposed to belong to other characters, weren¡¯t they?

    The dragon-ying achievement, for example, was supposed to be the kingdom¡¯s knightmander¡¯s aplishment, meant to showcase the might of the kingdom¡¯s greatest warrior.

    And the S-ss dungeon conquest? That wasn¡¯t supposed to be handled by a single family. It was supposed to be a joint effort with the church, aimed at increasing their influence within the kingdom.

    All of these other aplishments as well¡­

    They were originally meant to belong to other characters.

    They were supposed to cause more damage and have greater consequences.

    But Benedict handled them all.

    So, of course, it makes sense that Lucy¡¯s head is still attached to her body.

    It¡¯s not just because of Benedict¡¯s achievements, but also because of the sheer military power that he and his family possess.

    Benedict is famous for being a doting father.

    Who in their right mind would dare to condemn Lucy Alrn in front of him?

    What kind of small country would risk making an enemy of an earl¡¯s family that could take them on single-handedly?

    I knew the Alrn family was strong, but I didn¡¯t realize it was <em>this</em> powerful.

    ¡°The reason Lady Lucy is safe is thanks to Sir Benedict.¡±

    ¡®I get it.¡¯ ¡°Do you really think I couldn¡¯t figure that out, informant? Don¡¯tpare my intelligence to someone like you.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m d to hear you understand.¡±

    But now I¡¯m wondering how all these changes affected the main storyline¡­

    I haven¡¯t explored much beyond the academy and the Alrn family yet, but I¡¯m sure there are plenty of things happening outside that I couldn¡¯t have predicted.

    For instance, Bishop Johan being part of the Alrn family wasn¡¯t something that existed in the game.

    This is the kind of chaos thates from turning a game character into a real person.

    It¡¯s sad to think my game knowledge is bing more and more useless as time goes on.

    When that timees, I guess I¡¯ll just have to call out to grandpa for help again.

    ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to ask?¡±

    ¡®Yes...¡¯ ¡°Yeah, informant. When are you going to bring me that thing I asked for? My patience with your ipetence has limits, you know. Useless informant.¡±

    Not too long ago, after Faybi realized her truth, I asked Alsatin to fetch me a certain item.

    ¡°The Scroll of Silence, you mean?¡±

    The Scroll of Silence. It¡¯s created by the followers of the god of silence, Harpo, and its effect is simple.

    It creates a room where conversations can¡¯t be overheard.

    Basically, it allows us to have secret talks without being eavesdropped on.

    The conversations that Faybi and I need to have are dangerous enough that if others heard them, we¡¯d be in serious trouble, so we can¡¯t just chat anywhere.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m nning to bring Faybi to my room and use the Scroll of Silence to create a soundproof space.

    No matter how rebellious our conversation might get, there¡¯ll be no issues.

    ¡°I was just about to give it to you.¡±

    Alsatin quickly took the scroll out of his coat and ced it in front of me.

    Wow, that was fast. I thought it would take longer since it¡¯s a high-demand item among the upper sses.

    I¡¯ve got to give him credit for being able to obtain it so quickly.

    ¡®Thanks, Alsatin.¡¯ ¡°Hmph. Not bad for a worthless informant.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lady Lucy.¡±

    Now, it¡¯s time to go and have a little chat with Faybi.

    I wonder if I¡¯ll be able to handle it well.

 Chapter 158

    About the church''s secrets, the fact that she was a fabricated saint, and that all her childhood memories were crafted.

    Faybi wasn¡¯t supposed to know any of this.

    Even if she did find out, it was something she would have only realized a year or twoter¡ªwhen she had developed her talents enough to break through the church¡¯s brainwashing.

    By then, even if Faybi uncovered the truth, the church wouldn¡¯t be able to act recklessly. By that point, the presence of Faybi, having awakened as a true saint, would have grown too great for the church to suppress.

    But that time hasn¡¯te yet.

    Faybi is still weak.

    She¡¯s questioning herself and even doubting her faith, to the point where she¡¯s making mistakes while purifying dungeon bosses at the Academy. She is still someone the church could erase at any moment.

    No matter how great her aura seems on the outside, what good is it if it¡¯s hollow within?

    One wrong move and a ¡®tragic ident¡¯ could happen.

    That¡¯s why Faybi must remain silent.

    Even if this situation goes against her beliefs, she needs to keep her mouth shut.

    Until the moment the church can no longer touch her.

    And now, it¡¯s my job to persuade Faybi to stay quiet.

    ¡°Will I be able to do this properly?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t confident that I could pull this off.

    The first issue is my Mesugaki skill¡¯s way of talking.

    No matter what I say, I can¡¯t predict how it will be twisted once it¡¯s tranted into Mesugaki speak.

    In some cases, the meaning might getpletely distorted.

    Well, this is something I can manage if I use the skill carefully, but there¡¯s a bigger problem.

    Faybi¡¯s personality.

    Nobody in the Soul Academymunity denied that Faybi was a saint.

    Even though being called a saint often invites suspicion, no one questioned her.

    What does that mean? It means that Faybi isn¡¯t just a simple good-hearted person.

    Only being good isn¡¯t enough to be called a saint.

    For an ordinary believer or priest, being kind may suffice, but not for a saint.

    The face of the church, the representative of God, must be different.

    They need unshakeable conviction and the kind of stubbornness that will push them through any hardship or trial to achieve righteousness.

    In the game, Faybi was that kind of person.

    Even when she knew her life was at risk, she stood in the capital, condemning the church without hesitation. How could sheck conviction?

    The current Faybi may be different from the one in the game, but I don¡¯t believe her core has changed.

    Right now, she¡¯s pretending not to know anything because I, the one who saved her, told her to wait. But if I fail to persuade her, Faybi will likely¡­

    <¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±>

    As I reflexively imagined the worst-case scenario, my grandfather¡¯s voice, unusually serious, cut through my thoughts.

    <¡°You prepared so diligently yesterday. Everything will be fine.¡±>

    He¡¯s usually just an annoying nag, but...

    Yes.

    For once, he¡¯s got the aura of the hero, Luel. He¡¯s actually reassuring.

    But I don¡¯t want to admit that.

    If I do, he¡¯ll get cocky and start spouting nonsense again.

    ¡°Was that really preparation? All I remember is getting beaten up.¡±

    <¡°I racked my brain so hard, and you say you¡¯ve forgotten it all?!¡±>

    ¡°Yes! So, please give me some good advice!¡±

    <¡°...Sigh. Child, you know being called an idiot isn¡¯t apliment nowadays, right?¡±>

    ¡°You talk like it used to be!¡±

    <...>

    I responded with augh, thinking he was joking, but my grandfather fell silent.

    Wait... what? Was he serious? Was there really a time when being called an idiot was apliment?

    <¡°Child, do you know why chivalry was created?¡±>

    ¡°No, why?¡±

    <¡°To plead with the thick-headed knights who lived like orcs and trolls to use their brains for once.¡±>

    His words, tinged with deep resentment, echoed from a distant era.

    Finding Faybi at the Academy wasn¡¯t hard.

    With her beautiful appearance and striking figure,bined with her angelic personality, she was treated like the Academy¡¯s idol.

    No matter where she went, Faybi was always surrounded by people. Ask anyone, and they¡¯d immediately tell you where she was.

    She¡¯s like the opposite of me.

    While no one dares approach me because of my terrifying reputation, I stand out enough that if anyone asks, ¡°Where¡¯s Lucy?¡± they¡¯ll get an answer right away.

    How do I know? Frey found me like thatst time.

    I still remember her t, annoyed face as she said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s very interested in you.¡±

    And today, once again, Faybi was surrounded by a group of people.

    She didn¡¯t discriminate betweenmoners and nobles, priests and non-believers, or even age differences. Faybi could connect with them all.

    Meanwhile, I¡¯m like a centrifuge.

    I can make everyone scatter in different directions.

    ¡°Excuse me, everyone. Could you move aside?¡±

    ¡°What are you insects doing, crowding around like pests? Clear out while I¡¯m being nice.¡±

    As soon as I said those words, people began backing away, starting from the outer edges.

    At first, I was shocked by this sight, but now I understand the ufortable expressions on their faces.

    Nobody wants to mess with someone as crazy as me, who might charge at them if they step out of line.

    A few people, however, still stood in front of Faybi, as if protecting her.

    Do they really think I¡¯d harm her?

    That¡¯s just unfair.

    I mean, do they even know the real Lucy Alrn? I¡¯m quite a reasonable person now.

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never worked with Faybi before.

    There¡¯s probably even word going around that I helped her outst time. Why would I hurt her?

    Also, I¡¯m a holy knight! A holy knight, just like Faybi!

    Do you think a person from the Holy Church would harm a saint?

    Huh?!

    ¡°Everyone, could you please move aside?¡±

    ¡°But, Saint...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Lady Alrn is not the kind of person you should be concerned about.¡±

    The wary eyes that had been ring at me softened as soon as Faybi spoke.

    Stepping past the acquaintances who had been blocking her, Faybi approached me with her usual wless smile.

    ¡°Hello, Lady Alrn.¡±

    ¡®Hello, Faybi.¡¯

    ¡°Hey there, worthless saint.¡±

    As the words ¡°worthless saint¡± slipped from my lips, the murmuring around us grew louder.

    I wasn¡¯t bothered by it since this kind of thing happens every day, but Faybi seemed different.

    She momentarily averted her gaze, surveying the people around us, before shing a gentle smile.

    ¡°Everyone, badnguage isn¡¯t nice.¡±

    ¡°Uh, I...¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re sorry...¡±

    ¡°We apologize, Saint.¡±

    Hearing Faybi¡¯s gentle warning, people mumbled praises about how kind-hearted she was.

    Is this the difference in behavior? If I said the same thing, I would¡¯ve been dragged through the mud.

    Did Faybi just give me a sharp look just now?

    No, it¡¯s probably just my imagination.

    Yeah, definitely just my imagination.

    There¡¯s no way Faybi would ever make such a face.

    ¡°I apologize for themotion, Lady Alrn.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s fine, Faybi. But more importantly...¡¯

    ¡°Never mind that. It¡¯s not the first time these worthless scrubs have squealed like pigs. More importantly, worthless saint, do you have time? I have something to talk about, just the two of us.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The crowd seemed uneasy about my request for a private conversation, but Faybi¡¯s earlier words had kept them silent.

    I brought Faybi back to my dorm, where I noticed the vain fox was still sleeping peacefully on my bed.

    That little thing is still sleeping? It turns into a baby fox, and now it¡¯s acting like one too?

    Well, joking aside, I understood why it slept so much.

    The vain fox had already been weakened after taking on its current form.

    On top of that, forming a contract with someone as weak as me had drained most of its remaining strength, so it had to conserve its energy for important moments.

    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t bad for me, either.

    Though it¡¯s annoying at times, it¡¯s still a cute fox. Not bad for decoration, right?

    Of course, not now.

    I have to talk about serious matters with Faybi¡ªabout gods and churches. I can¡¯t let it stay here.

    I grabbed the vain fox by the scruff of its neck, and it sluggishly opened its eyes.

    ¡°Huh? What...¡±

    Without a second thought, I tossed it out of the room.

    Ignoring its confused blinking from outside, I locked the door, and Faybi stood there, staring nkly at the spot where the vain fox had been.

    ¡°Is that...¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s not important right now.¡¯

    ¡°Worthless saint, it¡¯s none of your concern.¡±

    ¡°...Okay.¡±

    Yeah, you¡¯re right, Faybi. But don¡¯t worry.

    That fox is way more useless than you¡¯d think.

    After sitting Faybi on the bed, I pulled out a Silence Scroll from my inventory and activated it.

    For a while, this room would bepletely soundproof.

    No matter what I say¡ªwhether it''s cursing the church, badmouthing the Academy professors, or calling the Holy God a useless perverted pedophile...

    Actually, scratch thatst part. That one would definitely bring retaliation. That god is incredibly petty.

    Do you know what I got as a reward forpleting the ¡°Past Revtion¡± quest?

    [Tip: Benedict will allow most things if you call him ¡®Papa¡¯.]

    Can you believe that garbage? It¡¯s too much!

    Huge risk, and this is the reward?!

    Even if I did insult him byparing him to an evil god, holding a grudge and seeking revenge is just...

    What kind of Holy God is that? What ame god! More like Holy Loser!

    ¡°It¡¯s a Silence Scroll.¡±

    I guess Faybi recognized it immediately. She knew what it was for.

    That¡¯s convenient¡ªless exining for me.

    <¡°Alright, proceed as we discussed yesterday.¡±>

    ¡®Understood.¡¯

    After taking a deep breath, I pulled up a chair and sat across from Faybi.

    I locked eyes with her, staring straight ahead as if I were going to devour her.

    Calmly, I crossed my legs, unbothered by her gaze.

    ¡®First of all...¡¯

    ¡°First, let me say this: Worthless Saint, all the worthless information you¡¯ve got? I already know it.¡±

    I revealed everything Faybi had learned from her memories.

    That she was created by the church.

    That the upper echelon of the Holy Church was corrupt.

    I listed off all the knowledge she might have uncovered as she regained her memories.

    I expected her to show some shock, but Faybi just listened quietly, as if it wasn¡¯t surprising that I knew these things.

    It¡¯s like she didn¡¯t find it strange that I knew all this.@@novelbin@@

    ¡®Grandpa! She¡¯s reacting totally different than I expected!¡¯

    <¡°What does it matter? It¡¯s easier when they ept things quickly.¡±>

    ¡®But still!¡¯

    When your opponent reacts outside of the expected options, it throws everything off!

    Even as I internally whined to my grandfather, I continuedying out everything.

    When I finished, Faybi, who had been listening silently, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, with her bright golden eyes, she looked straight at me and spoke.

    ¡°Do you know all this because you are an Apostle of Armadi, Lady Alrn?¡±

    ...What?

    Huh?

    Wait, Faybi...

    That was supposed to be <em>my</em> line!

 Chapter 159

    While discussing strategies with my grandfather in training mode, there was one overarching premise we had agreed on.

    I needed Faybi to recognize me as the Apostle of Armadi.

    If not, no matter what I said, Faybi wouldn¡¯t really listen. She¡¯d just half-hear me and eventually act ording to her own will.

    However, if she acknowledged that I was Armadi¡¯s Apostle, things would be different.

    Faybi, who had longed for God¡¯s love but realized she could never receive it because she was a fabricated saint, would listen to the words of someone who imed to be God¡¯s Apostle. To her, my words would be the very words of God, as long as the ipetent, worthless Holy God didn¡¯t speak to her directly.

    There¡¯s no way she could ignore that, right?

    Of course, this means I¡¯d have to deal with herints, but if it meant convincing Faybi, that would be a small price to pay.

    I don¡¯t know what kind of responses the Mesugaki skill would give, but as long as I pamper her enough, things should turn out fine, right?

    That was the n. But when Faybi brought up the Apostle of Armadi herself, I was caught off guard.

    Had she figured it out? How?

    No, that didn¡¯t make sense.

    Who in their right mind would think that someone like me¡ªwho constantly calls Armadi a useless god¡ªwas Armadi¡¯s Apostle?

    Was it because I could use holy magic?

    Most people thought, ¡°Wow, Armadi really is merciful, even to crazy people like her.¡±

    Even the bishop who taught me holy magic thought so.

    ¡®How did you¡­¡¯

    "Hey, worthless saint, how did you figure it out?"

    Seriously! This made no sense!

    Faybi, have you been practicing some kind of mind-reading technique?

    Did you learn some cheat skill that lets you see other people¡¯s status windows?!

    Faybi widened her eyes and lifted the corners of her mouth.

    That look of joy came from her certainty that I was Armadi¡¯s Apostle.

    If the cheeky little girl in front of her was really the Apostle of God, then Faybi, who called herself a saint, would gain hope that she wasn¡¯t aplete fake.

    But that joy quickly vanished from her face.

    Faybi, who had opened her mouth to speak, closed it again and lowered her gaze, fidgeting with her hands resting on herp.

    This wasn¡¯t the confident and bright Faybi I knew, and I was sure she was hiding something.

    Still, I didn¡¯t push her.

    I waited for her to speak.

    ¡°Well, that is¡­¡±

    Faybi muttered several lies.

    However, since she wasn¡¯t used to lying, her attempts were obvious.

    Her voice trembled, she avoided eye contact, and she didn¡¯t know what to do with her hands.

    Anyone could tell she was lying. After a few more probing questions, Faybi finally fell silent, before speaking in a quiet, almost defeated voice.

    ¡°I heard it from the Apostle of Tariki.¡±

    Her words were shocking.

    She had dealt with the Apostle of an evil god!

    <So that exins the dark energy residing in her.> ¡®...Yeah.¡¯

    Faybi¡¯s abduction by Nakrad made sense now. Despite being a saint with holy powers, the darkness had taken hold of her.

    At the time, we couldn¡¯t figure out why, but now it was clear.

    She had made a deal with Nakrad, and that¡¯s how the darkness crept into her.

    <What will you do about this?>

    ¡®About what?¡¯

    <Dealing with an Apostle of an evil god is a grave sin.>

    My grandfather¡¯s voice grew stern.

    In the past, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange to behead someone on the spot for this kind of sin. Once someone is touched by evil, they can never return. He said I should denounce Faybi immediately.

    Every word he spoke dripped with hatred¡ªmore than I¡¯d ever heard from him when dealing with other Apostles of evil gods.

    His feelings were probably tied to past experiences, ones I didn¡¯t know about.

    But I couldn¡¯t sympathize with his hatred.

    So what if someone made a deal with an evil god?

    If the situation called for it and the choice was efficient, wouldn¡¯t anyone make that decision?

    Even in games, I¡¯ve struck deals with Apostles of evil gods whenever necessary. I¡¯ve even yed as an Apostle of an evil god before, though that particr storyline was kind of boring.

    Anyway, I had no intention of condemning Faybi.

    If it was efficient, I¡¯d make a deal with an evil god without hesitation. That¡¯s just how gamers think.

    What shocked me wasn¡¯t the deal itself but how much Faybi had been struggling internally without me noticing.

    As I¡¯ve said before, Faybi was someone who truly deserved the title of saint.

    In other words, she wasn¡¯t the type of person who wouldpromise with an evil god.

    The fact that she had wavered meant the turmoil inside her had been immense.

    And there I was, blindly assuming Faybi would be fine.

    Hah, how pathetic.

    And I call myself a veteran of Soul Academy?

    This isn¡¯t a game. It¡¯s reality based on a game world.

    Get out of your delusions and start seeing what¡¯s right in front of you, idiot.

    I ignored my grandfather¡¯s voice and stood up, walking over to Faybi.

    She widened her eyes, then looked resigned, before shutting them tightly in fear.

    I wanted to hug her with open arms, but¡­ my Mesugaki skill wouldn¡¯t allow such a kind-hearted gesture.

    Instead, I put my foot on the bed, towering over her, and hid my smirk with my hand.

    ¡®Faybi, did you really think I wouldn¡¯t know?¡¯

    "Puha! Stupid, worthless saint. Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice? Only a fool like you could be tempted by an Apostle of an evil god."

    Through my mockingughter, Faybi opened her eyes, her expression nk with shock.

    ¡®It¡¯s alright, Faybi. Everyone has moments of weakness.¡¯

    "So what? You¡¯re just a stupid, useless saint. Of course you¡¯re dumb."

    ¡°What are you¡ª¡±

    ¡®No matter what you¡¯ve done, you¡¯ll always be a saint to me.¡¯

    ¡°Hah. You¡¯re such a hopeless idiot, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t care what you¡¯ve done. In the end, you¡¯re still a worthless saint.¡±

    My Mesugaki skill finished its line by poking Faybi¡¯s forehead a couple of times.

    I didn¡¯t mean to take it this far! But, well, I guess the message got across, so that¡¯s a relief¡­ right?

    As I rested my arms on my leg, waiting for her response, tears began to well up in Faybi¡¯s eyes.

    Uh.

    Wait.

    No.

    ¡°Waaah!¡±

    The calm, dignified saint suddenly started bawling like a high school girl, and I was at aplete loss.

    What? What?! Why are you crying all of a sudden?!

    I didn¡¯t say anything bad, did I?!

    I just told you I believed in you no matter what! Why are you crying?!

    <She¡¯s probably overwhelmed with emotion. She was expecting to be condemned.>

    ¡®Right?! So I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, right?!¡¯

    I was panicking, thinking I¡¯d said something terrible, but my grandfather¡¯s exnation helped calm me down.

    Just as I began to rx, my grandfather let out a heavy sigh, clearly intended for me to hear.

    <Do you really n to forgive her? For turning her back on the faith and dealing with an Apostle of an evil god?>

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    Unlike my grandfather, who¡¯s still stuck in the past, I, a proud member of the MZ generation, know Faybi.

    Even if she wavered, Faybi is someone who can regain her unwavering conviction.

    So no, I don¡¯t n on condemning her.

    Honestly, I don¡¯t even understand what exactly she did wrong.

    So what? If necessary, anyone could make a deal with an evil god.

    <...Is that your will, or the will of those who trust you?>

    In response to my firm answer, my grandfather asked in a low voice.

    He was probably asking if my words reflected the useless god¡¯s will or my own.

    Grandfather, are you stupid? The answer is already clear.

    ¡®My will is Armadi¡¯s will.¡¯

    That pathetic, useless god would¡¯ve intervened the moment I did something he didn¡¯t like.

    In some way or another.

    The fact that the worthless god has stayed silent means he agrees with my actions!

    So my will is his will!

    Get it?

    After I dered this proudly, my grandfather was momentarily speechless before letting out a chuckle.

    <Kuh. Yes, you¡¯re right. You are Armadi¡¯s Apostle, the first of your kind. It was foolish of me, a mere disciple, to criticize your words.>

    ¡®Grandfather?¡¯

    <Hah. I¡¯ve been sleeping for too long. I¡¯ve be no different from the hardheaded fools in the church. It¡¯s truly pathetic¡ªso pathetic that I can¡¯t stopughing.>

    With Faybi sobbing so much her eyes were swollen shut in front of me and my grandfatherughing heartily in my head, I found myself at aplete loss.

    ...Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have thrown out the vain fox. At least watching it might have brought me some peace of mind.

    After some time, Faybi finally calmed down. She went to the bathroom to wash her face beforeing out again.

    Her eyes were red and swollen¡ªsomething unimaginable for the usual elegant Faybi.

    Ah. If I could take a screenshot of this and post it in themunity with a title like ¡°The Saint¡¯s Ruined Face,¡± the response would be amazing.

    The saint¡¯s fan club would go berserk. They¡¯d scream about how I was trying to nder her with a fake photo.

    Their reactions were always so fun to mess with.

    Too bad they all disappeared once Soul Academy became a dead game.

    ¡°I... I¡¯m so sorry, Lady Alrn.¡±

    Faybi¡¯s voice was hoarse from all the crying.

    ¡®It¡¯s fine, Faybi. It happens.¡¯

    ¡°Puhahaha! What a pathetic, ugly face, totally fitting for someone as worthless as you. You should go around like that all the time!¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Embarrassed by her own appearance, Faybi blushed deeply.

    If I teased her just a little more, she might explode.

    Seeing the usuallyposed saint¡¯s face change so dramatically like this was kind of fun.

    For a moment, the thought of teasing her more crossed my mind, but I held back.

    If I made her cry again, I really wouldn¡¯t know how to deal with it.

    Besides, I still hadn¡¯t even started on the important things I needed to tell her.

    I had to let Faybi know that she really was destined to be a saint, and she needed to stay strong and keep working toward that.@@novelbin@@

    I also had to tell her that, even though she might be unhappy with the church, she had to endure it until she became strong enough to change things.

    And there were things about her past I needed to talk to her about, too.

    Now that I thought about it, I had a ton of things to discuss.

    If I made her cry again, we¡¯d be up all night.

    So I decided to save the teasing forter.

    ¡®Faybi...¡¯

    ¡°Hey, worthless saint. Now we¡¯re going to talk about some important stuff. Listen carefully.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 160

    As Faybi made her way back to her dorm, she couldn¡¯t suppress the clumsy smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, despite the fact that her eyes were still puffy from crying.

    Since childhood, she had always been taught to maintain the dignity of a saint, so keeping a calm andposed expression was second nature to her. But today, she couldn¡¯t help it.

    One line kept reying in her mind.

    <em>¡°I don¡¯t care what you did. In the end, you¡¯re still a worthless saint.¡±</em>

    When Faybi first heard Lucy call her a "worthless saint," she found it unsettling.

    There weren¡¯t many people who dared to insult her to her face as a saint of the Holy Church.

    At the time, she wasn¡¯t sure how to respond. It felt like a criticism of her shorings, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit stung. She had even been a little angry.

    But now, it felt different.

    The term ¡°worthless saint¡± had be a word offort to Faybi.

    It wasn¡¯t meant to belittle her, but rather, to validate her.

    Because despite knowing that Faybi was fundamentally wed, despite knowing that she doubted God''s mercy out of ignorance, and despite knowing that she had been tempted by an evil god and reached out to him in a moment of weakness¡ª

    Lucy still affirmed her as a saint.

    Reflecting on that moment, Faybi felt the tears welling up again, and she bit her lip hard.

    <em>Oh no, what do I do? My eyes are burning, and I can¡¯t hold it in.</em>

    If she let it out, she¡¯d probably break down and sob right here in the middle of the street, just like she did in Lady Alrn¡¯s room!

    Thinking about how she had bawled like a child, Faybi covered her face with both hands.

    <em>Stupid Faybi. What on earth were you doing in there?!</em>

    If the Apostle of Armadi had forgiven her, knowing the sins shemitted, she should have thanked her profusely and apologized properly. Instead, she broke down in tears!

    Recalling how she had tearfully sobbed, sniffled, and repeatedly muttered ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± and ¡°Thank you¡± in front of Lucy, Faybi felt her tears dry up from sheer embarrassment.

    With a heavy sigh, Faybi fanned her flushed face to cool down.

    <em>Well, at least the tears stopped. But I¡¯m sure this shameful memory will haunt me for a long time.</em>

    <em>I need to think of something else, something to help me forget this humiliation.</em>

    <em>Yes! I¡¯ll go over what Lady Alrn told me again. That should help distract me.</em>

    Before leaving her room, Lucy had told Faybi that she needed to wait.

    <em>¡°I¡¯m sure you hate the Holy Church. As a clueless, wandering saint, you must have a lot of questions. But now isn¡¯t the time. If you act too soon, you could get hurt.¡±</em>

    Lucy didn¡¯t exin exactly what kind of danger she was referring to, but Faybi could guess.

    It likely meant that if she moved recklessly, the Holy Church might erase her altogether.

    It seemed that the Holy Church harbored far more darkness than she had originally believed.

    Though Faybi believed in and followed righteousness, she never assumed that everyone in the Church was righteous. Where there is light, there is always darkness.

    However, the darkness in the Holy Church was farrger and more organized than she had imagined. It might even be strong enough to swallow the light whole.

    Looking back, it was obvious. After all, they had fabricated divine words to raise someone like her, who was a nobody, into a saint.

    That darkness must be so thick that even looking ahead would be difficult.@@novelbin@@

    <em>...If Lady Alrn hadn¡¯t told me to wait, what would I have done?</em>

    It wasn¡¯t hard for Faybi to imagine.

    If Lucy, the Apostle of Armadi, hadn¡¯t been there, Faybi would have acted without hesitation. She would have fought to drive out that darkness.

    She would have struggled to create a Church that aligned with her ideals. Even if it meant losing her life, she would have believed it was her duty as someone chosen by Armadi.

    But now, Faybi had no such thoughts. Lucy, the Apostle of Armadi, had told her to wait.

    Hearing the voice of someone who spoke with God¡¯s blessing, Faybi knew that Lucy¡¯s words were aligned with Armadi¡¯s will.

    The great, wise, and righteous Armadi must have foreseen the future and made ns ordingly. Faybi had no doubts and was content to follow that path.

    As she thought of this, Faybi felt her emotions calming down. She unclenched her hands and took a deep breath.

    <em>Alright, let¡¯s get back to my dorm, wash up, and¡ª</em>

    ¡°Saint?¡±

    At the sound of someone calling her, Faybi instinctively turned her head and met the gaze of a young girl who had always looked up to her.

    ¡°Ahn... cough. Hello.¡±

    As she tried to greet the girl as usual, Faybi was startled by how hoarse her voice was. She cleared her throat before smiling and answering properly.

    <em>How hard did I cry in front of Lady Alrn for my voice to still be like this?</em>

    <em>I should¡¯ve cast a healing spell on my throat before leaving. I was too overwhelmed to think about it.</em>

    ¡°...Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Hearing the girl¡¯s question, Faybi tilted her head in confusion before recalling what she must look like. Her appearance probably exined the girl¡¯s worried expression.

    She must have looked like aplete mess. It was only natural that people would be concerned.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Faybi put on her most reassuring smile and nodded confidently.

    It was true. She felt better than she had in a long time.

    But despite her best efforts, the girl¡¯s concerned look didn¡¯t disappear.

    <em>Does she think I¡¯m just putting on a brave face? I really am okay.</em>

    Faybi tried to convince the girl, but her hoarse voice only seemed to deepen the misunderstanding.

    <em>This is so unfair.</em>

    I often say I¡¯m being treated unfairly, but this time, it¡¯s not an exaggeration.

    I was truly, genuinely upset.

    Why the hell is there a rumor going around the entire Academy that I bullied Faybi?!

    I really don¡¯t get it!

    This is weird! I didn¡¯t do anything to Faybi!

    I helped a girl who was on the verge of despair after learning she was a fake saint by boosting her confidence!

    I even gave her advice, telling her not to act recklessly to avoid any idents!

    I¡¯ve done nothing but look out for her, and now there¡¯s this rumor that I bullied her!

    I first heard about it from Bissy.

    After finishing my morning training, he came up to me and asked, ¡°Lady Alrn, did you do something to the Saint?¡±

    When I told him I didn¡¯t do anything, he nodded as if he expected that and then exined what he had heard.

    Apparently, there was a rumor spreading among the students that I had brought Faybi to my room and bullied her.

    At first, I was so stunned that I couldn¡¯t even respond. But the more I thought about it, the more I started to piece things together.

    Yesterday, when Faybi left my room, she was aplete wreck.

    She went in looking fine, but by the time she came out, her eyes were swollen, her hair was a mess, and her voice was hoarse.

    It was only natural for people to be suspicious.

    My suspicions were confirmed when I confronted Avery.

    ording to her, my reputation had regressed. I went from being a capable but harsh noblewoman, who had mellowed a little, back to beingbeled as a talented but unruly tyrant.

    Seeing Avery stammer in fear as she exined this, I couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated.

    ¡°And you just sat there and listened?? Really?? What should I do?? My dear littledy is so useless that I feel like my mouth is about to spill some secrets?¡±

    ¡°No! I did my best to defend you, Lady Alrn! I swear! But since this rumor didn¡¯t start among the nobles, there was only so much I could do! Please believe me!¡±

    Whether Avery truly tried to defend me or not, the rumor had already spread like wildfire.

    By the time sses started this morning, it was only whispered among a few students. But as the day progressed, it spread to more and more people.

    By lunchtime, it seemed like almost everyone in the Academy knew about it.

    So, what does that mean?

    It means that I¡¯m now known as the vile scum who bullied the saint, who is widely beloved both inside and outside the Academy.

    <em>These stares are really starting to hurt.</em>

    Ever since bing Lucy, I¡¯d grown used to hostile gazes from others. But this was different. It was far more intense.

    Thanks to Joy, who must have said something, her group wasn¡¯t giving me dirty looks. But everyone else wasn¡¯t hiding their contempt for me.

    Messing with someone like Faybi, an idol to many, was bound to cause a big problem.

    And yet, I hadn¡¯t done a single thing to Faybi!

    <Won¡¯t things calm down after a while? If Faybi exins the situation, it should clear things up.>

    ¡®Do you really think Faybi exining will solve it?¡¯

    I could already imagine the scenario in my head.

    Even if Faybi exined that nothing happened, people would twist it into something else. They¡¯d say, ¡°The saint is so merciful, she even forgives those who wrong her!¡±

    Some people might even believe it¡¯s their duty to punish the trash who dared to harm their beloved saint!

    <em>Ugh. I didn¡¯t see thising.</em>

    If I¡¯d known this would happen, I would have made sure Faybiposed herself before letting her leave.

    But it was toote to change the past now.

    <em>Sigh. What can I do? I¡¯ll just have to get used to it. It¡¯s not like this is the first time people have looked at me with disdain.</em>

    Even as I tried to cut into my steak, the stares around me were so intense that I thought I might choke.

    It was strange. The steak was tender, and the sauce was delicious, so I should have been in a good mood. But the more I chewed, the more my mood dropped.

    ¡°Lady Alrn.¡±

    When I turned at the sound of someone calling my name, I saw Faybi standing there, her face full of guilt.

    ¡°May I sit with you for lunch?¡±

 Chapter 161

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Alrn.¡±

    Faybi looked as though she¡¯d dly offer her neck if it would make things better, her face full of guilt. She seemed deeply upset at the thought of causing trouble for me after Iforted her.

    ¡°I tried to exin things to the girl I met on my way back, but I guess my words weren¡¯t enough.¡±

    So that¡¯s how the rumor spread.

    On her way back from my room, Faybi, still in tears with a face all messed up, ran into one of her close friends. The girl, seeing the state Faybi was in, naturally assumed something had happened and began to spread the story around.

    Since the two people at the center of the rumor¡ªFaybi and me¡ªare fairly well-known in the academy, the story spread like wildfire. It grew to the point where no one could control it anymore.

    As the person involved, it feels incredibly unfair. But, if I look at it from another perspective, it¡¯s a pretty juicy rumor.

    A capable but foul-mouthed girl bullying and making the academy¡¯s kindest, most virtuous student cry?

    And in a locked room where no one could see?

    It¡¯s already a fantastic story.

    The content is provocative, the line between good and evil is clear, and there¡¯s plenty of room for embellishment.

    Honestly, if I heard this kind of gossip without being involved, I¡¯d probably think, "Oh, that¡¯s juicy!" I¡¯ve thought that way when reading scandalous gossip before.@@novelbin@@

    But now I¡¯m the one in the middle of it.

    Ugh, damn it.

    ¡°So, I came to try and fix things.¡±

    The gist of the rumor is that I bullied Faybi. Faybi¡¯s idea was that if the two of us were seen getting along, we could at least undermine the basis of the rumor.

    I seriously doubt that something like this, once spread, can be put to rest so easily, though.

    But watching Faybi, who was genuinely sorry and trying to help me, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything negative.

    ¡®It¡¯s okay, Faybi. I don¡¯t mind.¡¯

    ¡°Heh, pathetic saint. Who do you think you¡¯re worrying about? You think I care what those lowlife losers are saying behind my back?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re truly fine with it, then I¡¯m relieved, but still¡­¡±

    ¡®Sit down. Let¡¯s have a meal together.¡¯

    ¡°Sit. I¡¯m feeling generous, so I¡¯ll eat with you, you useless crybaby.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes! Thank you.¡±

    Hmm. In that case, should I order something extra since I¡¯ll be eating with Faybi?

    Honestly, one steak didn¡¯t feel like enough anyway. This works out nicely.

    Lately, no matter how much I eat, I don¡¯t feel full. Ever since I started training with the old man in practice mode, I¡¯ve been like this.

    Considering how much I move around, I doubt I¡¯m going to gain any weight, though.

    Could this be a sign that I¡¯m about to grow taller?!

    They say your appetite increases during a growth spurt!

    Yeah, that¡¯s probably it.

    It better be!

    If my hunch is right, I need to eat as much as I can now to maximize my growth.

    I can¡¯t stay this short and stubby forever!

    Someday, I¡¯ll be the one looking down on people, just like Faybi and Joy!

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    As I was scanning the menu, lost in my thoughts, another familiar voice reached my ears.

    ¡®Joy?¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s up, you airheaded noble?¡±

    There stood Joy, slightly hiding her flushed face with her fan.

    That morning, after hearing the rumor about Faybi and Lucy from another nobledy, Joy was at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.

    There was no way Lucy would bully Faybi!

    This was the same Lucy who valued Faybi so much that she even wore a bunny girl outfit to save her!

    Why on earth would someone like that make Faybi cry?

    And besides, is Faybi even the type to cry over a little teasing?

    She¡¯s a saint who¡¯s traveled through the roughest ces without shedding a single tear!

    It makes more sense that Faybi cried tears of joy after seeing Lucy than her being bullied.

    After confirming that the rumor was total nonsense, Joy told the otherdies around her not to spread such nonsense.

    But, rumors about Lucy and Faybi spread rapidly through the academy. Given how provocative the story was and how famous the people involved were, it was inevitable.

    Joy had dealt with these kinds of rumors many times in social circles, and seeing people gossiping endlessly made her sigh.

    How on earth am I going to fix this?

    Knowing Lucy¡¯s personality, she probably wouldn¡¯t care at all. But Faybi was different.

    Faybi would feel awful about causing trouble for the person who helped her. That much was clear.

    So, for Faybi¡¯s sake, Joy had to clear up the rumor. But how?

    As Joy entered the dining hall with the other nobledies, she spotted Lucy and Faybi sitting together at a table, and she froze.

    Why are those two¡­?

    Joy immediately understood what was happening when she saw Faybi¡¯s apologetic expression and Lucy¡¯s disdainful look.

    Ah, they¡¯re trying to show everyone they¡¯re on good terms.

    It¡¯s a good idea. It should at least help stop the rumor from getting worse.

    People will still gossip about Lucy, but at least some will start saying, ¡°Aren¡¯t they getting along fine?¡±

    It was a smart move.

    Joy agreed with that rationally, but her emotions were telling her a different story.

    But¡­ I wanted to be the first to eat with Lucy!

    That seat should¡¯ve been mine! I¡¯ve been eyeing it for so long!

    Faybi, you¡¯re my friend, but isn¡¯t this a bit much?!

    Joy¡¯s rtionships were generally wide but shallow. As the daughter of the Patrane Duke family, countless people vied for her favor. But very few truly cared about Joy herself.

    Most people just wanted to be friends with the Patrane Duke¡¯s daughter, not Joy.

    Of course, Joy was fully aware of this. She wasn¡¯t so foolish as to be swayed by empty ttery.

    As such, Joy didn¡¯t consider those people her true friends.

    How could she call them friends when the moment her title disappeared, they¡¯d scatter like fallen petals, leaving her a lonely stem?

    In fact, there were only a few people Joy could call true friends¡ªpeople like Asa and Faybi, who didn¡¯t care about her status.

    And recently, she had found someone else she wanted to add to that small list.

    Lucy Alrn.

    Twice, Lucy had saved her life.

    Lucy had extended a hand when she was stuck, unable to move forward because of her trauma.

    She was rude and sarcastic, even to a duke¡¯s daughter, never hesitating to speak her mind. But beneath that harsh exterior was someone deeply caring and noble.

    Joy wanted to call Lucy her friend. She wanted to see Lucyugh and have fun with her.

    She even devised a n with her older brother to make it happen.

    First, she¡¯d ask Lucy, who always ate alone, to join her for meals.

    Lucy would definitely grumble something like, ¡°Can¡¯t eat by yourself?¡± or call her ¡°that useless airheaded noble,¡± but she wouldn¡¯t push her away.

    From there, it¡¯d begin.

    They¡¯d start eating together regrly, gradually talking more. Then, Joy would suggest going out together.

    They¡¯d try new foods, explore ces, and during the break, she¡¯d invite Lucy to her estate for a pajama party!

    Unlike Asa, whose gender and political status made true friendship tricky, or Faybi, who was always busy with her duties, Lucy had no such obligations.

    Beforeing to the academy, she was known as a troublemaker. She had plenty of freedom, which meant she could easily spend time with Joy.

    In other words, bing friends with Lucy meant that Joy could finally experience the kind of friendship she had always dreamed of.

    So every time she saw Lucy, Joy had been waiting for the perfect moment to ask her to eat together. It was all part of her grand n.

    The only problem? She¡¯d never actually asked.

    Her brother constantly shook his head in frustration every time she mentioned it, but what could she do?

    What if Lucy rejected her?!

    Hearing something like, ¡°Why would I eat with you? You¡¯re ruining my appetite,¡± would break her heart!

    Despite her confident appearance, Joy¡¯s heart was fragile. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to make the first move, always waiting for Lucy to ask instead.

    Naturally, that hadn¡¯t happened. So the first step of Joy¡¯s n remained unrealized.

    But now, here was Faybi, about to im the honor of being the first person to eat with Lucy!

    Joy knew Faybi didn¡¯t mean anything by it. Her intentions were pure.

    But that didn¡¯t stop Joy from feeling envious.

    Faybi was about to live out the moment Joy had only ever imagined!

    What should I do?!

    At this rate, Faybi will steal Lucy from me!

    First, they¡¯ll eat together, then they¡¯ll hang out, and before I know it, they¡¯ll be best friends, spending holidays together and calling each other by their first names¡­

    No way!

    I met Lucy first!

    I got to know her first!

    I¡¯ve been nning to be her friend from the start!

    I can¡¯t let Faybi take that away from me!

    Filled with the worst-case scenarios, Joy quickly pulled out her fan and excused herself from the other nobledies.

    She told them she was going to speak with Faybi.

    No one would dare stop her¡ªthe daughter of a duke¡ªso they nodded in agreement, and Joy made her move.

    Even though her steps were impulsive, Joy¡¯s mind was a whirlwind.

    What am I supposed to say when I get there?!

    Should I pretend I didn¡¯t hear the rumor?

    No, that¡¯ll just make the mood awkward.

    How about, ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    Nope, that¡¯s just as bad!

    Ugh, why am I like this?!

    As Joy arrived at the table, Faybi noticed her first, their eyes meeting.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    ¡°Joy?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up, airheaded noble?¡±

    I have to say something. Anything.

    But what?!

    Finally, Joy blurted out the words she¡¯d always wanted to say.

    ¡°May I join you two for lunch?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Joy.¡±

    ¡°What, can¡¯t eat on your own now, airhead? Ugh, fine. Sit down. Don¡¯t just stand there like an idiot.¡±

    Both of them weed Joy to the table as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

    I did it!

    I actually did it!

    Joy sat down beside them, managing to hide her excitement while celebrating internally.

 Chapter 162

    Joy, disying the epitome of noble elegance that would earn apuse from etiquette teachers, ate her meal gracefully, while Faybi, smiling gently beside her, moved her hands with not a singlehint of disarray. Watching the two of them, I couldn¡¯t help but suppress the grin creeping onto my face.

    Thank goodness for the Mesugaki skill.

    If it weren¡¯t for that, I¡¯d probably be smiling like some creepy old man by now.

    I¡¯ve always wanted to eat with other people.

    Eating alone, with no one to talk to, is incredibly lonely!

    At home, it¡¯s fine!

    But at the academy, sitting by myself while everyone around meughs and chats with their friends? It¡¯s like the universe is reminding me how alone I am!

    At least, that¡¯s how it felt to me.

    If I didn¡¯t have the old man to chat with mentally, I¡¯d probably have died of loneliness, like a rabbit left all alone!

    But now, at this very moment, I was fulfilling my dream of having a meal with others at the academy.

    And it wasn¡¯t just with anyone.

    I was eating with Joy, who, when asked ¡°Who do you like best at Soul Academy?¡± would alwayse up as the obvious answer.

    And Faybi, who was such an essential character that she became a must-have for various challenges in my world¡ªnaturally, I¡¯d grown fond of her too.

    How could I not be happy eating with these two?

    Ah, just watching the two of them chat while eating makes me feel full.

    Is this what it¡¯s like to be a mother?

    It¡¯s pure bliss.

    <Ho. Well, that¡¯s fortunate.>

    ¡®I know, right? I¡¯m so happy they¡¯re eating with me.¡¯

    <...Hmm. I meant that in a political sense, but if you''re happy, then that¡¯s all that matters.>

    ¡®Political sense?¡¯

    After hearing the old man¡¯s words, I gave it some thought and finally understood.

    Up until this point, I was lost in the dream-like scenario of eating with them, so I hadn¡¯t fully grasped the situation. But now that I was more grounded, the answer was clear.

    Joy and Faybi are close friends. That¡¯s a well-known fact. They¡¯ve been friends since they were very young.

    So if I had really bullied Faybi, the person who would be most upset about it would be Joy.

    Of course, Joy and I are somewhat close too, and she¡¯s indebted to me, so she probably wouldn¡¯tsh out too aggressively.

    But if I had genuinely tormented Faybi, Joy wouldn¡¯t be sitting here, eating with us.

    Sure, Joy can be a bit airheaded, but she knows when to act.

    In other words, Joy joining us for a meal was a clear sign that there was no real problem between Faybi and me. Joy, the daughter of the Patrane Duke family, was implicitly vouching for that.

    When I summarized my thoughts to the old man, he chuckled.

    <Hoho. You¡¯ve grown a bit wiser.>

    ¡®It¡¯s all thanks to you, grandpa.¡¯

    I¡¯ve naturally picked up a lot from the old man, just by listening to his insights whenever something happened.

    When Iplimented him, he let out a pleasedugh.

    ¡®Do you think Joy nned this?¡¯

    <Most likely. She may be airheaded, but she¡¯s still a duke¡¯s daughter.>

    ¡®Impressive.¡¯

    Seeing Joy, who normallyes across as a bit scatterbrained, act in such a dignified manner naturally made me feel a bit of admiration.

    Right. Unlike me, who has no aristocratic knowledge whatsoever, Joy was born and raised as a nobledy in a duke¡¯s household.

    There¡¯s no way she did this without thinking it through.

    ¡®And I¡¯m thankful too.¡¯

    Thanks to Joy taking the initiative, the nasty rumors about me would likely die down quite a bit.

    Unlike me, who has no influence at the academy due to my plummeting reputation, Joy remains at the center of the social circle.

    Anyone who dares to continue spreading the rumor despite Joy¡¯s open refutation would likely face the wrath of the other nobledies.

    I, for one, bulldozed my way through the situation with brute force, but others don¡¯t have that luxury.

    Going up against the wrath of nobledies? That¡¯s asking for trouble. From what I¡¯ve seen in games, aristocratic bullying is subtle but brutal.

    ¡®I¡¯ll have to give her something in returnter.¡¯

    I may not be able to express my gratitude in words due to the Mesugaki skill, but I can still give gifts, right?

    So instead of thanking her verbally, I¡¯ll show my appreciation through a present.

    This sounds like something a stoic man would do. Like, ¡°Here. I picked this up for you.¡±

    I need to visit the auction house during the break anyway, so I¡¯ll pick out a gift for Joy then.

    Now that I think about it, I have quite a few people to buy gifts for.

    I owe Karl something.

    I also promised Asa a gift.

    I should give Benedict something too, after making him worry so much.

    And I can¡¯t forget about the Alrn family¡¯s knights.

    As I mentally tallied up all the people I needed to buy gifts for, I felt a frown forming on my face.

    When I factor in what I need for myself, I¡¯m going to need a lot of money. A <em>lot</em> of money.

    ¡°Miss Alrn, what are you thinking about so deeply?¡±

    Joy¡¯s voice snapped me out of my thoughts, her concerned expression melting away my worries.

    I can deal with all thatter.

    What matters is enjoying this moment!

    Tomorrow, I¡¯ll probably be eating alone again, so I can¡¯t waste this happy time worrying!

    ¡®Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡¯

    ¡°I was just thinking how airheaded you look while eating, as always.¡±

    ¡°...What part of me looks airheaded? I¡¯m following proper etiquette, thank you very much.¡±

    ¡®Exactly. What part of her is airheaded?¡¯

    ¡°You really don¡¯t get it? Pffft. It¡¯s because you¡¯re so clueless that I call you an airhead, you airhead.¡±

    ¡°And where exactly am I clueless?¡±

    Joy raised her voice, refusing to ept that she was airheaded, but that only made her even more adorable, stoking my mischievous urges.

    How could I resist teasing her when she¡¯s this cute?

    ¡°You can¡¯t even figure it out yourself?? A spoiled nobledy? When are you going to stop living in mommy¡¯sp?? How pathetic?¡±

    ¡°I am <em>not</em>...!¡±

    ¡°Pffft.¡±

    Even Faybi, who had been trying so hard to hold back herughter, couldn¡¯t help but burst out at Joy¡¯s flustered reaction.

    Joy shot a re at Faybi, but it was clear Faybi was too focused on stifling her ownughter to pay attention.

    Hearing Faybi snicker seemed to irritate Joy even more, as a deep frown appeared on her face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my perfect etiquette?!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re so clueless, you should at least try harder!? Come on, think for yourself, you useless airhead noble?¡±

    ¡°Uuugh¡­¡±

    Watching Joy bite her lip and finally cover her face with her fan, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    This is definitely the Mesugaki skill at work.

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯d enjoy bullying someone just for fun.

    Thanks to the rumors about me bullying Faybi, I had the chance to eat with both Joy and Faybi, and now I was heading to the faculty office feeling more rxed than I had in a while.

    Ah, just thinking about how Joy got all flustered makes me smile.

    Whoever started that rumor, thanks. I owe you one.

    But of course, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to forgive you.

    I¡¯m not about to let someone off the hook for spreading malicious rumors.@@novelbin@@

    Once I find out who it is, they¡¯ll get to experience the full brunt of my Mesugaki skill. Can¡¯t wait to see how much they¡¯ll enjoy that.

    While pondering exactly how to torment the culprit, I soon arrived at the faculty office where thebat professors were stationed.

    I was here because of something Faybi had mentioned during ourst conversation.

    The rumors about Nakrad, and the mysterious man in ck who provides information.

    This guy, by offering students what they want to know, was likely nting darkness in many of them.

    Just like he did with Faybi.

    If left unchecked, that darkness would surely be used for ill purposes down the road, so I needed to deal with it ahead of time.

    Faybi should really be the one to speak up about this, but considering her current mental state, telling her that she has the dark magic of an evil god inside her wasn¡¯t an option.

    So, I¡¯ll handle it.

    ¡°What brings you here, miss?¡±

    As soon as I opened the door and stepped inside, Karl¡¯s voice greeted me from nearby.

    ¡®Hey, Karl.¡¯

    ¡°Hey, useless.¡±

    ¡°Yes, miss? What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡®How did you know I wasing here?¡¯

    ¡°I sensed your presence as you were walking down the hallway.¡±

    So, he detected me while working and prepared in advance?

    That¡¯s... an unnecessarily impressive skill.

    While I was amazed by his ability¡ªsomething far beyond my current capabilities¡ªI couldn¡¯t help but feel... ufortable.

    ¡°Creepy.¡±

    It makes sense, though. Karl probably uses that skill to track my movements, iming it¡¯s his duty as a knight to stay close to his master.

    Karl, unbothered by my unfiltered distaste, staggered back, looking utterly devastated, like a puppy that had just been scolded.

    Even though I almost felt bad seeing his defeated expression, I wasn¡¯t going to fall for it.

    I¡¯ll have to askter if he¡¯s been using that skill for anything else. I bet he has.

    Sessfully ¡°defeating¡± Karl, I walked over to Anton, who was in the center of the faculty office.

    Ever since the field trip, Anton had been treating me kindly. He greeted me with a smile.

    ¡°What brings you here, Miss Alrn?¡±

    ¡®I have something to discuss.¡¯

    ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t be here if you didn¡¯t have something to say, you useless professor.¡±

    I exined to Anton everything I knew about the rumors spreading in the academy and about Nakrad.

    To someone else, it might have sounded like baseless nonsense, but Anton listened carefully.

    Of course, he did. After all, I was the one speaking!

    I¡¯m the one who single-handedly fought off the Apostle of the Evil God who attacked the academy and also stopped them from pulling a stunt on Faybi.

    Having real experience dealing with Apostles of the Evil God lends some weight to what I say.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible that some of the students have been tainted with the dark magic nted by the Apostle of the Evil God.¡±

    ¡®Exactly. So...¡¯

    ¡°Pretty quick for a useless professor. You¡¯re right. Some of these idiots probably don¡¯t even realize what kind of mess they¡¯ve gotten themselves into, so we need to conduct a thorough investigation.¡±

    Nakrad worships the Evil God of Darkness, so the power he nts follows that god¡¯s characteristics¡ªshadowy and difficult to detect.

    We¡¯d need to work with the church to find and cleanse anyone who¡¯s been tainted.

    After I exined this to him, Anton nodded.

    ¡°Understood, Miss Alrn. I¡¯ll contact the church and arrange a meeting.¡±

    ¡®You better follow through.¡¯

    ¡°If you brush this off, useless professor, I¡¯ll pluck out every one of your bearded hairs.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Don¡¯t worry. With your loyal knight right here, I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡±

    Alright. That should take care of things inside the academy.

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the thought of Nakrad¡¯s face twisting in frustration when he realized his ns had been thwarted.

    Looks like I can rx a bit when finals roll around.

    I¡¯ll ask Joy to study with me!

 Chapter 163

    Did Joy¡¯s warning work?

    After that day, the hostile stares aimed at me noticeably decreased.

    Of course, there were still plenty of people who didn¡¯t like me, but that¡¯s just part of everyday life, so it didn¡¯t bother me much.

    What mattered more was something else entirely.

    I wasn¡¯t eating alone anymore!

    Every day, Faybi and Joy woulde to join me for lunch!

    I don¡¯t know if they¡¯d just gotten used to my Mesugaki skill¡¯s constant insults or if their affection toward me had grown to the point they could tolerate it, but both of them naturally took their seats beside me during lunch.

    Usually, Faybi would arrive first, and then Joy would join us.

    Thanks to that, I¡¯d been having the happiest days of my lifetely.

    Sometimes I wished Frey could join us, but she seemed busy with Karl, preparing for something big for the final exams. Interrupting that wouldn¡¯t be polite, so I left her alone.

    Of course, along with all this happiness, I¡¯d been grinding¡ª<em>a lot</em>.

    In real life, I continued my usual training regimen until evening, giving it my all. And even when I slept, I was pulled into practice mode with the old man, where I trained relentlessly.

    On top of that, I couldn¡¯t afford to sleep during academy sses either.

    The moment I cked off in ss, the old man¡¯s eyes would re up in warning.

    To avoid the dreadful feeling of being mentally exhausted but physically fine the next morning, I forced myself to pay attention in every lecture.

    ¡°Miss Alrn, have I done something wrong?¡±

    One day, during ss, when I actually raised my head from the desk for once, the professor started shaking as he asked me that.

    The fact that my sitting up and paying attention in ss could cause someone such distress... It hurt a bit.

    Even though things were tough in many ways, life at the academy had settled into a peaceful rhythm.

    Normally, Nakrad would have caused another disturbance by now, but after the beating he took from the old man, it seemed like he was too damaged to make any moves.

    Even the church was able toe in and cleanse the darkness spreading throughout the academy without any interference.

    And to top it off, even the pathetic god who usually tried his hardest to mess with me had gone silent, leaving me to finally enjoy a proper school life for the first time in months since entering the academy.

    They say time flies when you¡¯re having fun, right?

    Before I knew it, final exams were right around the corner. But I wasn¡¯t worried.

    It wasn¡¯t like the pathetic god was demanding that I get the top score on the finals, nor was the reward for getting the best grade all that appealing to me.

    So, whether I did well or not didn¡¯t really matter.

    Even the old man told me to think of it as a chance to test what I¡¯d learned so far.

    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t ask for the old man¡¯s help during the finals.

    And that¡¯s when I realized something¡ªrelying on the old man had been absurdly unfair.

    When I tried to answer the questions on my own, I could solve about half of them, but the other half? I had no idea where to start.

    If this is how I¡¯m doing after actually studying, I can¡¯t imagine how bad it would¡¯ve been if I¡¯d kept sleeping through sses.

    No matter how I looked at it, my rank was going to plummet after these finals.

    Even if I make up for it with good scores in Dungeonology, Monster Hunting, and Combat Studies, there¡¯s only so much I can do.

    If I end up ranking below Joy, she¡¯s definitely going to gloat about it, considering all the teasing I¡¯ve done.

    I guess that would be kind of cute in its own way, but I prefer Joy when she¡¯s a bit more flustered. It¡¯s a shame, really.

    The day after I finished my written exams, it was time for the practical tests.

    I had two major tasks ahead of me: the Dungeon Exploration Exam and the Combat Studies Exam.

    There were other minor tests like physical endurance and weapon skills, but none of those concerned me.

    Anything that involved physical activity was my specialty.

    The first of the many practical exams was for Combat Studies.

    ¡°Hello, Lucy. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    And my opponent was the same as before.

    Frey Kent.

    The genius destined to be the next Sword Saint, and the strongest closebat character in <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    In the game, despite her impressive stats, she was often discarded due to her trolling tendencies. But now that the game had be reality, she turned out to be far more stable and likable than I¡¯d expected.

    She was also thepanion I¡¯d spent the most time with since joining <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    ¡®Yes, it has been a while.¡¯

    ¡°Who was it again? Ah, right, the useless swordswoman. You¡¯re so insignificant that I forgot you existed.¡±

    Iughed and teased her, but Frey didn¡¯t react.

    That¡¯s strange. Frey¡¯s emotions are usually pretty muted, but when I use my Mesugaki skill, she always responds in some way.

    Maybe she practiced controlling her emotions while preparing to face me?

    It makes sense. Karl, who¡¯s been training her, would know that falling for my provocations would mean defeat. He probably made sure she prepared for this.

    It won¡¯t matter, though.

    If you could block everything just by preparing, then my Mesugaki skill wouldn¡¯t be as broken as it is.

    Overpowered abilities like mine are meant to render preparation pointless.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to call me useless or weak after today.¡±

    ¡®I hope so too.¡¯

    ¡°Haha, dream on. That¡¯s impossible. You¡¯ll always be a worthless, weak, trashy swordswoman.¡±

    Honestly, I <em>wish</em> Frey would prove me wrong and make me stop calling her useless.

    If she could pull that off, I¡¯d give her whatever she wanted.

    But I knew that was just wishful thinking. Letting out a small chuckle, I grabbed the practice mace in one hand and conjured a shield with holy energy in the other.

    It was my safety measure. If I went all out, no first-year at the academy could handle me, so I had to hold back a little.

    Frey raised an eyebrow slightly when she saw my setup.

    ¡°Are both of you ready?¡±

    Anton, the instructor overseeing the Combat Studies ss, stood between us, checking if we were prepared.

    ¡®I¡¯m ready.¡¯

    ¡°You can see that, can¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°Then the match begins. Three¡­¡±

    As Anton began counting down, Frey shifted into position.

    Her stance was different fromst time. Back then, it had been more instinctive and wild, without any real form or technique¡ªlike a beast relying on its natural talent.

    But now, her movements were clean and precise.

    She didn¡¯t even show that small, nervous twitch she used to have.

    Karl had definitely corrected her form. Taming the beast that once swung a sword purely on instinct and forcing it to follow discipline.

    I don¡¯t like it.

    Why would Karl train my rival to get stronger? Does he <em>want</em> to see me get beaten up?

    Karl, you¡¯re starting to resemble that pathetic god more and more.

    I¡¯ll have to crush youter.

    ¡°One¡­¡±

    Still.

    Yeah.

    Even so, it¡¯s not enough, Karl.

    Did you really think I was justzing around while you trained Frey?

    I¡¯ve been training with the old man relentlessly, night and day, pushing myself to the limit.

    There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to lose here.

    If you really want to break me, you¡¯d better bring the petty god¡¯s ridiculous interference with you.

    ¡°Begin!¡±

    As soon as Anton called out for the match to start, Frey charged at me.

    She was fast!

    For any other first-year at the academy, they wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with her speed, and she¡¯d take their heads before they could react.

    I¡¯d bet on that!

    But not against me.

    My shield urged me to move.

    My instincts told me to move.

    In that split second, I raised my shield, and Frey¡¯s sword shed against it, her force absorbed and deflected.

    A huge opening appeared.

    Rather than stubbornly pushing forward, Frey backed off immediately, resetting her stance.

    Impressive.

    In the past, she would¡¯ve recklessly continued attacking, trying to overwhelm me. Now, she¡¯s learned how to stay calm and avoid losing control.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?? Were you nning to beat me with just that?? So pathetic? It¡¯s hrious? You¡¯re so weak you don¡¯t even know your ce anymore, huh??¡±

    ¡°...Yes, I think I¡¯ll have to use it after all.¡±

    Just as I felt the rush of excitement from knowing my taunt had worked, Frey pulled something out from her pocket.

    Is that...

    <Earplugs.>

    ¡®Yep, earplugs.¡¯

    I chuckled at Frey¡¯s attempt to shut me out.

    It¡¯s a solid strategy.

    But it¡¯s probably not going to work.

    There¡¯s no way something as broken as my Mesugaki skill can be blocked by something as simple as earplugs.

    ¡°Was that your full strength?? Your pathetic sword couldn¡¯t even cut paper?¡±

    Earplugs arepletely useless.

    Frey gritted her teeth as my voice pierced through her earplugs as if they weren¡¯t even there.

    She had taken Karl¡¯s advice to heart¡ªKarl had warned her that the moment she let my provocations shake her emotions, she¡¯d lose. So, she hade prepared with earplugs.

    ording to the shopkeeper, these were supposed to block out even a dragon¡¯s roar. But they didn¡¯t do a thing.

    My voice slipped through easily, as if the earplugs weren¡¯t even there.

    Annoyed by the sensation of something blocking her ears for no reason, Frey quickly threw the earplugs to the ground.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?? Were you only strong when you could hear my voice?? Turns out you¡¯re a pervert too?? How disgusting?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Frey mumbled under her breath, tightening her grip on her sword and taking a deep breath.

    Lucy was as strong as ever.

    Her shield perfectly blocked the path of Frey¡¯s sword.

    Her overwhelming strength could easily knock Frey¡¯s weapon aside.

    She reacted to the slightest openings with impossible speed.

    And no matter how many shes they¡¯d had, Lucy wasn¡¯t even breaking a sweat¡ªher stamina was inhuman.

    She was a real monster.

    But still...

    Frey steadied herself, recalling everything Karl had taught her.

    Karl had trained her with one goal in mind: defeating Lucy.

    He started by making Frey stronger, teaching her everything from the basics of sword handling to proper footwork.

    He showed her how to analyze and react in a fight.

    He taught her how to swing her sword, how to handle emergencies, and how to move forward.

    Karl had taken Frey¡¯s raw talent and pushed her beyond her limits.

    Once he judged she was ready, he gave her this advice:

    ¡°If the fight drags on, you¡¯ll lose. In a drawn-out battle, no student in the academy can beat Miss Alrn. To defeat her, you must disrupt the flow of the fight, no matter what. Her shield may be annoying, her mace may be terrifying, but you have to keep attacking and force her into an unorthodox fight. To pull a crocodile out of the water, you have to make it lunge at you first.¡±

    Karl¡¯s strategy was specifically tailored to take Lucy down.

    And knowing that, Frey didn¡¯t falter in the face of the overwhelming difference in their abilities.

    This much of a gap was within expectations.

    I can win.

    With that thought in mind, Frey lifted her sword again, narrowing her eyes at Lucy, who stood across from her with a yful smirk.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?? Are you too scared to make a move?? Your legs trembling...¡±

    ¡°Pathetic.¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a coward who only knows how to hide behind a shield.¡±@@novelbin@@

    And with that, Frey finally retaliated, throwing out a taunt of her own.

    To provoke the crocodile into attacking.

 Chapter 164

    Karl never expected Frey to grow strong enough to pressure Lucy within the limited time remaining before the final exams.

    <em>¡®Lady Kent possesses a talent that will surely leave her mark on history. Sooner orter, she¡¯ll easily surpass someone like me. But Lady Alrn is no different.¡¯</em>

    Frey was a genius.

    Even though her father had only taught her the basics of swordsmanship, she supplemented everything else with her natural talent, bing the most promising young swordswoman on the continent.

    However, her rival was no different.

    Lucy Alrn was also a genius.

    In a little over a year of relentless training, Lucy had already surpassed Frey with her overwhelming talent.

    She wasn¡¯tzy, either. Out of everyone Frey knew, Lucy was the most dedicated to her training.

    With overwhelming talent and incredible mental fortitude, Lucy had it all. Even possessing just one of these would make someone a genius, but Lucy, ever the greedy one, held onto both.@@novelbin@@

    So, no matter how hard Frey worked over the next month, it would be difficult to close the gap between them. It would be lucky if she could even maintain the current distance.

    <em>¡®But victories in battle aren¡¯t determined by talent and skill alone.¡¯</em>

    Karl suggested a different approach.

    If straightforward methods didn¡¯t work, then they needed to use a different strategy.

    <em>¡®Though Lady Alrn has softened quite a bitpared to before, she hasn¡¯t entirely lost her former personality.¡¯</em>

    <em>¡®What are you getting at?¡¯</em> Frey asked.

    <em>¡®Lady Alrn is surprisingly naive.¡¯</em>

    <em>¡®Naive?¡¯</em>

    <em>¡®Yes. She¡¯s naive enough to y along, even after learning about our n.¡¯</em>

    Frey tilted her head at the thought of Lucy being described as ¡°naive,¡± a word that seemed worlds away from the fierce tank. But Karl chose to exin through his n instead of borating further.

    Lucy was used to provoking others, but she wasn¡¯t as ustomed to being provoked herself.

    So, if Frey stood in front of Lucy and insulted her, Lucy would take the bait.

    And sure enough, Frey realized Karl¡¯s theory was correct when she provoked Lucy as instructed.

    Anyone watching could see it¡ªthe look on Lucy¡¯s face after being provoked was far from pleasant.

    <em>Coward?</em>

    <em>Weakling?</em>

    <em>Pfft.</em>

    <em>Did I just hear someone say that to me?</em>

    Hearing Frey¡¯s t-toned provocations, I couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter internally.

    To think I¡¯d be hearing someone call me a coward!

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t Frey¡¯s doing¡ªit had to be Karl¡¯s n. They were trying to shake me up and get me to lower my guard, hoping I¡¯d rush in recklessly.

    They knew that hiding behind my shield and dragging the fight into a war of attrition wouldn¡¯t work in their favor. They needed a variable, and they thought this was it.

    But honestly, wasn¡¯t it a bit too obvious?

    If you¡¯re going to use a strategy like that, you¡¯ve got to hide your intentions and subtly chip away at my emotions.

    But the way Frey, with her nk expression, kept saying ¡°coward¡± like it was no big deal made it hard for me to even pretend not to notice.

    I nced at Karl, who was serving as an assistant instructor, and he was pressing his forehead, sighing.

    Oh, so you didn¡¯t expect Frey to provoke me like that either?

    Haha. You should¡¯ve rehearsed this, you idiots.

    <em>¡®What will you do?¡¯</em>

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±

    Honestly, if I ignored her provocations and simply pushed my shield forward, I¡¯d easily overpower Frey.

    Frey may have improved a lot over the past month, but not enough to break through my shield.

    Sooner orter, she¡¯d fall into my provocations and make a mistake, and that would be the end of it.

    But, to be honest, my pride was taking a hit.

    I mean, I could beat Frey without my shield, but she¡¯s calling me a coward, hiding behind it.

    She¡¯s just a weak sword-user who only has talent going for her.

    <em>¡®Should I y along?¡¯</em>

    Given the gap between Frey and me, rxing a little wouldn¡¯t cost me the fight.

    Maybe it¡¯s time to teach her a lesson about her ce¡­

    <em>¡®Girl, are you letting that blessing take over you?¡¯</em>

    ¡°...Hah?!¡±

    Hearing the old man¡¯s voice snapped me back to my senses.

    Wait. Why the hell was I about to fall for their n?!

    Frey may be weaker than me now, but she¡¯s not an opponent I can afford to underestimate!

    She¡¯s got enough potential to overturn the gap between us if I¡¯m not careful!

    Wow. So, this Mesugaki skill also has this kind of mental effect on me?!

    I¡¯ve always been the one provoking others, so I had no idea how this feels when it¡¯s directed at me!

    Sigh. The more I learn about this skill, the more ws I find. Couldn¡¯t ite with more benefits rather than just adding more weaknesses?!

    And hey! The blessing from that dumb fox! Aren¡¯t you supposed to help me with mental resistance?!

    After all I went through to get you, enduring that humiliation and even wearing that bunny suit, why aren¡¯t you doing your job now?!

    Is this because the Mesugaki skill¡¯s debuffs are just too strong for the blessing to handle?!

    No way!

    Even though the blessing is a piece of junk from that dumb fox, it¡¯s still supposed to be powerful. It blocked most mind-control effects in the game, but now it can¡¯t handle this?

    This Mesugaki skill is such garbage!

    Whoever made this skill¡ªdo they even have a brain?

    Think about bnce! You can¡¯t just throw ridiculous skills like this into a game people pay for¡­

    Oh, right. It¡¯s a mod. Mods are often unbnced.

    But still, why is the bad side of this skill as broken as the good side?

    <em>¡®Stop overthinking it. You¡¯ve got an opponent in front of you.¡¯</em>

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    Thinking too much about this is an insult to Frey.

    Anyway, this isn¡¯t something I can solve by worrying about it. I¡¯ll just push it out of my mind for now.

    Maybe I¡¯ll pick up a few more mental resistance skillster to deal with this.

    ...Yeah, that should work, right?

    ¡°Coward. Too scared toe at me?¡±

    I could feel the heat rising in my head as the new debuff from the Mesugaki skill kicked in.

    Yikes. This is definitely going to be a problemter.

    At least I realized it now. If I had run into this issue during a real fight¡­ Ugh. The thought alone is terrifying.

    I should probably thank Frey for this.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re noting any closer either. Too scared to take a hit, huh?? Who¡¯s the coward now??¡±

    ¡°Yep. I¡¯m a coward. You are too.¡±

    Out of gratitude, I¡¯ll y along with Frey for now.

    Even if I¡¯m willingly walking into a disadvantageous position, it¡¯s only fair to reward her for helping me realize this w.

    And just to be clear¡ªI¡¯m not doing this because I¡¯m mad or anything, okay?

    I¡¯m totally calm right now.

    I just feel like putting a bump on Frey¡¯s head, that¡¯s all.

    After taking a deep breath, I tightened my grip on my mace.

    <em>¡®You¡¯re going?¡¯</em>

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    <em>¡®Alright then. Do as you wish. It¡¯s about time you learned some new techniques.¡¯</em>

    Alright. Let¡¯s go.

    I stopped breathing and stepped forward.

    In an instant, the distance between Frey and me closed.

    Instead of retreating, Frey swung her sword as I charged.

    Since I had put a move into my step, her sword¡¯s trajectory was free of any checks.

    The path of her sword was so clean and sharp that it almost looked beautiful.

    I shoved my shield into the path of her sword.

    This was brute force.

    She¡¯d swung with perfection, but I blocked it with a clumsy shield movement from an unstable stance.

    But using overwhelming strength, my shield turned that brute force into the right answer.

    Her sword shed against my shield.

    The one pushed back was her sword.

    <em>ng!</em>

    Past the sharp sound, I could see Frey biting her lip.

    Haha! Who told you to provoke me, you idiot?

    With her sword knocked back, a small opening appeared.

    I swung my mace toward Frey¡¯s head.

    But Frey wasn¡¯t easy to deal with.

    Despite the sudden attack, she picked the best option avable.

    She twisted her body to dodge the mace,

    Recalled her sword,

    And aimed it at my wrist, which was exposed after swinging the mace.

    Sharp.

    If I reacted poorly, she could easily sever my wrist.

    Frey¡¯s wless technique deserved a blunt response.

    I simply rammed her with my shoulder, knocking her off bnce.

    Focused on her sword swing, Frey couldn¡¯t react to my charge in time and tumbled to the ground.

    ¡°Pathetic swordswoman? Weakling with nothing but a big mouth? Aren¡¯t you embarrassed??¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    Even though it must¡¯ve hurt, Frey showed no sign of pain as she stood up and resumed her stance.

    ¡°You¡¯re done after just this? What a weakling.¡±

    ¡°Oh?? Are you so desperate to get beaten up?? You¡¯re not just a weakling, you¡¯re also a disgusting masochist? How gross?¡±

    ¡°...Tch.¡±

    Pfft. Why would you even try to argue with a Mesugaki?

    As long as I¡¯ve got this skill, I¡¯m invincible in a verbal fight.

    ¡°Come at me, weakling.¡±

    ¡°Just wait? I¡¯ll make you beg for mercy?¡±

    Alright. Let¡¯s go put a bump on Frey¡¯s head.

    The provocation had worked, and I¡¯d drawn out her attack as nned.

    I had sessfully created a battlefield to my advantage.

    But that didn¡¯t mean the gap between me and Lucy had disappeared.

    Dodging the mace aimed at her head, Frey gritted her teeth as my shield mmed into her stomach.

    ¡°Still not giving up?? You really must be a masochist?¡±

    Lucy was strong.

    Even though she¡¯d stepped into my battlefield, abandoning her own fighting style, she remained powerful.

    Her overwhelming physical abilities.

    Her skill in using the shield for both offense and defense.

    Her impablebat logic¡ªfar beyond what anyone her age should possess.

    She wascking in nothing.

    And because of that, I only wanted to swing my sword more.

    Every time I swung my sword, trying to break through Lucy¡¯s shield, there was so much anger burning inside me.

    That shield was so irritating, so annoying.

    I kept swinging at it in blind rage, only to fall into Lucy¡¯s trap.

    But now, it¡¯s different.

    Even though there¡¯s still anger inside me, there¡¯s something else mixed in with it.

    As I fight Lucy in closebat, I can¡¯t help but smile.

    What... what is this?

    I¡¯m not sure.

    But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad feeling.

    Taking a step back to avoid Lucy¡¯s shield, Frey smiled.

    In her world, only two people existed¡ªher and Lucy.

    Perhaps because of that, her sword grew faster and faster.

    Following its movements, a faint blue light traced the path of her sword.

 Chapter 165

    The moment Frey¡¯s sword struck, my body was pushed backward.

    Wait a second. That shimmering aura around Frey¡¯s sword...

    <em>¡°Aura?!¡±</em>

    <em><Hmm. It¡¯s not fully formed yet, but it¡¯s definitely close to an aura.></em> the old man remarked.

    Frey, you ridiculous prodigy!

    No matter how talented you are, reaching this level in your first semester of the academy is just unfair!

    ording to the old man, she probably hasn¡¯t even realized it herself, but even so, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that this just made dealing with her a lot more difficult.

    Each time Frey¡¯s sword collided with my shield, the impact reverberated through my arms.

    This is dangerous.

    I still haven¡¯t mastered the use of divine energy.

    Sure, I¡¯m confident in using divine magic at the level of a regr priest, but that¡¯s it. Nothing more, nothing less.

    I¡¯ve beenpensating for myck of skill with the abundance of divine power thates with being a heretic, but even that has its limits.

    In other words, my divine shield isn¡¯t as sturdy as it seems.

    Up until now, I¡¯ve beenpensating for my weak shield with my shield skills, but with Frey using her aura-like ability, it¡¯s be a challenge.

    If I seed in parrying, it¡¯s fine, but every time I fail, the divine shield cracks a little more.

    Because of that, I¡¯ve been focusing all my attention on moving the shield, and naturally, I¡¯ve been pushed onto the defensive.

    This wasn¡¯t like when I intentionally hid behind my shield, following the old man¡¯s strategy.

    Now, I was being genuinely pushed back by Frey.

    <em>¡°She¡¯s a real monster!¡±</em>

    <em><You¡¯re not one to talk, are you?></em> the old man quipped.

    <em>¡°True, but still!¡±</em>

    <em><Don¡¯t worry. Just hold on, and you¡¯ll win. Frey is in the same state as when you first learned divinebat techniques.></em>

    Frey had unconsciously tapped into something resembling an aura.

    Naturally, she had no idea how to control or handle it. She was simply burning through her mana recklessly, not knowing when to stop.

    So, once her mana runs out and she reaches her limit, victory will be mine.

    And enduring is what I do best.

    After all, I¡¯m a tank.

    As I deliberately positioned myself behind my shield, Frey¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly.

    Frey, who had sparred with me almost every day since we enrolled at Soul Academy, had likely noticed what I was nning.

    But even if she noticed, what could she do?

    It¡¯s not like she can break through my shield...

    ¡°What, hiding behind your shield again? Coward.¡±

    What? This brat...

    For a moment, I felt a surge of heat rise to my head, but I quickly suppressed it.

    Getting angry in this situation wouldn¡¯t help.

    However, that brief hesitation caused by my anger proved to be a mistake.

    Frey¡¯s sword was already right in front of me.

    I hurriedly raised my shield, following the old man¡¯s advice, but I hadn¡¯t fully gathered my wits.

    The parry didn¡¯t activate, and my already-cracking divine shield shatteredpletely.

    Frey¡¯s sword stopped just before reaching my neck.

    Silence fell over the surroundings.

    Frey¡¯s heavy breathing.

    The bright de of her sword, reflecting the sunlight.

    My own face, mirrored in that de.

    Everything was crystal clear.

    <em>¡°I¡¯ve lost.¡±</em>

    Ah, I let my emotions get the better of me and acted recklessly, but to think I¡¯d actually lose.

    Now, every time I call Frey a ¡°pathetic swordswoman,¡± it¡¯s going toe back to bite me. I¡¯ve just be the ¡°king of pathetic¡± for losing to her.

    <em><Why¡¯d you charge in like an idiot? That¡¯s why you lost, fool.></em>

    <em>¡°You gave me permission, Grandpa!¡±</em>

    <em><Did I? I must be getting old; I can¡¯t remember.></em>

    <em>¡°Grandpa! What are you talking about?!¡±</em>

    While I was grumbling with the old man over my unexpected defeat, Anton approached to officially end the match.

    Anyone could see the oue was obvious, and I had no intention of denying it.

    Sure, I couldfort myself by thinking, <em>¡°If Frey hadn¡¯t awakened her aura, I would¡¯ve won!¡±</em> but that wouldn¡¯t make her sword disappear from right in front of me.

    A loss is a loss.

    I quietly awaited Anton¡¯s deration, but Frey stepped in to stop him.

    ¡°Wait. It¡¯s not over yet.¡±

    ¡°Lady Kent? What do you mean? The match is already¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lucy didn¡¯t give it her all. Thatst move was a fake.¡±

    Frey said this and then looked back at me.

    ¡°Lucy, am I still a ¡®pathetic swordswoman¡¯ to you?¡±

    ¡°Pfft. Puhahahaha!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh, even with a sword right next to my neck.

    Pfft. So that¡¯s what Frey was after, huh?

    I thought she¡¯d be satisfied with just winning, but I was wrong.

    Frey wasn¡¯t just trying to beat me. She wanted something more.

    She wanted me to acknowledge her as someone who stood beside me.

    I don¡¯t know what part of me appealed to Frey.

    I don¡¯t understand why someone as detached and emotionless as her was looking at me with such fiery eyes.

    But anyway, I¡¯d already lost once, hadn¡¯t I? It¡¯s only fair to give the victor what they want.

    ¡°Ugh, dumb professor?, do us a favor and get lost, will you??¡±

    ¡°Hmph. If both parties agree, I suppose I have no choice.¡± Anton retreated, stepping back.

    I quietly recited the incantations of several divine spells in my mind.

    With that, my physical abilities increased dramatically, far beyond what they were before.

    I then wrapped my entire body in divine energy.

    At first, I struggled to control it.

    I¡¯m still not perfect, but I¡¯m much better than I was just a while ago.

    There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t improve after enduring hours of grueling training every night until the old man was satisfied.

    With everything in ce, I pulled out my mithril shield from my inventory and withdrew Luel¡¯s mace from my pocket.

    This is my full strength.

    ¡°Come at me?, you pathetic, dumb weakling?.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    With a grin, Frey charged at me, burning through her mana.

    The mithril shield I held was solid.

    Even Karl¡¯s serious sword strikes wouldn¡¯t cause it to falter.

    Even if Frey was using something akin to an aura, there¡¯s no way she could break this shield.

    Knowing that, I advanced, deflecting her strikes with my shield.

    Each time her sword met the shield, I felt the impact, but that was all.

    It wasn¡¯t enough to stop me.

    The only reason I was pushed back before was due to the weakness of my previous shield.

    It wasn¡¯t because Icked the physical strength to hold my ground.

    Seeing me holding firm, Frey changed her strategy.

    She tried to retreat, but I wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    As she moved back, I raised a divine barrier behind her.

    It¡¯s usually used for defense, but it can also be employed like this in certain situations.

    When Frey realized her retreat was blocked, she frowned but quickly charged forward again.

    Did she think she could break through by force?

    Maybe that would¡¯ve worked on the old me, but not the me standing here now.

    I watched her sword carefully.

    The sword, coated in mana, traced a blue arc through the air.

    I moved my shield first, followed by the old man¡¯s advice.

    Our judgments were perfectly aligned.

    As Frey¡¯s sword struck my shield, the parry activated, drastically reducing its power.

    I easily pushed her sword aside with my shield.

    A heavy shield, full of mass and power, is a weapon in its own right.

    With a dull thud, I struck Frey, who stumbled backward.

    Even as she reeled from the blow, she quickly regained herposure, but by that time, I had already closed the distance.

    Close enough that our breaths mingled.

    This wasn¡¯t sword range.

    It wasn¡¯t even mace range.

    It was hand-to-hand range.

    Smiling at her bewildered expression, I grabbed Frey by the cor.

    She struggled desperately, but she couldn¡¯t escape my grasp.

    I lifted her, preparing to m her into the ground... but stopped.

    This was just a sparring match, after all.

    No need topletely wreck her.

    Before she could hit the ground, I slowed her fall, allowing her tond gently.

    Frey stared at me nkly for a moment before raising her hands in surrender.

    ¡°I lost. As expected, you¡¯re strong, Lucy.¡±

    I thought she might look a little frustrated, but Frey¡¯s expression was as emotionless as always.

    Maybe it¡¯ll take more time to see her genuinely upset.

    <em>¡°Good work, Frey.¡±</em>

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad, dumb swordswoman.¡±

    ¡°...Huh? Dumb?¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond to Frey¡¯s questioning expression.

    No one was more surprised than me, after all.

    <em>Dumb swordswoman?!</em>

    What? Why did the nickname suddenly change?!

    Is this a thing now? Do nicknames evolve?

    I thought once they were set, they stayed that way forever!

    But this isn¡¯t bad news.

    It means that even the more unbearable nicknames I¡¯ve used in the past might change someday.

    After all, most of the nicknames given by the Mesugaki skill tend to cause issues and discord!

    Think back to the time I called Arthur the "Pitiful Prince." That was a nightmare!

    And imagine what¡¯s going to happen when I start calling Cecil the "Useless Prince."

    It¡¯s too awful to even consider!

    But if I can change the nicknames, that¡¯s a different story.

    I don¡¯t even care about calling people by their actual names. I¡¯d be happy if the nicknames were at least harmless and something we couldugh about.

    Take Joy, for instance. Calling her "Dumb Lady" hasn¡¯t been a problem.

    Honestly, it¡¯s kind of cute! Calling someone dumb when they really are a little dumb feels kind of fitting!

    If I could just adjust everyone else¡¯s nicknames to that level, then...

    <em><Sorry to burst your bubble, but...></em>

    <em>¡°Don¡¯t say it, Grandpa. If it¡¯s bad news, just keep it to yourself.¡±</em>@@novelbin@@

    <em><Girl, whether it¡¯s ''dumb swordswoman'' or ''pathetic swordswoman,'' they¡¯re practically the same.></em>

    Grandpa, could you please not poke at sensitive areas right now?

    I¡¯m in the middle of some happy thoughts. Why do you have to go and ruin it?

    Just let me enjoy my fantasy for a bit longer.

    And honestly, what''s wrong with ''dumb swordswoman''? It''s kind of cute.

    <em><Besides, there was a time when your nicknames changed before, wasn¡¯t there?></em>

    <em>¡°Was there?¡±</em>

    <em><Ah, yes. You once called Faybi ''Worthless Saint,'' butter on, it changed to ''Lewd Saint.'' Remember?></em>

    Oh, right. That was during that whole embarrassing ordeal when the degenerate god strengthened the Mesugaki skill.

    ...Hmm. That was probably just more of the god¡¯s twisted humor.

    Still, it means that these nickname changes aren¡¯t always a positive thing.

    Sigh. This is soplicated.

    While I was sighing internally over this unexpected turn of events, Frey, who had stood up, grabbed my arm.

    ¡°Lucy. Lucy. One more time.¡±

    <em>¡°One more what?¡±</em>

    ¡°What do you mean, dumb swordswoman?¡±

    ¡°...Wait a second. Did you just say ''dumb''? Not ''pathetic''?¡±

    Did Frey think I had acknowledged her? She seemed pleased with the switch to ''dumb swordswoman.''

    Whether she realized it or not, there was a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She was clearly overjoyed.

    Sigh. Well, if you¡¯re that happy, then I guess this turned out alright.

 Chapter 166

    <em>¡°They¡¯re in the same year as me?¡±</em>

    Arthur let out a disbelievingugh as he watched Lucy and Frey sparring.

    Among everyone present, there wasn¡¯t a single person who wasn¡¯t amazed by their duel. The battle moved so quickly that it was almost impossible for the spectators to keep up, and there was an undeniable power in the exchange that held everyone¡¯s attention.

    However, not everyone came to the same conclusion when watching them.

    Most of the students were simply awestruck by the talent on disy, but Arthur was different.

    He wasn¡¯t on the same level as Lucy and Frey, but he wasn¡¯t so far below them that he couldn¡¯t understand the techniques they were using.

    His eyes, wide in amazement, saw the finer details of their fight that others might miss.

    At some point, Frey¡¯s sword had begun to glow with a faint blue hue.

    <em>An aura?</em>

    It was undoubtedly either aura or something very close to it. An aura, at her age?

    Most warriors train their entire lives, and even then, many can¡¯t grasp the concept of aura by the time they¡¯re nearing thirty. And yet, here was Frey, reaching for it on sheer talent alone.

    <em>Incredible. When did she grow so much?</em>

    When Frey Kent first entered the academy, she was already a prodigy, but nothing like this. Back then, Arthur had thought she was someone he could catch up to if he worked hard enough.

    But now?

    What could have happened to make her so strong so quickly?

    And Frey wasn¡¯t the only surprising one.

    Lucy was just as remarkable.

    She was parrying Frey¡¯s aura-infused sword as if it were nothing.

    No, simply saying she was parrying it would be inurate.

    Lucy was actually pushing Frey back, overpowering her. Despite Frey putting everything she had into her sword swings, Lucy¡¯s shield rendered her efforts useless.

    How was such a thing even possible?

    The gap between someone who could wield aura and someone who couldn¡¯t was immense.

    It was said that a single knight with aura could face a hundred soldiers alone.

    No matter how talented Lucy was, she should have been powerless against Frey¡¯s aura.

    But Lucy was different. Even without knowing how to wield aura, she was suppressing someone who could.

    Perhaps it was rted to the divine magic she often used, something that allowed her to close the gap, but even that exnation didn¡¯t make much sense.

    What had seemed like an intense, drawn-out battle came to an abrupt end.

    Lucy blocked Frey¡¯s sword with her shield, charged in, and grabbed Frey by the cor before mming her into the ground.

    Well, not quite into the ground¡ªLucy had stopped just short, letting Frey down gently. But the result would have been clear if Lucy hadn¡¯t held back.

    In the end, Lucy was the victor in their all-out sparring match.

    <em>So that¡¯s the monster I have to beat if I want to win.</em>

    To surpass a genius who had reached this level in just over a year?

    Arthur had never believed there was anything he couldn¡¯t do.

    Whatever the task, whether it required physical or mental prowess, he had always been able to achieve his goals.

    But for the first time, Arthur was struck with the thought that something might actually be impossible for him.

    The wall known as Lucy Alrn was far too high for him to even dream of oveing.

    It¡¯s difficult. Too difficult.

    How could he ever surpass someone who, after aplishing something extraordinary, stood there with a nk expression, as if it was nothing?

    And after that, how could he ever answer the question that made him feel like he was pitying himself?

    <em>Is it even possible?</em>

    A few minutes after Lucy and Frey¡¯s duel ended, Anton called out the names of the next pair.

    ¡°Jackal Burrow and Merrill Baynes.¡±

    Both were considered talents who would one day lead the kingdom.

    Their duel was undoubtedly high-level, but neither Arthur nor the others watching seemed impressed. Even the participants themselves looked dissatisfied.

    After the fierce battle between Lucy and Frey, their duel feltckluster inparison.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, the final exam results are out.¡±

    Already?!

    It was a weekend morning, and I was stretching before starting my usual training when Joy¡¯s words froze me in ce.

    Wait a second. Weren¡¯t the results supposed to take longer toe out?!

    Why are the academy professors so eager to crush the hopes of students by handing out their disappointing grades so early? Why not take it easy and live life a little more slowly?!

    ¡°Shall we go check them out?¡± Joy suggested.

    I couldn¡¯t respond immediately.

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to see my results.

    Because I knew they¡¯d be bad.

    It wasn¡¯t that I hadn¡¯t studied. I¡¯d done my best to prepare for the final exams and worked hard during the tests.

    Seriously! If I¡¯d studied this hard back in my school days, I could¡¯ve made it into a university next to Gwanak Mountain!

    But just because you work hard doesn¡¯t mean the results will always be good.

    Based on my guess, my grades would be somewhere in the middle, or maybe a little above average.

    For someone who had ced first in the midterms, that would be a pretty embarrassing result.

    I wasn¡¯t eager to see how far I¡¯d fallen.

    I also didn¡¯t want to hear other people whispering about me when they saw my scores.

    And, more importantly, if I went to check my grades, Joy and Arthur would definitely tease me about it!

    I didn¡¯t want to voluntarily turn myself into their next target of mockery!

    <em><You worked hard for these exams, so you should at least check your results.></em>

    <em>¡®...Can¡¯t I do itter?¡¯</em>

    <em><Tsk. Ignoring something just because it¡¯s unpleasant won¡¯t do you any good.></em>

    With the old man¡¯s nagging, which was more like a threat, I had no choice but to ept Joy¡¯s suggestion.

    Ugh. I really don¡¯t want to see my name at the bottom of the list.

    ¡°Lady Kent, are you noting?¡± Joy asked Frey, who had been stretching with me.

    I already knew what she was going to say.

    She had no interest in grades, not even a little. She was the type to...

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯lle.¡±

    Huh? I had fully expected Frey to refuse, but she didn¡¯t.

    Surprisingly, she followed along without hesitation.

    What¡¯s with her all of a sudden?

    I didn¡¯t know why, but the three of us made our way to the academy¡¯s za.

    There was already arge crowd gathered.

    Wow. Look at all these people. It¡¯s so early in the morning, and they¡¯re all here already.

    Normally, I¡¯d have to think about how to get through the crowd, but that wasn¡¯t an issue for me anymore.

    Our presence itself was a free pass.

    <em>¡®Hey, guys.¡¯</em>

    ¡°Hey, losers.¡±

    The moment I spoke, all eyes in the vicinity turned toward me.

    Standing in front was Lucy Alrn, the crazy woman who insulted everyone she came across, no matter who they were.

    Beside me was Joy Patrane, the Lady of the Duke¡¯s household and the one whomanded the attention of the other nobledies. She looked like a viiness straight out of a novel.

    And Frey... well, Frey was just Frey.

    With us three together, the crowd naturally parted.

    At first, I used to feel hurt seeing people panic around me, but I¡¯ve gotten used to it by now.

    Honestly, I kind of like it. No matter where I go, problems solve themselves as soon as I show up.

    When we reached the results board, I immediately started searching for my name in the middle of the list.

    Based on my guess, I should be somewhere around here.

    But as I scanned the names, I furrowed my brows.

    Huh? Where¡¯s my name?

    Did I miss it?

    Puzzled, I looked again, but it was still nowhere to be found.

    What?! Did I do worse than I thought? Did I mess up the written exam so badly that I couldn¡¯t make up for it with the practicals?!

    Oh no. This is bad.

    Being in the lower ranks would be a disaster.

    If I fail and get held back, it¡¯ll be a catastrophe.

    As I continued searching down the list, I spotted Frey¡¯s name first.

    Wait, my score is lower than Frey¡¯s?! Was I dumber than her?!

    ¡°Oh, it looks like I failed to beat the Third Prince this time. Strange, I was sure my score was higher during the preliminary grading,¡± Joy remarked.

    Joy failed to beat Arthur?

    Then that means Arthur is first this time. Just like in the game.

    Things seem to be going back to how they originally were without any outside interference.

    ¡°At least Lady Alrn managed to secure the top spot again,¡± Joy added.

    ...Wait, what? I¡¯m first?

    What kind of nonsense is that? I guessed so many answers on the test.

    Joy, are you messing with me? Are you going tough and say, <em>¡°Did you really believe that? Gotcha!¡±</em> and then hit me with a Joy Kick?

    Are you trying to relieve all the pent-up frustration you¡¯ve been holding onto?

    Fine. That idea is kind of cute, so I¡¯ll humor you for now.

    I let out an exasperatedugh and lifted my head to check.

    <em>Lucy Alrn.</em>

    <em>Arthur Sdin.</em>

    <em>Joy Patrane.</em>

    <em>Jackal Burrow.</em>

    ...

    I froze when I saw my name at the top of the list.

    Huh? Why is my name there?

    Is this some kind of borate prank? Did the academy professors team up to mess with me?

    No. That doesn¡¯t make any sense.

    So, what is this? A dream? It must be a dream...

    No, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve been having dreamstely. Not with the old man running me ragged every night.

    <em>¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s going on here?!¡±</em>

    <em><What else could it be? You got first ce.></em>

    <em>¡°But how?!¡±</em>

    How in the world did I get first ce?! This doesn¡¯t make any sense!

    Okay, I¡¯ll admit, I did almost perfectly in the practical exams.

    And sure, I probably scored high in subjects like Dungeon Studies, where my game knowledge came in handy.

    But what about the other subjects where I got destroyed?! How did I end up in first ce?!

    I guessed on half the questions in those exams!

    <em><Even I was amazed watching you. How does someone manage to pick the correct answer with every throw of the pencil? If the god of dice is blessing you like this, you must be truly loved by the divine.></em>

    Wait. So, you¡¯re telling me that every time I guessed, I miraculously hit the right answers?

    ...Oh wow! All hail the god of dice!

    Even though I didn¡¯t specifically pray for this, the god of dice has blessed me with this amazing stroke of luck!

    Thank you! Thank you so much!

    While I was silently offering my gratitude to the infinitely superior god of dice, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

    <em>¡°Grandpa, so you knew my results from the start, didn¡¯t you?¡±</em>

    <em><Of course.></em>

    <em>¡°...So why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±</em>

    <em><Because I wanted to see you squirm before finally being happy.></em>

    So you kept quiet just so you could enjoy watching me go from despair to joy?

    Grandpa, are you some kind of pervert? You were just sitting back, grinning to yourself as I suffered?

    This seriously makes me want to dere mutually assured destruction.

    There¡¯s got to be something worse thantrine duty that I can make Grandpa do.

    ¡°Lucy Alrn.¡±

    I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard someone call my name.@@novelbin@@

    Arthur had approached me without me noticing.

    His expression wasn¡¯t great.

    And why would it be? He had probably put in even more effort than Joy, who had scored higher in the practicals thanks to what I taught her.

    Despite all that, he lost to me again. Of course, he¡¯d be upset.

    Hmm. How should I console him?

    Actually, am I even capable of consoling anyone?

    Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut. That might be the best option.

    ¡°I need to talk to you,¡± Arthur said.

    <em>¡°What is it?¡±</em>

    ¡°What is it, ¡®pathetic prince who just got stomped by me again¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Yeah. Keeping my mouth shut is definitely the best approach. I¡¯m terrible atforting people.

    After a few more awkward coughs, Arthur finally managed to speak.

    ¡°Teach me how to get stronger.¡±

 Chapter 167

    <strong>"You want me to tell you how to get stronger?</strong>

    <strong>Why me, of all people?"</strong>

    I couldn''t quite understand why Arthur was asking for advice. He was the third prince of the Sdin Kingdom, renowned across the continent. Despite being ofparatively humble baronial blood, his royal lineage granted him privileges that allowed him to obtain almost anything he desired.

    Whether it was rigorous knight training, instruction from a celebrated schr, or something else entirely¡ªhe could have it all. In fact, if he pushed hard enough, he could probably recruit any Academy professor as a private tutor. So, for him to ask a mere student like me for help? It didn¡¯t make much sense.

    Was this some kind of joke? But no, Arthur''s expression was dead serious.

    <strong>¡°Why?¡±</strong>

    <strong><em>"What is it, your highness? You said you wanted to beat me, didn¡¯t you? And now you''re asking me to teach you? That¡¯s pretty pathetic, don¡¯t you think? Aren¡¯t you ashamed?"</em></strong>

    <strong>"Ahem. No, this isn¡¯t a joke. I knew exactly how you¡¯d respond, but I still chose to stand here in front of you."</strong>

    Yeah, that¡¯s fair. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t have predicted the insults I¡¯d hurl at him the moment he asked for my guidance.

    He had braced himself for my harsh words. His resolve couldn¡¯t have been taken lightly, especially for someone as proud as him.

    <strong>¡°Both of you, hold on a second.¡±</strong>

    Just then, Joy interrupted our conversation.

    <strong>"It looks like this is going to take a while. Let¡¯s move somewhere else."</strong>

    Only then did I realize that all eyes were on us. Yeah, that checks out. It wasn¡¯t enough that we were already attention mas, but now we were blocking the way in front of the grade boards. No wonder everyone was staring.

    We quickly slipped through the crowd and made our way to one of the Academy¡¯s private rooms.

    During exam season, these rooms would usually be fully upied, but since finals had ended and everyone was on break, the ce was practically deserted. The staff at the entrance was even dozing off.

    Finding a spot for the four of us to sit wasn¡¯t difficult at all.

    <strong>¡°The reason I¡¯m asking for your guidance is because the people around you have been growing at an incredible rate.¡±</strong>@@novelbin@@

    As soon as the door closed, Arthur got straight to the point.

    <strong>¡°For example, Joy, this..."</strong>

    <strong>"Your Highness?¡±</strong>

    <strong>"Ah, yes. My apologies. Anyway, this airheaded, clumsy, and foolish¡­¡±</strong>

    <strong>"Just call me airheaded¡­"</strong>

    <strong>"Airheaded noble has undeniable talent. But recently, her growth has surpassed all expectations. Even the professor who teaches magical control called her the best student he¡¯s ever had."</strong>

    Well, duh. I¡¯ve been passing down the culmination of over ten thousand hours of knowledge from <em>Soul Academy</em> to her.

    Even without my help, Joy was the type of character who could catch up to yers on her own with sheer talent and effort. I simply optimized her for maximum magical growth, so her progress was bound to be noticeable.

    <strong>"Frey Kent is no different."</strong>

    <strong>"Me?"</strong>

    <strong>"Yes, you. Frey Kent¡¯s talent with the sword was already among the best of your generation, though not overwhelming. But now? You''ve be a monstrous swordswoman, standing head and shoulders above the rest."</strong>

    Uh¡­ I think there''s been a bit of a misunderstanding here.

    I didn¡¯t exactly teach Frey anything. We¡¯ve just been training together, sparring, and grinding through dungeons.

    If anyone¡¯s responsible for her progress, it¡¯s more likely Karl than me.

    <strong>"Yeah, Lucy¡¯s amazing!"</strong>

    I was about to correct Arthur¡¯s mistake, but Frey nodded along enthusiastically before I could get a word in.

    Hey, did you even understand what Arthur just said? Or did you just nod because it sounded like apliment?

    <strong>"And most notably, Lucy Alrn, your growth has been¡­ abnormal. I understand that the Alrn family possesses exceptional talents, but there are limits. You could barely climb a flight of stairs a year ago, and now you¡¯ve reached the top. The strongest!"</strong>

    Well, yeah. I can¡¯t really argue with that.

    When I first took over Lucy¡¯s body, I was practically wheezing after walking up a few stairs. Now, I¡¯m at the top. Looking back, it¡¯s been a pretty ridiculous journey.

    If I hadn¡¯t bribed Benedict into giving me that potion early on...

    If I hadn¡¯t managed to imnt my passive skills into Lucy¡¯s body¡­

    If I hadn¡¯t endured the borderline abusive training of the Alrn family¡­

    If I hadn¡¯t passed Ruell¡¯s trial and met the old man¡­

    There were so many ''what-ifs'' along the way. If any one of them had gone wrong, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here right now.

    You know what really pisses me off? Despite all that, I¡¯m still just a first-year at <em>Soul Academy</em>! In game terms, I haven¡¯t even cleared the prologue!

    If it were just a regr game, I¡¯d have cleared the early content in a couple of hours. But here? I¡¯ve been dodging death at every turn!

    <strong>"Based on these factors, I¡¯vee to believe that Lucy Alrn holds a secret that I¡¯m unaware of."</strong>

    Arthur continued his pitch, undeterred by my internal monologue about how much more suffering I still had ahead of me.

    <strong>¡°So I ask of you: Teach me how to be stronger. In return, I will do whatever it takes to repay you.¡±</strong>

    Arthur bowed his head before me.

    Even if he was far from the throne, for a prince to lower his pride before a mere count¡¯s daughter¡­ This wasn¡¯t a trivial gesture.

    Even Joy, standing beside him, looked taken aback.

    If I asked the old man, he¡¯d probably go on about the political significance of it all.

    Hmm. Helping Arthur get stronger, huh?

    There¡¯s no downside to helping him.

    Think about it: I¡¯m already on bad terms with the first prince, who¡¯s basically the final boss. I don¡¯t know for sure, but he probably hates my guts. The second prince¡¯s in the same boat¡ªhe might be friendly now, but the moment I call him a ''loser prince,'' he¡¯s bound to flip.

    So, if both of the main heirs hate me, my best chance of survival is to get cozy with Arthur!

    By earning his favor, I can ensure that even if I go wild with my <em>Mesugaki</em> skill, Arthur will clean up after me!

    Alright. Let¡¯s help Arthur get stronger.

    But how?

    In terms of build, Arthur is a magic swordsman¡ªa hybrid ss that, in theory, is supposed to be the best of both worlds. Magic and physical prowessbined into one versatile package!

    But the thing about hybrid sses is that they¡¯re usually only powerful in theory. In practice, they tend to struggle.

    That was certainly the case in <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    You had too many stats to build, and with limited growth resources, the magic swordsman character often turned out weak.

    But here''s the thing.

    This isn¡¯t a game. And Arthur is one of the most talented people in <em>Soul Academy</em>. If I y my cards right, maybe we can make his theoretical power a reality!

    <strong>¡°Lucy Alrn?¡±</strong>

    ¡®Hold on a sec.¡¯

    <strong>"Prince, could you shut your mouth? Your breath reeks, and you''re being annoying."</strong>

    <strong>"...Uh, right. Sorry."</strong>

    I used to dream of making the magic swordsman ss work. As someone who loved concept builds, I¡¯d tried more than once to make a character who was strong in both magic and physicalbat. But no matter how I tried, the character always ended up weak.

    In games, growth resources were limited, and unless you madepromises, the magic swordsman build was a dead end. After much trial and error, I finally created a magic swordsman who focused on physical strength with magic as utility, but that wasn¡¯t a true magic swordsman. It was just a swordsman who happened to use magic.

    I eventually gave up on the idea. But now, yearster, I had the chance to make it a reality. Right here in front of me was someone who could fulfill my dream!

    The first problem, though, was Arthur¡¯s stamina. Right now, he wouldn¡¯tst long enough to follow through with the intense training required.

    He needed to build up enough endurance to run the Academy¡¯s dungeon from the first floor to the hundredth with me.

    First, I¡¯d have to focus on boosting his stamina. Then, I¡¯d hone his swordsmanship beforeyering in magic. It¡¯d be grueling, but it just might work¡­

    <strong>¡®Grandfather. Grandfather.¡¯</strong>

    <What is it?>

    <strong>¡®Here¡¯s my n. What do you think?¡¯</strong>

    Iid out my ideas to the old man. He was the best person to judge whether it was feasible.

    He chuckled, as if the whole thing was absurd, and then said:

    <Little girl, not everyone trains as if their life depends on it like you do.>

    <strong>¡®So, it¡¯s impossible?¡¯</strong>

    <It¡¯s not impossible, but it won¡¯t be easy.>

    <strong>¡®Where should I makepromises?¡¯</strong>

    <Start with...>

    After tweaking my n based on his advice, I looked up to see Arthur watching me with tense eyes.

    <strong>¡°Have you made up your mind?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡®I¡¯ll help you. But¡­¡¯</strong>

    <strong>"Alright, pitiful prince. I¡¯ll help you out, but there are a few conditions."</strong>

    <strong>¡°Name them.¡±</strong>

    I gave him two simple conditions:

    First, he couldn¡¯t question anything I made him do.

    Second, he wasn¡¯t allowed to give up, no matter how hard it got.

    Arthur nodded without hesitation, as if it were no big deal.

    <strong>¡°Hah. Is that all? I never give up. You won¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡®Really?¡¯</strong>

    <em>"You sure, poor prince? I think you''re just a weakling who''s gonna quit."</em>

    <strong>¡°Nonsense. I guarantee it. If I ever give up, I¡¯ll allow Joy to make fun of me for the rest of my life!¡±</strong>

    <strong>"Why am I suddenly dragged into this?!"</strong>

    Alright. He¡¯smitted now. Time to see what he¡¯s really made of.

    Arthur seemed confident at first, but as my eyes gleamed with excitement, I could see doubt flicker across his face.

    But it was toote. He couldn¡¯t back out now. Not when Frey and Joy were here as witnesses.

    Let¡¯s begin.

    <strong>¡®Arthur¡­¡¯</strong>

    <em>"Alright, poor prince. First, we¡¯re going for a run."</em>

    <strong>¡°A run? Ah, stamina training. Sounds good.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡®Just a quick run¡­¡¯</strong>

    <em>"Only about half a day¡¯s worth, really."</em>

    <strong>¡°...Wait. Did I hear that right?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡®Yep¡­¡¯</strong>

    <em>"Half a day. At a pace that¡¯ll push you to your absolute limit."</em>

    Worried about whether you¡¯ll actually make it?

    Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make sure you have no choice but to keep running. Once I start taunting you, you¡¯ll grit your teeth and push through.

    And don¡¯t stress about injuries or exhaustion either.

    I¡¯m bringing Faybi along for training. She¡¯ll heal you up if things get too tough. No need to worry about consequences when you¡¯ve got a saint on standby.

    <strong>¡®Enough talk. Let¡¯s get going.¡¯</strong>

    <em>"Come on, poor prince. Unlike you, I actually value my time."</em>

    You wanted to get stronger?

    Then grit your teeth and hold on. Arthur Sdin!

 Chapter 168

    I taunted Arthur, trying to get him to stand up, but his body just wouldn¡¯t respond. His arms trembled as they supported his weight on the ground, clearly too exhausted to move.

    I turned to Faybi for help, but she shook her head.

    <strong>¡°If you push him any harder, it¡¯ll be too much for his body.¡±</strong>

    Hmm. Really? That¡¯s strange. When I was training with the Alrn family, I endured much tougher sessions.

    Fossel didn¡¯t care about the limits of my body. There were times I copsed after intense training only to wake up in bed, unsure of how I¡¯d even gotten there.

    Compared to that, this seems like nothing.

    <Young girl, as I always tell you, don¡¯t use yourself as a standard for others.>

    <strong>¡®Really? But this seems doable for most people.¡¯</strong>

    It¡¯s not like I started off any better. I just restored my crippled body with a potion and then trained relentlessly.

    Sure, I nned my build carefully, but the process was just effort, more effort, and even more effort.

    If I could survive this much after falling from the modern world into a fantasy setting, shouldn¡¯t Arthur, who¡¯s a certified genius at <em>Soul Academy</em>, be able to handle even more?

    He¡¯s got a better starting point than I did, after all.

    <I have trained many talented knights in my time, and I can tell you this: You are an outlier.>

    <strong>¡®I see.¡¯</strong>

    If even the old man is saying this and Faybi, the healing expert, agrees, I guess it''s best to let Arthur rest.

    <strong>¡®Take a break, Arthur.¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡°I guess there¡¯s no choice. Poor Prince, your stamina is pathetic. Go ahead and rest like the weakling you are.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°...Lucyiii!¡±</strong>

    Arthur raised his voice, frustrated by my <em>Mesugaki</em> taunts, but I wasn¡¯t intimidated in the least.

    Watching him shake with exhaustion while yelling from the floor? It was just funny. I had to look away before I burst outughing.

    ncing around, I saw that no one else was in any better shape.

    Frey lookedpletely worn out after our sparring sessions. Joy was squeezing everyst drop of mana she had left in her training. Even Faybi, who had been healing Arthur, was nearly drained of her holy power.

    It made sense. We¡¯d been training since early morning, and almost eight hours had passed. Everyone was exhausted.

    Personally, I wanted to keep going, but I had just been reminded not to hold others to my own standards. Hmm¡­

    <strong>¡®Everyone!...¡¯</strong>

    <em>"You weaklings! We¡¯re done for the day!"</em>

    When I raised my voice, all eyes turned to me.

    Their expressions were filled with confusion.

    What? I¡¯m telling them to rest. Isn¡¯t that a good thing? Why do they look so surprised instead of relieved?

    In the silence that followed, Frey moved first. She walked up to me, cing a hand on my forehead before tilting her head in confusion.

    <strong>¡°No fever?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡®I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡¯</strong>

    <em>"Dumb swordswoman. Does it look like I¡¯m sick to you?"</em>

    <strong>¡°But if you¡¯re not sick, why would you tell us to rest?¡±</strong>

    Frey¡¯s blunt response caused everyone to nod in agreement. Even Arthur, sprawled on the ground, seemed to agree.

    ¡­Wow. I guess I know what kind of reputation I have with them now.

    Alright, if that¡¯s what they expect from me, I guess I have no choice but to live up to it.

    I¡¯ll have Frey continue sparring with me, and since Joy¡¯s out of mana, she and Arthur can focus on stamina training...

    <strong>¡°Actually, that reminds me. There¡¯s somewhere I¡¯ve been wanting to go together.¡±</strong>

    Before I could fully form my n to push everyone until they begged for mercy, Joy¡¯s sudden suggestion changed the atmosphere.

    <strong>¡°Where, exactly?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°An amazing bakery.¡±</strong>

    Then Faybi chimed in enthusiastically.

    <strong>¡°Ooh, dessert. That sounds delicious.¡±</strong>

    Even Frey, who had slipped away from me earlier, joined them, murmuring with a lifeless tone.

    <strong>¡°Sure, I¡¯lle.¡±</strong>

    Finally, Arthur, wobbling to his feet, put the finishing touch on the conversation.

    <strong>¡°Alright. I¡¯ll pay.¡±</strong>

    And just like that, the four of them looked at me, waiting.

    Are they really expecting me to push them to train more after this? Come on, that would just make me the bad guy!

    I was the one who suggested taking a break in the first ce!

    Ugh, this is frustrating. Should I just ignore the bakery and push them harder?

    It wouldn¡¯t be that hard to shut down the conversation and force them to keep training.

    But¡­

    No, I can¡¯t.

    I mean, this is a chance to hang out with characters from <em>Soul Academy</em>¡ªthe game I loved so much, I became a total pro at it.

    How could I pass that up?

    <strong>¡®Alright, let¡¯s go to the bakery.¡¯</strong>

    <em>"Airhead noble, if the bread is as dumb as you are, I¡¯ll make you pay for it."</em>

    <strong>¡°Hehe, I¡¯ll stake the honor of the Patrane family on it.¡±</strong>

    Just as Joy had boasted, the bakery she led us to was a familiar ce to me.

    It was the same spot I used to visit on weekends in <em>Soul Academy</em>, where I¡¯d asionally bump into the clumsily disguised airheaded noble.

    In other words, this was Joy¡¯s favorite bakery.

    Wow. I had thought abouting here with her someday, but I never expected she¡¯d invite me first!

    It¡¯s a shame it¡¯s not just the two of us, but the lively atmosphere is nice too.

    More importantly, this is a ce I cane back to with Joyter!

    While I excitedly scanned the shop, a server brought us a selection of bread. We hadn¡¯t even ordered, so I figured this was what Joy usually got here.

    The bread was fresh, still steaming from the oven. Arthur was the first to grab one of the croissants.

    Just looking at the golden brown crust, I could tell it was well-made.

    When Arthur took a bite, the crispy sound of the crust breaking filled the air.

    With a neutral expression, he swallowed and nodded lightly, a small smile appearing on his face.

    <strong>¡°It¡¯s pretty good.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Pretty?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°...I mean, it¡¯s incredibly delicious.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Right?¡±</strong>

    As they bantered, I reached for a croissant of my own.

    Seeing Arthur enjoy it so much made it look even more appetizing.

    I¡¯ve had countless gourmet foods as the daughter of a duke, so how would the bread from the bakery that Joy always praised stack up?

    I took a bite of the croissant with eager anticipation and my eyes widened in surprise.

    I expected the crust to be crispy, but what I didn¡¯t expect was the softness of the inside.

    The bread melted in my mouth, the rich taste of butter filling every corner of it.

    A subtle sweetness, a pleasant nuttiness, and just a hint of salt.

    It was perfect.

    Wow. I¡¯m sure of it¡ªthis is the best bread I¡¯ve ever tasted in my life.

    As I went to take another bite, I suddenly noticed my hand was empty.

    Wait. Where did my croissant go?

    It was just here a second ago!

    <strong>¡°Lady Alrn, how was it? Did you enjoy it?¡±</strong>

    Had she been watching me devour the bread?

    Joy was looking at me with a pleased smile.

    Ugh, it¡¯s annoying seeing her so smug, but I have to admit¡­

    <strong>¡®It was incredible!¡¯</strong>

    <strong>¡°Hehe, well, for a ce the airheaded noble rmended, it wasn¡¯t bad.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Right?¡±</strong>

    I expected Joy to snap back at my snarkyment, but instead, she just smiled.

    What¡¯s going on? I thought she¡¯d react the same way Arthur did.

    <strong>¡°Why are you being so soft on Lucy Alrn?¡±</strong>

    Even Arthur seemed confused, grumbling as he looked at Joy.

    Joy straightened up proudly and responded.

    <strong>¡°Because Lady Alrn is delightful to watch. You, on the other hand, not so much.¡±</strong>

    So, it¡¯s because she finds it satisfying to watch me eat. Well, that makes sense. I do look like a doll, as long as I keep my mouth shut.

    The problem is that whenever I do open my mouth, all hell breaks loose.

    Arthur couldn¡¯t argue with her logic and simply grumbled as he picked up another piece of bread.

    After that, everyone focused on the bread.@@novelbin@@

    We had been training for eight hours straight since morning, and we were all starving. With such delicious food right in front of us, who could resist?

    We devoured the bread with almost military precision, and only after we¡¯d eaten our fill did we finally rx.

    Faybi, sipping on some fragrant tea, chuckled softly and spoke up.

    <strong>¡°You all must be really exhausted.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Oh, Saintess, you¡¯ve seen our training these past few days. Of course it¡¯s been hard!¡±</strong>

    Arthur, who had recently beenining about how he couldn¡¯t do anything but sleep after returning to the dorms, wore a disgruntled expression as Faybi smiled at him.

    <strong>¡°Well, once the break starts in a few days, you¡¯ll have plenty of time to rest, right?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡®Nope. No rest for you.¡¯</strong>

    <em>"No way, useless saint. If poor Arthur rests during break, he¡¯ll only get weaker."</em>

    Arthur had to be the ultimate magic swordsman¡ªthere¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting him ck off!

    <strong>¡°What?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°There¡¯s a strict schedule in ce for the break. No rest for you, Saintess.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°That¡¯s... unfortunate.¡±</strong>

    Of course, I¡¯ve got things I need to take care of during the break, so I can¡¯t keep an eye on Arthur the entire time.

    But I trust he¡¯ll stick to the n. His pride wouldn¡¯t let him take it easy. And besides, I¡¯ve already warned him that if he cks off, he¡¯ll suffer during the second semester. He¡¯ll handle it on his own.

    Faybi, unsure of what else to say, blinked at Arthur before turning to Joy.

    <strong>¡°What about you, Joy? What are your ns for the break?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Me? I don¡¯t have anything in particr. I¡¯ll probably just head back to my family estate.¡±</strong>

    As Joy spoke, she nced my way.

    What? You got something to say?

    <strong>¡°...I¡¯ll probably study and train at the same time.¡±</strong>

    I guess it was nothing after all.

    <strong>¡°And Lady Kent?¡±</strong>

    Frey, who had been devouring bread non-stop, chewed for a while before finally responding.

    <strong>¡°Training.¡±</strong>

    Then, without saying another word, she shoved more bread into her mouth.

    I¡¯m not one to talk, but wow. That¡¯s pretty rude, especially to the Saintess. You¡¯re going to end up with a bad reputation if you keep that up, Frey.

    Not that she¡¯d care. She always does things her way.

    <strong>¡°And what about you, Lady Alrn?¡±</strong>

    Eventually, the conversation came back to me.

    What are my ns for the break? I do have a few things in mind.

    There are two tasks that are essential, and a couple of optional ones if I have time.

    But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m definitely sure about.

    <strong>¡®I¡¯m going to clear some dungeons.¡¯</strong>

    <em>"I¡¯m going to crush a worthless dungeon."</em>

 Chapter 169

    <strong>"Dungeon raiding, huh? So you¡¯re nning to help out the Alrn family?"</strong>

    <strong>"Hoho, Lucy Alrn. I thought you were just a troublesome daughter who liked to bully Sir Benedict, but it seems you have somemendable qualities after all."</strong>

    When I mentioned that I¡¯d be heading out to raid a dungeon, Faybi chuckled softly, and Arthur seemed genuinely surprised.

    From the sound of it, they assumed I was nning to assist Benedict and gain some experience along the way.

    It wasn¡¯t a strange conclusion. That¡¯s typically what nobles do.

    In the <em>Soul Academy</em> world, raiding dungeons is a noble¡¯s duty.

    Just as medieval knights protected their people from bandits, nobles with fiefs are expected to raid dungeons to keep their territories safe from the threats within.

    If they fail to do so, they risk not only the scorn of their peers but also the wrath of their own people, which could lead to uprisings if things get bad enough.

    At the same time, dungeon raiding is also a privilege.

    You see, dungeons often contain rare treasures. Nobles would never allow anyone else to touch the dungeons within their own territory. Who knows what kind of life-changing fortune could be hiding in there?

    Given all this, raiding dungeons outside one¡¯s territory without permission is considered a major breach of etiquette. Of course, you could always strong-arm your way in with enough power, but that might trigger a rebellion. I learned about a few historical cases of this from my studies with the old man.

    Did I ever raid dungeons near <em>Soul Academy</em> without permission? Sure, but I didn¡¯t get caught, did I? No problem. If they wanted to im the dungeon, they should¡¯ve been faster.

    Anyway, when a noble¡¯s child talks about raiding a dungeon, it usually means they¡¯re going to clear one within their family¡¯s territory. But not me.

    <strong>¡®Nope.¡¯</strong>

    <em>"Why should I bother raiding a dungeon in our territory? That¡¯s Father¡¯s job."</em>

    But for me, raiding the dungeons near the Alrn estate is a waste. There¡¯s nothing particrly exciting to be gained there.@@novelbin@@

    Sure, I¡¯d get some intense training with Fossel, but wasting my entire break on training alone? That¡¯s not my style. There¡¯s so much more I could gain during this time!

    <strong>"...Huh? So what dungeon are you nning to raid?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®The Menesteil Dungeon.¡¯</strong>

    <em>"I¡¯ll be heading to the Menesteil Dungeon, where all the useless adventurers gather."</em>

    As I mentioned before, most dungeons require the permission of the ruling noble to enter.

    But not all of them.

    Remember the Evans Dungeon I mentioned earlier?

    That dungeon didn¡¯t disappear when you defeated the boss. Instead, knights regrly went in to clear out the monsters before things got too chaotic.

    It wasn¡¯t a big deal for a small dungeon like Evans, but what if it had beenrger? What if it had been so massive that, without constant raids, the surrounding area would¡¯ve been devastated?

    And what if the monsters inside were even more dangerous?

    There are several dungeons like that in <em>Soul Academy</em>¡ªces where, if you don¡¯t constantly cull the monsters inside, they¡¯ll wreak havoc on the nearby regions.

    These dungeons are a threat to the people and a headache for rulers.

    The rewards from these dungeons are huge, but trying to im all of them would be a disaster. You¡¯d be crushed by the dungeon¡¯s challenges before you even got a chance to enjoy the spoils.

    Faced with this, many rulers made the decision to open up their dungeons to the public.

    Anyone coulde in, raid the dungeon, and im the treasures inside. In return, a portion of the loot would go to the country.

    For adventurers, it was a dreame true¡ªa dungeon they could raid without having to curry favor with the local nobles.

    The country got rid of its headache and earned taxes, while adventurers got free ess to dungeons. A win-win.

    The Menesteil Dungeon, which I¡¯m nning to raid, is one of these public dungeons.

    Located near the Mage Empire of Norta, it¡¯s a massive dungeon that never disappears.

    At first, the empire tried to handle it on its own but eventually gave up and opened it to adventurers.

    Naturally, this means that anyone can raid the dungeon¡ªeven nobles from other nations.

    That¡¯s where I¡¯m headed.

    I¡¯ve already made arrangements with Alsetine, and more importantly, the useless god has given me a quest.

    With a menacing [GAME OVER] message looming over me, this isn¡¯t exactly optional.

    <strong>¡°Menesteil? You¡¯re nning to travel that far?!¡±</strong>

    Joy was the first to react, banging her fist on the table in an udylike fashion before quickly covering her face with a fan as she blushed from the stares directed her way.

    <strong>"If you''re going to raid arge dungeon, why not go to the Seenable Dungeon? It''s much closer."</strong>

    <strong>"I agree. There¡¯s no need to go all the way to Menesteil. The Seenable Dungeon in our kingdom would offer you plenty of conveniences."</strong>

    Hmm. How should I exin this? Maybe I should¡¯ve just said I was going to raid <em>a</em> dungeon without being specific¡­

    Just as I was considering summoning the old man for advice, Faybi stepped in with a gentle voice.

    <strong>"Both of you, I¡¯m sure Lady Alrn has her reasons. Hasn¡¯t she always?"</strong>

    <strong>"Well¡­ that¡¯s true."</strong>

    <strong>"Yes, I suppose so."</strong>

    Nice! Faybi! If I had said that, it would¡¯ve sounded like I was making excuses, but when you say it, it¡¯s totally convincing! Is this the power of a saint?

    After calming them down, Faybi turned back to me.

    <strong>"So, are you nning to spend your entire break raiding dungeons?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®No¡­¡¯</strong>

    <em>"No way. Why would I waste all my time in some low-level dungeon?"</em>

    Sure, I n to raid some dungeons, but that¡¯s not all I¡¯m going to do. I have other things lined up as well.

    Besides, I need to make an appearance at the Alrn estate. If I don¡¯t, there¡¯s no telling what my doting father might do when he doesn¡¯t see his daughter during break.

    <strong>¡®Why do you ask?¡¯</strong>

    <em>"Why are you asking, useless saint?"</em>

    <strong>"Because there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to invite you to during the break."</strong>

    Turns out, Faybi wanted to repay me for helping her thest time. Since she was asking so nicely, I couldn¡¯t exactly refuse, so I nodded.

    Right then, Joy cleared her throat awkwardly.

    What¡¯s this about?

    <strong>"Lady Alrn, could you spare some time for me as well? There¡¯s a festival at the end of the break¡­"</strong>

    Wait, what?

    You¡¯re inviting me to the festival at the Patrane estate?

    Really?!

    <strong>¡®I¡¯ll go!¡¯</strong>

    <em>"What¡¯s this, airhead noble? You¡¯re that eager to hang out with me? Fine, I¡¯ll take pity on the lonely noble with no friends."</em>

    Of course, I¡¯m going!

    I¡¯d clear my schedule for this!

    One of my favorite cutscenes from <em>Soul Academy</em> happens at that festival, featuring Joy, and now I¡¯ll get to see it with my own eyes!

    <strong>"Really?"</strong>

    <strong>¡®Yes! Absolutely!¡¯</strong>

    <em>"Like I¡¯d miss it."</em>

    <strong>"Alright. I¡¯ll send an official invitation to the Alrn family."</strong>

    Heh. Heheheh. Not only do I get to hang out with Joy, but I¡¯ll also get to witness one of my favorite cutscenes live. I¡¯m so pumped for this!

    I¡¯ll finish my other tasks as quickly as possible so I can head to the Patrane estate!

    <strong>"What about me, Joy? Will I not be invited?"</strong>

    Just as I was getting lost in thoughts of the event, Arthur grumbled.

    What¡¯s this? Jealousy? Are you that upset about me taking your friend?

    How petty, prince.

    <strong>"Oh, of course, if you¡¯d like to join, Your Highness, I¡¯d be happy to invite you as well."</strong>

    <strong>"Joy, I¡¯d like toe too!"</strong>

    Faybi chimed in almost immediately after Joy nodded in response to Arthur¡¯s request.

    <strong>"But Faybi, aren¡¯t you busy with the Church?"</strong>

    <strong>"I¡¯ve recently found myself with some unexpected free time."</strong>

    That "free time" is because of me. I convinced her to take a break. After learning the truth about the Church, going back would only cause her more pain.

    She might as well rx and enjoy herself at the festival instead.

    <strong>"Well, of course, if Faybi would like to join, she¡¯s more than wee."</strong>

    <strong>"Me too. I¡¯ll go too."</strong>

    The final voice came from Frey, who had been stuffing her face with bread just moments ago. She had somehow finished eating and was now chiming in.

    Didn¡¯t think she¡¯d care about something like this. Maybe she just didn¡¯t want to be left out.

    <strong>"I¡­ I¡¯ll send an invitation to the Kent family as well, then."</strong>

    Joy, who seemed tough and unfeeling on the outside, was surprisingly soft on the inside. There¡¯s no way she could refuse Frey¡¯s request when they were close.

    And so, the five of us made ns to meet again at the Patrane estate¡¯s festival.

    <strong><Lucy! What do you mean by this?!></strong>

    That night, I reached out to Benedict to handle some unfinished business.

    He had been delighted to hear from me, but the moment I mentioned my ns, his tone changed, his eyes widening in disbelief.

    <strong><You¡¯re telling me you¡¯re going straight to Menesteil without even stopping by the Alrn estate?!></strong>

    I repeated the same thing I told the others earlier that day¡ªI¡¯d be leaving to raid Menesteil for experience.

    <strong><Absolutely not! There¡¯s no way I can allow this!></strong>

    Benedict was horrified at the idea. Arge dungeon in another country, far from any support in case of trouble? Of course, the doting father wouldn¡¯t agree.

    I had expected his objections, but his refusal was far more stubborn than I¡¯d imagined. No matter what I tried¡ªpouting, getting angry, or even pretending to cry¡ªhe stood firm.

    I guess raiding arge dungeon in a foreignnd really does seem too dangerous.

    <strong><And don¡¯t even think about sneaking out! I¡¯ve already instructed my knights to keep an eye on you!></strong>

    So even if I try to sneak away, he¡¯lle and drag me back himself.

    Ugh. There¡¯s no helping it.

    I really didn¡¯t want to use this, but I know this will make the useless god happy.

    <strong><Lucy, answer me.></strong>

    <em>"Are you <em>really</em> going to say no to me, papa?? You wouldn¡¯t be that petty, would you??"</em>

 Chapter 170

    ¡°Lucy, what did you just say?¡±

    ¡°Did you not hear? Silly Papa?? Are you such a useless Papa that you can¡¯t even do this??¡±

    <<em>Choke!</em>>

    Benedict, sounding as if he had taken a big hit, fell into silence for quite a while.

    ¡°Did you just call me silly Papa??¡±

    <<em>I¡¯m listening, Lucy.</em>>

    Wondering if something had gone wrong with the crystal, I called out to Benedict, but his voice returned, sounding as if he would melt away at any moment.

    Wait a second, Benedict, just a moment ago you were so stern with Lucy! And now, after hearing her call you ''Papa'' once, you switch your attitude like this?

    Is this really how it works?! No matter how much you adore your daughter, there must be limits!

    <<em>Um, Lucy. Why are you suddenly calling me Papa?</em>>

    ¡°Why?? Because I want to call you silly Papa! Is that a problem??¡±

    <<em>No, no, no. That¡¯s not it. Of course, it would make me very happy if our Lucy calls me Papa. I¡¯m extremely delighted.</em>>

    Benedict¡¯s voice was incredibly urgent. It seemed that the title "Papa" was something he could never give up.

    Interesting. I thought this ¡°Papa¡± title was a trapid by the useless deity to make me say it.

    Considering Benedict¡¯s love for his daughter, I thought he would be happy, but it wouldn¡¯t have much effect.

    But look at him now. In front of the title "Papa," he had be a fool of a father who could do nothing.

    Oh Almighty! Did you look down from the heavens and give him such tips?!

    Ah, you were watching what this humble littlemb couldn¡¯t see!

    Armen! I trust in the great deity¡¯s powers!

    While I praised the wise Armadi in my heart, Benedict stuttered as he continued to speak.

    <<em>But Lucy, you haven¡¯t called me Papa since you were a child.</em>>

    Ah, so that¡¯s why Benedict was so weak to the title "Papa." Lucy used to call him that when she was younger.

    He must have been lost in memories, unable to know how to react. Benedict was indeed a fool of a father.

    ¡°Is that important right now, silly Papa??¡±

    <<em>Well¡­ that¡¯s true.</em>>

    ¡°If you don¡¯t let me go, I¡¯ll never call you Papa again.¡±

    <<em>N-no¡­</em>>

    ¡°I won¡¯t even call you silly father. I¡¯ll call you dumb troll instead.¡±

    <<em>Dumb troll?!... No. Still, Menesteil is too dangerous. Lucy, please.</em>>

    ¡°Ugh. I totally hate silly Papa? You smell like an old man and it¡¯s gross? Your voice is disgusting too? Even if you look like a troll, I¡¯m not going back to the family?¡±

    <<em>Lucy... Please listen to me.</em>>

    Benedict tried to persuade me in every way possible, but against the title "Papa," he was powerless.

    Though he pretended to be strict, every time I used the title "Papa," he melted away, leaving him with no choice but to permit me to go to Menesteil.

    Usually, the one who loves more ends up losing in such matters.

    The only condition was that I would always keep a sword by my side.

    Given my intent to always carry a sword to deal with the useless deity¡¯s shenanigans, that was not a penalty at all.

    Looking at Benedict, who had turned gloomy after allowing something he should never have permitted, I felt a little guilty.

    I¡¯m sorry, Benedict. But if I don¡¯t do this, that useless deity will torment me.

    This is also about resolving one of the enormous threats that wille to the continent someday, so please understand.

    You don¡¯t have to worry. As a veteran of Soul Academy, there¡¯s no way I would mess up in a dungeon, right?

    I¡¯ll return soon with a gift for you after solving everything.

    Days passed since that night, and the day of the break began.

    While the students of the academy headed to their respective destinations, my feet took me to an alley on Soul Academy Street.

    ¡°Wee, Lady Alrn.¡±

    ¡°Alsetin, is everything ready?¡±

    ¡°Information dealer. You didn¡¯t prepare anything less than what I ordered, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Here, check it out.¡±

    As confidently imed, Alsetin had perfectly prepared the items I requested.

    Good. With this, I could handle any variables that might arise while raiding the Menesteil Dungeon.

    ¡®Thanks for your hard work.¡¯

    ¡°Considering it¡¯s from an alleyway, you¡¯ve put in some effort.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rted to my master, so I must do my best.¡±

    Alsetin replied with a deliberately solemn face.

    I had already told Alsetin that I would pay him in advance before this day arrived.

    Since I had to go to raid the Menesteil Dungeon anyway, I nned to resolve Alsetin¡¯s issues while I was at it.

    Alsetin was happy about my words but also hesitated. It seemed he was troubled by not having yet earned the value of the information I gave him.

    So I just said I would pay him in advance.

    ¡®Thank you so much! Lady Alrn! I will definitely repay this kindness!¡¯

    Alsetin was overjoyed to realize he could resolve his long-standing issues.

    I hoped that his feelings wouldn¡¯t change even after everything was resolved.

    Confirming that all preparations wereplete, I stood before the teleportation circle with Alsetin and my sword.

    Hah. I never thought I would have to use this again.

    I had promised myself never to use this magic again after using it when I visited the Newman family, but this time, there was no choice.

    Menesteil was too far to travel by road. It would take nearly a month just to go back and forth, and I couldn¡¯t waste that much time.

    Even if it was a bit painful, using this circle was the best option right now. I just had to endure it.

    Determined, I stepped into the brightly glowing teleportation circle and soon regretted it.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±@@novelbin@@

    The dizziness hit me like apressed motion sickness that one would feel after riding in a carriage for a month, leaving me unable to control my body.

    Ugh. I thought I had grown a lotpared to before, but I still end up like this.

    When will I be able to have a calm face like my sword?

    ¡°Need help?¡±

    The silly fox that had followed me asked as it came to my side to calm me down.

    Help? Can it solve this motion sickness?

    With no energy to speak, I merely nodded, and the silly fox tapped my forehead with its paw.

    It felt nice and soft, but would this really help?

    Oh? The dizziness has disappeared.

    What is this?!

    Even if it''s a silly pervert fox, the lord of the forest is still the lord?!

    ¡°Tsk. Using power is tiring. Let me borrow your head for a moment.¡±

    The silly fox that solved my motion sickness climbed onto my head and made itselffortable, but I didn¡¯t stop it.

    Thanks to it, I was feeling better. I should at least offer it a resting ce.

    Refreshed by the silly fox, I stepped outside the building and took in the sights of Menesteil.

    It was definitely a city belonging to the Mage Empire, as there were many differencespared to the kingdom.

    For example, most of the buildings in Menesteil were shorter than those in the kingdom.

    With the territory being vast, there was no need to build tall structures. If there¡¯s plenty ofnd, why save it?

    And if you take your eyes off the buildings, you can see various magical items imbued with magic.

    As the name of the Mage Empire suggests, this country possesses a higher level of magical technology than other nations.

    As such, themon folk below can enjoy the blessings of technology morefortably than anywhere else.

    There are several other minor differences, but these were the most noticeable.

    Seeing the scenery that I had only seen in a game lifted my spirits a bit, but it was nothingpared to when I looked at the streets of Soul Academy.

    And I can¡¯t help it, as this ce is just an offshoot from the perspective of someone who yed Soul Academy.

    No matter how grand andrge it is, it doesn¡¯t elicit much interest from me.

    The sunset is beautiful, but that¡¯s about it.

    ¡°It¡¯s already this time, huh? I think it would be best to find a ce to stay first.¡±

    Karl made a sensible suggestion as he looked at the darkening sky.

    Usually, his words would be right. Wherever you go, finding a ce to stay shoulde first.

    However, in my case, it was an exception. I had a bit of trust in something.

    ¡®No, rather than that¡­¡¯

    ¡°Hey, you silly girl. I decide the schedule. For now, we¡¯re heading to the Adventurer''s Guild.¡±

    While the Menesteil Dungeon is open to everyone, you can¡¯t just rush inside.

    If people could enter and exit freely, taxes wouldn¡¯t be collected, would they?

    Thus, anyone wishing to enter the Menesteil Dungeon must stop by the Adventurer''s Guild to get a certificate.

    If you¡¯re a noble of the Mage Empire, you can be exempted from that, but unfortunately, I¡¯m a noble of the kingdom. I might be able to get convenience during the certificate issuance process, but that¡¯s about it.

    ¡°However, Lady. If you can¡¯t find a ce to stay¡­¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s fine.¡¯

    ¡°Hey. Silly girl, are you arguing with your master? How rude!¡±

    ¡°Sir, thedy has her own ns, so please don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Unlike Karl, Alsetin seemed to have a clue and defended me.

    Seeing that Alsetin grasped my intentions faster than my own knight made Karl re at him out of jealousy. He soon changed his expression, saying he knew but just mentioned it for courtesy''s sake, acting shameless.

    Puhaha. What¡¯s this? You can¡¯t lose in loyalty? That¡¯s really funny.

    Even if you make one or two mistakes like this, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are my knight, silly Karl.

    Anyway, you¡¯re not thinking of opposing any longer, right? Then let¡¯s go to the Adventurer''s Guild.

    The guild¡¯s processing of business here is slow, so if we want to enter the dungeon right away tomorrow, we need to apply for the certificate a day in advance.

    Even though it was my first time seeing the street, my steps were unwavering.

    There is no ce in this world where I don¡¯t know the way.

    If I want to build the shortest path in a speedrun, I have to do this much.

    Thanks to that, I was able to arrive at the Adventurer''s Guild without much difficulty.

    The guild was bustling, perhaps because it was sunset.

    People were trying their best to get a little more pay.

    Some were begging for just one more day on their requests.

    Others were drinking and having heart-to-heart talks with their party members.

    Some were organizing their equipment.

    Some were trying to negotiate with the guild staff for a better price for their spoils.

    Everyone was wrapping up a day spent conquering the dungeon.

    However, the daily life of all those people came to a brief halt the moment I opened the door and stepped inside.

    All eyes were on me.

    <Tsk. Is it because they¡¯re uneducated? Their nces are really off-putting.>

    ¡®...What? What does that mean?¡¯

    Having gotten used to the gazes of others during my time at the academy, I remained indifferent even among their stares.

    But the others were different.

    An old man openly showed that he didn¡¯t like me,

    Karl furrowed his brows and stepped forward to shield me from the gazes,

    and Alsetin red at everyone from behind, issuing warnings.

    I don¡¯t know well, but seeing them react so sensitively, it seems that this isn¡¯t a good gaze again.

    It¡¯s probably curiosity of the bad kind.

    Perverted bastards. Do they get some twisted desire seeing a girl who¡¯s barely on their chest?

    It seems my charm stat is indeed high. The moment I revealed myself in the guild, I caught everyone¡¯s attention.

    But you know, with my charm stat being validated, another fact was also proven.

    How trashy must my reputation be?!

    Just how low has my reputation stat fallen that this high charm stat does nothing in the academy?! Damn it!

    ¡°Bunch of perverts.¡±

    As Imented in despair over the reality before me, the silly fox perched on my head piped up.

    It¡¯s not wrong. It¡¯s true, but¡­

    Silly fox, you¡¯re thest one who should be saying anything as a pathetic pervert who rejoiced at being stepped on by me, right?

    Don¡¯t you have any shame? Huh?!

 Chapter 171

    The adventurers in the guild threw nces my way, but none dared to approach.

    That was mainly because the two people guarding me were far too intimidating.

    ording to the old man, Karl was emitting a threatening aura that kept the adventurers at bay. They probably didn¡¯t have the guts toe closer.

    ¡®Is there really such a thing as an aura?¡¯

    <Of course. Those who have reached a certain level can suppress others with just their gaze.>

    I listened to the old man¡¯s tales of his past, where he ruled the battlefield just by his presence, with one ear and let it out through the other as I approached the reception desk.

    ¡°Wee. You¡¯ve arrived at the Menesteil Guild.¡±

    The person there was a man with shoulders broad enough to fill the desk. His face was covered in numerous scars, looking so rugged that a timid person wouldn¡¯t be able to utter a word before him.

    But I was fine.

    Having seen plenty of rough faces in the Alrn family, I was somewhat ustomed to it, but more than that, I had seen this receptionist¡¯s face often before.

    He was someone I encountered every time I came to the Menesteil Guild from Soul Academy. Instead of fear, I felt a sense of familiarity.

    ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡®Well¡­¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m going to raid the pathetic Menesteil Dungeon. Hand over the certificate, tough guy.¡±@@novelbin@@

    The receptionist awkwardly smiled at my brazen words.

    He¡¯s kind in a way that¡¯s true to the game. His rugged appearance deters adventurers, but he¡¯s a nice guy like receptionists in other cities.

    ¡°Are the three of you entering together?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Okay. Can¡¯t you tell just by looking?¡±

    ¡°I see. Since it seems like you¡¯re neers, let me share a few details first.¡±

    What flowed from the receptionist''s mouth was an introduction to the Menesteil Guild.

    Request submissions, selling loot, taxes incurred during dungeon raids, and various precautions to take when raiding a dungeon.

    I had heard all this over dozens of times, so I barely paid attention to what the receptionist was saying.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s proceed with the certificate issuance. First, could you tell me your names?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Karl.¡±

    ¡°My name is Alsetin.¡±

    ¡®Lucy Alrn.¡¯

    ¡°Lucy Alrn, huh? Remember this well, tough guy. You¡¯ve got a rare face for amoner.¡±

    The receptionist had been maintaining a businesslike expression until he heard my name, at which point his pupils flickered slightly.

    ¡°Um, are you the Lady Lucy Alrn of the Sdin Kingdom?¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯

    ¡°What? Did you know? You¡¯re quite something for someone who looks so unremarkable.¡±

    A crack appeared on the receptionist''s face, which spread across his entire expression as I nodded.

    Seeing a person who looked like they could go toe-to-toe with an orc sweating profusely was quite refreshing.

    I remember when I first possessed Lucy, the knights of the Alrn family acted the same way.

    <It seems your reputation has spread all the way to the Mage Empire.> ¡®I didn¡¯t want to know that.¡¯

    I had a suspicion after reading a report Alsetin brought me about various incidents of rudenessmitted by nobles from other countries, and it turned out to be true.

    Sigh. This damned reputation of mine! I¡¯m so tired of seeing people flounder whenever they hear the name Lucy Alrn!

    The receptionist, clearly well-informed about Lucy, proceeded with the certificate issuance process quickly and urately.

    ¡°If you stop by the guild tomorrow morning, you¡¯ll be able to receive your certificate.¡±

    Thanks to that, I was able to get the certificate much quicker than expected.

    Regardless of how the process went, as long as the result was good, that was all that mattered.

    By the time we finished the certificate process and exited the adventurer¡¯s guild, dusk had settled, and night had fallen.

    Walking through the noisy streets filled with various rough adventurers, I arrived at the front of a shabby-looking inn.

    Karl showed a troubled expression upon seeing it. He didn¡¯t say anything since it was my choice, but it was clear he had a lot to say.

    He must be thinking something like, ¡°There¡¯s no way I can let ady sleep in a ce like this!¡± He really worries about those kinds of things.

    I pretended not to notice him and stepped inside the inn.

    The owner there was a man with an indifferent expression.

    Most innkeepers would wee guests, but he was different. He simply offered a light nod.

    When I stood at the counter, he continued to stare nkly at me without saying a word, looking like someone who hadpletely lost all social grace.

    However, the moment I took out the crow seal from my pocket, his expression changed.

    Life returned to his once ash-gray face.

    ¡°So, a guest from the Newman family, I see. My apologies.¡±

    Cities built aroundrge dungeons gather a multitude of things.

    People. Goods. Rumors.

    So, the Newman family, which operates on the basis of the underworld, almost always establishes branches in cities withrge dungeons.

    This was one of those ces.

    ¡°Are the three of you staying? What duration will it be?¡±

    ¡®Two weeks.¡¯

    ¡°Up to two weeks.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll show you to your rooms right away.¡±

    With those words, a woman emerged from the room behind the counter.

    She greeted us politely and instructed us to follow her.

    Where she took us wasn¡¯t the typical second floor with regr rooms.

    It was a ce hidden beyond a door in a room filled with dust and misceneous items, seemingly used as a storage room.

    Unlike the shabby exterior of the building, the interior was more well-decorated than an average noble¡¯s mansion.

    This would be our amodation while we raided the Menesteil Dungeon.

    This is why I got the crow seal! It reallyes in handy!

    ¡°There are no other guests at the moment, so feel free to use itfortably. If you need anything, just let me know, and I¡¯ll prepare everything I can.¡±

    The woman working at the Newman family introduced herself as Nick.

    Of course, that was a meaningless request. Has anyone ever called someone by their name with the Mesugaki Skill?

    Nick¡¯s name was whimsically changed by the Mesugaki Skill.

    ¡°...Nick?¡±

    ¡®Sorry! But I can¡¯t help it! Please understand!¡¯

    ¡°Yeah. It fits you well since you look gloomy. You like it, right?¡±

    ¡°...Yes, of course.¡±

    After that trivial issue passed, there wasn¡¯t much else to deal with.

    The most I did was ask Nick to help me find a transmutation mage.

    Well, that makes sense since there¡¯s nothing I can do at the moment.

    If this were a game, I would be running around taking on various minor quests for maximum efficiency, but now I can¡¯t do that either.

    Who would ask a bratty little kid who adds ¡°pathetic, trashy, ipetent¡± to everything they say for help?

    I was turned down in the academy, so it would probably be the same here.

    Since there¡¯s no quest I absolutely have to take on, I¡¯ll just rest today.

    No practice mode or anything; I¡¯m just going to sleep deeply.

    <Are you already thinking about starting your training?>

    As Iy in bed, nning to sleep until tomorrow morning, the old man spoke up.

    Old man, what are you talking about? I¡¯m going to raid a dungeon tomorrow! I need to rest!

    <What nonsense are you talking about? During times like this, you must train harder to maintain your sense of realbat!>

    The nagging old man wouldn¡¯t relent.

    So, against my will, I was dragged into practice mode and had to train chaotically all night.

    The concept of the Menesteil Dungeon is a volcano.

    If I describe it as a dungeon built beneath a zing volcano, would that be easier to understand?

    With this concept, the various monsters and gimmicks below are also rted to the volcano.

    For example, the temperature inside the dungeon is so high that if you enter without preparation, you take burn damage every few minutes.

    The monsters inside are all rted to fire as well.

    Traps associated withva, mes, and rocks abound.

    In the game, these were merely gimmicks that increased the difficulty of the dungeon, but now that it has be reality, the feeling was different.

    The interior of the Menesteil Dungeon felt like a sauna in and of itself.

    I was taken aback when I first entered here; my skin felt like it was on fire.

    Even now, we were still at the entrance of the Menesteil Dungeon.

    Considering that this dungeon has a total of 80 floors and the temperature rises the further down you go, the depths could rightfully be called a hell of fire.

    Of course, I had anticipated this.

    I expected that the oppressive heat would gradually deplete my stamina. It was obvious how terrible that heat would be.

    Confident that my predictions had not been wrong, I took out the item I had prepared from the spatial pocket Alsetin had given me.

    [Eternal Winter Magic Stone]

    [This magic stone is rarely found in the northern mountains covered in perpetual snow. It retains the terrible cold of the north.]

    From the description given by the appraisal skill, it¡¯s clear that this magic stone contains coldness.

    Originally, it was used to enchant weapons or as materials for magic scrolls, but this magic stone has one more additional effect.

    It spreads its coldness to lower the temperature around it!

    ¡°Lady Alrn, if you use that now¡­¡±

    This magic stone, which was jokingly referred to as ¡°air conditioning gem¡± among users because it is often used while raiding the Menesteil Dungeon, showed its proper effects now that the game had turned into reality.

    As soon as I took out the stone, which I had turned into a ne, and put it around my neck, cold air burst forth from it.

    Whoa, this is refreshing¡­ No, it¡¯s a bit too refreshing, isn¡¯t it?!

    Thinking I might freeze to death at this rate, I hurriedly took off the ne.

    What is this? What is this?! There¡¯s a limit to how refreshing something can be; this is just weird!

    Did I ask for an air conditioner? Did I ask to be thrown into a freezer and freeze to death?!

    I shot a re at Alsetin, implying that he had prepared the wrong item, and he gave me an awkward smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared what you requested, Lady Alrn.¡±

    ¡®But this is too effective!¡¯

    ¡°Hey, pathetic information dealer. Can¡¯t you properly reflect the requests of the client? This is way too excessive! How long are you going to live as a useless moron?¡±

    ¡°However, the Eternal Winter Magic Stone is like that in all cases¡­¡±

    So, is this the influence of the game turning into reality?

    In the game, it merely served to eliminate the dungeon penalties, but now that it has be real, the term ¡°the terrible cold of the north¡± has materialized?!

    This is absurd. At this rate, I can¡¯t use this ne!

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard while I was getting the ne that you can use it without penalties after the 20th floor of the Menesteil Dungeon.¡±

    ¡®Then what about before that?¡¯

    ¡°Hey, pathetic useless information dealer. What about before that?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this bearable enough? I¡¯ve heard that everyone just strolls around until the 20th floor.¡±

    Is that what you¡¯re saying right now?!

    You want me to endure this terrible heat?!

    Especially while wearing te armor?!

    ¡°Girl, can youter receive the clothes you wore today? It would be nice if you could just give it to me without washing it.¡±

    ¡®Shut up. Please.¡¯

    ¡°Dumb fox, shut it. I¡¯m getting annoyed.¡±

    Since it hase to this, there¡¯s only one way forward.

    Speedrun.

    I¡¯ll fill today¡¯s raiding quota as quickly as possible and escape from this hell of fire.

 Chapter 172

    Raiding arge dungeon like Menesteil feels vastly different from tackling other dungeons.

    When I raided dungeons in the past, I sped through like I was making a prophecy, right?

    That was possible because I could control the variables present in the dungeon with my abilities.

    Monsters do have their own consciousness and move, but their paths are limited.

    Traps may change their locations, but they are fixed enough that I can memorize them and counter them.

    As for the pathways, as long as I memorize all possible routes, there¡¯s no problem.

    These aspects are somewhat simr inrge dungeons, but one crucial element differs: the presence of adventurers wandering inside the dungeon.

    In other dungeons, only one party can enter at a time. There¡¯s a limit of four people per party.

    Even the academy dungeon was designed with this limitation in mind, allowing only four to enter at once.

    So, when I focused all my attention on the dungeon, I didn¡¯t have to worry about other variables.

    However,rge dungeons are different. There¡¯s no limit on the number of people here. Any party that wants to enter cane in.

    Do you get it? This dungeon is filled with idiot NPCs who move around haphazardly based on irrational judgments!

    Ah, just exiningrge dungeons makes me heated.

    From the perspective of someone enjoying a game normally, having adventurers is not entirely bad.

    They do significantly increase the difficulty of raiding the dungeon.

    But when new yers first enter arge dungeon, they¡¯re usually in the mid-game, right?

    That means they¡¯ve likely tackled most dungeons and think they¡¯re ustomed to the game.

    At that point, introducing adventurers as a new gimmick adds freshness.

    It creates a new element that allows yers to immerse themselves in the game.

    When I first yed the game, I didn¡¯t think having adventurers was a bad thing, you know?

    Sometimes, other adventurers would help in moments of crisis, and I¡¯d even shout, ¡°Adventurers are the best!¡±

    But why did my opinion change?

    Try being in the position of speedrunning. Doesn¡¯t it make you want to curse?

    When every second counts, having uncontroble variables is a nightmare!

    Just when you think you¡¯ve finally set a record, suddenly an adventurer pops up next to you and starts trolling¡ªhow do you think that feels?!

    It¡¯s still horrifying to think about.

    I did manage to take that adventurer down, fueled by my rage at my speedrun record, keyboard, and monitor, but that didn¡¯t bring back what I lost.

    And now, the group of adventurers in front of me seems to be gearing up for some trolling.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    ¡°Over there! Help!¡±

    ¡°Please! I beg you, save me!¡±

    These people are attracting a swarm of monsters that they can¡¯t handle and are making a desperate escape.

    This is what they call a monster train.

    This is the kind of variable I detest the most.

    The moment Iy eyes on those idiots, my speedrun is practically doomed.

    ¡°Lady.¡±

    Karl called me as he assumed a stance.

    He must be asking me to make a decision on what to do.@@novelbin@@

    If this were a game, I would have suggested abandoning them without hesitation. They¡¯ve caused me enough trouble already.

    But this is reality, and the four corpses that would appear the moment I turned a blind eye would naturally be my burden.

    And I don¡¯t have the confidence to bear that weight.

    ¡®Let¡¯s get ready to fight.¡¯

    ¡°Prepare yourself. We¡¯re going to help those foolish trash.¡±

    Are those hellhounds following them?

    Ugh, how annoying.

    As if the heat wasn¡¯t bad enough, now I¡¯m facing trolls, and on top of that, those trolls brought along those idiots.

    Taking a deep breath, I lifted my mace.

    ¡°Those dumb bastards barking up the wrong tree are amusing, huh?? Do they think they¡¯re wolves just because they¡¯re hunting trash?? Over there!? You¡¯re better suited for flipping over and squeaking like a pig before a human!?¡±

    As I spat those words, the hellhounds¡¯ gazes turned toward me.

    The provocation ability of the Mesugaki Skill is absolute. At this moment, my prey is no longer those stupid adventurers but me.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a special lesson on how to deal with ugly, savage, pathetic beasts!? You better thank me!?¡±

    The lead wolf changed direction and charged toward me.

    I could see the thoughts of biting my neck filling its mind.

    Its teeth were definitely sharp¡ªsharp enough to pierce iron.

    But that was all it had.

    Rushing at me with a speed that couldn¡¯t evenpare to Frey¡¯s sword wouldn¡¯t pose any significant threat.

    I swung my shield toward the leaping creature.

    The iron wall spoke to me, but I didn¡¯t heed its words.

    It wasn¡¯t that my thoughts were different from the wall¡¯s intent.

    I simply had no intention of blocking it.

    As my shield struck the hellhound¡¯s face, its body flew through the air.

    The creaturey sprawled on the ground, its shattered teeth making it convulse before it finally perished.

    Perhaps it was because the leader had been so easily defeated.

    The hellhounds that had been charging fiercely became sluggish.

    Sigh. This is really irritating.

    The mes attached to those bastards¡¯ bodies are not mere decorations.

    Being nearby raises the already high temperature of the air.

    ¡°Are you scared, you dumb bastards?? Are you feeling afraid?? Hahaha! You trash that doesn¡¯t even know the word pride!?¡±

    Come at me quickly.

    And then die.

    At this rate, I feel like I might faint from the heat!

    Alsetin knew Lucy¡¯s skills well.

    Having raided several wild dungeons near the academy with her a few months ago, he had to be aware.

    She memorized every pathway of every dungeon perfectly.

    She knew what monsters came out of the dungeons, where they were waiting, what equipment they had, and how many of them there were.

    Naturally, she was also well-acquainted with where and how traps wereid out in the dungeon and how to disarm them.

    The dungeon boss? There¡¯s no way Lucy wouldn¡¯t know that, as she knows everything about the dungeon.

    She offered him perfect strategies as if she had dismantled every dungeon boss herself.

    Alsetin had raided dungeons more than a few times.

    He had entered countless dungeons both as a party member and as a party leader.

    Thus, he knew all too well what constitutes a proper dungeon raid and what it means to exin skillfully within it.

    To someone like Alsetin, Lucy Alrn wasn¡¯t just an excellentmander.

    It would be more urate to call her a prophet who hears everything about the dungeon from the gods.

    At least, that was true until today.

    ¡°Information dealer. I¡¯ll draw their attention, so you throw potions to that trash mob over there.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Hey, pathetic! How long are you going to take? You¡¯re my knight, and it¡¯s uneptable to struggle with that!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    ¡°Handle it in 10 seconds! Or I¡¯ll punish you! You pathetic trash!¡±

    Even in this moment of chaos, as I confronted several adventurer parties and confusion ensued, Lucy was showcasing perfectmand.

    As situations changed every second and countless variables erupted in this hellish environment, she remained calm and presented the best choices.

    I knew hermand abilities were decent, but I still thought she was closer to a prophet than amander.

    But it turned out I was wrong.

    She was both.

    She was an ablemander and a prophet who heard the voice of the gods.

    Sigh. Is this the judgment of someone who just entered the academy?

    Even a party leader tackling deep levels of a dungeon would probably believe it.

    It¡¯s awe-inspiring and full of admiration.

    This can¡¯t merely be exined by the bloodline of the Alrn family.

    Lucy Alrn is simply too special of an existence.

    I feel rewarded for trusting and following her.

    Yes.

    If it¡¯s her.

    If it¡¯s her who is loved by the gods.

    If it¡¯s her who has turned every boastful im into truth until now.

    Then surely, she will lead me to where my master is.

    ¡°Information dealer! You¡¯re so slow!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ve finished the adjustments!¡±

    ¡°Then shoot arrows at those bastards rushing in from the back!¡±

    Master. I will see your noble face soon.

    Please wee back your disciple who you haven¡¯t seen in a while.

 Chapter 173

    The boss of the 10th floor of Menesteil Dungeon is a rough-looking golem formed from the rocks of the dungeon.

    As the first stair boss encountered in the dungeon, it doesn¡¯t possess any special abilities. Instead, it has high basic stats.

    Its attack power is strong, and perhaps due to itsrge size, its attack range is wide. Its defense is incredibly high, so unless you''re performing a specific gimmick, you won¡¯t be able to whittle down its health at all.

    During the height of Soul Academy''s poprity, it was often referred to as the "Newbie Cutter" of the Menesteil Dungeon, making it quite challenging to tackle this monster head-on.

    The patterns themselves are simple and not difficult, but the need to execute gimmicks means it takes a long time to defeat it.

    You have to smash through its ridiculously thick skin to hit the core at least five or six times.

    Given the nature of Menesteil Dungeon, where health continuously decreases in real-time, if you identally take a hit from it, the game genre instantly shifts from RPG to survival horror.

    But this was all before we entered the 10th floor without any knowledge of whaty ahead.

    If you know the trick to defeating the golem, then it¡¯s a different story. Naturally, as a seasoned yer in Soul Academy, I know that trick.

    ¡°Alsetin. I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    ¡°Information dealer. I hope you''re not as useless as you seem.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t make mistakes in situations like this.¡±

    After finishing the briefing, I handed Alsetin a magic-enchanted arrow and opened the boss room door.

    From the outside, it looks like an ordinary cave.

    Lava streams flow here and there across the floor, and countless quartz spikes hang from the ceiling, ready to skewer us.

    The temperature inside is so intense that it can take your breath away.

    But there¡¯s one crucial thing to note:

    The boss of the 10th floor doesn¡¯t appear in itspleted form right away.

    As soon as all three of us step inside, the door to the boss room ms shut, and a magic circle is drawn in the center of the cave, from which a core floats up.

    That core is the heart of the 10th floor boss, the golem.

    Right. The boss of the 10th floor doesn¡¯t show up in its full form at the start.

    It merges together after the yers enter the dungeon!

    And surprisingly, that golem¡¯s core has no hitbox.

    What does that mean? It means we can attack while it¡¯s merging!

    ¡°Alsetin!¡±

    ¡°Information dealer!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Before I could shout, Alsetin had already pulled back his bowstring.

    Although he¡¯s weaker than my sword, Alsetin is still much stronger than I am right now.

    His shot will not miss its target.

    The magic-enchanted arrow struck precisely at the golem''s core.

    Since this information can be gathered from various NPCs within Menesteil, it seems that the developers intended for attacks to be possible at this stage.

    Given the high difficulty of the golem for a 10th-floor boss, they must have created this trick to aid yers.

    However, what they didn¡¯t know is that the ideas of yers always surpass those of developers.

    Shortly after the arrow struck, an ice flower bloomed from its tip.

    The magic enchanted on that arrow is called "Infectious Snowflower."

    It¡¯s an ice-based damage-over-time technique, and that flower spreads gradually, dealing damage.

    There¡¯s also a bonus for freezing the entire enemy, which deals significant damage.

    To be honest, that magic is trash.

    Perhaps due to the strong bonus damage, the damage-over-time is minuscule, and if the enemy has even a slight resistance to ice, the flower¡¯s spreading slows down considerably, making it impossible to inflict bonus damage.

    It¡¯s essentially a technique for entertainment or for seasoned yers who enjoy challenging themselves.

    However, when dealing with this golem, the story changes.

    This golem¡¯s core has no resistance to ice at all.

    Moreover, its surface area is small, so the time it takes for the infection toplete is also brief.

    And the most crucial point: the golem''s core has extremely low health.

    It was already challenging to break the rocks surrounding the core, but the core itself can be shattered with just a few sessful hits.

    The golem¡¯s core, which appears sturdy, will be obliterated the moment the ice flowerpletely infects it.

    It means that before it evenpletes its form, the golem is already on a timer.

    Now, there¡¯s only one thing left for the three of us:

    Wait until the golem, oblivious to its impending doom, copses.

    In the game, about a minute was sufficient, but what about in reality?

    It would likely take longer than in the game, perhaps.

    Shortly after the arrow struck the golem''s core, the massive stones scattered throughout the cave began to float into the air.

    They clustered around the core and eventually formed the shape of the golem.

    Wow, it looks grand. I thought it was cool when I saw it in the game¡¯s cutscene, but witnessing it in reality feels like watching a robot merge.

    As it finished forming, I couldn''t help butugh at the sight of the golem stomping down with its enormous legs, exuding an air of majesty.

    It certainly looks impressive, but thinking of it as a dying creature trying to show off makes it seem quite pathetic.

    ¡°Hello, empty tin can?? Are you posing like that because you think it looks cool?? Haha, how funny!? You¡¯re the kind of trash that wouldn¡¯t even be picked up in a garbage dump!?¡±

    As I taunted, the golem¡¯s gaze shifted toward me, but neither Karl nor Alsetin moved.

    This was a pre-agreed tactic before entering the dungeon.

    I had told them to let me handle stalling for time against that thing.

    Why would I willingly take on such a burden?

    I want to see how much I can block with my shield.@@novelbin@@

    So far, the opponents I¡¯ve faced have typically been one of two types:

    Either they are creatures that I¡¯m confident I can block any attack from without difficulty, or they can easily smash through my shield.

    In either case, it¡¯s hard to objectively assess my skill.

    I know my shield is quite thick.

    However, I don¡¯t know exactly what kind of attacks it can withstand.

    This is reality.

    If that pathetic creature had granted me a status window, it would be a different story, but unfortunately, our pathetic creature is stingy. It won¡¯t easily give out such a cheat feature.

    So, the best way to assess my abilities is to extend my shield in front of a golem designed to attack by evading all its own attacks.

    I want to see just how much my shield can endure.

    This golem is one I¡¯ve fought repetitively, so I can gauge the damage from its attacks fairly urately.

    Now, let¡¯s see how it feels to take a hit.

    I watch the golem lift its arm.

    As it raises its arm high, preparing to strike down, I brace myself for its attack.

    Though its attack is certainly threatening, it¡¯s also slow.

    It¡¯s easy to dodge and simple to parry.

    I enveloped myself in divine energy as I braced for impact.

    Boom!

    As its fist connected, I felt a surge of confidence.

    I had sessfully parried!

    The moment the attack hit my shield, the shock was noticeably reduced, confirming that I had indeed parried it.

    ¡°Guh!¡±

    However, despite the sess, absorbing the golem¡¯s attack was quite taxing.

    With gritted teeth, I managed to deflect the fist, biting my lip in concentration.

    <Are you okay?>

    ¡®No problems here.¡¯

    I had no issues facing this golem.

    I was confident I could parry all its attacks.

    As long as I seed in parrying, I can handle absorbing the hits one way or another.

    In other words, if I fail to parry, I¡¯ll take a hit straight on.

    Is this really my level right now?

    It¡¯s true that this golem is fundamentally designed to evade all attacks while countering.

    That¡¯s why it possesses an abnormal attack power not suitable for a boss of this level.

    Even ording to the game¡¯s standards, for a character who justpleted the first semester of their first year, blocking this golem¡¯s attacks is quite an achievement.

    But now I have to descend further into the Menesteil Dungeon.

    Being satisfied with this much is uneptable!

    After withstanding another strike from the golem, I took a deep breath and readied myself again.

    In fact, I don¡¯t need to hold on this long.

    I could easily rely on Karl and Alsetin.

    With their strength, most issues would be resolved.

    But this is reality. Any variable could arise.

    To avoid the worst-case scenario, it¡¯s best if I can contribute at least one person¡¯s worth of effort.

    It¡¯s gettingplicated.

    As I grimly realized my weakness, Grandpa spoke up.

    <Girl.>

    ¡®What is it, Grandpa! I¡¯m busy right now!¡¯

    <I¡¯ve been holding back a technique I thought you weren¡¯t ready for.>

    ¡®Suddenly?!¡¯

    While listening to Grandpa, I kept my gaze fixed on the golem¡¯s movements.

    It raised its foot. Is it a pattern that drops sharp stones from the ceiling?

    Instead of moving my shield, I constructed a wall of divine energy above my head.

    Its strength is lower than my shield, but it¡¯s enough to block any falling rocks from above.

    I could observe the golem¡¯s next move without taking any damage.

    <Think about it. If you can imbue your mace with divine energy, surely you can do the same with your shield. It means you can utilize divine martial arts for defense as well.>

    ¡®Why are you telling me this only now?!¡¯

    <I was waiting for you to get ustomed to handling divine energy.>

    I¡¯m not yet highly skilled in divine martial arts.

    If I wield the mace, I would have to forcibly expend half the divine energy, which is my reality.

    Even if I were to utilize divine martial arts for my shield, the oue would be simr.

    It would provide some effect, but its efficiency would be terribly low.

    <It¡¯s fine for killing blows. If you can take out the enemy in one hit, you don¡¯t need to worry about whates next. But if you pour all your energy into defense, what¡¯s the point? You¡¯ll just expose yourself to the next attack.>

    That seemed to be why Grandpa chose not to share this knowledge until I reached a certain level.

    <However, seeing that golem¡¯s attack made me reconsider. Stronger foes will certainly appear. If you can block one attack, there will be others who can deliver a killing blow. It¡¯s better to get used to using this now.>

    ¡®How do I do that?¡¯

    <The method remains the same. You can do it.>

    I saw the golem clenching its hands.

    It raised its arms high above its head to deliver a devastating blow.

    This was the strongest attack in its arsenal.

    Typically, I should dodge this.

    <Good. The opponent is going all out. You should go all out in defense as well.>

    Let¡¯s give it a shot.

    If things go wrong, my brooch will take the hit for me.

    I imbued my shield with divine energy.

    Last night, I practiced in training mode with Grandpa using the mace.

    While this is more difficult than using an already enchanted mace, I can manage this much.

    As the divine energy gathered, a warm light emanated from my shield.

    Before long, the golem mmed its fists down.

    It was a strike filled with the intent to crush me.

    The moment I saw it, I was confident.

    I could block that attack.

    Grandpa speaks.

    The shield reinforces itself.

    I make my judgment.

    I raise my shield high!

    Boom!

    ¡°Grandpa, how nice it would have been if you had told me this sooner.¡±

    Beyond my shield, I could see the golem¡¯s enormous hand.

    It was sorge that it cast a shadow over the area around me.

    That fist, intended to crush me, was now¡ª

    ¡°Pathetic empty can!? Weak!? So weak!? All designs of lousy trash are like this!?¡±

    With such absurdity, it halted against my shield.

 Chapter 174

    The boss of the 10th floor was utterly powerless in front of my shield imbued with divine energy.

    This was not the first time it had been blocked by my parrying skills. There was no way it could pierce through a shield enhanced by divine energy.

    The golem struggled desperately, but it was nothing more than futile thrashing. Within a few minutes, it crumbled pitifully.

    As I watched the remnants of the golem fall apart, unlike when it was first summoned, I leaned against my shield embedded in the ground and let out a long sigh.

    Ah, this is exhausting. Now that the battle is over, I find myself half-exhausted.

    Fighting the golem wasn¡¯t an issue at all.

    I know just how good my stamina is.

    Even during my training with the Alrn family, I could move for hours without rest.

    At my current level of growth, I could probably keep going for two nights straight.

    So, it makes no sense that I¡¯d be exhausted simply from physical limitations.

    But why am I on the verge of copse now?

    There¡¯s only one reason: the bacsh from using divine martial arts for too long.

    ¡®Maintaining defense with divine energy is incredibly taxing?!¡¯

    <That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you earlier. You¡¯ll be wiped out after using it.>

    I¡¯ve mentioned this before, but I¡¯m still clumsy at handling this skill.

    I¡¯ve gotten somewhat ustomed to enhancing my physical abilities, but applying it beyond that is quite taxing.

    I always have to unleash maximum energy without being able to control the output.

    It was the same this time when I imbued my shield with divine energy.

    While blocking the golem¡¯s attacks, I had to pour all my divine energy into it at all times.

    As a result, I could feel my stamina dropping in real-time.

    It was only my unyielding willpower that kept me on my feet; otherwise, I would have asked Karl and Alsetin for help, right?

    ...Ah. That¡¯s right. I should¡¯ve just asked for help.

    Having achieved my original goal of assessing my shield skills, I didn¡¯t need to face the golem alone.

    Ahhh, I can¡¯t believe it. Damn, it¡¯s all that pathetic tin can¡¯s fault.

    Why is that ugly tin can so tough?

    It should¡¯ve copsed around the one-minute mark like it did in the game.

    And it¡¯s only dropping a single fire gem as a reward?! What a ridiculously annoying tin can!

    ¡°Shall we call it a day?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t stand this shabby, stinky dungeon any longer.¡±

    I had initially thought I would continue after clearing the 10th-floor boss, but that was unrealistic.

    If I pushed myself, I might genuinely faint. Let¡¯s just head back to the inn and wash up. I can¡¯t stand being so filthy.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    While washing up at the inn, there was a minor incident involving a dazed fox diving into my clothes, but regardless, I finished tidying up and changed into lighter clothing before heading outside.

    I needed to settle the loot I obtained from the Menesteil Dungeon today.

    Most of the items I acquired from the lower levels are worthless trinkets from my perspective.

    Putting these in my inventory only takes up space, and there¡¯s no way I could use them effectively.

    So it¡¯s best to hand over these useless trinkets to the adventurer¡¯s guild.

    Selling the loot means I can earn some money, increase my evaluation with the guild, and maybe raise the receptionist''s favor... well, it¡¯s enough if they don¡¯t outright hate me.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go, Miss. I can handle it ande back.¡±

    Karl tried to dissuade me from visiting the adventurer''s guild again, seeming worried.

    He had faced several greedy gazes at the guild yesterday evening.

    He was likely concerned about exposing me again.

    Personally, I think that worry is unnecessary.

    If my name hadn¡¯t been revealed, maybe I¡¯d understand, but who would dare meet my gaze now that I¡¯m known as Lucy Alrn?

    What would they do if they tried to pick a fight with me?

    It¡¯s true that I look like a cute girl, but the name Lucy Alrn carries enough weight to crush that cuteness underfoot.

    I know better than anyone the power my reputation holds, so I ignored Karl¡¯s concerns and headed to the adventurer¡¯s guild.

    Once I entered the guild, I was assured my expectations were correct.

    As soon as I showed my face, silence fell over the entire guild.

    ¡®What a familiar atmosphere.¡¯

    <Yeah. It¡¯s the scenery I grew tired of seeing at the academy.>

    People turned their heads away, trying to avoid my gaze. Some peered cautiously, while others cowered into corners in fear.

    This was a scene I often saw when I walked into sste.

    Desires or greed directed toward a cute, pretty girl? There¡¯s no way that exists.

    As I confidently walked toward the reception desk, the line of people naturally parted for me.

    The receptionist sent a desperate look to the other adventurers as if asking for help, but no one responded.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you big guy.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes! Lady Alrn! What can I do for you?!¡±

    The receptionist responded to me in a stiff manner, as if she wouldn¡¯t give me even the slightest chance to criticize her.

    Seeing her tense up like that made me want to tease her.

    I could easily find something to nitpick...

    Starting with whether she¡¯s scared of me...

    No. No. Let¡¯s calm down.

    Maybe it¡¯s just that I¡¯ve had a stressful day, but my thoughts are consumed by my Mesugaki skill.

    What do I n to gain by harassing someone I¡¯ll have to see repeatedly?

    With great difficulty, I gathered my thoughts and told the receptionist that I was there to process my loot.

    ¡°Loot, you say? Could you ce it on the desk?¡±

    ¡®Here?¡¯

    ¡°On this shabby desk?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Hmm. I wonder if everything will fit here.

    Well, she said to do it, so I will.

    I pretended to open a spatial pocket and began pulling out the loot from my inventory, one by one.

    Wow, taking everything out one by one is quite the task. I ended up hunting far too many minor mobs because of those pathetic adventurers.

    If I had followed my original n, I wouldn¡¯t have had to fight this much.

    Thanks to that, I did level up once, but I¡¯m not thankful at all. The hardships and annoyance outweighed any positives.

    ¡°Um...¡±

    ¡°Hey, big guy.¡±

    ¡°Is this everything?¡±

    ¡®No, that¡¯s not it...¡¯

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You look as dull as you appear. Just put it on the floor. You don¡¯t mind, right?¡±

    ¡°Um, yes. Yes.¡±

    After rummaging through my inventory for a while, I was finally able toy out all my loot in front of the reception desk.

    In the game, it would have been done with just a few clicks of the mouse, but in reality, this is exhausting.

    I should just leave useless trinkets behind the next time I enter the dungeon tomorrow.

    ¡°...Did you really hunt all this today?¡±

    ¡®So what?¡¯

    ¡°Then why? Is there a problem?¡±

    ¡°No! There¡¯s no problem at all! I¡¯ll take care of this right away!¡±

    While the receptionist, along with several guild staff, sorted through the loot, a party approached me.

    Ah, I remember them. The pathetic party from when we first encountered the monster train.

    I had been nning to say something to them, so this works out well.

    These foolish adventurers. It¡¯s time to vent my frustration umted while tackling the dungeon.

    I waited to catch them off guard and pick at their ws.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Lady Alrn!¡±

    ¡°¡°We apologize!¡±¡±

    They came before me and bowed their heads.

    Wait, what? Huh?

    ¡°We were foolish and dared to...!¡±

    ¡°Please, spare our lives!...¡±

    ¡°I have a sick younger sibling at home!...¡±

    Initially, I had nned to crush their self-esteem, but seeing them bow their heads so quickly left me momentarily speechless.

    If it had ended there, I might have regained myposure somehow. But as the first party bowed their heads, the other ones I had saved joined in, making my head spin.@@novelbin@@

    The most ridiculous was Karl.

    In a situation where he should be helping me, he was just standing in the back, nodding his head!

    If Alsetin hadn¡¯t jumped in, I might have ended up watching everyone bow for a while.

    Sigh. What a dumb, useless dog that¡¯s only helpful in battles.

    Just you wait. I¡¯ll kick your buttter.

    After things settled down, I understood why the adventurers were so desperate.

    The problem was that my infamy was far too great.

    Think about it.

    While they were desperate to survive, they had still put me, ady of the count¡¯s family and a notorious troublemaker, in danger.

    They must have thought that remaining silent could lead to unpredictable consequences. Thus, by lowering their heads and apologizing first, they tried to preserve their lives.

    ¡®I¡¯m exhausted.¡¯

    After assuring them that I wouldn¡¯t take any revenge, I leaned back in my chair and sighed internally.

    I¡¯m truly exhausted. I feel like I might die from fatigue.

    Even training with Grandpa all night didn¡¯t make me feel this worn out.

    <Shall we take a break from training today?>

    ¡®No. I need to do what needs to be done.¡¯

    Normally, I would wee the suggestion to rest, but not today.

    I need to practice how to properly imbue my shield with divine energy.

    How can I take a break when I don¡¯t know what variables might arise in Menesteil Dungeon?

    Rest can wait until everything is over.

    While I was gathering my thoughts, considering my ns to visit Partan¡¯s territoryter, the man who had started the wave of apologies approached me.

    ¡°I sincerely apologize once again, Lady Alrn. Because of me.¡±

    Despite being terrified, he stood before me, showing a sense of responsibility.

    ¡®It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¯

    ¡°Cannon fodder. Do you really think I would concern myself with a patheticmoner like you? Ha ha, what a delusion.¡±

    The man, faced with the criticism of the Mesugaki skill, seemed unsure how to respond.

    At this rate, he might end up with holes in his disguise. I should send him off quickly.

    But I will say what needs to be said.

    ¡®Aren¡¯t you a bit too weak to be living the adventurer life?¡¯

    ¡°Hey, why is someone like you, who gets beat up by girls, even going into a dungeon? If you want to die, just do it quietly in your corner!¡±

    Tackling dungeons is a matter of life and death.

    Going in with a flimsy skill set will only lead to a gruesome end.

    If he¡¯s begging for his life on the lower levels, it¡¯s better for him to give up being an adventurer altogether.

    Not wanting an unpleasant ending, I tried to poke my nose in, and the man waved his hands.

    ¡°No! I don¡¯t want to die! Uhm, it¡¯s just that... usually, there aren¡¯t so many monsters on the lower levels today. But something feels off with the dungeon today.¡±

    The man exined that while he didn¡¯t have the skill to go higher, he was capable enough to barely survive on the lower levels.

    But today, the dungeon was acting strangely. The frequency of monster appearances was higher than usual, and the ferocity of the monsters was also intensified.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been roaming the Menesteil Dungeon for quite some time now, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen anything like it.¡±

    As I listened to his story, I was left speechless, my lips moving without a sound.

    To hear that something unusual had arisen on the very day I entered the dungeon was shocking.

    ¡®Um, Grandpa. Could this be...?¡¯

    <Hmm. It seems that while the deity watches over you, the evil god also takes an interest in you.>

    Right? No matter how I look at it, this has to be my fault?!

    ...I¡¯m just d I saved everyone who was in danger.

    If I had ignored that andter found out it was because of me, I would have felt guilty for a long time.

    Now, there¡¯s one more reason to tackle the dungeon quickly.

 Chapter 175

    The day after conquering the 10th floor of Menesteil Dungeon.

    As I began my assault on the 11th floor, I felt that navigating the dungeon had be significantly more pleasant.

    It wasn¡¯t about the temperature. I hadn¡¯t even put on the ne yet, so how could I feel cool?

    What I wanted to point out was that the number of adventurers had noticeably decreased.

    There were several reasons for this. One reason was that not many people had managed to break through the boss that acted as the gatekeeper on the 10th floor.

    Word had spread about the anomalies within Menesteil Dungeon, causing people to hesitate in their attempts to conquer it.

    Regardless, thanks to that, I didn¡¯t encounter a single adventurer as I pushed through to the 20th floor.

    It¡¯s obvious what happens when there are no variables while tackling a dungeon.

    Having been stressed out from the heat the day before, I gritted my teeth and went for a speedrun.

    I was determined to attain that refreshing feeling after clearing the 20th floor.

    ¡°Ugh. Running to death is exhausting.¡±

    ¡°Is this level of fatigue really all you¡¯ve got? There¡¯s still much more to go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an information dealer, not a knight, you know.¡±

    After swiftly dashing through the dungeon and letting Karl and Alsetin handle the boss fight, I pulled out my ne as soon as I reached the 21st floor and put it on.

    As soon as I did, the scorching air that had been weighing down on me dissipated, and a refreshing chill spread from the ne.

    That coolness seeped into my bones, carving a sense of relief within me, but it didn¡¯t feel as if it would freeze me to death like it had on the first floor.

    Instead, it was more refreshing.

    After the sh between the heat and the coolness, the chill came out on top, causing a slight shiver to run down my spine. But having endured the heat for two days, I weed the cold.

    Good. Just having this ne makes me feel like a portion of the stress I¡¯ve umted has lifted.

    Feeling revitalized, I approached Karl and Alsetin, who were yfully roughhousing together.

    ¡°Hey, you two...¡±

    ¡°Hey, you pathetic losers. You¡¯re not tired yet, right? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re weaker than a girl like me!¡±

    ¡°Of course not, mydy.¡±

    ¡°...Oh, are you going to keep going?¡±

    The reactions from the two of them were contrasting.

    Karl, ustomed to the hellish life of the Alrn family, nodded as if it was only natural, while Alsetin, who was rtively closer to being an average person, trembled his lips.

    Alsetin, looking a bit worn out, huh?

    That¡¯s understandable. After hours of fighting and running, it¡¯s only natural he¡¯d be feeling it.

    While I had some downtime, these two hadn¡¯t had a single moment to catch their breath, so it¡¯s no surprise they¡¯d show signs of fatigue.

    But you know, going down faster is beneficial for you, Alsetin.

    Right?

    So, let¡¯s give you some motivation.

    ¡°Really?? Were you a pathetic little bug weaker than me?? I guess it¡¯s understandable since you¡¯re a loser from the back alleys? I¡¯ll graciously let it slide? Hehe?¡±

    As I openlyughed in front of Alsetin, the veins on his forehead twitched.

    ¡°...No. I can do it.¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t, it¡¯s okay to admit it!? Just acknowledge that you¡¯re weaker than a little girl!? It¡¯s not wrong, so what¡¯s the big deal??¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±

    Did you say you would? I didn¡¯t force you to do it, did I?

    So you can¡¯tter call me a ruthless boss, okay?

    Got it?

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Recently, one of the receptionists at the Menesteil Adventurer''s Guild, Charze, had begun to dread the approaching evening.

    Originally, evenings were a happy time for him.

    The sunset meant it was almost time to clock out.

    Every night, he relished going to the tavern, downing tworge mugs of beer while savoring skewers. How could he not be happy about evenings?

    However, his newfound fear of the evening was solely due to one person.

    With a bang,@@novelbin@@

    the door swung open, drawing the attention of adventurers who then quickly dispersed.

    It wasn¡¯t that they had no reason to be interested. They just didn¡¯t want to attract attention to themselves after all.

    They might have been shouting about how someone was taking their time, whether they had reserved the ce, or why they were hurrying despite beingte¡ªall while arguing in front of the reception desk.

    Regardless of who entered, they would usually refuse to step aside, but the person who just walked into the guild was an exception.

    As if leaves scattered in the wind, adventurers parted to allow the girl passage, and Charze made an effort to smile as warmly as he could.

    ¡°Hey, big guy. Why do you look like a beast? I almost thought I was about to feed you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for looking this way!¡±

    Lucy Alrn.

    The only child of the renowned hero, Benedict Alrn, who had gained fame across the continent, and a troublemaker who wouldsh out at anyone, noble ormoner, if they displeased her.

    No one knew what had prompted her to venture into Menesteil Dungeon, but Charze, who had been assigned to manage Lucy Alrn, was forced to endure a tightening feeling in his stomach every evening.

    ¡°Hurry up and move, you slowpoke. If you waste my time, you know what will happen, right?¡±

    The only fortunate thing was that Lucy Alrn wasn¡¯t as dangerous as the rumors suggested.

    Her words were quite harsh, and it seemed she enjoyed provoking others, but that was as far as it went.

    She onlyughed at the terrified people without doing anything more.

    Moreover, having saved other adventurers from the dungeon the day before, rumors were spreading among the guild members that Lucy Alrn was merely foul-mouthed but not a bad person.

    Some middle-aged adventurers even imed that she had matured from her reckless behavior in her youth.

    Of course, Charze had nothing to do with those rumors.

    To him, Lucy Alrn was merely a source of stress he had to deal with under her scornful and contemptuous gaze.

    ¡°She¡¯s really more dull-witted than she looks. It took this long to process her loot.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Alrn.¡±

    Finally, it was over.

    Now that she was leaving, I could finally prepare to go home without worry!

    With a joyful heart, Charze reached to hand Lucy Alrn the money but suddenly realized there was something else he needed to say, stopping his hand mid-motion.

    ¡°What is it, big guy?¡±

    ¡°Lady Alrn, there have been continuous anomalies urring in the dungeontely. There could be unexpected dangers, so please be careful when entering...¡±

    ¡°Pfft.¡±

    As Charze warned her, Lucy Alrn scoffed, looking at him as one would at a clown.

    ¡°Are you worried about me? Trying to get my attention? You¡¯re a pedo who likes girls, huh? Pervert. Beast. Disgusting.¡±

    ¡°No! That¡¯s absolutely not it!¡±

    ¡°Wow. Your face is turning red. A pathetic big guy being yed by a girl. How embarrassing.¡±

    With her giggles ringing in the air, after Lucy Alrn left, Charze buried his forehead into the reception desk.

    Ugh.

    I hate this.

    I really hate this.

    When will that person go away?!

    Menesteil Dungeon is a harsh environment even among therge dungeons, making it a ce where many noble offspring tremble and turn back. So why doesn¡¯t shein?!

    Just go back!

    As the rumors say, act spoiled and return to your territory!

    As he wiped his face with a sigh, Charze felt someone tapping him on the shoulder and looked up.

    ¡°Hey, Charze. Are you really¡ª¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯m not! I like people who havee out!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you can¡¯t get a girl, huh?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡±

    Charze¡¯s cries filled with resentment caused the guild¡¯s previously tense atmosphere to ease, if only slightly.

    However, that didn¡¯tst long.

    The door of the guild opened again, and silence fell over the ce.

    It wasn¡¯t Lucy Alrn returning.

    This time, it was Meg Georg, the eldest son of Count Georg, who manages Menesteil.

    The expressions of everyone in the guild tightened at the presence of an aristocrat directly rted to the guild.

    Charze was no exception.

    The one who had just been shouting was now hastily greeting Meg Georg, swallowing hard.

    What¡¯s going on? Why is a guy who usually lives off his family and spends time with girls here?

    ¡°Lord Georg! What brings you here?¡±

    The guild leader rushed out to greet Meg, but his expression was indifferent.

    What¡¯s going on? Normally, he would¡¯ve said something about not being polite.

    That guy is known for his foul temper.

    ¡°I have something to discuss regarding the dungeon''s rampage. I n to set up an investigation team.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Yes. That¡¯s an extremely important matter! I was prepared for it.¡±

    ¡°No. Exin the minor details to the butler here. I have other matters to attend to.¡±

    Meg Georg responded and looked out the window of the guild.

    ¡°Hey, guild leader.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Who was that girl who just left? I¡¯ve never seen that face before?¡±

    Seeing Meg Georg licking his lips, Charze felt a chill run down his spine and bit his lips.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Menesteil is a divide between adventurers andmoners.

    Why?

    Look at the environment of Menesteil Dungeon! Would noble offspring want to conquer this ce?!

    I feel like I¡¯m going to die from exhaustion, so there¡¯s no way the average noble would endure this heat. They can¡¯t.

    Of course, there are some noble children aiming to turn their lives around by tacklingrge dungeons, but those guys usually look for morefortable ces. They won¡¯te to such a harsh and unpleasant spot.

    Thus, the proportion of nobles in Menesteil is overwhelmingly lowpared to other locations.

    As expected, the main customers here aremoners and adventurers, so the stores and markets are tailored ordingly.

    Why do the street restaurants in the academy cater to noble offspring?

    That¡¯s why they emphasize luxurious, mboyant, and refined experiences.

    While those are delicious, after having them often, there are days when I crave junk food.

    The aggressive vor that disregards the original taste of ingredients.

    Today, I sought out a restaurant on Menesteil Street to satisfy that craving.

    This ce, being in themoner¡¯s district, specializes in such food!

    ¡°Grandpa. Grandpa. Look at that! Isn¡¯t it amazing?!¡±

    Wow. Look at that person tearing into a pig¡¯s leg.

    It¡¯s so aggressive! It looks delicious!

    <This ce is rather unsuitable for your taste...> ¡°Grandpa! How long are you going to stay trapped in the past? We need to enjoy new cultures!¡±

    While I was waiting for the food I ordered with excitement, a group entered the restaurant.

    From the looks of them, a man dressed in expensive clothing and adorned with various essories, apanied by what seemed to be his guards.

    That¡¯s... definitely Meg Georg, right?

    A trashy guy with a foul personality who enjoys fooling around with girls.

    He was the one responsible for the headaches in the Menesteil-rted story.

    Why is he here?

    He¡¯s a noble and a talented mage, so he despisesmoners and adventurers.

    What reason would he have toe to a ce like this?

    ¡°Ah, there you are.¡±

    As Meg scanned the room, he caught my gaze and a smirk crept onto his face.

    ...What the hell?

    What is that disgusting grin and gaze that makes me want to curse?

    Wait! Why is heing this way?!

    Don¡¯t you know who I am, Lucy Alrn?!

    I¡¯m the infamous troublemaker of the Alrn family! If you poke me, I¡¯ll bite back!

    Don¡¯te near! Don¡¯t you dare!

    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, beautifuldy. My name is Meg Georg, the eldest son of the Georg family that manages Menesteil.¡±

    The pervert, trying to sound impressive, greeted me with a ridiculously smug voice and smiled at me again.

    Ugh. This is seriously the worst.

    Why are all the guys whoe up to me first perverted creeps?

 Chapter 176

    It wasn¡¯t hard to realize what this guy''s intentions were.

    With that rxed smile and the carefully crafted tone of his voice, it was impossible not to notice.

    I mean, is this idiot really all brain down below?

    It''s true that I look beautiful right now. If I keep my mouth shut, I resemble an adorable doll someone would want to hug.

    However, the infamy tied to the name Lucy Alrn possesses the power to overshadow that beauty.

    Even the adventurers of Menesteil know this, yet Meg¡ªthis idiot¡ªapproached me, blinded by my appearance.

    No. Wait.

    Meg may be a foolish character in both settings and behavior, but he is still an educated young nobleman.

    There¡¯s no way he would be so hopelessly ignorant as to approach Lucy without understanding the risks.

    He must havee over without knowing my name. He probably just spotted me while passing by and thought, "Here¡¯s someone interesting."

    Yes, that must be it.

    It has to be.

    ¡°Excuse me...¡±

    ¡°Hey there, you perverted creep drooling over a girl. Do you know who I am? I don¡¯t usually deal with degenerates like you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the mouth, Lady Alrn. A thorny flower, is it?¡±

    Wasn''t he just a mindless fool, totally captivated by his lower half?

    I never expected there to be a lunatic worse than a lovesick fool.

    Sigh. Why does the world have to be so vast and full of nonsense?

    Having lost the tiniest glimmer of hope, I exhaled dramatically, but Meg''s grin didn¡¯t waver at all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be joining you for a moment.¡±

    Without even asking for my opinion, Meg attempted to sit down, but Karl, who was behind me, stopped him.

    ¡°Count Georg. Thedy¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut it. You foolish knight. How dare a fool who can¡¯t even use magic speak to me?¡±

    Meg''s eyes were filled with disgust as he looked at Karl.

    Hatred towards someone of lower status. Hatred for a knight who couldn¡¯t wield magic. And hatred towards anyone who dared to interfere with his romantic endeavors.

    ¡°Be quiet before I sew your mouth shut.¡±

    What outrageous confidence. What does this guy believe in to act so high and mighty?

    Is it the title of count he hasn¡¯t even received yet?

    Or perhaps he thinks he¡¯s impressive but is actually utterly pathetic when ites to magic?

    Or maybe he thinks he can stand against me with his pathetic escort?

    No matter what he believes, if Karl decides to unsheathe his sword, this guy wouldn¡¯t even be able to put up a fight before losing his head.

    Karl must be aware of this too. It would certainly infuriate him to see someone beneath him acting so brazenly.

    But he is a knight and a guard, so he maintained his politeness.

    ¡°I apologize, but please step back.¡±

    ¡°Hah. This is why these so-called knights never seed. Your brains must be filled with muscles; youck intelligence. Show some flexibility, you stupid knight.¡±

    Ah, this is really getting infuriating, isn¡¯t it?

    It¡¯s fine if they insult and despise me.

    I¡¯ve grown tired of such gazes and words since I possessed Lucy¡¯s body.

    I¡¯ve long since be numb to the point where I can¡¯t be hurt anymore.

    However, it¡¯s a different story when ites to those around me.

    Especially when it¡¯s someone who stepped forward for my sake who has to endure such insults.

    ¡°Step back.¡±

    ¡°But, mdy¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do I have to repeat myself, mutt??¡±

    After I added one more word, Karl bit his lip and stepped back.

    Meg, seemingly finding Karl ridiculous, chuckled as he sat across from me.

    Ah, this is perfect.

    I¡¯ve been building up stress from conquering the Menesteil Dungeon, and now I have a punching bag I can torment guilt-free!

    ¡°Thank you for allowing me to join you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been curious about what kind of creature thinks with its lower half while its brain is filled with mana.?¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    I mirrored the words I had just used, causing the punching bag to cough awkwardly as if ufortable.

    Hmm. This punching bag isn¡¯t too bad. He tries to maintain a cool demeanor, but I can see his lips trembling, and I like it.

    ¡°Lady Alrn. I¡¯d like to ask you something first¡ªdo you have a specific reason for wanting to eat here?¡±

    ¡°Well, if I didn¡¯t have a reason, would I be sitting here?? Are you stupid?? Oh~ I see! You must think with your lower half, which is why your intelligence iscking!? How pitiful~?¡±

    As I decided I wanted to rile him up, my body instinctively moved.

    A gigglingugh. A gaze that openly looks down on him. Hands near my mouth that have no intention of covering it.

    This is definitely the Mesugaki Skill at work! I excel at this!

    The provoked punching bag¡¯s face flushed red as he bit his lip, but he didn¡¯t raise his voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I just wanted to treat you to a meal if you didn¡¯t have to eat here today.¡±

    ¡°Are you deaf?? I just said I¡¯m sitting here on purpose!? Can¡¯t you understand that? Is your ear attached to your lower half?? Do I need to talk down to you to get you to understand?? Haha! How disgusting~? Is this how perverted trash like you evolves??¡±

    I could see his fists clenching tightly. His strength was so focused that he must have wanted to strike me if given the chance.

    Wow. What superhuman patience. Considering the provocation from the Mesugaki Skill, he should have already lost his temper by now.

    Is this what happens when you entrust your life to your lower half? Amazing. I don¡¯t want to be like that at all.

    ¡°...So, is it possible to arrange a date for next time?¡±

    ¡°Where should I answer?? Up? Or down??¡±

    ¡°Lady Alrn.¡±

    There was a chill in the voice that had been pretending to be gentle until now.

    Is the durability of this punching bag finally reaching its limit? The hits feel fine, but the weakness is the problem. Should I contact the manufacturer?

    ¡°I¡¯m just joking?. When are you ever fine?¡±

    As I asked back, a slight joy appeared on the punching bag''s face. Trying not to show it was downright annoying.

    ¡°Hmm. How about tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Not a chance!?¡±

    ¡°The day after?¡±

    ¡°Not that either!?¡±

    ¡°Is there a good day this week?¡±

    ¡°Nope!?¡±

    ¡°Are you mocking me?¡±

    ¡°Haha! Did you finally figure it out?? You''re so stupid!? There¡¯s no way I¡¯d arrange a date with scum like you!?¡±

    As the exchange continued, the punching bag¡¯s face, which had been gradually rotting away, turned serious.

    ¡°Lucy Alrn.¡±

    ¡°What?? Did you expect something?? Did you enjoy ying with a cute girl like me?? But what am I going to do?? It¡¯s physically impossible for me to tolerate someone as pathetic as you!? I feel like I might vomit just looking at you!?¡±

    Making gagging noises for emphasis, the punching bag mmed his hand on the table and stood up to re at me.

    ¡°Enough already.¡±

    ¡°Cough! Haha! Is that supposed to be a threat?? Wow~ I''m so scared!? Hehe! You''re just pathetic!?¡±

    Continuing to provoke him, the punching bag snapped.

    Unable to contain his anger, he grabbed my wrist.

    Typical of a flimsy punching bag, his movement was slow enough that I could insert three insults along the way, but I intentionally let myself get caught by that hand.

    Why? Because that gives me justification.

    ¡°I told you to knock it off!¡±

    Now, let¡¯s take an objective look at this situation.

    Who approached first? The punching bag.

    Who insisted on sitting down when I said I didn¡¯t want to? The punching bag.

    Who shouted and forcibly grabbed my wrist to threaten me? The punching bag.

    Witnesses? Everyone in this restaurant, which is popr enough for Nick to rmend.

    So, from here on out, my actions are self-defense.

    A small, weak girl is being threatened by a scary-looking guy? It¡¯s only natural for her to resist.

    If I had been of lower status, this wouldn¡¯t have been enough justification, but I¡¯m the countess of the Alrn family, known throughout the continent.

    This is just the right amount of power to teach this fool a lesson. Right?

    I sprang from my chair, leaped onto the table, and pped the punching bag across the face.

    I didn¡¯t go all out. That would have caused a fatal ident.

    Still, I hope I broke a couple of the weak punching bag¡¯s teeth.

    The punching bag flew back and sprawled on the floor, staggering as he pushed himself up while cradling the part of his face I hit.

    ¡°You little brat!¡±

    ¡°What?? Are you not a magician, but a clown?? That¡¯s your calling!? No wonder you look so ridiculous!?¡±

    As I tried to approach the toothless punching bag, his guards standing behind him blocked my path.

    ¡°Lady Alrn. I apologize, but...¡±

    ¡°Why say sorry if you know you should?? Are you just asking for a beating?? Are you the kind of trash that only exists for perverted masters and their servants?? How disgusting!?¡±

    ¡°That''s not it at all.¡±

    ¡°Then could you get lost?? Before I tell Papa about you perverts??¡±

    Think carefully. If we finish this here, it ends on my terms.

    Nothing will happen aside from your idiotic master getting beaten.

    But what if this doesn¡¯t end here and goes to Benedict?

    Do you think you can handle an enraged doting father?

    If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t want to make that man my enemy.

    ¡°Step aside.¡±

    Before I could say another word, the leader of the guards spoke up.

    Haha. Right? You¡¯re scared of Benedict too, huh? If you¡¯re going to back off anyway, why make such a fuss?

    You¡¯re just annoying me for no reason.

    ¡°What¡¯s this about? A guard trying to speak to me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility. Step back.¡±

    As the guards moved aside, the punching bag was revealed.

    He was staring at me with wide, terrified eyes.

    The guy who thought he was in charge just a moment ago was looking at me with sheer terror.

    How pathetic.

    How hrious.

    ¡°Come at me! If you do, I¡¯ll make sure you get attacked!¡±

    ¡°Go ahead. You really think a pathetic scum like you could hurt me??¡±

    I moved my foot casually as if inviting him to cast magic.@@novelbin@@

    To my surprise, the punching bag actually began casting a spell.

    Wow. What a truly hopeless idiot. Is he prioritizing his own safety over conflicts with other families?

    And that fire magic he¡¯s casting? I¡¯ve seen Joy use it enough times to remember.

    Fire magic in a wooden building full of people? Do you have any idea what could happen if it goes wrong?

    This guy really is hopeless.

    Even if I took that spell head-on, I was confident I wouldn¡¯t get hurt.

    If I were wounded by something of that caliber, I¡¯d be embarrassed to call myself a tank.

    However, I couldn¡¯t be sure how far the st would spread.

    So, I took a step forward and kicked the punching bag in the gut, interrupting his casting.

    Like a ball, he soared into the air andnded on the floor, clutching his stomach as he gagged.

    I approached him and kicked him in the side toy him t on his back.

    The terrified punching bag''s eyes were trembling.

    ¡°What?? Are you scared of a girl who looks like she could be at your waist?? A perverted weakling who¡¯s also a coward?? That¡¯s just pathetic!?¡±

    ¡°I... I¡¯m Count Georg¡¯s son! If youy a hand on me!...¡±

    And then I stomped on his face, silencing his pointless rant.

    ¡°Could you shut up?? Just hearing your voice is disgusting!?¡±

 Chapter 177

    The day after I kicked the punching bag in the third leg and sent him sprawling, I was once again tackling the dungeon.

    I was already on the 39th floor.

    Originally, I had nned to clear only up to the 34th or 35th floor today and take a break, but ever since I achieved my goal, I was moving my feet desperately.

    I couldn¡¯t predict how the Georg family would react.

    Sure, the punching bag was a brain-dead pervert, but he was still the firstborn son of the Georg family.

    Having trampled on someone like him, I expected some sort of response from the Georgs.

    Knowing their tendencies, I could roughly guess how things would unfold.@@novelbin@@

    First, the current head of the Georg family is capable but timid and cowardly.

    When faced with a choice, he would hesitate and ponder until the deadline loomed over him, ultimately choosing the best option.

    He would likely struggle to make a decision this time as well.

    Theplexity of the issue is indeed a factor, but more than that, he¡¯s up against the Alrn family. If the head of the Georgs were a character from a game, he would take at least a week to decide.

    Does that mean I can rx?

    No. There¡¯s another issue.

    The matriarch of the Georg family.

    This person stands in stark contrast to the head of the Georgs.

    Impatient, ipetent, and someone who thinks everything her son does is right. She¡¯s the person who had the most significant influence on the punching bag bing such a pitiful human.

    Without a doubt, that woman would express her anger upon seeing her son¡¯s disgrace.

    The Georg head is weak against her. If she pressures him daily, the time for making a decision would significantly shorten.

    This is as far as I can specte.

    I can¡¯t predict what conclusion the Georg head wille to after much thought.

    Honestly, I don¡¯t care about most things.

    However, depending on the situation, I might not be able to enter the Menesteil Dungeon again.

    That would be a problem. I don¡¯t know what would happen if I couldn¡¯tplete the quest given by the pathetic god. I don¡¯t want to find out.

    So, I was racing to finish things up before the Georg head could make a move.

    Today¡¯s goal was the 46th floor.

    The location of the hidden section of the Menesteil Dungeon, where Alsetin¡¯s mentor resided.

    Once I reached there today, I would wrap everything up tomorrow and leave Menesteil.

    It would be a tough march, but that¡¯s fine.

    I¡¯m used to rolling around to the point of exhaustion.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    We exited the Menesteil Dungeon just as the sun vanished, reced by the moon.

    After informing the exhausted guard that we were back from the dungeon, we headed straight to our lodging without stopping by the Menesteil Guild.

    The profits from dealing with our loot were minimal, so I thought it better to rest a little more during that time.

    We would need to continue our march early the next morning.

    ¡°You¡¯rete.¡±

    The person who weed us back to the inn wasn¡¯t Nick. It wasn¡¯t even the usual guy at the counter.

    It was someone I had anticipated meeting someday, but I never imagined it would be under these circumstances.

    The current head of the Georg family.

    Mev Georg.

    A man who revitalized the Menesteil Dungeon district with his capabilities, and a genius magician recognized for his talents even in the magical empire full of skilled sorcerers.

    If it weren¡¯t for his typical indecisiveness, he would have already made a name for himself across the continent.

    He was sitting alone in a flimsy chair at the counter and stood up upon seeing my face.

    What is this man doing here?

    He¡¯s always struggled with decision-making to the point of inaction until the moment it confronts him¡ªwhy is he here?

    Was the matriarch¡¯s nagging that severe?

    Damn it. The fact that he moved alone without guards means he considers this situation quite serious!

    ¡°I apologize for the sudden visit, Lady Alrn. Please understand that I couldn¡¯t follow formalities as this is an urgent matter.¡±

    I bit my lip, thinking about how I was getting into trouble.

    As long as I don¡¯t touch on matters rted to the Menesteil Dungeon, I don¡¯t care what happens.

    Having Benedict backing me is one reason, but my connections aren¡¯t that trivial.

    The duke''s daughter from the Parn family. The third prince of the Sdin Kingdom. The current saint of the Divine God Church.

    Those who could cover up most idents if they arose.

    So, as long as I avoid bringing up the Menesteil Dungeon, I should be fine.

    I¡¯ll talk it over with Grandpa.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Alrn. My foolish son has caused a great deal of trouble.¡±

    My rapidly turning thoughts came to a halt when the Georg head bowed his head.

    Uh. Huh? Wait, weren¡¯t you supposed toe here to talk about your son¡¯s violence? Why are you bowing suddenly?

    Of course, I consider it self-defense, but they might not see it that way.

    ¡°Fortunately, Lady Alrn has made this incident seem like a small ident between the two. But had it not been for your quick judgment, Lord Benedict Alrn would have descended upon this ce.¡±

    My mind, which had been frozen in shock, kicked back into gear at the mention of Benedict¡¯s name.

    Benedict.

    Haha. What in the world did you do on this continent?

    Why is the genius magician, who is not undeserving of the title, so flustered at the mere mention of your name?

    Anyway, thanks to you, it seems like things will go smoothly.

    ¡°While I am in your territory, I will provide you with the utmost convenience in the name of the Georgs. It is only right that we properly educate our foolish son. So please, could you exin this situation well to Lord Benedict Alrn?¡±

    ¡°Since you put it that way, I will make sure to exin it well to Benedict.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that the cowardly count is so afraid of my foolish father. I¡¯ll make sure to tell my father to keep the count from soiling his pants.¡±

    Thanks to the Mesugaki Skill, the Georg head turned into a cowardly and timid count, but he only offered an awkward smile, showing no signs of anger.

    He considered himself a subordinate and could not afford to act tough.

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Lady Alrn.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Please don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°I feel sorry for the pale-faced count. Haha. He looks so pitiful. Please don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    Normally, I would have cursed the Mesugaki Skill after seeing the Georg count¡¯s trembling lips.

    This isn¡¯t some mediocre noble but a count with real power and authority, and I¡¯ve managed to incur his displeasure.

    However, right now, it¡¯s fine. After all, I won¡¯t be returning to this city again once this is all over.

    Of course, I won¡¯t have to meet the Georg count at all! So even if I earn his ire, it won¡¯t cause any issues!

    Ah, this turned out well.

    With this, I won¡¯t need to enter the dungeon again tomorrow.

    My body was already worn out from running around all day, so I should take a day or two to restfortably, get my condition back to perfect, and then head into the dungeon.

    Yeah, that sounds good.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    That evening, after the Georg count¡¯s apology, I found myself unexpectedly able to rx.

    Perhaps exhausted in every way, Lucy quickly went to sleep, leaving Alsetin alone in the living room, sipping on some alcohol.

    It had been a tough day.

    Alsetin wasn¡¯t someone who trained carelessly.

    The person who took him in and taught him when he was young always emphasized the importance of being prepared with the fundamentals, and Alsetin, having been saved by his mentor, had never once disobeyed her teachings.

    However, that was solely for his training to live as an informant and a person in the underworld.

    It was not the kind of rigorous training that knights underwent, who bet everything on their bodies.

    It wasn¡¯t surprising that Karl had remarkable physical endurance.

    He had been recognized as a promising candidate since his time at the Soul Academy, and after graduating, he joined the powerful Alrn family, allowing him to grow.

    It would actually be strange if he couldn¡¯t showcase that kind of ability.

    But what about Lady Alrn?

    How could she, who had been a delinquent just a year ago, possess such astonishing physical strength now?!

    No matter how much Alrn blood she carries, this is... this is just too abnormal.

    Desperate to follow the two of them to meet his mentor, Alsetin was now in a half-melted state.

    At least he was fortunate that he didn¡¯t have to enter the dungeon again tomorrow and could take a break.

    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have had even a tiny bit of leisure.

    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡±

    Alsetin stared in disbelief at Karl, who had juste out after washing up, having moved around in the training room for quite a while after returning from the dungeon.

    Was every knight from the Alrn family like this? Or was this guy just exceptional?

    Considering Lady Alrn, the former seems more likely.

    ¡°I¡¯m resting. I¡¯m lucky enough to have some leisure time.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Alcohol, huh? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a drink. Mind if I join you?¡±

    ¡°Feel free.¡±

    As soon as Karl pulled out a chair and sat down, Nick appeared with drinks and snacks as if he had been waiting for that moment.

    Being in a simr line of work, Alsetin could roughly guess the level Nick possessed.

    She was a talent who could be weed anywhere she went.

    The Newman family must have sent someone capable due to their strong interest in the Menesteil district.

    Why, then, is someone like her being called a gloomy person by Lady Alrn?

    People truly are hard to understand.

    ¡°Alsetin, do you drink well?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the type to pass out first.¡±

    ¡°Then how about a little contest?¡±

    ¡°Me? With you, a knight?¡±

    What nonsense is this guy spouting?

    Why is a monster trying to challenge a human to a drinking contest?

    Seeing Alsetin¡¯s dismay, Karl burst into heartyughter.

    It was a human-like sight that one wouldn¡¯t see when Lucy was around.

    ¡°Okay. Forget about the drinking contest. I want to ask you something else. When are you going to stop calling me ¡®Sir Knight¡¯?¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re a noble, and I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Under thedy, we¡¯re both the same kind. You can treat me casually. From the looks of things, it seems we¡¯ll be together for a while.¡±

    Well... that¡¯s true. After this, I¡¯ll have to spend a lot of time with Lady Alrn.

    Alsetin, gauging Karl¡¯s mood, gulped down his drink and then spoke up.

    ¡°Alright. Karl. Nointster, okay?¡±

    ¡°Hah. Why would I say anything to my fellowrades?¡±

    The two of them had been under Lucy¡¯s guidance for the past few months.

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to bond over drinks, dropping the formalities.

    As casual chatter flowed and the sses stacked up on the table, Karl suddenly lowered his voice.

    ¡°Hey, Alsetin.¡±

    ¡°What? Why the sudden seriousness?¡±

    ¡°I have something I want to ask you. But if I¡¯m the only one asking questions, it¡¯s not fair, right?¡±

    ¡°...What? So, if you have something you want to ask me, just ask.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ll answer anything!¡±

    Hearing those words, Alsetin raised an eyebrow slightly.

    It was obvious what he wanted to ask.

    Why did I follow them all the way here?

    If it had been before, I would have kept it a secret, but since he¡¯s someone I¡¯ll be working with until the end, it won¡¯t make a difference.

    So, I decided to answer.

    But what should I ask?

    ...Something fun came to mind.

    ¡°Perfect timing! I actually wanted to ask you something.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°This is a bit of a sensitive topic, though.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Did you forget what you just said about answering anything? A knight keeps his word.¡±

    Karl made that deration and then guzzled down his drink.

    Alsetin, with a mischievous smile, watched him and then spoke directly.

    ¡°Karl, do you perhaps have a fetish for being hit by girls?¡±

    ¡°Pffft!¡±

    As a reward for my honesty, I had to receive the beer that exploded from Karl¡¯s mouth right onto my face.

 Chapter 178

    Alsetin, surprised by the dramatic reaction, let out a hollowugh as Nick quietly appeared beside him, handing over a towel.

    ¡°Sorry about that. Maybe my ears were ying tricks on me, but I thought I heard something strange.¡±

    Seeing this, Karl awkwardly smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t mishear anything.¡±

    ¡°Are you really asking if I enjoy being hit by girls?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Why would you ask that?¡±

    Karl¡¯s frown was filled with seriousness.

    He didn¡¯t understand why he was being asked such a question.

    ¡°Why? Are you seriously asking?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m a knight of the Alrn family. Just the thought of being suspected of something like that is offensive!¡±

    ¡°...Are you really serious about this?¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, why would you think that about me?¡±

    ¡°Just look at how you act around Lady Alrn!¡±

    Alsetin raised his voice for the first time in response to Karl¡¯s unreasonable im.

    ¡°You enjoy being treated like a dog by thedy! And when derogatory words are softened, you feel sad instead!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Is that what you¡¯re referring to?¡±

    ¡°Finally understanding, huh?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Hearing the question thrown back at him, Alsetin pressed his palm hard against the bridge of his nose.

    Does this guy genuinely believe he¡¯spletely sane?!

    I always thought he was a bit off, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this serious!

    ¡°Why are you so clueless as an elite who graduated from the academy? Did you hit your head while working as a knight?!¡±

    ¡°No. I understand why you found it strange. It could definitely appear that way.¡±

    As Karl nodded, Alsetin, frustrated, gulped down his drink and shouted.

    ¡°But why do you think there¡¯s anything wrong with it?!¡±

    ¡°Take a moment to listen. I¡¯ll exin.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Fine, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°First, there¡¯s something you need to know. My dream. I wanted to be an ideal knight like the ones in the bards¡¯ tales.¡±

    Karl said this and began recounting the stories of knights he remembered.

    The one who became a skeleton knight to protect his master¡¯s grave.

    The one who stood at the front lines of battle to fulfill his master¡¯s wishes.

    The one who remained loyal even after bing a prisoner, only to lose his head.

    Along with these, Karl recounted the deeds of countless knights from songs.

    ¡°Do you know what theirmon trait is? They all served an ideal master.¡±

    Karl had no desire to be a tragic hero.

    Even if his master¡¯s ipetence highlighted the knight¡¯s capabilities.

    Because Karl wanted to achieve his dreams, not to earn pity.

    ¡°Think about it. Aside from her slightly rough tone, isn¡¯t Lady Alrn close to being that ideal master?¡±

    When Karl first decided to serve Lucy, it couldn¡¯t truly be called recognition for her.

    He wanted to repay the person who had forgiven him for his shorings; it wasn¡¯t about recognizing Lucy or dedicating himself to her.

    However, as he stayed by Lucy¡¯s side, his thoughts gradually changed.

    She was someone who would throw herself into danger for others.

    If she believed it was necessary, she was someone who could ovee hesitation.

    In even the most extreme situations, she never knew how to give up.

    She had enough talent to overwhelm everyone at the Soul Academy, where the kingdom¡¯s greatest talents converged.

    ¡°At some point, I realized. Lady Alrn is the ideal master I dreamed of.¡±

    How miraculous is that?

    The person I sought to serve for atonement turned out to be the one who could help me achieve my dream!

    Even if Lucycked abilities, Karl would have still followed her. His gratitude was that immense.

    However, Lucy possessed more than Karl had wished for.

    She had the ability to make his dreame true!

    So how could he not be grateful?

    How could he not hold this bond dear?

    Though Karl spoke passionately about his feelings, Alsetin¡¯s reaction remained lukewarm.

    ¡°Right. I understand that Lady Alrn is the person you wished for. But why are you happy about her mischievous tone and actions?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Because it¡¯s Lady Alrn!¡±

    The fact that Lucy treated him like a dog meant she acknowledged him as apanion.

    So, it was only natural to be happy about it.

    The fact that Lucy used terms she wouldn¡¯t use with others indicated he was being treated specially.

    Again, this was something to be delighted about.

    ¡°Do you get it? The order is reversed. I don¡¯t enjoy being hit by girls. I¡¯m happy because it¡¯s something Lady Alrn does! This isn¡¯t a perverse sexual desire; it¡¯s loyalty!¡±

    Seeing Karl shout without a hint of shame, Alsetin stared at him nkly before taking another drink.

    In the end, he was happy to be hit by Lady Alrn.

    How is that any different from enjoying being hit by a girl?

    It¡¯s something that simply cannot be understood with normal reasoning.

    Sigh. It¡¯s truly unfortunate.

    He looks decent, has great abilities, yet he carries such regrettable thoughts inside.

    He¡¯s going to struggle with marriage.

    Unless he meets someone just like him, he¡¯ll have to live alone forever.

    Alsetin thought this but kept his thoughts to himself.

    This lunatic would surely yell that if he could stay by thedy¡¯s side, what¡¯s wrong with living alone!

    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ve answered you properly. Now it¡¯s my turn to ask.¡±

    ¡°Are you asking why I followed Lady Alrn here?¡±

    As Alsetin retorted, he naturally used the magic stored in the ring on his finger.

    ¡°...Hmm. Is it a sound-blocking type?¡±

    ¡°Impressive, you figured it out. It¡¯s something different from themonly known magic, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy to recognize.¡±

    ¡°I can distinguish it not by sight but by the sound.¡±

    Hearing that Karl had noticed Nick¡¯s breathing had vanished, Alsetin chuckled.

    He truly had a solid ability. Even though he¡¯s someone who works in the underworld, he was able to sense Nick while hiding his presence.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough of that. Answer the question.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. The person I¡¯m looking for is here.¡±

    ¡°Is it the one named Karia that thedy mentioned?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. She¡¯s my mentor.¡±

    In truth, he had referred to her as ¡°aunt¡± more often than ¡°mentor¡± when they were together.

    Upon mentioning her name, Karl crossed his arms.

    ¡°She must be someone important to you.¡±

    ¡°She picked me up when I was dying in a dumpster.¡±

    Alsetin giggled as he began to recount his past.

    He had been abandoned in an alley immediately after birth. To survive, he had to start begging as soon as he learned to walk. He had been beaten mercilessly for failing to meet the quota and was picked up by chance.

    ¡°Most of what I have now, I learned from her.¡±

    Perhaps it was because he was about to reunite with someone he had longed to see, or maybe it was the alcohol, but Alsetin spoke more freely about the past than usual.

    As Karl listened to Alsetin recount Karia¡¯s exploits, he suddenly muttered.

    ¡°She sounds remarkable.¡±

    ¡°Right? She even went on dungeon expeditions with Lord Benedict Alrn in the past.¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    Seeing Karl¡¯s face freeze, Alsetin burst intoughter and continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m not joking. You¡¯ll recognize her face anyway, so I¡¯m telling you ahead of time.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying Karia, known as the shadow of the royal pce, is your mentor? Ha. You should at least make believable lies.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth!¡±

    While Alsetin spoke with a grin, Karl showed no signs of believing him at all.

    It was only natural. How could a person who was once legendary alongside Benedict suddenly be the mentor of an informant living in the back alleys?

    Alsetin didn¡¯t seem to expect his words to be taken seriously and shrugged, moving on to other memories.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The day after taking a full day to rest for condition management, I double-checked the items in my inventory.

    The ce I was about to go to was more dangerous than any I had ever visited before. After all, it was where the fire-controlling demon god was sealed.

    The world of the Soul Academy is filled with countless gods.

    These gods are closer to the multidimensional deities seen in Greek and Roman mythology rather than omniscient and omnipotent absolute gods, making their behavior quite human-like.

    Usually, when many people gather, a group forms, right? The gods in this world are no different.

    They are divided into two groups: one centered around the pathetic pervert Armadi and the other around the petty Agra.

    The former wishes for the maintenance and stability of the world, while thetter hopes for the world to be destroyed.

    They fiercely opposed each other to uphold their ims and ultimately realized that words wouldn¡¯t solve anything, leading to war.

    In the end, the Armadi side, victorious, sealed the demon gods across various locations in the world.

    However, there was something the gods didn¡¯t anticipate.

    No matter how much they are sealed, they are still gods.

    Their powers naturally affected the surroundings, creating things that should not exist in the world.

    That was the creation ofrge dungeons.

    It wasn¡¯t born from Agra¡¯s power but from the abnormal environment caused by the demon god¡¯s energy.

    As long as the demon god remained there, that ce would never disappear.

    The moment the seal breaks, it would be the starting point of cmity.

    Now you understand why the quest to save Menesteil from disaster was created, right?

    Right now, someone is trying to break that seal.

    The pathetic god wants me to stop them.

    The opponent I will face this time is stronger than anyone I have encountered before.

    Nakrad? Compared to him, he¡¯s just pathetic. It¡¯s an insult to evenpare them.

    An alchemist? Though he seemed to possess absolute power in his dungeon, he could easily be dealt with by Karl.

    But this opponent is different. If it¡¯s that guy, he could easily overwhelm Karl.

    So is it possible to tackle such a monster?

    Of course. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, isn¡¯t it?

    That assumption only holds if I haven¡¯t prepared at all.

    Why would I fight my opponent fairly?

    The basics ofbat are to present the worst to the enemy and the best to my allies.

    ¡°Phew.¡±

    Having finished checking my items, I stretched.

    Alright. I¡¯m ready to show my opponent just how annoying stagnant water can be.

    I¡¯ll finish this troublesome task quickly and then head to Joy¡¯s territory for a visit!

 Chapter 179

    The people who entered the Menesteil Dungeon were the three I had been with so far.

    Me, Karl, and Alsetin.

    Originally, I had nned to include a water-type mage that Nick had rmended, but that fell through.

    Word had spread about what I did to Meg on Menesteil Street.

    Although it wasn¡¯t publicly discussed due to the disgrace of the Count¡¯s eldest son, there wasn¡¯t a single person living on the street who didn¡¯t know about it.

    Given the situation, those who worked in the Menesteil Dungeon naturally began to avoid me.

    Even though Meg was a nasty piece of work, he was still the heir of the Georg family.

    If I made an enemy of him, my life in Menesteil would be miserable.

    I was just a passerby, but the adventurers of Menesteil were those who settled down and lived here.

    They dared not act in a way that would antagonize Meg. Because of this, I failed to recruit the mage.

    It wasn¡¯t a huge issue. The mage was merely a convenience for our breakthrough.

    If I didn¡¯t have one, I would just have to struggle a bit more. I stood at the entrance to the 46th floor and scanned the surroundings.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to the ce where the Evil God is sealed.¡±

    ¡°Are you nervous, Alsetin?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am. You¡¯re the strange one, smiling as if this is enjoyable, Karl.¡±

    I had already informed the two about where we were heading.

    If we suddenly arrived at the ce where the Evil God was sealed, it was certain they would be shocked.

    When I told Alsetin that I had received a revtion from the deity and we were heading toward the sealed location of the Evil God, his reaction was as expected.

    He was undoubtedly taken aback, but when I told him we had to go there to meet his master, he nodded in resignation.

    However, Karl''s response was unexpected.

    I thought he would feel fear at the mention of the Evil God, even if he was a bit odd. But that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡®After all, mydy is headed there, isn¡¯t she? So of course, I must apany you!¡¯

    Karl shouted this, resembling a loyalrge dog, shrugging his shoulders.

    His confidence was so reassuring that I almost absentmindedly patted his head.

    Recalling the events of yesterday as I surveyed the area, I spotted a marker that confirmed my location and nodded.

    Good. I have a rough idea of where I am.

    Let¡¯s move.

    <The malevolent energy is getting stronger as we go.>

    As we progressed toward the sealed location of the Evil God, the old man spoke.

    ¡®Aren¡¯t you used to this, old man?¡¯

    He was someone who had once fought the Evil God on the front lines. This energy must be tiresome for him.

    <Yes, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s not just familiar; it¡¯s tiresome.>

    There were various thick emotions tied to the words of his past. They were so profound that I could feel them without him having to say more.

    <To be honest, I still don¡¯t know if this is the right thing to do. It¡¯s too dangerous.>

    ¡®But the deity gave you a revtion. It¡¯ll be alright.¡¯

    The old man worries too much.

    Most of the danger I¡¯ve faced hase from unexpected variables.

    Have I ever gotten into trouble when I made the best preparations without any variables?

    Especially in this case, I had prepared for any eventuality, so there should be no room for problems.

    <That would be nice¡­>

    ¡®It¡¯s going to be fine.¡¯

    As I reassured the old man and walked forward, a wall soon blocked our path.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, it seems you¡¯re nervous too. It¡¯s surprising to see you make such a mistake.¡±

    Alsetin, seeing the dead end, seemed to think I had taken a wrong turn.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t a mistake.¡¯

    ¡°Of course, it would look like a mistake to your inexperienced eyes, Information Dealer. It¡¯s truly pathetic.¡±

    I hade here so many times during the true ending speedrun that there was no way I could forget it.

    I lightly shot a re at Alsetin and pulled a potion from my inventory.

    What was contained within was holy water blessed by Faibi.

    While it was true that she was a saint made by the church, it was also true that she possessed abilities worthy of being called a saint.

    The holy water blessed by her is the best at driving away the Evil God¡¯s energy.

    As I opened the vial and sprinkled the liquid on the wall, it immediately began to soften and melt away, spreading out like ice cream.

    ¡°What the¡­?¡±

    Alsetin blinked in surprise at the suddenly revealed passage.

    As a thief, he prided himself on knowing all the hidden doors, so he had no choice but to be astonished at the existence of a gimmick he didn¡¯t know about.

    I was the same way.

    A passage that couldn¡¯t be found even by maxed-out thief sses. A ce that could only be discovered afterpleting all rted storylines.

    I had been so furious when I discovered this ce while racing to be the first to see the true ending.

    Isn¡¯t itmon sense to ce hidden passages at the final floor? I had yelled so loudly that the neighbors had filedints!

    Even now, it¡¯s not a pleasant memory. It was truly frustrating.

    Before entering, I pulled another item from my inventory.

    An earring that protects the wearer from the Evil God¡¯s energy.

    This too was a gift from Faibi.

    Originally, I would have to pay a hefty sum for something inferior to this, but when I asked Faibi, she resolved it instantly.

    It wasn¡¯t even possible in the game!

    The real-life saint is more of a cheat character than in the game.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The dungeon where the Evil God is sealed is ssified as a hidden dungeon that exists individually.

    This holds multiple meanings, but the important point is one.

    There are no adventurers here.

    This means I can control all the variables in this ce.

    As expected of a ce where hidden bosses dwell, the monsters appearing here are as strong as those found between levels 60 and 70.

    Even Karl would struggle to handle the hordes alone.

    But what does it matter if they¡¯re strong? I have no intention of fighting them.

    I¡¯ll show them the route I crafted through countless studies!

    It was bizarre.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind the old junk rock in front, just run past it!¡±

    Alsetin thought desperately as he followed Lucy closely.

    ¡°There¡¯s a trap where the ground copses ahead! Jump over it!¡±

    Lady Alrn had mentioned that her master was here.

    Upon hearing that, I had thought that he must be working to prevent the seal of the Evil God from breaking.

    He had pursued the light in the darkness. If he were alive, he would surely be working for the world.

    ¡°Pathetic! Freeze for two seconds! Then, run again¡­¡±

    I also thought that I might see the corpse of my dead master.

    No, I was in denial, but I actually thought that was far more likely.

    Theplete severance of any traces of those who had visited the Evil God¡¯s sealed ce must mean that.

    And with Lady Alrn¡¯s warning not to be surprised by anything I saw.

    If I had to be honest, it would be reasonable to consider my master dead.

    ¡°Run! Pathetic fools!¡±

    Alsetin thought it didn¡¯t matter which way they went.

    If he were alive, he would be overjoyed, and if he saw his corpse, it would surely be sorrowful, but he could create a grave for him and find closure in his heart.

    In any case, as long as he could meet him, that was enough for Alsetin.

    ¡°On the count of three, jump down! You¡¯re not such cowards that you can¡¯t even do that!¡±

    However, strangely enough, since entering this ce, Lady Alrn hadn¡¯t mentioned her master even once.

    She seemed solely focused on traversing the dungeon.

    Why was that? The first thing that crossed Alsetin¡¯s mind was doubt.

    That Lucy had brought up her master¡¯s name to use him.

    But Alsetin immediately shook his head.

    If that were the case, she wouldn¡¯t even mention wanting to meet him.

    Next, he wondered if Lady Alrn didn¡¯t know the precise location.

    Alsetin shook his head again.

    This woman had always shown her abilities without hiding them. There was no way she wouldn¡¯t know that her master existed in the dungeon.

    Then¡ª

    ¡°Information Dealer! What are you doing!¡±

    As Alsetin¡¯s thoughts continued to spiral, Lucy shouted at him.

    Only then did Alsetin notice the mes falling above him.

    Oh no. It was toote to avoid them.

    Then, he would have to take it with his arm to minimize the damage...

    Just as Alsetin was bracing himself to take the mes, Lucy pulled his neck and used her body as a shield.

    Boom!

    The mes struck the shield, creating a massive shockwave, but the shield held firm.

    ¡°Pathetic Information Dealer? Are you doing this on purpose to get beat up?? You¡¯re even more of a pervert than our pathetic dog, aren¡¯t you?? Should I put a cor on you and drag you around??¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll focus.¡±

    ...For now, let¡¯s focus on moving through the dungeon.

    I can¡¯t be someone worse than that perverted knight.

    Thanks to Lucy Alrn¡¯s near miraculous leadership, they reached the boss room without even a single battle. Afterward, Alsetin approached Lucy, who was resting against the wall.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? Are you mad at the Information Dealer?¡±

    ¡°...Lady Alrn, I have something I¡¯d like to ask.¡±

    ¡°About your foolish master, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not that I doubt thedy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll see soon. Patience, you pathetic one.¡±

    As Lucy spoke, she gazed past the door to the boss room.

    Alsetin wasn¡¯t so oblivious that he didn¡¯t realize what that meant.

    ¡°Is my master beyond that door?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re notpletely clueless, huh? Better than a dog. Still less than a human.¡±

    The fact that his master was beyond the boss room meant¡ª

    Ha. Is that so?

    Was he fighting there and ended up dying?

    Had he lost his life pursuing his ideals?

    Was he working for the world as a shadow?

    ...What a stubborn woman she was until the end. She taught me to always be sharp, yet here she is, doing something so foolish.

    Understanding the situation, Alsetin didn¡¯t ask Lucy any further questions, and she didn¡¯t feel the need to say more either.

    Instead, Lucy exined how they should proceed when they entered the boss room.

    How to tackle the boss they were about to face.

    The various attacks the boss would use and how to counter them.

    What to do if unexpected crisis situations arose.

    Her strategies, as a seasonedmander, were clear enough to impress not just Alsetin, but even Karl.

    This raid seemed certain to end just as easily as always.

    ¡°Pathetic fools. Rise up. It¡¯s time to move.¡±

    Once all the exnations wereplete, it was time to enter the boss room.

    Karl enveloped his sword in aura and took a deep breath, Alsetin checked his arrows and various tools while biting his lip, and Lucy, as usual, pushed open the door to the boss room with a nk expression.

    ¡°Who dares to interrupt me, you pathetic fools?¡±

    At that moment, Alsetin found himself face-to-face with the master he had been told about by Lucy.

    It was unavoidable.

    That was because the woman standing in the center of the boss room was undoubtedly¡ª

    His master.

    Karia.

    ¡°Lady Alrn. What the hell is going on...¡±

    ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s distracting.¡±

    Alsetin, who had opened his mouth in confusion, turned his head at Lucy¡¯s sharp voice.

    Lucy Alrn was biting her lip.

 Chapter 181

    As I tore my gaze away from the message of the useless deity and focused ahead, a giant made of fire raised its hand.

    <em>¡°Alsetin!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Information Dealer!¡±</em>

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Just as I shouted Alsetin¡¯s name, he pulled back his bowstring.

    The arrow heunched had the Eternal Winter gemstone as its tip.

    That gemstone normally spread the chill it contained, but in the face of extreme mes, it exhibited entirely different effects.

    When the barrier that kept the cold from escaping shattered, the gemstone would explode!

    As the gemstone detonated, ice formed over the giant made of fire. In the game, a single explosion would have caused the fiery giant to vanish, but what about now?

    As I waited with the holy energy wrapped around my shield, the ice that had halted the giant began to melt.

    So it is happening like this?!

    I raised my shield and examined the giant.

    The gemstone had clearly dealt significant damage to it.

    I could tell by the noticeably reduced mes.

    At this level...

    I should be able to block it now.

    I concentrated the holy energy on my shield.

    The light gathered in the center, spreading out to form a new shield in front of my own.

    This was the reward for the grueling week of training with the old man after entering the Menesteil Dungeon.@@novelbin@@

    A defensive technique that didn¡¯t even exist in the game.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    As the giant¡¯s fist struck the shield, I put more strength into my legs.

    My arms trembled uncontrobly.

    Blood oozed from my tightly clenched lips.

    Every muscle in my body screamed in agony.

    My feet gradually slid backward, leaving debris of stone on the ground.

    Cracks began to appear in the holy barrier that was blocking the front of the shield.

    However, the first to vanish was the fire giant itself.

    The once ferociously burning giant dissipated as quickly as it had appeared.

    I had sessfully blocked its attack.

    As the holy energy that had remained in front of my shield scattered, I felt my strength leaving me, and I stumbled back.

    <em>Haaah.</em> This is really exhausting. I¡¯m d I learned a new technique from the old man.

    If I hadn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have even dared to block that.

    ¡°Turns out you¡¯re not all talk, you arrogant little brat.¡±

    As I calmed my heavy breathing, I heard a voiceing from afar and forced myself to look up.

    Karia stood atop the altar, gazing down at me as if judging my worth.

    Isn¡¯t this a bit too much?

    When the pattern of the fire giant ends, it should enter a groggy state.

    Has that weakness vanished because of its enhancement?

    Ha. Damn it. If this kind of content exists, why didn¡¯t they throw it at me while I was still in the game? Why is it causing chaos now that it¡¯s reality?

    Having restored her health using Armadi¡¯s power, I forced myself to rise.

    If Iy here foolishly, I¡¯d soon find my neck and body bidding farewell to each other.

    Before long, Karia¡¯s new form vanished again.

    We weren¡¯t given a moment to rest.

    Karia continually attempted to engage in closebat.

    The fact that my provocations had limited her target to me was the only silver lining.

    If it weren¡¯t for that, both Alsetin and I would have likely crumbled under the consecutive ambushes without even realizing who Karia was aiming for.

    Listening intently to the sound of the looming threat, I focused on keeping up with Karia.

    I did my best to catch any signs of her movements.

    <Behind! Take out a potion from your inventory...>

    Upon hearing the old man¡¯s voice, I pulled out the potion I had prepared from my inventory.

    Purifying Holy Water. Its effect is to block negative effects from approaching.

    This would be effective even against the poison Karia had used.

    ¡°How interesting. How did you know this?¡±

    Just as I felt a sense of relief, I heard a voice behind me, but I didn¡¯t turn my head.

    The barrier didn¡¯t signal danger.

    I could hear Karl catching Karia¡¯s dagger behind me.

    Moments like these demanded my full focus.

    Dozens of daggers made of fire shot from afar.

    Alsetin ripped apart a scroll of storms, scattering them.

    Karia¡¯s flurry of strikes prated through the storm.

    As I received the blows with my shield, I heard Karl and Alsetin joining forces tounch a counterattack, but Karia vanished in the blink of an eye.

    Attacks.

    Attacks.

    Another attack followed.

    This wasn¡¯t a battle.

    It was Karia¡¯s hunting game.

    She was toying with us, gradually tightening the leash around us like prey.

    In a way, I should be grateful.

    If she had truly intended to kill us, we would have been shattered long ago.

    Then, when I checked the time, I realized only a minute had passed.

    In this ridiculous situation, augh escaped me.

    I¡¯m growing to resent that useless deity.

    As I endured another minute, Karia¡¯s movements began to feel familiar.

    Even though it was still impossible to keep up with her when she chose to dash, the small signs of her movements became distinguishable.

    With the current strength I possessed, I could see it.

    I gripped a dagger in my right hand and eyed the enemy.

    She was attempting a close-range attack.

    I waited with the holy energy surrounding me.

    With a dagger in my left hand, I concealed my right behind me.

    Dagger throw.

    I instructed Alsetin to take out the scroll in advance.

    A fist clenched tightly without a dagger.

    A close-range pattern that would erupt in mes.

    I ordered Karl to push forward so that magic could not be used against her.

    In the end, Karia had be much stronger than I knew, but she was still merely a boss of this ce.

    A puppet controlled by the Evil God.

    A doll that had no judgment of its own and couldn¡¯t possess one.

    Therefore, her movements must also be limited.

    Just as they had been in the game.

    I hadn¡¯t anticipated that the research I had conducted on capturing her barehanded would be useful now.

    As I smiled at the fact that all those hours of effort were being rewarded, I steadied my shield.

    I was getting quicker at responding to Karia¡¯s movements.

    The speed at which I gavemands increased as well.

    So did the speed at which Karl and Alsetin reacted.

    As a result, within the tension that felt like walking on thin ice, a small sense ofposure and trust began to take root.

    The fact that a single mistake would bring great danger remained unchanged.

    The fact that we were still at a disadvantage was the same.

    We still hadn¡¯t inflicted a single wound on Karia.

    But it didn¡¯t matter at all.

    Our goal wasn¡¯t victory, but dy.

    <em>[Preparation time has ended.]</em>

    <em>[Using the Dungeon Escape Ticket.]</em>

    As the message appeared before my eyes, a circle of light formed around us.

    The light etched with the holy energy of the useless deity was different from an ordinary magic circle, causing a hollowugh to escape me.

    Is this how you want to show that you helped me?!

    ¡°Armadi?¡±

    Look! Now that I¡¯m teabagging, she¡¯s getting angry!

    In any case, since I¡¯ll be going outside, it doesn¡¯t matter, but when that person res at me seriously, my skin tingles!

    Hey! Don¡¯t hesitate, just get me out of here!

    I don¡¯t want to be near her anymore!

    <em>[Escaping from the dungeon... #%#%#%#@@#]</em>

    ...Huh? What¡¯s going on?

    Are you messing with me?

    Why are the strings breaking, as if there¡¯s a sudden error?

    Useless deity?

    Now¡¯s not the time to y around just because you¡¯re sulking! The moment of your apostle¡¯s life is at stake!

    Hurry!...

    <em>[Aghra is watching you.]</em>

    Ah.

    So it¡¯s you?

    Haa. No wonder you¡¯ve been so quiet during the dungeon raid.

    You were waiting for the perfect moment, weren¡¯t you?

    Little brat. Still, it¡¯s typical of an Evil God to show up at the worst timing.

    ...Is this it?

    If I can¡¯t escape the dungeon, I¡¯ll have to face Karia.

    But right now, we can¡¯t defeat Karia.

    We¡¯re managing to hold on for now, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before we crumble.

    Am I really going to die like this?

    So easily?

    The realization hit me, and I found myself staring nkly at the message window as the strings began to glitch again.

    <em>[Aghra #%#%#%]</em>

    <em>[Reusing the Dungeon Escape Ticket #@#!#%#)#@]</em>

    <em>[Aghra #@#$$!]</em>

    <em>[Reusing the Dungeon Escape Ticket #!#!#@#]</em>

    I could tell from the messages appearing and disappearing repeatedly.

    The useless deity was bickering with the petty Evil God over who had control.

    Seriously, whether it¡¯s the useless deity or the petty Evil God, they¡¯re all perverted bastards.

    Pretty people end up in trouble like this, huh?

    When they have no thoughts of their own, others start obsessing over them.

    I chuckled softly and steadied my shield.

    Hope hasn¡¯t vanished.

    That¡¯s enough.

    That¡¯ll do.

    I might not be pleased that our useless deity is ourst hope, but what can I do?

    I have to trust.

    I steadied my shield.

    I drew the holy energy within me.

    After taking a deep breath.

    I spoke.

    ¡°Pathetic fools? Hold on?¡±

    As soon as I said that, Karl let out a heartyugh.

    ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s do our best.¡±

    Alsetin sighed.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the way to survive, then we have to.¡±

    While we were getting ready, Karia was staring nkly at the ceiling.

    What was she doing?

    This wasn¡¯t a pattern I recognized; it was something new.

    I hoped it was a glitch caused by the battle between the deity and the Evil God.

    Then I could take advantage of it.

    Of course, that hope was in vain.

    As Karia lowered her head, she red at us.

    The emotional expression that had been there just a moment ago vanished from her eyes, turning them expressionless.

    The moment I faced those mechanical-like eyes, fear coursed down my spine.

    Emotions flickered in and out.

    The emotion of fear was etched in my mind, leaving traces that couldn¡¯t be erased no matter how hard I tried.

    Goosebumps rose on my skin.

    My teeth trembled.

    My muscles stiffened.

    Just as I struggled to move my frozen head, Karia¡¯s new form disappeared.

    <em>ng!</em>

    I heard a sound like something hitting ss, and only then could I see Karia¡¯s dagger approaching me.

    The Guardian¡¯s Brooch.

    That item I had received as a reward during thest field trip saved my life.

    What?

    The barrier didn¡¯t respond.

    No, I didn¡¯t even have time to move the shield.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the Guardian¡¯s Brooch, I would have had to watch my body with my head severed.

    The moment I realized that, fear surged through me like a dam bursting...

    ¡°Protect!¡±

    <em>ng!</em>

    A woman¡¯s voice rang in my ears, and immediately after, a loud sound echoed as if something was hitting ss again.

    As I tore my gaze away from Karia¡¯s scornful face and turned my head slightly to the side, I saw the face of a bewildered fox that had taken on a human form.

    ¡°You have no sense of aesthetics, you foolish child! How dare you try to mar this beautiful face!¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    While I was having this exchange, Karia swung her dagger with an unseeable speed, while the bewildered fox continuously moved her fingers, persistently performing some kind of action.

    So did I.

    So did Alsetin.

    So did Karl.

    In the midst of this awe-inspiring battle where we could do nothing but stare nkly, a new message window appeared before me.

    It was a message window that had no distortion, one I often saw.

    <em>[Using the Dungeon Escape Ticket.]</em>

    The holy energy of Armadi enveloped us.

 Chapter 182

    Kal sat in the chair, staring nkly at the sword that Lucy had gifted him.

    The sword, now cracked, had been damaged while blocking Karia¡¯s dagger.

    In this moment, what dominated Kal''s mind was a sense of helplessness.

    He believed he was strong enough.

    He thought he could shake off any ordinary threats to thedy.

    But what was he doing when thedy''s life was in danger?

    He couldn''t even keep up with the enemy''s movements.

    He couldn''t even see the hand wielding the dagger, let alone track its arc.

    If it hadn''t been for the Guardian¡¯s brooch...

    If it hadn¡¯t been for another being protecting thedy...

    If it hadn¡¯t been for divine protection...

    He would have had to witness thedy copsing right before his eyes.

    I am weak.

    So very weak.

    As he clenched his fist around the table, feeling the cracks spread, he heard the sound of the door opening.

    Kal, rising in haste, rushed toward the priest who had stepped outside.

    ¡°Where is thedy?!¡±

    ¡°She is fine. She¡¯s just asleep from fatigue and will wake up soon.¡±

    Hearing the priest¡¯s assertion, Kal copsed to the floor as if crumbling.

    Thank goodness.

    Really, thank goodness.

    Really...

    ¡°How long are you going to stay like this?¡±

    Alsetin was the one who lifted Kal off the floor after he had sat there for a while.

    Raising him like a child, Alsetin threw Kal back into the chair, and upon seeing Kal''s flushed face, let out an exasperated sigh.

    Then, with a frown, he sat down opposite Kal and spoke in a deadpan tone.

    ¡°I know your helplessness is overwhelming, but if Lady Alrn is healthy, isn''t that enough?¡±

    ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Helplessness can be ovee in the future. Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°No. You¡¯re right.¡±

    Regretting what had already happened would change nothing.

    What mattered was not repeating the same mistakes.

    To prevent that, he would need to keep striving forward.

    To be a knight worthy of thedy.

    He realized how arrogant he had been during that time.

    He was so happy to finally meet the master he had only dreamed of, that he had forgotten the truly important things.

    There would be many things to do when he returned to the Alrn family.

    After barely collecting himself, Kal took a deep breath and raised his head again.

    ¡°What about you, Alsetin? Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking me again when you already know?¡±

    Alsetin, who had grumbled that Kalcked sensitivity, let out a sigh and continued.

    ¡°Well, she was my master, but she wasn¡¯t really my master.¡±

    Alsetin recalled the time they faced Karia.

    He hadn¡¯t understood any of the signals from the information dealer.

    He hadn¡¯t even been able to follow the basics he had taught himself.

    The way she looked at him, as if he were a bug...

    That wasn¡¯t the face of a master.

    She couldn¡¯t be a master.

    A master wouldn¡¯t make such fundamental mistakes.

    The one who insisted on digging out even the smallest piece of information wouldn¡¯t recklessly swing a weapon.

    That woman from the underworld, who was so emotional that she cried on the day of their parting, couldn¡¯t possibly make that kind of face.

    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    After giving that response, Alsetin fell silent, and Kal didn¡¯t ask any further questions.

    A heavy silence settled over the table.

    When Kal came to his senses, he saw the off-white ceiling.

    It was something familiar he had seen every morning since arriving in Menesteil.

    <Are you awake?>

    ¡®Grandfather.¡¯

    <I was worried since you had been asleep for a long time.>

    ¡®Did we escape the dungeon safely?¡¯

    <Yes.>

    Hearing his grandfather''s reassurance, Kal covered his eyes with the back of his hand and sighed in relief.

    As his vision cleared, the image that popped into his mind was Karia¡¯s expressionless eyes.

    Those murderous eyes that activated the penalty of the Masakaki skill just by looking at him.

    The subsequent attack.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the Guardian¡¯s brooch, if the dazed fox hadn¡¯t been by his side, he would have had his throat slit by that dagger.@@novelbin@@

    Karia''s movements were so swift that neither he, Alsetin, nor Kal¡ªnor even the Iron Wall skill¡ªcould keep up.

    Was it because he was revisiting that fear? His head throbbed.

    He had faced life-and-death crises multiple times, but he could never get used to the feeling of walking a tightrope between life and death.

    It would probably be the same in the future.

    Pressing his forehead with his fingers, Kal rose, realizing that his physical condition was oddly poor.

    Maybe it was fine when he first possessed Lucy''s body. But after all that training, he hade to a body that was far from fatigue.

    He could wake up refreshed even after moving his body all day long.

    How could he possibly feel heavy now?

    It was true that he had pushed his body to its limits to endure against Karia, but it shouldn¡¯t have taken such a toll.

    ¡°That''s the influence of your spirit.¡±

    As the headache stubbornly persisted, he frowned, and the dazed fox¡¯s voice came to him.

    Shey in the sunlight by the window, her fox form as usual, opening one eye to look at him.

    ¡°Do you remember? You said your level is still too low to exert any power?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Right. You admitted you were weak.¡±

    ¡°To break that limitation, I borrowed your vitality this time. Isn¡¯t it better to feel unwell for a while than to lose your life?¡±

    ¡®Uh... Vitality means...¡¯

    ¡°Dazed fox. Are you talking about lifespan?¡±

    ¡°You think I view my spirit as some sort of demon? It¡¯s not that. You¡¯ll just feel unwell for a while. In about two days, you¡¯ll recover, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±

    After finishing her exnation, the dazed fox closed her eyes, signaling that she didn¡¯t want to be disturbed.

    Normally, she would unt her superiority, but seeing her close her eyes like that indicated she wasn¡¯t feeling well either.

    Could that pervert be my lifesaver?

    When I first saw the dazed fox in my bag, I thought she was a bothersome nuisance. But life has its twists and turns.

    Since she saved my life, I should repay her somehow. If she wants something, she should just say it...

    No, I¡¯d better not bring up something pointless. I can only imagine what kind of situation I''d end up in. Her perverted tastes are beyond my imagination.

    Let¡¯s just give her a gift instead.

    Sighing deeply, I leaned against the wall and opened the quest window.

    The quest to save Menesteil was still sitting there.

    Hey, Armadi. Did you really think I could handle that now?

    If this were a game, maybe. With my current specs, I would¡¯ve somehow figured out how to crush Karia.

    But that was back when it was a game, right? Not now, in reality.

    No matter how I look at it, this is just pushing me to my death. You piece of trash.

    Don¡¯t you have anything to say? You gave me a yful quest when Ipared you to Agra, but why are you silent now?

    If your ipetence almost got your Apostle killed, you should be the one bowing your head.

    I''m really annoyed.

    My irritation bubbled to the surface as I prepared to m my hands on the bed, only to feel my head spin.

    Barely grasping my clouded consciousness, I let out a hollowugh.

    Goodness. Dizziness? I thought that was a word far removed from me.

    Have I turned into a sickly masakaki girl now?

    It¡¯s a name that makes me feel like I¡¯d die just trying to teach her a lesson.

    <Are you okay, young girl?>

    As I chuckled at the nonsensical thought in my head, my grandfather''s voice resonated.

    ¡®I¡¯m okay.¡¯

    Will I really die like this? The dazed fox said she¡¯d be fine in a few days, so it should be okay.

    After listening to my indifferent reply, my grandfather fell silent for a while before speaking softly.

    <...No matter how I think about it, this situation is too dangerous. I don¡¯t know what the deity is looking for, but I think it would be best to give up.>

    It was surprising. To hear the word "give up" from my grandfather.

    Unlike me, he is a faithful follower of that ipetent deity. If the deitymanded something, he believed it must have a purpose.

    For him to be the first to suggest breaking the decrees of that weak and powerless bug deity...

    So he decided my safety was more important than that decree?

    Haha. Where did the old man who said he could never utter the word ''give up'' go?

    ¡®I refuse.¡¯

    <...young girl?>

    ¡®I¡¯m not thinking of giving up.¡¯

    Although I vented my frustration in various ways, that was different.

    I have no intention of giving up at all.

    One reason is that I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d face if I failed, but there¡¯s something even more important.

    This is new content that wasn¡¯t in the game.

    Karia in the game always appeared as dead.

    Even when I used cheats to meet her right after enrolling, she was dead.

    But not now.

    She is alive.

    Even if she¡¯s being controlled by the Evil God, that¡¯s all.

    Her soul still remains in her body.

    Do you understand?

    It means I can save Karia.

    A boss that didn¡¯t exist in the game.

    A strategy that was impossible to attempt.

    New NPCs whose stories could only be spected based on Alsetin''s narrative.

    The new content that will arise from her existence.

    You want me to give this up?

    Of all people, me¡ªwho has spent over 10,000 hours on that damn broken game¡ªam I supposed to give up on this?!

    <How do you n to confront the Evil God¡¯s servant?! Haven¡¯t you experienced it? If that creature sets its mind to it, you¡¯ll die in one stroke!>

    ¡®I¡¯m aware of that.¡¯

    Grandfather, I¡¯m the one who faced the threat of death head-on. I¡¯m not crazy enough to think I can defeat that thing.

    <Then what do you intend to do?! What can you do against an enemy you cannot confront?!>

    ¡®Why do I have to face that creature?¡¯

    <Huh?!>

    It¡¯s a simple story, Grandfather.

    If the opponent is an unstoppable monster, then all we need to do is summon an equally unstoppable monster on our side, right?

    And conveniently, I know a monster I can control at will.

    Stumbling slightly, I got up from my spot and pulled out the crystal ball that I had kept in a drawer, cing it on the dressing table.

    After pouring my mana into it, a hazy image soon floated above the crystal ball.

    <Lucy? Lucy?! Lucyiii!>

    ¡°Papa?¡±

    <Yes! Lucy! It¡¯s Papa! Are you okay?!>

    ¡°Some old maid is bothering me? Punish her?¡±

 Chapter 183

    ¡°You! How can you just sit back after the heir of the Count Georuk family was humiliated like that?!¡±

    Not this again. Meb felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he watched his wife storm into the office, raising her voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s already a finished story. Please stop.¡±

    ¡°Finished? How can you say it¡¯s finished when you acted on your own ord! I never agreed to such measures!¡±

    This argument had been repeating itself daily since Meg Georuk, the eldest son of the Count Georuk family, returned after causing a ruckus with a foreign count.

    It was exhausting.

    He couldn¡¯t muster the confidence to persuade her since she refused to understand, so he wondered how long this chaos would continue.

    ¡°As your lord, Imand you to stop, mydy.¡±

    ¡°Why should I bow down to that Alrn family? They are just a count family guarding a border of a lowly kingdom! They may have had their glory in the past, but now they¡¯re nothing more than a wolf that has lost its teeth...¡±

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    As the countess continued to shout, Meb sighed heavily as if to emphasize his point.

    Though the countess raised her voice, iming he was ignoring her, Meb channeled his mana, creating an aura of pressure that silenced her.

    ¡°Mydy, I have participated in the territorial disputes between the Sdin Kingdom and the Magical Empire.¡±

    The conflict had begun with a dungeon.

    A dungeon appeared along the border separating the Magical Empire and the Sdin Kingdom, prompting the nobles of each nation to dispatch soldiers for conquest.

    Naturally, this led to disagreements among those who hade to conquer the dungeon, arguing whether it should be the kingdom or the empire that took it.

    Under normal circumstances, such disputes would be peacefully resolved through consensus among the nobles responsible for each territory.

    However, at that time, the situation was different.

    In an atmosphere already tense between the kingdom and the empire, this conflict became a point of contention.

    What should have been resolved through dialogue morphed into a sh of pride between the two nations, leading to a military buildup along the borders.

    The slightest provocation could topple the dominoes, which crumbled like a house of cards at the slightest breeze, thus war broke out.

    In that conflict stood Meb, renowned as a genius magician, alongside Benedict Alrn, known as the beast defending the kingdom.

    ¡°I witnessed it. A monster that single-handedly shattered the frontlines.¡±

    Benedict charged into the heart of the battlefield without even mounting his horse.

    Where a normal person would have turned to dust under the hail of bullets, Benedict was different. He absorbed everything, tearing apart the frontline.

    But that wasn¡¯t all. Amidst the chaos, he even incapacitated and abducted several nobles, including themanders of the frontlines.

    ¡°I saw it. Aet torn apart by a human¡¯s de.¡±

    Meteor Strike, a spell crafted through the coboration of many magicians from the Magical Empire.

    While many talents from the kingdom had weakened him, it was Benedict Alrn who delivered the final blow.

    He wielded a massive sword, nearly resembling a club due to its size, and shattered theet.

    ¡°I saw it. The existence of a single family, a single person, turning the tide of war.¡±

    In the end, the kingdom emerged victorious from that war.

    While countless factors contributed to that victory, the most notable was undeniably Benedict Alrn.

    Since that day, whenever asked who the strongest family on the continent was, Meb would respond, ¡°The Alrn family.¡±

    Even after Benedict became more withdrawn following the birth of his daughter, and rumors circted that he had lost his edge among the younger generation.

    ¡°I will say it once more. I firmly dere that I have no intention of opposing the Alrn family. I do not wish for the beast¡¯s fangs protecting the kingdom toe to this ce.¡±

    If that were to happen, a monster in human form would arrive here in a furious state and tear everything apart.

    Having concluded his statement, Meb leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.

    Typically, he made an effort to respect his wife¡¯s wishes, but this time was different.

    This was a matter of the family¡¯s survival.

    There could be nopromise.

    ¡°Leave.¡±

    With Meb speaking firmly, the countess could not utter another word.

    In the end, the master of the Georuk family was Meb.

    As the countess left with a dissatisfied expression, one of the family¡¯s attendants rushed into the room.

    The attendant, gasping for breath, bowed respectfully to Meb.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Thedy of the Alrn family urgently wishes to speak with you, my lord.¡±

    Upon hearing the attendant''s words, Meb covered his eyes with his hand.

    Oh great deity, please grant peace to this family.

    ¡°My lord?¡±

    ¡°I will go myself. Where is thedy?¡±

    ¡°I have guided her to the reception room.¡±

    ¡°Good job.¡±

    I hope it¡¯s nothing serious.

    Convincing Benedict was straightforward.

    <Karia is alive? Is that true?>

    ¡°Do I need to repeat it twice? Silly papa??¡±

    When I exined that Karia was alive and that we needed help to rescue her, Benedict said he would handle some urgent matters ande right away.

    <Wait a day. I will take care of everything in that time.>

    It was clear that Benedict, who was at least as strong as Karia in her prime¡ªor even stronger¡ªhad promised to join us.

    This meant we could effectively say we had seeded in approaching Karia.

    However, my goal was not merely to defeat Karia. It was to rescue her from the Evil God¡¯s curse.

    In the world of the Soul Academy, there were several characters afflicted by the Evil God¡¯s curse.

    True to its high degree of freedom, the Soul Academy presented yers with choices when encountering them.

    Whether to mercilessly take their lives or to find a way to save them from the Evil God¡¯s curse.

    Had this urred in reality, one would have to choose one of the two options. And that choice would never be reversible.

    But that was a game, and I had experienced both sides.

    To clear all achievements in the Soul Academy, one must have wiped out as well as spared at least once.

    So, I have a rough idea of how to save Karia in a situation like this.

    The necessary teamposition is as follows:

    Someone who can confront Karia head-on.

    Someone who can nullify the magic of the Evil God she uses.

    And someone who can strip away the curse controlling her.

    I¡¯ve thought about thisposition.

    Since I¡¯m already using the cheat of having Benedict on my side, why not take advantage of it?

    There¡¯s no need for me to roll around in the mud every time Iplete a quest from that pathetic, ipetent deity, right?

    Sometimes it¡¯s okay to cheer from the sidelines and let things get resolved on their own.

    ¡°Lord Benedict ising here?¡±

    Hearing that Benedict would being sent shivers down Count Georuk¡¯s spine.

    The reason was simple. I had deliberately given him no exnation about the circumstances.

    He was probably assuming that Benedict was enraged due to the foolish actions of his son.

    It¡¯s true that this man has decision-making issues, but he¡¯s still somewhat resolute. Seeing him tremble like this indicates that Benedict truly intimidates him.

    Alright. Having just pushed this man into hell, it¡¯s time to throw him a lifeline.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Count...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, cowardly count. The reason my foolish father ising here isn¡¯t because of that.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? Then why?¡±

    I roughly exined what had happened in the dungeon.

    About Karia being entangled in the curse and how Benedict woulde to save her.

    I didn¡¯t mention anything about the Evil God¡¯s seal. Exining and convincing him of that would be too troublesome.

    The count was not someone who could be persuaded by vague words from a pathetic deity like Kal or my grandfather.

    ¡°Are youing to rescue an oldrade?¡±

    Upon hearing the full story, the count let out a heartfelt sigh of relief.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s no problem at all. I will promise my active assistance with your stay and anything rted.¡±

    ¡°Really?...¡±

    ¡°Absolutely. In fact, there¡¯s something I would like to ask the cowardly count.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Please join the party.¡±

    ¡°Come into the dungeon with us. You¡¯re not scared of that too, are you?¡±

    Having someone like Benedict to block Karia head-on would be more than enough. This is not just my guess; my grandfather nodded in agreement, so it¡¯s confirmed.

    So all I need to do is fill the other two spots.@@novelbin@@

    One of those two I have chosen is Count Georuk.

    He may seem incredibly ipetent, but he is a powerful mage.

    In a magical empire filled with countless capable mages, he is a genius whomands respect for his skills.

    When ites to fighting under specific conditions, he has used various elemental spells, making him one of the tougher bosses yers faced.

    He was not someone who could typically be recruited as a party member, but this isn¡¯t a game, is it?

    Those kinds of restrictions do not apply here.

    ¡°Me?¡±

    The count looked visibly taken aback.

    It seemed he never expected me to make such a request.

    ¡°That would be rather difficult. As the count responsible for this ce, there are various rules I must adhere to, and I must always...¡±

    ¡°Is that really okay?...¡±

    ¡°Should I tell your foolish father everything? About what his cowardly son has done?¡±

    Would it really be okay?

    What do you think would happen if Meg tried to harm me and I told him about it?

    I might not know for sure, but I doubt it would be a calm reaction.

    The count''s eyes were trembling.

    I was practically pulling the rope after pushing him into hell.

    It was only natural for him to be flustered.

    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. So what?...¡±

    ¡°What? Are you angry? A little girl with no blood in her veins is feeling too proud and getting mad? But you can¡¯t do anything, can you? Kuhut. Cowardly count.¡±

    The count¡¯s statement was correct.

    This was a threat.

    Because I had the justification, and a cmity like Benedict loomed behind me, I could make this threat.

    However, Count Georuk could not resist this threat.

    Even if he disliked the arrogant brat before him, there was nothing he could do.

    His foolish son had already made the first mistake.

    As the count, who had been looking down on me, began to cradle his head, our gazes reversed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. All you have to do is enter the dungeon and fight. Even if you¡¯re a cowardly count, your magical skills aren¡¯t that bad, right?¡±

    He looked up at me, and I looked down at him.

    In this moment, the answer was already nearly determined.

    ¡°...Is that really all it takes?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Of course. That¡¯s all that needs to happen.¡±

    ¡°Of course. With that, both the cowardly count and your perverted trash of a son will be just fine?¡±

    ¡°Understood...¡±

    Count Georuk nodded with a voice mixed with a sigh.

 Chapter 184

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    After using the teleportation spell, I rolled on the floor, feeling my stomach churn.

    In the past, I had recovered quickly thanks to something the dazed fox had given me, but unfortunately, this time the dazed fox wasn¡¯t by my side.

    She had refused to apany me, iming it was difficult for her to even move a step.

    Normally, I might have insisted on hering along, but since I owed my life to the dazed fox, I couldn¡¯t be forceful with her.

    As a result, I had to face the bacsh of the teleportation on my own.

    Ugh. Is my physical condition worse than usual?

    It felt like I was in worse shape than before.

    ¡°Lady.¡±

    As I groaned inwardly, a woman¡¯s voice reached my ears.

    Although it had been a long time since I heard that voice, I immediately recognized its owner.

    How could I not?

    After possessing Lucy''s body and before entering the academy, she had always stayed by my side, taking care of me. How could I forget her voice?

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    As I staggered to my feet, I saw her eyes filled with concern.

    ¡®Erin.¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic Erin.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is I, your loyal maid, Erin.¡±

    Although I had returned to find someone who had tormented me all day, Erin remainedmitted to her role as a maid.@@novelbin@@

    She truly was a precious asset to Lucy.

    ¡°You seem to be in quite bad shape. Shall I carry you?¡±

    ¡°Erin, I can manage.¡±

    Before Kal could say another word, Erin shot him a re.

    Oh. Was she this strong-willed?

    She had definitely been like a stressed-out novice in the past.

    ¡°It¡¯s my role.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    In front of her, Kal couldn¡¯t help but feel powerless.

    Thus, Erin, half-forcing me into her arms, wore a gentle smile.

    ¡°Shall we head straight to the mansion?¡±

    ¡®No...¡¯

    ¡°No? There¡¯s somewhere else we need to go first, pathetic Erin.¡±

    Knowing I¡¯d feel nauseous, I had intentionally returned to the Alrn territory for one reason.

    To find the final member for this party.

    Someone who could lift the curse controlling Karia.

    When this was a game, this role was typically filled by Faybi.

    With abilities and talents worthy of being revered as a saint by the church, she had been a cheat code in matters of purification and salvation.

    So much so that many veterans deliberately excluded Faybi from their games, fearing that she would make the game too easy.

    However, that was no longer an option. The current Faybi didn¡¯t have the power to counter the curse imposed by the Evil God.

    It might be possible if I mixed several means together, but given my decision to take the easy route, I didn¡¯t need to struggle.

    I didn¡¯t want to disturb a resting Faybi.

    Thus, I came to the Alrn territory in search of someone to fill her role.

    Among the clergy I knew, the most trustworthy person was here.

    ¡°Hello, Bishop.¡±

    ¡°Hello, you fool of a bishop. Long time no see? Your already grumpy face looks even more wrinkled now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. I suppose I¡¯ve been working too hardtely.¡±

    Johann.

    If this were a game, he would be busy running around the holy grounds of the Deity Church by now.

    However, due to the variable of the Alrn family, he had ended up here.

    A fervent believer who firmly believed in spreading the words and goodness of the deity, he was one of the most hardline members of the church.

    In the future, despite numerous objections, he would reach the position of cardinal through his skills and reputation, making him one of the best candidates for the clergy I could recruit now.

    ¡°I knew you would return since the Soul Academy is on break. Did youe here to practice holy magic?¡±

    ¡®No, not right now.¡¯

    ¡°You fool of a bishop. Do you want to torment me? You old coot. It¡¯s not the time.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡®Take a look at this.¡¯

    ¡°Look at this.¡±

    After using the magical ring of silence that Alsetin had given me, I tossed the document in front of Johann.

    He tilted his head slightly and picked it up.

    Initially filled with questions, his expression soon turned cold.

    ¡°...Where did you find this?¡±

    ¡®Well, where do you think?¡¯

    ¡°Could it be? The ipetent and pathetic Deity Church has too many gaps to figure out?¡±

    ¡°Please answer seriously. This is not a simple matter.¡±

    ¡®For now...¡¯

    ¡°Read it first. Even if you¡¯re old, you should still have the strength to read this, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    What I handed over to Johann was a report on the shady dealings of the Deity Church that Alsetin had investigated.

    Although time was short and I couldn¡¯t provide concrete evidence, the documents were sufficient to suggest that the Deity Church was up to something suspicious.

    Johann read through the documents with a serious expression before cing them back on the desk.

    ¡°Lady Alrn.¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem flustered.

    Despite the contents of the document clearly indicating that the Deity Church was guilty of something, he remainedposed.

    Instead, he looked at me with an expression filled with strictness rather than kindness or annoyance, and spoke.

    ¡°What is your intention in showing this to me?¡±

    Johann knew everything written in that document.

    Far more than what Alsetin had investigated.

    It was only natural. With the skills and connections needed to reach the position of a future cardinal, he couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of what was happening within the church.

    ¡®What do you mean...?¡¯

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Threatening me... isn¡¯t it? Perhaps in the past, but the changeddy would not create a fuss over such flimsy evidence. You seem to have anticipated my indifferent reaction, suggesting your aim is to observe my response, but beyond that, I¡¯m not quite sure.¡±

    His judgment was urate.

    As expected of Bishop Johann. While his personality may be cantankerous, he is indeedpetent.

    Nodding, I saw Johann let out a sigh, as if to disy his exasperation.

    ¡°Regardless of what you were hoping for, let me advise you: I rmend not digging any deeper into this matter.¡±

    ¡®Why?¡¯

    ¡°Why? No matter how much Lord Benedict guards your back, there are limits. Your life may be at risk.¡±

    Johann, harboring various affections over time, offered his advice as he ignited the document in mes.

    The divine mes incinerated the paper in his hands, leaving nothing but ashes.

    ¡°As you saw, the Deity Church is not simply a righteous ce. While it may have been so in the past, it is now a sinister and filthy environment. They im to promote righteousness but do not wish for it to spread.¡±

    So forget it. He will also forget this matter, so you should forget it too.

    After saying that, Johann swept the ashes into the trash can.

    ¡°I believe you, Lady Alrn, have understood my words by now. If you have any questions, you can ask me now. I¡¯ve reinforced the silence spell, so nothing will leak outside. I will answer to the best of my ability.¡±

    Johann said this as he gazed at me with his now apathetic eyes. Before I could respond to him, I called for my grandfather.

    ¡®What do you think?¡¯

    <It should be okay to trust him. From what I¡¯ve seen so far, his faith is undoubtedly sincere.>

    The in-game Johann was described as a cantankerous and foolish character, but in a positive light, he was exceedingly strict with himself, hence strict with others.

    The church¡¯s most hardline faction wished for the deity¡¯s intentions to spread correctly.

    He was someone who believed it was okay for the church to copse once if that was the path to righteousness.

    Though he bowed his head now due to theck of chances, he would not hesitate to risk his life in opposition to the church when the time came.

    He had always been my ally when I chose to assist Faybi in opposing the church.

    He would probably still be the same now.

    If the moment arrived when Faybi would confront the church in order to do what is right, and if he judged there was sufficient possibility, Johann would without hesitation guard her and stake his life on it.

    I didn¡¯t know if he was exactly the same person as he was in the game. I had been blindsided before after thinking the same way, more than once.

    However, one thing is certain.

    If my grandfather is correct and Johann¡¯s faith is genuine, then he will be a reliable ally for Faybi, who can no longer trust anyone in the church.

    When the church realizes that Faybi hase to know the truth, there must be someone inside who can help her.

    In the distant future, Faybi might be able to handle everything on her own, but for now, she is iplete.

    I need to find someone to support her side.

    Who knows when something might happen?

    I don¡¯t want to see something bad happen to someone I know.

    The reason I endured the nausea from the teleportation toe here is precisely this.

    I needed to have this conversation, and it was the perfect opportunity to ask for help.

    Killing two birds with one stone.

    Alright then. Shall I persuade this old man who worries about the young girl with a promising future and his connection to her, despite his incessant grumbling?

    ¡°Grandfather! Help!¡±

    <Hah. If I ever have the time, I should teach you some conversation skills.>

    Of course, I meant my grandfather!

    I¡¯m no good at this kind of thing!

    Grandfather! Help me!

    <First, what you need to do...>

    After Lucy Alrn left, Johann leaned back in his chair, staring at the cold tea in his cup.

    When Lucy had first shown him documents rted to the church''s corruption, he had thought she was trying to mock him, unable to shake off her old temperament.

    He had never considered she might resort to threats. In the past, perhaps, but the current Lucy wasn¡¯t the type to act so foolishly with flimsy evidence.

    However, when heid everything out, it became clear that Lucy¡¯s purpose was entirely different.

    She hade here to protect her friend.

    Upon realizing that the current saint, Faybi, was a false saint, she hade to find someone who could pull her from the brink when she was in trouble.

    ¡°Foolish bishop, you want to overturn the church, right?¡±

    Whatever investigation or spection she had gone through, Lucy knew Johann''s goal urately.

    To restore the church that had decayed beyond recognition.

    Lucy spoke those words with an incredible sense of confidence that could stun anyone who heard them.

    ¡°I, the capable andpetent one favored by the pathetic Pedo Deity, will help you. But I have two requests.¡±

    Under normal circumstances, Johann would have shaken his head and replied that this meeting had never taken ce.

    Considering her growth, it was clear that Lucy would be of help in the future.

    But he couldn¡¯t risk throwing a child who was clearly favored by the deity into danger.

    This was a job suited for an old man with little time left.

    However, Johann took her proposal seriously and epted it.

    He had seen the cross around Lucy¡¯s neck shine brightly.

    How could that child, who used to rampage through the church, have grown so much?

    People truly do change. Oh great Armadi.

    ¡°Palvin, are you out there?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I am here, Bishop!¡±

    ¡°I have urgent matters to attend to tomorrow.¡±

    Saving someone afflicted by the Evil God¡¯s curse.

    I must do my best.

 Chapter 185

    Upon hearing the news that Lucy would being, Benedict left his office and sought out the family¡¯s estate.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since the lord has visited here,¡± he remarked.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Benedict replied.

    ¡°Yes. Ever since the mistress embarked on her long journey, the family hasn¡¯t ventured out much.¡±

    Receiving the keys from the head butler, Benedict opened the door and stepped inside.

    The entrance was adorned with various luxury items.

    These were things that Lucy, who had once loved expensive and shy things, used to throw tantrums over, insisting she could take them.

    However, after a certain day, the changed Lucy questioned what those items would even be used for if given to her.

    Benedict passed by them without a nce and went deeper inside.

    He walked past countless jewels he had received while working for the kingdom.@@novelbin@@

    Weapons and armor acquired from dungeon raids.

    Magical scrolls.

    Rare potions.

    As he passed all these, at the end of the estate, he found the armor.

    The armor, painted a thick ck that seemed to absorb even light, was enormous.

    It was sorge that one might think an average adult male could be crushed under its weight if he donned it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve maintained it well, head butler.¡±

    ¡°Haha, it has been quite the effort. It takes at least four people to lift just one piece of this armor.¡±

    Benedict began to wear the armor, picking it up like a toy, without any hesitation despite not having worn it for nearly ten years.

    It was something he had once considered second skin; the long time passed had not made it feel awkward.

    After a while, fully equipped in his armor, Benedict moved further and gazed at his sword.

    One of the weapons passed down through the Alrn family.

    A massive greatsword, long covered in dust from centuries of disuse, now restored to glory in Benedict¡¯s hands.

    Despite its length and thickness, it almost touched the ground as he inspected it.

    After letting out a long breath, he grasped the hilt.

    The weight, even through the gauntlet, made him smile lightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite the marvel. Who would have thought that Lucy would encounter Karia, who was believed to be lost? Is this also divine guidance?¡±

    ¡°That seems likely. It appears the great deity holds a fondness for her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sphemous to say, but from a father¡¯s perspective, it¡¯s truly unpleasant. I only wished for Lucy to lead a peaceful life.¡±

    While he didn¡¯t deny that the blessings from the deity had helped his wandering daughter change, he still felt a sense of selfishness as a father.

    If blessings were given, he wished they would leave without expecting anything in return.

    Or rather, he would prefer if they demanded a price from him instead.

    Even though he knew the world didn¡¯t work that way.

    ¡°Haha. Do you really think the words ¡®peace¡¯ and ¡®my daughter¡¯ go together?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Our daughter can¡¯t live without causing trouble.¡±

    With a chuckle at the head butler¡¯s jest, Benedict gripped the sword¡¯s hilt with both hands.

    He didn¡¯t think Lucy¡¯s decision to rush to Menestale the moment her vacation began was a mere whim.

    It was true that ever since she received the deity¡¯s blessing, she had be obsessed with strength, but he realized that she also clung to efficiency.

    If she wanted to gain experience in dungeon raiding, there were countless better ways than going to Menestale.

    Yet, despite that, she insisted on going to that far and treacherous ce for a different reason.

    That reason was likely rted to what wasmonly referred to as a prophecy.

    ¡°Then, as her father, I must do my best.¡±

    If only Karia had been found in the Menestale dungeon, Benedict wouldn¡¯t have moved a muscle.

    It was true that she had been a close ally of his, but that was a thing of the past.

    Now, he had something far more precious than her.

    There was no reason for him to risk political burdens and actual dangers to go there.

    However, this time was different.

    Lucy was the one who had found Karia, and she wanted to rescue her.

    And for her wish, she sought help from her father.

    How could a father refuse his daughter¡¯s request?

    Benedict broke the long silence and decided to move.

    Lightly drawing his sword, he slung it over his shoulder and turned away.

    ¡°For our daughter¡¯s peace.¡±

    At that moment, just as Benedict and the head butler exchanged smiles, one of the attendants rushed into the estate in a panic.

    ¡°Lord!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Thedy has returned!¡±

    ¡°Lucy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed¡­¡±

    Before the attendant could finish, Benedict dashed outside.

    He was eager to see the face of his precious daughter, who had returned after so long.

    And to hear her cutely call him ¡°Papa¡±!

    Seeing Benedict¡¯s excited figure, the head butler smirked, then helped up the attendant who had stumbled in.

    When I first saw Benedict burst through the family¡¯s doors, I thought to myself how impressive he looked.

    Dressed in thick ck armor that seemed to block out all light, with a gigantic greatsword slung over his back, he resembled the hero of a legend.

    This was how he had looked when he roamed the battlefield.

    No wonder everyone would shudder at the sound of Benedict¡¯s name.

    Just imagine that monstrous figure wielding a greatsword as big as himself on the front lines. Truly terrifying.

    However, that admiration vanished the moment I saw Benedict¡¯s face melt into a puddle of affection upon confirming my presence.

    With the heavy sound of his armor nging, he arrived in front of me in an instant, carefully wrapping me in his arms like a small animal, making a whimpering sound.

    He had missed me so much, feeling lonely without me.

    Every time he heard a dangerous rumor, he wanted to run to me.

    He could hardly contain his joy upon hearing that I had made friends.

    Though we hadmunicated a fair bit throughmunication magic, it seemed that wasn¡¯t enough for Benedict.

    He pulled me into an embrace, showing no sign of letting go, just like the usual doting father I had always known.

    It was no different even when people had gathered for a meeting about the dungeon raid in Menestale.

    ¡°Lucy, why don¡¯t you call me ¡®Papa¡¯ anymore? Last time we talked throughmunication magic, you called me that. So, why now?!¡±

    Benedict¡¯s insistence on being called ¡°Papa¡± left Count Georg shocked.

    ¡®Benedict¡­?¡¯

    ¡°Daddy? I¡¯m starting to feel embarrassed for calling you that. Could you please stop with the gross voice?¡±

    ¡°Doing that again, huh? Come on, say it after me: ¡®Papa.¡¯¡±

    Was it that he couldn¡¯t resist and just had to get me to call him ¡°Papa¡±? It seemed that Johann, who had been furrowing his brows, couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.

    ¡°Lord Benedict, do you not realize this gathering is not a simple social asion?¡±

    Despite Johann¡¯s admonition that there were many topics to discuss, Benedict remained undeterred.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t take long!¡±

    ¡°Is that so... Ha. Do as you please.¡±

    With overwhelming power that no one could control.

    With a boldness that allowed him to act however he wished.

    Thisbination made Benedict seem like a truck that had lost its brakes.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel that this reckless behavior had a lot to do with how Lucy had turned into a brat.

    The one raising their hands in surrender was me.

    ¡°Daddy, you fool! Shut up!¡±

    Seeing Benedict grin widely upon finally hearing me say ¡°Papa,¡± I let out an exasperated sigh.

    With Benedict behaving this way, it¡¯s hard to grasp how impressive he is when others talk about him.

    To me, Benedict is just a foolish father who is so smitten by his daughter¡¯s cuteness that he can¡¯t help himself.

    Perhaps because of his antics.

    The atmosphere in the reception room, which had been stiff when we first gathered, became significantly softer.

    Was Benedict acting foolishly on purpose to achieve this?

    With a beaming smile as he looked around, he soon rose from his seat and stood before the table.

    ¡°Lucy, I will keep quiet as you wish, but before that, there are a few things we need to organize. The other two?¡±

    The yful tone from earlier vanished as he spoke with a serious demeanor, capturing the air of the reception room. He called for Johann and Count Georg.

    ¡°The three of us, each in different ces, have gathered for the purpose of fulfilling Lucy¡¯s request. Do you agree?¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lord Benedict.¡±

    ¡°Then, it must be Lucy who holds full authority in this matter. What do you think about that?¡±

    The other two tilted their heads in confusion at Benedict¡¯s words, but I was the most surprised.

    Though I was the one leading this, I hadn¡¯t intended to take the lead in this meeting.

    When I was at the academy, it was appropriate for me to hold authority there.

    After all, I was the best there.

    No one could surpass me in terms of achievements or abilities, so my words carried weight.

    But here, it was different.

    Benedict, Johann, and Count Georg.

    All of them were individuals who had achieved great things in their respective positions.

    There was no reason for them to listen to the words of a girl who had just entered the academy.

    Even if I raised my voice here, it would be hard to gain their trust in such a short time.

    So, I nned to share the information I had, leaving the overall structure to Benedict and only intervening at crucial moments.

    However, Benedict did not do that.

    He imed that since he gathered them, he had to entrust everything to me.

    ¡°Lord Benedict Alrn.¡±

    The first to voice doubt was Count Georg.

    ¡°I know your daughter is capable. However, even so, she likelycks in many areaspared to what she possesses now. Who knows what the future holds, but for now¡­¡±

    ¡°Count Georg, my daughter is more capable than you think. Lucy is loved by the deity.¡±

    Upon hearing Benedict¡¯s words, Johann turned his gaze toward me. He looked at me for a moment, seeming to understand something, then nodded and spoke.

    ¡°I see. It would be better to entrust the authority to Lady Alrn. Even if there are shorings, we can make up for them.¡±

    ¡°Bishop Johann, I thought you would understand.¡±

    With the two gathered here saying the same thing, there was no way Count Georg could voice dissent.

    As he nodded reluctantly, the three of them turned their gazes toward me.

    ¡°Now then, Lucy. Please share your n.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t quite sure what Benedict¡¯s true intentions were.

    Icked the ability to specte on such things.

    But I knew what I had to do.

    ¡°Alright, Benedict.¡±

    ¡°What a big, foolish father,cking confidence. Fine. I¡¯ll takemand.¡±

    As I shrugged my shoulders and spoke, Benedict looked at me with a pleased smile.

    Was this what he wanted? Benedict?

    ¡°Lucy, you should call me Papa.¡±

    Wait, what?!

 Chapter 186

    <strong>The 10th Floor of the Menestale Dungeon.</strong>

    In the past, when I was with Cal and Alsetin, we had resolved the situation by shooting an arrow at the core, but today was different.

    We did nothing at all.

    Benedict had assured us that there was no need to do anything.

    Standing at the forefront, Benedict observed as the golem began to form around the core, loosening his shoulders with a heartyugh.

    ¡°Lord Benedict. The buffs?¡±

    ¡°No need for those, Bishop Johann. What use would they be in handling something like this?¡±

    Once the shape of the golem wasplete, itnded in midair, shaking the chamber with its weight and asserting its presence.

    Upon spotting Benedict at the front, it raised its massive arm.

    It was a punch.

    A simple punch, nothing special about it.

    If an ordinary person made such a movement, the onlookers would have chuckled.

    However, the owner of that punch was a golem.

    With overwhelming size, weight, and power, it transformed that simple punch into a disaster.

    The force contained within it was enough to make me think it would be challenging to block.

    Yet, Benedict, the one who had to receive it, remained calm.

    He didn¡¯t cast a spell.

    He didn¡¯t receive a buff.

    He didn¡¯t even draw his sword.

    He simply extended his arm back, preparing to absorb the golem¡¯s punch.

    To anyone watching, it was almost a ludicrous act.

    No matter howrge Benedict was, he was still human.

    How could he withstand the punch of a giant that could crush him just with its size?

    He looked like a grasshopper blocking a carriage. No matter how high his spirit soared, the oue seemed inevitable.

    But Benedict denied the very concept ofmon sense.

    <strong>KWA-BAAANG!</strong>

    As the golem¡¯s fist met Benedict¡¯s, a shockwave sent my hair flying.

    In that instant, I witnessed a bizarre sight.

    The golem¡¯s arm trembled.

    The punch that was supposed to demonstrate the fundamental disparity between us hade to a halt.

    I tore my gaze away and looked to the other side.

    In the shadow of the fist, I saw Benedict¡¯s face.

    Despite having stopped the weight of the golem with his own fist, a smile still lingered on his face.

    ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡±

    As Benedict effortlessly endured the weight, he added strength to his arm, and cracks began to spread from where his arm met the golem¡¯s fist.

    Like stones falling on a frozenke in early winter, the cracks rapidly spread, and soon I heard an ominous sound as the golem¡¯s arm lost its original shape and copsed.

    ¡°Is this all? Retreat! You¡¯ve only increased your spirit to this extent?¡±

    With neither reason nor soul, the golem, feeling no pain, swung its remaining arm towards Benedict.

    But the oue was the same again.

    The giant¡¯s arm could not defeat the human fist and crumbled away.

    ¡°Shall I finish this?¡±

    As he observed the stones falling due to gravity, Benedict spoke and jumped upward.

    Despite wearing heavy armor that thudded with each step, his body, stepping on the stones, appeared light as a feather.

    Before long, he reached the spot where the golem¡¯s head was located and threw a punch toward the core from an unstable position with nowhere to stand.

    <strong>KWA-BAAANG!</strong>

    After a sound that could be mistaken for a bomb exploding, I saw something that left me doubting whether anything had ever existed in the golem¡¯s center¡ªit was entirely clean.

    Before the golem, weakened and about to copse, hit the ground, Benedictnded and turned his head toward me, unting his shoulders as if to show off.

    He clearly wanted to hear me say, ¡°Wow, Dad, you¡¯re amazing!¡±

    But Benedict was missing something.

    After doing something like that, a true hero should respond with indifference, as if it were nothing.

    If he openly showed that he was basking in my praise, I would be reluctant topliment him.

    This innate rebellious psychology was forming.

    Was this the influence of my mischievous skills, or was it simply that I, as a person, was wicked?

    After some consideration, I concluded that it was probably both.

    Alright, let¡¯s ignore it.

    <<strong>Benedict keeps ncing at you.</strong>>

    ¡®I¡¯m aware and ignoring it.¡¯

    <<strong>...Are you going through a rebellious phase?</strong>>

    ¡®Not really, but... hmm.¡¯

    It wasn¡¯t impossible to smash that golem with my bare hands.

    While it was true that the 10th-floor boss in Menestale was a gimmick-type, its specifications were absurdly tough for a 10th-floor boss.

    If a user appeared with overwhelming stats, it was destined to be smashed.

    Yet, that didn¡¯t negate the fact that Benedict was impressive.@@novelbin@@

    To disregard the gimmicks and defeat the golem required a minimum level of around 100 for characters in the game.

    Considering that Benedict had overwhelmed the golem yfully without using his full strength, he must be significantly stronger than that.

    He was at the level of an NPC that would appear in theter stages of the game.

    He wasn¡¯t a character meant to appear at this point! This was a ssic case of a level 100 boss!

    Hey, you pathetic deity. Why not just make Benedict an apostle instead of me?

    Wouldn¡¯t that be better?

    He¡¯s a reliable and cool middle-aged knightpared to a brat who¡¯s nothing but pretty and full of himself.

    Right?

    ...Hmm.

    No answer, huh?

    So it really wouldn¡¯t work?

    After all, our pathetic deity is a perverted pedophile sadist.

    Damn. If only the walls of that pathetic deity were a bit more normal, I wouldn¡¯t have to roll like this!

    As I cursed the perverted deity in my mind, I suddenly noticed Benedict approaching me with a pitiful look in his eyes.

    Whoa, that¡¯s overwhelming.

    Alright, alright. I get it. I can give you some affection!

    ¡°Wow! Benedict! That was really impressive! Youpletely tore apart that golem!¡±

    ¡°What? Stupid father. Do you want to be praised just for smashing that tin can? Wow. How pathetic.¡±

    No! Hey! Can¡¯t you at least take apliment, you rotten brat skill?

    By talking down to me like that, Benedict¡¯s confidence deted!

    Ah, damn it. I get it. You want me to say it directly, right?

    I can do that! I can!

    ¡°Still, it was kind of cool. For a pathetic papa?, that is.¡±

    After desperate consideration, I managed to find apliment that wouldn¡¯t be overly cringy, and Benedict¡¯s face lit up.

    ¡°See? This papa is cool, right?¡±

    As if forgetting that we were in a dungeon, Benedict began to act overly animated. I had to think of something else to ignore him.

    Otherwise, I would probably end up saying something mean to him.

    The first thing I checked after gaining full authority in the meeting that started in the morning was whether any of us had raided the Menestale dungeon before.

    If we could use the system there to head straight to the 46th floor, we could prepare for the big battle against Karia immediately.

    Count Georg had obviously been someone who had seen the end of the dungeon, and Benedict also mentioned he had explored its depths in the past.

    ¡®<strong>I¡¯ve never raided the Menestale dungeon.</strong>¡¯

    The problem was Johann.

    As a clergyman who had served his whole life in the church, he would have no reason to visit such a perilous dungeon.

    But it wasn¡¯t a significant issue. The power gathered in this ce was overwhelming.

    Each one of them deserved to be called a hero. What could be so difficult about raiding the Menestale dungeon?

    It was simply a matter of annoyance.

    Thus, I suggested we break through to the 46th floor in one day, take a break, and then raid Karia the next day.

    After that, we began a discussion about how to conduct the dungeon raid, but this meeting ended before lunch.

    The reason was simple.

    We could resolve many of the issues arising from raiding the Menestale dungeon with the abilities of the three of us.

    The most troublesome heat in the dungeon could be offset by Count Georg¡¯s magic.

    Thanks to that, I hadn¡¯t felt any heat during the proceedings with them even once.

    The various monsters that appeared in the dungeon were too frightened to approach due to the aura emanating from Benedict.

    Because of that, we descended to the 10th floor without experiencing a single battle.

    Even when we asionally encountered injured adventurers, Johann¡¯s single gesture could heal them perfectly, so there was no reason to dy.

    Given the circumstances, I could ignore all other factors and simply plot the shortest route.

    A boss battle? With this level of power gathered, how could that be a problem?

    No matter the gimmicks, the moment they appeared, they would vanish under our overwhelming might.

    Just like that golem from earlier!

    This was not a bus.

    Comparing this to a bus would be an insult to these people.

    Rather, it felt more like a train, or no, an airne.

    I was a passenger on the airne, and these people were the pilots steering it.

    Yet there was oneint.

    The ride was not enjoyable at all.

    And I don¡¯t mean that figuratively, but literally.

    ¡°Come on, Lucy. Let¡¯s go. We have a long way to go, so we need to move quickly.¡±

    Lost in my thoughts, Benedict finally concluded his animated disy and lifted me onto his shoulder.

    Yes. Just as I had once raced through the academy dungeon with someone on my shoulders, now Benedict was carrying me as we raided this dungeon.

    I hadn¡¯t intended to do it this way from the beginning.

    I had trained for so long, nning to run on my own and follow behind.

    However, I soon realized that this was my hubris.

    My physical condition was not great, and the specs of the other humans were simply too high to keep up.

    So, as a result, I was forced to be a burden, clinging to Benedict¡¯s shoulder.

    No matter how I looked at it, this was the most efficient choice, and I had no other options.

    While hanging onto him, descending through the dungeon, I realized that the words of the ancient sages were indeed true.

    Wasn¡¯t it called empathy?

    When I was the one being carried, I didn¡¯t understand, but now that I was a burden, I could feel that hardship.

    I¡¯m sorry! Bish! Faybi!

    If a simr situation arises next time, I¡¯ll make sure to consider you as much as possible!

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go! Lucy!¡±

    Uwaaaah.

    Somebody save me!

    It took only six hours to reach the 46th floor of the Menestale dungeon.

    This was also somewhat generous, considering the monstrous capabilities of this party.

    Benedict was still lively,

    Bishop Johann seemed pleased to finally be getting some exercise,

    And Count Georg, ustomed to dungeon raids, showed no signs of fatigue.

    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s go back and rest.¡±

    Upon hearing Benedict¡¯s deration, I cheered inwardly.

    Finally, this hellish raid was over!

    Hwaaaah. I truly think this was the hardest dungeon raid I¡¯ve ever done.

    If only my physical condition had been better, it might have been easier.

    But it¡¯s alright. Now we can go back to our lodging and restfortably.

    Tomorrow, all we have to do is raid Karia, so there¡¯s no need to rush...

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Ding.</strong></li>

    </ul>

    The system notification chimed.

    As I lifted my head to check it,

    Suddenly, Benedict, who had been in front of me, swung his arm.

    Huh? What¡¯s going on?

    Before I couldprehend the situation, the sound of a strike brushed past my ears, and I saw a woman being pushed back, her daggers crossed.

    Karia¡¯s emotionless gaze passed over Benedict andnded on me.

 Chapter 187

    <strong>[Agra is watching you.]</strong>

    This phrase, which I had seen countless times since borrowing Lucy''s body, had always threatened my life.

    It left me with numerous traumas.

    If it had been another time, I would have bitten my lips upon seeing it.

    I would have desperately racked my brain, ming the ipetent deity for my situation.

    I would have been contemting how to fight for survival.

    But not now. I felt confident that no matter what variables arose, I would remain unscathed, allowing me to confront Karia¡¯s emotionless gaze.

    Hey, you petty evil deity. Were you in a rush?

    This party would return to full strength, and you attempted to ambush us because you felt you couldn¡¯t win.

    Right?

    You set up this situation, hoping to take us down somehow?

    But what do you think will happen now?

    With such minor variables, you won¡¯t be able to topple this party!

    Ha! But then again, being sealed away by that ipetent deity must have made you feel like a total failure, huh?

    ¡°Long time no see! Karia! How have you been?!¡±

    Despite Benedict¡¯s booming voice echoing through the corridor, Karia did not respond.

    She merely red at me with her cold eyes.

    Her intent was clear.

    She was not aiming for victory. Her goal was to capture and kill me, the Apostle of Armadi.

    Ah, so since you couldn¡¯t win, you thought you¡¯d at least get some satisfaction by tormenting that ipetent deity, huh?

    Tch. This is just pathetic enough to beughable.

    Why are all these deities so utterly useless?

    If you¡¯re going to bear the title of a god, shouldn¡¯t you at least show something impressive?

    Not that it¡¯s possible, of course. How foolish.

    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed as nned.¡±

    It was Johann who announced the start of the battle.

    The moment he ced his hands on the cross, a massive wave of divinity spread through the corridor, threatening to engulf it.

    The warmth of Armadi¡¯s divinity reced the heat of Menestale, creating a sanctified area.

    A ce where the divine dwells.

    One of the highest forms of divine magic¡ªa field that debuffs evil beings while buffing our party simultaneously.

    Seeing this, Karia seemed to sense something strange and hurriedly attempted to retreat, but it was already toote.

    During that time, Count Georg had cast his magic.

    Like a conductor standing in the center of an orchestra, his hand moved, summoning dozens of magical circles around him.

    Different shapes, different colors, and different flows of magical energy.

    To someone unfamiliar with magic, even one of these would be beyond their control¡ªhigh-level spells.

    Haha. Just like those moments when users couldn¡¯t help but curse.

    The beginning was a prison made of magic.

    Walls appeared without warning, enclosing Karia.

    However, they couldn¡¯t withstand her power.

    In less than a second, Karia shattered the wall with her dagger.

    But Count Georg¡¯s magic didn¡¯t end there.

    The ground, boiling likeva, suddenly froze, capturing Karia¡¯s feet.

    Unfazed, she broke the ice and leaped upwards, but by then, another spell from Count Georg had already reached her.

    Ropes that drained her magical energy.

    Vines that grew endlessly, pursuing her.

    Cursed fog.

    As Karia assessed him with her gaze, she subtly lowered her dagger.

    With that, her divine form disappeared.

    If she couldn¡¯t parry it, she would evade.

    Simultaneously, she wouldunch her own attack.

    A choice only possible for someone with Karia¡¯s incredible speed.

    However, the figure blocking my path, Benedict, was not someone to be underestimated.

    As Benedict thrust his fist into the air, Karia appeared before it as if it were timed perfectly.

    In an instant, Karia, struck by Benedict, flew like a bullet and crashed into the wall made of divinity.

    Though it looked like an ordinary wall, its essence was extremelypressed divinity itself.

    To the Apostle of an evil deity, it was like the mes of hell.

    ¡°Guh!¡±

    As Karia hit the wall, smoke billowed from her body.

    Desperately trying to escape the pain, she gripped her dagger with a reverse hold.

    Her gaze was directed behind me.

    To where Johann, now chanting a purification prayer, stood.

    Excuse me. Boss, could you not draw aggro right now?

    ¡°Are you finally looking up after being unable to deal with that old maid? ? Oh, but there¡¯s an old man up there, too. No way he would notice someone like you! ?¡±

    Your target is only me, you know?

    That would make it easier to predict her movements.

    As Karia¡¯s divine form faded, an iron wall announced the danger.

    However, I did not move.

    Before me, Benedict¡¯s hand moved first.

    As he spread his palm, Karia¡¯s face seemed to be sucked in as if she were being forced into it.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been cking on your training! You¡¯ve slowed down!¡±@@novelbin@@

    As Benedict exerted pressure with his hand, a sound erupted that should never have been heard from a human body.

    That was when it happened.

    mes erupted from the center of Karia¡¯s chest, transforming her body into fire.

    One of the powers held by the evil deity of fire.

    The moment Karia, who had be something you couldn¡¯t hold with your hands, slipped from Benedict¡¯s grasp, the vines that had been lying on the ground ensnared her legs as if they were waiting for that moment.

    Normally, a nt like a vine would turn to ash upon encountering Karia, but it grew at a speed faster than it burned, preventing her movement.

    Following that, the rope made of magical energy bound her arms and neck, immobilizing her.

    And before her stood Benedict, charging his fist.

    ¡°Bite down hard. So you don¡¯t die.¡±

    The magical energy flowing within Benedict converged in his fist.

    It wasn¡¯t his full power.

    But even if it was merely a portion of that colossal magical energy, would it be insignificant?

    As Benedict swung his fist, the magic exploded, dering its presence.

    With a deafening roar that rang in my ears, the entire dungeon trembled.

    ¡®...Grandpa. Karia will be okay, right?¡¯

    <It¡¯s your strategy, isn¡¯t it? What are you worried about? >

    As the old man said, it was I who devised this strategy.

    The moment I met Karia, I trapped her in the ce where the divine dwells.

    Then captured her with the Count¡¯s magic.

    And subdued her with Benedict¡¯s physical strength.

    If Karia¡¯s pattern was simply a reinforced version from the game, I thought this would be the best approach, so I distributed roles and instructed them on how to respond to her movements.

    As a result, we sessfully subdued Karia with ease, but...

    ¡®No matter how resilient Karia is, I don¡¯t think she can withstand that punch.¡¯

    Benedict¡¯s strength was far greater than I had anticipated.

    It seemed like she was still alive...

    I hope she¡¯s okay? I hope it¡¯s not one of those vegetable endings.

    Even in the world of Soul Academy, there would be ways to deal with such situations.

    <Instead of worrying about him, focus on the divine magic that the bishop is unfolding. You¡¯ll learn enough from that man¡¯s abilities. >

    ¡®Got it.¡¯

    ¡°The deity still loves those who have strayed. Divine grace will surely touch you.¡±

    As Bishop Johann finished his prayer, the divinity he had spread to unfold ¡°the ce where the divine dwells¡± gathered around Karia.

    This was different from the purification prayer Faybi had invoked.

    Instead of gently governing the dead, it was a magic that erased corruption.

    ¡°Grrraaaah!¡±

    As ck smoke rose from Karia¡¯s body, a scream erupted.

    The voice carried such pain that I could feel goosebumps rising just by hearing it.

    The purification in reality was different from that in the game.

    It was only natural.

    Erasing corruption could not be something that passed lightly, as if it were just a cutscene.

    I need to snap back to reality. I can¡¯t just sit here.

    While Johann purifies her, I need to prepare for the conclusion.

    Topletely eliminate the influence of the evil deity from her body.

    <strong>[Agra is watching you.]</strong> <strong>[Agra is ring at the cursed Apostle of the deity.]</strong> <strong>[Agra wishes for your death.]</strong>

    ...Huh?

    <What?>

    As the old man¡¯s sudden exmation sounded, the ground trembled.

    This was different from the shock caused by Benedict¡¯s fist just moments ago.

    It felt as if something massive was stirring beneath the earth.

    ¡°Lucy!¡±

    Was it instinct that warned him of danger?

    Benedict rushed in and embraced me.

    Johann had somehow stopped the purification prayer and was casting divine magic for protection,

    While Count Georg was preparing dozens of magical circles to respond to any unforeseen events.

    That was when it happened.

    The ground split open, and heat surged from between the cracks.

    This was not something that could be simply described as warm or hot.

    The overwhelming mes seemed capable of turning my entire body to ash the moment I touched them.

    No one had to tell me; I knew what those mes were.

    I couldn¡¯t help but know.

    There were only two entities in this world that couldmand such mes.

    If we were in this dungeon, there would only be one.

    {You, who are loved by Armadi, deserving of death! How long did you think this Bahda would remain asleep?!}

    With a voice echoing throughout the dungeon, the ground crumbled beneath us.

    As I fell, still cradled in Benedict¡¯s arms, I looked down.

    From the slightly cracked red wall, white mes seeped out.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t perfect, the presence was dominating the space.

    The sticky, unpleasant smile directed at me.

    The empty ck eyes.

    Bahda.

    The evil deity of fire.

    He had broken his seal and partially manifested.

    Thinking back, it made sense.

    Agra may be petty, but he doesn¡¯t hide himself.

    Whenever he intends to do something, he always announces his name.

    As if to encourage others to me him.

    Yet in this dungeon, he had always remained quiet. Still, I had experienced several things.

    In the past, I thought that Agra had changed his method, but that was not the case.

    It was a simple story.

    The entity targeting me had changed, so the method had changed as well.

    I understood.

    Why that ipetent deity mentioned Menestale before the first semester had even ended.

    Why he had brought up this matter now, even though there was still more time left.

    The one attacking the seal in this ce was Karia.

    Since she had be stronger, it was only natural that the seal would break faster than it did in the game.

    Armadi was genuinely in a hurry to call me to this ce.

    Ha. Damn it. You pathetic deity.

    You should exin things properly. Damn it.

    You, who could talk so smoothly when mocking me, why do you choose to be tight-lipped in situations like this?!

    Isn¡¯t it supposed to be the opposite?! Huh?!

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Ding.</strong></li>

    </ul>

    What now!

    What are you trying to convey at this moment?!

    <strong>[Such a constraint exists.]</strong>

    ...Huh?

    What?!

    Hey! You pathetic deity!

    What does that even mean?!

    <strong>[The quest is changing!]</strong> <strong>[The Savior of Menestale]</strong> <strong>[Due to Agra''s hatred, part of the seal existing in Menestale has been released! You must seal him again! To survive! To protect Menestale!]</strong> <strong>[Reward: Miracle Reproduction (Advance Payment), ???]</strong> <strong>[Miracle Reproduction is activating! Searching for the nearest miracle!]</strong> <strong>[Discovered! The miracle contained in Ruel¡¯s mace, ¡°All evil retreats beneath that holiness,¡± is activating!]</strong> <strong>[Seal the evil deity!]</strong>

 Chapter 188

    <strong>Miracle Reproduction?!</strong> Why is a term that should only appear in thete stages of the game popping up now?!

    There¡¯s no way I can use it just because I learned it!

    There¡¯s so much preparation required just to use it once!

    Stop throwing me useless things and acting cool, you pathetic deity!

    <strong>[You can do it.]</strong>

    The message left by the ipetent deity was brief.

    With that, the window disying the message cracked before scattering into oblivion.

    At the same time, light began to seep from the mace I held in my hand.

    Warm yet intense. A light like that of the sun.

    I had seen this light before.

    It was the same light that Grandpa showed me months ago when I went to save Faybi from Nacrad¡¯s attack.

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Hah. The deity is up to something.</strong></li>

    </ul>

    Unlike usual, the voice resonating in my mind came through my ears, and as I turned, I saw Grandpa floating in the air like a specter.

    ¡®Grandpa?¡¯

    <ul>

    <li>Yes, it¡¯s me.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    Why is the persona of the mace appearing outside?!

    Is this some hidden function of the mace?!

    <ul>

    <li>It doesn¡¯t seem to be the time to worry about that.</li>

    </ul>

    Grandpa spoke, ncing down.

    He looked at the evil deity, who was licking its lips, eyeing me with its mes filling the cave like an antlion.

    I felt the overwhelming pressure radiating from it.

    I could hear the sound of mes that could turn the world to ashes.

    I saw the hatred in its eyes.

    It was strange.

    Fear did not rise within me.

    Despite being targeted by a monster of that level, I remained calm.

    Why?

    <ul>

    <li>Little girl, do you remember? How to feel the divinity you possess.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡®Of course. How could I forget that?¡¯

    I had spent countless nights with Grandpa pounding it into my head when he was teaching me the Divine Breaking Technique. How could I forget that?

    <ul>

    <li>Reflect on it.</li>

    </ul>

    Following Grandpa¡¯s words, I nced inside myself.

    I could understand.

    I could feel it.

    The overwhelming warmth filling my body.

    Ha.

    Hahaha.

    Damn. Armadi. Didn¡¯t I tell you to exin things properly if you were going to exin anything?!

    Listen when the Apostle speaks!

    If you give me such a gift, at least acknowledge it!

    ¡®Grandpa, I have something I want to ask.¡¯

    <ul>

    <li>Go ahead.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡®Please tell me how to invoke a miracle.¡¯

    <ul>

    <li>That¡¯s quite a troublesome request. That is something you must achieve on your own.</li>

    </ul>

    Grandpa said it was a difficult request, but his expression was different.

    He had no intention of hiding his pleased smile.

    <ul>

    <li>However, if you ask me, I must tell you.</li>

    </ul>

    The moment the conversation with Grandpa ended, the world¡¯s clock hands began to turn again.

    The descent had begun.

    ¡°Georg! Transfer the mes!¡±

    In the past, during my reckless days on the front lines of every battlefield, Benedict had once encountered Georg.

    Meeting Georg as an enemy had been a troublesome encounter in many ways.

    Had Georg simply been a wielder of powerful magic, Benedict might not have remembered him.

    Strength was something you could crush through sheer force.

    But Georg was different.

    He was undoubtedly a sorcerer with immense magical power, but his specializationy elsewhere.

    His versatility allowed him to handle magic of all elements freely.

    In any situation, he could weave numerous spells together to present the best possible solution, functioning as both an individual and a collective.

    The people of the kingdom spoke of Georg with a mix of hatred and reverence.

    They called him the ¡°Wizard of the Ages.¡±

    In my view, he seemed more formidable than ever, and I believed he could handle this situation.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m doing!¡±

    In the face of the urgent situation, the count abandoned etiquette, and dozens of magical circles emerged around him as he shouted.

    ¡°Bishop Johann! Use the purification magic!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already cast it!¡±

    ¡°Quickly!¡±

    As the mes of the evil deity scorched the ground, the prayer of purification seeped in.

    The tainted energies engraved in the mes couldn¡¯t withstand the divine power and retreated.

    Upon confirming this, the count first unleashed a torrent of water above it.

    The mass would crush whatever was below it, extinguishing the mes.

    After seeing that, the count raised the water pooling on the ground like a wall and then froze it.

    Though already frozen, the ice wall still spawned snowkes within it, repeatedly thawing and freezing in front of the mes of the evil deity.

    While it might not withstand indefinitely, it provided safety for the time being.

    Benedictnded with a thud on the now secured ground, looking up at the enemy while holding me close.

    ¡°Quiterge.¡±

    The white mes seeping from the cracked wall burned fiercely.

    That thing dered itself Bahda.

    ¡°Bishop Johann, isn¡¯t Bahda the name of the evil deity?¡±

    ¡°Correct. It¡¯s the one with the power of fire.¡±

    ¡°An entity of significant size has arrived.¡±

    Hah. It seems my daughter is indeed loved by the great deity.

    Seeing the evil deity spitting hatred toward my daughter is quite unsettling.

    Thanks to that, Lucy had been put in danger.

    Benedict remembered Lucy¡¯s expression when the ground had copsed.

    Her eyes were trembling.

    The daughter, who had once avoided showing any weakness, was now visibly flustered.

    Just that realization made Benedict understand that Lucy had not anticipated this situation.

    Hmm. This means I shouldn¡¯t burden Lucy with this.

    Well, this is for the best.

    I can show off this papa''s marvelous side.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never faced an evil deity before. How about you, Bishop Johann?¡±

    ¡°Surely, I¡¯ve never had such an experience. I learned about the age of heroes from books.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite troublesome.¡±

    ¡°Georg, what about you? Your family has managed this ce for a long time, so surely you have some insights?¡±

    ¡°If I had any, I would¡¯ve told you by now. I¡¯m not stupid enough to hide something when my life is at risk.¡±

    None of us knew how to confront the evil deity.

    I mean, how could they know? I, too, didn¡¯t have a clue after smashing various beings back in the day.

    ¡°Then I guess we¡¯ll have to go in from the start.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    The evil deity and all, that being has lost to me countless times.

    If it¡¯s not invincible, it¡¯ll eventually fall as long as we keep smashing it.

    It was something I did for fun back then.

    It wasn¡¯t impossible.

    ¡°Stupid Papa? Are you forgetting the person right beside you??¡±

    ¡°Lucy?¡±

    Benedict, who had been readying himself for battle with a smile, turned at the voiceing from beside him.

    ¡°...Do you have a n?¡±

    ¡°Hold on for me. The only thing we can rely on is a troll-like papa¡¯s strength, but surely you can handle that, right? ? Or are you unsure? ?¡±

    Upon hearing that, Benedict gazed into Lucy¡¯s confident eyes.

    And he noticed something surging within her.

    He didn¡¯t know exactly what it was.

    But he understood that it was something bestowed upon her by the great deity.

    Are you implying that Lucy is so precious that you¡¯d intervene like this?

    That¡¯s quite the story.

    It¡¯s both gracious and bothersome.

    With this, it seems our Lucy will have to endure even more hardships in the future.

    Alright, Armadi.

    Just promise me one thing.

    That in the end, my daughter will find peace.

    Otherwise, this Benedict will risk everything to lead you to ruin.

    Gently lowering Lucy to the ground for the first time, he drew his sword from his back.

    The gigantic greatsword, which only he could lift.

    Then, he enveloped his entire body in magical energy.

    A unique method of magical maniption passed down through the Alrn family.

    A secret that could only be inherited by those who would continue the family line.

    The effect was simple.

    An increase in physical abilities.

    Heh. It¡¯s been a long time since I unleashed my full strength.

    <strong>{Surrender! You weak mortal!}</strong>

    The mes rose, lifting its hands.

    What was held in those hands was an axe.

    An axe made entirely of fire, its tip eternally aze.

    As it came crashing down on the ice wall, a massive crack began to spread.

    It was clear that the wall wouldn¡¯tst long.

    In the face of that danger, Benedict remained calm.

    ¡°Did you both hear that? If we buy some time, our daughter will handle everything herself.¡±

    ¡°That simplifies things.¡±

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go with that.¡±

    <strong>KWA-BAANG!</strong>

    As the evil deity struck down with the axe again, the ice wall shattered, and the protection for our party vanished.

    Seeing the evil deity preparing to strike again, Benedict gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands.

    As he did so, a gray aura enveloped the sword.

    It wasn¡¯t a mere energy. It was an aura so thick it painted the space gray.

    <strong>{Die!}</strong>

    The moment the axe swung downward, Benedict moved.

    With a force so intense it seemed as though he would drive it into the ground, he pressed against the earth, twisting his waist and struck at the axe.@@novelbin@@

    Though the greatsword was massive, inparison to the axe de, it seemed like nothing more than a small piece.

    Yet, the axe could not overpower the sword.

    A human¡¯s sword was blocking the wrath of a deity.

    Even as the mes rippled above the greatsword, a smile lingered on Benedict¡¯s lips.

    Soon, veins bulged on Benedict¡¯s neck.

    With that, his already enormous physique grew evenrger.

    Muscles expanded with the flow of blood, causing his armor to creak.

    As a result, the axe of the evil deity began to be pushed back.

    In the end, the axe was sent soaring into the air.

    Standing beneath the rising mes, Benedict raised the tip of his sword towards the heavens, his voice booming.

    ¡°Is this the extent of what you call a deity?!¡±

    Behold! Armadi!

    The one who is to be your enemy when the worst conclusion arrives!

    Or the one who will be your eternal ally!

    The malevolent energy emitted by the evil deity was rendered powerless in the face of the holiness that would one day elevate him to the status of cardinal.

    The curse that should have turned a person¡¯s mind to ash merely writhed in the air.

    So too did the mes wielded by the evil deity.

    The mes, which could burn everything to ashes, were halted by the magic of the wizard protecting this domain, only heating the air around.

    The wrath of the deity was simr. Every fury that rained down to crush mortals was rendered impotent beneath the will of a father wanting to protect his daughter.

    Everything.

    None of it was flowing as the evil deity desired.

    It must be infuriating.

    It must draw a frown.

    Those who should have been nothing in the face of their original power.

    Those who should have been turned to ashes beneath the mes consuming the world.

    Instead, they stood before him, blocking his path.

    Yet that being wouldn¡¯t know.

    Thatpared to what was about to happen, all of this was nothing.

    <ul>

    <li>Do you understand now?</li>

    </ul>

    ¡®Of course.¡¯

    As Grandpa observed the movement of the divinity within me, he rose with a smile.

    <ul>

    <li>Now, little girl, are you ready?</li>

    </ul>

    ¡®What about you, Grandpa? Can you handle it?¡¯

    <ul>

    <li>Why worry about me? I am one of the heroes who saved the world. Ruel.</li>

    </ul>

    Then, he stood beside me and lifted his mace high.

    Seeing him do that, I also raised my mace filled with Armadi¡¯s divinity.

    <ul>

    <li>It¡¯s time to invoke a miracle.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡®Time to invoke a miracle.¡¯

 Chapter 189

    The moment I raised the mace above my head, the divinity bestowed upon me by Armadi began to surge.@@novelbin@@

    It was an order of magnitude stronger and purer than the divinity I possessed.

    The overwhelming energy was more than enough for my insufficient body.

    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t be able to control the flow of such power.

    In fact, I would have screamed in agony from the chaotic movements of that energy.

    But not now. Grandpa was controlling the divinity that resided within me.

    I knew Grandpa was incredible.

    I had seen his tales of heroism, experienced his power, and followed the path he had walked.

    However, feeling his abilities coursing through me left me in awe.

    To handle divinity in this way is possible?

    A portion of the divinity gifted by Armadi was being used to enhance my body.

    It wasn¡¯t just about strengthening my physical form like I usually did.

    From my heart to every single blood vessel, from the tips of my fingers to the tips of my toes, every part of my body was being protected by this divinity.

    Thanks to this, despite the unbearable movements of the divine energy, I felt not even a hint of pain.

    But that¡¯s not all.

    The divinity gathering at the end of my mace didn¡¯t just stop at mere umtion.

    Even while that was happening, it continued to weave magic with the divinity, amplifying itself over and over.

    <ul>

    <li>You shouldn¡¯t be surprised by this.</li>

    </ul>

    As I marveled inwardly, Grandpa¡¯s voice mixed withughter echoed in my ears.

    When I turned to look at his face, I saw determination shining in his eyes.

    <ul>

    <li>This is just the beginning.</li>

    </ul>

    The moment Grandpa spoke, the divinity gathered at the tip of my mace burst forth, spreading around us.

    From the concentrated divinity emerged a massive magic circle.

    Even though I was still a novice in magic, I now had a basic understanding of it.

    So, I could distinguish what was happening.

    This wasn¡¯t something granted by a deity.

    It was created by humans.

    <ul>

    <li>This technique is the result of brainstorming with our party¡¯s mage to reproduce Armadi¡¯s miracles.</li>

    </ul>

    It was an extraordinary feat thatbined divine power with human strength, rather than merely borrowing the deity¡¯s abilities.

    It was the oue of earthly humans struggling to recreate what the gods had aplished.

    <ul>

    <li>I had quite a struggle keeping up with that old man¡¯s enthusiasm.</li>

    </ul>

    Numerous magic circles were drawn over the giant magic circle, and then even more were superimposed on top.

    <strong>{What are you plotting?!}</strong>

    Had the evil deity sensed the divine energy?

    It shouted at me, ring with its hollow ck eyes, filled with hatred and malice.

    The hostility emanating from one who held the title of a deity should be feared. Yet, for some reason, all I could do was smile.

    <strong>{Did you think I would let this happen?!}</strong>

    While the evil deity moved to prevent the miracle, all its actions were futile against me.

    The mes of the evil deity were obstructed by the suddenly materialized ice.

    The curses spewed by the evil deity were thwarted by the blessings spoken by the priest.

    The judgment of the evil deity aimed at punishing mortals was blocked by a human¡¯s greatsword.

    Of course, that confrontation was not equal.

    Even if imperfect, the evil deity was still a deity.

    The power possessed by a being beyond the realm of mortals could never be countered indefinitely by humans.

    While the count of Alrn seemed to have some stamina left, Georg and I were different.

    Even if we held on through gritted teeth, a limit would eventually be reached.

    Hah. What were the heroes of the past, who had once triumphed overplete evil deities, really like?

    Facing an iplete version was already overwhelming.

    Respect welled up within me.

    <strong>{Do not interfere! You insignificant beings!}</strong>

    As the evil deity roared, Johann, clutching the crucifix in his hands, felt a warm energy flow from behind him.

    It was different from the suffocating heat that had previously upied the area; it was the warmth of the sun, providingfort and calmness.

    Feeling that, Johann turned to look behind him.

    ¡°...What is this?¡±

    The sun was there.

    This was not just a metaphor; it wasn¡¯t akin to witnessing a massive me.

    It was surely the sun watching over everyone from the blue sky.

    How could this happen?

    The sun that should warm the world¡ªhow could it be here, in this narrow cave?

    Am I hallucinating?

    Am I confronting some bizarre spectacle after being overpowered by the evil deity?

    <strong>{This is impossible! You think I would allow this?!}</strong>

    ¡°Ha-ha?¡±

    As Johann doubted his own eyes, he gazed down at the mocking yet vibrantughter resonating beneath the sun.

    And there it was.

    A girl, raising her mace as if holding the holy light, bathed in the sun.

    Ah. I see now.

    The sun that should protect the world did not fall underground.

    That little girl created a sun within this cave.

    Reflecting on it, I realized how absurd the description was.

    Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have dismissed it as mere exaggeration.

    Even if mixed in with the verses of a bard¡¯s song, I would have scoffed at how overstated it was.

    But all of it was true.

    The girl holding up the sun, wearing a sly grin, was looking at the horrified evil deity from a distance.

    ¡°Did you expect me to scream?? Did you want me begging for my life?? Were you trying to fill your pathetic ego with that?? Wow, so gross?¡±

    <strong>{You wretched little girl!}</strong>

    ¡°Ew, how scary? Really. Puh? Just like an evil deity. Puhuh? Such overwhelming pressure, huh??¡±

    <strong>{How dare you mock Bahda! A mere mortal!}</strong>

    The mes that had been endlessly writhing around began to scatter all at once, concentrating all that heat into the hands of the evil deity.

    I was also a sun.

    Not the sun that warms the world, but a sinister sun that burns and kills humans.

    An entity thatughs at those starving to death on drought-riddennds.

    A being wishing for the suffering of every living thing upon this earth.

    <strong>{I will make you regret this, Armadi! I wish for all that you love to turn to ash!}</strong>

    That cry marked the end.

    In the end, the sun raised by the girl filled the cave with its warmth.

    The evil deity, having lost its way, could only target that which it most despised.

    As everything of Bahda was sealed within, the cracks etched in the seal began to restore.

    With all of this in view, Johann knelt, still staring at the warm sun remaining in ce.

    It was something that could not be epted bymon sense, nor could it be understood.

    Had I only heard it, I would haveughed and dismissed it.

    Those with weak ears would be awed, and pessimists would dismiss it outright.

    People call that a miracle.

    And at this very moment, Johann was witnessing the unfolding of that miracle.

 Chapter 192

    Seeing Karia''s face flush with embarrassment, I let out a sigh inwardly.

    I thought she was speaking more harshly due to the curse of the evil god. But her calling me "old maid" was just her title for me.

    Considering that Karia has regained all her memories and cannot argue back, it seems to be a fact regardless of the perspective...

    And that¡¯s the bigger problem.

    The truly problematic person shouldn¡¯t be teased about such things.

    ¡°...Um. You¡¯re Benedikt¡¯s daughter, Lucy, right?¡±

    ¡®Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡¯

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell just by looking? Did you get old already? Oh my. Should I get you some sses?¡±

    Seeing the corners of Karia''s mouth tremble, it seemed this situation was quite embarrassing for her.

    I understand. ording to Alsetin, she thinks of me as her hero who saved her, but being confronted with remarks about being an old maid or getting old right off the bat would make it hard to keep herposure.

    The only saving grace was that Karia considered me a benefactor.

    In the midst of a continuous stream of usations where she could have easily gotten angry, she never once lost her temper.

    Not only that.

    As time passed, she became ustomed to my tone and dispelled her earlier embarrassment, maintaining a polite demeanor in the face of any insults.

    As expected of Alsetin''s mentor.

    In this regard, she was more professional than him. He looked like his face was cracking!

    ¡°Anyway, thank you so much. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t just have lost my life but would have also been branded a sinner in history.¡±

    Seeing Karia bow her head, I unconsciously tried to say it¡¯s okay, but I bit my tongue.

    I didn¡¯t think any words wouldfort her.

    Let¡¯s just go with shamelessness. That might be better.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about how to repay you. It¡¯s tough. I¡¯ve lost all my power, and the connections and informationwork I built up previously have all scattered. No matter how I think about it, there¡¯s nothing I can offer you right now.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t particrly disappointed by her words.

    It¡¯s only natural. What could she possibly have after being missing for over ten years?

    Rather, it would be more surprising if she had something to give me.

    ¡°But my student told me something. You received a seal from that little brat Kurze, right?¡±

    If she¡¯s talking about Kurze Newman, that¡¯s correct.

    The head of the Newman family. A poor guy troubled by hair loss.

    If she can casually call that man ¡°little brat,¡± then she must really be at the level where we should be calling her a grandmother instead of an old maid.

    ¡°Can I borrow that for a moment?¡±

    ¡®The ring?¡¯

    ¡°Are you asking to borrow the ring? Why? You lecherous old hag?¡±

    ¡°I heard that the academy isn¡¯t monitoring you? I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡±

    So Karia was saying she would act as a bridge between the Newman family and the academy.

    That was definitely something I needed.

    For now, I was satisfied being Alsetin¡¯s assistant, but if the Newman family¡¯s influence stretched to the academy, I would be able to do so much more.

    Additionally, I trusted Karia¡¯s abilities.

    She was the one who sessfully nurtured Alsetin, an orphan from the back alleys, into a capable informant.

    If she worked together with Alsetin, they would surely bring about good results.

    However, the problem was that I didn¡¯t know Karia as a person.

    It¡¯s true that this world isn¡¯t exactly like the game.

    There are numerous variables that can¡¯t just be wrapped up by saying it was like that in the game.

    However, the general trends remain the same.

    Faybi, although shaken in many ways, was still a saint.

    Freya strangely liked me, but she was still a madman obsessed with swords.

    Arthur had be a person full of zeal, and the fact that he was battling his innerplex remained unchanged.

    While there are small variables, they are sufficient to judge a person''s essence.

    However, Karia is a character that doesn¡¯t appear in the game.

    I didn¡¯t know anything about her. I only remembered her as a fragmentary character mentioned by Alsetin.

    So I can¡¯t hand over the ring.

    I have no idea how she will act once I give her this ring.

    To be honest, building a connection with the Newman family is useful, but it¡¯s not urgent.

    It¡¯s not something I can¡¯t do without.

    Am I really going to extend the crow¡¯s seal over something that isn¡¯t absolutely necessary and that I can¡¯t be sure about?

    Even without asking my grandfather, I know.

    This is insane.

    ¡°Are you hesitating after all?¡±

    When I didn¡¯t answer, Karia smiled.

    It seemed she didn¡¯t expect to get permission from the start.

    ¡°I understand. It would be difficult for someone you just met to ask for such a valuable item.¡±

    But why did she bring it up when she knew it wouldn¡¯t work?

    Is it just a case of "it would be nice if it worked out, but if it doesn¡¯t, so be it"?

    I didn¡¯t think so. Hmm. I can¡¯t figure out her intention.

    ¡°So for now, I¡¯ll stick by Alsetin¡¯s side and help you with your requests. When the timees that I judge my reputation and abilities to be trustworthy, I¡¯ll ask to borrow the Newman family seal. ying around with that little brat is incredibly easy.¡±

    Karia¡¯s words, saying she would repay the grace of saving her life and preserving her honor by working beside me for a lifetime, carried weight.

    Hmm. I don¡¯t think I need to refuse this, right?

    She taught Alsetin various things, and considering she was once called the shadow of the kingdom, her being willing to work for me is something I should appreciate.

    Just as I was about to say that was fine, Karia chuckled and burst intoughter.

    ¡°Lucy. You shouldn¡¯t get involved in politics. Your thoughts are too easy to read.¡±

    Huh? What¡¯s that all of a sudden?

    I was taken aback by Karia¡¯s suddenment, but as I listened to her exnation, I quickly understood.

    Upon learning that I was the one who saved her, Karia decided to repay her debt.

    And before that, it seemed she was throwing out various words to gauge what kind of person I am.

    ¡°When you work on this side, you can grasp a person''s tendencies through their responses.¡±

    She smiled, saying that at first, she wondered if she hade to the wrong person, but as they talked, her thoughts changed.

    ¡°You may have a rough way of speaking or expressions, but you¡¯re quite a good person.¡±

    ¡®Is it possible to assess just by seeing that?!¡¯

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯d believe that? There¡¯s no way a pathetic old maid who is swayed by a useless evil god would have such abilities.¡±

    ¡°Really. Want me to tell you the grounds?¡±

    The slight lift in her eyes when she¡¯s pondering. The slight dip of her head when she¡¯s positive. The slight curling of her toes when she¡¯s angry.

    In addition to these, Karia provided various grounds for judging my thoughts and feelings.

    Her exnations were so detailed that they bordered on the absurd.

    No matter how I thought about it, was this some sort of trick to tease me?

    If I believe seriously, I can already envision herughing at me, saying, "Do you really believe that?"

    <Oh? Interesting. There are some simrities.> ¡®...Is grandfather teasing me too?¡¯ <Why would he tease you?> ¡®I¡¯m not stupid enough to fall for such lies?!¡¯

    Grandfather, please don¡¯t act foolishly just because you¡¯re getting old.

    Does it make sense to jump in because it looks like I¡¯m getting teased?!

    <Look now. Didn¡¯t your toes curl up?>

    ...Ugh. It''s true.

    Oh.

    Huh?!

    Did everything Karia exined just now turn out to be true?!

    As Karia watched my bewildered expression, she chuckled and stood up.

    ¡°Well, now that I¡¯ve figured out what I wanted, I¡¯ll take my leave. I look forward to working with you, employer. Oh, by the way, most of what I said today was thrown out just to observe your reactions, so don¡¯t mind it.¡±

    Even after Karia left, I took a long time to verify her words.

    Surprisingly, everything Karia had exined was indeed true.

    ¡®...I don¡¯t think I can do politics or deals.¡¯

    Thinking of someone like that sitting on the opposite side is truly dreadful.

    I feel like I might be leaking all sorts of information without realizing it.

    <Don¡¯t worry. That¡¯s her exceptional ability. She can see things I can¡¯t even perceive.>

    Is this the legendary skill of the shadow of the kingdom, known as a thief?

    ...Thank goodness she¡¯s on my side.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    After finishing my work in Menestale and returning to the Alrn family, I found myself forced to rest.

    I had no choice.

    No matter how much time passed, my physical condition just wouldn¡¯t improve.

    ording to the silly fox''s diagnosis, I wouldn¡¯t fully recover until the end of the vacation.

    Of course, I had to maintain absolute stability during this time.

    Because of that, I hadn¡¯t participated in a single training session with the Alrn Knights.

    Although my stats were still rising, it didn¡¯t really matter, yet for some reason, I couldn¡¯t hide my feeling of disappointment.

    At first, I had trained to survive, but now I had be someone who craved training on my own.

    It¡¯s terrifying.

    I feel like I''m gradually bing brain muscle.

    Thus, even though I spent most of my time on the bed, I didn¡¯t skip the training with my grandfather.

    After all, in practice mode, I didn¡¯t have to worry about my physical condition in reality.

    I moved even more vigorously than what I couldn¡¯t do in reality.

    While doing so, I learned that the reward Arumadi gave for clearing the Menestale dungeon was bigger than I had thought.

    First, the amount of divinity increased, and my proficiency in handling divinity rose, right?

    This wasn¡¯t just a simple increase in numbers.

    First of all, saying that the divinity has increased doesn¡¯t only mean my divinity amount has gone up.

    The quality of the divinity that I hold within my body has improved.

    Should I say it has be purer?

    Thanks to this, even if I perform the same actions as before, I can achieve much better results.

    The increase in proficiency is simr.

    Before, I had to diligently recite prayers when using divine magic, but now I no longer need to do that.

    Now, if I simply think about what divine magic I want to use, the resultse out immediately.

    ¡°Hah. Just how much does Arumadi love you?¡±

    This was such an unreasonable result that my grandfather, who was checking alongside me, said that.

    Moreover, the divine technique was surprisingly amazing as well.

    ¡°Technique is a higher form ofbat skill. It doesn¡¯t just wrap around the body and weapon but allows for so much more.¡±

    For example, when I wrapped divinity around my shield, I had ovee something that couldn¡¯t be done with merebat skills through my own abilities.

    The effect was good, but I couldn¡¯t say it was efficient.

    But now, there¡¯s no need to endure inefficiency.

    With the acquisition of the technique, I can naturally unfold all of that.

    My grandfather passionately exined that there are various potentials in this skill, but¡­

    Hmm. To be honest, I barely understood.

    It can¡¯t be helped!

    It was still too early for me!

    My grandfather would graduallye to understand, so he said it was fine that I didn¡¯t understand!

    Anyway, the important thing is that the gifts given by the great Arumadi were all useful.

    Ahh. Arumen.

    I didn¡¯t believe it!

    Thank you!

    ¡°Miss. It¡¯s done.¡±

    Hearing Erin¡¯s words, I snapped out of my thoughts.

    Looking into the mirror of the dressing table, I could see my neatly arranged hair.

    It¡¯s quite miraculous. Clearly, I fix my hair in the same way, but why does it look so much cleaner when Erin does it?

    Is this the difference in experience?

    ¡®It looks great. As expected of Erin.¡¯@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Huh. You did quite well, pathetic Erin? Not bad.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment, Miss.¡±

    After checking my hair, I wore my outing clothes, which were not the school uniform of Alrn for the first time in a long while.

    It was time to end the leisurely andfortable seclusion that hadsted nearly a month.

    I wasn¡¯tpletely recovered yet, and there was a ce I had to go.

    The auction house.

    To pass the test given by Arumadi, I needed to procure a few items from there!

    I really don¡¯t want to wear Lucy¡¯s old clothes!

 Chapter 193

    The mini-game for the Parn Territory Festival quest consists of half physical skill and half luck.

    While raising my stats can reduce the difficulty of the damn game, that¡¯s all it does. There¡¯s no way to pass without participating in the mini-game.

    If it can be solved physically, it¡¯s doable through skill, right?

    But when ites to matters that require luck, there¡¯s no other way. Other than preparing for everything I can and praying to the heavens for sess.

    When the failure rate is 1% and I end up failing, I get so furious that I can''t even say a word.

    Originally, the aspect I needed to focus on was the luck element.

    I could get over any physical challenges, so it was important to eliminate any chance of failure.

    However, right now, it¡¯s theplete opposite.

    Luck is fine. I can achieve above-average results in exams just by guessing because I¡¯m under the blessing of the Dice God.

    I might not win everywhere, but I¡¯ll certainly achieve pretty decent scores.

    But now, there¡¯s a problem with my once-reliable physical ability.

    My weakened body can¡¯t handle the strenuous training I used to do.

    ording to my grandfather, I¡¯d even lose to Joy in a physical fight!

    With this kind of trash body, I can¡¯t pass the mini-games at the festival!

    If I go without any preparation, I¡¯ll have to submit to the desires of that perverted god Arumadi.

    After returning to the mansion, I had taken a good look at Lucy¡¯s wardrobe, and as soon as the auction house in the trade city of Nig opened, I decided I would visit there.

    If there¡¯s a suitable dress to wear, I thought I could just fail and wear that instead.

    Wow. I was genuinely surprised while going through each of Lucy''s clothes.

    How can there be nothing butndmines in this wardrobe?

    No matter how terrible the game is, it should at least offer a safe zone!

    ¡®Silly fox...¡¯ ¡°Such a silly fox...¡±

    ¡°Are you asking to get rid of your motion sickness?¡±

    Thanks to the silly fox, I escaped from my motion sickness and stepped outside where the teleportation device was installed with Erin''s support.@@novelbin@@

    The moment I set my eyes on the trade city of Nig, I couldn¡¯t help but suppress a sigh.

    There are really so many people. I had roughly expected it since it was bustling even in the game, but this was over the top.

    At this level, shouldn¡¯t it be called a wall of people instead of a crowd? I can¡¯t even move forward.

    ¡°Excuse me, mydy.¡±

    As I frowned, feeling a wave of nauseaing on again, Porcel lifted me effortlessly and ced me on his shoulder.

    ¡°Just trust me. It¡¯ll be afortable ride.¡±

    Porcel, who looked like he would make any baby cry, was particrly reliable today.

    Yeah. A wall of people or whatever, I would be powerless in front of overwhelming strength.

    Today, my escort wasn¡¯t Kal, but Porcel.

    The reason was simple. Kal, that guy. Ever since returning to the Alrn family, he had been training like he was going to die.

    It seems that the embarrassment of not being able to do anything against Karia in the Menestale dungeon became a burden on his heart.

    Personally, I think Karia was just overly strong, and Kal did more than enough. But if he himself wasn¡¯t satisfied, what could I do?

    Since Kal was gone, someone else needed to escort me, but given my physical condition, Benedikt wouldn¡¯t allow just anyone as my escort.

    After various discussions, the one selected was Porcel. A knight who held the second position in the Alrn family by strength. He was someone who could protect me regardless of any variables.

    I heard before that Porcel might not be able to win against Benedikt, but he could drag out a match.

    At that time, I didn¡¯t realize how significant that was, did I?

    Now I do. Even if he¡¯s imperfect, he¡¯s someone who can withstand attacks from the fully unleashed evil god.

    From the opponent¡¯s perspective, it¡¯s terrifying, but from our side, he¡¯s an incredibly reassuring figure.

    <Well, he¡¯s still just human, though.>

    Watching Porcel effortlessly part the crowd, I was thinking he was reliable when my grandfather spoke up.

    ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯ <Cough. It means thatpared to yourself and yourpanions who fought the evil god, it¡¯s nothing special.>

    Ahh. So you¡¯re jealous now? Because I¡¯m praising someone else instead of you, huh?

    Hahaha. Usually, you¡¯re a nagging old man, but sometimes you can be cute.

    ¡®Really? Was grandfather stronger than Benedikt?¡¯ <Of course. Even now, if I had my body, I could teach that brat Benedikt a lesson.> ¡®Oh,e on. That¡¯s a lie. You¡¯re just boasting since you can¡¯t prove it.¡¯ <What if it¡¯s true?! I am Ruel! The pdin who saved the world, Ruel! There¡¯s no way I would lose to a knight struggling against an imperfect evil god!>

    Grandfather¡¯s words must hold some truth.

    The party that included the pdin Ruel, who defeated the fully unsealed evil god, must have won.

    In his prime, grandfather would definitely be a monster beyond human limits.

    However, you know. It¡¯s funny that the old man who usually nags wants to hear praise, so I just can¡¯t be honest with him.

    ¡®Old stories are usually exaggerated, right?¡¯ <Not at all!>

    While I was joking around with grandfather, the Porcel Express automatically drove me to the entrance of the auction house.

    Unlike the streets bustling with merchants and customers, the area around the auction house was rtively calm.

    Since only wealthy merchants and nobles of a certain status could enter here, it maintained strict security, making it safe from the crowd.

    As I thought I could finally breathe again and stretched, my happiness was shattered in an instant.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady Alrn. You cannot enter here.¡±

    As I tried to enter the auction house, an auction house manager rushed over from somewhere to block my path.

    This was apletely unexpected situation. After all, I¡¯m a countess.

    Not just any ordinary count¡¯s daughter, but the daughter of the Alrn family, which holds a high reputation on the continent!

    I should more than meet the entrance requirements for the Nig auction house. So what¡¯s the problem?!

    ¡®Why can¡¯t I enter?!¡¯ ¡°Hey, you idiot. Why can¡¯t I? Exin it in a way I can understand.¡±

    Expressing myplete confusion, when I pressed him, the manager broke into a cold sweat and stammered through his words.

    The problemy in the past misdeeds of Lucy.

    Before I possessed her, Lucy indulged in luxury. She had an insatiable appetite for extravagance.

    Naturally, it was only to be expected that she would stop by the Nig auction house to obtain the things she desired.

    Being the worst scoundrel who even insulted the gods, Lucy was a kind of strategic weapon, creating incidents and idents wherever she went, so it¡¯s only natural that she caused trouble at the Nig auction house as well.

    When she failed to buy something she wanted, she would go confront those who had ced higher bids and wreak havoc.

    And it wasn¡¯t just once; it was habitual.

    Thanks to that, as people feared Lucy¡¯s rampage, they turned away from the auction house, prompting Nig to make a decision.

    They outright banned Lucy Alrn, the source of the problem.

    <Child, just what in the world...>

    It was unfair. That wasn¡¯t my doing. But even though I felt wronged, the karma existing within this body wouldn¡¯t disappear just because I felt that way.

    <It must be due to your old habits of not knowing how to respect adults. How frightening. How frightening.>

    As I lightly bit my lip at grandfather''s mocking voice, the head of the guards bowed his head to the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! But it¡¯s a regtion, so there¡¯s nothing I can do!¡±

    Even in a state of fear, where he didn¡¯t know what mischief I mightmit, the manager spoke his part, showing the regrets of amoner.

    What should I do?

    Even if I held onto a small glimmer of hope, I needed to get inside the auction house.

    However, there was no way to enter through normal means. I had been cklisted.

    As I chewed on my lips, I racked my brain but couldn¡¯te up with any good ideas.

    I never thought there would be such a problem. If I had known beforehand, I would have thought of some countermeasure!

    ...What if I activated my Mesugaki skill fully and wreaked some havoc? If I made them attack me first, I could create a justification to enter.

    ¡°Lady.¡±

    Snapped out of my thoughts by Porcel''s voice, I looked up and threw him a questioning nce.

    What is it? Do you have some idea?

    ¡°Look around you.¡±

    Around?

    Finally shifting my gaze to the side, I realized there were countless eyes directed toward me.

    Curiosity. Interest in gossip. Worry. Fear. Anxiety.

    ¡°It might be better to withdraw for now.¡±

    His words were correct.

    If I stirred up more trouble here, I was sure another line would be added to Lucy''s infamy.

    While it¡¯s true that there¡¯s no ce lower than rock bottom, I still had some good rtionships, so I should be careful.

    As I nodded, Porcel lifted me back onto his shoulder again.

    Stepping back from the entrance of the auction house, I searched for the Newman family¡¯s base in Nig.

    It¡¯s an auction house where various nobles and merchants gather. There was no way I could sneak in there by hical means all by myself.

    While I could breach it with Porcel¡¯s strength, that wouldn¡¯t allow me to participate in the auction, would it?

    I wanted to buy something, not steal it.

    Now, without any preparations for the unexpected, the only ce I could rely on was the Newman family.

    They were a big yer in the underworld, having establishedworks all over the continent. If I borrowed their power, something mighte up.

    The Newman family¡¯s base in Nig was a shop selling trivial souvenirs.

    While they might look pretty when you¡¯re traveling, they quickly turn into junk after some time.

    When we first arrived, the store clerk greeted us with a bright smile and rmended various items, but as soon as I pulled out the crow¡¯s seal, he quickly changed his tune.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go inside! There are far better items inside!¡±

    Naturally, whaty inside were not just more souvenirs.

    They were people working under the Newman family.

    Even though I had told Erin and Porcel in advance not to be surprised, both widened their eyes at the sight inside the base.

    ¡°Wee, benefactor of the Newman family. I am Kia, in charge of managing this base.¡±

    The man, giving a somewhat light impression for an informant, introduced himself politely, but it didn¡¯t hold much meaning.

    ¡®Hello, Kia.¡¯ ¡°Yeah. Nice to meet you. You look like a scoundrel who likes other people¡¯s women, don¡¯t you?¡±

    The moment the Mesugaki skill ssified him as a scoundrel, his title became fixed as such.

    He forced a bitter smile and I exined my situation.

    I wanted to enter the auction house, but I couldn¡¯t. Is there any way around it?

    ¡°There are a few methods, indeed.¡±

    The scoundrel spoke casually without hesitation.

    While the guards at the Nig auction house are strict, there are still some loopholes to exploit.

    ¡°However, there is one problem. You are so beautiful that you¡¯ll stand out.¡±

    But even if I got in through some illicit route, the moment they discover my identity, I would just be chased out.

    ¡°So I¡¯d like to suggest something. How about a disguise?¡±

    Disguise?

 Chapter 194

    The reason the scoundrel suggested a disguise to me was simple.

    The problem when entering the auction house was the very existence of Lucy Alrn.

    So if I be someone who is not Lucy, then there would be no issues whatsoever.

    I could understand that much. I thought it wasn¡¯t a bad suggestion.

    However, the moment I saw the disguise outfit the scoundrel brought, I was horrified and shook my head.

    A ck parasol to block the hot sunlight. Arge ck hat to conceal my noticeable hair. On top of that, a billowing ck dress.

    Having been close to Japanese culture enough to not feel difort in creating a Mesugaki character, I knew what to call this outfit.

    Gothic Lolita.

    Clothing often worn by characters who hide something or have dark intentions.

    ¡°Excuse me. Scoundrel, are you a pervert?¡±

    ¡°Scoundrel? Why are you injecting your sexual preferences into a disguise? This is such an overt perversion. It¡¯s disgusting and revolting.¡±

    ¡°No! That¡¯s not it!¡±

    The scoundrel had his own reasons for presenting me with this outfit.

    By hiding my notable face with the parasol and hat and covering my pale skin with a long dress, an aristocrat in this outfit is often characterized as being shy, so it wouldn¡¯t seem strange if I kept my mouth shut, allowing me to hide not just my voice but my distinctive manner of speaking as well.

    I understood the utility of that outfit.

    I understood, but I still didn¡¯t like it!

    I didn¡¯t want to wear such clothing, and now you want me to voluntarily put it on?!

    Would I do that?!

    ¡°It would look good on you, though.¡±

    The silly fox perched atop my head mumbled something, but I ignored him.

    I then stubbornly questioned the scoundrel if there were any other outfits avable.

    However, despite myints, he only awkwardly smiled.

    ¡°Time is an issue.¡±

    If I had a leisurely amount of time to prepare, I could have considered other ways to disguise myself.

    If I had contacted someone a few days in advance, various options would have emerged.

    But I suddenly arrived here just two hours before the auction began.

    Since I had no preparations and no time to spare, what the scoundrel brought out was the best he could offer.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not looking to enjoy the auction but rather n to buy something, sending a proxy is also an option. Here¡¯s what¡¯s written...¡±

    The scoundrel spoke this way as he handed me a list.

    I took it from him but didn¡¯t read it seriously.

    After all, I memorized the items listed in the auction.

    At the Nig auction house, there are two types of items.

    The first are valuable items that are so precious they get written on the list.

    These are items that would draw in multiple people just to buy one.

    The other type consists of items deemed trivial by the auction house.

    To provide a breather for the attendees, these lesser items are intermittently included to give people a break from constantly bidding on expensive and valuable items.

    Among these, the former is always fixed, while thetter is determined randomly for each auction.

    And typically, the items that make yers say ¡°jackpot¡± can be found among thetter.

    I hade here targeting both types of items.

    With the knowledge specific to seasoned yers and my steadily enhanced emotional skills, along with my high luck stat, I believed I could aim for a jackpot.

    Therefore, I wanted to participate in the auction as much as possible, but¡­

    As I tore my gaze from the list and set my sights on the Gothic Lolita outfit hanging on the hanger, I bowed my head with a sigh.

    <Do you really hate that outfit that much?>

    While I was mulling over this, my grandfather spoke up.

    ¡®Yes. I do hate it.¡¯ <Why? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything wrong with it, and I think it would suit you.> ¡®Of course, yes.¡¯

    If you think about a cute girl wearing that, it¡¯s not weird at all.

    The colors are a bit gloomy, but that¡¯s all. Depending on the person, it could definitely be described as cute or pretty.

    However, that¡¯s only from the perspective of the viewer.

    Wearing it myself and standing in front of others is a different story.

    <Are you embarrassed?> ¡®It¡¯s simr but different.¡¯

    It¡¯s true that the word ¡°embarrassment¡± is mixed in.

    However, I can¡¯t describe this feeling solely as embarrassment.

    There are too many emotions wrapped up in this.

    If I had to ssify it, it would be a feeling of rejection.

    A rejection of femininity.

    It¡¯s only been less than a year since I possessed Lucy¡¯s body.

    While numerous things have happened during that time, I still see myself as a man.

    Although I¡¯ve reluctantly gotten used to wearing a skirt due to the academy uniform, there is still a limit to that.

    Wearing such a fluttering and cute outfit is just too much.@@novelbin@@

    It¡¯s much more normal than the clothes in Lucy¡¯s wardrobe, but still...

    <You seemed to wear that strange outfit quite well in the forestst time.> ¡®I had no choice back then!¡¯

    Grandfather! I was barely managing to forget about it, and you had to bring up that embarrassing history again?!

    ¡®And more importantly, at that time, the condition was that I would only show it in front of the silly fox!¡¯

    In the end, I ended up showing the bunny girl outfit to all my party members, but that was never my intention from the start.

    I was supposed to only show it to the silly fox and keep it buried in my heart.

    That¡¯s how mischief works, doesn¡¯t it?

    There¡¯s a big difference between acting out at home alone and doing so in front of others.

    In the first case, it¡¯s over as soon as I feel a moment of rity, but in thetter, it bes a dark history I¡¯d kick off my nket about every night!

    Can you imagine how painful it would be if I recalled the moment when I was caught wearing the bunny girl outfit by everyone?!

    I never want to experience that again!

    [The Radiant Tablet of Divinity.]

    Huh?

    While I was responding to my grandfather and casually flipping through the list, I raised an eyebrow at an item that shouldn¡¯t be in this auction.

    I know roughly what that is.

    It¡¯s an item that forms a pair with two rings; when mana is infused, the color changes, and when one side changes color, the opposite side changes too.

    Typically, it¡¯s used tomunicate in emergencies, with each color holding a specific meaning.

    I remember it appearing in a side quest.

    While it¡¯s somewhat valuable, it¡¯s not an expensive item and is ssified as junk.

    So why is it listed?

    I found it odd and asked the scoundrel, and he replied that this was a list of all itemsing up for auction.

    So, it¡¯s not just the items listed by the auction house, but all items, including the ones outside?

    ¡®If that¡¯s the case, you should have said that sooner!¡¯ ¡°Hey, scoundrel. If that¡¯s the case, you should have said it earlier. Are you only thinking about women in your head? Is that why your thoughts can¡¯t flow anywhere else? You disgusting, useless pervert.¡±

    ¡°I certainly mentioned it, didn¡¯t I?!¡±

    Did he? I nced to the side and saw Porcel giving an awkward smile.

    Maybe he had said it, but I hadn¡¯t heard him.

    It¡¯s all grandfather¡¯s fault.

    He had to bring up that story about the bunny girl outfit and make me suffer!

    <I mentioned it before I spoke to you.>

    Anyway, this turned out well.

    This way, I can safely send a proxy.

    If I set the priorities and items I want to buy here, they will solve it for me.

    Relieved of my mental burden, I leisurely looked over the list.

    A gem that consumes mana?

    Oh. That¡¯s out too. This would be great for Joy.

    If I continually infuse mana and nurture it, it will be quite useful.

    This is an item that increases efficiency when doing paperwork, right?

    It would be good to give this to Benedikt.

    And this...

    While I was pondering the items I wanted to buy, thinking about my current budget, I froze upon seeing a line written on the list.

    ¡®Kia. This...¡¯ ¡°Scoundrel. Is this item reallying up for auction?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not particrly impressive, but I heard that this time the selection is quite limited, so there was no choice.¡±

    The scoundrel¡¯s reply, that he heard this from the person in charge of deciding the order of auction items, made me narrow my eyes as I red at the line.

    [The Tablet that Shines when Infused with Divinity.]

    On the surface, this item looks like mere junk.

    When someone who has stepped onto the path of the divine infuses it with divinity, it shines brightly, but that¡¯s it.

    It has no practical effects whatsoever.

    I heard that it had some meaningful phrase written in the description and that the descriptions varied from tablet to tablet, which led to spection that it might have some significance, but most yers didn¡¯t pay it any mind.

    Still, when it dropped as an item, everyone was happy.

    This tablet had a very low drop rate, but when sold at a shop or auction house, it fetched a high price.

    It¡¯s said that wealthy merchants collecting items rted to the God¡¯s Church buy them for a premium.

    However, after the game was released, the evaluation of this item flipped over the span of a week.

    It was revealed by a yer that this item served as a clue or key to obtain specific equipment.

    Since then, ¡®The Tablet that Shines when Infused with Divinity¡¯ has be an item to keep in reserve if you¡¯re growing a cleric character when you have the luxury to do so.

    If you¡¯re raising another character, it would be better to sell it without a second thought.

    But here¡¯s the thing.

    Right now, I¡¯m in the position of taking the pdin tree.

    The useless god won¡¯t let me change this job, so I can¡¯t.

    My head started to ache.

    ¡®The Tablet that Shines when Infused with Divinity¡¯ is expensive.

    It¡¯s disgustingly expensive.

    Even if I were to invest all the budget I have in my hands, I would still feel it¡¯s cutting it too close.

    If I were to purchase this, I would have to give up everything I had nned.

    Not only the gifts I wanted to give to various people, but even the bracelet of leisure.

    This is a jackpot.

    If I posted on the bulletin board that this wasing up at the auction house, I¡¯d definitely hear that it¡¯s a big deal.

    But I can¡¯t just buy it thoughtlessly.

    I don¡¯t know whether this is the tablet that serves as a clue or the one that serves as a key.

    I don¡¯t need the clue.

    I already have everything memorized, so there¡¯s no need to search for any clues.

    However, I need the key.

    As a cleric, especially one who is a vanguard, it¡¯s essential.

    Can I distinguish between the two?

    It¡¯s possible. If I see it with my emotional skill, it will be apparent immediately.

    In other words, to differentiate between them, I need to go to the auction house.

    ¡°Lady Alrn. What will you do?¡±

    Perhaps feeling the urgency of time, the scoundrel urged me with an awkward smile.

    Behind him, the Gothic Lolita outfit was still proudly showcasing its cuteness.

    As for me, was I a man or a rotten soul of the Soul Academy?

    My dilemma wasn¡¯t going tost long.

    While the former was a useless pride, thetter was a reality.

 Chapter 195

    The Gothic Lolita outfit that the scoundrel brought was quite ufortable to wear.

    If there hadn¡¯t been several people around to help me, including Erin, I wouldn¡¯t have dared to put it on.

    ¡°This is a nice outfit. It¡¯s clear the artisan put a lot of thought into it.¡±

    It¡¯s better than something cheap.

    But why is something like this here?

    None of you would wear such clothes.

    The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if this was the scoundrel''s personal taste?!

    As my evaluation of the scoundrel fell in my heart, Erin and the people from the Newman family kept working without stopping, and before long, my disguise wasplete.

    In the mirror that the scoundrel had brought, I looked like a somewhat gloomy beautiful girl.

    My long red hair was hidden beneath the hat,

    My sharp gaze was concealed by the brim,

    I wore colored contact lenses to change my eye color,

    And with makeup to pale my skin, I had transformed into apletely different person.

    How is it that just by touching a few things, I changed so much?

    I looked like an entirely different person!

    Though the scoundrel is a disgusting pervert, perhaps his eye for fashion and skill are genuine.

    As I turned to check if the outfit was properly worn, I couldn''t help but let out a gasp of admiration.

    ...It does suit me well.

    I looked like a living doll.

    While I was admiring my reflection, the silly fox beside me licked his lips.

    ¡°Ooooh. This one is quite... slurp.¡±

    ¡®Can you tone it down a bit?...¡¯ ¡°Hey, silly fox. You better behave before I toss you into theundry of the Alrn Knights!¡±

    ¡°How horrible!¡±

    Of course, my voice, tone, and actions remained unchanged.

    With the Mesugaki skill active, how could they change?

    The scoundrel seemed to expect this, as before heading to the auction house, he asked me to keep a few things in mind.

    Don¡¯t speak. Don¡¯t act in front. If you have something to say, write it in a notebook and show it.

    In summary, until I exit the auction house, I was to stand behind the scoundrel and the others like a puppet.

    Easy enough. All I had to do was stand still.

    Porcel and the members of the Newman family, who didn¡¯t know me well, looked at me anxiously, but those who knew me well, like Erin, weren¡¯t worried at all.

    I wasn¡¯t the old Lucy anymore. There was no way I¡¯d ruin it by suddenly acting out while simply standing still.

    <You seem anxious.> ¡®Grandfather? You don¡¯t trust me?!¡¯ Why are you like this, of all people?!

    You know me better than anyone else!

    <That¡¯s exactly why.> ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me?!¡¯ I felt unjustly wronged but my grandfather didn¡¯t offer any rebuttal.

    Hmph. If you have nothing to say, you¡¯re just being unreasonable.

    Look! During this auction, I won¡¯t say a word!

    Even outside the base of the Newman family, while walking through the streets, I attracted the attention of various people.

    However, the meaning of those gazes was different from before. When I walked outside in Lucy¡¯s form, there was fear etched on people¡¯s faces.

    But now it was different.

    Simply having the name Lucy Alrn disappear changed people¡¯s gazes to ones filled with goodwill.

    I guess this is the power of a high charm stat.

    However, this high charm stat doesn¡¯t always have a positive impact.

    The charm held by someone who looks weak tends to attract bad intentions.

    Among the crowd, I spotted a man reaching out his hand toward me.

    Just an ordinary piece of trash.

    A mob that I could y around with using just one hand in my current state.

    Avoiding his outstretched hand wouldn¡¯t have been hard, but I didn¡¯t move.

    I had promised to do this, and I had some faith in myself.

    ¡°Do you want to die?¡±

    Just as I disguised myself, both Porcel and Erin had minimally disguised themselves as well.

    Unlike Lucy, whose traits were strong, they were easy to disguise.

    With Porcel transforming into a burly man with a nasty impression and Erin appearing as a quiet and potentially irritable woman, the man flinched as they red at him, causing him to fall to the ground.

    Thanks to the intimidation Porcel disyed, after that one line, a path naturally opened, and I hid behind the others and moved forward.

    <You said you didn¡¯t want this, but you seem surprisingly calm.> ¡®What can I do?¡¯ If I don¡¯t do this, I won¡¯t be able to enter the auction house, so I¡¯ve resigned myself.

    Besides, right now, I¡¯m not Lucy Alrn but apletely different person.

    If it¡¯s a fleeting daydream, what¡¯s the point of holding it in my heart?

    <What¡¯s your true intention?> ¡®I feel like I¡¯m going to die of embarrassment.¡¯

    Even now, I feel regret about once every second.

    Why is everyone looking over here?!

    The same people who couldn¡¯t even make eye contact with me when I was myself!

    Ah. I want to finish this quickly and toss this outfit away!

    As I sulked inwardly while walking, I soon caught sight of the auction house.

    Entering the auction house wasn¡¯t too difficult.

    The scoundrel standing at the front presented aplex noble name to the guard and introduced us, and the guard, clearly familiar with the scoundrel, let us in without suspicion.

    Perhaps due to the imminent start of the auction, the inside of the auction house was bustling with people.

    Among them, many gazes touched and then quickly passed over me.

    Admiring nces of beauty. Curiosity about which noble house I belonged to. Sticky gazes continuing in silence.

    My sharpened senses from numerous trainings didn¡¯t miss any of those.

    Hmm. I think I understand now why grandfather couldn¡¯t stay quiet.

    ¡°Here, Lady. You can go inside now.¡±

    The scoundrel, who had a somewhat sloppy impression, worked quickly and efficiently.

    He led us to a private room in the auction house.

    A ce where we could be away from the crowd and rx.

    ¡°You can let your guard down here, but please refrain from speaking loudly. We never know who might hear us.¡±

    Having escaped from the crowd to a degree, I exhaled a long sigh as I leaned back against the chair.

    ¡°Greetings! I am Frug, the host for this auction!¡±

    Before long, the curtain in the middle of the auction house rose, revealing a man.

    The middle-aged man, with an impressive neat mustache, announced the beginning of the auction in a clear voice that prated the ears.

    In the early stages of the auction, the items up for bidding were mostly luxuries that the old Lucy would have gone crazy for.

    In other words, they were luxury goods. Rings and nes adorned with rare jewels. Just things like that.

    The noblewomen participating in the auction tossed in gold coins, but I merely watched with boredom.

    From a gamer¡¯s perspective, such items were just junk.

    As the early stages passed, only then did some worthwhile items emerge.

    Among them were things I had intended to give as gifts to others.

    However, even those I passed up.

    To save my budget for any unforeseen circumstances.

    As I waited, waited, and waited some more, the item I had longed for finally appeared.

    The Tablet that Shines when Infused with Divinity.

    ¡°This tablet is no ordinary item. When one devotes their faith into it, it shines with a warm light. This is a product infused with the will of the omniscient and omnipotent deity. Also, if you look here, there are words engraved from a distant past that remain clear...¡±

    The host was doing his best to package the item to sell it expensively, but I didn¡¯t listen.

    Instead, I activated my emotional skill.

    Though there was quite a distance from the stage of the auction to me, my emotional skill, honed over a long time, did its job.

    [The Tablet that Shines when Infused with Divinity.] [The Tablet that shines brightly when infused with divinity. Engraved on it is a phrase: ¡®Protect and guard.¡¯]

    As I read that phrase with wide eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but clench my fists in delight.

    That¡¯s a key.

    A key to obtain a hidden item.

    An item to unlock a door that exists in a ce so ordinary that none of the yers would think there¡¯s anything there.

    I had the resolve to create an embarrassing history while wearing Gothic Lolita! I did well!

    If I had run away out of embarrassment, I wouldn¡¯t have obtained that precious item!

    With that conviction, I pulled on the scoundrel¡¯s cor, and he whispered to me.

    ¡°That item will likely be quite expensive. How far can you go?¡±

    ¡®Three hundred gold.¡¯ ¡°Three hundred gold.¡±

    This money was extorted from the Georg family.

    After all the trouble I went through because of their son, and after saving them from the crisis of Menestale¡¯s destruction, I asked for this.@@novelbin@@

    Originally, I nned to take a reasonable amount, but with Karia intervening in the negotiation, things changed.

    Once a ruler of the kingdom¡¯s underworld, Karia was extremely ustomed to dealing.

    She asserted her position as my proxy and sucked the lifeblood from Count Georg.

    As a result, I received various potions, scrolls, enchanted items, and even a huge amount of gold from the Georg family.

    Back then, I thought it was too excessive, but now the story is different.

    The rewards that Karia brought with her were now supporting me.

    ¡°Will you definitely purchase it?¡± ¡®Of course.¡¯ ¡°Are you saying that as a joke?¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°True to the divine objects, the starting bid is high! We will begin at ten gold!¡±

    The auction price rises sharply.

    An item that started at ten gold quickly reached a price nearing one hundred, and before I realized it, it had arrived at two hundred.

    By that time, those targeting me were starting to feel the burden of holding up their signs.

    The scoundrel, seeing that, raised his sign proudly and shouted.

    ¡°Two hundred and fifteen!¡± ¡°Two hundred and fifteen gold has been offered!¡±

    As the price shot up in an instant, the signs in the auction house began to lower one by one from the seats.

    Though I¡¯m not sure why, the scoundrel¡¯s shout seemed to have broken the purchasing spirit of those around me.

    ¡°Is there anyone else? I¡¯ll call the name three times from now! Two hundred and fifteen!¡±

    Two hundred and fifteen gold, huh?

    That¡¯s a hefty expense, but it¡¯s fine.

    If I consider it the price of obtaining that tablet, it¡¯s not too bad. Ah, this will mean I¡¯ll have a lot to do during the vacation.

    ¡°Two hundred and fifteen!¡±

    After buying Benedikt¡¯s gift, I¡¯ll ask to go on another trip with it.

    Ah. With my current state, will that even be possible?

    Hmm. In that case...

    ¡°Two hundred and...¡± ¡°Two hundred and fifty.¡±

    While I was assured that the tablet would be in my hands and was brainstorming, someone raised their sign from one side of the auction house.

    Two hundred and fifty gold?!

    Are you raising the price by that much all at once?!

    Even the host seemed surprised, and just as the auction house fell into silence, I concentrated on my divinity and confirmed who was holding the sign.

    To find out who my rival was.

    And the moment I spotted the woman sitting upright with a solemn expression in the private room, I cursed inwardly.

    Isabel Artea.

    The mistress of the Artea territory, which faces the coast, and someone who has amassed immense wealth through her business ventures.

    Though she has been criticized for her un-noble greed, she shows that most matters in this world can be resolved with money.

    And the biggest trait.

    If it¡¯s an item rted to the deity, she has a tendency to obsessively collect them.

    ...

    This is going to be a problem, isn¡¯t it?

 Chapter 196

    ¡°It¡¯s a big deal.¡±

    It seemed I wasn¡¯t the only one thinking this.

    The scoundrel maintained a calm expression as he looked at his opponent''s face and spoke.

    ¡°Countess Artea is one of the most prominent figures on the continent. It will be very difficult to win against her in thispetition.¡±

    His opinion matched mine exactly.

    The moment that woman decided to acquire the tablet, it was impossible for me to win the auction.

    This is a ce where it¡¯s all about money¡ªno tricks or gimmicks.

    If I had known Isabel would show up, I would have prepared another method, but I had no idea Lucy was banned from entry.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep trying for now, but don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡±

    The scoundrel said this while raising his sign, but the opponent was persistent.

    As I watched the rapidly rising bids, I could feel Isabel¡¯s determination.

    That woman was set on getting the tablet for sure.

    ¡°Three hundred! Three hundred gold!¡±

    The auction price shot up to my total funds in an instant.

    Hadn¡¯t I expected the price to rise this much?

    The noise in the auction hall was buzzing, and the auctioneer''s face was full of joy, but a silence hung over our private room.

    Everyone was watching me.

    Ah. Damn it. Nothing is going my way.

    What should I do?

    There is a way to quickly gather some money.

    I could transfer various valuable items in my inventory to the scoundrel and use that money.

    I have quite a few items I¡¯ve collected so far, in addition to what I received from the Georg familyst time, so I could raise a significant amount.

    But would that really change anything?

    It would only force Isabel to spend more, and in the end, that item would end up in her hands anyway.

    I remember an event from the game. Isabel once brought out a thousand gold to buy something she desired.

    Sighing, I shook my head silently.

    At that, the scoundrel lowered his sign.

    ¡°Three hundred! Three hundred! Three hundred! Sold!¡±

    Let¡¯s think positively.

    The fact that Isabel has the tablet means that item will be kept in her storage. It won¡¯t flow elsewhere.

    Having a known location is much better than having it go missing.

    Moreover, Isabel is a somewhat devout follower.

    Although her methods are quite different from ordinary believers, it is clear she believes in the deity.

    So, I could take Faibiter, or use the old man as coteral, or, in the worst case, reveal my identity...

    No, that¡¯s not it. Things seem like they could go weirdly wrong.

    <You had bad luck.> ¡®Yeah, right.¡¯

    Because of that one thing, I ended up dressed as a Gothic Lolita and now I¡¯m missing the item I wanted right in front of me!

    At this rate, I¡¯m just doing favors for that perverted deity and that foolish fox!

    It¡¯s so unfair!

    So unfair!

    The only good thing is that the tablet came out rtively early.

    If my desired items hade out before that tablet, I would have had to give up everything with tears in my eyes. And I would havemented losing the tablet as well.

    Thinking about that situation, it¡¯s not so bad right now.

    Anyway, I can still collect the items I originally wanted.

    ¡°The auction is heating up! The next item is the Bracelet of Revelry!¡±

    They say that when a person is stressed, they should spend moneyvishly.

    Let¡¯s indulge in some overspending.

    ¡°I will start from one gold!¡±

    I¡¯m going to spend all the money I have today.

    Fueled by excitement, I tossed my money around recklessly, but I failed to use up all my funds.

    The items I was aiming for were mostly practical rather than luxury goods, so their prices didn¡¯t rise much.

    Thanks to that, even though I purchased most of the items I targeted, I only managed to spend half of the money I was holding.

    After the auction ended, I didn¡¯t head straight outside.

    Right now, I was taking on a different persona rather than Lucy.

    I couldn¡¯t use one of Lucy''s powers, the ability to pass through crowds.

    I would have to push through people, taking their gazes upon myself, but it would be better to leave slowly after most of the people had exited.

    ¡°I¡¯ve received the items. Mydy.¡±

    After receiving the items I purchased at this auction and dawdling for quite some time, I finally stepped out of the private room when it became quiet outside.

    There were still several people lingering inside the auction hall, but it wasn¡¯t enough to block the way.

    Good. Now, let¡¯s quickly return and throw off this pathetic Gothic Lolita outfit and put on my original clothes.

    ¡°Hey. Wait a moment.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Checking the gaze of the man who called out to me, I pulled down the brim of my hat to cover my face.

    He was acting polite, but the emotions in his eyes were clear.

    Why is some nobleman I don¡¯t even know approaching me with such greed?

    What could it be?

    It¡¯s obvious.

    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m the Young Master of the Rumley family.¡±

    As the man approached me, Porcel and Erin blocked my path, and at the same time, the scoundrel moved forward to stop the man.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m someone serving Lady Sartus. Ourdy is quite shy, so if you tell me something, I¡¯ll pass it on for you.¡±

    The scoundrel, using his overly polite demeanor as a weapon, responded to the man, but that response only worked under the assumption that the other party was sane.

    ¡°Step aside. I want to speak directly.¡±

    ¡°However...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯m not asking. I¡¯m giving an order as the heir of the Rumley family.¡±

    If the other party was an idiot belowmon sense, that response was meaningless.

    Hah. Not only is my day going badly, but now some idiot has attached themselves to me, making me even angrier.

    ¡°Slow to think, aren¡¯t you? Consider this. This is an opportunity for you to reverse your life from an unnamed, lowly family. Though your family may be insignificant, you might be epted as a concubine because of your decent looks.¡±

    The contemtion was short.

    If he¡¯s going to throw a tantrum asking for me to take my anger out on him, I might as well do it once.

    As I stepped forward, Porcel and Erin tried to hold me back, but I ignored them.

    What does it matter? The auction is over anyway. What¡¯s the worst that could happen? Getting kicked out?

    Then, as I reached the side of the scoundrel, I looked up at the man.

    I gave him a light smile, and he burst outughing.

    ¡°Haha. Look. Even thedy wants to talk to me...¡±

    However, thatughter didn¡¯tst long. While he was speaking, I kicked between his legs.

    The man¡¯s face, once filled with joy, instantly turned pale as he fell backward.

    I hadn¡¯t hit him hard since my body wasn¡¯t in great shape, but he was being overly dramatic.

    ¡°Brother?!¡±

    As soon as the man hit the floor, a girl came running from behind with several attendants.

    That girl¡¯s face was familiar to me.

    Avery.

    The second-inmand of thedy group that Joy belongs to, who hates me but is under my control and cannot do anything against me.

    In a sense, she was a much more viinousdy than Joy.

    So, their family was Rumley?!

    The moment I recognized her face, I felt the heat rising in my head cool down.

    Of all people, I got entangled with someone I know at the academy.

    The only reason I¡¯m maintaining myposure right now is that I believe today¡¯s incident will end with today.

    But if the fact that I walked around in this Gothic Lolita outfit spreads elsewhere, and it doesn¡¯t end today...

    No way.

    That would be truly humiliating.

    ¡°You! How dare you attack our brother, who will inherit the Rumley family in the future! What confidence do you have?!¡±

    Did she forget that perverted idiot approached me first? Is she only thinking about herself?

    That thought surged to the tip of my tongue, but I forced it down.

    The moment I say anything, my identity will be exposed.

    <This is why you shouldn¡¯t let your emotions drive your actions. Take today as a lesson.> ¡®Grandpa. Is this really the time for such talk?!¡¯ <What does it matter? No matter what happens, the worst that could happen is getting kicked out of the auction house.>

    Then my identity will be revealed!

    You truly have no sense of delicacy at all!

    <What can I do? It has already happened. The best I can do is manage it before eyes gather.>

    That¡¯s right...

    Yeah. Let¡¯s think positively.

    Anyway, Avery has no choice but to listen to me.

    Even if this guy figures out my identity, as long as I shut him up, there will be no problem.

    ¡°Why are you keeping your mouth shut like a mute? Answer me!¡±

    Seeing Avery raise her voice, I slightly lifted the brim of my hat to show her my red hair.

    Then, I let out the voice I had kept hidden until now.

    ¡°Shut up, Young Lady?¡±

    I said it softly so that only Avery could hear, causing her hand to freeze.

    The fierce, confident glint in her eyes just moments ago wandered off into the void.

    ¡°...Alrn Young Lady?¡± ¡°Could you take those dirty hands off me?? Just breathing the same air makes me feel sick, and with your body touching me, I feel like I¡¯m going to vomit?¡±

    Avery didn¡¯t show any denial or suspicion.

    Upon hearing my voice, she was certain of my identity and quickly withdrew her hand, pulling both arms in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think your pig-like voice is pretty, do you?? Shut up?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡±

    With her mouth forming a straight line, I grabbed Avery¡¯s cor and whispered in her ear.

    ¡°Listen carefully. Today, nothing happened? Even a stupid goldfishdy can understand this much, right??¡±

    We did not meet at the auction today.

    Your brother just got beaten by an unidentified youngdy while being too confident in his power.

    Maybe it was because I told him to shut up, but Avery nodded desperately instead of answering.

    Good. She understood this much.

    As I released her cor and stepped back behind the scoundrel, Avery directed her attendants.

    The attendants didn¡¯t understand thismand but didn¡¯t disobey Avery¡¯s order either.

    Thus, we managed to leave the auction hall, leaving behind a man foaming at the mouth on the floor.

    Later, I heard that unfortunately, the young master of the Rumley family¡¯s sexual function was fine.

    I was thinking of breaking at least one.

    Guess he couldn¡¯t control his strength due to his poor condition.

    Dayster, after the events at the auction had made me kick off my nket several times at night, a letter flew from the Parn Duke family to our family.

    There were two letters.

    One was an invitation letter sent by the head of the Parn family.

    The other was a letter from Joy addressed to me.

    [Alrn Young Lady. Would you like toe over and spend some time with me in a few days? I really want to introduce you to the Parn territory.]

    The response to that was already decided.

    How could I refuse when my favorite character wanted to hang out with me?

 Chapter 197

    ¡°...Are you sure about this?¡±

    When I expressed my intention to participate in the Parn family festival, Benedict looked noticeably taken aback.

    It was quite curious. Normally, he would agree to anything his daughter asked, so seeing him react this way was unexpected.

    I could guess the reason.

    The countless misdeeds Lucy hadmitted in the social circles in the past.

    From Benedict''s perspective, how could he wee this matter, especially since it involved visiting the great Parn duke¡¯s household¡ªsomething he couldn''t suppress with his status?

    As soon as the mention of the festival came up, old memories would surely rush back like a parade, and it would be normal for him to scramble for a way to stop me.

    It was truly unfortunate for Benedict, but I had no intention of giving up on this.

    While there was the quest issued by that pathetic deity, there was an even more important reason.

    My favorite character wanted to hang out with me!

    You want me to give this up!?

    Me, the wretched fan of Soul Academy?!

    Don¡¯t talk nonsense! I absolutely cannot give up!

    Benedict couldn¡¯t stop me. What kind of father would refuse when his daughter wanted to y with a friend?

    Instead, he carefully took my hand with hisrge hand, which was big enough for my head to fit in, and earnestly pleaded.

    ¡°Lucy, once I finish my business at the territory, I¡¯ll head to the Parn territory as well. So please, I beg you, don¡¯t cause any trouble before I arrive.¡±

    His request, asking me to cause any incidents when he could handle them himself, showed traces of the hardships Benedict had endured over the years.

    I couldn¡¯t add anything to that, so I could only nod silently.

    After that, it was preparation time.

    The duke''s side arranged someone to attend to me personally, assigned a guard, found someone to look after the foolish fox, packed my clothes for the event, and gathered my thoughts as I gazed at Lucy''s extravagant outfits from the past.

    Thanks to the swift progression of these procedures, I arrived at the Parn territory the evening two days before the festival began.

    ¡°Long time no see, Alrn Young Lady.¡±

    Despite almost two months passing, Joy hadn¡¯t changed much.

    If I had to say, she had slimmed down a bit due to regr training.

    The already pretty person became even prettier through management.

    At this point, isn¡¯t she at the level where she could easily outshine the game illustrations?

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories about you from here and there. Honestly, you seem to be unable to stay quiet wherever you go.¡±

    As I was thinking about how lucky I was to be possessed by Lucy¡¯s body, Joy spoke with a wry smile.

    My story? Is there anything to spread?

    I had been holed up in the territory since returning from Menestail.

    ...Could it be that the events from the auction house spread?!

    Whenever Erin subtly mentioned it, I felt like it was a regretful mistake as that dark history wriggled in agony?!

    Avery! I trusted your cowardice, and yet you betray me like this!

    I will never forgive you.

    I will show you just how terrifying the term mutual assured destruction is.

    ¡°You trampled on a foreign count''s reputation.¡±

    I was grinding my teeth, thinking of the worst-case scenario, but Joy brought up a different topic.

    Before I went to the auction house, how I knocked down the Georg count.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Honestly, I felt thrilled hearing the story, but you went a bit overboard.¡±

    The humiliated Georg count had tried to control the rumors, but one couldn¡¯t stop people¡¯s mouths.

    It seems the news of that guy being schooled by me spread even to foreign nobles.

    Thank goodness. The circumstances were clearly stated.

    Considering Lucy''s reputation, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if it got twisted into a story where I just beat him up because I didn¡¯t like him.

    ¡°In social circles, it seems that Alrn Young Lady started the altercation.¡±

    Ah. So it¡¯s already been twisted?

    Is my reputation falling again?

    Sigh. I risked my life to prevent the seal of that evil deity from breaking, and this is how I''m treated.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve been correcting such stories whenever I hear them.¡±

    Watching Joy puff her chest up as if to say, ¡°Just trust me,¡± made my disappointment vanish.

    Yeah. What do I care what people who don¡¯t even know me say? As long as the people around me know the truth, that¡¯s enough.

    ¡®Thank you, Joy.¡¯ ¡°So that makes me even more worried. If you say something silly, it might create a strange distortion, right? Is the center of the rumor that foolish youngdy?¡±

    ¡°What? Huh?! How did it be like that?!¡±

    Naturally, I didn¡¯t convey my gratitude for the Mesugaki skill.

    This isn¡¯t bad either. The foolish youngdy acting foolish is cute.

    Since I was visiting the territory of another noble, it would only be proper to greet the ones governing this ce first, but I couldn¡¯t do that.

    Due to a sudden urgent schedule this morning, the duke and duchess had gone outside the territory.

    For me, this was a fortunate situation. I wanted to dy meeting the duke and duchess as much as possible.

    Consider the penalties of the Mesugaki skill.

    That guy indiscriminately attaches strange nicknames to anyone, regardless of their status.

    I couldn¡¯t even guess how to address the duke and duchess!

    Someday, I¡¯ll have to confirm that nickname, but it doesn¡¯t have to be today, does it?

    I don¡¯t want to add any more worries on top of the stress from that pathetic deity.

    In ce of the duke and duchess, I met Jeff Parn, Joy¡¯s brother, at a dinner with Joy.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Alrn Young Lady. I¡¯m Jeff Parn. My sister often tells me about you.¡±

    Looking closely, Jeff, unlike Joy, who showed some awkwardness, was the very embodiment of a fairy tale noble.

    His movements and speech were so refined that even I, knowing his true nature, was astonished.

    However, his inner self was different.

    He was endlessly generous to those he acknowledged, but cold enough to make your bones chill to those outside that circle.

    As I was leveling up my affection toward him, I wondered how such a guy could be Joy¡¯s brother.

    A miserable siscon who mentioned his sister¡¯s name until the very end of the route.

    Since I¡¯m someone Joy cherishes as a friend, he would treat me well, but he¡¯s not someone I want to get close to.

    I wonder how the Mesugaki skill will refer to him.

    In themunity, he was usually called a crazy siscon bastard.

    That¡¯s probably not the case, right? Please?

    Just don¡¯t reach a level where I would hate him. Please.

    ¡°Hello, Young Master Parn.¡± ¡°Hello, Devious Young Master.¡±

    Jeff¡¯s expression slightly stiffened, but considering my standards, it wasn¡¯t bad.

    I¡¯ve seen worse!

    ¡°Is that my nickname?¡± ¡°Sorry. It seems so.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the nickname that suits you best.¡±

    ¡°...So, you heard it from Joy?¡±

    Maybe it was because Joy was standing next to me, or maybe Joy had warned him beforehand.

    Jeff only nodded without saying anything more.

    ¡°Alrn Young Lady, why is our brother called Devious Young Master?¡±

    The question came from somewhere else.

    From Joy¡¯s perspective, having only seen Jeff''s good side, it would be hard for her to understand why that term was included in his nickname.

    As I was unconsciously about to answer Joy¡¯s question, I changed my words upon feeling the piercing gaze from the side.

    ¡°It¡¯s simr to the foolish youngdy being a foolish youngdy?¡± ¡°...Huh? What does that mean?¡±

    I think I exined enough. Joy. I can¡¯t say more than that.

    Joy tilted her head, but I pretended not to notice and picked up my utensils.

    If I said anything unnecessary, I might end up with a new enemy.

    The meal provided by the duke¡¯s household was delicious. Although I couldn¡¯t enjoy it properly due to Jeff giving me side nces every time I spoke.

    After the meal, Joy said she would guide me through the duke¡¯s estate.

    Seeing the excitement on her face, it seemed she had been looking forward to this moment.

    Jeff tried to join us, pretending not to notice, but Joy blocked him.

    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sorry, but I want to go alone with her.¡± ¡°But Joy...¡± ¡°If you keep that up, I think I¡¯ll start disliking you, Brother.¡±

    With the deration of ¡°I hate you, Brother!¡± Jeff¡¯s deviousness crumbled.

    His retreating figure, walking away dejectedly, felt strangely familiar.

    Ah. I remembered. Benedict often did that.

    Imagining Benedict, who was probably struggling to handle the piled-up work right now, I felt an inexplicable sympathy and approached Jeff.

    ¡°Do you have something to discuss? Alrn Young Lady?¡± ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t say a word.¡¯ ¡°To the devious young master who¡¯s worried about his deviousness being exposed, here¡¯s some good news. Do you think my mouth is heavy? Probably.¡±

    With a giggle that slipped out against my will, Jeff¡¯s gaze turnedplex.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. Am I devious?¡± ¡®Let¡¯s go with that.¡¯ ¡°Cough. Heh. Yes, then that¡¯s it. Devious Young Master.¡±

    Seeing Jeff clench his fist, I hurriedly made my escape after finishing my sentence.

    If I¡¯m like this with him, what will happen when I meet the duke and duchess?

    ...Maybe I should havee with Benedict.

    The next morning, after spending a delightful time touring the duke¡¯s mansion with Joy.

    Even though it was still early, Joy was full of enthusiasm.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you the wonderful things of our territory that I couldn¡¯t show you yesterday!¡±

    The excitement she had for this day was evident as she had even written a n in her notebook, and as soon as breakfast ended, she took me outside the mansion.

    Even when I took a quick look aroundst night, I felt that the Parn territory was quite a lively ce.

    With the festival starting soon, people were in high spirits, but even before that, the faces of the people were bright.

    The duke and duchess, whose personalities and abilities were good, governed the territory well, leading to the happy expressions of the residents.

    ¡°This ce is¡­¡±

    Growing up loved by such a duke and duchess, Joy was a child who knew how to love her territory.

    As she introduced her territory, affection for it naturally seeped into her tone.

    Perhaps because they knew Joy¡¯s feelings, the territory¡¯s residents weed her with open arms, approaching her to greet her.

    For me, it was something to be envious of. The people living in the Alrn territory would bow their heads upon seeing my face.

    As I wandered the streets with Joy, I stopped in front of a shop set up for the Parn festival.

    It was a ce where one could shoot arrows at a target to score points.

    As I looked at it, Joy suggested first.

    ¡°Would you like to try it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It looks shabby, but it seems fun.¡±

    When Joy asked if it would be okay for her to try, the shop owner nodded enthusiastically.

    Since the festival hadn¡¯t started yet, whatever results came out wouldn¡¯t count toward the quest.

    Still, let¡¯s practice and see how well the bow works.

    I also needed to check if the effect of the Bracelet of Revelry activated properly.

    Receiving an arrow from the owner, I took a deep breath and pulled back the bowstring.

    <Oh. Your posture is quite good. Did you learn how to shoot a bow somewhere?> ¡®No, I haven¡¯t.¡¯ <Hmm?>

    As I released the bowstring, the arrow flew straight into the target marked with the number 10.

    Good. The effect of the Bracelet of Revelry is activated properly.

    Pathetic deity!

    You must have thought about how to raise my reputation, right?!

    Just you wait! I¡¯ll be heading to collect my rewards!

 Chapter 198

    The day after I wandered the territory with Joy, I found myself meeting the Duke and Duchess of Parn.

    The two of them, already seated at the breakfast table, looked tired, as if they had just returned from work.

    For people like the duke and duchess to have urgent matters to attend to...

    I was curious, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to ask.

    ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Good day. The Pathetic Duke. The Weak Duchess.¡±

    Before I could even address them properly, an issue I had to resolve came up.

    The Pan Duke, who once caused his subordinates to faint with just a furrowed brow, and the Duchess, who would fit perfectly as a viin in a morning drama, froze slightly at my greeting.

    Both of them had created a terrible reputation for the Pan family solely based on their appearances.

    Although I had grown ustomed to fierce expressions thanks to the Alrn family, these two were on a different level altogether.

    Even without saying a word, I was already sweating profusely.

    I used to think that the fearsome looks seen through the monitor were exaggerated in text.

    No, that¡¯s not true.

    There was no exaggeration in the game descriptions.

    When these two whispered to each other, it felt like an entire movie scene was being created.

    What genre, you ask? Crime thriller or horror film. Something along those lines.

    ¡°Bwahahaha.¡±

    The short silence that felt like an eternity dissipated with the duke''s thunderousughter.

    After such a statement, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he suddenly turned serious and said, ¡°Kill that girl,¡± but the duke wasn¡¯t that kind of person.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve had a child speak so confidently to us.¡± ¡°Indeed. As I heard from Joy, you¡¯re quite a spirited person.¡±

    Despite their looks, they were genuinely good people.

    They loved each other, cared for their family, and worked to make the territory a better ce. They seemed to embody the phrase ¡°noblesse oblige.¡±

    Of course, I thought they would take my rudeness lightly.

    But why was I feeling nervous?

    It¡¯s like when you know a ghost is going to jump out in a horror movie, but you still get startled when it happens. It¡¯s simr.

    Even though I know, standing in front of them makes me naturally anxious.

    What if this is different from the game?

    ¡°Well, enjoy yourselves.¡±

    Having ovee the greatest crisis since arriving in the Parn territory, I stepped out into the streets with Joy.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to this. This time, I will be the yer of the Festival.¡±

    As she mentioned the title of the yer of the Festival, it was clear this was not just a simple quest.

    Rather, it was a tradition that came down in the Parn territory.

    The title of the yer of the Festival is given to the one who wins the most at the stalls during the Parn family festival.

    It doesn¡¯t matter about status, gender, or age; only those who participate in the festival canpete for the title and only those who achieve the best results can be called the yer of the Festival.

    Joy¡¯s seriousness indicated that this title wasn¡¯t just a lighthearted one.

    There are many people who are genuinely targeting that title among those participating in the festival.

    As such, the stall operators were also serious.

    They were preparing earnestly to crush the challengers, no matter who they were.

    ¡°Why is the trajectory distorted? Clearly...¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate, Parn Young Lady.¡± ¡°...Could I please have one more chance?¡± ¡°You know it¡¯s not allowed.¡±

    Joy¡¯s shoulders drooped at the stall owner¡¯s firm tone.

    Each stall only offers a single opportunity.

    This rule cannot be broken, even for the youngdy of the duke¡¯s household.

    As Joy stepped aside, it was now my turn.

    The stall owner slightly stiffened upon seeing my face but didn¡¯t say anything more.

    Instead, he handed me a staff that contained magic.

    This staff was designed for recreational use.

    It contained a very weak Magic Missile.

    With this, I was to hit the target far away at the stall.

    It sounds easy just by hearing it, but there¡¯s one crucial part I haven¡¯t mentioned yet.

    The target I have to hit with the Magic Missile moves in an unpredictable trajectory.

    As mentioned before, the stall owners were also serious about thispetition.

    What does that mean?

    It means that when these people are not eating or working, they¡¯re always nning and practicing difficult trajectories to hit.

    ¡°There are twenty targets. You have twenty magic missiles stored in the staff. If you hit them all, you win.¡±

    Holding the staff, I instinctively realized that I wouldn¡¯t be able to win this match with my own hands.

    I hardly wield magic. So, instead of acting bravado, I decided to use the Bracelet of Revelry.

    Then, my body began to move on its own, executing the best actions.

    ¡°Indeed, Alrn Young Lady. You seem to have a deep understanding of magic!¡± ¡°Truly impressive. You¡¯ve easily countered the trajectories we worked hard to create.¡±

    The Bracelet of Revelry is essentially an item made for entertainment purposes.

    Its effect is straightforward.

    You can win at mini-games up to four times a day.

    There are no prerequisites or conditions. If it¡¯s a mini-game, you will definitely win four times a day.

    That might sound like a cheat item, but there¡¯s a catch.

    To prevent abuse, the condition of ¡°mini-game¡± is somewhat overly restrictive.

    It can only be used for mini-games that ur during quest progress.

    While the usage is highly limited, it¡¯s still regarded as an essential item among experienced yers.

    Mini-games are initially fresh and fun, but over time they turn into annoying chores.

    The Bracelet of Revelry worked effectively not just in the game but also in reality.

    As I confirmed that all the targets had shattered andy scattered on the ground, I returned the now-empty staff to the stall owner.@@novelbin@@

    Then, apuse erupted a beatte.

    The source of the apuse was Joy.

    ¡°Truly amazing. Alrn Young Lady. Even as a magician, I couldn¡¯t win at the stall.¡±

    As she genuinely admired me, those around her started to apud one by one.

    Regardless of my reputation, if the duke''s youngdy is apuding beside me, how could others ignore it?

    Receiving cheers that went beyond merepliments, I wore an awkward smile.

    Um.

    So...

    While I was happy to receivepliments, I hadn¡¯t expected this, so my feelings were more of confusion than joy.

    It felt like standing on stage under bright lights.

    Overwhelmed by their cheers, I quickly took Joy and hurried away from that spot.

    Afterward, Joy and I wandered from stall to stall,peting.

    It wasn¡¯t always victory.

    Sometimes, I made foolish mistakes due to my body not being fully recovered yet, just like Joy.

    Even though it was a simple contest of luck, there were times I lost because the Dice God decided to look elsewhere for a moment.

    However, in most cases, the Dice God favored me, and as a result, I managed to secure five victories by lunchtime.

    Now, I just needed to win two more times.

    If I manage that, the remaining three victories will automatically be granted by the Bracelet of Revelry.

    Hehe. Did you see that, you pathetic deity?!

    No matter how much you try to increase the number of rounds to screw me over, you¡¯re useless in front of this seasoned yer!

    You¡¯d better think about how to raise my reputation!

    If you n to just give me the quest reward, don¡¯t even think about it.

    If you screw with me, you should at least increase the rewards, right? Huh?

    Having already mentally confirmed my victory and feeling rxed, I tilted my head upon hearing the murmurs in the distance, along with a parting crowd.

    What is it? Is there someone else who knows how to part the crowd besides me?

    Turning to the direction of the noise, I spotted a familiar face and one I vowed never to meet again, along with stern soldiers escorting them.

    ¡°Brother. Just a moment. Please wait.¡±

    One of the names was Arthur Sdin.

    The third prince of the kingdom and one of the few who thinks well of me at Soul Academy.

    ¡°There you are, my younger brother.¡±

    The other name was Rena Sdin.

    The first prince of the kingdom, who serves as the final boss of the Soul Academy¡¯s kingdom story.

    At the same time, he was the one who was called a gloomy loser prince by Lucy in the past and could never think kindly of me.

    Why on earth is that guy here?!

    ording to the game story, he was the type to remain holed up in the capital!

    What kind of variable is this?

    Why is the story different from the game?!

    Is it Benedict?!

    Did Benedict give that hikikomori courage?!

    While I was in a panic, the two continued to approach me.

    It was only natural for the crowd to part.

    When two individuals with the current kingdom''s session rights appeared, who would dare not show respect?

    If they¡¯re not out of their minds, they should lower their heads automatically.

    In that sense, I must say, I think I¡¯m out of my mind.

    I¡¯m half-forced into this state of mind, to be honest.

    ¡°Alrn Young Lady?! What are you doing?!¡±

    Joy, who had been bowing in respect to the princes, was aghast at the sight of my rigid posture.

    I know. I look crazy.

    But what can I do?! The Mesugaki skill won¡¯t let me lower my head!

    If it were up to me, I would want to show respect!

    I want to kneel and apologize for my past mistakes!

    But what can I do? The Mesugaki skill won¡¯t listen!

    I desperately tried to make an effort, but the will of the Mesugaki skill was stronger than my own.

    Until the first prince and Arthur reached me, I held my head high.

    ¡°I greet the first prince and third prince.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a while. Parn Young Lady. I¡¯m truly d to see you¡¯ve grown into someone worthy of the name of the Duke. With such talent, the Parn family will continue to flourish.¡±

    After finishing his obligatory words directed at Joy, the first prince turned his gaze toward me.

    His eyes.

    Those eyes, painted ck to the point of absorbing the light around them.

    Were staring directly at me.

    In that moment, I was sure.

    It wasn¡¯t Benedict.

    The reason the hikikomori first prince was called here was not due to his influence.

    The first prince came here solely to meet me.

    I don¡¯t know why. I can¡¯t read the hearts of others like Karia can.

    But one thing is clear.

    It¡¯s certainly not with good intentions.

    There¡¯s no way he woulde to meet the person who called him a gloomy loser.

    ¡°Are you disregarding yourself?¡±

    Thinking it would only lead to a bomb going off if I opened my mouth, I remained silent, but the first prince didn¡¯t allow the silence to linger.

    What should I do?!

    What do I do?!

    Is there a way to break through this situation?!

    I desperately wracked my brain and even threw a question to my grandfather, but no answers came.

    As long as the first prince stood in front of me, escaping from this situation was impossible.

    This was a clear dead end.

    ¡®Greetings to the first prince and third prince!¡¯ ¡°I greet the gloomy loser prince and the pitiful prince.¡±

    Wow. At least the term ¡°loser¡± is gone from ¡°gloomy loser prince.¡±

    That¡¯s quite the improvement.

    At this level, won¡¯t others overlook it as well?

    As I thought and looked around, the reactions of the people were consistently cold.

    Hmm. Is it really impossible?

    I had a feeling it would turn out like this.

    ...Sigh.

    Damn it.

    This is bad.

 Chapter 199

    Those lingering near Prince Arthur, including him, were at a loss for words, overwhelmed with confusion.

    The audience, forgetting even to observe decorum in front of a prominent heir, gaped with their mouths open.

    Joy stared at me with shaken eyes, her mask of the viiness cracked.

    As I watched the chilling silence unfold, I internally screamed.

    ¡°Grandpa!¡±

    Grandpa! Save me! How am I supposed to get through this situation?! I don¡¯t know what to do!

    <For now, keep your mouth shut for a while. We need to see how this situation unfolds.>

    Following Grandpa¡¯s instructions, I tightly closed my mouth and began to observe the surroundings, and slowly, the expressions of the bewildered people began to shift.

    ¡°How dare you!¡±

    One of them broke the thick silence with his voice.

    It was Arthur.

    ¡°Do you think this is the academy?¡±

    He stepped forward, pretending to be angry while standing next to the first prince.

    <Quick to assess the situation.>

    ¡°Excuse me? What do you mean by that?¡±

    <That guy has taken the initiative by shouting first.>

    Arthur¡¯s shout was a highly strategic move.

    I hadmitted rudeness in front of everyone. Because of that, it was impossible to make this incident disappear.

    Now I couldn¡¯t evade the responsibility of the crime I hadmitted.

    However, how I would take responsibility had yet to be determined.

    ¡°How absurd! Do you think that just because you are the daughter of Sir Benedict, your arrogance will be forgiven?¡±

    By raising his voice first, Arthur was trying to seize the initiative to determine the severity of the punishment.

    After all, he had the justification of being the prince¡¯s younger brother.

    ¡°Enough, brother.¡±

    However, that justification only existed when the first prince didn¡¯t say anything at all.

    Since the insult was directed at the first prince, who held a higher position and a firmer justification, if he stepped forward, Arthur had to step back.

    ¡°But brother!¡±

    Arthur raised his voice, knowing this.

    To protect me.

    ¡°I said enough.¡±

    But even that had its limits.

    As the first prince furrowed his brow, Arthur uttered an apology and stepped back.

    In the midst of the silence that had formed as everyone gauged one person¡¯s reaction, the first prince approached me, his footsteps echoing.

    His dark eyes were fixed precisely on me.

    Atst, the first prince stopped in front of me, looking down silently before lowering his face.

    Then he whispered in my ear.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not worthless right now?¡±

    He still remembered that?!

    Had he kept it in his heart?!

    Well, he couldn¡¯t forget!

    What kind of crazy person calls him a gloomy worthless loner and expects him to forget that!

    After delivering that line, the first prince raised his head, and a smile appeared on his face.

    It wasn¡¯t a smile born from happiness.

    It wasn¡¯t something outstanding like Karia, but I could tell.

    That was a smile that said he had decided to take care of me himself.

    <This should be fine.>

    ¡°Is it really fine?!¡±

    <He¡¯s not going to go on a rampage and punish you.>

    That¡¯s true.

    But no matter how I looked at it, that person was targeting me!

    You could see he was contemting how to deal with me!

    <What¡¯s the prince going to make a fuss about, being marked by the Evil God?>

    Grandpa calmed me, saying the issue was whether he had lost his reason in his rage, but as long as he retained some sanity, it should be okay.

    I understood that, but¡ª

    That wasn¡¯t the problem right now?!

    I was marked by one of the final bosses!

    On top of that, the Evil God and the Deity were already teaming up to torment me, and now there was one more!

    One more opponent who was trying to teach the mesugaki a lesson!

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve be quite a capable human, but your personality hasn¡¯t changed at all.¡±

    As I internally screamed, the first prince continued.

    His clear voice drew the attention of everyone around.

    ¡°You¡¯re participating in the Parn festival, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°How do you know? Gloomy loner prince, are you a stalker?¡±

    Please stop it, mesugaki skill!

    Come out at the right time and ce!

    Can¡¯t you hear the sounds of people holding their breath around us?! Huh?!

    ¡°Ha. Yeah. It should be the same as it was back then for it to be fun.¡±

    I thought his voice would get louder, but it didn¡¯t.

    The first prince smirked and turned his back.

    In contrast, it was the guards standing beside the first prince who appeared more flustered.

    ¡°Prince, are you going to let this rudeness go?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just that kind of person. Raising his voice only tires us out.¡±

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let me remind you, as if you¡¯ve forgotten. That girl is the daughter of Benedict Alrn. Considering his contributions, don¡¯t you think this should be overlooked?¡±

    Although the first prince imed that they were letting it slide due to Benedict¡¯s contributions, the underlying meaning was different.

    The reason he specifically mentioned Benedict was likely a reminder that he was lurking behind me.

    The guards and those standing behind the first prince had no choice but to remain silent in the presence of Benedict¡¯s name.

    Once the first prince confirmed that everyone was silent, he led his group back the way they came.

    Whew.

    I really thought I was going to suffocate and die.

    What on earth was the past Lucy doing?!

    How could she have walked around insulting royals, princes, and other nobles while taking in this kind of atmosphere?!

    No matter how much Benedict was behind me, shouldn¡¯t she have sensed something?!

    Did the mesugaki really not care about others¡¯ gazes?!

    Well, if she did care about how others saw her, she wouldn¡¯t be wearing a dress more extravagant than a princess¡¯s!

    As I marveled at the past Lucy in a different way, someone tugged at my sleeve.

    It was Joy.

    ¡°Really. Lady Alrn is as consistent as ever.¡±

    Hearing her voice, which was mixed with a sigh and worry, guilt welled up inside me.

    I¡¯m sorry, Joy. You¡¯re having a hard time because you have a bad friend.

    I have a gift prepared for you, so please ept it and ease your heart.

    Unable to voice my apologies, I silently begged for forgiveness, and she let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°Come on. Arthur wants to talk to you.¡±

    Huh? Arthur?

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    Joy took me to an upscale restaurant aimed at wealthy individuals.

    As soon as the staff saw Joy¡¯s face, they guided us to a room.

    ¡°Finally, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Inside the room, Arthur was waiting for us.

    ¡°Sit down for now. We just had a grand introduction earlier.¡±

    Following his words, I sat down at the table, and Arthur sighed as he called my name.

    ¡°Lucy Alrn.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    His sudden apology left me dazed.

    Why is he apologizing? Shouldn¡¯t I be the one apologizing instead?

    ¡°I am guilty for not stopping my brother from seeing you, knowing what kind of person you are.¡±

    From what Arthur said, it seemed the reclusive first prince, who had been holed up in the capital, was greatly influenced by his desire to visit the Parn territory.

    Originally, Arthur shouldn¡¯t have participated in such a festival, but upon expressing his intention to visit, the first prince became curious, and through their conversation, he ended up participating in this event.

    No.

    So that means¡ª

    Putting all the information together, this guy is the root cause?!

    Arthur!

    You idiot!

    Forget thanking you for trying to protect me!

    If you knew what kind of person Lucy was, you should have risked your life to stop the prince!

    Why did you, who are not even a tank, pull aggro from the boss and make the situation a mess?!

    ¡°Can¡¯t you even say don¡¯te? You truly are a pathetic prince? What are you even good at?? Oh, there is one thing: shouting after losing and saying, ¡®Just you wait!¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I tried my best! But my brother was stubborn, and there was nothing I could do! And let me tell you! If you hadn¡¯t said those strange things in the first ce, there wouldn¡¯t have been a problem! What were you thinking, insulting the most prominent heir to the throne in front of everyone?!¡±

    Yeah, if we were weighing the gravity of the mistakes, mine would be quite significant. If I had to put a number on it, it¡¯d be at least a 9, right?

    Still, you, the one who summoned the root cause here, bear at least a 1% of the me, don¡¯t you?

    So just take the verbalshing I¡¯m dishing out for my stress relief.

    I¡¯ll forgive your crime for this.

    Arthur, who had been raising his voice in protest, soon cleared his throat and regained hisposure.

    ¡°The good news is that it seems my brother doesn¡¯t n to impose any restrictions on you.¡±

    Even after leaving, the first prince didn¡¯t mention my name.

    When the guards or aides brought it up, they just brushed it off, so it seemed he wasn¡¯t thinking of pursuing this matter any further.

    That probably had a lot to do with Benedict¡¯s name.

    Who would want to antagonize someone capable of facing the Evil God head-on, even if it was imperfect?

    ¡°However, I can¡¯t say how long this willst. If my brother decides to take action, it will also cause trouble for Sir Benedict. So please, be careful.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Why should I do that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I¡¯m worried about you! At least pretend to listen!¡±

    Arthur strained his voice again, but I had no way to respond.

    As long as the mesugaki skill corrected my tone and actions, I would have to keep calling the first prince the gloomy loner prince.

    ¡°Uh, Prince Three.¡±

    As we were bickering, Joy, who had been watching us from the side, quietly spoke up, drawing Arthur¡¯s attention.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Is the first prince also participating in the festival?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since he came, he said he¡¯d be the festival¡¯s yer.¡±

    It¡¯s surprising enough that he even left his territory, but he¡¯s participating in the festival too?!

    Why?!

    What kind of change of heart could lead to such behavior?

    While I was in shock over the unexpected development, I recalled the words the prince had said when he left.

    Is this because of me?!

    Is it because of me?!

    Since he can¡¯t directly impose restrictions due to Benedict, is he trying to win by doing it this way?!

    Isn¡¯t that a bit too petty for a final boss?!

    No, no, wait a minute. That¡¯s not the issue here.

    The fact that the first prince is participating in the festival means I might run into him on the street.

    ¡°If he¡¯s serious, that title will be his. It¡¯s a pity, though. He was quite serious about targeting it.¡±

    ¡°You too, Prince Three?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You have to give your all in whatever you do.¡±

    Oh, gods. Why are you putting me through such trials?

    I need to ask Grandpa if he can sense the first prince¡¯s aura.

    If I run into him face to face, another incident will surely ur.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding.</li>

    </ul>

    What is it? Rubbish Deity, I didn¡¯t call for you.

    I¡¯m currently piled up with stress, you know?

    If you¡¯ve brought something to ease the suffering of the apostle, I would wee it, but if not, things might get a bit rough.

    [Quest has been updated!]

    [yer of the Festival]

    [Defeat and win at over 14 stalls!]

    Huh?

    Huh?!

    Why did the number change?

    Why did the part that said 10 turn into 14?

    Rubbish Deity! You trashy bastard!@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 200

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess why that number had increased.

    What does that damn perverted pedo deity want?

    By creating my dark history, they¡¯re not just getting a kick out of seeing me squirm in shame, but they also want to gawk at my dress, right?

    Do they have some deep intention behind this?

    Do they?!

    Ha! Do you really think that this lunatic has any deep intentions?!

    Ugh, this is so frustrating.

    I didn¡¯t just ck off on the quest either.

    I even went into the auction house dressed in gothic lolita to buy the Bracelet of Revelry.

    And I didn¡¯t even clear the quest with that. I only managed to meet four of the quest conditions.

    I was still filling in the rest with my recovering body and my luck!

    But now that it looks like I might clear the quest without much difficulty, they go and increase the number?!

    Rubbish deity! Do you even have a conscience?!

    If you¡¯re a deity, at least hide your lewd intentions and pretend to be cool!

    Why are you trying to steal the little faith I had left in my heart?!

    Did you want to be insulted like that?!

    Could it be that¡¯s part of your n? You think you can achieve three goals at once?! What a pathetic game you¡¯re running!

    Haa.

    Let¡¯s calm down. Cursing the rubbish deity isn¡¯t going to change anything.

    That guy enjoys being insulted. It¡¯s better to think about what¡¯sing next rather than fulfilling the warped desires of the rubbish deity.

    Letting out a long sigh internally, I turned my attention back to the quest.

    The change in the quest wording wasn¡¯t just the number. There was also something different beneath it.

    [Reward: Significant increase in reputation, ???]

    [Failure: Participate in the party wearing Lucy''s past outfit, ???]

    The first noticeable change was the word "significant" added to the reputation increase.

    I don¡¯t know how that will be achieved, but it¡¯s clear the rewards have gotten bigger than before.

    And then there¡¯s the question mark in both the reward and penalty sections.

    Based on my previous experience, this likely means there¡¯s something additional given.

    So, along with the quest bing harder to clear, both the rewards and penalties have been upgraded.

    Punishment.

    Punishment.

    What could that question mark possibly be?

    I mean, it¡¯s not going to be something as extreme as a game over.

    It¡¯s clear that it wouldn¡¯t show something that severe.

    While I was mulling this over, one of the humiliating past quests suddenly came to mind.@@novelbin@@

    Something humiliating I encountered when I went to meet the ditzy fox.

    If that came up as a punishment, it means that forcing actions as a quest penalty is possible.

    The moment that thought crossed my mind, countless ideas shed through my head.

    The party being held during this Parn festival is quiterge.

    It¡¯s a party held by the Duke¡¯s family to celebrate the festival. Most of the influential nobles should be gathered there. Even without the reclusive first prince showing up, it would be a grand scale.

    What if I caused some kind of problem in that gathering? The rumors would spread across the entire continent in no time.

    Bad rumors would circte, my reputation would drop, and my dark history would be engraved.

    ...

    No. Let¡¯s not think about that.

    Let¡¯s focus on the positive.

    If I manage to clear the quest, the rewards will only increase, right?

    The rubbish deity may have bizarre and lewd intentions, but at least they provide proper rewards.

    That question mark definitely contains something useful for me right now.

    So, ultimately, what I need to do hasn¡¯t changed.

    I have to clear the quest.

    I have to grab the best position at this festival.

    I have to crush the rubbish deity¡¯s schemes.

    I don¡¯t know why the deity is the one scheming instead of the Evil God, but anyway.

    Let¡¯s think about this.

    So far, I¡¯ve won at five stalls, meaning I need to secure nine more victories.

    Calcting, there are 12 stalls I haven¡¯t challenged yet, so I currently have only three chances to fail.

    The ones I have to rely on pure luck will be dealt with using the Bracelet of Revelry, and if ites down to memory or knowledge issues, I¡¯ll get help from Grandpa.

    But the parts I have to handle physically, I must solve myself.

    With my current trash-like condition.

    The one saving grace is that I¡¯ve already tackled the task I felt uncertain about.

    Now what¡¯s left are the parts I feel rtively confident in.

    If my body were normal, I could manage to ovee these challenges.

    Alright. Let¡¯s not think about what¡¯s behind me.

    The problems I face right now are what¡¯s important.

    I can¡¯t afford to fail if I can¡¯t rify the question mark that the rubbish deity has put out.

    I¡¯ll think about the future when the timees.

    Having resolved this in my mind, I jumped up from my seat.

    ¡°Lucy Alrn?¡±

    ¡°Lady Alrn?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going ahead.¡±

    ¡°The food here isn¡¯t quite up to my taste. I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Lady Alrn?!¡±

    Leaving the astonishment of the two behind, I stepped outside, looking for someone.

    Since I had been invited to the Parn festival and had no other ns during this break, she was surely somewhere around here.

    Finding her wasn¡¯t a difficult task.

    She draws attention from everyone for a different reason than I do.

    As I followed the crowd to where they gathered, I naturally spotted her among them.

    As I moved through the throng of people, I soon seeded in finding Faybi, who was sharing smiles with the people from the church in the middle of the crowd.

    As I stepped forward, the way opened, and Faybi confirmed my presence.

    Even though we merely made eye contact, Faybi¡¯s expression changed drastically.

    She slightly raised her eyebrows before breaking into a bright smile.

    That smile was so beautiful that anyone who saw it would hope it was directed at them, and the moment I realized it wasn¡¯t, I found myself unexpectedly filled with jealousy and disappointment.

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±

    As I walked along with Faybi¡¯s smile, a knight stepped forward and blocked my path.

    Despite the confusion showing on his stern face, the reason for his stance was undoubtedly his loyalty to the saint.

    ¡°Sir Knight, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°But, Lady Saint¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lady Alrn is a friend from the academy.¡±

    However, that loyalty was powerless in front of the smile of someone he was meant to protect.

    As Faybi gently pushed his shoulder, the wall of the knight crumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lady Alrn.¡±

    ¡°Likewise, Faybi.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nice to see you. Rubbish Saint.¡±

    The words ¡°rubbish saint¡± caused gasps not only from the clergy surrounding Faybi but also from those who hade to see her.

    If Faybi had reacted at all after hearing that, criticisms would have surely rained down from behind.

    Even now, it seemed she had a lot to say as she struggled to find her words.

    ¡°So you came to enjoy the festival first. If I had known, I would havee earlier.¡±

    Maybe it was because we hadn¡¯t met in a while, but Faybi seemed to have a lot on her mind.

    Normally, I would have enjoyed talking with her, but not now.

    Right now, I had something more urgent to attend to.

    I used the ring Alsetin had given me to block out the surrounding sounds and spoke.

    ¡°Faybi, I have a favor to ask.¡±

    ¡°Rubbish saint. Even someone as shabby as you has something you can do.¡±

    Though it was a somewhat reckless request, Faybi didn¡¯t show any signs of doubt.

    ¡°What can I do?¡±

    ¡°Please give me a buff.¡±

    ¡°Give you a buff.¡±

    If my physical abilities arecking, what should I do?

    Just fill in the gaps.

    To a levelparable to a normal state, or perhaps even better.

    ¡°What kind do you desire?¡±

    ¡°Um, so...¡±

    ¡°First, let¡¯s see...¡±

    Even though I could use divine magic myself, the reason I sought out Faybi was not only because her divine magic was effective, but also because she could use a wide variety of buffs.

    My body, still in recovery, was aplete mess.

    Even doping with various potions was beyond my body¡¯s limits.

    So, my n was to use Faybi¡¯s buffs to establish a foundation and then dope to raise my stats to their maximum potential.

    If my stats were up, taking on the stalls would be easier than ying a game.

    While in a game, I had topete purely on skill, but now I could use the various skills I possessed.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, too many buffs can be toxic. Ultimately, it¡¯s your body that has to bear them.¡±

    Faybi, hearing my request, cautioned me with worry in her voice.

    She was right.

    Excessive buffs lead to penalties afterward.

    Just look at my body, which turned into a mess after performing miracles.

    Sure, I¡¯d enjoy having excellent stats at first, but when those buffs wore off, the aftereffects would be as severe as the strength of the buffs.

    I¡¯m not ignorant of that. Those penalties clearly existed in the game as well.

    Even now, I intended to dope myself despite knowing that.

    I might end up bedridden for days, but I had to resolve the issues right in front of me.

    To smash the rubbish deity¡¯s schemes.

    And for my own dignity!

    ¡°It¡¯s something I have to do.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say useless things; just give me the buff, rubbish saint. It¡¯s something I have to do.¡±

    After hearing my words, Faybi hesitated for a moment before sping her hands together and beginning to pray.

    The buff that began from her invocation enveloped my body, lightening my previously heavy form.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s worried about whom? I¡¯m not so shabby that I need to be worried by a rubbish like you!¡±

    ¡°And if you feel unwellter, please call for me. That¡¯s my specialty.¡±

    That sounds kind of appealing.

    If I be a sickly mesugaki little girl, I¡¯ll think about it, Faybi.

    After saying our goodbyes with a promise to meetter, I immediately opened my inventory.

    Along with the things I had stockpiled for a long time, there were many potions that Karia had taken from the Georg family.

    Out of those, only a few were the ones I needed to use.

    Increased physical ability. Increased vitality. Awakening effects. And a few to minimize penalties.

    <You¡¯re skilled at mixing. You¡¯ve practiced a lot.>

    I¡¯ve done it a ton. How much effort did I put into researching to achieve maximum efficiency?

    In the end, the research results of others proved to be more efficient, and I had to throw away what I¡¯d done.

    <Still, you¡¯ll have to endure a few days of illness.>

    Grandpa sighed as he looked at the potions I was about to drink.

    Hmm. I suppose that¡¯s to be expected. I did try to minimize the penalties, but there are still limits.

    <Is there really a need to go to such lengths for this festival?>

    ¡°I¡¯m being forced by the higher-ups.¡±

    <...What could the deity be wishing for?>

    After finishing the doping, I entered the stall I had marked as the starting point for thepetition.

    The theme of this ce is strength.

    I just have to smash the panel, going through both physical and magical procedures with a wooden hammer nearly as tall as me.

    Receiving the wooden hammer from the stall owner, I took a deep breath and lifted it above me.

    As I did, the surrounding whispers began to rise.

    ¡°Oh. She¡¯s lifting it effortlessly.¡±

    ¡°How can such strengthe from that small body?¡±

    ¡°Is this the Alrn family?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Even Mr. Megger failed to break it; how can such a girl do it?¡±

    ¡°Her posture is fine, but with those thin arms, it¡¯ll be difficult.¡±

    I didn¡¯t pay them any mind.

    There was a reliable voice inside me that I could trust more than theirs.

    <Let¡¯s do this.>

    I had practiced handling divine power hundreds, if not thousands, of times during the break.

    What I was about to do now was just adding one more to that countless number.

    There could be no mistakes.

    As the hammer imbued with divine energy descended, it smashed the panel, splitting it in two and shattering the surrounding whispers.

    Good.

    With my current body condition, I can definitely do this.

    I can seed in the quest.

    Just wait, rubbish deity.

    I¡¯m going to check out how amazing the rewards you¡¯ve prepared are.

 Chapter 201

    The ce I was challenging this time wasa test of agility.

    It was a game where you had to dodge magic projectiles flying from a distance.

    Even if you got hit, it wouldn¡¯t hurt, but the tricky condition was that you had to dodge them all, or you would fail.

    I was d in thick armor and carrying a huge shield over my body. I even had Grandpa with me as I dashed forward.

    At that time, I had to slow down to amodate Arthur and the other students from the academy, but having shed all that weight and boosted my physical abilities through doping, how could my agility becking now?

    No matter how they flew at me, I was confident I could dodge them all.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡±

    As that shout rang out, I immediately locked my eyes on the iing magic projectiles and was convinced of my victory.

    This pattern.

    It was just like what I had seen in the game.

    I had once been obsessed with the "yer of the Festival" quest.

    Why was that?

    Because it was infuriating.

    A quest I couldn¡¯t win no matter how well I performed.

    It was merely a bonus, so I knew I didn¡¯t have to clear it, but being far from rational, I gritted my teeth and headbutted it.

    And I got utterly destroyed.

    Luck was a variable that mere humans could not control.

    Back then, I thought I was wasting time doing something crazy, but now, I would be rewarded for that effort.

    Taking a step to the right, then two steps to the left.

    Then jumping up and rolling backward.

    And...

    <Are you seeing the future or something?>

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    <It seems the deity is indeed providing assistance.>

    I didn¡¯t like the thought that my past efforts were bing the deity''s grace, but I couldn¡¯t get angry about it.

    How could I exin that I memorized this pattern from outside the monitor?

    Ah, I want to turn back.

    I really hate that what I¡¯m doing bes the work of that rubbish perverted deity.

    Even while my mind wandered elsewhere, my body faithfully executed the memories of the past, and so I emerged victorious in this challenge without any injuries.

    Did they really think they would be perfectly outsmarted like this?

    The stall owner stared at me nkly, forgetting even to announce my victory.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir. It¡¯s over, right?¡±

    ¡°Hey, mustache. Why aren¡¯t you speaking? It¡¯s over, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°...Congrattions. You have won this match.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Are you shocked? You thought you could hit me with such a shabby pattern? You¡¯re as ridiculous as that silly mustache, aren¡¯t you ashamed?¡±

    I messed up. I unconsciously expressed my gratitude while lost in thought.

    Seeing the stall owner''s face turn red, I quickly departed.

    Staying there any longer would only burden the stall owner¡¯s veins.

    Haa. So now I just need to win two more matches at the stalls.

    After finishing the doping, I hadn¡¯t rested and had been going around numerous stalls without a break.

    I didn¡¯t know when the effects of the doping would wear off, so I kept sprinting.

    At first, things were going well. Thanks to the buffs from Faybi and the knowledge I had gathered during the previous festival, I had won consecutively at several stalls.

    I resolved the physical challenges with my physique and knowledge.

    For the three stalls heavily influenced by luck, I passed them using the bracelet to eliminate any unexpected variables.

    For the stalls that required memorization, I used the log function to breeze through them.

    At that moment, I thought I had caught the flow.

    Having resigned myself to a few days of illness, I believed I could crush the rubbish deity''s schemes.

    However, a problem arose unexpectedly.

    It was a stall that posed quizzes.

    <Incorrect. At that time, that guy¡¯s nickname was the Guardian King. He earned that nickname for fiercely fighting back during the siege of the capital without retreating.>

    ¡°Huh? But¡ª¡±

    <Is your memory really urate? Is my memory, which was alongside you during that siege, reliable?>

    While I was writing down the answer to the quiz based on my memorized knowledge, Grandpa interjected with a correction.@@novelbin@@

    It wasn¡¯t that; the correct answer was something else.

    At first, I was puzzled, but Grandpa was so confident in his assertion that I began to think I must have remembered it incorrectly.

    That was a mistake.

    There¡¯s no way my stagnant, decaying memory could be wrong, but I made the mistake of listening to someone else¡¯s words.

    <...Huh? Why is that? Why is that guy¡¯s nickname...? >

    ¡°Grandpa!¡±

    I shouted in anger at the betrayal of the Grandpa I trusted, but as I listened to his exnation, I began to understand the situation.

    The problem was simple.

    Grandpa¡¯s memory was from when the king was alive.

    What the question asked was how he was named inter generations.

    The distortion created by two hundred years had led Grandpa to give an incorrect answer.

    <I''m sorry, child. I made such a mistake.>

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Grandpa. But do you know? The Parn family¡¯s stables are really big. The amount of manure produced there must be quite considerable too?¡±

    <I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry, child! Please overlook that!>

    Perhaps due to the disruption in the flow.

    I ended up with two losses at a stall I had deemed rtively unaffected by luck.

    Honestly, it was ridiculous.

    No matter how bad my luck was, there are limits.

    It felt like the Dice God had smashed my skull with the end of a die.

    Isn¡¯t it obvious that the rubbish deity is up to something?!

    If left alone, it seemed I would win, so they deliberately cursed me with bad luck.

    Otherwise, it doesn¡¯t make sense!

    I, who would achieve above-average results even when guessing answers, was getting screwed over by luck!

    After three consecutive losses, I had blown all my remaining coins and found myself teetering on the edge of a cliff.

    The one saving grace was that only two stalls remained, and both were in areas I felt confident about.

    Whichever it was, I could seed if I handled it well, but there was a difference in confidence.

    Let¡¯s save the one I¡¯m most confident about forst.

    With that decision made, I immediately moved my feet and spotted a familiar face.

    Frey.

    A talented swordsman destined to be the next sword master.

    It seems to be because of me, but she looks a lot more approachable than she did in the game.

    She was performing challenges at the stall, holding a sword in one hand.

    The duel taking ce at this stall involved cutting down all the objects that flew at you.

    The speed, size, and solidity of the objects were all different, making it a tedious duel, but Frey appearedpletely rxed.

    The style of Frey''s swordsmanship was heavily reliant on her talent, bordering on brute force.

    However, now it was different. The foundation of Frey''s swordsmanship remained the same, but how should I put it?

    It had be refined. Perhaps "polished" would be the right term.

    <You''ve taken a step further in these past two months.>

    She had indeed mentioned returning to the Kent territory to train in swordsmanship.

    It seemed she had realized something.

    Anyway, Frey truly is a remarkable talent.

    By the second semester, it would be even harder topete with her.

    ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯ve won.¡±

    ¡°It was easy. Really easy.¡±

    ¡°...As expected of Lady Kent.¡±

    As I turned to leave the stall owner who was chuckling to himself, Frey suddenly locked eyes with me and dashed over.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Frey.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Foolish swordsman.¡±

    Frey¡¯s expression was as neutral as ever, but the moment I called her a fool, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

    Is being called a fool really that enjoyable?

    ¡°Are you participating here too?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell just by looking?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s apetition.¡±

    Frey clenched her fist as if determined to take me down, but it wasn¡¯t very intimidating.

    If it wasn''t something she could solve with physical strength, she''d probably fail.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter.¡±

    As if she knew my thoughts, she took a few steps back but suddenly stopped and turned back towards me.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Hey, foolish swordsman.¡±

    ¡°Bye-bye.¡±

    Then she delivered her farewell in a tone thatcked energy and dashed away again.

    Uh... what was that all about?

    What happened to Frey during the break?

    ¡°Next person!¡±

    As I was nkly staring at the spot where Frey had left, the stall owner called me.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, do you need an exnation of the rules?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way someone would need an exnation for a shabby stall like this.¡±

    With a stiff smile, the stall owner nodded and handed me a sword.

    <You¡¯re clumsy with holding the sword.>

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve never trained with a sword before.¡±

    I¡¯ve learned a bit through observation, but that¡¯s all. I¡¯ve never had proper training, and I have no skills rted to swords.

    <Can you do it?>

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    But it¡¯s alright.

    This isn¡¯t a life-or-death battle; it¡¯s just a game. Winning here requires agility, strength, reflexes, and a mind that remembers the types and trajectories of the iing objects.

    Having easily triumphed at the shing stall, I moved toward thest remaining stall.

    Haa. If Grandpa hadn¡¯t said those weird things, I could have been rxed by now.

    What a pity.

    <How long do you n to dwell on that?>

    ¡°For life.¡±

    <If that¡¯s the case, just punish me!>

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±

    You never know when another of Grandpa''s mistakes will ur, right?

    So I n to milk this for a lifetime.

    Every time Grandpa says something, I¡¯m going to bring this up.

    <You¡¯re quite vindictive.>

    Listening to Grandpa''smenting voice, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as I spotted a crowd of people up ahead.

    It was only natural for people to gather near the stall, but theposition seemed strange.

    There were soldiers, knights, and nobles, and at the center stood...

    The first prince.

    Rene Sdin.

    What¡¯s he doing here?!

    ...For now, let¡¯s get out of here.

    I¡¯ll retreat to another ce until the duel at the stall is over anyway.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, is that you?¡±

    As the first prince''s voice reached me, all eyes turned in my direction.

    Damn. It was toote.

    ¡°Are you enjoying the festival?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course!¡±

    ¡°I like the sunlight more than anyone else, so I¡¯m having a great time.¡±

    ¡°Ah, really?¡±

    I could see his brow furrowing.

    Haa. This is why I didn¡¯t want to meet him.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious. How many stalls have you won? Since you were so confident, you must have won many.¡±

    ¡°Thirteen.¡±

    ¡°Thirteen? The gloomy outcast prince must have won more than me, right?¡±

    ¡°...What? We''re tied, then.¡±

    Wait, did I really win thirteen stalls?!

    I, who barely managed to win thirteen with all the doping, items, and cheat-level knowledge.

    Is the final boss truly the final boss? Impressive indeed.

    ¡°Just to check, is this yourst stall too?¡±

    Nodding absentmindedly at his question, I btedly understood what the first prince had said.

    The ¡°you too¡± was certainly indicating...

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s good timing. It¡¯s perfect because I was thinking about challenging you here.¡±

    As he said that, the first prince stepped closer and continued.

    ¡°I have a proposal. The results here will determine the winner; how about we have a duel?¡±

    His dark eyes looked down at me.

    The determination in those eyes was clear.

    In front of numerous spectators, he would personally destroy me.

    While it was a cowardly and petty proposal from someone older and more aplished than me,

    ¡°Shall we?¡±

    ¡°If the gloomy outcast prince insists so much, I suppose I have no choice.¡±

    Without any hesitation, I epted.

    There was no reason to refuse.

    After all, this stall¡¯s duel was in a field I felt most confident about.

    Virtual dungeon strategies.

    It was about presenting strategies based on the conditions given by the stall.

    Hey, first prince.

    No, Rene Sdin.

    You picked the wrong fight.

    Your opponent is not a mere first-year student from the academy, but a rotten brain that has memorized all the strategies for every dungeon in this world.

 Chapter 204

    The First Prince admitted his defeat far too easily.

    Considering that he was the one who initiated the bet and that in the final duel, the opponent had used a method far removed from the norm, I expected him to have something to say. But no.

    The First Prince shrugged his shoulders and stated tly that it had been an enjoyable duel after a long time before leaving the scene.

    Even with all the noise surrounding him, he acted unfazed.

    The old man lightlymented that this oue was good for me, but I couldn¡¯t take the situation lightly.

    I knew what kind of person he was; how could I just let it slide?

    The reason he was dubbed the Hikikomori Prince was not merely because he secluded himself in the capital.

    The greater issue was his personality w.

    With overwhelming talent and excellent results that even Arthur looked up to, his personality was petty and meticulous.

    Most users who had antagonized the First Prince while navigating the royal pce route trembled at the numerous traps he had set and decided they had to take him down.

    This was a person who ruthlessly trampled anyone who opposed him, regardless of their status, gender, or strength, yet here he was, acknowledging his loss so cleanly?

    This was definitely not a good thing.

    His acknowledgment of the opponent implied he was gradually preparing to torment them.

    As I watched the First Prince leave, pushing through the crowd, I pondered over so many thoughts.

    I even regretted that it might have been better to intentionally fail the quest while preparing for the old man¡¯s triumphant smile.

    Think about it. If I had lost, not only would I face humiliation from the First Prince, but I would also be writing a grand history of shame at the Parn Festival, yet there would be no lingering repercussions.

    Damn it. The problem was that I got too excited while conquering the dungeon like I used to in the game.

    If I had retained at least a bit of rationality, I might have thought things through!

    This is all the stall owner¡¯s fault!

    That guy showed me a newbie party that was unbearable, making me lose my reason!

    ¡°Lucy, are you listening?¡±

    While I was silently screaming inside, I lifted my head at the sound of a voice mixed with a sigh. Today, Benedict''s face was filled with concern.

    ¡°Do you understand? What happened up until now is okay. The First Prince let it slide nicely. However, you must not cause any problems while the party is happening. Please think of your Papa''s reputation.¡±

    After finishing his work in the territory and arriving at the Parn Festival, Benedict had heard about the incident that urred between me and the First Prince.

    How many thoughts must have crossed his mind in that moment? And how relieved must he have felt upon hearing that things hadn¡¯t escted?

    If Benedict were to die before his time, Lucy would undoubtedly have the most significant impact on that.

    Despite having watched me with worry numerous times, Benedict was reluctantly forced to leave when a servant said it was time to prepare for the party.

    As he departed, several maidens, including Erin, entered my room.

    In their hands were various dresses I had packed for the Parn territory.

    Half of those were the extravagant dresses Lucy had worn in social circles back in the day.

    Seeing them made the regrets I had just moments ago feel like they were flying away.

    Whether it was the First Prince or the evil god, they were individuals I could somehow deal with if I fought hard enough.

    But those clothes were different.

    Those were the outfits suggested by that perverted old man, which would be a cmity I couldn¡¯t handle, and a nightmare that would leave a deep scar on my soul.

    Why would I intentionally lose?

    Am I supposed to wear those and then ept some unknown punishment afterward? What kind of madness is that?

    Even if an elf from a fairy tale wore them, people would say, ¡°Auntie, aren¡¯t you being too much?¡±

    I filtered out all the clothes I couldn¡¯t bear to look at.

    I made excuses saying the ones I had worn before wouldn¡¯t fit me now.

    ¡°The sizes should fit. They were the same when I measured before.¡±

    ¡®...Still, I don¡¯t like it, so take it out.¡¯

    ¡°Shut up. You foolish Erin. Just do what the master says.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Surely thest time Lucy wore those was two or three years ago, yet the sizes remain the same?

    Isn¡¯t Lucy at an age where she should be growing?

    It¡¯s that time when, after just a few months, clothes don¡¯t fit anymore and need to be reced.

    But why hasn¡¯t there been any change? Could it be that Lucy¡¯s growth period has already ended?

    In this short, tiny state?!

    No. That can¡¯t be right.

    It doesn¡¯t make sense logically.

    Lucy, born to a troll and a woman who, when seen in the illusion, was above average height, should be worrying about being excessively tall rather than small.

    Considering that height is significantly influenced by gics, it makes sense for Lucy to be concerned about growing too tall.

    But why isn¡¯t she growing?!

    What on earth is happening?!

    Is it the god?

    Is that perverted old man not allowing me to grow taller?!

    Normally, I would dismiss such thoughts as nonsense, but with the name of that pathetic god attached, it seemed persuasive.

    ¡°Miss, which one will you wear from these?¡±

    As I pondered which one would be less eye-catching, Erin spoke up.

    ¡°May I make a suggestion?¡±

    She seemed hesitant, as if she had mustered the courage to speak, and there was a hint of worry on her face.

    She must have thought I would criticize her.

    Seeing that, I nodded without saying a word. I knew that whatever she said would inevitably turn into a sharp retort.

    Erin¡¯s face lit up with a bright smile.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°There are no clothes that don¡¯t suit you, but there are certainly clothes that suit you even better.¡±

    As if she had been waiting for this day, Erin¡¯s words flowed out with a strange power.

    It was as if I was hypnotized, and before I realized it, I was already being dressed in the clothes.

    ...Erin. What a scary child.

    The preparation for participating in the party was exceedingly tedious.

    Makeup done. Hair styled. Donning a dress that was moreplicated than armor, which I couldn¡¯t even put on by myself.

    So, while the maidens busily moved around, I let my thoughts wander.

    I couldn¡¯t endure being a doll in a doll y with a sober mind.

    Regardless of how it went, it was true that I had crushed that old man¡¯s schemes.

    ordingly, rewards were to be given.

    That pathetic god was indeed an absurd deity¡ªone that was perverted, a masochist, sadistic, ipetent, and petty.

    But there was one thing I could trust. It was about the rewards.

    The advice I had received regarding Benedict¡¯s useless titles had been usefulter on.

    So, I expected that this time as well, the pathetic god would give me rewards, but I was also worried.

    After all, I had not been shy about insulting Armadi during the quest.

    What if something grotesque like a strengthening of the Mesugaki skill popped up?

    The first reward that appeared was something that had been specified when the quest was assigned.

    [Your reputation increases dramatically!] [Yourpetence will capture the attention of many!] [The gossip of the continent will be filled with discussions about your abilities and talents!]

    Increase in reputation.

    While there were many loud descriptions beneath it, honestly, it wasn¡¯t a reward that felt tangible.

    This isn¡¯t a game. I can¡¯t see how much my reputation score has increased.

    But still, I didn¡¯t care too much.

    The fact that it popped up as a message meant there was a significant change, and as I moved around, I would naturally feel it.

    The next message that appeared was something I hadn¡¯t anticipated.

    Up until now, most of the additional rewards had been rted to skills, equipment enhancements, or various items.

    [Most of the physical penalties you currently possess will disappear!]

    Removal of physical penalties.

    This reward was something I could feel immediately.

    Not only was my condition originally poor, but I had also been feeling heavier as the doping penalties approached, but suddenly my body felt refreshed.

    It was like waking up after a good night¡¯s sleep.

    Having been prepared to be bedridden for several days, this reward was incredibly wee.

    Although I had expected greater rewards due to the high difficulty of the quest, this was all I received.

    Still, I had noints.

    It was evident that the god had been careful after seeing the situation of the apostles.

    After the rewards were dispensed, I expected the pathetic god to present me with a new quest.

    After all, there was usually at least one quest left.

    However, this time was an exception.

    Only a phrase asking me to wait for the second semester at the academy appeared, and nothing else came up.

    I didn¡¯t know the reason, but I interpreted it as the god¡¯s consideration to allow me to rest during the remaining time.

    So, if I could just get through this party, I would have the remaining time to rx!

    If I could get through this night without any issues, a vacation woulde!

    I had already made my ns.

    I would stay curled up in a corner for the entire party.

    I would hide in the shadows and spend my time ominously.

    If I don¡¯t meet anyone or talk to anyone, there won¡¯t be any problems!

    As I was making that resolution while looking at Lucy in the mirror as she was finishing her preparations, there was a knock at the door.

    ¡°Excuse me, Lady Lucy. May I trouble you for a moment?¡±

    The Duke of Parn? Why is the busiest person here?

    I was curious, but there was no need to stop the Duke of Parn. I let him in without thinking.

    ¡°I apologize for interrupting at such a hectic time.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s alright...¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Duke. You are that kind of person, after all.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, thank you for your understanding. The reason I¡¯vee here is that I have a matter to discuss with you.¡±

    A matter? What could it be? Is it rted to the First Prince?

    ¡°As you know, during this Parn Festival, you have earned the title of the yer.¡±

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s right.¡¯

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    ¡°During this party, I must summon you to award you the title. I thought it would be better for you to prepare a speech for that asion.¡±

    The Duke of Parn smiled, thinking that a smart and confidentdy like me would do well, but I couldn¡¯t return the smile.

    So...

    Does that mean I¡¯m expected to speak in front of several influential nobles, including powerful royal heirs?

    While my Mesugaki skill is functioning normally?

    ...

    Pathetic god!

    No, Almighty!

    I want an exemption!

    I¡¯m using my exemption!

    Please let me skip it!

    Please, please!

    I want to get through this crisis!

 Chapter 205

    Desperately, I realized that reality hadn''t changed.

    The request from Duke Parn was just a personal favor. Since it wasn¡¯t a quest, there was no possibility of skipping it.

    Having pulled myself out of panic, I expressed my refusal to the duke. No matter how I thought about it, it didn¡¯t seem like anything good woulde of it. However, the duke did not ept my plea.

    ¡°Lady, you have defeated the First Prince. If you were to remain silent about your feelings, what would others think?¡±@@novelbin@@

    The Duke of Parn¡¯s stern voice warned that it could be perceived as a tant disregard for the First Prince.

    Even though he usually chuckled at being called the "Flimsy Duke," his firmness now seemed to stem from concern for me, Joie¡¯s friend.

    Realizing this, I reluctantly nodded, and the duke smiled as if he were in a thriller movie.

    ...That smile meant he thought I had made the right decision, right?

    After his headache-inducing words and his request, the duke left, and I urgently called out for the old man.

    With my limited intellect, I couldn''t see a way out of this situation.

    <...Please give me a moment to think. My head hurts.>

    However, just because he was an old man didn¡¯t mean he had a magical solution to this predicament.

    Since my actions were limited by skills, no matter how politically savvy he was, there were still limits.

    <First, let''s keep the premises short. We can¡¯t predict which direction this might go.>

    ¡®Right.¡¯

    <After that, what we need to consider is...>

    Summarizing the old man''s words led to minimizing damage.

    As long as the Mesugaki skill existed, we couldn''t prevent an explosion, so we should at least try to lessen its size.

    Hearing that, I couldn''t help but let out a sigh.

    If I had known this, I might as well have just lost to the First Prince and worn the dress...

    No, that¡¯s not quite right.

    But isn¡¯t it also a bit ridiculous to say such foolish things in front of numerous influential nobles?

    As I pondered this, I ultimately reached the harsh truth.

    No matter which choice I made, the only path ahead led to hell.

    I thought I had crushed the ridiculous divine being¡¯s scheme, but I was wrong. The moment he gave me the quest, I was destined to fall into the abyss.

    Which deity would trap their own apostle in a trap like this? This ridiculous, trashy idiot!

    Many wanted to participate in the party held by the Parn family.

    The authority of being one of the few duke families in the kingdom.

    The reputation built from the many achievements of the Parn family.

    The honor born from their dedication to the kingdom.

    The Parn family possessed all three of these.

    Would there be only a few who wanted to have any kind of connection with the people here?

    Because of this, the number of attendees at the Parn family party was always far less than the number of those wishing to attend.

    Given the situation, the names of those attending the party were certainly not light.

    The two princes of the Sdin Kingdom.

    Heirs from other duke families excluding the Burrow family.

    The famed swordsmen from the Kent family, the immensely wealthy Rummery from fertilends, and powerful noble families like the Valken family, who are supporters of the Blue Magic Tower.

    Saints of the Divine Church, leaders of the frontline for various dungeon raids, heads of the w Mercenary Corps, apostles worshiping the God of Arts, and sessors of the Dragon¡¯s Breath Guild, which connects various countries on the continent.

    Regardless of their status, there was no one with a light name among them.

    While that was true, there were still differences in greatness.

    All gems in the world shine beautifully, but the value of those gems varies.

    The same was true for those attending this party.

    Some people were anxious to talk, while others lurked in the corners, observing quietly.

    And at this very moment.

    The name of the family waiting for the door to open beyond the party hall was undoubtedly the former.

    After the person guarding the door seemed to receive some information through magical tools, they took a deep breath.

    ¡°Sir Benedict Alrn of the Alrn Count family and Lady Lucy Alrn are entering!¡±

    With a voice that echoed throughout the party hall, everyone''s attention focused on the entrance. As the massive doors opened, a father and daughter stepped into the party hall.

    To describe their appearance in one word, it would be a monster and the fairy captivated by it.

    A massive physique that could easily make any average man look like a child, with muscles that seemed ready to burst out of a suit.

    A fierce expression.

    The bravado that emanated from the strength of a man.

    The awe born from the legendary tales he created.

    Benedict Alrn.

    Once known as the kingdom''s fang, even though he had secluded himself in his territory for a long time, his name was always mentioned when discussing the strongest on the continent.

    The gazes directed toward him were filled with admiration, gratitude, awe, and respect.

    That name, which had protected the kingdom through countless adversities, deserved such attention.

    Beside him was a petite girl, seemingly able to rest her head on his waist.

    Her attire was exceedingly simple and in.

    A dress primarily white with asional golden ents.

    Had it been worn by some nameless noble girl, it would have been criticized as too in.

    However, there was no one who could throw such words at the girl.

    She was too beautiful for anyone to call her in.

    With snow-white skin, a gentle smile, and confident red eyes that mixed purity and mischief. Her twin tails swayed like waves in the air.

    She looked like an angel that the gods had meticulously crafted.

    She transformed the evaluation of her outfit with her beauty.

    inness became elegance, confidence became poise, and simplicity became space.

    Anyone who saw her would be enchanted and gasped in awe, yet the gazes directed at the girl were far from kind.

    Those who had long participated in high society knew whaty beneath that angelic exterior.

    Lucy Alrn.

    A girl who had made a name for herself through numerous misdeeds.

    Had it not been for her connection to Benedict Alrn, she would have long since fallen into the devil¡¯s embrace.

    Since all light was given to Benedict, she was considered to have received God¡¯s neglect.

    Recently, rumors circted that Lucy Alrn had changed since entering the academy, but hardly anyone believed it.

    Even if hertent talents had bloomed, her nature would remain unchanged. The malice she had previously disyed amidst countless hatred wouldn¡¯t simply disappear.

    This was the judgment of those who had faced Lucy Alrn and had been wounded by her venom.

    Given the circumstances, the gazes directed at Lucy Alrn were not favorable.

    ¡°Why is that girl here...¡±

    Someone expressed hatred.

    ¡°Leeching off the mercy of the Parn noble...¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny how she dared to confront the First Prince without knowing her ce?¡±

    Someone expressed jealousy.

    ¡°She must have made a contract with a demon.¡±

    ¡°Right? That trash suddenly grew up.¡±

    Someone even boldly threw out malicious words.

    For Lucy Alrn, this space was a ce of punishment.

    A punishment wandering through the needles of others¡¯ hostility.

    While any ordinary person might have faltered under the pain, Lucy Alrn was different.

    Without a hint of wavering, she stood before the duke and duchess.

    Seeing this, Duke Parn raised an eyebrow in surprise.

    ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Duke and Duchess Parn.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Flimsy Duke. Flimsy Duchess.¡±

    As the Alrn father-daughter entered, a multitude of murmurs filled the party hall, but all sounds vanished the moment Lucy Alrn spoke.

    It was a grave breach of etiquette.

    A serious breach of etiquette.

    To utter such nonsense to the host of the party, and not just any noble family, but the Duke and Duchess of Parn!

    If they mistakenly spoke out of turn, sparks might fly, and everyone was holding their breath, stealing nces when suddenly, the Duke and Duchess Parn burst intoughter.

    ¡°Bwahaha! Mydy! Did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°I did. I never thought I¡¯d hear such a thing in this ce.¡±

    ¡°That takes guts. Truly worthy of being Benedict¡¯s daughter.¡±

    Benedict, hearing thisughter right before him, stammered in surprise.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you two. My daughter...¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, Benedict? I like this nickname. Until now, all I heard from the child was crying, but Flimsy Duke! If only other children were treated so kindly.¡±

    ¡°Me too. Until now, all I heard were names like ¡®demon¡¯ and ¡®witch,¡¯ but Flimsy Duchess?¡±

    The two smiled as they patted Benedict on the shoulder, but neither he nor anyone else took those words sincerely.

    They only thought that Lucy, being the daughter of a great hero and Benedict¡¯s friend, was being forgiven for her rudeness.

    After all, those who uttered those words were at the center of many terrifying rumors about the Parn family.

    If someone believed those words, filled with mere politeness, and behaved simrly, their life would surelye to an end that day.

    ¡°Oh dear. I¡¯ve been holding onto you too long. It¡¯s been a while since I attended a party; I should enjoy myself. I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±

    Amidst the duke¡¯s terrifyingughter, the party attendees mustered their voices.

    No one could think that the duke¡¯s words about enjoying the party were merely directed at the Alrn duo.

    Was it because it had been a long time since I was outside the mansion? Benedict was busily meeting people.

    There were so many who wanted to greet him that a circle had formed around Benedict.

    Watching this, I quietly slipped away from his side and headed to a corner of the party hall. Unlike Benedict, the gazes directed at me were anything but kind.

    <Their hostility is quite direct.> ¡®Indeed.¡¯

    While I was at the academy, most people didn¡¯t hate me; rather, they feared me.

    However, this ce was different. The people here didn¡¯t hide their animosity toward me.

    Even when I stood a little way in front, it felt suffocating. How did Lucy endure that?

    Now I even felt a sense of respect. Truly.

    <How much karma must she have umted in the past? Even with the duke showing his protective intentions, it''s still this intense.>

    The old man sounded as if he were shocked, but I didn¡¯t respond.

    Maybe he didn¡¯t expect a reply. The old man quickly changed the subject.

    <At least not everyone is filled with hostility, which is somewhat reassuring.>

    As the old man said, not everyone was watching me with sharp eyes.

    There were people who seemed unfamiliar with high society. Those who appeared to distance themselves from noble status were looking at me with curiosity.

    Could this be part of the reward given by the trashy deity?

    I still didn¡¯t quite feel it yet.

    Arriving in a less noticeable corner, I scanned the party hall, searching for acquaintances.

    Joie and Faybi stood at the center of this party. Surrounded by a multitude of people, it seemed they wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from that crowd.

    Prey was busy munching on food in another corner. Had Arthur not arrived yet?

    Ah, there¡¯s Avery.

    When our eyes met, I frowned slightly.

    Hey, you know about what happened at the auction, right?

    Avery nodded eagerly.

    Despite her character, she certainly had quick wit.

    As I thought this, I propped my chin up and noticed Jeff walking toward me from afar.

    The prince of the Parn family, who should be at the center of this party, hade all the way to this corner.

    There could only be one reason for that.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, are you ready to present your thoughts?¡±

    No, I¡¯m not.

    I¡¯m prepared, but I don¡¯t want to present.

    Can I pass?

    You just saw it, right? If I step onto that stage, something is definitely going to go wrong.

    Do you really want such a disaster to ur at the party?

    Though I grumbled internally, my outward words werepletely the opposite.

    ¡®Yes, I¡¯m ready.¡¯

    ¡°Of course, my sly prince.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would have the courage to flee from this situation.

    Well then, let¡¯s go and tarnish my reputation.

    ...

    I really don¡¯t want to go...

 Chapter 206

    As I nodded, Jeff exined the uing schedule to me.

    A few more people would be entering, and finally, the First Prince and the Third Prince would enter together. After dering the official start of the party, he would call me forward.

    At that time, I was to share my impressions of participating in the festival along with my prepared remarks.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine to cause a scene, but please make sure it¡¯s something manageable.¡±

    His tone, assuming I would cause a scene, was irritating.

    If you know that, then let me skip this speech! Why do you insist on putting me in front of everyone?!

    Just because it¡¯s the Duke of Parn¡¯s order?

    ...Well, I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do about that. Okay.

    After Jeff left, many more people continued to enter the party hall.

    Among them were several familiar faces.

    Viins, heroes, passing NPCs, and those who had provided moving side stories. There were even some I wanted to meet personally.

    It wasn¡¯t strange at all.

    To be invited to the Duke of Parn''s family means these individuals must possess something extraordinary.

    Be it authority, honor, skill, or lineage, they had to be worthy of recognition from the Duke of Parn.

    Such people naturally hold significant influence on the continent, and when someone has great influence, it means they carry considerable weight, so I couldn¡¯t help but be familiar with them.

    As I recalled memories from the game while looking at the faces entering, I felt a bit of my anxiety ease.

    Isn¡¯t this just escapism?

    Yes.

    But what can I do?!

    If I don¡¯t escape into a fantasy, I feel like my heart will break!

    Standing in the center of a party filled with people who hate me, I¡¯ll have to spit out things like, ¡°What a pathetic loser who loses to a girl! Disqualified as an adult! Disqualified as a human!¡± I need some kind of escape!

    <Girl.>

    ¡®What?!¡¯

    <Do you know that man over there?>

    Hearing the old man¡¯s words, I lifted my head and spotted a man ring in my direction.

    If he were a stranger, I would have dismissed him as a creepy guy, but this time it was different.

    I knew that man.

    His face was even more sinister than I remembered, but that was all. How could I mistake someone who appeared as one of the story bosses from the kingdom?

    He was the strongest knight in the kingdom in the game.

    Filled with endless pride in his strength, he met his end in a pathetic struggle.

    Tabol Demesil.

    ¡®He¡¯s probably the captain of the kingdom¡¯s knights...¡¯

    That was likely.

    With Benedict here, he wouldn¡¯t have earned the title of the strongest in the kingdom, but he probably hadn¡¯t lost the position of captain either.

    <Just to ask, did you do something to that man?>

    ¡®Why do you ask?¡¯

    <He wouldn¡¯t be looking at you like that otherwise.>@@novelbin@@

    Indeed, Tabol¡¯s eyes were fierce. They seemed to harbor a deep-seated hatred.

    ...Lucy. What have you done? Did you provoke that scary uncle?!

    It¡¯s obvious. He probably said something like, ¡°You pathetic weakling, how dare you challenge my dad? That¡¯s hrious.¡±

    He¡¯s someone who would openly insult the king, so he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to say anything to the captain.

    Having be ustomed to this kind of situation, I half-resignedly nced away from him.

    After all, he was someone I¡¯d have to deal withter. What does it matter if I get a bit of hatred now?

    Not long after that, the final guest to cap off this grand party made his entrance.

    The first to enter was the Third Prince, Arthur Sdin.

    As he stepped in, everyone apuded, but the reception was generally lukewarm.

    Arthur was more ustomed to this kind of thing than I was, so he must have sensed the lukewarm reception, yet he approached the duke with a stoic expression andpleted his greeting.

    Then came the highlight of the party.

    The First Prince, Rene Sdin.

    As he entered, the weing cheers were of a different caliber than when Arthur came in.

    The apuse echoed throughout the hall. The eyes of excited people glistened. Cheers erupted.

    Everyone was doing their utmost to make an impression on someone who was half-confirmed to inherit the throne in the future.

    Among them were those who were pping out of obligation, but they were either uninterested in power or were hoping the Second Prince would be king.

    ¡°Thank you for the invitation, Duke Parn. It¡¯s been a while since I enjoyed myself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear you enjoyed it, Your Highness.¡±

    After the ceremonial greetings, once the First Prince stepped back, Duke Parn stood in the center of the stage and waved his hand lightly.

    As soon as that brief gesture ended, a magic circle appeared before him.

    Amplification magic.

    The same kind that Joy used during thest field trip.

    At that time, Joy had struggled for dozens of minutes just to create that one. The Duke created it with just a flick of his hand.

    As expected, he¡¯s one of the kingdom¡¯s major powers.

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    As the duke cleared his throat, all eyes turned in his direction.

    No one dared to look away.

    ¡°Good evening, everyone. I am Duke Parn, the host of this party.¡±

    I felt the same way because the duke starting his opening speech meant he was going to put me on the execution tform.

    As I swallowed hard, watching the duke express gratitude to the attendees, his gazended on me.

    ¡°Before dering the official start of the party, I must first introduce someone. This person has earned a glorious title at our Parn festival. Given that so much has happened, I believe everyone knows who the protagonist is, but please act as if you don¡¯t, as I wouldn¡¯t want to feel embarrassed.¡±

    The moment I had never wished for even once in my life arrived right before me.

    Taking a deep breath and checking my attire, I rose from my seat.

    As I did so, murmurs began to ripple out from the crowd surrounding me.

    While the contemptuous voices were certainly not friendly, I hadn¡¯t expected any goodwill in the first ce, so I didn¡¯t pay much attention.

    Instead of wasting my energy on them, I focused on the old man¡¯s voice in my ear.

    <As I¡¯ve mentioned before, I¡¯ll say it once more. Keep it as concise as possible. Pause between your words and speak calmly. And...>

    Ugh.

    I¡¯m so nervous.

    I felt like I was going to choke on my anxiety.

    I wasn¡¯t this anxious even when I went to meet Karia.

    Hey, trashy deity! If you¡¯re going to be unreasonable, can¡¯t you at least make it something difficult and dangerous?! I really feel like this isn¡¯t my thing!

    If you¡¯re going to make me be unreasonable, make it something I can ovee with my gaming knowledge! Please!

    ¡°Duke Parn, may I ask you to wait a moment?¡±

    While I was foolishly wondering if I could find some calming medication, a voice emerged from the crowd.

    It was a deep, low voice that was naturally attention-grabbing.

    As I turned my gaze along with everyone else, I easily spotted its owner.

    His imposing figure was hard to miss among the crowd.

    ¡°Before that, I have a question.¡±

    Tabol.

    The one who had been ring at me with hatred just moments ago.

    ¡°What is it, Captain of the Knights?¡±

    ¡°The purpose of the Parn festival is to prove oneself through victories in various contests, is it not?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is correct. As someone who has earned the title of ''Butcher'' in the past, you know this well.¡±

    ¡°Then if someone participated in the festival using dishonest means, that record would not be acknowledged.¡±

    Even though I was inexperienced in politics, I could understand what he was trying to say at this point. The hostility directed at me was impossible to misunderstand.

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    The duke¡¯s voice was low.

    It was a voice that could weigh heavily on a person¡¯s shoulders.

    Yet, even in the face of that voice, Tabol merely shrugged.

    ¡°The title of ¡®Butcher¡¯ in the Parn festival is indeed a glorious one, so it must be determined with fairness and integrity.¡±

    ¡°Captain.¡±

    Even I, who struggled with politics, understood this situation. There was no way those who moved in high society would fail to grasp it.

    Despite the warning in the duke¡¯s voice, the party hall remained silent.

    Instead, it was filled with murmurs.

    It was as if everyone expected this to happen, with hostility and sarcasm pouring out.

    ¡°In other words, if one has sullied the values of fairness and integrity, they cannot only fail to earn the title but must also receive due punishment.¡±

    ¡°Tabol.¡±

    Bad rumors spread like a gue.

    They quickly seeped into people¡¯s minds.

    The infection that started with Tabol rapidly spread throughout the party hall.

    Before long, the murmurs drowned out all other voices.

    ¡°I raise a suspicion here. The girl named Lucy Alrn, who has been selected as this festival¡¯s butcher, did not earn her title through legitimate means.¡±

    While Tabol feigned concern for fairness and integrity, anyone could see that his intentionsy elsewhere.

    His gaze was fixed on one person alone.

    Duke Parn.

    Me.

    But most importantly,

    Benedict Alrn.

    Lucy¡¯s father.

    The one who should possess the title of the strongest in the kingdom that Tabol once held.

    Tabol looked at him and smiled.

    At that moment, I fully understood his intentions.

    At first, I had tilted my head in confusion.

    Why was he attacking me?

    No matter how much resentment he held against me, this was too overt.

    He was trying to insult me in front of everyone.

    Wasn¡¯t he challenging my family and Benedict?

    Even the First Prince was concerned about Benedict, so didn¡¯t Tabol fear him?

    But now, I understand.

    He didn¡¯t hate me.

    He hated Benedict.

    He despised the warrior who possessed talents greater than his own.

    Therefore, he didn¡¯t care who stood behind me.

    He had been looking at Benedict from the very beginning.

    ¡°Is this a legitimate suspicion?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Are you prepared to take responsibility if your suspicion is unfounded?¡±

    ¡°My answer remains the same as before.¡±

    ¡°Can you prove it?¡±

    ¡°That is something thedy must do.¡±

    As Tabol closed his mouth and turned his gaze away, the duke turned his head, and the crowd¡¯s eyes followed suit.

    All those gazes.

    Sharp as needles.

    Heavy with reprimand.

    They pressed down on me, attempting to crush me.

    <This situation is not good. Regardless of the truth, the crowd is preparing to condemn you.>

    The old man spoke.

    The very act of raising a suspicion was problematic.

    Whether I denied it or not, the crowd had alreadybeled me a dishonest person.

    Why? Because my reputation, Lucy¡¯s, was in the gutter.

    They thought I was a person who could easily do something like that.

    <That damn fool. He¡¯s targeting you. Whether it¡¯s true or not, he¡¯s trying to tarnish your image. To respond to this... Girl?>

    ¡®Yes? What is it, Grandfather?¡¯

    <Why are you smiling?>

    Grandfather, you¡¯re really sharp.

    You might think it¡¯s a forced smile due to the Mesugaki skill, but you noticed that I was genuinely smiling.

    Well, it¡¯s not something I have to hide. If you¡¯re curious, I¡¯ll answer.

    ¡®If this happens, I won¡¯t have to step onto the stage!¡¯

    <...Huh?>

    Whether I receive or lose the title of festival butcher is none of my business!

    After all, the trashy deity¡¯s quest has ended.

    It doesn¡¯t matter whether I take it or not; there will be no penalties!

    Of course, I¡¯m innocent! I didn¡¯t use any dishonest means!

    But what can I do when so many people are sending me cold stares?

    I can only ept responsibility for the sins of my past and refuse the award, right?

    Nice job, Tabol!

    You¡¯re giving me sweet items in the game and helping me out in real life!

    You really are the best boss!

 Chapter 207

    Benedict never liked it when Lucy was the subject of gossip.

    Everyone who knew him acknowledged that he was a doting father. How could he enjoy the disparagement of Lucy?

    It was one of the main reasons Benedict hoped that Lucy wouldn¡¯t participate in the party.

    Lucy brushed off Benedict''s concerns as the overprotectiveness of a timid father, but Benedict couldn''t shake off his difort.

    Today was no different. From the moment they entered, he struggled to contain his anger at the flood of insults directed at her.

    Despite this, Benedict endured all the humiliation for the sake of his daughter.

    He knew that if he stepped in regarding Lucy¡¯s past misdeeds, it would only deepen the resentment toward her.

    With Lucy herself smiling and enduring all the criticism, he believed he shouldn¡¯t shatter her resolve by stepping in.

    However, this situation was different. This matter had nothing to do with Lucy.

    Although Tabol had pointed the finger at Lucy, what he wanted to insult was Benedict Alrn himself.

    Many years ago, during Benedict¡¯s childhood, the grudges he had built up were now directed at his daughter.

    What reason did he have to endure this? Benedict clenched his fists as he looked at Tabol¡¯s face, which was fixed on him.

    He thought about smashing a few of his teeth to ensure that the bastard couldn¡¯t speak properly for a while.

    However, his thoughts were interrupted.

    <Benedict. Wait.>

    Just as he was about to move, a voice echoed in his mind.

    Telepathy.

    A form of magic that an exceptionally skilled magician would typically know how to use. It conveyed meaning through magical power instead of words.

    Following the thread of magic directed at him, Benedict turned to see Duke Parn standing on the stage.

    ¡®Why?¡¯

    If it were that man, there was no need for him to move his lips.

    Benedict''s intuition was correct. As soon as he thought to ask, the answer came back to him.

    <If you intervene, it will be troublesome. The immediate criticisms may fade, but the suspicions directed at your daughter will remain, won¡¯t they?>

    ¡®That¡¯s an unjust suspicion. If he admits it through his own mouth...¡¯

    As he felt his past fiery temperament re-emerging, Benedict suddenly felt a strange difort at Duke Parn¡¯s passive observation of this situation.

    Lucy was the winner of this festival. She was the one Duke Parn had invited to congratte personally.

    Yet she was being buried under countless insults, and the duke wasn¡¯t taking any action.

    One word from him could end all thismotion.

    ¡®Did you intentionally create this situation?¡¯

    Upon reflection, it was peculiar that Tabol was even standing here.

    Benedict¡¯s participation in the party had long been confirmed due to Lucy being invited by the Duke¡¯s daughter.

    Yet, seeing Benedict, they invited Tabol, someone likely to cause trouble? Not from the First Prince¡¯s faction, nor someone particrly close to Duke Parn?

    <We must verify who my daughter trusts so deeply.> ¡®Duke.¡¯

    The rage of a beast that once roamed the continent shifted direction.

    That was something that would be burdensome even from Duke Parn¡¯s perspective. The urgency in the duke''s excuse transmitted to Benedict¡¯s mind.

    <I never intended for things to escte like this from the start. I never imagined that guy would be this emotional.> ¡®Are you telling me to make him trust me?¡¯ <Calm yourself. If things escte further, I will intervene. Of course, I will provide appropriatepensation to you and your daughter. There¡¯s justification for that.> ¡®It¡¯s unnecessary.¡¯

    At this moment, cooperating with the duke could bring many benefits.

    Benedict wasn¡¯t ignorant of that fact.

    However, nothing¡ªabsolutely nothing¡ªwould be enoughpared to the suffering Lucy was enduring right now.

    Benedict had no intention of stopping.

    <More than that, my friend. Isn¡¯t your daughter smiling right now?>

    Is she smiling? Lucy?

    Benedict hurriedly turned his head to see his daughter, who stood amidst the usations.

    Despite the weight of the scorn bearing down on her, Lucy stood proudly with her shoulders back, smiling as the duke had said.

    It wasn¡¯t a forced smile to appear calm. It was a genuine smile, as if she truly enjoyed the situation.

    <What a remarkable child, Benedict. Even more than you.>

    At that moment, as Benedict was frozen in ce, someone moved before him.

    Divine light blossomed from the ceiling of the party hall, filled with scorn toward Lucy.

    Though not ostentatious, it was a warmth that made it impossible to look away.

    As the usations fell, one by one, those who had been hurling insults were captivated by the divine light cascading down like snow, and the party hall fell into silence.

    <...I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re close, but did she act to this extent?>

    After the heated atmosphere calmed, a voice echoed in the center of the hall.

    She didn¡¯t amplify her voice with magic, nor did she use any other tools.

    Her voice was purely her own, yet it prated the ears of everyone present in the hall.

    ¡°Everyone.¡±

    Soft and gentle, yet clear. A voice refined through countless public appearances.

    ¡°Please calm down. Nothing has been proven to be true yet.¡±

    No one¡ªnone of those standing in the party hall¡ªcould refute that voice.

    Who could argue against the voice of the saint of the Divine Church, speaking with a sorrowful expression?

    Although she was just a student at the academy, in the outside world, it was a different story.

    Having traveled across numerous regions and performed good deeds, she had be the face of the current Divine Church. Her words carried authority.

    ¡°Lady Alrn?¡±

    ¡°What is it, Flimsy Saint?¡±

    Because of that, the many who gasped at Lucy¡¯s unexpected jab at the saint only found that Flimsy Saint smiled lightly in response.

    ¡°Please step forward.¡±

    After confirming Lucy moving through the crowd, she turned her head.

    Though her face still bore a smile, oddly enough, that smile appeared cold.

    ¡°And Captain of the Knights?¡±

    At the saint¡¯s summons, Tabol disyed politeness for the first time.

    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness of the Divine Church.¡±

    ¡°Could you please borate on the suspicions?¡±

    ¡°The Parn festival...¡±

    ¡°Only speak about the suspicions.¡±

    As Tabol coughed awkwardly in response to her gentle yet firm tone, he stated that he had been rude and continued his exnation.

    ¡°Firstly, there¡¯s the possibility of using an artifact.¡±

    The stalls at the Parn festival worked hard to eliminate as many participants as possible.

    Even those with established reputations in their fields would find it challenging to guarantee sess outside their areas of expertise.

    However, Lucy was different.

    Even in areas where she should have struggled, she repeatedly emerged victorious.

    ¡°Perhaps that could rte to luck. In fields requiring excellent physical abilities? Let¡¯s assume everyone was secretly using buffs to enhance their physical abilities. But for her, a mere first-year student at the academy, to win in areas requiring numerous technical skills? Doesn¡¯t that seem strange?¡±

    Given that thepetitions were held in stalls, it wasn''t impossible to win purely based on physical ability.

    However, the gap between possibility and impossibility was vast.

    Even those actively engaged in their fields often faced failures, so how could a first-year student at the academy even dare to attempt it?@@novelbin@@

    ¡°What¡¯s your evidence?¡±

    As Tabol raised his voice to present his argument, a voice emerged from behind him.

    Curious about who dared to interrupt, Tabol narrowed his eyes, but upon seeing the face, he couldn¡¯t help but wear an awkward smile.

    Arthur Sdin.

    Though he was far from the line of session, he was nheless part of the royal family.

    He was one of the few individuals here to whom Tabol had to show deference.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Your im about the use of artifacts¡ªdo you have evidence? Did you witness her using one? Or did you verify the artifacts she supposedly used?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Did you raise your voice simply because you believe it¡¯s something a first-year student at the academy couldn¡¯t aplish?¡±

    Arthur looked at Tabol as if he were pathetic and then slightly nced at Duke Parn before standing up.

    ¡°While I cannotpare myself to my brother, I¡¯ll speak from the perspective of someone who has been called a genius. Lucy Alrn is a monster. A monster that introduced me to the wall of talent.¡±

    ¡°However.¡±

    ¡°Even Fray Kent, who is expected to be the pride of the kingdom in the future, has never defeated Lucy Alrn.¡±

    At Arthur¡¯s words, the gazes of the crowd shifted here and there.

    They were undoubtedly searching for Fray Kent, who was supposed to be present.

    Even amidst the urgent situation, Fray, who had been leisurely enjoying her meal, noticed the gathered stares and swallowed what was in her mouth before nodding.

    ¡°Yeah. Lucy is strong.¡±

    Her unremarkable voice drew admiration from various corners.

    Who is Fray Kent?

    She¡¯s a monster who has consistently triumphed in numerouspetitions across the continent with overwhelming skill.

    If she grows, she¡¯s considered likely to earn the title of Sword Saint, yet she has never managed to defeat Lucy Alrn even once!

    What had been merely a rumor now transformed into reality thanks to Fray¡¯s acknowledgment, solidifying the divine talent of Lucy Alrn in a public setting.

    Consequently, the eyes of the people shifted. From ¡°Could that be true?¡± to ¡°Perhaps that might be possible.¡±

    The bloodline of the Alrn family had finally flourished, hiding its talents for so long.

    ¡°Does this mean that she¡¯scking in anything other than physical ability? Not at all. If that were the case, Lucy Alrn wouldn¡¯t consistently ce first at the academy.¡±

    ¡°...Your Highness the Third Prince. What are you trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Simply put, I find it displeasing that you would dismiss the talent of a genius who will go down in history. Isn¡¯t that how you end up as a mere ipetent under the shadow of Lucy Alrn?¡±

    Tabol¡¯s mouth fell shut at Arthur¡¯s words.

    It was partly due to Arthur¡¯s strong stance, but it was also because he understood the hidden implications behind those words.

    If Lucy Alrn¡¯s talents were false, what would that make those who had been defeated by her? Specifically, what would it mean for the First Prince?

    How could he belittle him without evidence and still handle the consequences?

    ¡°However, there are still parts that cannot be proven. I can say her talent is outstanding, but magic? In the realm of magic, it¡¯s not the case.¡±

    ¡°I think I can address that.¡±

    This time, another voice emerged from elsewhere.

    Joy Parn.

    As a daughter of the Parn family, she possessed exceptional magical talent.

    She looked as if she had hurriedly arrived from somewhere, struggling to catch her breath.

    ¡°Lady Alrn possesses profound knowledge regarding magic as well.¡±

    ¡°...Really?¡±

    ¡°Are you suggesting you don¡¯t believe me?¡±

    From behind the fan that concealed her face, only her eyes remained visible. Those eyes were cold, sharp, andposed.

    How could one contradict the words of ady from Parn''s estate?

    Once again, Tabol¡¯s mouth shut, and after a brief pause, he opened it again.

    ¡°I understand. Perhaps Lady Alrn¡¯s talent surpasses my limited understanding. However, there are still suspicions lingering. The final part of the festival. The dungeon raid. When Lady Alrn faced the First Prince.¡±

    Tabol spoke, asserting that Lucy¡¯s response could not have been given without prior knowledge of the dungeon.

    As he raised his suspicions, those who had witnessed the duel between the First Prince and Lucy nodded in agreement.

    It seemed that Tabol''s voice rose with renewed vigor.

    ¡°I ask Lady Alrn. Did you know about that dungeon before visiting the stalls?¡±

    ¡°Of course I knew. Unlike you, pathetic knight.¡±

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    ¡°Compared to your ineptitude and inted pride, I¡¯m a genius.¡±

    In the silence that settled over the party hall,ughter filled with mockery began to spread.

 Chapter 208

    I had no intention of arguing against Tabol''s words.

    For him to present usations that seemed somewhat credible was the only way the duke would ept my resignation.

    So, I thought I¡¯d just watch Tabol spew whatever nonsense he wanted while brushing off the criticisms directed at me, but the situation changed halfway through.

    The one who started this shift was Faybi.

    She revealed her presence and silenced the arrows of usations aimed at me.

    Who would dare retort when the saint of the Divine Church says to calm down and listen?

    As Faybi set the stage for a counterargument, others raised their voices before I could.

    Arthur pointed out the ws in Tabol''s flimsy evidence, Fray validated my strength and talent, and Joy dismissed the doubts regarding magic.

    If you were to ask what Tabol''s downfall was, it would have to be hisck of preparation.

    His points were correct.

    I personally have limits, and it is true that I surpassed them by borrowing the power of the artifact called the ''Bracelet of Fun.''

    However, he had no evidence. No proof that I had used an artifact.

    If Lucy were in a situation where no one supported her, then theck of evidence wouldn''t have mattered much.

    Such minor issues could easily be overlooked in the tide of usations.

    However, it was impossible to do that now.

    The saint of the Divine Church. A strong candidate for the next Sword Saint. The Third Prince of the Sdin Kingdom. The daughter of the Duke of Parn.

    With such impressive names standing up for Lucy Alrn, how could anyone bury her under mere suspicions?

    How foolish! If you were going to act irrationally, you should have at least prepared properly!

    Thanks to that, the gazes directed at me had turned lukewarm!

    While those who hated me still red at me with sharp eyes, others were different!

    Excluding those with extreme negative feelings, everyone else was watching the situation unfold!

    At this rate, I could picture myself standing on the stage!

    I felt sorry for the four who helped me, but to be honest, I had cheered for Tabol up until halfway through.

    Of course, I was thankful.

    I was touched when Faybi first stepped up. When Arthur, Fray, and Joy came forward to defend me, my heart swelled with emotion.

    Someone was finally helping me, someone I thought I could never make friends with! If it weren¡¯t for the Mesugaki skill, I would have shed tears!

    But gratitude aside, reality is reality.

    Tabol had to win the argument for my award to be canceled!

    I did not want to stand in front of the powerful figures, including the First Prince, and say things like, ¡°Look at all these pathetic losers losing to a girl who hasn¡¯t even undergone hering-of-age ceremony!¡±

    Despite my heartfelt support, Tabol lost the argument and brushed off the artifact''s usage.

    Then he brought up the dungeon as if the suspicion couldn¡¯t be denied.

    Listening to his unnecessarily loud and clear voice, I sighed internally.

    Hah. This foolish muscle-brain.

    Why not just stick to the artifact issue until the end? After all, the suspicion itself was factual, so he could have had a chance.

    Perhaps I should have subtly given him a clue.

    What if I pretended there was wrongdoing in the dungeon raid?

    I could do it. I just had to be somewhat incoherent with my words.

    But then again, what about the stall owner? I¡¯d be a criminal who made the First Prince lose due to fraud.

    And, most importantly, my pride as a person wouldn¡¯t allow it!

    How dare he bring up the dungeon against me?! Someone who has memorized the strategies for every dungeon in the Soul Academy¡¯s world?!

    I couldn''t let this slide. After over ten hours of research and continuous study, how could I let that go unnoticed?!

    If I were to be a dungeon novice, I¡¯d rather be called a madwoman in front of the powerful people in this party!

    ¡°I see you already knew. Are you admitting to the suspicion?¡±

    ¡°Pfft~? Wrong answer. Wrong answer. That¡¯s a pathetic response, just like a balloon-headed knight¡¯s! At least think before you speak. Surely your head isn''t as empty as a balloon!?¡±

    Since I no longer cheered for Tabol, I provoked him with sincerity, and his face flushed red.

    He barely uttered a few words, and his fists were already shaking. Isn¡¯t his reaction a bit too good? I kind of want to tease him more now.

    ¡°...Then what do you mean by you already knew?¡±

    ¡°That pathetic dungeon? I knew about it before it even became a problem. Unlike the balloon-headed knight, I¡¯m smart!?¡±

    I kept going, waiting for Tabol to slip up.

    The name of the dungeon. Theyout of the dungeon. The types of monsters that appeared within, along with their spawn locations. The types of traps, their locations, and how to disarm them. Strategies for defeating the boss.

    I imed to have perfectly memorized all of it.

    ¡°That''s nonsense!¡±

    Tabol raised his voice before I could finish speaking. Was he trying to deceive himself with such nonsense?

    ¡°Oops? Did I get caught??¡±

    ¡°Of course! There¡¯s no way that could be true!¡±

    ¡°Really? Don¡¯t you know?¡±

    I do know.

    The danger level is A rank or higher. The main monsters are dragons. The dungeon has a total of 13 patterns.

    As I began to list the information about the dungeon that hade up as a problem, I could see Tabol¡¯s expression hardening.

    Hey, did you really ask me something you didn¡¯t know about? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t answer because you didn¡¯t know what I knew?

    No way, right? You¡¯re not that much of a loser, are you? Right?

    As those thoughts crossed my mind, I heard a voice from another direction.

    ¡°That¡¯s urate! It¡¯s normal not to know about a dungeon that rarely appears, yet to remember it in such detail!¡±

    Was that... the head of the w Mercenary Corps?

    She looked brighter than I remembered from the game. I think she used to have a darker personality.

    As the sudden cheer erupted from the crowd, everyone seemed unsure how to react until someone watching from afar threw a remark at the head of the mercenary corps.

    ¡°Head of the w Mercenary Corps.¡±

    Why is the First Prince interrupting here?!

    What? Is he looking for an opportunity to act irrationally? Is that it?!

    I nervously watched the First Prince, who was closely observing the head of the mercenary corps, but he didn¡¯t seem to care about my gaze.

    He only looked at her.

    ¡°Is that urate?¡±

    At the prince¡¯s question, the head of the mercenary corps'' smile faltered, but only for a moment before she stumbled through her response.

    ¡°Yes. Of course. It was the most difficult ce I¡¯ve ever conquered, so I remember it well.¡±

    ¡°I see. Good. Mercenary captain, let¡¯s ask Lady Lucy Alrn about other dungeons.¡±

    Though the head of the mercenary corps had been forced into this position due to the prince''s admiration, she diligently followed his orders.

    ¡°First...¡±

    Haha. Hey, Rene Sdin. Do you think by asking like this, the ws will be exposed?

    That¡¯s your misunderstanding. No matter what dungeon you ask about, I can answer!

    Thank you! Prince! For creating an opportunity to prove mypetence!

    Now that you¡¯ve neatly stepped aside, I¡¯m itching to show off my rotten knowledge!

    How many times did I respond to the mercenary captain¡¯s inquiries?

    Before long, the First Prince raised his voice again.

    ¡°Captain Tabol.¡±

    ¡°...Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°It seems that you believe it¡¯s true that Lucy Alrn knows about numerous dungeons. One of which was provided at the stalls.¡±

    Tabol couldn¡¯t respond to that voice. However, the First Prince didn¡¯t pay him any mind and continued speaking.

    ¡°I acknowledge that you admitted your defeat at the stalls because you recognized Lucy Alrn¡¯s reasoning.¡±

    ...Huh?

    Why is he defending me?

    Did he see no opportunity to act irrationally?

    ¡°I realize that safety can be thrown out the window. While it¡¯s possible to take such actions in a mock setting, it¡¯s ultimately your responsibility to choose to engage in that way.¡±

    ¡°Y-Your Highness!¡±

    ¡°I merely mentioned that, but you should stop there. If this continues, the party¡¯s enjoyment will vanish.¡±

    If I hadmitted any fraud, it would be the First Prince himself who suffered the most from it, demanding Tabol to restrain himself.

    The implication was clear.@@novelbin@@

    My innocence.

    That there was no fraud involved in my being named the festival¡¯s butcher.

    So this is politics.

    Watching the situation unfold and then choosing the side that is beneficial to oneself.

    The one who had tried to insult me by challenging me, yet is now praised for his generosity!

    Is this even a situation that makes sense?!

    I felt wronged, but I couldn¡¯t raise my voice in this situation. I knew that if I spoke nonsense while not expressing my gratitude, the consequences would be obvious.

    ¡°Duke Parn, that should be sufficient, right?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness. Thanks to you, Lady Alrn¡¯s innocence has been proven.¡±

    As the duke echoed the First Prince¡¯s words as if they had rehearsed, he continued.

    ¡°It seems Captain Tabol has no more words left to say, so let¡¯s proceed with the party. Lady Alrn?¡±

    Huh? Why is he calling for me?

    The situation was already resolved...

    Ah.

    Ahhhh!

    The fact that my innocence had been perfectly proven meant that my award was now all but guaranteed!

    The recluse prince had suddenly intervened, and I had lost my focus!

    What should I do?! How can I get out of this?!

    Should I pretend to be a sicklydy?

    Should I say that I¡¯m too overwhelmed by what just happened to do anything?!

    Should I act like I¡¯m dizzy and copse?!

    It¡¯s fine! It would be convincing!

    I tried to act, but the Mesugaki skill allowed nothing but confidence.

    Damn this skill! Help me out here! My owner is on the verge of disaster!

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work. You must be tired, so please rest for a moment.¡±

    Huh?

    ...Did I survive?

 Chapter 209

    Duke Parn was not pleased with the presence of Benedict, who was brimming with momentum before him.

    How could he be pleased when he had put his daughter in a predicament right in front of a man who loved her more than himself?

    ¡°Well then, why don¡¯t you make your excuses?¡±

    Excuses? For a duke of the Parn family, that was quite a harsh way to speak.

    Though Duke Parn thought this, he didn¡¯t voice it out loud. The person standing before him was not someone he could crush with power.

    Even if he could have suppressed him with authority, the duke would have only grumbled inwardly.

    ¡°First, understand one thing. The situation has escted beyond my intention.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that after calling Tabol to this ce?¡±

    ¡°She is a benefactor who saved our daughter¡¯s life twice. Do I seem like such a shameless man that I would throw her into a pit?¡±

    Since Lucy Alrn had saved Joy¡¯s life during the academy entrance exam, Duke Parn had a very favorable impression of her.

    Although his tone was harsh, his actions could be described as benevolent.

    She had the talent to take first ce in the Soul Academy, a battleground for skills.

    Moreover, she was someone his daughter admired greatly.

    ¡°Then why n something like this?¡±

    ¡°Because Joy cherishes your daughter too much.¡±@@novelbin@@

    If it were merely to build a friendship, he wouldn¡¯t have minded. Lucy was someone who had nothing to lose by being close.

    However, it had gone too far. Joy regarded Lucy Alrn, the daughter of a count, as a benefactor or lifelong friend.

    If harm were toe to Lucy, she would abandon her duties as a noble and help her.

    ¡°With such a debt of gratitude, how could I tell her to fall? That¡¯s something that shouldn¡¯t bemanded.¡±

    Thus, Duke Parn had intended to create a crisis during this party, to evaluate how Lucy would respond to it.

    However.

    ¡°Too many unexpected events have urred.¡±

    The sudden appearance of the First Prince, who rarely left the capital.

    The tension between Lucy and the First Prince.

    The festival, which unexpectedly turned into a ce for a duel, ended with Lucy emerging victorious against the First Prince.

    As a result, the animosity directed toward Lucy had intensified.

    Up to this point was manageable. It was an error that could be controlled.

    Amidst all these variables, Duke Parn had seeded in setting the stage.

    It was evident that Joy would intervene during the crisis, so he nned to discreetly bind her with magic.

    He had also asked the First and Third Princes for their understanding, requesting that they not intervene.

    Benedict would hold the duke ountable.

    All of this was to create a stage for Lucy Alrn to resolve the crisis on her own.

    ¡°Do you understand? My intention was to present her with an appropriate crisis.¡±

    Back when Benedict was dashing on the front lines, Tabol held deep inferiority and animosity toward him for losing in every contest against him.

    The only sce he found was that his son was better than Benedict¡¯s daughter.

    Naturally, Tabol didn¡¯t look favorably on the recent rising evaluation of Lucy.

    Thus, Duke Parn anticipated that if he encountered Lucy, he would try to undermine her in some way, and he wanted to see how she would handle it.

    He wanted to see how the child, who only knew how to bring others down in the past, had grown.

    His expectations were urate, but ultimately they were wrong.

    Tabol¡¯s animosity toward the Alrn family was beyond imagination.

    ¡°How could a captain of the kingdom¡¯s knights, experienced in politics, do something so insane?¡±

    Suppressing Lucy¡¯s reputation through suspicions was indeed the most certain way to tarnish her image.

    However, it could hardly be considered a good strategy.

    It would invite criticism toward the House of Parn that decided on the award.

    It would provoke the Alrn family.

    Moreover, it would dig up the wounds of the First Prince, who had been defeated by Lucy Alrn.

    If he had lost his mind, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid making such a choice, but Tabol had indeed lost his mind.

    ¡°That was the turning point. After that, countless unexpected variables emerged.¡±

    The saint¡¯s intervention. The movement of the First Prince. Joy¡¯s release of the duke¡¯s magic. When he regained his senses, he realized the stage was already slipping out of his grasp.

    ¡°The fortunate thing is that I could achieve my original goal.¡±

    The light that the divine being Lucy Alrn possessed was real.

    Even amidst the countless usations directed at her, she stood firm without wavering.

    Despite the immense crisis, she smiled as if she were enjoying it.

    Her overwhelming talent was proven through the testimonies of many, including the Third Prince.

    ¡°What was particrly impressive was the conversation between the mercenary captain and Lady Alrn.¡±

    The dialogue that began to prove Lucy¡¯s knowledge of numerous dungeons.

    Though Duke Parn, as a leader of his house, had considerable knowledge of many dungeons, the dungeons mentioned in that dialogue were entirely unfamiliar to him.

    Even names he had never heard before emerged.

    Yet Lucy knew all those dungeons.

    Not only did she know them; she had memorized theyouts of all those dungeons, the monsters that appeared within, the traps that existed, and the strategies to conquer them.

    Even the captain of the mercenary corps, standing at the forefront of dungeon raids, had to wrack her brain to recall the contents Lucy listed!

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a case where the mercenary captain even asked for advice?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That happened.¡±

    The sight of the mercenary captain, aghast at how such strategies could be possible, was etched into the minds of everyone present at the party.

    ¡°She proved everything she possessed in the face of crisis. Her own abilities and worth.¡±

    In the past, she had hidden her light behind the veil of the night sky.

    But not anymore.

    The star that unveiled itself shone so brightly that it overshadowed all the stars around it.

    Those watching that radiance would surely wish to im that star for themselves.

    ¡°Your love for your daughter has borne fruit, Benedict. Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the praise for my daughter, Duke Parn. However, that¡¯s that, and this is something else.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Did I not exin my situation clearly?¡±

    ¡°Nevertheless, it is true that you intentionally ced my daughter in a crisis.¡±

    As Benedict''s expression suggested that he could freeze hearts with his smile, Duke Parn hurriedly began discussing the various gifts he had prepared for Lucy to quell his anger.

    However, the suggestion to introduce Jeff was immediately shot down.

    Having sessfully evaded the speech, I intended to stick to my original n of hiding in a corner.

    I had initially nned to quietly ride out this time in a spot where no one would notice me.

    Unfortunately, my ns had been shattered from the very beginning.

    Many people deliberately sought me out in the corner, showing interest.

    ¡°I have received a great favor from Sir Benedict in the past. I attempted to repay it in some way, but instead, I only received a lot of information.¡±

    The one who broke the ice was the head of the w Mercenary Corps.

    When a great crisis had struck her mercenary group in the past, Benedict had helped them, and she mentioned that if she ever needed a mercenary again, she would tell him.

    Though I didn¡¯t know what exactly Benedict had done, it seemed that the favor had indeed been substantial. She was trying hard not to raise her voice even when referring to him as ackey.

    Once the head of the w Mercenary Corps finished her conversation without any issues, many more people began approaching me.

    At first, it was okay. The few who showed interest in me, who might have drawn the ire of the First Prince, were likely oddballs or politically indifferent.

    Among them, thetter couldn¡¯t stand the Mesugaki tone and fled, while the former expressed their opinions regardless of what I said.

    One prominent example was the apostle of the goddess of beauty and art.

    ¡°Oh! Lady Alrn, who possesses the beauty of the goddess! Would you grant me permission to speak with you, as I have been asked to inquire?!¡±

    The moment I met his gaze, he began to spout such nonsense; he was akin to a foolish fox.

    ¡°Could you shut up?? Just being in the same space makes me feel nauseous!?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Your voice is so beautiful!¡±

    No, this guy was worse than a foolish fox.

    Even after I openly insulted him, his praise for my voice genuinely startled me.

    I knew he was a character of some significance in the game, and I was aware that he was far from normal, but there is a significant difference between seeing him on a monitor and meeting him in real life.

    The only fortunate thing was that this guy¡¯s purpose was not to hit on me.

    Unlike the foolish fox, the apostle of beauty and art didn¡¯t want me to act pervertedly toward him.

    Instead, he merely wanted to know if it would be eptable for him to praise my beauty while wandering around.

    Not wanting to engage in a lengthy conversation with a crazy pervert, I casually granted permission and sent him away.

    After the group, which was mostly harmless except for one person, passed by, the next to approach me was someone with political intentions.

    He introduced himself as someone from the Sen family and spoke of how impressive my disy at this festival was. He praised my recent conduct against Tabol and mentioned that he had heard I was rewriting the history of the academy.

    However, the intention behind all his words was singr.

    To draw me into his faction.

    This man was considerably more clingy than the first group.

    He whispered sweet words in my ear, enduring the insults from the Mesugaki skill.

    ¡®Why is he trying so hard?!¡¯

    I couldn¡¯tprehend it. Even when he was turning red with anger, he still tried to win me over.

    Yet, from my grandfather''s perspective, this was entirely natural.

    <Think about it, dear girl. Even though you have proven your capabilities, you are still a burden to bear. You have far too many enemies.

    The First Prince, the Captain of the Kingdom''s Knights, and those harboring various hostilities within this very ce¡ªdo you think anyone would dare to engage with you?

    This guy falls into one of three categories. Either he believes you are worth the trouble of carrying the animosity, or you have no choice but to handle it, or he¡¯s too stupid to detect the hostility.>

    My grandfather advised me to observe how this man was regarded by those around him.

    Pity. Contempt. Mockery. Those feelings were simr to what I had faced.

    <Looking at him, it seems he falls into thetter category.>

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯

    <Just let it go in one ear and out the other. It¡¯s all nonsense that isn¡¯t worth considering.>

    ¡®Is there no way to chase him away?!¡¯

    <You could tell him to just leave. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem.>

    You should have told me that in advance! I wasted my time!

    Just as I was preparing to unleash my insults on the perverted creep showing interest in a little girl, I heard a voice behind me.

    ¡°Lord Sen. What business do you have with my friend?¡±

    Joy revealed her displeasure through the fan that covered her face.

 Chapter 210

    ¡°...Parn Young Lady?¡±

    Sen Gongja¡¯s face showed clear signs of confusion, as if he were facing something he shouldn''t be.

    ¡°Could you please answer?¡±

    Usually, Joy would give her opponent time to calm down and respond, but this time she didn¡¯t. She urged for an answer in an unusually cold voice.

    ¡°...Ah. I mean, I just saw Young Lady Alrn at the festival and was expressing my admiration.¡±

    Just a moment ago, Sen Gongja¡¯s face had been flushed due to my provocation, but after Joy¡¯s appearance, that expression had changed.

    His face was pale like that of a corpse.

    I couldn¡¯t understand why.

    Is Joy really that terrifying? Her appearance might be cold, but isn¡¯t she just a goofy youngdy inside?

    Why is Sen Gongja, who is from a simr duke family and clearly much older, sweating coldly while facing Joy?

    ¡°Is that so? Thank you, Sen Gongja, for passing on thepliment to my friend.¡± ¡°It was nothing, really.¡±

    ¡°If you have nothing more to say, could you leave? I need to have a private talk with my friend.¡±

    Sen Gongja seemed to have a lot to say, his mouth moving, but he didn¡¯t utter a word.

    After he reluctantly left, Joy put away the fan she had been using to cover her mouth.

    ¡°Alrn Young Lady, just chase off people like that. Don¡¯t just watch how long they can hold out.¡±

    ¡®What did he do?¡¯

    ¡°Goofy Young Lady, what did that perverted Gongja do for you to act like that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±

    Of course, I didn¡¯t know. He was hardly mentioned in the game, right?

    In the first ce, the Sen family didn¡¯t y a significant role in the game.

    Was he called the Sen Gongja?

    I tried to recall but couldn¡¯t think of anything.

    If it was a character of significance, I usually remembered their name. If there was an illustration, I¡¯d remember their face too.

    Yet, even with that, it was hard to recall anything about the Sen Gongja.

    It seems he really had no significance.

    ¡°...Ah. Right. Alrn Young Lady, you¡¯re a bit inexperienced in situations like this.¡±

    Joy nodded to herself and told me that this person had caused a major incident recently.

    ¡°He¡¯s in a situation where he might get kicked out of his family because of that incident, so he wants to smooth things over somehow.¡±

    Only after hearing her words did I recall.

    The Sen Gongja.

    He was the one who always talked about how he struggled because of his stupid younger brother whenever a member of the Sen family popped up! So that¡¯s who he was!

    ¡°We won¡¯t meet again by the time we graduate from the academy, so there¡¯s no need to worry about him.¡±

    After saying that, Joy cut off the topic about Sen Gongja.

    In the academy, I only thought of him as goofy and cute, but now I could see a duchess-like aspect of her.

    ¡®Impressive, Joy.¡¯

    ¡°Hey, Goofy Young Lady. Are you trying to act cool right now? Like, ¡®Look how amazing I am~¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª?! That¡¯s not really what I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    Oh? Was she serious?!

    Was Joy really thinking that she was kind of cool?

    I¡¯ll take back mypliment, Joy. You must always be the goofy youngdy no matter where you are.

    As my gaze turned lukewarm, Joy cleared her throat.

    ¡°Ahem. Anyway, Alrn Young Lady, you don¡¯t have anything to do separately right now, do you?¡±

    ¡®No.¡¯

    ¡°Okay. But?¡±

    ¡°Could youe with me for a moment? My father wants to speak with you.¡±

    Duke Parn? Why would he want to speak with me? Is it something rted to the academy?

    If that¡¯s the case, then this time I really will be a sickly mesugaki. I¡¯ll hit my head with my own hands until I faint!

    Following Joy, we headed to the reception room outside the party hall.

    In that room, besides Duke Parn, Benedict was also present. I was wondering where he had gone after the party started, but he was with the duke.

    With those two gathered together, the atmosphere was intense. It felt like a mob boss and his lieutenant were standing together.

    If they had just discussed whom to take down, I might have believed it without a second thought.

    Since it was the first time meeting after the incident with Tabol, it seemed Benedict had a lot to say, but he didn¡¯t voice any of it.

    ¡°Father, as requested, I brought Alrn Young Lady.¡±

    Joy broke the silence in the room. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was my misunderstanding, but the sharpness in Joy¡¯s tone seemed unusual, causing Duke Parn to smirk.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Joy. You can go back now.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll stay here. That¡¯s okay, right?¡± ¡°...Yeah. Do as you please.¡±

    What¡¯s this? Has Joy hit her rebellious phase?! Why is she acting like she hates her dad?!

    I didn¡¯t understand how the situation had turned out, but since Joy was moving ahead, I followed her and sat in a chair.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for calling you in the middle of the party, Alrn Young Lady. I have something to discuss separately.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s fine.¡¯

    ¡°Yeah, but?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Duke Parn. I was bored anyway since there were only mediocre people here.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief. First, what I need to say is... Yeah. I¡¯m sorry, Alrn Young Lady. I¡¯ve made you go through unnecessary hardship because of me.¡±

    Why is this person apologizing to me?

    At first, I tilted my head in confusion, but as the story unfolded, my thoughts changed.

    I hadn¡¯t expected that Duke Parn had forced me into a difficult situation just to pressure me into giving a speech!

    Hey! Sir! Is it okay to do this to your daughter¡¯s friend?!

    What kind of distress could this cute little girl possibly cause you to do such a thing?!

    Is this what you mean?!

    ¡®Could it be that you dislike being called Duke Sloppy?!¡¯

    ¡°Could it be that Duke Sloppy is upset about the nickname I gave him, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s acting like a petty person? I didn¡¯t expect someone leading a duke family to be so petty.¡±

    ¡°Of course, that can¡¯t be the case! Alrn Young Lady, you are Joy¡¯s savior! Would I stoop so low as to act petty over a mere nickname? In the first ce, I have no reason to resent you, as I actually liked being called Duke Sloppy!¡±

    After that passionate outburst, the duke finally exined to me the reason behind this incident.

    So, in summary, he wanted to assess if Joy was someone I could fully trust since she seemed too attached to me?

    Listening to his words, as unexpected events kept arising and the scale grewrger, I remembered why this man was treated as aedic character in themunity.

    Duke Parn was undoubtedly a capable person, supported by power, yet whenever he took the initiative to do something, he would always mess it up.

    As I listened to his story, various memes that had circted in the pastmunity kepting to mind, making it impossible for me to be angry.

    In any case, it was over now, and I had received an apology for the mistake, along with a promise for futurepensation, so there was no longer any reason to be angry.

    By the way, if the duke was the one who initiated this incident, does that mean it has nothing to do with the First Prince?

    I thought he was 100% the mastermind behind this!

    In the end, the one who reaped the benefits waspletely unrted! Isn¡¯t this dereliction of duty?!

    ¡°We can discuss thepensationter. If we¡¯re not careful, we might not finish talking until the party ends.¡±

    The duke said that and sent us back.

    On our way back to the party hall, Joy apologized to me.

    I heard that Joy had been called by the duke right before the party started.

    There, she was bound by the duke¡¯s magic and couldn¡¯t move an inch.

    When she finally managed to escape and return to the party hall, Tabol had already raised his voice.

    Joy wasn¡¯t just cold toward the duke for no reason. Even the kindest of people would have reason to be angry in this situation.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Alrn Young Lady.¡±

    Her apology contained many meanings.

    An apology for what her father did. An apology for not being able to help sooner. And there were likely many other things I couldn¡¯t guess.

    Though I could tell her words were sincere, I didn¡¯t wee that apology.

    Joy shouldn¡¯t have to apologize.

    ¡®Why are you apologizing?¡¯

    ¡°Goofy Young Lady, why are you making silly noises instead of talking?¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    ¡®Right now, I should be the one thanking you.¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t get why you¡¯re being so sulky after helping me. Are you trying to evolve from being goofy to being a timid little goof?¡±

    ¡°Are you no longer going to call me Young Lady?!¡±

    Well, it seems I can¡¯t call her that anymore since she¡¯s gotten too goofy.

    Finding Joy¡¯s reaction funny, I chuckled inwardly and outwardly, and before I knew it, Joy was smiling too.

    Though it was still a fierce smile, it was better than her sulking.

    After lightening Joy¡¯s mood, we returned to the party hall, where the atmosphere was elevated.

    The grand and beautiful sounds of the orchestra filled the air. Nobles were showcasing their dance moves in the center, while others gathered around,ughing together.

    As I admired the scenery that looked like something out of a movie, I heard Joy sigh beside me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alrn Young Lady. I have something to attend to.¡±

    Joy said that and headed toward the group of nobledies, who were exchanging sharp nces.

    Does the duchess have to deal with things like that too? Well, since Joy is also the leader of several nobledies, she probably needs to pay attention.

    If possible, I¡¯d like to help Joy, but if I got involved, it would only add to the workload.

    So, I quietly made my way to a corner of the party hall.

    Isn¡¯t it better for me to stay out of sight to lessen Joy¡¯s worries?

    Having experienced so much in such a short time, I was feeling hungry. I craved something sweet.

    I thought there would be delicious desserts in the party hall, so I decided to head towards the food area.

    As I was thinking that, I ran into Frey and her younger sister.

    Seeing Frey, who was filling her te again, and her sister, who was scolding her, was quite refreshing.

    Aren¡¯t these two supposed to be in a cold rtionship at this point?

    ¡°Hey! Are you listening?! ... Oh. Alrn Young Lady.¡±

    ¡°Hello, Lucy.¡±

    Frey¡¯s sister, who had been raising her voice, quickly shut her mouth when she saw me, but Frey simply greeted me while holding a tongs.

    Is she really nning to eat all the food at the party by herself?

    I knew Frey had a good appetite, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be to this extent.

    She must have been born in modern times. If she had done an eating broadcast, she would have definitely seeded.

    ¡°Hey! Alrn Young Lady!¡±

    As I was staring at Frey in surprise, her sister approached me.

    ¡°Thank you! For bringing my sister back to being human!¡±

    And then she immediately bowed her head.

    It wasn¡¯t just a light greeting; it was a bow filled with a lot of energy, as if directed at a benefactor.

 Chapter 211

    I rarely heard someone say thank you to me.

    Especially if it was from a person I was meeting for the first time.

    The karma that Lucy had racked up in the past stretched out to an unimaginable extent.

    For a stranger to greet me, something like ¡°You bitch!¡± would have been appropriate.

    Perhaps it could be softened with a touch of politeness and some sarcasm added, but the meaning wouldn¡¯t stray far from ¡°You bitch.¡±

    So, I was perplexed by the sight of Frey¡¯s younger sister, Parnah, bowing her head repeatedly and expressing her gratitude.

    Thank you for making her human? Me? For Frey?

    Is she misunderstanding something?

    All I did for Frey was knock her down in a spar and annoy her with my mesugaki skill.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen my sister talk to our parents properly for the first time in her life! And asking them for something too!¡±

    Huh? She spoke to them?! Frey?!

    I was just as shocked by Parnah¡¯s words.

    Because she only began talking to her family and learned to feel joy after meeting the current sword saint and gaining insight into swordsmanship.

    To think she had spoken to her family before even meeting the sword saint. What does that mean?

    Amidst my confusion, a scene I witnessed earlier today came to mind: Frey swinging a sword at a street vendor.

    No wonder her skills had improved! Did she practice the family¡¯s swordsmanship?!

    ¡°Also, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen her calmly sitting in a ce where so many people have gathered!¡±

    I could somewhat guess about this part.

    Until she entered the academy, Frey was a madwoman who would suddenly wield her sword wherever she went.

    Didn¡¯t I experience something akin to an ambush on the day of the entrance ceremony?

    However, the recent Frey had hardlymitted such crazy acts.

    The reason was simple. She had fixed her goal. Frey, who had taken a liking to me as a toy, had no intention of looking at anything else until this toy broke.

    From my perspective, Frey was a sturdy sparring partner who wouldn¡¯t break, so I had no reason to refuse the toy treatment.

    It was a win-win situation.

    ¡°More importantly, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard my sister mention someone else¡¯s name!¡±

    That was surprising. No, it was shocking.

    Frey rarely, if ever, uttered someone else¡¯s name, even in the game.

    I turned my head toward Frey to verify if this was true, but she seemedpletely absorbed in stacking food on her te.

    Typically, if someone said something like that, they¡¯d show some signs of embarrassment. That¡¯s just like Frey.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also seen our parentsughing while talking about my sister for the first time! All of this is thanks to Alrn Young Lady!¡±

    Parnah¡¯s words were so direct and energetic that they felt a bit burdensome.

    However, knowing her circumstances, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell her to stop.

    The Parnah I knew from the game treated Frey as if she didn¡¯t exist.

    She had to endure all of Frey¡¯s antics simply because she was born as the younger sister.

    Every time Frey swung her sword, Parnah waspared to her.

    She had to deal with the mistakes her older sister made.

    Parnah couldn¡¯t possibly like Frey.

    How could she like someone who would kill the dog she adored and then nonchntly reply that she knew it would go wild?

    Even if she got angry. Even if she begged. Even if she threatened. Even if she clung to her. Frey remained unchanged.

    So Parnah, and the Kent family, resigned themselves. They believed that Frey would always be like this.

    Yet now, after entering the academy, she had changed. How could she not be excited?

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard many rumors that Alrn Young Lady is a fearsome person, but they were all nonsense! She¡¯s so beautiful, cute, dignified, and capable!¡±

    That¡¯s not nonsense. The evil deeds Lucy hadmitted were all facts.

    If you go out and say such things, you¡¯ll be in big trouble!

    Even now, the stares from all around are ring. It¡¯s this bad with me beside her, so what would happen if you said such things alone?

    ¡®Um...¡¯

    ¡°Hey. You¡¯re listening to me, right?¡±

    ¡°Alrn Young Lady! I¡¯m entering the academy next year! I haven¡¯t taken the exam yet, but I¡¯m sure I can pass!¡±

    As I watched Parnah, clenching her fists in excitement, I recalled what kind of person she was.

    Right. She wasn¡¯t normal either.

    If Frey moves in her own way, indifferent to others, Parnah is simrly unable to see her surroundings the moment her emotions catch her.

    It would be a shocking story if Parnah heard it, but the two were different yet simr.

    ¡°If that dayes, I¡¯ll spread the good points of Alrn Young Lady throughout the entire first-year ss!¡±

    No, Parnah, what kind of crazy talk is that?

    ¡®...Are you joking?¡¯

    ¡°Ha. What nonsense are you saying? You¡¯re not even funny.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not nonsense! I¡¯m serious!¡±

    But why are you so serious about it?! Why are you willingly walking into the criticism of others?! Now that Frey has changed, are you nning to create your own struggles?!

    ¡°Just you wait! I¡¯ll definitely!... Ugh! Ugh!¡±

    Thinking I had to stop her, I was racking my brain when a grown man came running from a distance, scooped Parnah into his arms, and covered her mouth.

    Parnah struggled to speak, even with her mouth covered, but there was no gap in the man¡¯s grip.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Alrn Young Lady! My daughter has caused you trouble!¡±

    Count Kent, with a pale face, apologized and thanked me for getting along well with his daughter, saying he would treat mevishly if I came to visit the estateter, then he disappeared like the wind.

    What a hard-working man. I feel like he and Benedict could be good friends over drinkster.

    After the storm passed, I was reaching for dessert when I saw that my te waspletely empty, and I turned my head away.

    While all that was happening before me, Frey had inhaled all the food.

    I shot her a cold nce of protest, but Frey was unfazed.

    ¡°Hey, idiot swordsman? Are you so stupid that you couldn¡¯t even remember that you just ate?? Why not stop eating instead of snorting??¡± ¡°Snort.¡±

    Surprised by her unexpected response, I was left speechless, and Frey puffed up her shoulders in triumph.

    I was annoyed, but I figured arguing with her would only get me involved, so I said nothing.

    Instead, I sat down on a nearby chair and rested my chin in my hand. The party wasn¡¯t over yet, so if I waited, dessert would be refilled.

    <That probably won¡¯t happen.>

    ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯

    <The party is nearing its end.>

    ¡®...How do you know that?¡¯

    <There are signs.>

    The orchestra had almost finished its final piece. The attendants were nervously ncing at their watches. High-ranking nobles were leaving the center of the party. Conversations were dwindling.

    At first, I thought the old man was trying to tease me, but he wasn¡¯t. Every point he made indicated the party¡¯s end.

    ¡®Then what about the dessert?¡¯

    <It won¡¯te out. Why would they replenish it when the party is ending?>@@novelbin@@

    ¡®Freyyyyyy!¡¯

    Whether I lit the mes of revenge in my heart or not, time continued to flow inside the party hall.

    At some point, the orchestra¡¯s performance stopped, and a magic circle was drawn on the stage, revealing the duke amidst splendid fireworks.

    With that alone, everyone focused on the duke, who expressed gratitude to those present with a bow, then announced the party¡¯s conclusion.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to thank all the esteemed guests who have graced this asion once again.¡±

    ¡°Just a moment.¡±

    Let me correct that. The duke attempted to conclude the party but failed.

    Another voice interrupted his words.

    Had it been someone of little significance, the duke would have ignored that voice.

    He had the power to do so.

    However, this time, the person he faced was not someone he could overlook.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve forgotten something important.¡±

    How could the likely next heir to the throne be ignored?

    ¡°Have I forgotten something?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Duke Parn, you¡¯ve forgotten something very important.¡±

    ¡°I apologize. Perhaps it¡¯s due to my old age; my memory isn¡¯t what it used to be.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. That might be true. Allow me to remind you. Where are the victory remarks from Alrn Young Lady, who won against you?¡±

    The First Prince spoke and, with a single nod, found me sitting in the corner.

    No matter how I looked at it, I was not in a territory of luck or insight.

    He must have kept me in his sight the whole time.

    A stalker with power, authority, and malice.

    It¡¯s easy to distort the walls when you¡¯re cooped up, but this is a bit unsettling.

    Is this how the so-called First Prince behaves?

    The future of the kingdom looks bleak.

    ¡°Come on, Lucy Alrn! Hurry up ande here! Since you¡¯ve defeated me, you should receive a proper celebration!¡±

    The First Prince raised his voice with an innocent smile.

    What¡¯s with him all of a sudden?!

    You¡¯re not that kind of character!

    Why are you suddenly putting on a facade and trying to put me on the stage?!

    What¡¯s going on?! What¡¯s his aim?!

    At the sudden shout from the First Prince, I froze, and even Duke Parn stiffened as the First Prince seemed to remember something, pped his hands, and approached me.

    ¡°Right. You must have gone through a lot today and are in a difficult state.¡±

    Huh?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t show enough consideration.¡±

    No.

    Hey.

    Wait a moment.

    ¡°I should have gone to you instead of calling you over.¡±

    Sit down. Sit down.

    I¡¯m telling you to sit down!

    ¡°Like a loser.¡±

    No matter how much I screamed inside, it didn¡¯t affect reality.

    The First Prince reached me and waved his hand lightly, creating a sound amplification magic that would ensure everyone in the party hall could hear anything I said.

    ¡°Now, once you¡¯re ready, speak up. I¡¯ll wait as long as you need. I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment.¡±

    He didn¡¯t give me a chance to respond.

    Not only that, but he also didn¡¯t give anyone else a chance to interject.

    It was a perfect timing and a perfect push.

    As he had just said, he had been waiting for this moment.

    <...Girl. Prepare yourself.>

    ...Ha.

    Damn it.

    Damn it!

    Damn it!!!

    Stalker shut-in!

    I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re aiming for with this behavior, but remember this!

    While you might be strong now, by the time I graduate from the academy, the situation will have changed significantly.

    Be prepared to lick my feet!

    Got it?!

    ¡®This festival has truly been an honorablepetition, Your Highness the First Prince.¡¯

    ¡°I felt a lot of consideration from you during this festival. How is it that you can pretend to be so mediocre? Thanks to you, I was able to have an honorablepetition. Ah, perhaps you weren¡¯t intentionally pretending to be mediocre? Oops. I made a mistake there.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense is that?!¡±

    ¡°Lucy Alrn! You¡¯re being insolent!¡±

    ¡°Alrn Young Lady?!¡±

    I wonder if I¡¯ll still be alive by then!

 Chapter 212

    Hearing the criticism pouring in from all around made me chuckle bitterly.

    They asked what my thoughts were, but they were calling my opponent mediocre.

    The First Prince also had a look of surprise...

    No, why is his expression like that? Did he suspect something and concoct a scheme?

    Did he just think that I, a gloomy loner, would cause trouble if he asked me for my thoughts? And now he¡¯s surprised by my outburst?!

    It''s unfair. If he had intended it from the beginning, I could have just cursed him, but now that I realize he just threw it out there, itplicates my frustration!

    <...Girl.>

    ¡®What is it, Grandpa?¡¯

    <Didn¡¯t you just call him the First Prince? >

    What kind of nonsense is that? The trantion of my mesugaki skill is incredibly precise. There¡¯s no way I would have called him the First Prince.

    What if he misheard me, even though he¡¯s old and senile?

    Look, the log says gloomy loner prince.

    ...Huh.

    Wait?!

    I did say it?! I just called him the First Prince!

    What is this?! Why did that title slip out of my mouth?!

    I couldn¡¯tprehend it.

    For nearly a year, I had suffered under this mesugaki skill.

    While it could change others¡¯ titles, it had never allowed me to call someone normally.

    What variable has arisen? Why did the mesugaki skill allow me to use amon title?

    As I pondered this amidst the ongoing criticism, I let it wash over me.

    This was more important. If I could figure out why I called him the First Prince normally, I might find a way to escape the curse of the mesugaki skill!

    Maybe I could even start calling my friends by their names! Huh?!

    ¡°Puhahaha!¡±

    Despite ignoring everything else, I couldn¡¯t overlook theughter that rang out in front of me.

    The First Prince wasughing. Just a moment ago, he had been astonished.

    ¡°Is this the arrogance of a talented person? Fine. The victor has the right to say such things. Though I don¡¯t know how long you can remain the victor.¡±

    The reason people had been criticizing me just now was due to my disrespect toward the First Prince.

    Since he acknowledged this rudeness as justified arrogance, any further criticism would only irritate the First Prince.

    Those who quickly grasped this fact chose to praise the First Prince''s generosity instead of criticizing me.

    <It¡¯s a debt. Lucy Alrn.>

    At that moment, a voice echoed in my mind.

    Not my grandpa''s voice, but someone else''s.

    Startled, I looked up to find the First Prince regarding me with a gaze devoid of emotion.

    <You will owe meter.>

    ...Huh? Owe me? Me?

    Why not just join in the criticism instead?!

    I don¡¯t want to be indebted to you!

    I don¡¯t want to be on the receiving end of your requests!

    Can¡¯t you just shout, ¡°You bitch!¡± instead?!

    I screamed inwardly, but those words never reached the First Prince.

    It had been quite a while since the day of the Parn family¡¯s party.

    From the fact that I was still alive, it was clear that the end of that party concluded neatly with the First Prince managing the situation I had created.

    The word ¡°debt¡± approached menacingly, but since he hadn¡¯te looking for me afterward, it seemed he wasn¡¯t nning to deal with me immediately.

    It would have been better if he had just taken care of things right away. Then I could handle what I was tasked with and leave it all behind.

    Leaving it as something to deal withter left a constant difort in a corner of my mind!

    I mean, allow me to prepare like a pathetic loser.

    Wow, who would have thought a pathetic loser would be reevaluated?

    What, am I supposed to just not repay my debt?

    Do you think that would work?

    What if the First Prince decided to do something to me?!

    If I can¡¯t even ignore the First Prince until I be strong enough to do so, then if he sets his mind to it, I¡¯d be at his mercy!

    Benedict wouldn¡¯t be able to help either!

    No matter how much of a monster he is, he can¡¯t win against a kingdom!

    ...Uh. Hmm. I can¡¯t say for sure he wouldn¡¯t.

    Since it¡¯s Benedict, I can¡¯t make that guarantee.

    Anyway, the situation with the First Prince isn¡¯t something I can address right now, so I¡¯ll move on to another topic.

    Should I talk about the mesugaki skill first?

    To sum it up, the normalization of titles only happened that once.

    After the party ended, I conducted countless experiments, but nothing changed.

    No matter how many times I tried to call the First Prince by his name, I kept ending up with the gloomy loner prince title.

    The same went for other titles. There was no name I could call correctly.

    After various tests alongside my grandpa, our conclusion was that we had no clue.

    If I were to exin this phenomenon, it would seem the pathetic loser intervened to uphold the promise of boosting his reputation.

    But, you know, I really don¡¯t think that pathetic loser would do something like that.

    If he were the kind of useless god who would care about such things, he wouldn¡¯t have reduced the penalty of the mesugaki skill ages ago, would he?

    Think about it. That jerk loves it when I insult him, and he loves it when I¡¯m in trouble.

    There¡¯s no way he¡¯d help me out just because I¡¯m struggling...

    No, never mind. I was just momentarily agitated and spouted nonsense.

    If I keep talking behind his back, something horrendous will probablye out in the next quest.

    Let¡¯s talk about the reward the duke gave me instead.

    After the party concluded, the duke, upon seeing me again, told me to say anything I wished if I wanted something in return.

    He stated that as long as he had the power, he could make even the most absurd requeste true.

    His statement wasn¡¯t far from the truth.

    With the might of the Parn family backing him, even a noble youngdy''s fanciful wishes could easily be fulfilled.

    However, if there was one thing the duke didn¡¯t expect, it was that I wasn¡¯t an ordinary youngdy.

    To be honest, what I wanted now were things that the duke could not provide.

    Armor or shields of a legendary grade, skills¡ªsuch items couldn¡¯t be obtained through money; they had to be earned through action.

    If I were leveling a magic-type character, I would have countless things to ask the duke for, but unfortunately, I was a holy-type tank.

    I could ask the duke for other things, but since he explicitly asked me to tell him what I wanted, I didn¡¯t want to ask for something ordinary.

    Various items shed through my mind repeatedly, and during that moment, one request urred to me.

    Something that was impossible in the game.

    Something that could be possible in reality.

    Direct intervention from an NPC.

    ¡°Duke...¡±

    ¡°Is it okay if I gain the right to request something from Duke Sloppy?¡±

    I would postpone my current reward. Instead, I would ask him to fulfill any request I made at that time.

    It was somewhat unreasonable and possibly rude, but the duke nodded without showing any sign of displeasure.

    After that, we engaged in regr conversation.

    We talked about what had happened at the academy. Whether Joy was managing her school life well. Ordinary advice one would expect from an older man.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, you mentioned that you gave Joy some advice. May I also hear about that?¡±

    Since it wasn¡¯t anything secret, I told him right away.

    About how to build a foundation when leveling up a magic-type character.

    When the duke heard what I taught Joy, he suddenly furrowed his brow and began muttering to himself as if contemting something.

    He looked like a mafia boss scheming to wipe out a rival organization, which involuntarily made me straighten up, but he wasn¡¯t nning anything evil.

    He was merely deconstructing the idea I had proposed.

    ¡°Amazing.¡±

    What followed was admiration.

    ¡°Repetition. Mastery. And minions? Training magic like one would train muscles? If an old man from the magic tower heard this, he would scream, but it¡¯s worth researching. Alrn Young Lady, who taught you this?¡±

    ¡®No one taught me.¡¯

    ¡°Is it truly your own idea? How interesting. Is this something a non-magic user could think of?¡±

    The duke regarded me as if the term genius was inadequate to describe my insight and then chuckled.

    ¡°I intended to repay you for inviting me, but instead, I¡¯ve received something in return. Do you truly not want anything for now? Even something trivial would suffice. I just don¡¯t want to increase my debt.¡±

    ¡®In that case, I have one thing...¡¯

    ¡°Then I¡¯d like to ask one thing.¡±

    I asked about what had happened to the duke that made him leave the territory before the festival.

    I was curious about the significant issue that required his urgent presence.

    The duke, without any hesitation, answered my question.

    ¡°I was asked for help by Duke Burrow. When he spoke in such a rush, I thought it must be serious, so I went directly. But by the time I arrived, everything had already been resolved.¡±

    He grumbled that he had wasted time before the festival for nothing.

    Was there even a chance of a problem urring with the Burrow family at this time? It didn¡¯t seem likely.

    Though I had my doubts, since the duke confirmed there was no issue, I decided to let it go.

    Aside from that, nothing else happened.

    I was asked by Arthur to please take it easy. Frey was pestering me, and I ended up sparring with her.

    Then, after leaving the Parn territory and returning to the Alrn family, I informed Porcell that my condition had recovered and trained with the other knights.

    ¡°Now that the youngdy is incredibly strong, I won¡¯t be able to offer the same consideration as before.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s what I was hoping for!¡¯

    ¡°Puh. Do you think I¡¯ll treat you with more consideration than those pathetic knights?¡±

    ¡°Good attitude! Youngdy!¡±

    When I expressed my thoughts on this, I couldn¡¯t help but think it would be easier just to die.

    During my time training alone at the academy, no matter how intense it was, it always ended with, ¡°I might die.¡±

    However, training with the knights of the Alrn family was on a different level. When one is pushed to the brink of death, one¡¯s mind goes nk, leaving no room for thought.

    But inparison to rolling around, my growth was slow.

    At first, I thought my stats were rising, causing the slow growth, right?@@novelbin@@

    But as I thought about it, one fact came to mind.

    The debt that the pathetic god had promised to repay me in Menestel. While my stats rise automatically, I don¡¯t grow even when I train.

    To put it simply, while rolling around with the knights of the Alrn family, I gained nothing.

    When I realized this, it felt so empty.

    I denied reality, cursed the pathetic god, and then med my foolish self.

    Though there are things that don¡¯t show up as proficiency or stats, it¡¯s not as if my struggles were entirely in vain; it still felt empty.

    As I spent time in this way, before I knew it, the day of the start of the second semester at the academy hade very close.

 Chapter 213

    When I used to attend school, breaks always felt short.

    Whenever a few days remained until school resumed, I¡¯d find myself eximing, ¡°Already?!¡±

    But not now. I was still thrilled that my vacation hadn¡¯t ended yet.

    When would I be able to raise my stats with my own hands? I had rested enough!

    I knew that the reward I received was the pathetic god''s consideration for my hardships thus far.

    However, that rest was something I had all while being a sickly mesugaki.

    Now that my body was back to normal and I could train at a level equal to the knights of the Alrn family, this automatic growth was still in effect.

    I was stuck in days of training that held no meaning!

    Isn¡¯t it enough to just take a break?!

    Right. That¡¯s true.

    But you know! What do you think a freeloader can do in this damn fantasy world?!

    How much can I do in a world without smartphones or PCs?!

    It¡¯s fine to rest for a day or two, but a month or twoter, it became so boring I couldn¡¯t stand it!

    I nned to head over there a few days before the academy opened for this very reason.

    At least there would be more to do there than while at the mansion. Maybe I could even pick up some trivial quests.

    ¡°Are you really going, Young Lady?¡±

    Erin, who had been by my side throughout the vacation, asked me this out of courtesy, but I wasn¡¯t dense enough not to get the hint.

    I knew how annoying it was to have someone glued to your side all day.

    So I thanked her for her hard work and headed to the academy with my sword.

    Even though the break had been quite long, the streets of the academy looked no different from what I had seen before.

    It was only natural. The academy hadn¡¯t copsed, so there wouldn¡¯t be any drastic changes to the streets that had been maintained for decades.

    That thought of mine changed the moment I visited the back alley, wondering if Alsetin had returned.

    ¡°Hello, esteemed guest!¡±

    ¡°Hello!¡±

    In the past, Alsetin''s information center was a shabby ce filled with petty criminals.

    A normal person would likely avoid such a location due to its intimidating and filthy atmosphere.

    However, that was not the case now. The thugs pretending to be tough were all showing respect.

    ...Am I seeing hallucinations? Is someone putting on a show for me?

    Is this a dream? No way. That can¡¯t be it. I haven¡¯t dreamt in months due to training with Grandpa.

    As I stood there in shock at the scenery that looked like someone had used a hypnosis app, a person descended from above.

    ¡°Wee back, employer.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Alrn Young Lady.¡±

    Karia¡¯s expression was confident, while Alsetin appeared awkward, clearly indicating who was leading the situation.

    It seemed the master who had been missing for ten years didn¡¯t like what his disciple was up to.

    ¡°How do you feel? Do you look okay?¡±

    As if reading my confusion, Karia spoke whileing down the stairs.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been training my disciple after realizing there were things I hadn¡¯t taught him before. He¡¯s changed a bit, hasn¡¯t he?¡±

    Not just a bit, I thought. The bald guy, who had been licking daggers, now stood rigidly with military precision. This was no small change! The sense of difort was off the charts!

    ¡°It seems you¡¯re expecting a detailed exnation, so let me rify... um. Right. Have you ever been to the Newman family¡¯s stronghold?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°I have. That creepy old maid.¡±

    ¡°Everything there was ordinary, right?¡±

    Now that I think about it, yes. The Newman family¡¯s stronghold didn¡¯t differ much from any regr shop.

    They seemed to want to avoid too many customers, as the service wascking, but it was definitely the kind of shop that could exist.

    ¡°Creating an atmosphere that drives people away, like my disciple did, isn¡¯t inherently bad. However, the problem with this approach is that when something bad happens, it can lead to trouble with the powers that be.¡±

    Bad things, meaning that when significant crimes happen, you could attract the ire of the powerful.

    Even if you had connections with the powers, you never knew when you might get cut off, which was the reality of this line of work. Karia exined that if you were going to run an information center, it was better to be in a ce that was ordinary and barely getting by.

    ¡°The best scenario would be a ce so busy that it¡¯s hard to tell who¡¯s who. You can¡¯t just create that out of thin air. That¡¯s why this atmosphere is good.¡±

    ¡®Too...¡¯

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it more noticeable? If that temperamental bald guy stands stiffly, wouldn¡¯t it seem like something¡¯s off?¡±

    ¡°I told you. I¡¯m training him. I won¡¯t change it.¡±

    Ah. Is this what he means for the next stronghold to be like?

    That¡¯s a relief. If it had continued like this, it would have been immensely burdensome.

    ¡°Come on up, employer. We need to discuss a few things.¡±

    After leading me into the room and skillfully dismissing the sword, Karia blocked the sounds from the outside. She remarked that what we were discussing wasn¡¯t something an ordinary person should hear.

    ¡°I noticed while investigating with my disciple that the church of the pathetic god has be more dangerous than before.¡±

    Karia spoke.

    Even when I used to work in the shadow of the kingdom, I knew the church of the pathetic god wasn¡¯t a clean ce.

    However, there were certainly good people, albeit fewer than the bad ones, so there was a degree of bnce.

    ¡°Not anymore. The bnce has copsed.¡±

    While it was true that the church of the pathetic god had spread its influence across the continent, the center of that power was the holy site.

    And now, very few truly believed in the divine at the holy site.

    ¡°When I made a list previously, I deemed it dangerous. Why are all those people positioned at the top now?¡±

    Even though they hadn¡¯t properly investigated for long, Karia sighed, saying she could already see the conclusion.

    ¡°Employer, this matter isn¡¯t particrly urgent, right?¡±

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡¯

    ¡°Why, olddy? Is it because you¡¯re getting old and can¡¯t move like you used to? It can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s because of your age. I understand. Useless olddy.¡±

    ¡°...That¡¯s not it! If I hadn¡¯t lost my strength, I could have resolved this in a month!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t due to her age.

    It was because she had lost her strength and needed a more careful and meticulous investigation that she requested time.

    After letting out a long sigh while looking down at the floor, Karia regained herposure.

    ¡°First, take this.¡±

    What Karia handed me was a small notebook.

    Wondering what was written inside, I opened it, and upon seeing the content on the first page, I had to swallow hard.

    <ul>

    <li>Cardinal Kin Krisha Born as the third son of the Krisha family, known for their devout faith... Frequently uses his influential power to obtain things he denies... Has raped a daughter of the Ferroa family in the past...(Evidence obtained. It¡¯s true.) When negotiating, he feigns ignorance of the corruption...</li>

    </ul>

    The notebook contained the corrupt dealings of a power yer in the church. Not just minor issues, but serious matters that could cause significant uproar if publicized.

    The back pages were simr. There were detailed entries and some vague ones, but all spoke of the corruption of those in power.

    ¡°I investigated these while I was working before. I wrote down everything that came to mind, from simple controversies to confirmed facts.¡±

    While there might be some updates over time, Karia said there was no chance anything had diminished.

    Since someone who was called the shadow of the past kingdom investigated this, there likely wouldn¡¯t be any sloppiness involved.

    Thinking this way, I still hesitated to affirm it, considering the shock it would bring to Grandpa.

    Having previously used the pathetic god as an excuse for my various antics, if I were to nod in agreement now, it would make everything be true.

    I, who had viewed them as trash, would now have to agree that they were all just filthy scum.

    Even the old man, who had spoken of the church¡¯s bad sides, would find it hard to ept that they had all bepletely rotten.

    These were matters that should be discovered step by step, slowly.

    For now, it was sufficient to be half-hearted about it.

    After all, over time, I would learn, whether I wanted to or not.

    ¡°Since it seems you want detailed exnations, I¡¯ll tell you this: this is outdated information, so don¡¯t take it too seriously. You know not to show it to others, right?¡±

    ¡®Who would I show it to?¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Unlike others, I don¡¯t like to gossip since I¡¯m young.¡±

    ¡°...Then I¡¯m relieved. In any case, for now, just hold onto that. Within two years, I¡¯ll provide you with the updated information written there.¡±

    Karia¡¯s words, which promised to bring something proper,cked hesitation.@@novelbin@@

    Was that a boast? Or was it a genuine confidence that came from her heart?

    I didn¡¯t know Karia well enough to make a definitive judgment on that.

    However, if those words stemmed from serious contemtion, then Karia would be more capable than any informant I knew.

    If she hade out alive from the game, she would have been treated as a game-breaking character, just like Faybi.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯ve informed you about the progress of the matter, I should get to the main topic.¡±

    The main topic? So everything up until now wasn¡¯t the main topic?

    If she handed me a bomb and treated it as a side note, then what on earth was the main topic?!

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel apprehensive, but Karia didn¡¯t stop moving her lips.

    ¡°This is about our employer. I thought it would be best for you to know before the second semester begins.¡±

    ¡®Me?¡¯

    ¡°Yeah. You, employer.¡±

    ¡°Right. Our employer, who pretends not to care about the attention of those around her but is actually very sensitive to it.¡±

    Had she really noticed that?! It seemed that for Karia, the constraints of the mesugaki skill held no meaning.

    Sigh. How nice would it be if everyone could be as perceptive as Karia? Then I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being misunderstood.

    ¡°For your mental preparation, let me tell you ahead of time: it¡¯s bad news.¡±

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    ¡°Hurry and say it, olddy. You don¡¯t have to drag it out, right? You¡¯re old enough to know that.¡±

    ¡°...If I hadn¡¯t been gracious, I¡¯d have given you a smack.¡±

    Karia, who had been grumbling, brushed her hair back and continued.

    ¡°First, let me get to the conclusion. Our employer has be someone who receives jealousy from bothmoners and nobles alike. To put it simply, it means you¡¯ve gained more enemies.¡±

    ...Huh?

    What are you talking about, Karia?

    Why is it that my reputation has risen, but I now have more enemies?!

    Hey! Pathetic god! Are you not doing your job properly?!

 Chapter 214

    ¡°Master. Normally, if a person isn¡¯t even a threat, we wouldn¡¯t care what they do.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t aplicated story. Even among the same kind of people, there exist differences in status.

    While some are praised like gods, others are treated like bugs, even though they are essentially the same human beings.

    Imagine someone you think of as a bug struggling desperately to rise above you. Who would feel threatened by that?

    No matter how desperately they wriggle, a bug is still just a bug. People would only chuckle at such a sight.

    ¡°And you, Master, have been treated like that by others until now.¡±

    Lucy was treated like a bug by others all this time.

    The monster named Benedict lurking behind her would soon crush her like a bug beneath his feet.

    Look at the animosity and disdain rampant in high society. In that space, Lucy wasn¡¯t regarded as a person.

    ¡°Not anymore, though.¡±

    However, since enrolling in the academy, things changed.

    She entered the academy with an unprecedented level of overwhelming grades.

    She defeated Frey, who was at the top of the continent¡¯s hierarchy.

    As if her entrance grades weren¡¯t a fluke, she grabbed first ce in the midterms.

    For the first time in the academy''s history, she became the first conqueror immediately upon admission.

    In addition to that, I etched numerous achievements in the academy.

    Not just achievements. I¡¯ve also grown to a level in rtionships that can¡¯t bepared to before.

    Joy, the daughter of the Parn family. Though distanced from the royal session, she is undeniably the blood of a king, being the third prince.

    Frey, a prodigy born into the swordsmanship family of Kent.

    Faybi, a symbol of the current Church of the Holy Spirit, whose fame is such that even a king wouldn¡¯t dare to treat her lightly.

    Though they may not be many, the connections they offer are of a scale that ordinary people could hardly imagine.

    Having both talent and connections, I have be a being too great to be dismissed as a bug.

    ¡°Congrattions, Master. Now, you are a being that no one can disregard or dismiss.¡±

    The reason people canugh at a bug¡¯s wriggling is that they think that bug can¡¯t pose a threat to them.

    If that bug grows sorge that it threatens a human''s life, people will no longer look at it with amusement.

    ¡°And be careful, Master. Those who dislike you will now define you as an enemy and send serious hostility your way.¡±

    Though it was a long exnation, to sum it up simply, this is it.

    Because my reputation has risen, more people think of me as an enemy.

    It wasn¡¯t that the ipetent god did a poor job. This happened precisely because the ipetent god did too good of a job.

    How unfair! Why should I feel this way because my reputation has improved?! Can¡¯t I experience it in a good way?!

    Can¡¯t I hear something like, ¡°Wow! It¡¯s definitely Lucy!¡± like in a typical isekai story?!

    As I silently screamed inside, Karia burst intoughter.

    She had a knack for reading others'' emotions as if she had telepathy. She must have caught on to my embarrassment.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Lastly, be grateful for your fortune, Master. The person you have favored is incrediblypetent beyond what you could possibly imagine.¡±

    As Karia spoke, she handed me another notebook.

    What now? The previous one had the weaknesses of several bishops written in it, so if I think of it like that...

    <ul>

    <li>The Duke Jod Family.</li>

    <li>One of the few ducal families in the Sdin Kingdom. They are the ones who currently designated the first prince as the next heir to the throne...</li>

    </ul>

    My assumption was correct. Inside was information about a family that could likely be my enemy in the future.

    ¡°Your current position and connections are considerable. Therefore, ordinary people would hardly dare to oppose you.

    To put it differently, those who could confront you head-on, or those who are prepared to do so, would actively threaten you.

    Those who see the first prince as the heir. Those wary of the revival of the Alrn family. Those who frown upon you because of what you did in the past.

    I¡¯vepiled a list of people you should be careful of in the future.¡±

    The difference from the previous notebook, however, was that the contents of this one were not as detailed.

    The notebook only contained information about the family and the people there. Unlike the previous one, it didn¡¯t have any weaknesses or negative details written in it.

    When I expressed my confusion, Karia smiled wryly.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same as before. I didn¡¯t have time to investigate. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m an ipetentdy. If there is a person who poses a threat, I¡¯ll supplement the investigation then.¡±

    It was entirely understandable.

    I had be noticeable starting from the Parn festival. If Karia, who had been investigating the church, began to hear about what I had done, there would naturally be time constraints.

    <You¡¯re lying.>

    However, the old man dismissed Karia¡¯s words as lies.

    <Isn¡¯t that the one referred to as the shadow of the past kingdom? The one who worked in the shadows as the king¡¯s shadow. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for her not to know about powerful families like dukes, even if it¡¯s about minor nobles.>

    ¡®...That makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯

    Come to think of it, she wouldn¡¯t be ignorant of the nobles in the kingdom while working as an informant for the king.

    In some sense, knowing about the kingdom¡¯s forces would be even more essential than information on enemy nations.

    I tilted my head, wondering why that was the case, but no suitable answer came to mind. I wasn¡¯t adept at making such spections.

    ¡®Why would that be?¡¯

    <Who knows? I can¡¯t read minds like someone else.>

    So I asked someone skilled in this kind of thing, but even the old man couldn¡¯te up with a satisfactory answer. There are times when even he isn¡¯t all-knowing.

    ¡®Should I ask?¡¯

    <No need. They wouldn¡¯t answer anyway.>

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    <Think about it. Given her abilities, would she answer if she noticed your question even if you hadn¡¯t said it out loud?>

    That was true. Karia had been able to sense my thoughts without me saying anything until just a moment ago. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising for her to be aware of my doubts right now.

    <She¡¯ll tell youter if you ask her. Don¡¯t worry about it.>

    There¡¯s no point in pushing for an answer when I won¡¯t get what I want anyway. Following the old man¡¯s advice, I replied to Karia that I understood, and she smiled.

    ¡°Thank you for trusting me, Master.¡±

    It didn¡¯t take long to feel the hostility Karia warned me about.

    As soon as I stepped into the ssroom after the start of the second semester, sharp gazes flew at me from all directions.

    This was different from the open criticism I faced before; it was a gloomy and sinister kind of hostility.

    This semester wasn¡¯t going to be smooth either. I wondered when I would be able to enjoy afortable school life.

    Would I be a being that everyone admires with a title on the level of a hero who saved the world, even with my mesugaki skill?

    Or maybe not? Somehow, even if I defeated a dark god, it feels like enemies would still emerge due to the distortions of that skill.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    As I pondered those thoughts, someone spoke to me. It was Frey.

    She had an expression as if she didn¡¯t care about the hostility around her.

    She hadn¡¯t acknowledged me before except during sparring, so I wondered if something had changed in her mindset.

    ¡°Let¡¯s spar after this. I¡¯ve gotten stronger. This time, I¡¯ll win.¡±

    Of course. It was once again an invitation to spar.

    Watching Frey, who was brutally honest about her own thoughts regardless of her surroundings, made my worries disappear.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lady Alrn. Have you been well?¡±

    Not long after that, Joy approached me to greet me.

    She was the daughter of the Duke of Parn and led a faction of nobledies.

    The fact that she greeted me with a smile was enough to draw the ire of several otherdies.

    I could feel the hostility in the ssroom sharpenpared to just a moment ago, but that was fine.

    It wasn¡¯t new to incur the hatred of others. More importantly, I was happy that Joy greeted me warmly, so there was no problem!

    As I was thinking that, another person approached me. Faybi, who seemed capable of purifying even the dark gods with her smile, greeted me.

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again, Lady Alrn.¡±

    Faybi, a symbol of the Church of the Holy Spirit, was a kind of idol. The fact that she was the first to greet me was enough to stir up jealousy among many.

    I could feel the amount of hostility directed at me increasing.

    ...I think it¡¯s starting to feel a bit burdensome. Still, considering that the saintess thinks of me closely, this is nothing, right?!

    ¡°Lady Alrn.¡±

    Who is it this time?!

    Is it Arthur? Since three other people just passed by, there¡¯s no one left but Arthur!

    I hope that Arthur didn¡¯t greet me, which would only add to the hostility! After all, he¡¯s a prince, but his power is far from that!

    If more hostility adds here, no matter who I am, it would feel burdensome! Please let nothing happen!

    As I thought this and looked up, it wasn¡¯t Arthur who greeted me.

    It was Luca. A professor at the academy and a troublemaker. A madman who believes that one must stand before death to blossom one¡¯s talent.

    ¡°Could youe outside for a moment?¡±

    His expression looked like that of a very kind and gentle teacher, but I knew better.

    Whaty beneath was the thought of a lunatic.

    ¡®No, thanks.¡¯

    ¡°Why should I listen to the words of a minor professor like you? No way!¡±

    Of course, my answer would be a firm rejection.

    Getting involved with this lunatic would bring no good!

    Of course, I¡¯m confident that I can pass whatever assignment he gives me.

    I know how to use him to elerate my growth!

    But choosing to use him is a choice where one mistake could mean death!

    If this were a game with a save-load feature, I would have considered it!

    But this is reality! There¡¯s no save feature! If I die once, that¡¯s the end!

    Betting my life is enough when the petty dark god throws a tantrum!

    So I¡¯ll ignore whatever nonsense this troublemaker spews! I don¡¯t want to die!

    I had thought that this crazy person would eventually show interest, but I didn¡¯t expect it to happen right after the start of the second semester.

    Is all of this because the ipetent god raised my reputation?

    Hey! Ipetent God! If you¡¯re going to raise my reputation, do it properly!

    Why should I suffer just because my reputation has risen?!

    Do your job properly!

    This is why people say you¡¯re the ipetent god!

    <ul>

    <li>Ding.</li>

    </ul>

    Just as I screamed in my mind, a familiar and ominous sound rang in my ears.

    Only then did I remember.

    The ipetent god had decided to give quests after the start of the second semester.

    [The second semester of the academy has begun!]

    [Automatic growth has ended.]

    [You can now raise your abilities through training.]

    [A quest has been issued!]

    [The grace of the master is like the heavens.]

    [Clear all trials given by the young professor Luca from the academy!]

 Chapter 215

    If you were to ask amon student currently enrolled at Soul Academy who they respect the most within the academy, the typical answer would be one of two names.

    One of them would be Faybi, the saintess of the Church of the Holy Spirit.

    Despite her humble origins, she was chosen by the divine and became the saintess of the Church. Formoners, she represented a symbol of hope.

    Even with a status that even kings could not treat lightly, she always maintained her humility.

    Her overwhelming abilities fitting for the title of saintess.

    Her striking beauty that catches the eye from afar.

    There were many reasons why she was loved by so many, but the usual reasonmoners adored Faybi was because of her nobility.

    In the current continent, the status ofmoners isn¡¯t very high.

    Most believe that they are bound to serve the nobles from the moment they are born.

    Although a few talented individuals have risen to fame as symbols of sess, those cases are merely exceptions.

    Mostmoners ponder not how to live happily, but rather how to survive.

    Faybi was a savior for such unfortunate souls.

    From the moment she became a saintess, she roamed ces where death lurked.

    To those suffering from famine and hunger.

    To those bleeding in the throes of war.

    To those born in back alleys, living as they please, destined to vanish one day.

    To those struck by disaster, unable to even bury their dead.

    Commoners do not know well what the past saintess was like.

    However, they understand what the current saintess represents.

    To them, Faybi is a symbol of hope, a proof that a god exists in this world.

    Among themoners who have witnessed her, some even equate her to a god. One can understand the impact she has.

    So, who is Professor Luca, who ispeting with such a figure as Faybi?

    Despite growing up as an unfortunate child in an orphanage, he started from the bottom and earned his admission to Soul Academy through recognition of his talent and skill.

    After graduating from the academy, he contributed to various fields, bolstering the belief that, despite the skill gap amongmon graduates, there are no ipetents.

    He seeded in bing a professor at Soul Academy at the youngest age, producing numerous talented individuals.

    He is a person of integrity who does not discriminate against people based on rank, evaluating solely their abilities.

    Among those attending the academy, there are hardly any who speak ill of Professor Luca.

    Especially amongmon students. For those burdened with insecurities about their status, Luca represents both an object of envy and aspiration.

    While those seeking hope look to Faybi, those with ambitions look to Professor Luca.

    Faybi loves everyone equally and doesn¡¯t go beyond that, but Professor Luca is different. If he cherishes someone, he willingly shows favoritism and guides his students toward sess.

    For the talented ones. Those waiting to be sculpted from stone, who could make their names known across the continent if they blossom.

    Professor Luca extends a hand to them, crafting them into jewels that shine in the world.

    I don¡¯t know the exact methods, but it¡¯s clear that those jewels wield influence all over the continent.

    Thus, those who have entered the academy hope that Professor Luca will extend his hand to them, to perfect their own jewel.

    On the day the second semester began, the excitement for Professor Luca¡¯s visit to the ssroom caused many to have reddened eyes.

    They wondered who would receive the grace of Professor Luca and be a shining jewel. They hoped it might be themselves.

    However, countless people watching Professor Luca¡¯s movements did not receive the answer they anticipated.

    His footsteps stopped in front of a girl who rested her chin on her hand, seemingly indifferent.

    ¡°Lady Alrn. May I have a word with you?¡±

    In a way, this was a predictable oue.

    If you were to ask who among this year¡¯s new students exhibited the most radiant talent, everyone would certainly answer with one name.

    Lucy Alrn.

    The girl once referred to as the disgrace of the Alrn family.

    But now she was a monster proving that there is no failure in the blood of the Alrn family.

    Since enrolling in the academy, Lucy Alrn has continued to write her own heroic tale, transforming from a viin hated by everyone into a divine being noted by the entire kingdom in just half a year.

    The talent she possessed. The light. It created the value of Lucy Alrn as a person.

    Luca, who loves those with talent beyond measure, wouldn¡¯t overlook a concentrated talent like Lucy Alrn.

    For those who were betting on who would catch Professor Luca¡¯s attention, this was so obvious that it would make them want to die from boredom.

    The noble students sighed in resignation, but themon students felt differently.

    It was jealousy.

    Unlike themselves, who would vanish after missing a single opportunity, the nobles could grasp one among many opportunities.

    Jealousy toward the nobles, who could effortlessly seize one opportunity after another.

    Jealousy toward a talent shining so brilliantly that it couldn¡¯t be denied.

    And above all, jealousy toward the one monopolizing the attention of the two figures they admired, Faybi and Luca.

    At the academy, mostmoners maintain close rtionships with each other. They must to survive against the nobles.

    In the broadmonermunity formed across grades, the topic recently discussed with the most fervor was none other than the saintess.

    Lately, it seems the saintess has been favoring Lucy Alrn too much, doesn¡¯t it?

    The ripple effect caused by someone¡¯s remark was certainly not trivial.

    Themoners at the academy understood.

    Even the noble and virtuous saintess is still a human being.

    Therefore, it is incredibly cruel to force her to love everyone equally.

    If they truly cared for Faybi, they would wish for her to find happiness no matter what choice she makes.

    However, knowing this with the head and feeling it with the heart are two entirely different things.

    The saintess reprimanded those who spoke ill of Lucy Alrn.

    That could happen.

    The saintess dined with Lucy Alrn.

    That could happen.

    They trained together.

    That could happen.

    They went out to y on the street.

    That could happen.

    They explored dungeons together.

    That could happen.

    And of course, they enjoyed festivals together, and in front of several influential figures present at that party, she defended Lucy Alrn.

    That could happen.

    She dered her a friend.

    That.

    That is Lucy Alrn.

    She is clearly someone the saintess holds dear.

    She is a being that can only appear contemptible in the eyes ofmoners.

    With such a person receiving Luca''s attention, how could people¡¯s expressions remain pleasant?

    ¡°Why should I listen to a minor professor like you? No way!¡±

    Her response to Luca¡¯s proposal was also quite a sight.

    A minor professor? To belittle someone who might offer an opportunity of a lifetime as just a minor?! Refusing such a proposal!

    ¡°Lady, would you reconsider? It¡¯s an important matter.¡±

    The sharp res ofmoners each had a name.

    They were filled with jealousy, hatred, hostility, and resentment.

    They were filled with outrage at why someone who had everything since birth was taking even their small possessions.

    [The grace of the master is like the heavens.]

    [Clear all trials given by the young professor Luca from the academy!]

    [Reward: ???]

    [If failed: GAME OVER]

    Ipetent god! You bastard!

    Just because I grumbled a bit a moment ago, you¡¯re immediately retaliating?!

    Is this right?!

    Did I do something wrong to you?! No! I only mocked you because you deserved it!

    If you had raised my reputation in a good way, I wouldn¡¯t have said anything!@@novelbin@@

    The more I think about it, the more unfair it seems.

    Why do I have to endure whatever strange things you do to me while being punished forining to you?

    Is it because you¡¯re a god?

    Is it because you¡¯re an absolute beingpared to humans, throwing your weight around?!

    Just wait. One day, you will regret making me your disciple and messing with me.

    ¡°Lady Alrn?¡±

    As I chewed on my lips, Luca¡¯s voice snapped me back to reality.

    ¡°Have you no intention of changing your mind?¡±

    Luca, you don¡¯t understand. Until just a moment ago, I was the one in power, but now I¡¯m in a position where I must obey. No matter what trial you impose, I have no choice but to follow.

    It goes without saying, but I won¡¯t let you know.

    If this lunatic learns of this, I can¡¯t even guess what he might make me do.

    What if? What if this world¡¯s Luca is a perverted pedophile like the ipetent god, and he imposes a trial to make me wear a maid outfit and serve him?

    It would be something like ¡°Even while cursing, the mesugaki maid does everything! So good!¡±

    I know. I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m talking nonsense right now.

    But if I don¡¯t at least think of such absurdities, it¡¯s too much to bear!

    ¡®Alright. Professor Luca.¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re clinging to a little girl, huh? I thought you were a minor, but you¡¯re a pedo professor? Your goal is sexual harassment? Eek~ You¡¯re a pervert~¡±

    ¡°...That¡¯s not it at all, Lady Alrn. I am.¡±

    Seeing the cold sweat dripping from Luca¡¯s face, which always maintained a calm expression, made me chuckle.

    This is why I engage in mesugaki antics...

    No, calm down.

    Even if my mind is a bit off, I must not get lost in it.

    This is all a plot from the ipetent god! Am I going to do what he wants?!

    No way!

    ¡®Just kidding. I¡¯ll follow you.¡¯

    ¡°I know. I was just teasing you, but seeing you flustered is amusing. Is this what it means to be an adult? Pathetic. Well, fine. Since the pedo professor is this persistent, I¡¯ll follow along.¡±

    ¡°Lady, I am not a pedo professor; I am Luca.¡±

    I know. I get it, but I can¡¯t call you that. If you want, you can get rid of your mesugaki skill.

    Sigh. Let¡¯s think positively.

    Right now, Luca sees my talent highly. It¡¯s clear he¡¯s clinging to me to keep me close.

    So, if things go well, I might be able to guide the trials he gives me in a direction I desire. A direction that will aid my growth.

    In games, I had to pray for good quests, but this is reality, isn¡¯t it?

    I¡¯m going to get stronger. I will be a powerful being that makes the ipetent god tremble and the petty dark god lose his mind.

    And I¡¯ll confront the ipetent god in the divine realm, looking him in the face.

    It¡¯s easy to imagine what the face of a guy who does all sorts of perverted acts looks like, right?

    While facing that disgusting and revolting face, I¡¯ll deal a blow to him. I¡¯ll watch that disgusting and revolting face turn red.

    I will, without fail!

 Chapter 216

    The ce Luca took me to was one I vividly remembered.

    Luca''s office.

    The room, filled with books and papers scattered chaotically, gave the impression of disarray, and it was just as I had known it to be.

    As I scanned the room, Luca, with an awkward smile, pulled over a chair from somewhere and sat down. He then invited me to take a seat in the office chair.

    ¡°I can¡¯t have ady sitting in a chair like this.¡±

    If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it have been better to call me after tidying up?

    He should have had me sit on the perfectly fine sofa instead of using it as a document holder.

    And hey, if you brought me all the way here, shouldn¡¯t you at least offer me some tea?

    I was curious about how terrible the tea would be since it was infamous for being bad. I wondered how serious it was that even Joy couldn¡¯t maintain her expression.

    As I quietly looked at Luca with variousints, he merely stared back at me, as if to ask why I wasn¡¯t sitting.

    His carelessness was just like in the game.

    Confirming such things made me feel at ease.

    Even if he was a mentally unstable lunatic, it was better that he was like the game. If I could predict the thoughts and actions of my opponent, I could prepare for the dangers.

    Look at the first prince. I can¡¯t predict what he¡¯s thinking or how he acts at all.

    He seems to have changed in many ways, but I don¡¯t know in what direction! What really frustrates me is that no matter the direction, it seems he won¡¯t like me.

    I thought staring at Luca wouldn¡¯t change anything, so I sat in the office chair, and only then did Luca open his mouth.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you are aware, but I have a fondness for talented individuals. I¡¯ve often been told that my favoritism is quite pronounced when I¡¯m still inexperienced as a teacher.¡±

    I know very well.

    Luca believes he is a jeweler, crafting talented individuals into jewels.

    In a long-ago past before the game even started.

    The moment he saw a jewel shining brilliantly in front of him.

    And the moment he realized he couldn¡¯t shine like that jewel.

    Luca decided to be a jeweler.

    If he couldn¡¯t be a jewel himself, he resolved to create jewels that shone more brilliantly than anything else.

    ¡®Many people don¡¯t know this, but the value of a gem is determined before it is even crafted. If the raw stone is beautiful, then the gem will be beautiful, and if the raw stone is ugly, then the gem will also be ugly.¡¯

    You can hear this line while progressing through quests rted to Luca.

    This is his belief.

    Thus, Luca loved those with talent. He believed that to leave behind a jewel that would go down in history, he needed talented individuals.

    ¡°And you possess a talent that shines brighter than anyone I have seen.¡±

    Luca says he will craft me, that he will turn me into a jewel brighter than anyone else.

    He promises to etch my name in history, not just for my family, but for the kingdom, no, for the entire continent.

    ¡°I will assist you. So your talent can bepleted.¡±

    I sat on the leather chair and examined Luca¡¯s face.

    I can¡¯t read thoughts and emotions just by observing like Karia does.

    But I can understand Luca¡¯s thoughts.

    Why? Because I remember the words flowing into my ears.

    I know in what context he speaks those words.

    Right now, Luca is longing for me.

    He believes in the talent I possess, genuinely thinks I can shine brighter than anyone, and believes he can fulfill his wish through me.

    The rtionship between us mirrors the positions we are sitting in.

    While I was significantly shorter sitting down, I was looking down at him, and he was looking up at me.

    In that moment of certainty, I felt that this situation was unfolding as I had hoped.

    When it was just a game, it ended with Luca persistently asking me.

    I couldn¡¯t propose anything to him in return.

    But now, it¡¯s different.

    This is reality.

    There¡¯s no such thing as impossibility.

    ¡®You¡¯re wrong, Professor Luca.¡¯

    ¡°Pedo professor. I know you¡¯re happy to have a cute girl like me in this dull and smelly room, but you still need to think.¡±

    I leaned back against the chair, resting my chin on my hand.

    ¡®You¡¯re not helping me.¡¯

    ¡°Are you saying that a foolish little brat like you is going to help me? Ha! There¡¯s a limit to ignorance.¡±

    ¡°I am?¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m the one allowing you to help.¡¯

    ¡°Let me exin in a way even a foolish pervert can understand. You¡¯re not helping me; I¡¯m allowing you to help me.¡±

    Bring me something that would benefit me. Then I will allow you to teach me.

    It was an arrogant and haughty statement, but Luca didn¡¯t get angry upon hearing it. He merely stared nkly at me.

    He seemed to have forgotten even to create a trustworthy expression. He looked at me with bewildered eyes, leaning forward.

    Though slightly overwhelmed by his deranged appearance, the mesugaki skill did not allow for any confusion.

    The emotion I disyed outwardly was not fear but rather mockery.

    Seeing me, Luca chuckled in response. It wasn¡¯t his usual friendly smile, but rather a deep, derangedugh that hinted at madness.

    ¡°Indeed. I understand now, Lady Alrn.¡±

    With that, Luca swept his face with his hand.

    When his face was revealed again, it was so calm. It was as if the madness from just moments ago was merely an illusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for the professors to head to the ssroom. For now, please return ande back after school.¡±

    My n was as follows.

    If Luca sees Lucy Alrn as the jewel that can fulfill his wish, he will never let go.

    He will cling to me in any way possible. He is a desperate man wishing to achieve his desire.

    In that case, I would use that emotion to my advantage. I would stand in a position of power and choose the trials I would face. I would find a way to grow as stably and efficiently as possible.

    Through him, I would make the ipetent god, who wishes to oppress me, pay dearly.

    So far, my n seems to be progressing well.

    Luca¡¯s deranged gaze andughter proved that. If things continue this way, I could go in the direction I desire.

    Thinking this, I picked up the steak I had sliced with my fork, and at that moment, someone mmed their palm on the desk.

    Who is this uncultured person?

    Don¡¯t ruin my peaceful and enjoyable mealtime.

    ¡°Lucy Alrn.¡±

    I lifted my head with displeasure and saw Arthur standing there with one eyebrow raised.

    If he wanted toe, he should havee a bit earlier. Why is he causing a ruckus while I¡¯m trying to eat? I was looking forward to the academy meal after such a long time.

    ¡®What¡¯s up, Prince?¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s up, pitiful prince? Are you proudly puffing up your small stature? Should Ipliment you on being cute?¡±

    Arthur, who was pointed out for his small stature, flushed crimson and opened his mouth to shout something, but instead let out a sigh. Then, without seeking permission, he sat down in front of me.

    ¡°I heard that Professor Luca spoke to you.¡±

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s right.¡¯

    ¡°How did you know? Are you trying to stalk the lonely prince?¡±

    ¡°...I happened to overhear.¡±

    Has it already spread as a rumor?

    Wow. It¡¯s definitely Lucy. With such notoriety in a bad way, news travels fast.

    ¡°Anyway, congrattions. They say that most people who receive help from that guy seed.¡±

    That¡¯s true. If you don¡¯t seed, you die.

    Luca is a yer in an RPG game that preaches average regression. Regardless of the likelihood of sess or failure, he pushes the enhancement button and sees what happens.

    He thinks that if it¡¯s destined to be an item, it will seed in enhancement.

    What if it fails? That means it was never meant to be.

    Luca would get annoyed by bad luck and go off in search of other gear.

    That¡¯s why I was thinking of refusing Luca¡¯s proposal, and why I didn¡¯t want to lose the initiative to him.

    I find it creepy to think of myself as the equipment inside that enhancement device.

    ¡°Let¡¯s put aside the niceties for now. The reason I disturbed your meal is that I have something to ask.¡±

    Arthur shrugged and took out a piece of paper from his pocket, presenting it to me.

    ¡°You mentioned that when the second semester starts, I should ask what sses I should take.¡±

    Ah. I see now. He wants me to help him choose sses.

    This is urgent. I pushed my te aside and took the paper Arthur handed me, pondering.

    Let¡¯s see. Arthur is a sword mage, so he needs to take this. And this too. And this.

    ¡°...Hmm?¡±

    Wait, why is there a limit on the number of sses I can take in a semester? At this rate, I¡¯ll have to give up several!

    Ugh. For now, I should prioritize swordsmanship. If I train my body along with swordsmanship, my stamina will increase. That¡¯s more efficient.

    ¡°...Lucy Alrn?¡±

    I¡¯ll skip this one and this one. This one...

    Sigh. I have to drop this? Really?

    I absolutely need to take this! But if I don¡¯t drop this, I can¡¯t meet the limit.

    What should I do? What should I do?

    Oh, wait. Should I ask if he can waive the limit with his prince privilege?

    Even if he is far from the line of session, he¡¯s still a prince. I wonder what would happen if he used his status to push through.

    As I lifted my head to ask him, I was met with Arthur¡¯s exasperated expression.

    ¡°Do you want me to drop dead from overworking during ss?¡±

    Ohe on. That¡¯s such an exaggeration.

    People don¡¯t just die from this.

    From my training in the Alrn family¡¯s knight order, I¡¯ve realized that humans in a fantasy world are incredibly sturdy.

    Yeah. I¡¯m in a good mood! I¡¯ll drop one more.

    How¡¯s that? Isn¡¯t this enough?

    ¡°...You¡¯re trying to assassinate me under the pretense of helping me. What have I done wrong? Just tell me.¡±

    So even if he wouldn¡¯t die, he¡¯d be like that.

    No way.

    Don¡¯t change it.

    Go back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll curse you from hell, Lucy Alrn!¡±

    This is the help you chose.

    Hold out against the adversity, Arthur!

    After finishing the first day of the second semester andpleting the course selection, I headed to Professor Luca¡¯s office as promised.

    ¡®Professor Luca?¡¯

    ¡°Pedo Professor?¡±

    However, Luca was not present there.

    There was only an open door that seemed to invite someone to steal things and an empty office.

    Seeing that scene, I recalled a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu and memories from the past.

    One of the quests rted to Professor Luca. And the quest I had been waiting for.

    I didn¡¯t expect to make a decision this quickly.

    That¡¯s great. Professor Luca is indeed overestimating me.

    <Girl, you shouldn¡¯t go in there. There¡¯s something strange inside.>

    ¡®I know, Grandpa.¡¯

    I know what is prepared inside there. I know what Luca is trying to do with it. I know it all.

    I am the rotten water of Soul Academy.

    Ah, Professor Luca. Thank you so much for being exactly like in the game!

    If you had some kind of variable, it would have given me a real headache!

    Ignoring the old man¡¯s warning, as I stepped inside the room, the door closed behind me without being touched, and a magic circle shone beneath my feet.

    This was something I was familiar with. Perhaps it was often used when the petty dark god toyed with me.@@novelbin@@

    The truth of teleportation.

    Now.

    It¡¯s time to let Professor Luca know the value of this rotten water.

 Chapter 217

    You must already know that the character Lucy treats students like gacha tickets. I''ve exined that ad nauseam.

    But there¡¯s still a part I haven¡¯t mentioned: how the users treat Professor Lucy.

    Surprisingly, the users¡¯ treatment mirrors how Lucy treats the students.

    Gacha.

    From the moment it''s involved, the risks skyrocket endlessly, but the returns are high for this NPC.

    If you want to y at a high level, you¡¯ll inevitably encounter her at some point.

    If there areints on the bulletin board, she ounts for about a quarter of them.

    That is the identity of Lucy.

    Lucy continuously presents crises to the users.

    She might throw them into dangerous dungeons, subject them to threats from contractors, or create surprise encounters through unfortunate idents.

    In a game where growth time is limited, an increase in encounters means a higher growth cap, so from the users¡¯ perspective, it should be weed.

    The problem arises when crises appear that cannot be solved physically.

    For instance.

    Right. The dungeon where the alchemist appeared.

    I memorized all the information about that dungeon, but I couldn¡¯t clear it. At that time, it wasn¡¯t a dungeon I could conquer.

    All I could do was try my best to survive.

    I nearly died failing that and barely saved my life by being leashed by a shabby boss.

    From the moment Lucy is involved, users have to deal with such situations frequently.

    Just after saving, when Lucy throws a curveball your way, and the previous save file is from a long time ago.

    Do you know how that feels?

    I do.

    When I had the grand goal of creating the best character for each job, I faced Professor Lucy''s face repeatedly.

    I had even posted strategies for the events you could see when meeting Lucy, indicating how much fun I had with that bastard.

    I have memorized her patterns of behavior perfectly.

    I¡¯m thankful that Lucy is exactly like the character in the game.

    If Lucy is identical to the character in the game, I can induce her actions.

    After countless attempts, I seeded in controlling my actions even in a game with limited choices. So what if I could choose options in reality?

    That would be easy.

    The surrounding blue light disappears, revealing the scenery around me.@@novelbin@@

    Trees that are thin and bare, unable to bear leaves.

    The parched and cracked ground.

    The few leaves scattered on the ground seemed like they would turn to dust the moment I stepped on them, and the energy in this death-filled forest felt heavy and gloomy.

    A ce where, if a sword were toe, it would surely scream and turn red in shame.

    A dead forest.

    A field filled with various dangers, not a dungeon where a petty evil god can intervene.

    I never thought that I would choose a ce where I couldn¡¯t use my blessings regarding the dungeon.

    What luck.

    ¡°You matched the appointment time well. I thought I¡¯d have to wait longer,¡± said a voice from behind me, revealing Professor Lucy¡¯s figure when I turned my head.

    ¡°Are you trying to act calm? Or are youposed because you predicted this situation?¡±

    ¡®Should I pretend to be surprised?¡¯

    ¡°Why, you perverted pedo? Do you want to hear the screams I let out? Ha ha! Then just confess it. I could have shown you a scream filled with sincerity.¡±

    ¡°...Well, either way works. Both sides seem extraordinary.¡±

    Lucy pretended not to hear my voice and continued.

    ¡°I consider myself a person who polishes jewels. Finding shining raw gems and beautifully processing them is my lifelong goal and ambition. Since I have been doing this for a long time, I take pride in this profession of craftsmanship.¡±

    A line I had heard somewhere.

    I expected this line toe out when I told her to help or support me.

    Hearing that line made me chuckle at how the situation was falling into ce.

    Alright, Lucy. You¡¯re about to say that the jewels must obediently follow the craftsman¡¯s touch.

    ¡°Jewels must not speak. They must follow the craftsman¡¯s touch obediently.¡±

    Ha ha!

    Yes, that¡¯s how it should be.

    I am a rotten being from the Soul Academy who has possessed this body.

    Isn¡¯t it normal for things to align perfectly when nning something? Why does it always turn out in a direction I never anticipated?

    ¡°A gem that adds various whims to the craftsman¡¯s hand is unnecessary. However, it would be too wasteful to discard you, Lucy. The light of you as a jewel shines too brightly. So, I decided to test whether you have the ability to polish yourself.¡±

    After finishing her speech, Lucy slowly stepped back.

    ¡°I promise. If you show results here, I will allow you to polish yourself.¡±

    As she repeatedly stepped back, her form gradually blurred, and before long, shepletely vanished.

    And so, I was left alone in this forest.

    <So, is this what you nned?>

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    <Is it a prophecy?>

    ¡®Something like that.¡¯

    Usually, I would recklessly me the shabby god, but not this time.

    After all, it was the shabby god who told me to receive trials from Professor Lucy. I was merely executing what the god said diligently.

    <It looks like you¡¯re not willing to exin properly.>

    ¡®Not particrly...¡¯

    <Enough with the unnecessary talk. Just answer my questions. Is it dangerous?>

    ¡®No. Not at all.¡¯

    I can assert that confidently.

    No matter what variables arise in this situation, I won¡¯t die.

    How can I be so sure? I wouldn¡¯t just throw away my precious equipment without any preparation.

    Lucy exposing her intentions openly means she wants me for a reason.

    Whether I pass the trial or not, she won¡¯t let me die in such a shabby ce.

    Someday, she will prepare a grand stage with much effort for enhancement and throw me there.

    However, the moment I fail this trial, Lucy will do something to manipte me for her own taste and to silence me.

    That¡¯s how it went in the game.

    Once she revealed her true intentions, she would use some magic to silence me, right?

    After using that, I wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse what Lucy says.

    To counter that, I would need a mental-type skill or to visit an NPC who handles it well, but I have the fool fox.

    Even if Lucy pulls a trick, I can resolve it.

    <Will there be anything gained from this?>

    ¡®Yes. A lot.¡¯

    I can easily clear the quest that the shabby god handed to me, and I can also elerate my growth.

    Dungeons that are hard to enter as a student. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t be able to enter this area at this point. Combat experience I can gain through fighting strong opponents.

    If I seed in taking the initiative against Lucy, I can choose all of this to my liking.

    It means I can choose what I had topromise after an infinite reset in the game at my own will.

    Of course, Lucy will interfere and make a fuss, but since the shabby god issued the quest, that can¡¯t be helped.

    <Do you know what to do?>

    ¡®I know that too.¡¯

    The answer to that is simple.

    Survive.

    Endure until the next morning in this field.

    That¡¯s the requirement Lucy demands when throwing users into this ce, so it¡¯s likely to be simr this time.

    <Lastly, are you confident?>

    ¡®Is that even a question?¡¯

    The situation is flowing exactly as I nned.

    The petty evil god''s intervention is impossible.

    Since it¡¯s a ce that people are reluctant to visit, there are no variables from adventurers.

    Moreover, the field itself ispatible with me.

    The main monsters appearing in this dead forest are evil spirits. Monsters possessed by evil spirits. And the undead.

    Either way, they are vulnerable to the holy.

    And I am a saint, a servant of the god with strong holiness.

    ¡®I can do anything here.¡¯

    I¡¯ve already confirmed where I am right now.

    If I wanted, I could escape from here by my own power and return to the Soul Academy.

    But why should I worry?

    <Then it¡¯s settled.>

    The old man replied and took a long breath, grumbling that I should tell him in advance when nning something like this.

    <Haven¡¯t you experienced sudden crises one or two times? My heart nearly skipped a beat.>

    ¡®You don¡¯t have a heart, old man.¡¯

    <It¡¯s a metaphor! Just understand it vaguely!>

    While I was bantering with the old man, I felt an ominous energy approaching from a distance.

    Was it because I practiced with the old man and the energy of the holy during the break? My body keenly sensed the energy of death, which is the opposite of the holy.

    <Haah. It¡¯s settled. Consider it an opportunity to practice in the field. Youngdy, prepare yourself.>

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    I took a deep breath and spread the holy energy from my heart throughout my body.

    The basics of Ruelly¡¯s holy two-element technique. Strengthening the body by circting the holy energy through the blood.

    I can¡¯t yet spread the holy energy to my fingertips and toes like the old man, but I can at least imitate that.

    I feel the vitality surging through my body, enhanced by the holy.

    Just as I practiced in the Arln family.

    Seeing the ominous energy step back in fear from the holy I exhaled, I smiled and prepared for battle.

    I took out my shield from my inventory and detached the mace, which I had made smaller to hang around my neck, and erged it to fit my hand.

    I would love to wear armor, but I don¡¯t think I have the luxury for that right now.

    - Kieeeek.

    Things that desire the vitality of the living reveal themselves.

    Those who once frolicked among flowers when the forest was beautiful. However, as the forest filled with death, they grotesquely transformed to survive.

    Banshees.

    Iughed as I counted the number of eyes filled with ugly greed.

    Three of them? That¡¯s enough for a warm-up.

    ¡°Ugh? You look disgusting? Smells like a corpse? Is this what a fairy is?? I¡¯d probably exterminate the fairy queen without knowing she¡¯s a fairy!?¡±

    With the excitement rising in my body, one of the banshees rushed at me.

    These beings are closer to death than life. They are nearly formless, like ghosts.

    Thus, they cannot be harmed by normal attacks, but that is of no concern to me.

    A mace imbued with holy energy does not overlook those who embrace death.

    Boom! With a satisfying sound, the mace struck the banshee''s head, and as it couldn¡¯t withstand the shock, its body scattered.

    This is a bit troublesome.

    They¡¯re too weak. They should at least put up a fight for a warm-up.

    Perhaps frightened by theirpanion¡¯s tragic demise, the banshees began to back away, but I wouldn¡¯t allow that.

    ¡°Where are you going, old hags?? Are you running away because you¡¯re embarrassed about your wrinkly faces?? Ha ha? Sorry?? Because I¡¯m prettier than you ugly ones??¡±

    What are you thinking, trying to run away, you experience points!

    Die quietly after being my warm-up partner!

 Chapter 219

    It''s not a bad thing that the monsters here are weak. After all, having given up on experience points, it benefits me for things to go easily.

    Yet, I still felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

    Since this isn¡¯t a dungeon, there¡¯s no reason for any variables to arise. Everything that exists here isn¡¯t much different from my knowledge, but still, I couldn¡¯t shake off my anxiety.

    Why?

    Since I fell into this world, has anything ever gone as I thought? Has anything ever been resolved easily?

    There¡¯s never been such a time.

    I always had to face the threat of death.

    There was always something unexpected blocking my way, and an enemy would suddenly appear to grab me by the cor. That has been my life.

    I, as a human, could only stand here after oveing countless crises.

    Is that why I couldn¡¯t be wholly joyful about this peace and tranquility?

    Wouldn¡¯t a notification suddenly ring out?

    Would a dungeon not suddenly appear from somewhere?

    Would the tricks Luka set up not try to kill me?

    Or could there be some variable hidden somewhere in this forest that I didn¡¯t know about?

    Such anxieties kept making me look around.

    ¡®I actually think it would be better if something came out now.¡¯

    If something happens, I can just resolve it. It will surely be dangerous, and I may have to face death, but at least I wouldn¡¯t have to be so anxious.

    <So you are human after all.>

    As I vented my frustrations without a proper outlet, the old man muttered.

    ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯

    I¡¯ve always been human, you know? I¡¯m not a rotten human being from themu. If you treat me like something other than a human, I¡¯ll get angry! Seriously!

    <It¡¯s a joke. A joke. I¡¯m telling you to rx.>

    ¡®Old man, you really can¡¯t joke. I can clearly see how much your subordinates have struggled.¡¯

    <What are you talking about? Other pdins wouldugh until they fell over with just one word from me.>

    ¡®What about your colleagues?¡¯

    <...Those scoundrels are quite different from pdins in terms of emotions.>

    ¡®Sounds like you were pampered.¡¯

    A boss who possesses all three: performance, ability, and power.

    How terrible.

    There must surely be a pir somewhere in the pdin order with my grandfather¡¯s insults written on it.

    As I let the old man¡¯s ims of being a good superior pass through one ear and out the other, I continued moving forward.

    The third boss was a two-headed dog walking on two legs.

    Despite being a pet, it didn¡¯t know how scary humans were, and when it bared its teeth, I had to teach it a lesson with my mace a few times before it copsed onto the floor.

    The fourth boss was a witch that emerged from a flower blooming from a rotting corpse.

    She would bind her opponents with the vines she possessed and attack with magic, poison, and curses. Normally, she would be quite a troublesome existence, but not for me now.

    The witch¡¯s vines weren¡¯t strong enough to bind my body.

    Her magic couldn¡¯t prate my shield.

    The poison was purified before it could invade my body.

    And the curse couldn¡¯t even get close.

    Initially, she had a fierce demeanor, but as I stuck my mace into her face, which turned pale with horror, the witch soon scattered away.

    Confirming that she waspletely turned to ash by the holy energy, I picked up the seed from within and tossed it into my inventory.

    Later, I could bring it to Adri to remove the curse, so it would have its uses.

    Now it¡¯s thest one.

    The being that stained this forest with death.

    Once a necromancer, but after dying, became a spirit, and to revive again. For revenge. To find what was left behind. Coming to this vibrant forest, she turned it into hell, absorbing the life force, and losing her original purpose in madness.

    The necromancer.

    Now that I¡¯ve killed her four subordinates who ruled this forest, she should reveal herself in the center.

    As I moved my feet toward the middle of the forest, a massive wave of death energy emerged in the distance, spreading around.

    That energy was on a different level than everything I had faced so far. A will of resentment flowed through the ck magic, darker than the night¡¯s veil.

    A voice filled with resentment. A will to curse the living. A desperate desire to be stronger, lingering even after losing sanity.

    <Are you alright?>

    ¡®Yes. This much is fine.¡¯

    I absorbed that energy into my body, but I felt no oddity. The energy of the unclean was purified by the holiness I possessed before it could prate my body.

    <That¡¯s quite a strong one.>

    ¡®It seems so.¡¯

    Indeed, a true boss. Just appearing like this exudes such overwhelming pressure. If it weren¡¯t insane, it would have been a troublesome opponent.

    What kind of monsters did the pdin order face back then to defeat such a being, I wonder?

    <Are you confident?>

    ¡®Compared to the evil god, it¡¯s just a weak opponent, right?¡¯

    This being is even too weak to bepared to Karia. There¡¯s no reason to feel threatened.

    <Comparing them is a bit too much for the opponent.> ¡®Is that so?¡¯ <To begin with, how many people stronger than Karia at that time exist on this continent now?>

    That makes sense. Now that you mention it, theparison seems too much.

    So, hmm. Alright. Here¡¯s how I¡¯ll put it urately.

    Given the situation and the conditions, the friends from the academy excluding me. Arthur. Joy. Faybi. Frey. If those four were to face this opponent, they could likely hunt it down.

    Especially since Faybi is perfectly specialized against the undead, as long as she buys some time for her to purify the vengeful spirit, that would be a big deal. But winning is winning, right?

    I can say it with confidence. This necromancer of the forest is only that much of an opponent.

    If there are no variables, there¡¯s no way I would lose to such a being, right?

    The problem is if there are variables. If it¡¯s a reasonably weak opponent, I should be able to handle it with my current self.

    If the worst-case scenarioes and an insurmountable situation arises...

    Well, if that happens, the shabby god will somehow take care of it, right? Since it¡¯s a trial they provided, at least they should take some responsibility.

    If that worst-case scenario isn¡¯t Luka¡¯s scheme, then Luka will protect me.

    Truly, I have no countermeasures.

    As I thought this, I chuckled but didn¡¯t stop moving my feet.

    The more I went forward, the denser the ck magic became.

    The concentration was such that a normal person would have suffocated and choked on that magic.

    As I pushed through the mist, I found myself reaching the center before I knew it.

    At that moment, I realized a few facts.

    The ck magic that spread throughout the forest wasn¡¯t intentionally leaked by the necromancer but was merely seeping out because she couldn¡¯t control it.

    The spirits that had emerged to wee their true master were cheering.

    There was a significant difference between seeing it through the monitor and witnessing it with my own eyes.

    Taking a deep breath, I spread the holiness throughout my entire body.

    Though its nature is bizarre, the holy energy granted by the true god wraps around my body and drives away the surrounding darkness.

    As white dots emerged in the ce filled with ckness, all the beings lurking there turned their gazes toward me.

    Facing the expressions of horror and hatred contained within those gazes, I mentally recited the holy magic.

    As my holiness strengthened, various buffs that had naturally increased their performance coursed through me.

    As vitality surged through my body from having roamed the forest for a long time, my heightened senses drew in the voices of the spirits.

    <ul>

    <li>It¡¯s a pdin.</li>

    <li>It¡¯s a pdin.</li>

    <li>What are you doing here?</li>

    </ul>

    I tightened my grip on the leather handle attached to my shield.

    <ul>

    <li>Let¡¯s torture it.</li>

    <li>Let¡¯s kill it.</li>

    <li>No, we should make it suffer.</li>

    <li>We need to hear it scream.</li>

    <li>Make it beg for its life.</li>

    <li>We should make it one of us.</li>

    </ul>

    Holding tightly to the leather handle on my shield.

    <ul>

    <li>Everyone, be quiet.</li>

    </ul>

    I closed my eyes and then lifted my head again.

    A ck gaze resembling an abyss looked down at me, and a red gaze looked up at me.

    <ul>

    <li>It¡¯s a pdin I want to kill right now. A little girl who seems like she would disappear if I trampled her. I have a question for you.</li>

    </ul>

    The voice, worn out and decayed, echoed in my ears. Though it was hard to understand, it wasn¡¯t at a level I couldn¡¯tprehend.

    ¡°What is it?? Tell me, you senile olddy? I¡¯m kind, so I¡¯ll listen to a crazy person¡¯s story?¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Have you seen a child named Adri?</li>

    </ul>

    And the content was not much different from what I knew.

    I¡¯d need to have a few more conversations to confirm, but I was already somewhat sure.

    This necromancer was not different from the game. She was not much different from what I remembered.

    ¡°Curious?? Are you super curious?? Let me think for a moment? I don¡¯t remember the shabby little ones well?¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Think carefully. It¡¯s a matter of your life.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Oh!? I remember!? The lonely olddy living in the mansion!?¡±

    As I raised my voice, a red mark appeared in the ck eyes of the necromancer.

    That was a sign of rationality. It meant that, for a moment,munication was possible.

    The skill I received when I gifted a ribbon to Adri in the past. The power of Adri residing within it restored some of the necromancer¡¯s reason.

    Yes.

    This necromancer is Adri¡¯s parent.

    Though she was suppressed by the holy pdin order in the past, she managed to escape, preserving her spirit.

    She came to this forest seeking revenge and salvation, turning it into hell, absorbing life forces, and losing her original purpose in the process of madness.

    The necromancer.

    <ul>

    <li>Adri. Have you seen Adri?! Is she alive?! Answer me! I demand an answer!</li>

    </ul>

    Even in her lost state of reason, this pitiful mother still called out her daughter¡¯s name.

    Did I mention before that this quest had been reevaluated after it was revealed to be a linked quest?

    That¡¯s the reason. Afterpleting the Adri-rted quests,ing here turns what would otherwise be a tedious grind into a moving story.

    The maternal instincts of a mother have a way of moving people, or so they say.

    To be honest, I still can¡¯t empathize. I grew up as an orphan, so I¡¯ve never felt what maternal instincts are.

    Recently, I unintentionally felt what paternal instincts are.

    But that¡¯s not very important, so I¡¯ll skip it. What I really want to say is this:

    ¡°Yeah!? I¡¯ve seen her!? I know where she is!? But I¡¯m not going to tell you!?¡±

    I¡¯m the kind of person who can provoke a necromancer even when I know all the circumstances.

    <ul>

    <li>What?

    ¡°But you look like you have a bad head? Even if I tell you, I feel like you won¡¯t remember it? So, I¡¯m not going to say anything!?¡±</li>

    <li>...I understand. Then I¡¯ll make you speak.</li>

    </ul>

    As the voice filled with deep resentment shot toward me, a wave of exhration surged through my body.

    Ah, right. There¡¯s one thing I haven¡¯t mentioned.

    The moment I arrived in the center of the forest and faced the necromancer, I realized.@@novelbin@@

    This being is strong enough to be a warm-up.

 Chapter 220

    Luka''s choice of this forest as the testing ground held no special significance.

    It was simply the most appropriate location among the few remaining ces after excluding the dungeon.

    Some ces seemed far too easy for someone named Lucy, while others appeared excessively difficult. Certain areas were too crowded, making it likely they''d be discovered, and others were simply too far away to meet the time constraints.

    Considering all these factors, the only remaining option was this dead forest.

    He started contemting this morning, made the decision by lunchtime, and brought her here by evening. Thus, it was impossible to prepare in advance.

    If this forest were a well-known location, it could have been exined that he already knew about it, but that was out of the question.

    The dead forest was a ce rife with bad rumors. Nobles saw no reason to approach here, while superstitious adventurers didn''t even dare set foot inside.

    The only ones who visited were the clergy, and even they were merely maintaining the area to ensure that various evil spirits didn¡¯t escape.

    To put it simply, the dead forest was a ce that would not be known to people.

    Therefore, it could be asserted that studying this forest in advance was impossible. How could one study what was unknown?

    However, oddly enough, Lucy Alrn seemed to know this forest all too well.

    Her steps through the pitch-ck forest, where visibility was limited, were unhesitant.

    If nothing had appeared at the end, one might have thought it was just baseless confidence, but it was not so.

    At the end of Lucy Alrn''s steps, there was always something waiting.

    These were things that significantly influenced this forest. The very things that those who understood the forest warned against meeting.

    When she first defeated an evil spirit, she thought it was a coincidence.

    Upon encountering the second foe, she began to feel doubts.

    By the time she faced the third opponent, a particr thought arose, and after defeating the fourth, she considered it highly likely. Now, standing before the true master of this forest, she was certain.

    She understood what Lucy Alrn''s purpose was. She aimed to purify this forest.

    A ce that no one had thought to resolve since the day the undead entered it.

    They deemed it not worth the effort, believing maintaining the status quo was enough for this forest.

    She was trying to return it to its past state.

    But why?

    It was likely not Lucy Alrn''s own intent. Rather, it was the will of a being that existed above her, one that significantly influenced the creation of the current Lucy Alrn.

    That which must have tainted this forest with death was undoubtedly immense.

    It obscured the light of the moon and stars with dark magic. As the beings that once led the forest vanished, it filled the void with its own power, which was no lightweight entity.

    Even Luka, a professor at the academy, felt a sense of intimidation from it.

    If an ordinary citizen were to face it, they would kneel and call upon their god.

    A seasoned adventurer encountering it would not draw their weapon but would quickly flee to report on the entity.

    If the lord of the nearby region had seen it, they would have requested salvation from the church instead of confronting it directly.

    This being, obscuring the sky and showcasing its existence, was not something a first-year academy student could face alone.

    It was something that the church''s knight order had toe and dere to hunt down.

    If what stood before him now were merely a first-year student from the academy, Luka would have stepped in to deal with the undead in her ce.

    He was someone who tossed students into the boundary between life and death, not someone who threw them into death itself.

    However, for this instance, Luka did not do that. He felt no reason to.

    It was not unusual for Luka. Anyone who saw Lucy Alrn shining like the sun in the middle of the forest would think the same.

    Luka witnessed it.

    He saw Lucy walking toward the forbidden aura that would terrify anyone.

    Instead of being frightened by the scene before him, she readied herself for battle.

    She stood proudly as a beacon of light in the darkness, drawing all the undead''s attention to herself.

    She raised her voice toward the master of the forest.

    And she continued to fight without taking even a step back against that vile being.

    The curses spat by the nearby spirits were not even allowed to touch Lucy.

    Likewise, the unholy power possessed by the master of the forest was the same. Normally, it would have rotted whatever it touched, but before Lucy, it merely dissipated like smoke.

    The undead that rose from the earth were purified at the moment they touched her sanctity, and the magic wielded by the forest''s master was not significantly different.

    In contrast, Lucy''s attacks were always threatening.

    Each time she swung her mace, the massive unholy entity of the forest trembled, and a moan of pain spread throughout the entire forest.

    Each time she ignited her sanctity, the surrounding spirits scattered.

    It was not something that could be exined by the term "match-up."

    An overwhelming strength not typical for someone her age.

    Having worked on the field for a long time.

    Having taught countless individuals at the academy.

    Having engraved many stars in his eyes.

    He knew better than anyone what the most brilliant star looked like.

    Luka could not help but exim in admiration.

    "Is that a first-year student at the academy?"

    If the person standing there were the saint of the Church of the Holy Lord, Luka would have understood.

    Having been chosen by the god and polished her sanctity since childhood, she had already performed miracles in several ces.

    However, the one standing there was not a saint.

    Not long ago, she had been a childish girl who didn''t hesitate to hurl insults at the gods.

    Had it not been for the grandeur of the Alrn family, she would have been long erased for her sphemy.

    Yet here she was, possessing such sanctity.

    "Is she someone favored by the gods?"

    Luka, well-versed in the rumors within the academy, was aware of the recent nickname given to Lucy.

    "Someone favored by the gods."

    It was a silly nickname given due to her close rtionship with Faybi, yet Luka felt that, for some reason, it aptly described Lucy.

    Come to think of it, the reason she had changed was because she had listened to the words of the gods.

    Luka did not like to use the phrase "favored by the gods" for those who had gained widespread renown. He believed it was a statement with the causal rtionship reversed.

    He thought that the gods did not grant talent because they were favored. Rather, they looked for talented individuals and chose them.

    It was said that they caught the eye of the gods because they inherently possessed talent suitable for greatness.

    In that sense, Lucy Alrn was indeed someone favored by the gods.

    She was someone whom the great god deemed had talents worthy of favor.

    "Wow. No matter how proud I am of my craftsmanship, I have to give way to the gods."

    The great god was like a senior to Luka in this field.

    How could Luka y around when that being, who had created countless suns over a long and extensive history, had set their sights on it first?

    Admiring Lucy, who threatened the master of the forest with her mace, Luka soon let out a chuckle.

    He had to admit it.

    That Lucy had the touch of a greater craftsman upon her.

    He realized that he would be a hindrance in crafting the star that was her.

    "Hmm. I wonder if I should watch from the sidelines and learn."

    "Let¡¯s see how outstanding my senior truly is."

    And perhaps asionally inject my own preferences here and there.

    Though I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be permitted to do so.

    <ul>

    <li>You little bug!</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Ugh? Are you proud of your body, Auntie?? You have a unique taste. Are you perhaps half-human, half-orc?? You really go well together~?¡±

    Hmm. Before that, I should probably worry if my magic will work on Lady Alrn.

    That being is already far beyond the academy level.

    Even if she were active in the field now, she would be regarded as an outstanding talent. To be honest, it makes me a bit anxious.

    What if I fail in magic? How should I persuade her then? Would she be satisfied if I held onto her life string? That would be nice. Because I don¡¯t feel like wanting to die just yet.

    Even if I die, I want to see her fade away the light I had witnessed.

    <The spirits areing!>

    ¡®I understand!¡¯

    Since the festival in the Parn territory ended, I had been cooped up in the territory, but that period was marked by the word "training."

    While awake during the day, I repeatedly trained with the Alrn family knights, and at night, I practiced handling sanctity with the elder in a practice mode.

    Moreover, whenever I had time, Bishop Johan visited our mansion and taught me various things, so the me before the vacation and the me now are almost different people when ites to handling sanctity.

    One of the oues of that effort is this.

    The Light of Purification.

    This holy magic, which is the source of the miracle the elder showed when confronting the evil god of fire in Menestale, has the effect of purifying the surrounding unholy beings with the light of sanctity.

    Like all such magic, its effectiveness is greatly influenced by the sanctity possessed by the user.

    The sanctity I possess is one granted directly by the shabby god.

    How could lowly spirits withstand this sanctity that even the evil gods feel threatened by?@@novelbin@@

    The spirits summoned to thend could not endure the light and had to return to where they originally belonged.

    <ul>

    <li>Will you block my path again, holy knight!</li>

    </ul>

    As the battle intensified, the necromancer lost herposure.

    She no longer sought her daughter¡¯s name.

    She was merely moving to kill me, equating me with the holy knight she had seen in the past.

    Hmm. For now, let¡¯s weaken her afternding a few more hits...

    <I cannot persuade her.> ¡®...I never thought about that.¡¯

    <I know everything. Do you think I''ve only seen one or two people like you.>

    In truth, I had thought about it. I wondered if I could head in a different direction from the game.

    Maybe, just like I saved Karia, there might be a way.

    But I had seen so many ordinary endings that I was bored. I wanted to see a different ending this time.

    Yet the elder asserted to me.

    "You¡¯ve already crossed the path of no return. What you intend to do now is impossible."

    <Do not harbor regrets. You must cut off what needs to be cut off.> ¡®...I suppose so?¡¯

    I also knew the truth.

    The reason I was able to save Karia was that she had not died and remained alive. The necromancer, who had already been consumed by spirits, would be beyond salvation.

    <Finish it. That is the way to save her.>

    I cast aside my regrets and imbued the head of my mace with sanctity.

    The changes brought about by the evolution of the Holy Smash Art into the Holy Art were many.

    First, it became easier to imbue my weapon with sanctity.

    I could now unleash great power with less sanctity than before.

    And one more thing. A technique that could be called a finishing move was born.

    Taking a deep breath, I lifted my mace high.

    As all the sanctity swirling within my body converged, a small sun formed above my mace.

    As the warm and gentle light illuminated the forest, the necromancer gasped, gathering her magic.

    However, the necromancer''s power, depleted after a series of battles, could not withstand the god''s sanctity.

    As the mace swung, the sun fell from above, erasing all the unholy presences in the vicinity.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    [You have sessfully purified the dead forest!]

    [You have passed one of Luka¡¯s trials!]

    [Rewards have been granted!]

 Chapter 223

    The situation was simple.

    It was about the missing paperwork I had submitted.

    If we think about it ordinarily, it could just be considered a loss during the process of working.

    Since the course registration period hasn''t ended yet, I could just rewrite it and submit it again. But perhaps because I had recently heard from Luka that themoners disliked me, this small matter weighed on my mind.

    A tiny suspicion grewrger with each passing day. Various minor incidents piled up.

    The food I nned to eat at lunch got burnt. I was summoned to ces I had no reason to go. The moment I sat in my favorite chair, it broke beneath me.

    With all these urrences stacking up, by evening, I began to recall themoner storyline from the game, which should have nothing to do with me now.

    So I decided to go back to the source.

    Starting with the missing course registration paperwork.

    Soul Academy offers jobs formoner students.

    It¡¯s not because theyck people; it¡¯s to help thosemoners working at Soul Academy who have financial issues.

    The cost of living in an academy primarilyposed of noble heirs is beyond what ordinarymoners can bear.

    While schrships are provided, the reality is that even three meals a day can be a struggle.

    If you want to buy even a single piece of equipment, you¡¯d have to prepare to go hungry for a week. Commoner students who have to rely solely on schrships live with poverty constantly clinging to them.

    The academy has prepared jobs for these students. Not just any jobs, but ones with conditions far better than usual.

    The work is easier than most ces, with good pay and various elements that help with academy life, somoner students work within the academy instead of going outside.

    Naturally, the academy does not assign students specialized tasks. Most of what they do is simple, tedious paperwork.

    For example, sorting course registration documents.

    <It seems like a rather far-fetched conclusion. It might just be a day of bad luck.> ¡®I know that. But I want to confirm it with my own eyes.¡¯

    I thought like the elder. Normally, I¡¯d wonder if I had a bad day.

    However, the reason I¡¯m overreacting is that there¡¯s a simr plotline in the game.

    When selecting amoner character in Soul Academy and progressing through the game, you will face bullying from higher-year students.

    From minor annoyances to quite significant troubles. Resisting this bullying and fighting back is the core of the early part of themoner character¡¯s story.

    The beginning of that story was precisely the missing course registration.

    Isn¡¯t it simr? The misfortunes that began from the moment I realized the registration paperwork was missing.

    I hope this is just unnecessary worry, but if my guess is correct... if some crazy fool has touched me without knowing their ce...

    Shouldn¡¯t they reveal who they¡¯ve touched?

    As I walked into the administrative office, the professor in charge recognized me the moment he saw my face and began to speak.

    ¡°Lady Alrn. Did youe regarding the missing course registration?¡±

    It seemed the professor knew of my infamous reputation as he bowed while I scanned the students behind him.

    There was a guy, his head bowed, focusing on paperwork behind the partition, and a girl who was fidgeting nervously in front of me.

    Their faces were familiar to me. I had to visit the administrative office often while progressing through various quests at the academy.

    The girl had enough importance to have her name attached.

    ¡°I was checking the organization and was shocked to find that you hadn¡¯t submitted your paperwork.¡±

    ¡®But I definitely submitted it.¡¯

    ¡°Dumb professor. I submitted the paperwork, you know? Don¡¯t think of me as some fool like you!¡±

    ¡°...Is that so? I apologize. It seems there was a mistake in the middle.¡±

    When I submitted my paperwork, the administrative professor wasn¡¯t there. Knowing that, I pointed it out first to naturally segue into the next topic.

    ¡®I gave it to that girl. Right?¡¯

    ¡°I gave it to that little kid. Hey, kid. Remember?¡±

    Belma, who was called a kid by someone smaller than her, was flustered and didn¡¯t know how to respond.

    Knowing her timid personality, I kept my mouth shut and waited for a response, but she only turned pale and began to sweat.

    ¡°I remember.¡±

    At the end of that wait, the response came from behind the girl. The guy working on the paperwork stood up and spoke.

    ¡°Lady Alrn came on the first day of course registration.¡±

    ¡°Beets. Is that true?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s certain. Lady Alrn is someone who naturally captures attention. There¡¯s no way I could forget.¡±

    As the guy continued, Belma¡¯s previously pale face turnedpletely ck.

    Even while watching him, I nearly burst outughing, even though I should have been angry.

    No way. I thought the expressions were exaggerated because it was a game¡¯s CG, but her face really does change like that?! Her reaction is amusing. She looks like she¡¯s begging to be teased.

    ¡°Belma. You remember too.¡±

    ¡°Uh... Ah. I mean, um...¡±

    Having regained someposure, I felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu listening to the conversation between the two.

    ¡°Could it be that you lost it?¡±

    The line is almost identical to the one from the game. It felt like I was reciting a script. If that¡¯s the case, does that mean my assumption was right?

    Wow. I never thought that starting as a noble would lead me to participate in themoner storyline.

    ¡°Belma. Is what Beets said true?¡±

    As Beets¡¯s questioning ended, the administrative professor continued.

    The implication was clear.

    This incident was Belma¡¯s personal mistake.

    This seemingly clumsy girl lost the paperwork and was now too scared to speak up.

    ¡°It¡¯s... um. That is...¡±

    ¡°This is no small matter, Belma.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Lady Alrn. It seems there was a mistake in the middle.¡±

    A normal noble would have been fooled by their intentions. They¡¯d think that a clumsymoner had made a mistake.

    A good person would likely tell them not to do this again next time, and perhaps someone angry would raise their voice, but the focus would be on Belma. The administrative professor and the boy beside her would just be scolded for not managing things properly.

    This is inside Soul Academy. After all, it¡¯s a ce where, at least outwardly, everyone is considered equal under the academy¡¯s rules. It¡¯s impossible to take their heads because of their noble status.@@novelbin@@

    But I¡¯m far from an ordinary noble. I¡¯m a rotten one who has seen the story of Soul Academy through all ranks.

    Naturally, I know a lot about their background.

    Even if they belong to themoner group, not everyone in it is the same.

    How can a rich merchant, whom even nobles fear, and a farmer who has to worry about daily bread be the same kind ofmoner?

    Such differences also emerge within themoner group at the academy.

    Those born into rtively good families. Those with culture. Those who have some outstanding trait. These people receive preferential treatment within themoner group and try to form good rtionships with each other.

    But those who are the opposite do not. They are discriminated against. More severely than nobles hatemoners. They are told that because of their existence,moners are looked down upon. They are exposed to bullying.

    Belma¡¯s case was just that. Born the child of a farmer and lucky enough to get into Soul Academy, she became a target of disdain and bullying.

    In the game, the missing paperwork incident was not Belma¡¯s fault.

    The boy she worked with had ordered her, and she had no choice but to follow him.

    And she became the bad girl who betrayed her friend.

    What about the administrative professor during that time?

    Among themoner students working at the academy, some cases remained in the soul academy.

    The administrative professor in front of me was one of those cases.

    Having worked here during his school days, he became a staff member and became an administrative professor. He was well aware of the situation in themoner group at the academy and had often provided help with the issues that arose among them.

    It was the same during the missing paperwork incident in the game.

    The boy sought the professor¡¯s permission in advance, and because the professor permitted it, that incident urred.

    Will it be the same this time?

    I still don¡¯t know.

    While I half-confirm it in my mind, I have not yet seen clear evidence.

    Having seen countless cases diverging from the story of the game, I refrained from definitively deciding and hitting the administrative professor.

    If this person turns out to be innocent, then my slightly improved reputation would certainly drop back to the bottom.

    As for others, that¡¯s fine, but I need a valid reason to justify violence towards the people around me.

    I don¡¯t want Joey to see me as a tyrant!

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, Lady Alrn.¡±

    ¡°How should I apologize...¡±

    ¡°Do you think your voices are pleasant?? Listening to you feels like a curse on my ears!?¡±

    ¡°...Yes?¡±

    ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re so noisy!? How could you not understand this? Are you perhaps less intelligent than a goblin?? Though you look worse than a goblin??¡±

    With my direct insult, the two trembled, but they couldn¡¯t get angry. The difference in status between us was clear.

    Having silenced the annoying noise, I grabbed Belma¡¯s chin, who was drawing watercolor on my thigh, and forced her to lift her head.

    ¡°You look like a clueless little kid? Hahaha?¡±

    The provocation of the mesugaki skill is absolute. This provocation works even on opponents much stronger than me, making even inanimate objects heat up and have no choice but to look at me.

    ¡°How did such a thing get into the academy?? Even if it¡¯s aplete failure of an academy, this is just too much?¡±

    So what would happen if I provoked a timid girl?

    ¡°Apologize to the other students who got epted into the academy? Say you¡¯re sorry for being here with them when you¡¯re such a failure?¡±

    What would happen if I provoked this girl, who was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t say anything and burst into tears?

    ¡°Apologize for dropping out to make amends for being a clueless idiot who can¡¯t even keep track of a piece of paper!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make a mistake! I...!¡±

    Belma¡¯s voice, which had finally broken free from her sobs, burst out.

    She widened her eyes in surprise, as if she was shocked at her own shouting, but that was enough for me.

    It seems this ce is not much different from the story of the game.

 Chapter 224

    As Belma covered her mouth with her hands, silence settled in this small space.

    The two men standing behind her exchanged wary nces, trying to gauge each other''s reactions.

    They probably didn¡¯t expect a situation like this to arise. After all, nothing significant had happened during all the simr incidents before.

    Now, they must be thinking about how to justify themselves, but with this short amount of time, there¡¯s no way they coulde up with a proper response. At best, they might just try to pressure Belma.

    ¡°Belma! What on earth are you saying?!¡±

    Seeing the administrative professor shout abruptly, I tapped my fingers on the desk.

    Hmm. Watching the elder ponder beside me seems to have improved my skills too. The situation is unfolding as I anticipated.

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯

    It¡¯s not that difficult to put pressure on these two. Being within the academy, there are limits to the safety they enjoy.

    The academy only protects them from the nobles¡¯ tyranny. If their faults are clear, they won¡¯t even have to fight against the nobles. Especially if the person in question holds considerable status.

    In short, if I report these two, their academy life woulde to an end. Not only that, but they would also have to pay the price for touching a noble.

    I don¡¯t know for sure, but the level of punishment would likely be severe. Since amoner touching a noble, they¡¯d treat it as an example to ensure it doesn¡¯t happen again.

    The problem is that if I do that, Belma will get caught up in it too. After all, she¡¯s involved in this as well.

    As a character I frequently see, I¡¯ve grown attached to her. I don¡¯t want to drag her down with me unnecessarily.

    Ah, I just realized there¡¯s another problem.

    If these two are dealt with half-heartedly, themoner group will show even more hostility toward me, possibly more than they do now. While not threatening, it will certainly be bothersome.

    <Do as you please.> ¡®Huh?¡¯ <It won¡¯t greatly alter the situation just because you make a small mistake. You have to think for yourself and act to grow your skills.>

    I was hoping for advice because thinking is a hassle, but getting such a response is troubling. I tried to throw a little tantrum, but the elder was adamant.

    <I''ll give you advice along the way, so do your best to figure things out.>

    It seems there¡¯s no choice. If a problem arises, I¡¯ll just me it all on the elder and let him deal with it.

    Feeling the sting of betrayal from the elder, I began to think.

    First, I need to determine the goal I want to achieve now.

    The first is Belma¡¯s safety. The second is ensuring that themoner group doesn¡¯t even think about challenging me.

    How can I achieve these two objectives? Thinking about it gave me a headache.@@novelbin@@

    Solving the second issue isn¡¯t very difficult. If I warn them that their higher-ups might get taken down if they continue to bother me, they¡¯ll know to keep their distance.

    The difficult part is the first one.

    No matter how I think about it, Belma¡¯s peaceful academy life seems to be fading away.

    If I leave her alone, it seems like she¡¯ll be bullied by othermoners. Even if I say that I¡¯ll take care of things if they touch her, she¡¯ll still be left alone.

    Keeping her by my side? I¡¯ve thought about that method too. But after imagining that scene in my head, I quickly discarded it.

    With my rough mouth. My fierce appearance. Frey, who does whatever she wants. And sometimes Arthur, the Third Prince, shows up.

    Should I throw a timidmoner girl into that mix? That¡¯s just bullying. She¡¯d probably end up dead before graduation with all the chaos.

    Ugh. Is there no decent method?

    If only there was someone I could trust...

    Ah. Vichy!

    The moment I recalled that name, which had faded from memory, I felt as if everything was being resolved.

    The bullying directed at Belma would automatically disappear if I took care of things, and as for the friend issue, I could just pass that onto Vichy! Unlike me, Vichy seemed to have plenty of friends!

    Having found a clear answer, I lifted my head with a joyful smile.

    The administrative professor, whose name I couldn¡¯t remember, and themoner boy were still pressing Belma for answers.

    They likely thought that if they couldn¡¯t shift the me onto her, the arrows would turn back on them.

    It¡¯s unfortunate. Those who can only see what¡¯s right in front of them don¡¯t realize that the arrows have already been shot. They harbor the vain hope that the bowstring will turn in another direction.

    So now, it¡¯s time to let them know. That their future has already been determined.

    ¡°Strange?? Did I say you could speak?? Why do I keep hearing pigs grunting??¡±

    As I opened my mouth again, silence returned to the room. The uneasy gazes of the three turned toward me.

    Seeing them hesitate to speak, it was clear they had much to say, but I had no intention of listening. Hearing their random excuses wouldn¡¯t change my mind.

    ¡°You there, clumsily looking like amoner??¡±

    I pointed at the male student.

    ¡°...Are you talking about me?¡±

    ¡°Who else would I be talking about? Is your brain as poorly made as your looks?? You were born iplete, huh?? Hah. You¡¯re quite amusing?¡±

    I noticed his face turning red, but I didn¡¯t stop. I was confident that even if this guy exploded and charged at me, I could easily crush him.

    ¡°By the way~? I¡¯ve heard some strange rumorstely?? Commoners are jealous of the ipetent saintess getting close to me??¡±

    ¡°...Yes?¡±

    ¡°At first, I didn¡¯t pay it much mind. It¡¯s my fault after all. It¡¯s because I shine too brightly that they¡¯re jealous of me? But after that, a lot of strange things began to happen?¡±

    I started listing the various misfortunes I experienced today in front of the boy.

    Normally, they could just be brushed off as bad luck. I could have said they were overly sensitive.

    However, neither the boy, nor the administrative professor, nor Belma thought of any such excuses. With my provocation igniting their minds, there was no way rational thoughts could surface.

    ¡°Alright, clumsymoner?? I¡¯ll exin it in a way you can understand, since your little brain seems insufficient!? If your pathetic little lips lighten up a bit, your fault will lighten too!?¡±

    I could see the boy''s eyes flickering wildly.

    What kind of image is reflected in his eyes?

    Am I a crazy girl trying to kill him? Or am I someone he feels he shouldn¡¯t provoke? No matter which way you look at it, I won¡¯t appear as a good person.

    Seeing the boy struggle with his conflict, did the administrative professor finally snap back to reality? He spoke up.

    ¡°...Lady Alrn?! What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Piggy?? You just keep grunting quietly!? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll really shove you into a pigsty!? Oh, by the way, if you prefer the perverted masochist route, you can do that too!?¡±

    Whether you know it or not, the academy has wronged me in quite a few ways.

    There was the incident at the entrance ceremony. The duel with Arthur. And the attack by the apostle of the evil god in the streets of the academy. If I start pressing for exnations, it could blow up.

    Thanks to that, the headmaster has no choice but to take my words seriously.

    If you had the same connections as Luka and a good reputation, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to get rid of you, but you¡¯re someone who could disappear at any moment, right?

    In terms of society. And physically. If you don¡¯t want your head to fly off, it¡¯s better to keep quiet.

    The boy, who had spent a long time living as amoner in the academy, easily grasped the meaning behind my words and shut his mouth.

    It would have been nice if he had shown this kind of awareness a little earlier.

    But what does it matter? From now on, I¡¯ll be treating you very nicely. You¡¯ll surely want to do everything to keep me satisfied, even for your own survival, right?

    Leaving the ve, whose leash was now tightened, I turned back to the boy.

    The administrative professor, who could not make any excuses and kept his mouth shut, looked at me with a nk expression, trembling at the boy¡¯s sight.

    ¡°I... I will speak.¡±

    Themoner group is usually led by the second-year students.

    First-year students have a hard time ying a significant role since they know nothing about the academy.

    Most third-year students are busy with graduation and figuring out which direction to go afterward.

    It¡¯s natural, but the one who ys the role of decision-maker in themoner group is also one of the second-year students.

    Marne, born as the son of a target and who, despite being amoner, sessfully entered Soul Academy with excellent grades after receiving numerous educations, clenched his head upon hearing about today¡¯s events.

    It felt like his mind was going to copse. They touched the youngdy of the Alrn family!

    Marne had a rough idea about Lucy Alrn.

    Once, she had lived a foolish life relying on her father¡¯s glory, but recently, she hade to her senses and was showcasing her tremendous talent.

    And she was still known for her sharp temperament from the past.

    What would happen if someone were to pull a prank on her? If amoner dared to provoke someone noble, what kind of reaction would emerge?

    Marne was certain. This wouldn¡¯t end with just onemoner.

    ¡°Answer me!¡±

    ¡°...I am Marne.¡±

    As Marne shouted again, one of the people in the meeting room spoke up.

    ¡°Why are you so angry?¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s going to get thrown on the one who did it. You pulled a prank on a bothersome noble and disciplined the first-year students you didn¡¯t like. Isn¡¯t that what you usually do?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s right. It¡¯s not going to go deeper than that.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we have a little fun with the saintess who has the favor of the gods?¡±

    ¡°...Hey. Are you out of your mind? What the hell.¡±

    ¡°Why! What!¡±

    After hearing the foolishments of several people, Marne felt his mind go nk.

    Are they saying one person¡¯s reckless action could drag in multiple others?

    Oh, great gods. How could you leave such idiots as my colleagues?

    Ah. Is it because I¡¯m also an idiot? I acknowledge that. I didn¡¯t escape right away and led these idiots for this long, so I¡¯m also an idiot.

    Realizing the horrific reality while praying, Marne stood up without answering them.

    To escape from this group of idiots as soon as possible.

    ¡°Can you move aside? I feel like I¡¯m going to catch that pathetic smell.¡±

    When Marne opened the meeting room door and stepped outside, he witnessed the sight of Lady Alrn entering themoner dormitory.

    He caught her crimson eyes locking onto him.

    She wore a sharp smile, as if she had found her prey.

    Oh, fuck. Oh gods.

    _______________________________________

    <strong>TL note:</strong>

    Hello, dear readers!

    I hope you¡¯ve been enjoying the recent chapters of <em>Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy</em>! Lucy''s journey has taken some exciting turns, and I¡¯m eager to hear your thoughts on thetest developments. What are your impressions of her growth and the challenges she faces? Are you looking forward to whates next?

    Your feedback is invaluable to me! If you¡¯re enjoying the story, please don¡¯t forget to leave a like and share yourments. Whether it''s your favorite moments, questions, or predictions for the plot, I¡¯d love to engage with you and hear your insights.

    Thank you for your support, and let¡¯s keep the excitement going as we continue this adventure together!

    Happy reading!

 Chapter 225

    Themoner dormitory of the academy was not much different from what I remembered.

    Compared to the dormitory for nobles, it was shabby, but mostmoners considered even this a luxury.

    As I looked around, memories of my school days and training camps came flooding back.

    When I stood in front of the dormitory, the nearby students hurriedly lowered their heads.

    ¡°Hello! Lady Alrn!¡± ¡°Hello!¡±

    They tried to remain calm, but their voices, tinged more with confusion than fear, betrayed their perplexity.

    They didn¡¯t know the past Lucy.

    It was true that Lucy Alrn, the girl from the past, had wreaked havoc and gained infamy at the Academy.

    The name Lucy Alrn had spread far and wide, to the point that evenmoners had heard of it.

    So, normally, it would make sense for them to be cautious of me, fearing my past misdeeds.

    ¡°Did Lucy¡¯s actions go so far as to diminish her credibility?¡±

    The problem was that Lucy¡¯s deeds had far exceededmon sense.

    She had insulted the king, calling him livestock.

    She had said it was unpleasant to deal with the first prince.

    She had rampaged, breaking the church''s statues.

    And this was just the tip of the iceberg; Lucy''s mischief seemed endless.

    It was an astonishing fact that one person couldmit so many insane acts.

    The nobles who had suffered from Lucy Alrn in the social circles would brush it off, thinking, ¡°Well, if it¡¯s her, it makes sense,¡± but for themoners who had only heard of her through stories, their perspectives were different.

    Some believed the tales without question, while others were skeptical. After all, was it really possible for one person to do all that?

    Those who harbored doubts interpreted the stories this way:

    They believed she was a creation meant to attach anonymity to the various incidents in high society.

    Or they thought she was weak enough to not be able to stop such absurd rumors from spreading, meaning she was someone bullied in high society.

    The first-year students, who had seen my antics firsthand, understood to some degree that the rumors were based in fact, but the upperssmen were different.

    They had barely crossed paths with me during the first semester and had only heard my stories in passing, leading them to think, ¡°She must be someone exceptional to be hated for her talents at such a young age.¡±

    The reason second-year students sent first-years to mess with me stemmed from this thinking.

    They considered themselves knowledgeable, or rather...

    No, that¡¯s too mild of a description. That word is insufficient to describe those idiots.

    More urately, some of those second-year students, who were heavily afflicted by ¡°middle school syndrome,¡± had decided I was a loner being bullied by the nobles.

    So they thought I wouldn¡¯t raise my voice if something happened and proceeded to act.

    When I first heard this story, I thought it was absurd and wondered what nonsense they were spouting.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing? There are those saying your actions are mere rumors. If their voices get louder, your reputation might rise as well.¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Ha. Of course not.¡±

    ...This guy really.

    ¡°Is it that fun to tease a girl like a great-granddaughter?¡±

    ¡°It is. It''s always new. I hope I can keep doing it in the future.¡±

    So this is how it is, huh?

    There¡¯s nothing I can do about it.

    The only option left is to tell them about the concept of mutually assured destruction.

    With the n of deliberately leaving sweat on the doorknob to make the foolish fox lick it, I stepped into themoner dormitory.

    ¡°Lady?! This is only formoners¡­¡±

    At that moment, the dormitory supervisor, who was near the entrance, rushed over in a panic, but there was no way he could stop me.

    As he reached out to stop me, contempt filled my gaze.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit bold?? To bemitting sexual harassment in front of everyone?¡±

    ¡°...No! It¡¯s not like that at all!¡±

    ¡°Shall I scream?? ¡®A bald pervert is trying to pounce on me!?¡¯ Huh??¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t know my ce!¡±

    As the supervisor stepped back in fright, a path into the dormitory opened up.

    Perhaps it was due to the supervisor''s loud shout just now. Themoners inside the building turned their gazes toward me.@@novelbin@@

    Confusion. Fear. Despair. Questions. Curiosity. Horror.

    As I observed those many emotions, I spotted someone gripping the doorknob of the conference room on the second floor.

    Mane. The current leader of themoner group.

    He was neither a saint nor a viin.

    Mane was a merchant. A person who sought his own profit without caring for good or evil.

    I couldn¡¯t tell if he was involved in this incident or not, but one thing was certain: he was someone with whom I couldmunicate.

    Even if there were some variables, his business sense wouldn¡¯t disappear.

    As soon as he saw my face, Mane desperately tried to turn and leave, but I didn¡¯t allow that.

    I jumped from the first floor andnded easily on the second-floor railing, blocking Mane''s path.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going? Are you scared of this little girl? Wow, what a coward. Did you wet the bed still?¡±

    ¡°...I would never be afraid of you, mydy. It¡¯s just that my eyesight isn¡¯t good, so I couldn''t capture your noble figure in my eyes. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

    The words of the previous sage, ¡°What a load of crap,¡± naturally popped into my mind, but I didn¡¯t press Mane any further.

    I had to have a pleasant time in the conference room from now on, and there was no need to start off on a rough note.

    When I smiled without saying anything, Mane knelt down. He mmed his forehead onto the floor with enough force to draw blood.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry! Even if I had ten mouths, I wouldn¡¯t have enough to say!¡±

    Hearing his lines flow naturally as if he had rehearsed them beforehand made my head spin.

    The angle of his head. His earnest voice. The lines spilling forth naturally. None of it was ordinary.

    How can both Luca and he be so good at this? Is there somewhere teaching this method?

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for wasting your time! However, I beg for mercy and ask for the time to exin my situation¡­¡±

    Within the desperate words that Mane spat out were traces of resentment towards others.

    Feeling the will to drag others down with him if he was to be ruined, I was certain of one thing: Mane had nothing to do with this incident.

    Mane had followed in his parents¡¯ footsteps and dabbled in various trades since he was young.

    Through that, he had seen and learned many things. Although Mane''s father led a massive trade organization andmanded many people, he didn¡¯t always adopt a domineering attitude.

    He was someone who could toss aside his pride like old rags.

    When necessary, he would bow his head as much as he needed, and when facing high-ranking nobles, he would even hesitate to show contempt.

    One day, when Mane had asked his father why he had to do so much, his father replied:

    ¡°No matter how much money you have, or howrge your power is, if you don¡¯t know your ce, it can all vanish in an instant. Mane, remember this well. You must always know your ce.¡±

    After witnessing a trade organization unting its power and disappearing in an instant, Mane had always kept his father¡¯s words in mind.

    Even after entering the academy with excellent grades, it was the same.

    In this ce filled with numerous influential figures, he was certain that the moment he forgot his ce, he would be buried.

    However, there were those who did not know about themon sense he held.

    They were arrogant.

    They believed they had the kind of wealth that could make any noble bow to them.

    They boasted that their father was a famous adventurer leading arge mercenary group.

    They imed to possess talents worthy of being sought after at the magic tower.

    They said the second prince had promised to make them a knight.

    These individuals, each with their reasons, had ruled over themoners like kings, failing to abandon their habits.

    Because they had received better treatment than anyone else where they had lived.

    Because they had the pride of having passed into the Soul Academy, a ce even nobles could not easily enter.

    Because they had stood out to some extent whilepeting with the high-ups.

    Because of those aplishments, they could reign over themoner dormitory.

    They refused to remember their ce.

    Mane¡¯s decision to be the leader of this group, which had only participated moderately amongmoners, was also because of them.

    When he saw them ying tricks on weaker nobles,ughing while saying that it was eptable to act like this at the Soul Academy, he was sure that if he couldn¡¯t get a leash on them, trouble would arise.

    It wasn¡¯t out of affection as dormitory friends. It was simply that when they caused an irreparable issue, the repercussions wouldn¡¯t stop with them.

    The reasonmoners gained privileges at the Soul Academy was precisely because the high-ranking individuals showed them favor.

    If the powerful figures of this ce became angry and drew their swords, suppressingmoners would be a trivial matter.

    If those guys messed up, I could die too. Mane, who had thought that, desperately tried to control them, but...

    Unfortunately, those he tried to rein in were more foolish than he could have imagined.

    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    Finishing his exnation based on the report he had just given, Mane tried to gauge the expression of the girl with her arms crossed.

    At first, Mane was convinced he was doomed, but now he wasn¡¯t.

    Lucy Alrn was a much more rational person than what he had heard.

    Her tone and attitude were rough? Isn¡¯t it natural for a noble to be rough when dealing withmoners?

    Look! Even though she could report to the academy and overturn this ce, she didn¡¯t hesitate toe to hear the story herself!

    Even though there were many reasons to be angry, she was quietly waiting for the story to end!

    Just this was enough to prove she was a person of character!

    So it¡¯s possible.

    If things go well, I can prevent the entiremoner group, and I can avoid my downfall.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that those three trash bags, who are clearly useless from their appearance, are the ringleaders of this incident?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t say that others are innocent¡­¡±

    ¡°Can you just answer what I asked? Do I look like I¡¯m rxed like you?¡±

    ¡°Lady, you are right. Those three are the ringleaders.¡±

    As soon as I made that determination, Mane desperately turned his thoughts, deciding to cut out the idiots he had been internally calling the ¡°foolish trio.¡±

    While it was true that other fools had given their tacit approval, it was those three who had led this incident.

    As Mane nodded, Lucy Alrn¡¯s gaze turned toward the foolish trio.

    Seeing their stiff faces, Mane prayed in his heart.

    Hoping those trash bags would just shut up. Hoping they would realize the weight of the mistakes they had made and keep their mouths shut.

    Despite praying more desperately than ever in my life, perhaps due to hisck of faith, what he wished did note true.

    ¡°Fools. Do you have something to say?¡±

    ¡°I challenge you to a duel.¡±

 Chapter 226

    ¡®What?!¡¯ ¡°What?¡±

    Among the trio of idiots, thergest guy stepped forward confidently in response to my question.

    Seeing that the other two didn¡¯t stop him, it seemed he was the representative, just as in the game.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to challenge you to a duel. The gods will grant victory to the righteous.¡±

    At that moment, my head went nk.

    I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say because it was too ridiculous.

    The gods grant victory to the righteous?

    What the hell does that mean?

    So, are the people killed by monsters worse than the monsters themselves?

    Are those who die fighting evil gods more evil than the evil gods?

    It was such nonsense that I couldn¡¯t evenugh, but I understood what this idiot meant by a duel.

    A trial bybat.

    When it is deemed too ambiguous to determine right from wrong, opponents stake their ims and duel.

    This was a practice that was actually carried out in the Middle Ages, and I knew about it because there was an episode rted to this in the Soul Academy game.

    But is this really the right thing to say in this situation?

    I wasn¡¯t the only one thinking this way.

    Mane, who had been desperately exining various things just moments ago, stared nkly at the guy before urgently turning his head toward me.

    ¡°Lady, may I speak for a moment?¡±

    Mane¡¯s face was flushed red.

    Seeing him unable to hide his anger in front of me, I felt confident he would speak for me.

    So, I nodded, and Mane stood in front of the guy.

    ¡°Rab. Are you proposing a trial bybat against Lady Alrn right now?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Are you... out of your mind? Do you really think it will work?¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason it wouldn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Of course there is!¡±

    A trial bybat doesn¡¯t just happen at will. Otherwise, it would establish the logic that anyone with power can do anything they want.

    ¡°A trial bybat is only possible when right and wrong are unclear!¡±

    What should first be considered when distinguishing right from wrong is thew.

    It¡¯s only when situations arise that are difficult to adjudicate under thew that a trial bybat takes ce; there¡¯s no reason to hold a trial bybat when thew can clearly determine right from wrong.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that still the case now?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Am I crazy enough to y tricks on thedy? I¡¯ve never done such a thing.¡±

    ¡°You said it yourself!¡±

    ¡°Did I? I don¡¯t remember. Anyway, if there¡¯s no evidence, then iming I have guilt makes the right and wrong unclear, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Wha... what about the difference in status?!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone equal within the academy?¡±

    ¡°No. No. No, really?! You have to understand that if you do something like this, it won¡¯t just be you who suffers! We all will be in trouble!¡±

    Ultimately unable to contain his frustration, Mane grabbed the guy by the cor, but the guy easily brushed him off by pinching Mane¡¯s wrist with one hand.

    As the son of a merchant and a wizard, Mane was no obstacle to the man.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, please answer.¡±

    I looked up at the man who towered over me.

    There was no reason to listen to what this guy was spouting. If it went to trial, all his crimes would be revealed immediately.

    <Hold on a second, girl.>

    While I was thinking that this guy must be losing it, suddenly the old man¡¯s voice came through.

    ¡°What is it, Grandpa? You said to handle this myself?¡±

    <Don¡¯t you think his attitude is too brazen?>

    ¡°I get it; if it proceeds normally, it¡¯s likely to go wrong, so he¡¯s trying to drag it into a trial bybat.¡±

    No matter what, if a trial bybat is established, the results will determine the guilt or innocence.

    This guy was aiming for that. He probably believed he could force me into epting the duel, even if it meant provoking my pride, to ensure his own survival.

    <That¡¯s nonsense. The moment a duel is established, this guy is finished, regardless of victory or defeat.>

    ¡®...What?¡¯

    <Do you really think other nobles would let amoner threaten them?>

    If this guy loses to me, not only will his guilt be confirmed, but he will also earn the ire of others.

    However, even if he were to win against me, the oue wouldn¡¯t change. Other nobles wouldn¡¯t want such a precedent to be set.

    ¡®Don¡¯t you think he knows that?¡¯

    <How could he not? He was the one who first brought up the term trial bybat.>

    The old man spected that the representative of the idiots had some kind of backing. Otherwise, there was no way he would boldly dere his own suicide like that.

    So this is it. Hmm.

    <Do you understand? The threat directed at you right now...>

    ¡°Grandpa.¡±

    <What is it?>

    ¡°So what should I do?¡±

    Just exin that to me.

    I was already getting a headache from thinking and acting for myself.

    And now, with various matters tangled up, I felt like my head might explode.

    I was reaching overload! At this rate, I felt like I might die not from the evil god¡¯s intervention, but from my brain bursting!

    The old man stopped his exnation, sighed deeply, and then spoke softly.

    <You need to find out who his backer is.>

    ¡®And then?¡¯

    <There are many ways to go about it. First...>

    No. You just said I was getting a headache! How can you forget that so quickly, Grandpa!

    ¡°Grandpa?¡±

    As I interrupted, the old man yelled.

    <I get it! I understand! If you¡¯re just nning to deal with the main culprits, hand their names over to Luca! He¡¯ll handle them cleanly!>@@novelbin@@

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t you say that from the start? Thanks anyway.¡¯

    <...Sigh.>

    Now that my worries were resolved, all I had to do was execute the old man¡¯s n.

    First, I was told to extract the name of the backer from the idiot representative, right?

    That won¡¯t be an easy task. No matter how foolish he is, he¡¯s not going to b about who¡¯s backing him. He will try to protect that name until the end.

    But I have a method.

    The thing that makes it hard for a person to speak is reason.

    In other words, if reason is gone, locked lips will chatter freely.

    I stared into the eyes of the idiot representative looking down at me.

    Full of confidence. He was convinced he wouldn¡¯t be in trouble at all.

    I stood up because I didn¡¯t like the position of my gaze, but still, the idiot representative was looking down on me.

    There¡¯s clearly a limit to how high my gaze can rise.

    I can¡¯t help it. I¡¯ll have to lower the opponent''s gaze.

    ¡°Have you decided...¡±

    As the idiot representative began to speak, I thrust my fist into his sr plexus.

    The fist sank cleanly, and I felt something break at the end of my punch.

    Could it be that a bone is broken? No way. He¡¯s a second-year student at the academy; there¡¯s no way a bone would break from this.

    There must have been something in there.

    Holding his sr plexus, he staggered and fell forward, and as I looked at the idiotic representative, I thought to myself that I was finally satisfied, turning my head toward Mane.

    ¡°I¡¯ve closed the door.¡±

    Already? Without even saying a word, he picked up on what I wanted! He¡¯s quick-witted!

    I smiled and praised him while kicking the face of the idiot representative.

    His body, which was likely double mine in size, rolled like a ball and crashed into the wall.

    ¡°Lady?! What on earth is going on?¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯d duel, so I¡¯m dueling. Is there a problem?¡±

    If there was a problem, I would have been willing to listen, but the opponent didn¡¯t open his mouth further.

    Instead, as if it were a recement, the idiot representative, who had been sprawled out, staggered and rose to his feet, calling out.

    ¡°Coward...¡±

    ¡°Coward? Are you serious? You¡¯re picking a fight with a cute and fragile girl who¡¯s right at her sr plexus, and you¡¯re calling me cowardly?? Puhuhut? Puhahat? Puhahahat?¡±

    At that moment, a wave of exhration surged through me, and I burst intoughter, fueled by the direct hostility I received from my opponent.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Then what¡¯s honorable?? Bullying a little girl?? Acting wronged after instigating first?? Strutting around and then getting your ass kicked??¡±

    As I recited the deeds he had done so far with mockery, the veins in his neck popped out.

    ¡°Shut up!...¡±

    ¡°By your logic, you¡¯re really clean trash, huh?? If this is the kind of trash that the gods bless, then it must be alright to be in heaven¡¯s trash can!?¡±

    Still, it wasn¡¯t enough. His reason hadn¡¯tpletely flown away. If it continued like this, I might not be able to get him to keep talking.

    I needed more to press the issue correctly.

    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous? How can I be trash like you?? Hmm~?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t help it. I didn¡¯t end up looking disgusting like you~? Is this what talent is?! Phew. Heh. Truly amazing!?¡±

    As if I genuinely praised him, I pped my hands and let out augh, and the idiot representative finally closed his mouth.

    Even so, I could still sense his thoughts.

    The muscles bulged on his forehead. His eyes, bloodshot, red at me. His fists trembled.

    All of it meant one thing.

    ¡°Are you angry?? You¡¯re angry, huh?? So what are you going to do about it?? What can a patheticmoner like you even do??¡±

    ¡°What can I do?!¡±

    ¡°Oh!? I bet you can fantasize? Picture yourself crying in your house while imagining that you¡¯re winning!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you! You bitch!¡±

    As I saw him rush in with wild eyes, I was certain that he hadpletely lost his reason.

    After easily dodging the reckless punch thrown out without thinking, I grabbed his wrist and threw him back into the wall.

    With a loud crash! the idiot representative hit the floor headfirst.

    But that¡¯s fine. He wouldn¡¯t faint from just that.

    Look. Even while staggering, he¡¯s ring at me like an enemy.

    Now it¡¯s time to trample on that self-esteem of his.

    To make him say just how great he thinks he is. To make him say who he thinks is recognizing him.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re really pathetic? You think it¡¯s okay to challenge me with that level of skill?? Aren¡¯t you ashamed?? Don¡¯t you feel any self-loathing?? Or are you just trying to provoke me to get hit on purpose?? You disgusting masochistic pervert!? Just bite your tongue and die!?¡±

 Chapter 227

    After dodging a punch aimed at my head by turning my face away, I took a step back to evade the sessive attacks.

    Then, I delivered a kick to his unguarded thigh, causing the idiot representative to stagger before barely regaining his bnce.

    Though only three minutes had passed since the duel began, the situation was already clear.

    I hadn¡¯t allowed him a single attack, yet the idiot representative was already looking ragged. Continuing the duel would only result in my one-sided tormenting of him.

    If he were a noble known for his grace and high character, this would be the moment to encourage him to acknowledge his defeat, but I didn¡¯t do that.

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been three minutes, and your legs are shaking like that? Are you already at your limit?? Really?? Even a rabbit couldst longer than this?¡±

    The embodiment of a bitch, Lucy doesn¡¯t know any better!

    ...Well, this was just a joke. The reason I was purposely keeping him upright, even though he looked like he could copse at any moment, was that he still hadn¡¯t said anything about his backer.

    While I was trampling on his self-esteem with just enough force not to knock him out, he remained silent. Was he just a loyal little dog to his master?

    To be honest, I began to think that perhaps there was never anyone worthy of loyalty in the first ce.

    Even Grandpa Emong is not omnipotent. Didn¡¯t he cause trouble thest time at the festival with his nonsense?

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    As I was lost in thought, the idiot representative charged at me again.

    Was he nning to shoulder-bump me?

    His trajectory was too obvious.

    By simply shifting my feet, I avoided him and tripped him up by hooking his ankle.

    Unable to control his own speed, the idiot representative rolled on the floor and crashed loudly into the wall.

    As soon as he collected himself, he tried to get up from the ground, but he failed.

    His body was not cooperating with his mind.

    Seeing him repeatedly smash his face into the ground, I was convinced that his limit was approaching.

    Let¡¯s wrap this up with onest interrogation.

    If he couldn¡¯t hold out, I could just ask the other two. Judging by the terrified looks they were giving me, I¡¯d surely get some usable answers.

    I approached the idiot representative, who was panting heavily, and stomped down on the back of his head.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Is this it?? Don¡¯t you have anything more to say??¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You must have something you¡¯re counting on, that¡¯s why you challenged me to a duel? Ah. Are you betting on your skills?? Did you think you could win?? Puhahahat? You¡¯re so cute it¡¯s a problem? To be looked down upon by this trash!?¡±

    From beneath the stomped head, I could hear a voice filled with resentment, but that was all.

    The idiot representative¡¯s body had reached its limit.

    Unless he was possessed by some pedophile pervert who wanted to be trampled by a little girl, he wouldn¡¯t be able to move.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no way you have anything to rely on, huh?? You¡¯re just a patheticmoner? Your martial arts skills arepletelyme? Your stamina is weak? Your head is just a hideous ornament?¡±

    There was a slight movement when I mentioned that he had something to rely on.

    What is it? Should I steer the conversation that way?

    ¡°There¡¯s no way anyone would recognize you!? It¡¯s clear!? Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t pay you any mind!?¡±

    ¡°What do you know about that person?!¡±

    Oh? Ooh?!

    Does he really have a backer?!

    Hey, idiot representative. Yeah, I don¡¯t know anything about that person you¡¯re talking about.

    So I¡¯m really curious, okay? So why don¡¯t you exin a bit about that person?

    ¡°How would I know? They only exist in your delusions!?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Oh,e on. You can¡¯t just shut up now that you¡¯ve started talking! You need to see it through to the end! That¡¯s just good manners!

    Did you sleep through all the academy sses and forget your manners?! There¡¯s no helping it! I¡¯ll make you keep your manners!

    ¡°What¡¯s your delusional master like?? Is it a woman?? Does she pet you when you run over crying?? Ugh, just thinking about it makes me sick!?¡±

    ¡°The second prince...¡±

    As the idiot representative shouted and then closed his mouth, the entire conference room was engulfed in silence. So was I.

    The name that slipped from his lips was so unexpected that I couldn¡¯t help but blink in disbelief.

    The second prince?

    He¡¯s talking about that idiot prince, right?

    No way, is there really a fool behind this fool?!

    No, that can¡¯t be right!

    There¡¯s no way that the strong and talented idiot prince would be interested in this pathetic loser.

    But he wouldn¡¯t just blurt out the name of the second prince without a reason!

    ¡®What do I do?!¡¯

    This was beyond my knowledge.

    The second prince I knew wouldn¡¯t care about someone like him.

    So then, what kind of variable hade up?

    <Why are you so scared?>

    ¡®It¡¯s the second prince!¡¯

    If the person he believed in was the second prince, it would exin why he was so insistent on preserving his pride against me.

    In themunity, he had been nicknamed the ¡°idiot prince¡± for his absurd actions, but in reality, the story is different.

    The second prince was a contender for the throne,peting with the first prince. Unlike Arthur, who had no im to the throne, he had a real power and was a person of considerable strength.

    <Yeah. It seems the second prince is behind this.>

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that a big problem?!¡¯

    <Not at all.>

    Despite my panic, the old man remained calm.

    <First of all, you¡¯ve already be someone who can¡¯t be touched easily. Think about what¡¯s backing you. It wouldn¡¯t make sense to take action over a patheticmoner like this.>

    ¡®...Really?¡¯

    <And also, this guy isn¡¯t worth bothering with in the first ce. He¡¯s someone you¡¯d use and toss aside. You wouldn¡¯t assign such tasks to someone you truly care about.>

    So it didn¡¯t matter.

    Even if I dragged this guy to the second prince, I¡¯d get a response saying that they didn¡¯t care about a loser like him.

    Listening to the old man¡¯s exnation, I felt my head clear of the worries that had been filling it.

    <What you need to focus on is something else. The intent behind sending him. The reason the second prince wants to pull you in and cause you harm. That from now on...>

    ¡®Grandpa, can you just tell me the conclusion?¡¯

    So many things are happening, I feel like my head is going to explode!

    You seem to have already drawn your conclusions in your head, so can¡¯t you just share that with me?!

    <No. Unless it¡¯s something trivial. If it¡¯s a big shot like a prince, you need to think.>

    ¡®What?!¡¯

    <And also, there¡¯s something you need to do.>

    ¡®...Something I need to do? Just that, please.¡¯

    <You want me to exin through the night? If that¡¯s what you want.>

    ¡®No! I¡¯ll just listen quietly!¡¯

    When Rab was a child waiting for the bard toe, his parents always told him to honor the nobles.

    They said to just nod along with whatever they said.

    Though young Rab didn¡¯t understand the meaning of that well, he followed his parents'' words blindly. He offered them respect.

    That was until the day when the nobles of the territory he lived in fled before the dungeon.

    That day, when the vige where Rab lived fell into danger. The day he picked up the sword he learned from his father, who was a low-ranking mercenary, and cut down a monster for the first time.

    Rab thought to himself: why should he honor the nobles?

    As time passed, that thought gradually solidified.

    As he began to realize his own talents and saw the noble''s child causing havoc here and there.

    After that noble had entered the Soul Academy, Rab, as amoner, earned the recognition of the second prince.

    After going through such a series of events, Rab¡¯s mind was imprinted with this thought.

    The value of a person is not determined by blood. The value of a person is determined by their ability.

    If Mane had heard this, he would have pondered how to kill that guy, but Rab did not doubt it.

    Was that all? He had even thought about proving this by making a sessful rise.

    The reason Rab had begun to think this way was that he believed he was not respecting the nobles.

    While outwardly showing respect, he was constantly looking down on them inside.

    He believed the only person he wanted recognition from, who acknowledged him, was the second prince.

    The beginning was a day of the exam he had fought in some time ago.

    By chance, he had a duel with the second prince. He fought his hardest against him and was thoroughly defeated.

    There was no room for excuses about bad luck orck of preparation.

    It was simply overwhelming.

    If they fought a hundred times, it was clear that he would lose all hundred.

    In a daze, looking up at the second prince, he heard the prince say:

    ¡°If you learn properly, you could be a useful knight.¡±

    After that, the second prince looked after Rab in many ways.

    He gave him money to buy weapons and armor through his subordinates.@@novelbin@@

    He offered rare potions.

    He gifted him opportunities to learn swordsmanship.

    Because of the continuous help he received, Rab was always searching for ways to repay that kindness.

    That was why, when the second prince''s subordinate came to him and told him what to do, he nodded.

    It wasn¡¯t a difficult request.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the resentment toward Lucy Alrn amongmoners is hightely. Please use that to torment her.¡±

    What he was talking about were the tricks themoner group often yed on weaker nobles.

    Minor pranks that were unrted to him, even if caught, as he had just issued the orders.

    ¡°Is that enough?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ah, right. If Lucy Alrn starts questioning you, tell her you want a trial bybat.¡±

    ¡°...What¡¯s a trial bybat?¡±

    ¡°That is...¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I think I¡¯ve seen enough.¡±

    Just as I was about to speak, a voice from the side startled Rab awake, but he couldn¡¯t raise his body.

    Something was binding his arms and legs. Even the blindfold on his eyes meant that although he had opened them, his sight was clouded in darkness.

    ¡°Awake? You slept well. Thanks to that, I¡¯ve seen many interesting things in your dreams.¡±

    ¡°Ugh! Ugh!¡±

    What is going on? Who are these people? What will happen to me now?

    Despite the confusion swirling in Rab''s head, the voice of the person who bound him was eerily calm.

    ¡°Were you surprised? Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s nothing serious. Just sleep a little longer, and you won¡¯t remember any of this.¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Right. I should mention this.¡±

    If you ever touch our employer again, it could lead to real trouble, you know?

    Karia warned him before putting Rab back to sleep.

    When he woke up tomorrow, he would forget everything that happened at night, but the words from just before would remain in his subconscious, tormenting him.

    In truth, whether this idiot would have a next time was dubious, and even if he did anything, he wouldn¡¯t pose much of a threat to the employer.

    Rab believed this.

 Chapter 228

    After the suspicion that the second prince might be behind this incident leaked out, I resolved the situation there as the old man directed.

    First, I threatened themoners present.

    I warned them that if what happened here got out, it would take just a moment for them to disappear, causing their faces to turn pale.

    The one fortunate thing for me was that Mane was at the center of it all.

    Born as a merchant, he had quickly realized that he could really be in trouble and actively cooperated with me.

    Thanks to him, handling matters concerning themoner dormitory wasn¡¯t too difficult. Mane was desperately running around to prevent the dangering his way.

    The next step was to find Luca.

    It would be problematic if the idiot trio started spreading rumors about this incident.

    So I needed to silence them, but threatening them wouldn¡¯t work since they wouldn¡¯t listen anyway.

    That¡¯s where Luca came in. With his high reputation among themoners, he would definitely be able to ensure the three of them kept their mouths shut.

    ¡°Is it these three? That¡¯s not difficult. I can make them keep this secret for a lifetime within a week.¡±

    So when I exined the situation to Luca, this was his response.

    If someone else had said this, I wouldn¡¯t have paid it much mind, but given who he was, I couldn¡¯t shake the chill down my spine.

    I felt he might actually bury them somewhere and make the secret perfect.

    ¡®...Are you saying to kill them? You know that, right?¡¯

    ¡°Professor Pado, let me tell you in advance, I¡¯m not saying to kill them. You can understand that much, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so? I almost made a mistake.¡±

    ...Was that for real?!

    There were minor issues, but I managed to get through them and asked Karia to find out why the idiot representative thought the second prince was backing him.

    ¡°Boss, I¡¯m sorry, but while getting information is easy, breaking through the academy''s security is a bit tough, you know?¡±

    ¡®There¡¯s a secret passage.¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve looked into a secret passage with consideration for thedy¡¯s bad joints.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s new information to me!¡±

    All these tasks were a way to deal with this matter as quietly as possible.

    The old man exined that if I pressed this minor issue with the higher-ups, all I¡¯d get was an apology.

    However, he also noted that many and various enemies would be created because of it.

    <So, in this case, we¡¯ll find out just the rough circumstances and bury it.>

    ¡®So you¡¯re saying we should just let it go as a mere incident?¡¯

    <Exactly. You¡¯ve already made enough noise. If the opponent has any sense, they¡¯ll stop here.>

    If they don¡¯t, the old man seemed to be hoping that it would be quite enjoyable.

    He didn¡¯t borate further, so I didn¡¯t know the details, but one thing was clear.

    From now on, I could leave such issues to the old man.

    Wow. How is it that a cleric is so skilled in politics? Or is it that clerics are skilled in politics?

    From what I heard from Johanst time, it seemed that the church was also quite the shady business.

    After going through that series of processes, the next evening, I headed to the back alleys to hear the results ofst night¡¯s events from Karia.

    ¡°Congrattions, boss. The second prince seems to be very smitten with you!¡±

    ...Huh? What kind of crazy talk is that?

    At first, I thought Karia was just making a joke, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Her words, although somewhat exaggerated, were not wrong.

    The second prince had shown interest in me for a long time. He even came to me personally and extended his hand when the midterm exams were over.

    At that time, I thought I had somehow ovee the crisis, but it seemed the second prince had continued to keep an eye on me.

    Thanks to that, the second prince had heard the news of my confrontation with the first prince during thest Parn festival before anyone else. Including the fact that I had insulted the first prince in front of everyone.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the second prince doesn¡¯t seem to like the first prince very much.¡±

    To say he doesn¡¯t like him is a mild expression.

    The second prince hates the first prince.

    Because he is a rival for the throne.

    Because he¡¯s someone who possesses exceptional talent and makes himself a benchmark forparison.

    And because he doesn¡¯t even consider him a rival.@@novelbin@@

    He probably thinks aboutughing at the first prince lying at his feet.

    How delighted he must have been when he heard that the first prince was humiliated.

    And how good he must have felt toward the person who brought that humiliation upon the first prince.

    ¡°It seems he wants to pull you into his side somehow.¡±

    The moment I heard this, I instinctively felt that I would never be able to escape the second prince for the rest of my life.

    Someday, somehow, the second prince would stand before me, and I would utter the words ¡°idiot prince¡± in front of him.

    Sigh. What can I do? As long as I have the mesugaki skill, this is a hurdle I have to ovee. I shouldn¡¯t waste my energy on unsolvable problems; I should focus elsewhere.

    ¡®But why...¡¯

    ¡°Why did he want to torment me? Is the idiot prince really just an idiot?¡±

    ¡°...Are you talking about the second prince?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Yeah. Why?¡±

    ¡°Hey, boss. You wouldn¡¯t call the second prince the idiot prince in front of him, right?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to answer that. Though I didn¡¯t want to, it was clear that I would end up doing it.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    As Karia mumbled about needing to find out about the second prince¡¯s faction, she continued.

    ¡°To continue the conversation. It wasn¡¯t the second prince who led this incident. It was someone from the second prince¡¯s faction.¡±

    The people from the second prince¡¯s faction knew better than anyone that the second prince¡¯s favor was directed toward me.

    In the past, I had just been a talented person, but that¡¯s different now.

    Because I had produced the unprecedented result of overpowering the first prince with my skills. The second prince¡¯s eyes were now focused on me. If I were to join the second prince¡¯s faction, it would be obvious that he would cherish me.

    ¡°It was just a light check on someone who might be a rival. They probably wanted to tarnish your reputation in any way possible.¡±

    So, to summarize, they believed I would hinder their rise to power, so they were preemptively putting up checks against me.

    Hearing that made me chuckle.

    Wow. I can really feel that my reputation has risen. If it were before, they wouldn¡¯t even have attempted such checks. Now, does Lucy Alrn pose a threat to them?

    <Hmm. If what this person says is true, this won¡¯t be a one-off situation.>

    ¡®Right.¡¯

    Because the second prince is interested in me, they¡¯re trying to check me.

    If he doesn¡¯t stop paying attention to me, their underhanded tricks will likelye from all directions.

    Anyway, it¡¯s true what they say, that only fools gather around fools.

    ...Huh?

    While I was thinking about that, a sudden idea popped into my head.

    If the second prince is interested in me, and that¡¯s why they¡¯re checking me, then if I eliminate his favor, wouldn¡¯t all problems be resolved?

    ¡®Grandpa. Grandpa.¡¯

    <What is it? I was thinking for a bit.>

    ¡®Should I just call him the idiot prince?¡¯

    Bishi sparkled her eyes, eximing that she had never tasted anything so delicious, whileughing at the girl who was watching her.

    ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Oh, um. Aren¡¯t you going to eat that?¡± ¡°I have my own.¡± ¡°Oh... really?¡±

    Days passed since Lucy had ordered Birma to take care of the situation.

    At first, Bishi thought Birma was just a nuisance, but as time went on, her perspective changed.

    Birma had qualities that reminded Bishi of her younger brother, whom she had lost long ago.

    She had an innocent demeanor that suggested she didn¡¯t know much about the world. She expressed joy in a pure manner. Even clumsily, she tried to take care of others.

    So, at some point, Bishi began to seriously look after Birma.

    Since she had received something from Lucy, she felt that she should at least do this much.

    In truth, it was a little ambiguous to call it an excuse. The book Lucy had given her was definitely something extraordinary.

    Bishi still remembered it clearly.

    A book written in an ancientnguage that she couldn¡¯t even interpret. And the moment she handed that book over to Adri, the reaction she had shown.

    <ul>

    <li>...Where did you find this?</li>

    </ul>

    As soon as Adri received the book, her eyes trembled. It was as if she hade across a treasure she thought she would never find.

    ¡°I received it from Lady Alrn.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>From thedy.</li>

    </ul>

    As she blinked while repeating that name, she suddenly burst into maniacalughter.

    It wasn¡¯t augh filled with the joy of the living but rather a shriek that a vengeful spirit might release.

    Bishi, who had only ever seen Adri¡¯s usually polite and childlike demeanor, waspletely overwhelmed by thatughter, but it was only for a moment.

    Before long, Adri stoppedughing and returned to her usual self.

    <ul>

    <li>Please convey my thanks to thedy. This will be a very precious item for both me and Bishi. ¡®...Is it that great of a treasure?¡¯</li>

    <li>Of course. Ah, by the way, if you ever have anything you want to ask meter, please tell her I¡¯d do anything for her.</li>

    </ul>

    As it turned out, that book contained the secrets of a necromancer who had once led a great n in the past.

    If it had been handed over to the underworld, it would have been worth a fortune.

    A necromancer¡¯s artifact was something everyone would seek with burning eyes.

    Lucy had given such an item to Bishi without expecting anything in return.

    At first, Bishi had followed Lucy¡¯s orders out of obligation, but that was no longer the case.

    Having received so much from Lucy, her feelings had shifted from fear to gratitude for the kindness she had been shown.

    She found herself seriously pondering how to repay that kindness.

    But honestly, what could she offer in return? The n of thatdy was impressive. They used the best of everything¡ªmaces, shields, armor¡ªnothing but the finest. They had plenty of money, were clever, and now had rich connections.

    Was there really anything I could do to repay them?

    No matter how much she thought about it, she felt there was nothing she could do.

    Furrowing her brows while resting her chin on her hand, she sighed at theck of answers and then relieved her stress with the dessert that had appeared in front of her.

    As she was returning to the academy dormitory, she saw a crowd gathered in the square.

    Was there some announcement?

    Bishi tilted her head in confusion and spotted a friend at the outskirts of the crowd, approaching her.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh. Ah, Bishi!¡±

    Upon recognizing Bishi¡¯s face, her friend quickly lowered her voice and whispered to her.

    ¡°Hey. Hey. It¡¯splete chaos right now!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Lucy Alrn called the second prince a derogatory name?!¡±

 Chapter 229

    <Have you finally lost your mind? >

    The first thing the old man said after hearing my story was to question whether I was in my right mind.

    And it was understandable. After all, I had just suggested calling the second prince the ¡°idiot prince.¡±

    For an ordinary person, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to find themselves on the guillotine for insulting royalty.

    But I wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. Lucy Alrn had done countless such things in the past.

    She had called the current king livestock.

    She had insulted the first prince, the powerful heir to the throne, calling him a gloomy stalker.

    And she had mocked the third prince by touching on hisplexes, saying he was pathetic.

    Despite all this, Lucy¡ªand I¡ªwere still standing here. I was proudly showing my face in the midst of many nobles, instead of being executed.

    What would change now if I called the second prince an idiot?

    Of course, the gaze of the second prince looking at me would be sharper. Since he was that idiot prince, he might try to plot revenge against someone who insulted him.

    But isn¡¯t that pretty much the same as it is now? Even if I were to ignore the second prince, his subordinates would still try to mess with me.

    <...Listen, girl. I understand what you¡¯re saying, but receiving pressure from his subordinate ispletely different from incurring the wrath of the second prince himself. >

    ¡®Is that so?¡¯

    <Yes. The pressure directed at you now remains below the surface. They must not let their master find out. But if you earn the second prince''s hatred, the situation changes. >

    ¡®So, there¡¯s no reason to hold back then.¡¯

    Hmm. I see. I thought that if I got rid of the second prince''s goodwill, the pressure would disappear, but it might actually be more troublesome.

    This is why rookie political thoughts are no good.

    Since I had thrown out that remark without thinking, I had given up as soon as I heard the old man¡¯s admonitions, but he was different.

    <...No, that¡¯s not right. The current you is too valuable to give up. >

    ¡®Grandpa?¡¯

    <Wait a moment. Let me think this through. >

    He began muttering to himself as if he had had a sudden inspiration and then started asking several questions through me to Karia.

    <Ask if the first prince''s im to the throne is solid.>

    <What about the second prince¡¯s influence? >

    <Has the second prince ever defeated the first prince? >

    After several exchanges, the old man emerged from his daydream with a yful tone and said:

    <Let me correct myself. Your idea might not be so bad after all. Good. Let¡¯s call him the idiot prince. >

    ¡®...But you said it wasn¡¯t a good idea?¡¯

    <I''ve overlooked one fact and made a wrong judgment. >

    ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯

    <That you have be someone who can no longer be taken lightly. >

    The day after the old man made his n, I called the people closest to me.

    I was going to exin what I was about to do.

    I had devised a n to call the second prince the ¡°idiot prince¡± in public.

    If I did this, it would certainly cause amotion, and they would demand an exnation from me, so I had called them in advance.

    As I gathered them in a private room, I tried to exin my n, but right from the start, things went awry.

    As soon as I mentioned that I would call the second prince the idiot prince, strong reactions burst forth.

    ¡°...Wait a minute. Lucy Alrn. Is what I heard really true?¡±

    Arthur furrowed his brow, as if he had a headache.

    ¡®Yes. It¡¯s true.¡¯

    ¡°Is it because you¡¯ve been hearing about how pathetic he is that you think your hearing is pathetic too? Don¡¯t worry. This time, the ears of the pathetic prince have worked just fine.¡±

    ¡°Are you really going to call my brother the idiot prince?! Do you have any sense at all?!¡±

    Arthur¡¯s yell echoed in the room.

    It was fortunate that I had a device set up to prevent the sound from leaking outside; otherwise, the noise would have certainly escaped.

    Why is this prince so careless?

    ¡°...I think I feel the same way. Lady Alrn, could you please call those above you by their proper names?¡±

    As Arthur shouted, it seemed like Zoe finally regained her senses and spoke in a hesitant voice.

    Since it was the request of my favorite character, I wanted to grant it as much as possible, but that was an impossible request. As long as I possessed the mesugaki skill, I wouldn¡¯t be able to call someone any way I wanted.

    ¡°Everyone calm down. Thedy must have her reasons.¡±

    The only person who maintainedposure amidst all this was Faybi. She suggested that we should trust me for now.

    It was easy to guess why she had made that remark.

    She knew I was a vessel of the god. Seeing me babble nonsense made her think that the useless god had delivered some kind of revtion.

    Unfortunately, this time there were no words from the useless god, but I did not exin that.

    How could I confess that I came up with such a crazy idea on my own? It was easier and more convenient to throw all the me onto the useless god.

    To be honest, the useless god wasn¡¯tpletely without fault. If he had adjusted my mesugaki skill in advance, I wouldn¡¯t have had to make such a decision!

    If we were to divide the liability ratio, it would be 90% his fault and 10% mine!

    ...Is that too heartless? Maybe 70-30 would be better?

    ¡°Faybi. Lady Alrn does not act without careful thought.¡±

    ¡°Right! What thought could she possibly have! This idiot is... no. Wait. Does she really have thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Prince?¡±

    In this chaotic situation, the fortunate thing was that since entering Soul Academy, I had not made a bad track record.

    I had always proven myself with good results.

    Whether by intention or coincidence.

    ¡°Zoe, think about it. Has there ever been a time when Lady Alrn''s actions led to a bad oue?¡±

    ¡°...That is true.¡±

    ¡°First, I think it¡¯s not toote to hear her story before making a judgment.¡±

    With Faybi¡¯s persuasion added to my track record, even Arthur and Zoe took a position of listening for now.

    Once I confirmed that, I took a deep breath and opened my mouth again.

    ¡®There¡¯s no reason to do this without cause...¡¯

    ¡°Am I not going to call the idiot prince an idiot prince for no reason? That foolish pervert is getting on my nerves, and his subordinates are bothering me too.¡±

    After hearing my words, Zoe and Arthur nodded, as if they had an idea of what I meant.

    Since those two were where they were, they would have heard the news that the second prince was interested in me.

    ¡°Certainly, from the perspective of the little prince, Lucy is an attractive target. The symbolism of having defeated the big prince is massive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also widely rumored that I and Faybi care for thedy. They must think that if they draw thedy in, they could get closer to us.¡±

    What those two said was simr to the exnations the old man had given me.

    Now I was indeed a very attractive target for the second prince.

    As I had mentioned several times before, the current line of session to the throne was effectively secured for the first prince.

    The justification of being the eldest. An overwhelmingly powerful ability that anyone who had seen the first prince would recognize. A solid faction that supported him.

    None of these werecking, so how could the second prince find an opportunity?

    Nobles are not fools. They know there¡¯s little chance of winning by siding with the second prince.

    Unless the second prince has defeated the first prince in some contest, the situation would change slightly, but it has been proven many times that the second prince¡¯s abilities overall are inferior to the first prince¡¯s.

    Because of this reality, the second prince¡¯s faction isn¡¯t substantial. Who would bet their life on a gamble with such slim chances of winning?

    It¡¯s a group rted to the second prince¡¯s maternal family, one that has a very poor rtionship with the current first prince¡¯s supporting faction. A foolish group trying to take a big risk. They wouldn¡¯t think of siding with the second prince unless they were that kind of group.

    And then there¡¯s me.

    The symbolism of having defeated the first prince in a contest. The background of the Alrn family, known as the kingdom¡¯s guardians. The connections with the Parn family, the saint of the god church, and the notable uing sword master.

    I was someone who possessed all of these advantages, and for the second prince, I was undoubtedly a talent he needed to secure.

    If he could draw someone like me into his faction, he could create a turnaround in a fight that seemed hopeless.

    After exining all this the previous night, the old man had chuckled and said:

    <He will do anything to draw you in! One of the second prince''s subordinates might even lose their head if they get word that you were being controlled!>

    This was different from when the second prince first reached out to me. On the surface, it appeared that the second prince was superior, but in reality, it had be the other way around. I was the one in a position of power, and the second prince was the one dependent on me.

    In simple terms, I was the master, and the second prince was the servant. So no matter what I called him, or what I said to him, the second prince would have to be on edge.

    <If you can exploit this, you could get everything down to the bones!>

    ¡®I don¡¯t need that.¡¯

    Most of the things I desired right now weren¡¯t something I could acquire just because I had status or power.

    So, even if I had the second prince under my thumb, it would only lead to unnecessary troubles.

    <What you want is for the second prince to stop bothering you, right?>

    ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯

    <That¡¯s simple.>

    The old man said to make him wary of me.

    At any moment, he could find himself distanced from the second prince, and he might end up in the first prince¡¯s grasp.

    So, I should keep the situation as it is and gradually win him over.

    <Make the situation even. Just as you insulted the first prince, you should insult the second prince. You don¡¯t do this out of hatred for the first prince, but simply show him what kind of person you are.>

    At the end of all the exnations, the old man suggested that wepete with the dungeon raid of the academy.

    A battlefield most favorable to me.

    A ce where I, the spoiled child of Soul Academy, could be confident that I would never lose.

    <The second prince will never be able to refuse this.>

    The evening before, when Iid out the old man¡¯s words in front of everyone, silence filled the room.

    What? Why do all of you have such expressions on your faces?

    Arthur and Zoe looked at me as if they couldn¡¯t believe it, and Faybi was smiling while nodding her head.

    Is this a good reaction? Right?

    I¡¯m not Karia, so I can¡¯t read emotions just by looking at their faces! Just say it!

    As I looked around, feeling burdened by the silence, Frey, who had been distracted until now, suddenly spoke up.

    ¡°Um, Lucy.¡±

    ¡®Yes?¡¯

    ¡°What is it? Foolish swordsman.¡±

    ¡°Why is the idiot prince an idiot prince?¡±

    ...Are you seriously asking that now?

    _______________________________________

    <strong>TL note:</strong>

    Dear Readers,

    Thank you for reading thetest chapters of <em>Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy</em>! As Lucy faces new challenges and rivalries, I aim to capture her bold spirit and the nuances of her interactions. Your feedback is always wee, as it helps enhance the trantion.@@novelbin@@

    Enjoy the story!

    Best,

    [SataBog]

 Chapter 230

    The reason the "idiot prince" earned such a harsh nickname isrgely due to his actions that epitomize an ipetent superior.

    He¡¯s neurotic and sharp yet foolish, always shifting responsibility onto his subordinates while taking credit for sesses. He truly makes one wonder, ¡°Why the hell is that bastard even in that position?¡±

    The character of the second prince, seemingly crafted by the production team to embody the nightmare of workce life, has granted many people PTSD.

    Thus, reflecting the resentment and grudges of numerous individuals in themunity, he came to be known as the "idiot prince."

    However, the second prince does have his own backstory.

    Having lived his life in constantparison to the first prince, he harbors deep feelings of inferiority and victim mentality. Not just family and friends, but everyone around him saw him as a mere tool to be used, rather than recognizing him, which only intensified those negative emotions.

    As a result, he became self-centered, arrogant, and prone to shirking responsibility.

    If we delve deeper, like many lead characters in Soul Academy, his backstory could be borated upon, but that¡¯s not particrly important.

    After all, as long as I can¡¯t refer to him as ¡°the idiot prince,¡± I can¡¯t be his savior.

    Honestly, who would pour their heart out to someone who calls them an idiot?

    ¡°Lucy?¡±

    As I remained silent, Frey tilted her head in confusion, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to exin this situation.

    So, I simply responded that there was no problem in calling an idiot an idiot, which led to me getting an earful from Zoe and Arthur.

    Well, anyway, the two of them, realizing I was a crazy person who thinks and acts unlike a normal one, didn¡¯t bother to dissuade me. Depending on the situation, they even offered to help me.

    I didn¡¯t refuse. No matter how brilliant the old man¡¯s n might be, I never know when it could go sideways.

    Since that day, I continuously looked for opportunities to refer to the idiot prince as the second prince. No, to call the second prince the idiot prince.

    While I genuinely intended to call him that, I couldn¡¯t just recklessly storm into the ssroom where he was and shout ¡°idiot.¡±

    That would be more than just starting a fight; it would be a deration of war. I had no intention of going that far.

    What was most crucial in the old man''s n was to walk the fine line.

    Right now, I had no intention of siding with him, but if he behaved well, I might change my mind. To maintain thisplex and delicate gap, I had to ensure that I wasn¡¯t the one provoking him first.

    <If you wait, the right moment wille. It seems the second prince has quite an interest in me.>

    Since the old man said this, I went about my tasks while waiting for that uncertain moment to arrive.

    I visited the administrative professor, who was ready to hear whatever I had to say, to re-enroll in sses.

    I met Luka to hear how she dealt with the Moron Trio while receiving the materials she promised to prepare.

    I visited Visi to hand over the book and ry the news about Belma.

    I spoke to Alsatin, asking him to gather various items needed for the second semester dungeon raid.

    I continued my usual training, sparred with Frey, and rolled around with Zoe and Arthur.

    I even forcibly bathed the goofy fox, who was happily absorbing my sweat-stained clothes, to wash away the smell.

    On one such day, the moment the old man had spoken of arrived¡ªtime to set the n into motion.

    That day marked the announcement of the second semester dungeon starting at the academy.@@novelbin@@

    To prevent the various idents that had urred previously, countless spells had been implemented, ensuring the safety of the students perfectly, with the announcement stating that dungeon raids would revert to the previous regtions. I clenched my fist, confirming that I could raid the dungeon alone.

    Right now, since I had people to form a party with, I didn¡¯t have to worry about numbers. Still, there¡¯s a huge difference between coordinating with others while being mindful of their movements and raiding alone.

    While one might say that more people are better for a typical raid, my case was different.

    If I wanted to use the methods of rotten water, being alone was preferable. I couldpletely eliminate the variable of others.

    Hmm. Since I had already spoken to Alsatin in advance, all the necessary items would be prepared by the time the dungeon opened.

    If I moved a bit rigorously, it seemed entirely possible to raid the academy dungeon on the first day!

    As I pondered this, I turned my head at the sound ofmotioning from afar.

    Wait. Is there someone who can maneuver through a crowd so smoothly?! I thought that was Lucy Alrn''s trick!

    As I marveled, I turned my gaze to the distance and saw the second prince and his entourage, which made me chuckle.

    Their eyes were all fixed on me, but the meanings behind those gazes were all different.

    Those who longed for me. Those who were displeased. Those who were troubled. Those who showed hatred.

    Even though the second prince must have expressed his desire for me, theck of consensus among them was amusing. Truly a fitting example of the term ¡°a ragtag bunch.¡±

    ¡°Lucy Alrn.¡±

    Without looking anywhere else, the second prince walked up to me and looked down with a smile.

    ¡°I initially intended to wait for you to make a decision, but my patience has its limits.¡±

    Seeing that smile, those eyes brimming with confidence revealed everything.

    The second prince didn¡¯t think for a second that he would be rejected.

    And looking at those ring at me from behind him, I could tell.

    This confidence was injected by the sweet words of those standing behind him.

    ¡°I want to hear the answer to a question I asked a long time ago.¡±

    I took a deep breath as I saw the second prince extend his hand.

    ¡°Sorry. Your Highness the Second Prince.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. Idiot Prince.¡±

    As the words ¡°idiot prince¡± popped out of my mouth, the surrounding air turned silent.

    The crowd. Those standing behind the second prince. Even the second prince himself.

    They all stared nkly at me, struggling to ept that this situation was real.

    However, as someone who had anticipated this situation long ago, I remained calm even amidst the heavy silence.

    It wasn¡¯t as if this kind of situation was something I created just overnight.

    Among the shocked crowd, the first to regain theirposure were the second prince¡¯s followers.

    ¡°Are you insulting His Highness the Second Prince?!¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± ¡°Ever since you gained talent, you¡¯ve be unaware of how high the sky is!¡± ¡°The shame of the Alrn family!¡±

    As the torrent of insults rained down, the murmurs from the crowd grew louder.

    In that moment, the second prince¡¯s eyes widened, veins bulging on his neck, and he raised his arm.

    Naturally, the murmurs from the people quieted down.

    No matter how inferior he waspared to the first prince, a prince is still a prince. He knows how to disy his dignity.

    ¡°...Did you say idiot prince? Who? Me?¡±

    ¡®Yes!¡¯

    ¡°Is there another prince here besides idiot prince? It doesn¡¯t seem like it~¡±

    The sound of teeth grinding echoed in my ears, but the second prince did not raise his voice immediately.

    Instead, he took a long breath, finding his calm again before lowering his voice.

    ¡°Considering your abilities, I suppose I can overlook such nonsense.¡±

    Eh?! Really?! He can overlook the title of idiot prince?!

    Was my worth inside the second prince higher than I had thought?!

    If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no need to continue with the n, and I can just let it pass...

    ¡°If youe under me.¡±

    Ah. I thought I could let it pass like that, but I guess not.

    After all, hearing the word idiot right in front of me, it would be foolish to let it slide.

    ¡°Sorry. I...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were expecting, but I have no intention ofing under someone inferior to me.¡±

    As I recited the line I had prepared in advance, the second prince frowned.

    His face turned bright red, evidently struggling to contain his anger.

    ¡°Are you saying that I am inferior to you?¡±

    ¡®Do you think you¡¯re better than me?¡¯

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re better than me? Well, everyone has different opinions, so I¡¯ll respect your opinion, idiot prince.¡±

    ¡°Stop spouting nonsense and answer properly. Am I. Inferior. To you?¡±

    The intensity in the second prince¡¯s bloodshot eyes was undoubtedly intimidating, but I wasn¡¯t scared.

    There had been far too many experiences in my life for me to be frightened by this.

    ¡®Do you really think you¡¯re better than me?¡¯

    ¡°No. Are you seriously saying you¡¯re better than me?¡±

    ¡°Seasil, who has only begun to shine for less than a year, is not sloppy enough to be inferior to a brat.¡±

    ¡®Really?¡¯

    ¡°Eh. Really? You don¡¯t seem to think so.¡±

    Myughter made the atmosphere around us even more hostile.

    The piercing gazes felt like they could pierce my skin, but I couldn¡¯t stop now.

    Having already crossed that line, my only option was to keep pushing forward.

    ¡®Even the first prince lost to me, so how could the second prince be better than me?¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s strange? As far as I know, hasn¡¯t the idiot prince lost to the gloomy stalker prince every time? I won. I aplished what you, idiot prince, could never achieve in your entire life. Naturally, I¡¯m better than you, right?¡±

    As I reached out, the second prince grabbed my wrist.

    Nice movement.

    Given the pressure on my wrist, he seemed to possess considerable strength.

    He was a character that had remained at the top tier in terms of raw power.

    But this much was manageable.

    I withstood the second prince¡¯s force, who was trying to pull me in with strength.

    Surprise appeared on the second prince''s face.

    ¡®Are you trying to solve this with strength...?¡¯

    ¡°Ha ha ha. So, you¡¯re trying to resolve this with strength since words aren¡¯t working? How barbaric. Is theck of character a critical issue? Oh, you do know what character means, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience. Your father¡¯s radiance will not protect you forever.¡±

    A deration that if I continued to push, Benedikt and everything would be destroyed.

    I thought about pretending to be scared at such an unlikely threat, but realizing that if I provoked him any further, he might genuinely swing his fist, I held back.

    ¡®Are you angry because you were ignored?¡¯

    ¡°Are you upset? Is it irritating for a girl near your chest to ignore you?¡±

    ¡°...What do you want to say?¡±

    ¡®Then I mean...¡¯

    ¡°Then prove it. Idiot prince. Prove that you are better than me. Show that you can beat me in the field where the gloomy stalker prince has lost.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Ding.</li>

    </ul>

    As soon as I finished speaking, a notification sound echoed in my ears.

    The sound of the pathetic god issuing a quest.

    Hearing that, I reflexively turned my head.

    [Teach the Second Prince a Lesson!]

    ¡°Pfft! Cough! Cough, cough!¡±

    I had fallen into an unexpected trap.

 Chapter 231

    ¡®So, have you ever beaten the gloomy loner prince?¡¯

    He never won.

    Not even once. In any field whatsoever.

    Seasil Sdin has been expected topete with the first prince since birth, yet he has never gained the upper hand against him.

    If not being able to gain the upper hand was the only issue, that would be fortunate. But it was more than that.

    Seasil was always left at the feet of the first prince.

    No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much effort he put in, no matter what means he resorted to.@@novelbin@@

    The overwhelming talent of the first prince, who knew nothing of defeat, made Seasil into something less than a mediocre talent.

    Amidst countless defeats, Seasil both hated the first prince, who saw him not as a rival, and understood him at the same time.

    If he were in the same situation, he wouldn¡¯t feel threatened by his opponent.

    ¡®Of course, you must have beaten him, right? Someone as cute and small as me has beaten him.¡¯

    That¡¯s why, when Seasil heard the news that the first prince had lost to the youngdy of the Alrn family, he asked the messenger if they were joking.

    He simply couldn¡¯t imagine the first prince losing.

    Yet, that news was all true.

    The first prince had requested a duel first, lost in that duel, and even faced humiliation at the hands of the youngdy of the Alrn family.

    A massive crack had appeared in the imprable wall of the first prince, who had never lost, who knew nothing of defeat, who seemed invincible, and who thought that if anyone were to break him, it would have to be himself.

    Upon hearing the news, Seasilughed. He burst into a heartyugh, saying that the first prince was just a human, not a god, for the sake of those who followed him, not himself.

    <ul>

    <li>Look, the first prince is nothing more than a human. Even the lesspetent daughter of the Alrn family managed to achieve this. No matter how ipetent you are, you should at least be able to do this much.</li>

    </ul>

    Even when he heard such words from his parents, he nodded and smiled, assuring them that since Lucy Alrn seemed to dislike the first prince, it would yield good results if they tried to win her over.

    Then, alone in the middle of the night, Seasil pondered.

    Was the reason he had never defeated the first prince truly because he was ipetent?

    ¡®Could it be that you have never won even once? And yet you think you¡¯re more capable than me? Really?¡¯

    Even after quite some time had passed, Seasil couldn¡¯t stop doubting his own abilities.

    It wasn¡¯t because the first prince was too capable; it was rather because he was too ipetent to take him down.

    ¡®Then, if I challenge you to a duel, you won¡¯t back down, right?¡¯

    Every time the name Lucy Alrn came up in the gossips, Seasil¡¯s doubts only grew stronger.

    Some said it was merely a festival¡¯s entertainment. They wondered how such a little girl could possibly stand a chance if the first prince was serious.

    Others imed they had witnessed the scenery of the festival and said that it was a trick made possible only because it was a festival. They believed he wouldn¡¯t even be a worthy opponent in realbat.

    Those who loved to chatter said it was merely a courtesy extended by the first prince to honor the dignity of Sir Benedict Alrn, paying back by elevating the reputation of his inadequate daughter.

    Though their stories differed, they were fundamentally the same.

    If it had been a normal duel, the first prince could not possibly have lost.

    The reason Lucy Alrn managed to beat the first prince was purely due to the abnormal circumstances surrounding it.

    When he heard such talk, Seasil wanted to ask them.

    If what you say is true, then what about me, who couldn¡¯t defeat the first prince under any circumstance, no matter what petty tricks I employed?

    What am I, someone less than that girl?

    ¡®Surely, the idiot prince could easily crush someone like me, right?¡¯

    ¡°Second prince?¡±

    Hearing the frightened voice, Seasil opened his eyes and let out a long, heavy breath while looking around.

    Everyone was cautiously observing Seasil.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to understand why.

    They all believed that if Seasil reached out, Lucy Alrn would surely cling to him.

    Given that he had crossed swords with the first prince, it was natural for him toe over here.

    They couldn¡¯t possibly think he would just watch the first prince ascend to the throne while clearly hating him.

    They thought he would be captivated by the character of the second prince.

    A lion would inevitablye under another lion, they said.

    Since he was born into a family of warriors, it was only natural to follow warriors.

    What was the result?

    He had not only been rejected but also faced humiliating insults.

    ¡®Idiot prince.¡¯

    ¡°Idiot prince.¡±

    That was a term Seasil was familiar with.

    It was something his parents often eximed when they scolded him for losing to the first prince.

    However, he had never expected to hear it from someone else¡¯s mouth.

    Seasil, nervously fiddling with his fingers while pulling his back straight, spoke without even raising his head.

    ¡°Archie.¡±

    ¡°...Yes?¡±

    ¡°I want to hear about the current situation.¡±

    Archie was one of those who had raised his voice, saying that Lucy Alrn would join the second prince''s faction.

    When he was criticized, he merely fumbled around without offering a proper exnation.

    Seasil sighed, as if to say to him to listen, and then called another person.

    ¡°Tommy.¡±

    ¡°Um. Your Highness the Second Prince, that is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Exin it.¡±

    ¡°U-um, that¡¯s...¡±

    As this calling continued, the thoughts among the second prince¡¯s faction were generally simr.

    They felt they had merely voiced what the second prince wanted to hear.

    When they offered advice, they were harshly reprimanded, forced to speak only what was desired, and ultimately, the decision had been theirs; why were they being med?

    No, from the beginning.

    ¡°Holden.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness the Second Prince.¡±

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t anticipate this situation.¡±

    Who would have expected a crazy girl to call the prince an idiot, and worse, say she wouldn¡¯t want toe under someone inferior to her and propose a duel?

    ¡°Insufficient investigation on the youngdy.¡±

    ¡°Right. It was insufficient.¡±

    ¡°They will all be like that. Please forgive us.¡±

    The second prince ground his teeth and let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Fine. I will forgive you. But in return, you will have to train with me in the future.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much!¡±

    This training would be closer to punishment or torture than actual training.

    Among the second-year students at the academy, there were many who were physically exceptional, yet fainting was not umon during such ¡°training.¡±

    Upon hearing about the training, the members of the second prince¡¯s faction felt a chill, but none dared to refuse.

    If they protested, they would end up sparring directly with the second prince and suffer all day long.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s move on to the next topic. About the duel proposed by Lucy Alrn.¡±

    Lucy Alrn said that if they wanted to pull her in, they had to prove that they were more capable than her. They should ept the duel and defeat her.

    ¡®It¡¯s apetition to see who can conquer the academy dungeon first. Surely you¡¯re confident, right?¡¯

    Seasil nodded at the suggestion.

    He didn¡¯t agree because he thought he had a chance. In fact, Seasil hadn¡¯t even thought that far ahead.

    The reason he agreed was that Lucy Alrn¡¯s insult had made him hot-headed.

    Although Seasil held a higher status, the reality was that he was in a situation where he had to cling to Lucy.

    And it was something he simply could not overlook¡ªthe words Lucy hadst thrown at him.

    ¡®You can run away. If even the gloomy stalker prince couldn¡¯t beat me, there¡¯s no way the idiot prince could.¡¯

    If the first prince couldn¡¯t do it, how could you?

    You¡¯re a loser.

    I¡¯m a loser.

    ¡®If the idiot prince wins, I¡¯ll be your subordinate. But that won¡¯t happen, so I¡¯m graciously giving you the opportunity to dream big. Hmm. No matter how I think about it, I¡¯m really kind, aren¡¯t I?¡¯

    No.

    I¡¯m not a loser.

    I¡¯m not ipetent.

    I can defeat the first prince.

    I can inherit the throne.

    I am.

    I am.

    As the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, Seasil came to his senses.

    Reaching out, he touched his lips and realized the source of the blood taste. His chapped lips had split.

    Wiping the red color off his index finger with his thumb, he lifted his eyes and said, ¡°Come up with a perfect way to take her down. Right now.¡±

    I will surely achieve victory against Lucy Alrn.

    By defeating her, I will prove that I am not ipetent.

    I will aplish what my brother could not.

    Then I will be recognized.

    I will.

    ¡°Even if I have to use underhanded methods, I will win.¡±

    Whatever it takes.

    Thest weekend before the academy''s entrance opened.

    I visited Alsatin¡¯s shop and received various items he had prepared.

    The quality of the items he handed over was far superior to what I had expected.

    With Karia by his side, did Alsatin¡¯s abilities grow as well?

    After leaving the shop with a remark that he didn¡¯t do poorly for a mere information broker, I couldn¡¯t hide the grin on my face.

    Wow. At this level, the dungeon raid seems to be easier than I thought.

    Once the entrance to the dungeon opens, it would surely be possible to raid it right away! Should I give it a shot?

    After all, what the old man demanded of me was an overwhelmingly excellent performance that I couldn¡¯t even dare to catch up to.

    Only then would the arrows turn away from the second prince and praise my abilities instead, right?

    If I conquer the dungeon as soon as it opens, I might just hit that requirement right on the mark.

    The sooner I raid the dungeon, the quicker the pathetic god¡¯s rewards wille in.

    This time, the rewards are quite attractive from my perspective. It¡¯s...

    ¡°Employer.¡±

    As I recalled the quest that the pathetic god had given me this time, I lifted my head at Karia¡¯s voice.

    She had appeared from the alley, asking me to follow her and showing me several men sprawled in the alley.

    ¡°It seems the second prince really wants to defeat you.¡±

    She said, ¡°He must want to win against you so badly that he forgot he needs to recruit you.¡±

    Those people were the ones who had attempted to ambush me.

 Chapter 232

    It was already expected that the second prince would resort to petty tricks.

    In fact, it was strange that he hadn¡¯t acted until now. The guy I knew would do anything to win.

    However, I never thought he woulde at me like this.

    No matter how much he wanted to beat me, this was just too much, wasn¡¯t it?

    I could understand his mindset of wanting to win by any means necessary.

    But, you know, he forgot the most important thing, that idiot!

    Your goal from the start was to recruit me! If youe at me like this, would I even want to join you?! You idiot prince!

    <...Is he dumber than I thought? Or is he so ipetent that he can¡¯t manage his subordinates?>

    ¡®Both, I think.¡¯

    <No, but he was educated as a prince, so it can¡¯t be that.>

    The old man denied reality in the face of something utterly iprehensible, but that didn¡¯t change the scene before me.

    The men sprawled out in the alley were clearly those who hade to hinder me.

    ¡°Haah.¡±

    <Haah.>

    I sighed in disbelief alongside the old man, and Karia let out a chuckle.

    ¡°When I was in the kingdom, you were quite the cute one. Seems Lady Bedfer¡¯s education wasn¡¯t that good after all.¡±

    Her words urately pinpointed the issue.

    The person who greatly influenced the formation of the second prince¡¯s character was indeed that duchess.

    However, that was no longer relevant.

    She must have given up any hope for her son, whom she deemed a failure.

    The same went for the matter of recruiting me.

    ¡°Be careful, employer. With them going this far, you never know what tricks they might use. I don¡¯t think something trivial will put you in danger, but you never know, right?¡±

    Karia¡¯s warning was spot on. After all, various forms of sabotage had been directed at me since then.

    From minor annoyances like my training equipment disappearing to attempts to break into the dorm while I was away.

    It was clear that the thought of recruiting me had vanished from the second prince''s mind.

    He wouldn¡¯t pull such a crazy stunt otherwise.

    At first, I tried tough it off since I had openly provoked him, but as these incidents kept piling up, my temper started to re.

    As time passed, on the day the entrance to the academy dungeon opened, I woke up with only one thought in my mind.

    [Teach the Second Prince a Lesson!]

    Teaching that bastard the second prince a lesson.

    To be taught a lesson by a brat he sought to teach a lesson to is the worst humiliation, not to mention as a man, but as a human!

    This was a fitting punishment for the filthy perverted scumbag who had resorted to all sorts of dirty tricks just to beat me.

    [The Second Prince of the Sdin Kingdom has challenged you! Show him his ce!]

    [Defeat the Second Prince!]

    It was clear that the pathetic god wanted this as well, so as one of His disciples, how could I not faithfully carry out that will?

    At first, I thought the god was trying to assassinate me, but now I knew otherwise. The god had merely anticipated the thoughts I would have in the future.

    Ah, Armen! I believe!

    After finishing a light morning prayer, I got out of bed and stretched.

    There was still time before the dungeon doors would open, so I should warm up in the meantime.

    I needed to start off strong if I wanted to finish the dungeon raid before the academy dungeon¡¯s doors closed.

    After preparing as usual, I headed to the training ground, where Frey was waiting for me.

    Leaning against her sword and dozing off, she sensed my presence and lifted her head to greet me with a nk expression.

    ¡°Are you going to the dungeon today?¡±

    ¡®Of course.¡¯

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m curious just how shabby that shabby dungeon made by this shabby academy will be.¡±

    ¡°Are the members the same as usual?¡±

    Members? What members? I¡¯m going into the dungeon by myself today!

    As I thought this, I realized I had never shared this n with anyone.

    ¡®I¡¯ll be going in alone today.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s enough for me to tackle a shabby dungeon like that by myself.¡±

    ¡°Lady Alrn?! What do you mean by that?!¡±

    Turning around, I saw the shocked look in Zoe¡¯s eyes, realizing that this conversation was not going to end easily.

    Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure. Failure.

    The reports Seasil received generally concluded with the word ¡°failure.¡±

    Numerous attempts at sabotage against Lucy Alrn had all failed to affect her significantly.

    That was the conclusion of many reports.

    While Seasil¡¯s subordinatesined of mental fatigue impacting their dungeon raid, that wasn¡¯t a very convincing argument.

    However, Seasil passed over that content as it was.

    As for the responsibility for the failures, he could simply askter.

    What mattered more was something else.

    It was the fact that Seasil had recently obtained a map of the academy dungeon.

    By mobilizing various connections, he managed to recruit a professor within the academy and acquire a dungeon map that contained all information regarding the academy dungeon.

    Details about the dungeon¡¯s structure. The types of monsters that appear on each floor.

    The characteristics of each floor.

    And methods for dealing with the bosses that block the raider¡¯s path every ten floors.

    When Seasil got his hands on this, he had been overjoyed.

    With this, if he had this map.

    He could raid the academy dungeon in the shortest possible time.

    He could defeat Lucy Alrn.

    He could aplish what his brother had failed to achieve.

    He could.

    He could.

    Standing before the entrance to the academy dungeon, Seasil looked at the faces of those who would apany him today.

    They were all among the physically strongest of the second years at the academy.

    Those who had roamed outside the academy with Seasil, raiding numerous dungeons.

    Warriors who would undoubtedly make significant achievements on the battlefield if they became knights.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    Seeing the confident smiles on the faces of his party members, he nodded in satisfaction and looked ahead again.

    Seasil had thoroughly prepared for this moment.

    By defeating Lucy Alrn. By renewing the record set by the first prince.

    To prove hispetence.

    To dispel the notion of ipetence.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about us, Lady Alrn. We¡¯re not weak enough to suffer any disadvantages by getting involved in this duel.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Lucy Alrn, considering all the grace you¡¯ve shown me in my growth, I can easily handle your little brother¡¯s whining.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but I think so too.¡±

    Hearing that I nned to raid the academy alone, Zoe and Arthur seemed to believe that I was being considerate toward them.

    They thought that if I got tangled up with the second prince, it might cause trouble for them, so I was trying to shoulder everything alone.

    I had never thought that way.

    I simply chose to go alone because it was more convenient for me, not realizing it would lead to such misunderstandings.

    Convincing those who had already drawn their conclusions in their minds was incredibly difficult. No matter how I exined, it would only turn into excuses that revealed my true feelings.

    ¡°Since when did you care about anyone else?¡±

    ¡°Right? Just act as you normally would, Lady.¡±

    ¡®No, I¡¯m serious!¡¯

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand? Do you really think people like you would help me? Your self-esteem is so high it¡¯s touching the sky.¡±

    ¡°Ha. You¡¯re really stubborn.¡±

    ¡°While I understand that you care for us, we¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Right. I also want to go into the dungeon together.¡±

    Still, I didn¡¯t dislike the process of persuading them.

    Knowing that Zoe and Arthur¡¯s misunderstandings stemmed from their fondness for me made me feel warm inside.

    If these two didn¡¯t think well of me, they wouldn¡¯t be offering to help, risking the second prince¡¯s ire.

    As for Frey? She didn¡¯t care whether the second prince hated her or not. She just wanted to go into the dungeon with me.

    Ever since she got promoted from ¡®pathetic knight¡¯ to ¡®idiot knight,¡¯ she had been following me around excessively. She probably wanted to raid the dungeon together.

    After managing to persuade my friends with the idea that I would ask for their help if a crisis arose during the dungeon raid, I sessfully entered the academy dungeon alone.

    The moment I set foot in the academy dungeon, the first thing I felt was the cold.

    The cold air seeping through the gaps in my armor pierced my skin and chilled my bones. Feeling that, I enveloped myself in a holy aura.

    The divine aura, warm like the sun, naturally drove away the cold.

    I could feel warmth even in the midst of winter.

    Then, as I looked around, I saw a snowyndscape.

    A snowy vista that stretched endlessly, with no clear end in sight, where I could see nothing but snow.

    Alright. Confirming the position of the frozen trees marked the conclusion of my current location.

    Shall I give it a try?

    Thinking this, I loosened up my body when the old man called out to me.

    <Youngdy.> ¡®Yes?¡¯ <You¡¯re really not thinking about those people, are you?>

    Why is the old man acting like this too? Didn¡¯t I tell you before that I thought it would be easier to go in alone!?

    Do you think I, who am inept at politics, would care about the second prince¡¯s hatred or anything like that?!

    I¡¯m telling you no!

    <No. But still. Isn¡¯t it true that the more people there are, the easier it is to conquer a dungeon?>

    ¡®That is true.¡¯

    <But if you say you want to go in alone, then it¡¯s hard not to think that you¡¯re being considerate of others.>

    ¡®...Hmm. So that¡¯s the case.¡¯

    Having more people is a weapon in itself.

    In fact, when I yed the game Soul Academy, aside from moments when I was doing a restricted ythrough, I always filled my party.

    Even when speedrunning, having more people is better.

    Even so, the reason I chose to go alone was that I wouldn¡¯t need to exin the numerous oundish actions I would take from now on to others.@@novelbin@@

    ¡®It¡¯s hard to exin in words. You¡¯ll see when you see.¡¯

    While having this conversation and finishing up several buffs, I intentionally made my presence known and charged forward.

    Not long after, I heard a rumbling sound shaking the ground from afar.

    It wasing this way, responding to my presence.

    And then the figure that appeared was a yeti.

    The monster known as the ruler of the snowfield.

    Its overwhelming power was said to beparable to that of a typical ogre.

    It was not a monster one would encounter on the first floor of a dungeon.

    So why was it here?

    Surely, the academy hadn¡¯t made another mistake.

    It was merely the concept of the second semester dungeon itself.

    The second semester dungeon of the academy is a ce where you get to experience various gimmicks that exist within dungeons.

    It¡¯s a dungeon that teaches you ways to ovee ces that can¡¯t be tackled in a normal manner.

    This yeti was no exception.

    It wasn¡¯t a creature meant to be captured. It was ced here to make you raid the dungeon while avoiding it.

    So, by normal raiding methods, the right thing to do would be to find the exit while avoiding the yeti.

    But I didn¡¯t do that.

    <ul>

    <li>Grrrrooooaaar!</li>

    </ul>

    Instead, I charged towards the yeti, raising my shield, heading straight for the punch it was swinging at me.

    <Youngdy?!>

    And just as the yeti¡¯s fist was about to reach me, I used one of the scrolls I had prepared in advance.

    The magic contained within was a weight reduction spell.

    What I was about to lighten was my own weight. As the spell took effect, my body became as light as if I had stepped on the moon, lifted by the mass of the yeti¡¯s punch.

    ¡®Most of what I¡¯m going to use from now on will be like this!¡¯

    This is my shortest route.

    The rotten water style of raiding.

 Chapter 233

    Is it now?

    Seasil, who had been moving between the front lines and the midlines to support others, gripped his great sword with both hands.

    As he inhaled and exhaled, ck magical energy flowed out, and soon his great sword was covered in ck magic.

    Aura. A technique that is the exclusive domain of a warrior who has surpassed a certain level and a qualification of a knight.

    By the time they reached the second year at the academy, talented individuals would awaken to their aura, but he was merely at the level of mimicking it.

    The dense and thick aura that Seasil wielded was on apletely different level from those inferior versions.

    His aura, which even current knights struggled to endure, was already at a point where it could be considered perfected.

    ¡°Your Highness!¡±

    With his strike prepared, Seasil raised his sword high at the call of his subordinate.

    <ul>

    <li>Grrrrroooar!</li>

    </ul>

    The yeti, which had been blocking their path as a boss in a weakened state after hindering them from ascending the dungeon, felt threatened by Seasil¡¯s sword but could do nothing about it.

    His party members, nking the yeti, wouldn¡¯t allow it any freedom.

    ¡°I will go.¡±

    Seasil¡¯s sword was not so poorly made that it would fail to target the head of a stationary opponent.

    The strike he unleashed naturally struck dead center on the yeti''s head, splitting the enemy in two.

    ¡°Indeed, Your Highness the Second Prince!¡±

    ¡°A single strike!¡±

    It was truly remarkable that he brought down an opponent whose thick hide had made it difficult to inflict more than surface wounds with a single blow. It was entirely reasonable for others to admire the second prince.

    However, the very person who achieved this, Seasil, clicked his tongue at the unsatisfying sensation in his hands.

    It would have been better if it had been harder. That way, Lucy Alrn¡¯s progress would slow down significantly.

    ¡°Barson, how long did it take to conquer the 10th floor?¡±

    ¡°35 minutes.¡±

    35 minutes. Generally speaking, that¡¯s an exceptionally fast pace, but Seasil found the situation rather displeasing.

    Their opponent this time was Lucy Alrn. She had knowledge of dungeons superior even to his brother¡¯s.

    ¡°Everyone, we don¡¯t need to rest yet, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Compared to the outside dungeon, this feels like a walk in the park.¡±

    ¡°How many dungeons have we raided? There¡¯s no way we would tire from something like this.¡±

    It was essentially a deration of a strenuous march, but all the second prince¡¯s party members weed the endeavor.

    Those here were members who had raided all sorts of dungeons alongside Seasil.

    Having surpassed the number of dungeon raids required for the second year at the academy, they were testing their limits, so movements that didn¡¯t evenst an hour felt like a warm-up.

    ¡°Alright. Today, we will conquer at least more than half of the academy dungeon.¡±

    Lucy Alrn. I don¡¯t know how much you and those around you have grown until now.

    However, now that I possess the rumored blessing you have, the ability toprehend the structure of the dungeon, everything else should put me at an advantage.

    This match will conclude with your utter defeat.

    Arthur couldn¡¯t hide his unease at Lucy Alrn¡¯s audacity.

    It would have been insufficient to choose only the three most outstanding individuals around him; it was reckless to attempt to raid the dungeon alone!

    Especially when it wasn¡¯t an ordinary opponent he was up against, but rather apetition with the younger prince!

    The younger prince was not someone to be underestimated!

    He was onlypared to the elder prince standing next to him.

    The currentmander of the knights acknowledged his overwhelming talent, and the younger prince, who had tackled numerous dungeons since entering the second year of the academy, was undoubtedly an intimidating opponent.

    No matter how excellent Lucy Alrn might be, she was not someone to be taken lightly, so why?!

    ¡°...Haah.¡±

    Of course, Arthur knew why Lucy Alrn made such a choice.

    Though it was hard to imagine someone who usually made crass remarks and acted without consideration, Lucy Alrn was someone who cared about those around her.

    She would listen well to requests and follow along when it was time to socialize. When asked for help, she would thoughtfully consider the most appropriate assistance to provide and, above all, she would appear in times of crisis to help, risking her life.

    If she thought it might burden others, she wouldn¡¯t ask for help, instead opting to shoulder everything herself.

    Just look at the time she insulted the elder prince.

    Even when she found herself in a predicament, she didn¡¯t reach out to anyone nearby. She tried to handle everything by herself.

    It would surely be the same this time.

    Lucy herself might say that going solo was faster and more convenient, but Arthur didn¡¯t believe those words.

    It was a statement far removed frommon sense. It was obviously an excuse.

    An excuse born from wanting to avoid needlessly burdening those around her.

    Taking responsibility for one¡¯s actions is good, but she should also acknowledge that those around her were worried.

    No, from the beginning, if she could simply avoid causing trouble, there wouldn¡¯t be any reason for concern or burden to carry.

    Why does she keep causing trouble?

    ¡°You know what, Pebbi? Aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡±

    As Arthur furrowed his brows and sighed, he lifted his head at Zoe¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Are you talking about Lady Alrn?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I thought you¡¯d be worried since you care about Lady Alrn so much, but you seem calmer than I expected.¡±

    Indeed, recently, Pebbi had been following Lucy Alrn closely enough for anyone to notice.

    She was always by her side during meals, greeting her with bright smiles whenever she passed by, and often initiating conversations. It was no wonder rumors circted that Lucy Alrn was favored by the saintess.

    For Pebbi, it was only natural to worry about Lucy, yet her expression now seemed too serene.

    ¡°Though it may look that way, I¡¯m actually very worried inside.¡±

    ¡°Yes? But...¡±

    ¡°More than that, it¡¯s because I believe in Lady Alrn that I can remain calm. I trust that she wouldn¡¯t make such a decision without a good reason.¡±

    The moment Arthur heard Pebbi¡¯s words, a thought crossed his mind.

    What if, just what if, there were circumstances that forced her to cause trouble?

    What if there was a reason she had to be the target of everyone¡¯s hatred?

    Yes. This seemed more reasonable. Given her wisdom, it would make sense to exin why she kept causing trouble.

    ¡°Rankings areing out.¡±

    Arthur¡¯s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by Frey¡¯s voice.@@novelbin@@

    The rankings of those currently raiding the academy dungeon.

    The names of those leading the way.

    While they had been slowly examining the names starting from the lowest rank, it would take quite some time before they found the name they were looking for.

    Lucy Alrn and Seasil Sdin.

    The first name that appeared among the two was Seasil¡¯s.

    His name, written at the very top, revealed the state of thepetition.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the second prince.¡±

    ¡°So, if he¡¯s set his mind to conquering the academy dungeon, is this the kind of result we can expect?¡±

    ¡°He was confident enough to go in alone, yet we can¡¯t even see Lucy Alrn¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°My money! My bet!¡±

    Current floor level: 28.

    It hadn¡¯t even been two hours since they entered the dungeon, and they had already cleared a quarter of it.

    Arthur understood the murmurs around him.

    That was an overwhelmingly high record. Perhaps a speed that could be engraved in the history of the academy.

    No matter how excellent Lucy Alrn was, it would be impossible for her to catch up to that record alone.

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    The buzz around the entrance to the dungeon quickly shifted to silence.

    As Seasil Sdin¡¯s name dropped down one position, a new name appeared above it.

    Lucy Alrn.

    Current floor level.

    <ol start="57">

    <li></li>

    </ol>

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    ¡°Is it an error...?¡±

    ¡°Should we ask the professor managing this?¡±

    A number that raised doubts about the truth of that record, exceeding the word ¡°overwhelming.¡±

    ¡°Puhahaha!¡±

    As those witnessing it blinked in disbelief, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.

    All eyes turned toward the sound in the midst of silence, but Arthur paid it no mind.

    Was it a misunderstanding?

    Was it a delusion?

    Was she truly faster when alone, and did she merely want to shed the burden of us in order to unleash her speed?!

    How could he imagine how bewildered she must have been when we didn¡¯t believe her!

    ...Still, he would ask.

    He wanted to know why she was causing trouble. Whether it was a matter of her mood or if there were unavoidable circumstances behind it.

    <This isn¡¯t what I consider dungeon raiding.>

    ¡®What do you mean all of a sudden, old man?¡¯

    <How can this be dungeon raiding! This is assaulting a dungeon and insulting its creator!>

    Perhaps the way I was conducting the dungeon was displeasing to the old man. As I passed the 50th floor, he suddenly raised his voice.

    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t understand the old man¡¯s feelings.

    Super jumps using monster attacks.

    Clearing a path blocked byva to carve out the shortest route.

    Crossing the forest using the rampaging patterns of giant wolves.

    Using the boss¡¯s patterns to ascend to the next floor without even defeating it.

    Utilizing the behaviors of monsters to kill the boss before even entering the boss room, and so on.

    I was showcasing various techniques that I had used as a matter of course in the game, so it was no wonder the old man would be dumbfounded.

    After all, I had only swung a mace a handful of times, yet here I was, already rushing toward the 60th floor, so it was only natural for him to question if this was really dungeon raiding.

    But the old man didn¡¯t know one thing.

    When it was a game, I could pull off even more outrageous ys than I could now.

    In this world, since it was reality, I couldn¡¯t use the same glitchy ys I had in the game.

    I couldn¡¯t phase through walls, teleport several floors up in an instant, or kill a boss with a single step.

    If that were possible, I would have already cleared the dungeon long ago, which is quite unfortunate.

    As I thought about this, I stepped into the boss room on the 60th floor, raising my shield at the sight of the chimera formed from various creatures.

    ¡®Old man.¡¯

    <What is it?>

    ¡®I¡¯m going to show you how that guy will kill himself by his own pattern this time.¡¯

 Chapter 234

    Currently at Floor 93.

    As I was shortening the time by jumping off the cliff, I realized that free falling was much more thrilling than I had anticipated.

    When I first threw myself off the cliff, I was lighthearted, thinking it was just like this. But as I continued to fall endlessly, my thoughts gradually changed.

    If something simr happens next time, I should choose a safer route.

    This is not something I want to do twice.

    <Hey, girl. I want to ask you something.>

    As I was watching the long hair fluttering in the air above, the old man spoke up.

    ¡®What is it? Make it quick. I need to time this right, and it¡¯s a bit intense right now.¡¯

    Even I can''t stay intact after the impact of the fall. If I can¡¯t offset it midway, I¡¯ll take the fall damage and end up retiring.

    Since it¡¯s the academy dungeon, I would be thrown out of the dungeon the moment I take the impact, but I don¡¯t want to experience this fall twice, so I¡¯d like to seed in one go and finish it.

    <Then I¡¯ll ask after we¡¯re done.>

    Now that I had jumped off the cliff, twenty seconds had passed. It was time to pull a scroll out of my inventory.

    I prepared in advance, and before long, the seemingly endless fall was nearing its end.

    I spotted the ground made of gray rock.

    Not yet.

    It¡¯s not time to release the scroll yet.

    A little lower.

    Lower still.

    After waiting and waiting...

    ...

    Now!

    I timed it perfectly and released the magic contained within the scroll.

    What I was summoning was a storm.

    A massive wind from the valley below surged upwards.

    As my body elerated with gravity, it gradually began to slow down.

    Eventually, when my falling speed approached zero, I was about three meters above the ground.

    Not long after, the magic from the scroll ended, and I found myself back under the influence of gravity,nding on the ground.

    I must have written it a bit hastily due to my fear. If this were a game, I would have taken fall damage.

    It¡¯s certainly a huge difference between clicking a mouse through a monitor and doing it in reality.

    If it¡¯s not a moment where my life is at stake, it¡¯s better to choose a safe path. A little mistake here could mean instant death.

    I organized my hair, which was a mess from the fall, and called out to the old man.

    ¡®So, grandpa, what do you want to say?¡¯

    <Is there a professor among the academy¡¯s faculty who manages this ce?>

    ¡®There is.¡¯

    <Then that person must have seen your entire strategy.>

    ¡®...Um, I guess so?¡¯

    <They will surely ask you various questions in the future.>

    Hearing the old man¡¯s words, I imagined it.

    I, the one who created the dungeon, having someone else strategize in an oundish way to conquer it.

    First, they would probably wonder what they were seeing. It would be so amazing it would border on absurdity. Eventually, they would be curious about who that crazy girl was. And when shees out, they would pull her aside and interrogate her about this and that.

    They¡¯d ask how on earth she coulde up with such a strategy.

    ¡®How should I exin this?!¡¯

    Icked the confidence to exin my strategy. If this were a game, I could proudly boast about how I conquered it in this way and that, but this isn¡¯t a game world!

    <Why are you asking me? I don¡¯t know. I have no confidence.>

    ¡®Exactly!¡¯

    Ugh. There¡¯s no way to turn back what¡¯s already been done.

    Once the matters rted to the idiot prince are over, I¡¯ll think about it slowly.

    If it doesn¡¯t work out, I¡¯ll go with the unlucky genius concept.

    Can¡¯t believe I couldn¡¯t evene up with this idea? It¡¯s fitting for a mediocre academy¡¯s mediocre professor. That kind of thing.

    I would surely look like someone who needed a p in the head, but what could I do? There¡¯s no other way.

    With a sigh, I kept my feet moving forward. Toward the end of the academy dungeon.

    Having skipped the strategy from floors 93 to 99 by falling off a cliff, now there was only one remaining.

    Floor 100.

    The ce where the boss guarding the dungeon awaits.

    <Are you sure you can go without resting?>

    As I grabbed the handle leading to the boss room, the old man voiced his concern.

    His judgment was correct. My current state was far from perfect.

    No matter how good my stamina is.

    No matter how I didn¡¯t take the normal route and indulged in all sorts of antics.

    I had rushed from the first floor to the hundredth in barely half a day.

    I wasn¡¯t exhausted to the point of not being able to move, but it wasn¡¯t the best either.

    Normally, it would be right to take a sufficient break to regain my strength before moving forward. However, I didn¡¯t do that.

    I wasn¡¯t obsessed with records. I¡¯ve done speed runs to the point of disgust in the past. I had long since let go of that obsession.

    So why was I so eager to move forward without resting?

    The answer to that was quite simple.

    Because facing the boss that exists ahead was something I could handle in my current state.

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be over soon.¡¯

    <What kind of antics are you nning this time?>

    ¡®It¡¯s not antics.¡¯

    While there are glitches here, those methods are only possible in games. They cannot be applied in reality.

    <Then?>

    ¡®It¡¯s the straightforward method.¡¯

    Since it¡¯s the end, I should swing my mace a bit.

    Having grasped the handle of the door, I skillfully prepared for battle.

    I spread the divinity throughout my body.

    Strengthening myself with various divine spells.

    Restoring my health and magic by drinking potions.

    And finally, draping divinity over my mace before opening the door.

    As I did so, a dark figure appeared in the center of the room.

    The final boss of the second-semester dungeon that informs about various gimmicks.

    A beingbined with corruption.

    That creature tests whether I have properly conquered the numerous gimmicks that exist so far.

    Originally, it was a troublesome boss that needed to be defeated after oveing all the gimmicks from the first to the ny-ninth floor, but there were other methods.

    Looking at that ominous exterior, it was clear; that guy is a boss of the necromancer type.

    So if I possess a certain level of divinity, I can simply drag it down in a direct contest of strength.

    The moment I stepped into the room, the door closed behind me, and the boss in the darkness smiled with a red grin.

    Seeing him, I also smiled back.

    ¡°Just by smiling, you can make someone sick!? Is it true that the more repugnant the opponent in this dungeon, the higher they are ced?? It suits the top floor well!?¡±

    It¡¯s time to smash some skulls.

    Confirming the door leading to the next floor, Seasil retracted his aura and let out a long sigh.

    Having moved almost nonstop for nearly half a day since entering the dungeon, he felt exhausted.

    No matter how physically capable Seasil was, he couldn¡¯t help but feel tired.

    For the other party members, their condition was even more serious. After confirming the boss¡¯s death, they copsed onto the floor, gasping for breath, finding it hard to utter a single word.

    Seasil, observing them, was convinced that continuing the strategy any further was impossible.

    But this was enough. They had conquered more than half of the dungeon on the first day. Tomorrow, they would see the end of the academy dungeon.

    Ha. Am I setting a new record that will go down in academy history?

    Crushing Lucy Alrn and erasing the record that my brother had set in the past, inscribing my name above it?

    Imagining that scene, Seasil leaned against his sword and chuckled before addressing his party members.

    ¡°We¡¯re going back. We¡¯ll rest thoroughly today and finish this tomorrow.¡±

    As Seasil stepped outside the dungeon, he enjoyed the sunset before turning his head the other way.

    He wanted to check the rankings.

    Naturally, my name should be at the top, but where exactly was Lucy Alrn¡¯s name?

    Considering her abilities, it was highly likely she was following closely behind me.

    As he thought this and shifted his gaze towards the rankings, Seasil froze at what he saw written there.

    His expectations were off.

    To be precise, part of it was right, and part was wrong.

    Seasil¡¯s name and Lucy¡¯s name were written side by side in first and second ce, but the order was reversed.

    [Lucy Alrn. Current Floor 100. Conquest Completed] [Seasil Sdin. Current Floor 60. Conquest in Progress]

    Above was Lucy Alrn. Below was Seasil Sdin.

    Seasil, who had resorted to every dirty trick to seek victory, had lost to Lucy.

    Conquestpleted?

    Completed the conquest?

    Before even a day had passed?

    ...What kind of nightmare is this?

    The moment Seasil, who checked the rankings, froze, a voice came from behind him.

    It was a slightly high, clear, and beautiful voice, which made it sound even more irritating.

    ¡°Have you finallye out? To keep ady waiting is truly rude. No, you¡¯re so ipetent that you can¡¯t even manage to be polite, can you?¡±

    Lucy Alrn.

    The rival Seasil had decided topete against.

    The one he was determined to defeat at any cost this time.

    She was staring at Seasil with a perfectly neat appearance that was hard to believe she had just entered the dungeon.

    ¡°...How.¡±

    Seasil¡¯s voice slipped out naturally upon seeing her.

    How had she already conquered the dungeon?

    Isn¡¯t that impossible?

    The path through the dungeon?

    Seasil knew that too.

    The strategy?

    That was the same. He had prepared for the conquest.

    The method for hunting the boss?

    He knew all that.

    So the conditions should have been exactly the same. Then it would be normal for their superior specs to allow them to be faster, right?

    So why?

    Why?

    How did Lucy Alrn surpass us, me?

    Why on earth!

    ¡°Did you bring the professor with you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but unlike you, the idiot prince, I don¡¯t need help to conquer such a pathetic dungeon. I can handle it alone. I¡¯m apetent genius, you know, unlike anyone else.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Did you use underhanded methods?¡±

    ¡°Underhanded? I just told you, I¡¯m different from you, idiot prince!¡±

    She had entered the dungeon alone.

    She hadn¡¯t used underhanded methods.

    But then how did she conquer the dungeon faster than me, than us?

    It didn¡¯t make sense.

    No matter how capable she was, there were limits.

    All other conditions being the same, there shouldn¡¯t be this kind of gap!

    There could only be one reason for such a difference!

    Unless she possessed greater fighting power than me, this shouldn¡¯t happen!...

    With veins showing in his eyes, Seasil red at Lucy Alrn, who was now drawing her sword from her waist.

    ¡°Prove it.¡±

    ¡°What should I prove?? The ipetence of the idiot prince??¡±

    ¡°That you are stronger than me. Therefore, it¡¯s only natural that you have such overwhelming results.¡±

    I would like to dere a duel.

    Lucy, who had been staring at the tip of Seasil¡¯s sword, suddenly burst intoughter.

    Augh filled with disdain, containing ugly thoughts, that seemed to dig into his ears and stick to them.

    Ignoring even the frown on Seasil¡¯s brow, she continued tough before covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes smiling as she said:

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.?¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    ¡°Why should I?? The ipetence of the idiot prince has already been proven; I don¡¯t want to drive that point home.? It¡¯s called consideration.?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Well, if you want to make a request, shouldn¡¯t you show some proper politeness?? Would you like to lick my feet?? Oh, that won¡¯t do either.? That would be disrespectful.?¡±

    Seasil¡¯s face turned redder than the sunset as he moved his feet, and the ck aura surrounded his sword.

    The overwhelming power of the sword that had split countless enemies¡¯ heads.

    Even if it had weakenedpared to the past due to many expenditures during the dungeon conquest, it was still a powerful sword.

    The sword Seasil was most proud of.

    That sword was thrust towards Lucy Alrn.

    ¡°Surprising an opponent like this?? There¡¯s a limit to how filthy one can be, don¡¯t you think?? Ah, so the idiot prince is such a fool that he doesn¡¯t even know that?? Heh. I understand now?.¡±

    The sword did not reach Lucy Alrn.

    Before it could touch her, the shining white shield she had summoned blocked Seasil¡¯s sword.

 Chapter 235

    After smashing the boss of Floor 100 with my mace imbued with divinity, I received the reward for conquering the dungeon for the first time.

    The reward for the second-semester dungeon was simply the best of the best.

    Gold coins.

    With a party of four, that amounts to 100 coins per person, so I now had 400 gold coins in my possession all at once.

    Despite holding such an overwhelming amount of money, I felt nothing but emptiness in front of it.

    If this had been during thest auction... no, even then I wouldn¡¯t have been able to buy a b. The opponent was one of the wealthiest magnates on the continent.

    <Why does it seem weaker than the necromancer I sawst time?>

    ¡®If we¡¯re just talking about raw specs, it probably is.¡¯

    The reason that creature was bothersome to deal with was solely because it was a gimmick-type boss.

    If you bypass the gimmicks, the actual specs aren¡¯t impressive.

    I tossed the heavy leather pouch into my inventory and lightly replied to the old man while waiting for the message window to appear.

    With theplete conquest of the academy dungeon, my victory was already assured. So I thought I would receive my reward, but the lousy deity remained silent.

    What¡¯s going on? I tilted my head in confusion and opened the quest window again.

    [Teach the Second Prince a Lesson!] [The Second Prince of the Sdin Kingdom has challenged you! Show him his ce!] [Subdue the Second Prince!]

    Rereading it, the conditions for questpletion seemed rather ambiguous. It didn¡¯t say to win against the Second Prince but to subdue him.

    There¡¯s a huge gap between winning and subduing.

    The former doesn¡¯t concern itself with what the Second Prince thinks, but thetter is different. To clear thetter, the Second Prince needs to acknowledge his defeat deep down.

    If that phrase means exactly what it says, things are going to get troublesome.

    As everyone often says, ominous predictions never turn out wrong.

    Even when I stepped out of the academy dungeon and received congrattions from Zoe and the others, no reward was given.

    Even when the dungeon professor, looking like he was half out of his mind, came tomend my achievements, the same was true.

    No reward was provided. Instead, a meeting time with the dungeon professor was scheduled forter.

    Hours passed, and by the time the sun began to set, the same was true when the Second Prince came outside to check the rankings.

    Even though he recognized his defeat, the lousy deity remained silent.

    At this point, I could only be certain. The word "subdue" truly means what it says.

    So, I provoked the Second Prince. I made him swing his weapon at me.

    The Second Prince is an idiot, but he¡¯s also a martial artist. He¡¯s someone who values individual strength as his own worth.

    To subdue someone with such a lofty pride in his own strength, it would be easiest to crush him head-on.

    As soon as the Second Prince stepped outside the dungeon, I initiated a confrontation to trample his pride.

    Seeing the desperate ck aura trying to pierce through the divine shield surrounding me.

    The Second Prince¡¯s sword is heavy.

    In terms of raw power, it¡¯s at a level iparable to Frey¡¯s current capabilities.

    While Frey may excel in pure swordsmanship, if they faced off, I think Frey would lose.

    It would be difficult to ovee this disparity with skill.

    If he had been in perfect condition, he might have been quite threatening.

    But that¡¯s only if he were at his best.

    After the exhaustion of scaling to Floor 60 without rest, the Second Prince''s sword would never breach my shield.

    ¡°Even a second-year¡¯s aura isn¡¯t much.? What can you possibly cut with this?? It seems like it would just bounce off a beetle¡¯s shell.? Oh, Beetle Prince?¡±

    With a grinding sound, the Second Prince tightened his grip on the sword.

    He probably thought of pressing down on my shield with his own strength, but I wouldn¡¯t allow that.

    I didn¡¯t mind a contest of strength, but that would only lead to a stalemate.

    And that would be problematic.

    I needed topletely overwhelm the Second Prince.

    He must think he has lost without being able to do anything.

    I need to shatter his pride.

    Subduing the opponent means exactly that.

    I kicked the Second Prince''s exposed abdomen, which was wide open due to his focus on my shield, sending his body flying into the air.

    It must have been an unexpected shock, but the Second Prince elegantly performed a roll andnded on the ground without a scratch.

    As the distance between us widened, a brief moment of calm emerged.

    However, no one intervened between us.

    I had warned everyone in advance that this would happen.

    The professors who were observing the situation, the other students, and my friends including Zoe, all watched this battle in silence.

    Normally, at this point, someone would sense something unusual, but the Second Prince had no room for that.

    The taunt of the Mesugaki skill had worked on Karia, the boss of Menestail.

    The Second Prince, who was iparably weaker than her, wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand such taunts.

    His rationality had already flown out the window.

    The only thing in his mind was singr.

    He wanted to smash me.

    He wanted to teach that damned Mesugaki a lesson.

    It¡¯s truly unfortunate, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to fulfill his wish.

    This battlefield is not for me to be taught a lesson, but for me to teach the Second Prince one.

    ¡°Lucy Alrn!¡±

    With a bloody scream, the Second Prince charged at me fiercely.

    With a body that could easily be double mine, and the overwhelming muscles that made it up, he charged forward, amplifying his strength with the magic beneath him.

    A charge that anyone would struggle to follow with their eyes.

    Yet I remained calm as I watched him.

    The Second Prince was a character that could be used as an ally in the game Soul Academy, but I encountered him as an enemy much more often.

    So, naturally, I was ustomed to the techniques he would use.

    The perfect timing for the just parry of that charge is 0.8 seconds after he moved his feet.

    So...

    Now.

    <em>ng!</em>

    The Second Prince¡¯s sword, aimed to split my shield in half, simply bounced away into the air.

    As a result, numerous openings appeared in the off-bnce Second Prince.

    If the Second Prince had been in perfect condition, he would have forcibly maintained his bnce and continued his assault.

    But in reality, even if he seeded in the just parry, he wouldn¡¯t be able to deal a blow to me.

    However, the Second Prince couldn¡¯t do that now.

    Even if his rage made him forget his fatigue, his body still remembered it.

    There are limits to what can be done solely by willpower. I didn¡¯t let that opening slip by.

    I used my shield, imbued with divinity, to strike.

    The thick iron shield was an excellent blunt weapon in itself.

    What would happen if that hit his face?

    The Second Prince, upon seeing the shield heading towards his face, seemed to be certain of his future.

    He unconsciously squeezed his eyes shut.

    But the shield didn¡¯t touch his face.

    It stopped just in front of his nose.

    I had deliberately adjusted it that way.

    Why?

    Because he needs to experience humiliation.

    As I lightly tapped his nose with the shield, the Second Prince staggered back, clutching his nose.

    Seeing the confusion and questions in his eyes made me chuckle involuntarily, even if it wasn¡¯t intentional.

    ¡°Puhuhut? Puhahahat? You¡¯re squinting your eyes like a child!? Our Beetle Prince is scared, isn¡¯t he?? Would you like me to pat your head??¡±

    ¡°How dare you disrespect me!¡±

    The battle continued.

    The sh of sword and shield echoed.

    The Second Prince was pushed back time and again.

    The oue was already clear.

    He was utterly exhausted,

    Taunted to the point of losing his rationality,

    Swinging his sword wildly without thought, he couldn¡¯t reach me.

    He couldn¡¯t surpass my shield.

    How many times had we gone back and forth like this?

    Once again, the Second Prince fell to the ground.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it getting tiresome? Would you mind giving up?? There¡¯s nothing uglier than a man clinging desperately to a girl!?¡±

    I called out as I watched the Second Prince, who was stumbling up after embedding his sword in the ground, but he didn¡¯t respond.

    ¡°Your Highness¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡±

    ¡°Retreat for now!...¡±

    The voices of the Second Prince''s followers shouting from behind were simrly futile.

    Consumed by his rage, his pupils had practically vanished. He had reached a state where he could no longer stop on his own.

    This is getting annoying.

    I never expected that the taunt would work so well that he would be consumed by it.

    Once his rationalitypletely vanished, it would be impossible to subdue him.

    Haah. Why does that idiot prince have to be so stubbornly resilient?

    You¡¯re not supposed to be like this!

    I thought he would have given up and shouted that he was trash long ago, but I didn¡¯t know why he was still holding on.

    Reaching the conclusion that he needed to lose his mind to be taken down, I shot a nce at Luka among the professors.

    I stillcked confidence in controlling my strength.

    I was confident in smashing my opponent, but it was difficult to just make him lose his mind.

    So I meant to ask the professor to step in and tidy things up, but Luka interpreted it differently.

    ¡°It seems the youngdy does not wish for any intervention!¡±

    No.

    What is he saying?

    I¡¯m asking for help!

    I¡¯m asking him to intervene against the Second Prince?!

    Why is he twisting it like that?!

    ¡°You want to finish what you started, right? You truly are the heir of the Alrn family!¡±

    Hey. You¡¯re doing this on purpose.

    You¡¯re trying to screw me over, aren¡¯t you?!

    That damned instigator!

    ¡°...Not yet.¡±

    Just as I was about to raise my voice in protest, I heard the Second Prince¡¯s voice.

    After countless efforts, he managed to stand up on his own two feet and gripped his sword with both hands.

    Then, a ck aura enveloped the sword.@@novelbin@@

    Not just any ck aura.

    It was an aura that bore weight, seemingly pressing down on the surroundings.

    An aura with its own unique characteristics.

    That¡¯s something the Second Prince shouldn¡¯t be able to use right now.

    <Is this an awakening achieved in a near-extreme situation? >

    Huh?

    Huh?!

    ...

    No, no, no!

    Why is that idiot prince awakening in a crisis like a protagonist?!

    Am I the viin?! The bad guy!?

    No way!

    That idiot is the one who¡¯s been doing all sorts of petty things; why is he pulling off a cool scene?!

    <To think I¡¯d witness something I¡¯ve seen in battle several times again.>

    ¡®Grandpa?! Isn¡¯t it a bit tooid-back for you to be a mere spectator?! This is a major crisis!¡¯

    <So what? It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t stop it.>

    With a sigh, I listened to the old man¡¯spletely unperturbed voice.

    He really knows me too well.

    Taking a deep breath, I gathered divinity at the tip of my shield.

    What I was about to attempt was a clumsy reenactment of the hero who reportedly withstood the wrath of the evil god with just a shield.

    Since I¡¯m still not adept at divine martial arts, this reenactment would be far from perfect.

    But it¡¯s okay.

    My shield isn¡¯t weak enough to break from that level of attack.

 Chapter 237

    When Seasil awoke from his long slumber, the outside world was already bathed in light.

    He furrowed his brow at the sunlight streaming through the window and realized his body felt utterly battered.

    What on earth had happened? Holding his forehead, he began to recall yesterday''s events.

    He remembered entering the dungeon to conquer it.

    Emerging outside and being provoked by Lucy Alrn.

    Consumed by rage, he had charged at her, disregarding all sense of honor, fixated only on the thought of defeating Lucy Alrn.

    Then he was mercilessly toyed with. Eventually, he had reached a state of mindlessness.

    ¡°Prince Seasil.¡±

    At the sound of a voice from beside him, he turned to see an elderly gentleman.

    He was the man who had ingrained the fundamentals of martial arts into Seasil since he was a child, and he was also involved in various unsavory dealings for the Bedfer Duke family.

    ¡°Nabil.¡±

    Though he had many names, the gentleman known as Nabil ced his bowler hat over his chest and offered a polite greeting.

    ¡°What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°I was sent by Her Majesty the Queen. I have some words to convey.¡±

    The moment Seasil saw Nabil''s rxed smile, he could roughly guess what he was about to say.

    ¡°Shall I tell you now?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    As Seasil nodded, Nabil opened his mouth.

    What emerged was not the polite voice of the elderly man that had filled the room just moments ago.

    The sharp, almost tearing female voice was that of the Second Queen, Seasil''s mother, whom he had heard every day since childhood.

    ¡°You foolish and dull prince. You¡¯ve messed up again.¡±

    Foolish and dull. Nabil had softened the words. The actual vocabry was likely more severe.

    ¡°Not only did you fail to win the favor of Lady Alrn, but you also provoked her, resorted to dirty tricks, and ended up losing. How can you be so ipetent? It would be better to have a puppet in your ce.¡±

    Nabil continued to hurl criticisms at Seasil, just as he had done since his childhood.

    As he listened quietly, Seasil noticed something strange. He felt oddly indifferent to the usations being thrown at him.

    While it was true that he was ustomed to such vitriol, his mother¡¯s scorn typically etched sorrow and anger into his heart.

    But today was different. His heart remained calm even amidst the insults.

    ¡°I was watching, wondering what foolishness you would engage in, but to see this as the result¡­ all that remains is the fitting title of ¡®Idiot Prince¡¯ for you. Enough. You can stop now. Both you and your foolish followers, get your hands off it. I¡¯ll handle it myself.¡±

    Had my emotions disappeared?

    No. Just think of how I felt when I heard Lucy Alrn''s provocationst night. The fiery rage I felt was undeniably genuine.

    Even now, the memory of that moment ignites heat within me; my emotions haven¡¯t vanished. Then why?

    ...Could it be?

    Inparison to her taunts, my mother¡¯s mocking seems like nothing? Has my mind and heart made that judgment?

    As such thoughts crossed Seasil¡¯s mind, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

    ¡°Do you understand? You prince who possesses no talent other than swinging a sword. Quietly sharpen your sword. That¡¯s all you¡¯re good for.¡±

    With that remark, Nabil wrapped up his lecture, cleared his throat, and returned to his original tone.

    ¡°So, it is as it is. For now, focus on your training.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Now, this is just my personal opinion, but it was quite impressive. You¡¯ve seeded in imbibing your magic with unique characteristics.¡±

    There was no falsehood in Nabil¡¯s words.

    It was indeed true that Seasil possessed remarkable martial prowess, but infusing his magic with characteristics was an achievement beyond mere talent.

    So much so that even the Second Queen, who only ever hurled insults, acknowledged Seasil''s skills.

    ¡°What are you doing, then? You¡¯ve lost.¡±

    Seasil was well aware of the significance of the aplishments he achieved in a state of mindlessness. He had lived his entire life as a martial artist; how could he not recognize the magnitude of this?@@novelbin@@

    Yet, his lukewarm reaction stemmed from the fact that the victory came with the cost of his defeat.

    Lucy Alrn¡ªthe one who inherited the blood of the hero Benedict Alrn¡ªhad risen to be a monster on the continent in just half a year. She effortlessly blocked Seasil¡¯s miracle with her shield.

    ¡°That was merely because the opponent was inadequate.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    Seasil understood. Had the opponent not been Lucy Alrn, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to withstand that attack.

    But so what? In the end, Seasil¡¯s miracle had only served to highlight Lucy Alrn¡¯s value as a gem.

    ¡°Nabil, I want to ask you something.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°If you were in perfect condition, could you have won against Lucy Alrn?¡±

    Nabil paused for a moment before answering.

    ¡°I apologize. I did not witness the duel with my own eyes.¡±

    ¡°Right. That¡¯s true.¡±

    Seeing Nabil''s look of guilt, Seasil responded lightly. He had already reached his own conclusion in his mind.

    Even in perfect condition, I would have lost to Lucy Alrn. Even after achieving a miracle, how could my condition have mattered?

    No. If I had been in better shape, perhaps that miracle would not have urred at all, and I would have been toyed with until the end. I would have been trampled amidst mockingughter.

    ...Haah. In the end, it was Lucy Alrn¡¯s foul character that allowed me to gain this insight, but I couldn¡¯t muster any feelings of gratitude.

    I considered it a grace of being a martial artist, but recalling that arrogant smile only red my anger.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad, was it? Damn girl.¡±

    One day. I will surely make her cry.

    As Seasil rose from the bed withints, he issued a summoning order to Nabil.

    He needed to grasp the aura he had usedst night to surpass Lucy Alrn.

    With heavy steps, Seasil¡¯s mind was already devoid of thoughts of the First Prince.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The day after the duel with the Second Prince, I had emerged from the academy after receiving an appropriate trial from Luka. I was now testing the performance of the skill I had obtained upon clearing the quest yesterday: Shock Conversion.

    Shock Conversion is a passive skill regarded as essential for tanky front-line roles. Especially for a pdin like me, it was practically a necessity.

    Fight on the front lines and take damage. > Divinity recovers. > Use that divinity to restore health. > Take damage again. > Divinity recovers...

    That¡¯s the routine I could establish.

    Of course, this routine isn¡¯t infinite. There are limits since the efficiency of Shock Conversion isn¡¯t that great.

    However, it was undoubtedly a fact that it significantly increases the sustainability of front-line fighters, so I had thought it would be a great help to me right now.

    But reality was cruel.

    After entering the dungeon outside the academy and moving around for quite some time to test the skill''s performance, I found itcking.

    Divinity wasn¡¯t failing to umte, but the amount was far too meager.

    No matter how new the skill was and how low my proficiency, this was excessive. The efficiency was way below what I had known.

    What was wrong? While pondering that, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

    Could it be? But I still need to confirm.

    ¡°Are you scared of a girl?? Why not grovel on the ground and beg to be treated like livestock?? Oh, I wonder if there¡¯s a ce that takes in disgusting cowardly orcs??¡±

    Inviting an orc to assist with my experiment through provocation, I lowered my shield and took the punch he swung at my face.

    The <em>thud!</em> echoed, and I felt my divinity replenish. Despite the difference in specs between the orc and me, the pain wasn¡¯t that intense.

    Ah.

    Damn it.

    So that means in reality, Shock Conversion only applies to physical impacts on the body?

    Blocking with a shield doesn¡¯t count as taking damage?

    In the game, it was different. In the game, shields were essentially a type of armor. If you didn¡¯t perform a just parry, they would only reduce damage by a certain amount.

    Thus, I would visibly lose HP, and in turn, Shock Conversion would trigger.

    But reality is different.

    If I block a sword with a shield, the bodily damage is minimal. There might be a slight jolt, but that¡¯s it.

    The same goes for other attacks. As long as the attack doesn¡¯t hit my body, the damage transmitted to me is negligible. Thus, the recovery amount is also minimal.

    To summarize, unless the defense is broken, Shock Conversion loses its significance?

    What kind of crazy talk is this! If my defense is breached, it means my life is in danger! What does Shock Conversion mean in a situation where I could die in a single hit?!

    ...Haah. I see. No wonder I thought that the lousy deity would grant me a great skill for defeating someone like the Second Prince.

    I thought he made a mistake in adjusting the rewards based on the difficulty of the task, but that wasn¡¯t the case. He gave me something worth giving.

    Damn it. What I thought was an awesome skill turned out to be crap. I smashed the orc¡¯s head with my mace in frustration.

    Yet, that alone didn¡¯t quell my fury. My anger couldn¡¯t be resolved with just one orc.

    To the orcs in this dungeon, if you¡¯re going to me anyone, me that lousy, petty deity. If he hadn¡¯t instilled such expectations in me, there wouldn¡¯t have been a massacre!

    Perhaps due to clearing the dungeon so easily, the rewards given after this trial were rather underwhelming.

    My health, strength, and wisdom had only increased slightly.

    While the increase in health and strength was eptable, an increase in wisdom seemed to have ulterior motives, no matter how I thought about it.

    This is just a joke. It¡¯s as if they realized they had fooled me. It feels like they¡¯re ying a prank on me!

    Damn that lousy deity! Don¡¯t pull these stunts on your subordinates! Maintain your dignity!

    As I internally vented my frustrations toward the lousy deity and returned to the academy streets, I immediately set my course for the dormitory.

    I was nning to continue testing the effects of Shock Conversion in practice mode with Grandpa.

    However, my objective was thwarted. While walking down the street, one of Alsetin¡¯s subordinates, waiting in the middle of the za, approached me.

    He brushed past me and slipped a piece of paper into my hand.

    It was a note from Karia.

    ¡®Employer! Your poprity has been exceptionally hightely, and it has only risen due to this incident!¡¯

    Poprity has increased?

    Is that true?

    For some reason, the academy students run away when they see me, terrified.

    Flipping it around, is it possible that it appears as if my stock is rising as a joke?

    ¡®So it seems that someone from the Second Queen¡¯s side wants to meet with Lady Alrn. Come to the shopter when you have time.¡¯

    ...Oh.

    Already?

 Chapter 238

    ¡°Long time no see, Employer. You really stirred things up this time, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    As soon as I stepped into the shop, Karia greeted me with a smile. However, her eyes told a different story.

    The glint in her eyes was clearly chastising me, asking why I had done something so crazy.

    I had indeed done something reckless. Not only had I called the Second Prince the ¡°Idiot Prince,¡± but I also fought him, and right after that, I picked a fight, which led to an actual brawl.

    ¡°If you wanted to test Benedict¡¯s durability, you might as well have poisoned him. Do you know how annoying it was to have him keep calling for me after hearing this news?¡±

    Karia, grumbling about how she couldn¡¯t get anything done due to Benedict¡¯s anxiety, nagged for a while before finally letting out a deep sigh.

    ¡°Since the results weren¡¯t bad, I¡¯ll leave it at that. But next time, please think before you act.¡±

    But I did think and act! I made this decision after consulting Grandpa. She probably wouldn¡¯t believe me even if I exined. So, it was better not to say anything.

    ¡°Now, getting back to the main topic, thanks to the big incident you caused, your reputation is spreading quickly.¡±

    The duel between the madwoman Lucy Alrn and the Second Prince of the Sdin Kingdom was a hot topic among many gossipmongers, and as this incident spread, the Second Prince¡¯s talent, as well as the talents of the person who had overwhelmed him, were also shared.

    There were stories about conquering the academy dungeon in just a day. Or about how easily she blocked the Second Prince¡¯s unique aura.

    With the tale of my past duel with the First Prince at the Festival of Partan now added to this, Karia exined that there were fewer people doubting my talents.

    ¡°Right now, your external evaluation is this: As expected of a member of the Alrn family, you possess overwhelming martial prowess, your intellect is sharp, but you¡¯re a dirty and headstrong noble.¡±

    To summarize that statement in one line:

    A skilled brat.

    So the evaluation, which had been limited to the academy, was now spreading across the continent.

    While it was a good thing to have my skills recognized, having the tag of being a ¡°dirty noble¡± attached felt a bit off.

    After all, it was likely that the fact I had called the Second Prince an ¡°Idiot Prince¡± had spread as well, so if that part worsened, it would not improve.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°There are also some things rted to the church. They say you¡¯ve repented, or that you might be devout, or that you¡¯ve be favorable toward the church.¡±

    Most of the information rted to the church was positive.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. Lucy¡¯s past was too tragic, and everything I had shown recently was something the church could only view positively.

    Having received divine revtions, acquiring Ruel¡¯s mace, curing Agra¡¯s curse twice, handling divine magic based on a tremendous amount of divinity, and even being close with Faybi.

    If Lucy wasn¡¯t the main character in this story, anyone would nod, agreeing that she was a devout believer.

    ¡°It seems the church is starting to pay attention as well. Keep that in mind, Employer.¡±

    The moment I heard that the church was paying attention, I instinctively frowned.

    Gaining the church¡¯s attention was never a good thing. The current church does not seek devout people.

    ...Hmm. Should I ask Johanter to pass on any bad stories about me?

    ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s this too. Someone with a look as if they were chiseled by the gods.¡±

    ¡®...What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡¯

    ¡°Auntie, what nonsense is that?¡±

    ¡°The Apostle of Beauty and Artposed a song for you and spread it.¡±

    Ah, that pervert I met during the Festival of Partan.

    Not wanting to engage in a long conversation, I told them to do as they pleased and sent them off, but they made a song?

    ¡°The lyrics are a bit bizarre, but the song is good, so the bards often sing it. Would you like to hear it?¡±

    In an instant, curiosity sparked within me, but I suppressed it and shook my head.

    No matter how I thought about it, I was sure that hearing that song would be severely damaging to my mental state.

    It was created by a pervertparable to a fool. There was surely a strong hint of that perversion in it, and I didn¡¯t want to hear it.

    ¡°Well, anyway, thanks to your talent being confirmed, everyone is staring at you with red eyes. Since you¡¯re Benedict¡¯s daughter, those who remember his glory can¡¯t help but have expectations of you.¡±

    The possibility that the daughter could inherit the glory created by her father. Perhaps not only inherit it but also create even greater glory.

    The expectations generated by thebination of the Alrn name and my achievements had significantly elevated my standing.

    I was the daughter of a monster who changed the tide of war by herself. Who wouldn¡¯t want to have me under their banner?

    Even if I was difficult to handle, it would still be much better than being an enemy.

    ¡°How could it be that even after presenting the Second Prince with such a huge humiliation, the Second Queen still has hope for you?¡±

    Although I had sessfully showcased the Second Prince¡¯s martial prowess, that was only part of the results; what I had truly delivered to the Second Prince was far more humiliation than gain.

    Given the circumstances, it would be normal for the Second Queen, who hoped for the Second Prince to be king, to narrow her eyes at me. But this time, it was different. My value was simply too high.

    ¡°Now, back to the main topic.¡±

    Karia, who had been speaking leisurely just moments ago, suddenly lowered her voice.

    ¡°Alsetin will guide you to the Second Queen¡¯s people. Then a discussion about this incident will take ce.¡±

    That¡¯s right. The fact that this incident had spread widely meant that the title of ¡°Idiot Prince¡± had also been disseminated.

    The Second Prince, whose reputation was already shaky, couldn¡¯t afford to dismiss the ¡°Idiot Prince¡± title.

    ¡°You should understand that this will be very difficult for you, Employer, but you must approach the title issue with a low profile. Do you understand? A low profile. You need to maintain the dignity of the other side!¡±

    While I didn¡¯t disagree with Karia¡¯s words, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to respond sincerely.

    There was no way I would allow my Mesugaki skills to go low-profile. If that were possible, I wouldn¡¯t have called the Second Prince the ¡°Idiot Prince¡± in the first ce!

    ¡°They won¡¯t drag it out too long. After all, the Second Prince¡¯s side is not in a position to be forthright. Once the discussions about this matter are done, they will likely try to persuade you.¡±

    They might bring up the transgressions Imitted. They could whisper sweet nothings into my ears. After sharing that, Karia paused for a moment before smiling and continuing.

    ¡°No matter what they say, refuse it outright. They¡¯re not worth listening to.¡±

    <What she says is right. Whatever conditions they offer now, it¡¯s best for you to refuse them.>

    Grandpa and Karia¡¯s opinions were in sync. I didn¡¯t need to listen to anything they said. I could simply let it wash over me and rise up afterward.

    It was intriguing to hear them speak so confidently, so I asked why.

    <Think about it. Don¡¯t you have faith that you will grow stronger than you are now?>

    ¡®No.¡¯

    There¡¯s no way I would.

    I am, after all, bound to follow themands of that lousy deity!

    I would definitely have to face the evil god with my own hands someday.

    To survive then. To see the end of this world. And to kick that lousy deity out of my life, I need to be much stronger.

    <Is your support so urgent that you need to bow your head to the Second Queen?>

    ¡®No, not at all.¡¯

    I didn¡¯t need any support now. I could get nearly anything I wanted the moment I wished for it.

    <Is your backer so weak that if you refuse their offer, you would lose your head?>

    ¡®Not at all.¡¯

    My surroundings and the influence of the people close to me were strong, but more than that, I had Benedict behind me.

    Even if he was iplete, who wouldn¡¯t want to make a monster who had wielded a sword against the evil god furious?

    <Then why bow your head? Time will only increase your value.>

    Ah. I get it. So, (C) Lucy Alrn¡¯s stock is at its lowest point right now.

    That¡¯s right. I can¡¯t sell it here. I need to go to Mars!

    Understanding Grandpa¡¯s exnation, I resolved to not be swayed by whatever the Second Queen might say and stood up.

    Alsetin, whom I hadn¡¯t seen in a while, looked worn out. He had a suspicious look on his face, as if he hadn¡¯t been getting enough sleeptely. When I asked if he was okay, he smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy learning various things from my master. I¡¯m just happy to feel like I¡¯m filling in the gaps in my knowledge.¡±

    While his response was cheerful, his expression briefly showed the eyes of a second-ss soldier who was too happy with military life.

    Well, if he says he¡¯s happy, I suppose it¡¯s all right.

    Alsetin guided me to the same shop where I had met Kurz Newman.

    As before, I opened the door to a room under the guidance of a staff member and was met with the familiar face of an elderly gentleman.

    ¡°Greetings, Lady Lucy Alrn. I am Nabil, one of the knights of the Bedfer family and a trusted aide to the Second Queen. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    Nabil.

    He was one of the trusted aides of the Bedfer family, chosen by the Second Queen for important tasks, regardless of whether they were good or bad.

    The fact that he had made an appearance here under that name meant that the Second Queen held my value in very high regard.

    What he would say from here on would likely not differ much from what the Second Queen would say.

    ¡°Hello, Nabil.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s good to see you. Fake Grandpa.¡±

    Fake, huh? That¡¯s a valid point. Among the things Nabil presents, the genuine ones are the rarest.

    Even as I hurled an insult at one of the Second Queen''s more powerful aides, I felt indifferent.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time such a thing had happened. Besides, I knew that Nabil wasn¡¯t the type to hold a grudge over such things.

    ¡°Haha. As I¡¯ve heard, you don¡¯t call people by their names, Lady.¡±

    Nabilughed pleasantly and invited me to sit. I wondered what he might be nning to use to sway me. Given what the Second Prince had done, he must have prepared something considerable.

    ¡°I believe you¡¯re already guessing the reason I¡¯m here. There are several things I wish to convey to you, especially given the recent¡­¡±

    ¡°Could you get straight to the point?¡±

    ¡°Fake Grandpa. Can you not drag this out? Do I look like someone who can afford to be patient?¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to listen to long-winded stories about things I would refuse anyway, so I interrupted him, and Nabil shrugged.

    ¡°Ah. My apologies. As one ages, the tendency to ramble increases.¡±

    He seemed to try to show his age, chuckling lightly, but soon his smile faded as he adopted a serious tone.

    ¡°First and foremost, I must tell you that I am not the person who will be discussing matters here today.¡±

    ...Huh? What does that mean?

    I blinked in confusion at Nabil¡¯s words as he pulled a crystal ball from his robes and ced it on the desk.

    After the magic flowed into the crystal, the spell activated, and the image of a woman appeared above it.

    With sharp eyes, a gaze that felt like it could pierce through me, heavy dark eyes, and a frown etched deeply on her forehead, her tightly sealed lips only reinforced my certainty that this woman had a nasty personality.

    I froze at the sight of her face, which seemed to suggest she wouldn¡¯t be pleasant to deal with.

    <Hello, Lady Alrn.>

    No. Uh, well...

    <My name is Seran Sdin. I hold the position of Second Queen of the current kingdom.>

    ...If I open my mouth, I''ll get fucked, right?

 Chapter 239

    Why on earth did this persone out here personally?

    As I observed Senar Sdin''s fake smile, I couldn''t hide my confusion. I hadn''t expected Senar to contact me directly at this point.

    You shouldn''t have the luxury for this! It''s only a year and a half until the king announces the heir to the throne, and you''re supposed to be busy running around without a moment''s rest!

    Why is someone who barely shows up in the game making a personal appearance now?!

    The situation was not good. Senar was the Second Queen of the current kingdom and the daughter of the Bedfur Duke family. She was the de facto ruler of the Second Prince faction.

    In simple terms, this woman had power that could be counted among the elite in the Sdin Kingdom.

    If you say something insulting to someone like her, it would definitely lead to troublesome situations.

    I had already built a grudge against the Second Prince by calling him the ¡°Idiot Prince,¡± but if a personal vendetta was added on top of that, I could only imagine the consequences.

    I didn''t want to think about it.

    What worried me more was that I had no idea how Mesugaki skill would refer to this woman. Since Senar had not yed a significant role in the game, there wasn''t even a nickname for her.

    If I were to guess based on her actions inter lore, it might be something like "disgraceful"? "Chaotic"? "Troublemaker"? Something like that would probably fit.

    There was also the possibility of calling her the ¡°Idiot Queen,¡± being the mother of the Idiot Prince.

    Regardless, I figured it would be best to keep my mouth shut, fearing that speaking would lead to trouble, when Senar let out augh.

    <You seem quite surprised. I understand. After all, I appeared without any warning.>

    She interpreted my silence as surprise and continued to speak on her own.

    <I have a lot to discuss. From trivial matters like how Lord Benedict is doing to why I wanted to speak with you. Or perhaps, about the recent events regarding the Second Prince.>

    I could see her icy cold gaze peeking through her smile.

    Those eyes contained a piercing reprimand.

    Normally, that gaze would signify anger towards someone who insulted her child, but in Senar''s case, it was different. She didn''t care how much the Second Prince got wrecked.

    So why was Senar showing her irritation?

    It was obvious. My actions must have tarnished the Second Prince¡¯s public reputation.

    <Calling him the Idiot Prince is a direct and insulting phrase that perfectly encapstes our prince. This is problematic. The more appropriate the nickname, the faster it spreads.>

    See? This person isn''t saying anything about the part where I called the Second Prince an idiot.

    Rather, she''s effectively acknowledging that the nickname suits her son. If that nickname hadn¡¯t spread along with rumors, she probably wouldn¡¯t have even brought it up.

    <To smooth this over, we must officially protest to the Alrn family and present gifts of thread and needle to those who use such nicknames.>

    Listening to her, I felt an instinctive sense of intimidation.

    <However, I won¡¯t do that.>

    That was unexpected.

    <The prince is also at fault this time. I cannot trouble someone destined to be the future of the kingdom over such trivial matters.>

    She asserted that she wouldn¡¯t press the issue any further.

    <If we were to be precise, the prince has gained some insights from this incident. Because of that, the prince¡¯s notoriety may have spread. It seems like there might be more to gain than to lose. That¡¯s why I prepared a gift for you. Nabil?>

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t all. As soon as Senar finished speaking, Nabil pulled out two potion bottles from his robe.

    <These are elixirs. I¡¯ve prepared them to aid in your growth.>

    I was able to confirm through my emotional skill.

    A strength elixir and a stamina elixir.

    These were precious items, scarce even in the Alrn family¡¯s warehouse, and undoubtedly useful for me at the moment.

    She was presenting such valuable items to me as gifts.

    Even though the incident with the Second Prince began with me provoking him and ended with me wrecking him¡­

    ¡®...What on earth is going on? Grandpa?¡¯

    Since it was almost a year since I had taken elixirs, I needed to procure some for myself.

    Receiving two out of the three I needed for free should make me happy, but I couldn''t feel that way at all.

    I was afraid of goodwill, wondering what might happen if I epted such gifts positively.

    What is this woman doing?!@@novelbin@@

    This isn''t like her at all!

    Is there a variable?

    What kind of variable could there be?!

    <There are several possible reasons.>

    Unlike me, who was confused and unsure, the old man continued to exin in a calm voice.

    She might have assessed my value highly.

    She might think I¡¯m not someone who would bend under intimidation.

    Or perhaps she thought the Second Prince faction wasn¡¯t as bad as it seemed.

    <But the biggest reason is that she¡¯s likely trying to draw Benedict in through you.>

    ¡®...What do you mean by that?¡¯

    <Think about it. If it¡¯s something said by his daughter, he wouldn¡¯t be able to ignore it. What do you think would happen if you told Benedict that you hope the Second Prince bes king?>

    No way. Grandpa, that sounds exaggerated. No matter how much Benedict is a daughter-loving father, he wouldn¡¯t interfere in a session battle like that.

    ...Would he? I can¡¯t be certain.

    If I called him ¡°Papa¡± and acted cute, he might not be able to resist. He is an extraordinary daughter-loving person.

    <Even if that weren''t the case, just keeping a debt to Benedict would hold value. Since he is a born knight, he wouldn¡¯t take such a favor lightly.>

    I recalled Benedict''s reputation.

    The hero of the kingdom. The protector of the realm. The strongest knight of the continent. An object of admiration, respect, and envy.

    If I could keep a debt with someone like that, it would be reasonable for her to forgive me.

    Ah. Could it be that the First Prince¡¯s mention of debt referred to this?!

    Was she taking a favor from Benedict?!

    So that she could let me off the hook?!

    ...Wow. Having Benedict as a backer is incredibly significant.

    <In simple terms, it¡¯s a political calction. She believes it would be more advantageous to show forgiveness and generosity rather than pursue this matter.>

    Hearing the old man¡¯s exnation, I let out a sigh of relief. I had been surprised to think this woman had undergone some kind of change, but she was just as I knew her.

    Thank goodness. I was worried she might have be strangely different.

    <We are quite...> <Queen, excuse me for a moment.>

    A voice other than Senar¡¯s came through the crystal barrier. Senar then asked for permission and got up to head somewhere.

    <I apologize, mydy.>

    Not long after, she returned, stating that an urgent matter had arisen and cut off contact.

    I didn¡¯t know what was happening, but it worked out well for me. Thanks to this, I wouldn¡¯t have to find out how Mesugaki skill refers to Senar.

    ¡°This is unfortunate. As you know, our queen is a very busy person. I ask for your understanding.¡±

    Nabil said this with an awkward smile as he ced the crystal back into his robe.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s conclude the discussion here. Since thedy also said she was busy.¡±

    Really? Are you just going to end the conversation without any further discussion about the Second Prince? Shouldn¡¯t you do more, like persuade or coax me?

    As I pondered that, Nabil adjusted his bowler hat on his head.

    ¡°Oh, and if you get the chance to speak again, please extend polite greetings to the Queen. After all, she is the Queen.¡±

    Well, I¡¯d like to be polite, but¡­

    My mouth tends to create problems instead.

    Because of that...

    Ugh.

    ¡®Sorry.¡¯

    ¡°Why should I have to be polite to the disgraceful old hag known as the Queen? I don¡¯t like wrinkly faces like yours.¡±

    Unconsciously muttering an apology, I froze at the words altered by Mesugaki skill.

    The same went for the other party.

    Nabil stared at me with a nk expression, forgetting to keep up appearances, before regaining hisposure and smiling.

    With a gaze that kept its sharpness.

    ¡°...Oh. That¡¯s quite something.¡±

    After a short exmation, Nabil vanished, leaving me alone in the room, staring at the two potion bottles ced on the table, leaning back in my chair, letting all the strength leave my body.

    ...I¡¯m d I was quiet during themunication.

    I almost got into serious trouble.

    ¡°Um. Master, does that disgraceful old hag refer to the Second Queen?¡±

    ¡®Yes, it seems so.¡¯

    ¡°And? Doesn¡¯t that suit her well?¡±

    ¡°...I see. I will do my best to ensure that Master and the Second Queen never meet.¡±

    The way Mesugaki skill refers to Senar is like this.

    Disgraceful old hag.

    This derogatory nickname insults both the actions and appearance of the Second Queen, a sufficient expression for Senar to want to deal with me.

    After dodging the bomb that was the Idiot Prince, another new bomb appears.

    At least it¡¯s fortunate that Senar doesn¡¯t encounter me often. She¡¯ll be busy running around with session issues.

    ¡°By the way, the Second Queen personally reached out to speak. It seems she really wants you for some reason.¡±

    I think so too. Whether I¡¯m important or if Benedict behind me is important, it¡¯s clear she wants to draw me in.

    Not only did she send Nabil, but she showed her face in person. If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it have been better for her toe directly from the start instead of sending the Second Prince? Then there wouldn¡¯t be any bad blood between us.

    No, if that had been the case, the disgraceful old hag would have appeared instead of the Idiot Prince. That would have created even more serious bad blood.

    ¡°Even though the Second Queen is busy with matters rted to the Barrow Duke family, she took the time to speak with you.¡±

    ¡®Barrow Duke family?¡¯

    ¡°Barrow?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see you don¡¯t know, Master. It¡¯s still not widely known news. The Barrow Prince, who is in the same year as you, submitted a leave of absence from the academy. This is the reason he is on leave.¡±

    The Barrow Prince? He¡¯s been on leave from the academy?

    No wonder I haven¡¯t seen him even once!

    I thought he was avoiding me like in the first semester, but he¡¯s been absent from school. What could have happened that he would take leave...?

    Oh?

    That¡¯s strange.

    In the scenarios I know, it¡¯s unheard of for an inferior prince to take leave from school.

    He¡¯s someone who, despite his intense inferiorityplex, would desperately fight back.

    The one who couldn''t put down his pen even when his life was in danger due to serious illness is now on leave from the academy?

    A chill ran down my spine.

    This was a variable.

    A type of variable I didn¡¯t know about.

    I had ovee countless variables until now.

    Because of that, I know.

    Most of these variables return as problems.

    A sense of foreboding wouldn''t leave my mind.

    Even if I tried to soothe myself, thinking it was probably nothing, all that came to my mind were various worst-case scenarios.

    I couldn¡¯t think of anything positive.

    I had encountered far too many dangers until now.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding.</li>

    </ul>

    Suddenly, the sound interrupted all my thoughts.

    No. Not now.

    Don¡¯t interrupt when it¡¯s not the right time.

    This isn¡¯t the time for jokes.

    I¡¯m serious here.

    Hoping that this was just another joke from the unrefined prankster, I looked up.

    [Something strange is happening in the Barrow Duke family.]

    It wasn¡¯t a joke.

    [It seems that something peculiar is urring in the Barrow Duke family.]

    There was no humor in that message.

    [Please verify this.]

    I was sure this was the omen of disaster.

 Chapter 240

    [Something Strange in the Barrow Duke Family]

    [It seems something peculiar is happening in the Barrow Duke family.]

    [Please verify the details.]

    [Reward: ???]

    [Failure: GAME OVER]

    [Time Limit: Before the end of the second semester of the academy]

    The moment I read the quest given by the unrefined prankster, a memory shed in my mind of a story I heard while talking separately with the Duke of Parn.

    There had been a plea for help from the Barrow Duke family, and when I rushed there, I found that there were no issues at all.

    When I heard that story from the duke, I didn''t think much of it. He was the greatest wizard in the kingdom and was called the pride of the realm.

    I believed that if there had been a significant problem, he wouldn¡¯t have missed it, so I thought it must have been a mistake and moved on.

    That was a mistake. He was a definite variable.

    Had there been any issues with the Barrow family during the first semester break?

    Was there any exnation, even as a background detail?

    No. There had never been such a thing.

    While there might be significant problems in one of the territories managed by the Barrow Duke family, that would ur two years after the game started.

    At the very least, it would mean that nothing problematic would happen until I became a third-year student.

    So, the current Barrow family should be at peace, despite some noise, but here I am, facing a problem.

    A variable had arisen.

    At that time, I didn¡¯t deeply consider the meaning of this variable. I didn''t want to think about it.

    What a foolish girl.

    I might have been tired after the events in the duke''s house, but I should have checked once I rested. If I had, I might have¡­

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    As I ground my teeth, I realized thatmenting wouldn¡¯t change anything, so I brushed my hair back.

    Calm down. First, I need to hear about the problem regarding Karia.@@novelbin@@

    ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    ¡°Hey, old maid. Stop chatting and just exin calmly. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Barrow Duke has fallen gravely ill. That¡¯s why the Second Queen visited there.¡±

    The Barrow Duke''s critical condition.

    He was unable to get out of bed.

    His condition was so serious that even others were not allowed to visit.

    Currently, the family¡¯s doctor was treating him at the mansion, but it seems his condition wasn¡¯t improving much.

    ¡°The Barrow Prince is also staying there to take care of his father.¡±

    I nodded as I processed Karia¡¯s story.

    Is there any reason for the Barrow Duke''s poor health?

    Assuming he has no issues, aside from the mental illness caused by the sudden death of his son in an ident years ago, he shouldn¡¯t have any problems.

    Of course, in the game¡¯s storyline, there had been issues arising due to the Barrow Duke''s health.

    Could there really be any problems with a man who personally leads and trains his knight order?

    So, this situation was a significant deviation from what I knew.

    Let¡¯s think about it. The possibility that the Barrow Duke has be ill enough that he cannot get out of bed.

    First, it¡¯s possible that some variable caused the Barrow Duke to truly fall ill.

    In that case, there would be no problem.

    I could find a miracle remedy and throw it at him, or bring someone called a divine being.

    However, if this were not the case, and if he had fallen ill due to someone else¡¯s conspiracy or if he were pretending to be ill¡­

    Either way, it was clear that verification was necessary.

    With that conclusion, I looked up to see Karia smiling.

    ¡°You want me to verify it, right?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Does the number of wrinkles correspond to perception? You¡¯re quite sharp.¡±

    ¡°Where on my face are there any wrinkles?! ...Ha. Seriously. I¡¯ll look into it, but it¡¯ll take some time.¡±

    ¡®Will it take long?¡¯

    ¡°What? Are your legs too weak because you¡¯re old? Why will it take so long?¡±

    ¡°This is a veryplicated task, Master.¡±

    Karia exined that many were interested in uncovering the current situation inside the Barrow Duke family, but there wasn¡¯t much meaningful information circting.

    Given how tightly the Barrow family was keeping things under wraps, it would be difficult to find information, and that meant it would take a long time, which made me uneasy.

    Karia¡¯s abilities are impressive, but I don¡¯t think ¡°a long time¡± means several months. Since the deadline is still generous, I can wait that long.

    Still, I didn¡¯t have a good feeling about it.

    Look at the case of Menestale. The time limit given by the unrefined prankster was a countdown to disaster.

    If the Barrow Duke family is facing such problems, then I must find a solution as quickly as possible.

    The longer I dy, the closer I get to disaster, and in the worst-case scenario, I might end up with a problem that I can¡¯t resolve with my current abilities.

    ¡°It seems urgent.¡±

    Karia, as usual, read my expression and thought for a moment before continuing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, but don¡¯t get your hopes up. My connections have beenrgely severed, and I¡¯ve lost most of my strength.¡±

    ¡®...Is that so.¡¯

    ¡°Ha. Don¡¯t worry. What can you expect from an ipetent old maid?¡±

    ¡°Then if the situation is urgent, try to utilize your connections, Master. If you ask the people around you now, you should be able to aplish most tasks.¡±

    The word ¡°connections¡± was something distant from me.

    In my past life, I was someone who didn¡¯t even have parents, and aftering to this world, I only fought with those around me due to my past karma, never having obtained anything through connections.

    The only time I received help was during the incident with the Parn Duke family, but I hadn¡¯t asked for help first, right?

    Given the circumstances, even when told to utilize connections, my mind was still confused.

    I had no idea how to use them.

    <What are you talking about? When you were tackling the Menestale dungeon, you managed to draw in those around you.>

    ¡®That was a dungeon.¡¯

    The Menestale issue was rted to a dungeon.

    As the rotten water of Soul Academy, I excel in solving dungeon-rted problems.

    I know better than anyone how to lead work in that area.

    But now, it¡¯s different.

    The Barrow Duke family¡¯s issues are not rted to a dungeon at all.

    I¡¯m not confident in that area. So, I also don¡¯t know how to solve the problems.

    After I expressed my thoughts, the old man snorted.

    <Ha. I was wondering what you were saying. Then think of it this way. There¡¯s a dungeon called the Barrow family, and you¡¯re trying to enter it.>

    ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯

    <Think about it. What you need to do now is confirm the anomalies in the Barrow family.>

    ¡®That¡¯s right?¡¯

    <The easiest way to do that is to gather information. However, as Karia said, it seems difficult to obtain information from others, and even if you do, it¡¯s questionable whether that information can be trusted.>

    The old man was right. If there was any way to gather information, Karia wouldn¡¯t have said it would take a long time.

    So, the information currently circting must not be reliable.

    <Then what should you do? You need to confirm the Barrow Duke family with your own eyes.>

    ¡®...With my own eyes?¡¯

    <Yes. If you can¡¯t trust others¡¯ eyes, then you have to rely on your own.>

    With my own eyes. So that means I would head to the Barrow family myself. I¡¯d go there and check the anomalies.

    <So think of it like this. There¡¯s a dungeon called the Barrow family, and you¡¯re figuring out how to open the door to that dungeon.>

    Define the Barrow family as a dungeon and figure out how to enter it.

    From the moment I shifted my goal to this, my overloaded brain began to turn again.

    The first thing I need to consider is whether I can confirm the problems if I head to the Barrow family.

    If I can¡¯t identify the anomalies, there¡¯s no point in entering the dungeon.

    There was no need to worry about this. I am the rotten water of Soul Academy. If there is something unusual, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t notice.

    Especially if it¡¯s rted to a dungeon.

    Thenes the next issue. Is it possible for me to visit the Barrow family directly?

    Can I meet the entry requirements for the dungeon?

    Karia said that the Barrow Duke family is refusing all visits due to the duke¡¯s illness.

    Even if I express my intention to visit, it wouldn¡¯t make much difference. Would they even care that a nobody like me, a wayward noble, is asking about their health?

    So, what if someone other than me requests a visit and I tag along?

    What if I positioned myself next to someone of a rank that would make it difficult for the Barrow Duke family to refuse?

    Arthur? No, that¡¯s too weak. A prince who is far from the session and has no backing can¡¯t exert pressure on the Barrow Duke family.

    Faybi? She might have some potential, but asking her for help would involve the church. That wouldplicate things.

    Benedict? I need to check on this. I don¡¯t know if Benedict has any connections to the Barrow Duke family.

    And then¡­

    Ah.

    Yes.

    While I was deep in thought, I remembered the reward that the Duke of Parn had offered mest time.

    At that time, I thought I had nothing to receive, so I obtained the right to ask the Duke of Parn for something in the future.

    If I use him¡­

    If I can apany the Duke of Parn to visit the Barrow Duke family and face the duke himself¡­

    Actually, I don¡¯t even need to meet the duke.

    As long as I can enter the Barrow Duke family, confirming the anomalies won¡¯t be difficult at all.

    <Did somethinge to mind?>

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    <Then take action. If you have something to report or seek advice about, let me know.>

 Chapter 241

    The Second Queen.

    Serena Sdin entered the carriage, throwing aside the variousplicated ornaments in her hair and sweeping back the long strands from her forehead, frowning.

    Her appearance was somewhat fierce for a queen of a nation, but Serena didn¡¯t care about that.

    It was enough to put on a forced smile and tter people outside. In a cepletely cut off from the outside through various magical procedures, engaging in such tedious behavior would just give her a headache.

    ¡°Everyone is supposedly dying, but they seem perfectly fine. What¡¯s going on here?¡±

    The man sitting opposite her straightened his lips into a line at her razor-sharp voice that seemed ready to cut someone down.

    He was one of the Second Queen''s close aides and a vassal of the Bedfur family, and he had anticipated thisint. After several years of staying by her side, he naturally became ustomed to her temper.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have been more attentive.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. You should have. At this rate, we¡¯vepletely wasted our time.¡±

    As Serena threw a bottle that had been in herp, her aide rushed to catch it.

    Inside the bottle was a precious medicine with a special effect against numerous diseases. It was far too valuable to be tossed onto the carriage floor.

    ¡°Instead of receiving gratitude, I¡¯m treated like an annoying guest.¡±

    She was a woman desperately trying to make her foolish son a king to grasp power.

    Havinge here, spending valuable time to gain even a tiny favor from the Barrow Duke family, Serena had obtained nothing.

    Instead, she felt like she was being a nuisance and had to leave as if she were being chased away.

    ¡°Starting with that arrogant brat from the Alrn family, nothing is going my way.¡±

    Before visiting the Barrow Duke family, Serena had tried to charm a girl named Lucy Alrn to gain her favor.

    While her inherent value was significant, she believed that by attracting Lucy, she could also draw in Benedict Alrn, who stood behind her.

    However, today¡¯s conversation had been aplete failure.

    The Barrow family, which had been hesitant about visits, had suddenly sent a message toe, but that had interrupted their conversation. Even before that, Lucy Alrn¡¯s attitude had been off.

    ¡°That girl didn¡¯t say a word.¡±

    From the moment their conversation began, Lucy Alrn hadn¡¯t even offered a light greeting or a nod.

    She merely remained silent, looking at Serena as if evaluating her.

    She was not just a mere arrogant brat.

    Annoying.

    ¡°Thanks to that, today has turned into aplete waste. Ah, it¡¯s frustrating.¡±

    While Serena was disheveled, the flustered man spoke in a defensive tone.

    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely without gain. Didn¡¯t the atmosphere in the Barrow family seem unusually quiet?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? It¡¯s been like that ever since they lost their eldest son.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but the atmosphere today...¡±

    ¡°Shut up. I might direct my irritation at you.¡±

    Seeing her aide hurriedly close his mouth, Serena nodded in satisfaction when someone knocked on the carriage entrance.

    ¡°Queen, it¡¯s Nabil.¡±

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    Nabil entered the carriage and didn¡¯t react to the chaotic scene inside before closing the door.

    ¡°Did you have a good conversation with that brat?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°...Huh? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°She was a bit rude.¡±

    ¡°Lucy Alrn?¡±

    Having decided to use the Duke of Parn, I headed straight for her dormitory to meet Zoe.

    Being the daughter of a duke, she should have a means to contact her father.

    There was no concern for etiquette or procedures. I needed to tackle the dungeon as quickly as possible; why would I care about such things?

    First, I would confront her, and if I hit a wall, I could think of something else.

    ¡°Are you saying you want to contact your father?¡±

    ¡®Yes. Is it possible?¡¯

    ¡°Sure. I have something to ask the Duke.¡±

    ¡°Is that feasible?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s possible, but I¡¯m not sure if my father will answer. Just a moment¡­ no, wait. Just a second.¡±

    Breaking off the conversation, Zoe hurriedly closed the door. A short whileter, I could hear amotion from inside.

    <Looks like the room is a mess.>

    A mess would be a relief.

    As I had seen so far, while Zoe appeared to be a perfect viiness on the outside, she was utterly sloppy on the inside.

    This characteristic applied to her own room. Zoe''s room, which no one else saw, was a mess, constantly renewing its state of disarray, iming it was truly chaotic.

    Knowing it would take a long time to tidy up, I decided to go to my own dormitory topose myself instead of just standing around.

    Even though I had taken my time, when I returned, the sounds from Zoe¡¯s room had not ceased.

    After waiting about another five minutes, Zoe emerged from the door, breathing heavily.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting... Come in...¡±

    Her room didn¡¯t differ much from what I had seen in the game.

    It was an elegant room with an overall reddish hue.

    Anyone would nod in agreement that it suited Zoe well.

    However, upon closer inspection, one could feel the sloppiness visible here and there.

    Trash slightly sticking out from under the bed. Ends of various clothes peeking out between the closet gaps. A bookshelf hastily stuffed with items, appearing to have been thrown in without any order.

    At the moment one would touch anything, the elegance would copse, and I felt a momentary mischievous urge to say something, but I suppressed it.

    If I did that, I would end up wasting a whole day before even talking to the Duke of Parn.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found it. You can use this crystal.¡±

    Zoe seemed to have located the crystal during the tidying process and casually handed it over.

    If that was the case, she could have just let me in and given me the crystal without the fuss, but I decided not to point that out.

    Taking the crystal from Zoe, I skillfully infused it with magic, causing it to start shing blue.

    Once this shing stopped, I would be able to contact the other person.

    Hmm.

    No response.

    After waiting for about a minute, the shing of the crystal did not stop.

    Benedict always picked up before even a second had passed, so there wasn¡¯t even a chance to see the crystal shing.

    ¡°It seems like he¡¯s very busy today.¡±

    ¡®It seems so.¡¯

    ¡°Is he ignoring a cute girl like me when I try to contact him? That¡¯s just too much.¡±

    It couldn¡¯t be helped if there was no response. I had told Zoe about this, so I would eventually be able to reach him.

    If it really didn¡¯t work, I could go through Alsetin or the Newman family. There¡¯s no need to rush. There¡¯s nothing good thates from being hasty when tackling a dungeon.

    ¡°Um, Lady Alrn. You¡¯ve been waiting a long time, so why don¡¯t you have some tea and rx a bit more...¡±

    It was then. The shing crystal suddenly stopped, and a face appeared above it.

    It was a fierce face that, even with an evilugh, would draw no suspicion.

    ¡°Sorry about that, Zoe. I have something urgent to attend to.¡±

    It was the Duke of Parn.

    With a smile that seemed to suit smoking, he began to apologize but raised one eyebrow when he saw my face.

    ¡°Lady Alrn? How peculiar. Isn¡¯t this Zoe¡¯s?¡±

    ¡®Yes...¡¯

    ¡°Ah, I see. I should have known. Zoe asked me to contact you and said she wanted to speak with you.¡±

    ¡°To Zoe? How peculiar. This neat room is definitely not my daughter¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Father?¡±

    ¡°Oh, were you beside her? You should have told me earlier. I would have been surprised.¡±

    With his characteristic tone, he chuckled sinisterly, then sped his hands together under his chin and asked,

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    As expected of a noble, instead of asking for pleasantries, the Duke of Parn got straight to the point. ¡°Father.¡±

    Did thate off poorly? Zoe spoke up, but the Duke was firm.

    ¡°Lady Alrn didn¡¯t contact me just for casual greetings, did she? It would be better for her to get straight to the point, so don¡¯t say anything.¡±

    As he guessed, I preferred to get to the main point faster than small talk. For me, casual greetings were like a minefield.

    He had grasped my character after only a brief conversation. He was indeed a capable person. It¡¯s just that his sloppiness often led to mistakes.

    ¡®Then let¡¯s get straight to the point. So...¡¯

    ¡°Since it seems the Duke has trouble managing his time, I¡¯ll cut to the chase. To put it bluntly, I want to visit the Barrow family.¡±

    ¡°It seems it will be difficult to visit through normal channels, so you want to use me?¡±

    Without needing further exnation, the Duke of Parn quickly caught on to my intent and continued,

    ¡°It¡¯s not a difficult task. No matter how much the Barrow Duke family tries to avoid visitors, there¡¯s a limit to it. I should be able to pull some strings.¡±

    It was as expected. Since the Barrow Duke was nearby and held an equal status, I figured the Duke of Parn could indeed pull some strings.

    ¡°Will you help me? It might be a waste to use the name of the Duke of Parn for this.¡±

    That was certainly true. The personal power of the Duke of Parn was enormous, no matter which way it was directed. It felt regrettable to use it for such a trivial matter.

    But through my experiences with various RPG games, I realized that if you keep holding onto something precious, you often end up not using it until the very end.

    So as long as I was confident that I could use something effectively, it was right to utilize it. Unless it was something unique in the world, of course.

    ¡®I¡¯d appreciate it.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll judge the importance of the matter myself, so just grant my request. Duke.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. I understand. I ept your wish.¡±

    epting my request with a smile, the Duke of Parn promised to arrange a visit to the Barrow family within three weeks but did not ask why I wanted to visit or what I nned to do there.

    Was it unnecessary to ask since he had agreed to help?

    After the crystal¡¯s light dimmed, I stood up and stretched, organizing my thoughts.

    With this, the first problem was resolved.

    Now, the task ahead of me is topile a list of the possible anomalies in the Barrow family and gather methods to detect them.

    I have midtermsing up soon, and it seems I¡¯ll have to juggle both sides.

    It¡¯s going to be a hectic time for a while.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Lady Alrn.¡±

    As I pondered this, I turned my head at Zoe¡¯s voice. She was looking at me with a somewhat bewildered expression.

    What? Why is she looking at me like that? Like a child who has just had her doll taken away...

    ¡°Are you interested in the Barrow Prince?¡±

    ¡®...Yes?¡¯

    ¡°...What?¡±

 Chapter 242

    In that moment, my mind went nk, making it impossible to understand what Zoe was saying.

    No, I mean...

    Huh?

    <...Ah, I see.>

    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯

    <You''re finding it strange that you''re nning to visit the sick using the Duke''s power.>

    ...So, is that roughly the gist of it?

    Lucy suddenly wanted to visit the Barrow family and asked the duke for help.

    She wouldn¡¯t make such a request without any reason; there must be something behind it.

    The only connection between Lucy and the Barrow family is the inferior prince.

    So, Lucy is clearly interested in the inferior prince.

    That¡¯s what thatst remark was, summarizing everything.

    After a lengthy contemtion, I finally grasped the context, but that didn¡¯t erase the feeling of absurdity.

    I had so much to say.

    But first, I needed to deal with the cost of the confusion you caused, Zoe.

    ¡°Your brain is all pink, huh?? Or are you perhaps jealous?? So, the idiot is interested in the inferior prince??¡±

    ¡°...No! That¡¯s not true!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!? I have no interest in that waste of space!? Oh, but is it wrong to call someone I like a waste of space??¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you it¡¯s not true!¡±

    Zoe, as red in the face as her brain, screamed.

    Seeing her react that way, it seemed she truly had no interest.

    Then why are you trying to associate me with someone you¡¯re not interested in, you idiot?

    Considering Zoe''s age and her high school girl personality, it''s no surprise that she''s crazy about romance, but could you please not involve me in it?@@novelbin@@

    Am I really getting angry?

    As I struggled to hold back my irritation, I sighed, and Zoe cautiously nced at me.

    ¡°...Are you really not interested?¡±

    ¡®Actually, the opposite...¡¯

    ¡°Let me ask you this. Why would I have any interest in that kind of person?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s... well...¡±

    Huh? Why is she stammering?

    There¡¯s definitely something more to her reaction.

    When I silently gave her a reprimanding look, Zoe finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and spoke up.

    ¡°...There were rumors about it.¡±

    Zoe was referring to when I tried to raise the inferior prince''s affection.

    I had tried to give him a ne, but he had coldly rejected me.

    After that, I gave up on raising his affection. From my perspective, what happened back then was merely a desperate attempt to survive, but the students of Soul Academy epted it differently.

    They said that Lucy Alrn had shown interest in the jackal Barrow but had been turned down.

    ¡°That rumor spread widely among the youngdies. It faded quickly after there weren¡¯t any more interactions.¡±

    Hearing Zoe¡¯s words made my head spin.

    If such a rumor existed, that changes things. From the perspective of the idiot, what they thought was a rumor turned out to be true.

    It¡¯s clear why I didn¡¯t hear that rumor. If it was true, then bringing it up in front of me would be like poking a ho''s nest.

    ...I can''t help but wonder, but is it possible that the jackal is under such a misunderstanding?

    Could it be that the cold rejection back then was for this reason?

    Did I end up getting rejected after unintentionally confessing?!

    I had no such intention... well, I did try to raise his affection, but... so that¡¯s...

    Ugh!

    I shouldn¡¯t have asked! I feel terrible after hearing this!

    Should I go to Luka and ask her to erase my memories?

    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re not reacting well makes me think it was a false rumor.¡±

    ¡®Of course!¡¯

    ¡°Does that idiot really think that someone as cute, beautiful, and capable as me would be with him? Should I get him some sses?¡±

    ¡°...Lady? The term dy¡¯ has vanished at some point.¡±

    As I half-listened to Zoe¡¯s words, I reflected.

    In the end, the reason such rumors spread was that I had only given gifts to the jackal.

    If that¡¯s the case, then I should start distributing the gifts I had prepared to those around me.

    After all, the gifts I had bought at the auction for the birthdays of my acquaintances were ready.

    ¡°Lady? Are you really not interested? Nothing is going on, right?¡±

    Despite having asked several times, Zoe posed the question again.

    Why can¡¯t she trust what I¡¯m saying! Is it really such a monumental deal that I tried to give him a ne?!

    Fine! I get it! I can just give a present to you, Zoe!

    Annoyed, I pulled out an item from my inventory and held it out to Zoe.

    ¡°...What¡¯s this?¡±

    It was a ne adorned with red jewels.

    This item allows me to gradually infuse magic into it, replenishing it in critical moments.

    While it does hold value as a piece of jewelry, its practical purpose is more significant.

    ¡®Since your birthday ising up soon...¡¯

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it also the idiot¡¯s birthday? So since you keep bothering me, I¡¯ll give it to you early. Are you satisfied now, greedy idiot?¡±

    ¡°...What?! No! That¡¯s not why I asked!¡±

    ¡®Is that so?...¡¯

    ¡°Really? Then can I take it back?¡±

    When I jokingly said this, feeling irritated by Zoe just a moment ago, she snatched the ne from me.

    ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s a birthday present, so I can¡¯t return it!¡±

    Seeing her hold the ne tightly with both hands, as if it were precious, made me smile involuntarily.

    Well, it¡¯s a relief if she liked the gift.

    After requesting the Duke of Parn for help, I spent the week preparing for my visit to the Barrow family.

    Most of the preparations were measures to detect anomalies, while a few were for survival in the worst-case scenarios.

    For instance,

    Measures to deal with a ck mage residing in one of the territories of the Barrow family.

    Preparing for the dangers that could arise in nearby dungeons.

    And preparations against dangerous individuals with malicious intent toward the Barrow family.

    As a result, I nearly spent all the money I received as a reward for the first sessful dungeon clearance at the academy.

    I can always make more moneyter, but seeing hundreds of gold coins slip away like that stings.

    Fortunately, I seeded in thoroughly preparing to the extent that my inventory is now full.

    Outside of preparation, I dedicated my time to personal training.

    In simple terms, I lived like usual.

    I repeatedly trained personally.

    Practiced handling divine power with the old man in practice mode whilepleting the techniques I had used against the Second Prince.

    Every chance I got, I went to Luka to ovee suitable trials to raise my stats.

    After advising Zoe, Arthur, and Frey on various grinding methods to help them grow stronger, I trained with them.

    Paybi, who wanted to join the training, I put through physical training.

    Ah, right. I sessfully maintained my position as first ce in the midterms of the second semester.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t due to my own skills. Practicals were one thing, but there were still many clumsy aspects in the written tests.

    It wasn¡¯t with the old man¡¯s help either. He insisted that if it wasn¡¯t urgent, I should solve it myself, so advice was out of the question.

    So how did I manage to maintain first ce? I finally seeded in using the log function properly!

    Heh heh. By recording the exam scope in the log just before the exam, I sessfully prevented the record from disappearing, achieving overwhelming results.

    For reference, Arthur came in second, and Zoe came in third. I don¡¯t know when he found the time to study, considering how intensely he¡¯s been working alongside me.

    He really is a genius.

    Recently, I assigned a task to Zoe, Arthur, Frey, and Paybi to tackle the academy dungeon together.

    It was a reason to stop relying solely on me as a cheat.

    The conditions were simple. Completely clear the academy dungeon before the end of the second semester.

    Even the rookies of Soul Academy could aplish that in the first run if they just followed the strategy.

    Considering the excellentposition of the members, it was hard to believe that it was the second semester of their first year at Soul Academy, and with a capable person like Arthur leading them, I thought this clearing would progress smoothly. However, an unexpected variable arose.

    That variable was Frey beginning to refuse cooperation. The moment I let go of the reins, she began to act up.

    ¡°But the prince¡¯s clearing is boring.¡±

    ¡°...That boring thing is usually called the standard, Kent.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s still boring, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    It was clear to see that Arthur was visibly holding back his anger during the serious conversation with Frey, but I didn¡¯t intervene.

    If you¡¯re the leader of a group project, you have to face a troll once.

    Arthur, consider it an experience to help you grow.

    <So, what¡¯s your true intention?>

    ¡®I can¡¯t be the only one suffering.¡¯

    Feel the struggle I endured while bringing Frey along, Arthur!

    And scream while watching Frey troll like the users of Soul Academy!

    <Wow. What a personality.>

    As I spent my time like this, one day, I received a call from the Duke of Parn.

    He said he was finally ready to go visit the sick.

    On the morning that the Duke of Parn had mentioned, after finishing my preparations and stepping outside, I checked the members I had gathered to identify the anomalies in the Barrow family.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve gone out.¡±

    First was the idiot fox.

    Due to their significant perverse nature, I really didn¡¯t want to be with them, but this time, it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Among the members I could mobilize, there was no one more specialized in various spells or mental-rted methods than this one.

    ¡°I hope it will be of help to the Barrow Duke.¡±

    Next was Paybi.

    With abilities in divine magic that still far surpassed mine, she would be a great help if the Barrow family¡¯s issues were rted to the dark gods.

    Honestly, I didn¡¯t think I would be able to bring Paybi along. It was uncertain whether the church would allow it.

    Perhaps they deemed it beneficial to grant a favor to the Barrow Duke family, or maybe my request to Johan had been effective; either way, I sessfully received permission.

    Thanks to that, I now had a reliable ally.

    ¡°Lady? Am I allowed to go back?¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Yes. Lady Alrn, is it really okay to be beside the Saintess? I¡¯m worried I might get purified!</li>

    </ul>

    ¡®Whatever it is...¡¯

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say to do whatever you want? You little sidekick. Are you backing out now?¡±

    Third was Adri.

    She was among the top necromancers currently existing on the continent.

    I included her in the party because I believed she could quickly identify anything rted to dark magic happening at the Barrow Duke''s mansion.

    Thus, I couldn¡¯t send her back. It would be a problem if the dark magic detector ran away on the day of the visit.

    Bishi? Bishi was merely a bonus to bring Adri along. Adri couldn¡¯t move without Bishi.

    ¡°If you really think that, I won¡¯t stop you. But...¡±

    As I warned, I turned to see vigorous agreement from both Bishi and Adri.

    Ha. Seriously. How many times do I have to tell you that Paybi said it was okay not to worry?

    Look. She¡¯s smiling at me, indicating she¡¯s happy to help. Since she¡¯s a good person, don¡¯t freak out and just greet her properly. Got it?

    ¡°Was it Bishi? Since you¡¯vee here, there¡¯s no helping it. Just do it. What kind of trouble do you think I¡¯m trying to get into by making him hate me?¡±

    ¡®Arthur?...¡¯

    ¡°Poor prince. What have I done to you? Ah. So you want me to do something from now on. It seems I¡¯ve be foolish because the person teaching me is dense. It can¡¯t be helped. Starting next week, the training menu will be...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m joking! It¡¯s a joke! Don¡¯t try to kill me just because I said one word!¡±

    And finally.

    Arthur.

    With his connection to the jackal, he would undoubtedly serve as a justification for meeting the jackal.

    With that, all preparations wereplete.

    Now, I just had to head to the Barrow family and confirm the anomalies.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, you fools.¡±

    Please, let it just be me making a fuss; I wish the unrefined prankster was just ying a trick on me.

    ...But that probably won¡¯t happen.

    Just like it never has before.

 Chapter 243

    ¡°When I heard about it from Zoe, I was doubtful if it was serious or just a joke, but it turns out to be real.¡±

    The Duke of Parn let out a hollowugh upon seeing the people I had brought along.

    Indeed, the members going to visit the sick were quite extraordinary.

    Paybi, the mascot of the Church of the Goddess.

    Arthur, although distanced from the throne, nheless had royal blood.

    With the addition of the Duke of Parn and Zoe, it was a lineup that any noble would find intimidating.

    In other words, it was a selection that the Barrow Duke family could hardly refuse toe.

    No one could turn away when such formidable individuals showed up at their door.

    The moment we arrived, the door would naturally open for us.

    With that, entry into the dungeon was assured! All we had to do was properly trigger it!

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you several times that I ryed the information correctly, Father.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I¡¯m sorry for doubting you, Zoe. I didn¡¯t expect Lady Alrn to have such ack of modesty.¡±

    ¡®...Oh. Was that a bit too much?¡¯

    ¡°The Duke can¡¯t handle this much? I thought I recalled you saying that there was no need to decline beforehand, but perhaps I was mistaken.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t be. I just thought the Barrow Duke family would be quite flustered. I mentioned it beforehand, but hearing it is different from seeing it directly.¡±

    For a moment, he spoke casually, causing me to hesitate, but the Duke of Parn simply smiled and said nothing more.

    It was probably because I was a friend of his daughter that he was showing consideration. If someone from another ducal family had said something like that, they would have raised their voice.

    Once we entered the Barrow Duke family¡¯s estate, I decided to keep quiet. Who knows what kind ofmotion might arise?

    After our greetings concluded, between me and the Duke of Parn, we headed directly toward the Barrow Duke family¡¯s domain.

    The journey didn¡¯t take long.

    While the distance from the academy to the Barrow Duke family was considerable, the Duke of Parn¡¯s abilities as a wizard closed that distance in mere seconds.

    As the Duke cast his spell, I braced myself for the nausea that usually apanied teleportation, but I felt nothing unusual after the scenery around us changed.

    What¡¯s this? Why don¡¯t I feel anything? Did the idiot fox do something? Or have I finally grown strong enough to withstand the pain of teleportation?

    ¡°Truly, it¡¯s the Duke. Such a seamless teleportation.¡±

    ¡°Haha. It¡¯s just a trivial skill. Prince 3.¡±

    Unfortunately, all my spections were off the mark. It was simply the Duke of Parn¡¯s remarkable ability that allowed for a teleportation without any nausea.

    A truly amazing wizard can do such things.

    ¡°Wee, Duke Parn. And...¡±@@novelbin@@

    Not long after we arrived, a vassal of the Barrow Duke family appeared, briefly stiffening at the sight of our group before regainingposure.

    It seemed they hadn¡¯t expected such a gathering.

    ¡°...I will guide you directly to the mansion.¡±

    As I followed behind, I scrutinized the Barrow Duke family¡¯s estate. I thought I might find some trace of something sinister interfering in the streets.

    However, I found no signs of anything unusual on the streets.

    Neither the old man, nor the idiot fox, nor Paybi or Adri sensed anything out of the ordinary.

    The streets of the Barrow Duke family were merely carrying a slightly gloomy atmosphere due to the Duke¡¯s illness.

    The mansion itself wasn¡¯t much different. None of us could detect even the slightest anomaly within.

    While it felt quiet for a ce where many people worked, that was just the nature of the Barrow Duke family.

    <It¡¯s just an ordinary noble mansion. I can¡¯t find anything strange.>

    ¡®It seems so.¡¯

    Given that the unrefined deity had given me a quest, it was clear that something was unfolding within. Why then could we find nothing?

    Considering the members I had brought with me, it would be normal for them to have sensed any anomalies by now.

    Was it truly just me making a fuss? Was this quest merely a cruel joke from the unrefined deity?

    ¡°Indeed, it seems I owe a great debt to my son. To have such remarkable individualse to visit me in my time of sickness. Hah. However, my jackal has yet to return from his training, even though I informed you in advance.¡±

    My doubts deepened upon meeting the Duchess.

    She was the one closest to the Barrow Duke. If something sinister were indeed interfering with the Duke¡¯s condition, she would surely be involved.

    Yet, I found no issues with her. To my eyes, the Duchess was merely a weary wife, exhausted from nursing her sick husband and managing the affairs of her family.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go meet my husband first.¡±

    ¡°Is it alright with this many people, mydy?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Duke Parn. However, it¡¯s fine. He¡¯s quite well. He¡¯s just been whining about wanting to swing his sword outside every day.¡±

    As the Duchess mentioned, the Barrow Duke was indeed in good spirits.

    ¡°Come on in.¡±

    As the door opened, the Duke stood up to greet us, his eyes radiating seriousness.

    Just from that, it was clear: the Barrow Duke¡¯s illness was not as severe as it seemed.

    ¡°Thank you, Duke Parn, and your daughter. Saintess, Prince, and even Lady Benedict, to worry about me ande here. Being sick isn¡¯t so bad sometimes.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just his serious gaze that indicated his health.

    Though he didn¡¯t possess the kind of muscled physique that transcended humanity like Benedict, he had the right amount of muscle where it should be, giving the impression of a warrior trained to the utmost.

    At least in my eyes, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to jump out of bed at any moment.

    Wondering if it was just my imagination, I subtly asked the others, but the responses were the same.

    Nothing strange was visible.

    Everything was normal.

    ¡°Yet as you can see, I am fine. I could return to work immediately. If my wife hadn¡¯t been scolding me to stop working, I would have been back on the job already.¡±

    ¡°What a ridiculous boast, Barrow Duke. When I came here a couple of months ago, weren¡¯t you near death?¡±

    ¡°That was then. Duke Parn. Look at me now. Where is the trace of illness?¡±

    Thanks to Duke Parn leading the conversation, we finished our visit without needing to say a word. The Duke then said there were things for the dukes to discuss and ushered us outside.

    Thus, we found ourselves in a position to wait in the reception room until the two of them finished their conversation.

    Sigh. I really don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.

    Why is there nothing strange?

    Is there truly no anomaly to be found?

    As I sat on the sofa in the reception room, lost in thought, the old man spoke up.

    <At this point, it seems your suspicions might be misced.>

    ¡®...I think so too.¡¯

    I had examined the streets, the mansion, the Duchess, and even the Duke, but found nothing unusual.

    Even with the presence of formidable individuals like the mistress of the forest, the saintess, the powerful necromancer, and the great mage.

    Given the circumstances, it would be reasonable to conclude that there were no anomalies within the Barrow family.

    ¡®The unrefined deity still ims there¡¯s something strange.¡¯

    Why doesn¡¯t the unrefined deity tell me that the quest ispleted?

    I¡¯ve confirmed there¡¯s nothing unusual, so why is the quest still active?

    <Did the deity draw this conclusion?>

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    The unrefined deity deres a questplete when he achieves what he desires.

    If his intention was merely to y a trick on me, he would have cleared the quest and given me a mischievous reward by now.

    Yet the unrefined deity remains silent.

    <...Is that so.>

    ¡®What could it mean?¡¯

    <Let¡¯s think of it the other way around. Consider why the individuals here can¡¯t detect an anomaly even though there is one.>

    The other way around? I thought about the old man¡¯s words.

    Magic. Dark magic. Barriers and curses. Various sinister means. Even with the current members capable of detecting all these, there must be something they cannot sense.

    The conditions are rather stringent.

    After all, I had brought together members prepared to catch nearly anything, so it¡¯s only natural for it to be strict.

    Numerous possibilities shed through my mind, rising and sinking.

    Coming up with a means to surpass those strict conditions while also being something the Barrow Duke could be consumed by was an incredibly difficult task.

    Several ideas came to mind, but most of them were simply impossible at this moment.

    For instance.

    Yes.

    The overconfident fool I had escaped from after being beaten by the old man.

    If that guy was causing trouble, it could exin this phenomenon.

    The greatest power of the dark gods is concealment.

    If he deliberately stirred up trouble, it would be natural for no one to notice.

    But the reason I rule him out is that he doesn¡¯t have the power to meddle with a duke.

    The Barrow Duke is a robust warrior, easily counted among the upper echelon of the kingdom. He may not be as strong as Benedict, but the likes of that arrogant fool wouldn¡¯t dare to challenge him.

    Unless the dark god hadpletely awakened, this is far too early for that. He wouldn¡¯t awaken until at least thetter half of the second year.

    So, if we set him aside and think of other variables...

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect so many people toe see me.¡±

    Just as I was desperately racking my brain, I heard the sound of the door opening and looked up.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Everyone.¡±

    Jackal Barrow finished his polite greeting and surveyed the reception room before locking eyes with me, furrowing his brows.

    Does he really think I confessed? Is he still following me around?

    Hah. This is so annoying.

    How am I going to clear up this misunderstanding?

    Suddenly.

    Paybi, who had been beside me, stood up abruptly, drawing everyone¡¯s attention toward her.

    Paybi, however, seemed not to care about that gaze and was only looking at Jackal¡¯s face.

    ¡°Saintess? What brings you here?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Well, that is...¡±

    Seeing the flustered expression on Paybi¡¯s face, I thought.

    I didn¡¯t know why she was so flustered.

    But I did know that it was strange for Paybi to be in such a state of disarray.

    As a saint who had traveled around meeting many people, she would be ustomed to maintaining herposure.

    For her to not even be able to make a proper excuse meant she had seen something that perplexed her.

    So, I needed to step in and handle this appropriately.

    If there was anything I could do, it would be that.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. The inferior prince? The unrefined saintess, who¡¯s bing more of an idiot just like her friend, was just saying that I liked the prince!?¡±

    Drawing attention.

    ¡°...Ah, that ridiculous rumor.¡±

    Upon hearing my words, Jackal disyed genuine disdain.

 Chapter 245

    Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

    Only the sound of the clock¡¯s hands moving echoed through the corridor, apanied by the somewhat heavy footsteps of someone passing by.

    Among the attendants tidying up the corridor, there was no one to stop those violent and unaristocratic footsteps.

    It wasn¡¯t because the one making the noise was someone they had to serve.

    While it was true that the culprit of the disturbance was their little master, the attendants likely wouldn¡¯t have cared even if it weren¡¯t.

    Their eyes, focused on their repetitive tasks, didn¡¯t register the small master¡¯s violent steps at all.

    Thus, the small master, in a show of his presence, arrived in front of the room where the lord of the mansion resided.

    No matter how much of the family¡¯s sole heir he was, he should have maintained decorum toward the current head of the household, yet the little master did not.

    He barged in, mming the door behind him with a loud bang!

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too noisy for the Duke to be sleeping?¡±

    The one who admonished the little master was not the Duke of Barrow.

    Just moments before, he had been presenting himself in an honorable manner, but he had since fallen into a deep sleep, breathingfortably.@@novelbin@@

    The warning came from a man dressed entirely in ck, from head to toe, standing next to the Duke.

    The man¡¯s fierce gaze was threatening enough to instill fear in anyone, but the little master showed no signs of being scared.

    ¡°Is he still not waking up?¡±

    Instead, he merely replied lightly and took a seat at a nearby spot.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±

    Despite his exceedingly rude demeanor, the man merely wore a displeased smile without anyints.

    ¡°So, how was it? Your friends you met after a long time?¡±

    ¡°Friends? Did a friende today?¡±

    ¡°Then let me rephrase. How about your enemies?¡±

    The little master, Jackal Barrow, recalled those he had met today upon hearing the man¡¯s question.

    The Saintess. Lady Patran. The Third Prince Sdin. An unnamed little brat. And the damndy of the Alrn family.

    These were all beings Jackal had harbored jealousy and inferiority toward in the past.

    ¡°They¡¯ve all grown much stronger than before. Especially that damn Lucy Alrn. What the hell is mixed in the blood of the Alrn family?¡±

    It was clear that they had continuously trained without overestimating their own talents.

    None of them could bepared to how they were before the vacation.

    Particrly, the human known as Lucy Alrn was extreme. That girl, who was already strong enough before the vacation, now seemed to be overwhelming him with her sheer will.

    ¡°Ha. I can¡¯t help but agree. The divinity she possesses has surpassed that of many pdins in the central region. Truly, she is favored by the Divine.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something to admire.¡±

    ¡°No, it is something to admire. The brighter the light of your opponent, the darker the shadow you will feel when it dims.¡±

    The thrill you would gain from defeating them would be the same.

    Jackal bit his lip at the man¡¯s words.

    He had thought since their first meeting that the man had a tendency to speak too much.

    Jackal first met that ominous man shortly after the final exams at the academy.

    Erasing rest. Erasing sleep. Erasing meals.

    After sacrificing everything for the exam, he seeded in achieving a higher score than before, yet his rank had dropped.

    As he faced the reality of being buried in darkness while Lucy Alrn continued to shine, despair enveloped him.

    He was aimlessly walking down a dark street when the man approached him.

    With grand promises of granting his wishes.

    ¡°To grant wishes? Ha. Then make me an omnipotent god.¡±

    Initially, Jackal dismissed his words as utter nonsense.

    ¡°No. Your wish isn¡¯t like that.¡±

    There was something indescribable within the man¡¯s words.

    ¡°You resent the mansion that has bound you since the day your brother died, yet you, the prince of the Barrow family, are more bound to that time than anyone.¡±

    ¡°...You.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you wish to reim the lost time of your family? And reim your own time?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°The preparations for the mansion are almostplete. In a month or two, we will be able to step outside and move about properly.¡±

    Jackal¡¯s recollections faded with the man¡¯s voice. Returning from the past to reality, he gazed at the man, who wore his usual unpleasant smile.

    ¡°Look forward to it. Everything you wish for will be realized at that time.¡±

    The clock behind him ticked, but it seemed to be stuck, going around in circles.

    The dark evil god, huh.

    Crossing my arms, I pondered.

    It would be impossible for the dark evil god himself to have already resurrected.

    That guy belonged to the powerful category among evil gods. Given the vast amount of power he originally possessed, it would take a long time to recover.

    Moreover, Nakrad, who was supposed to help with that resurrection, had only been goofing off during the first semester at the academy and then fled, so there¡¯s no way he could resurrect any faster than in the game.

    This meant that the one active in the Barrow family mansion would be Nakrad, the apostle of the evil god, who had disappeared from the vicinity of the academy.

    How had he manipted the Duke of Barrow?

    During the first semester at the academy, I had tussled with Nakrad and had a rough idea of the extent of his powers.

    He was certainly strong, but not strong enough to be considered among the strongest.

    Just look at how he was repelled by the alliance of Cal and Alsetin. No matter how much I had forced him into a disadvantageous battle, losing to those two marked his limits.

    Moreover, how could he, who had likely lost most of his power after being beaten by the old man, have influenced the Duke of Barrow?

    While it was difficult toprehend with mymon sense, reality was what it was. The source of the anomalies had been imed by that pathetic god.

    ¡°It¡¯s not precise. I just felt that way for a moment. If Lady feels differently, then that¡¯s probably correct.¡±

    I continued to ponder, and Faybi, who seemed restless, added more words.

    Why was she looking at me, as if she were waiting for my reaction, even though she had already given the answer?

    Was it because I was the pathetic god''s apostle?

    Did she think I was testing her because I was the one receiving divine revtions?

    ¡°No, Faybi. What you said is correct.¡±

    ¡°When did I ever say something wrong? Why are you acting like you need to gauge my reaction after stating the answer? It¡¯s thisck of confidence that makes you call me a pathetic saintess. You pathetic saintess.¡±

    ¡°Was... it correct?¡±

    ¡°Even so.¡±

    ¡°Why? Should I say you were wrong? Do you want to hear that you¡¯re a pathetic and ipetent saintess? Did you think you were just pathetic, but instead turned out to be a twisted pervert with peculiar tastes?¡±

    ¡°...N-No! That¡¯s not it! I mean, that¡¯s...¡±

    Hearing myself called a pervert, I let Faybi il her arms wildly while I continued my thoughts.

    There was no way that obnoxious fellow had dealt with the Duke of Barrow through orthodox means. He wouldn¡¯t have the capability to do that.

    This meant he hadmitted some shady deeds akin to his god.

    I closed my eyes and recalled various scenarios from the game.

    Many scenarios rted to the dark evil god. Among them, I sought one that resembled the current situation of the Barrow family.

    The method used by the apostle of the evil god to devour an opponent much stronger than himself.

    The scenario of the Beol mansion.

    No, at that time, the evil god¡¯s seal was already lifted. I needed to think of a time when Nakrad¡¯s powers were nearly nonexistent.

    The scenario of dominating the strong-dungeon.

    This one too. The boss was strong but had a severeck of intellect. Moreover, his unwavering trust in his subordinates made him easy to deceive.

    Not this one either.

    Not that one.

    As I marked each line in my mental notebook with an X, one scenario captured my attention.

    To be precise, it wasn¡¯t a quest scenario. It was merely a booklet exining one of the many atrocitiesmitted by the dark evil god.

    However, the content written there aligned quite closely with the current situation.

    To the south, far from the Soul Academy. The forest where the Spirit Queen resides.

    The method the dark evil god used to devour the spirits there was utilizing the secrecy of his own aura.

    He contaminated the underground water flowing beneath the Spirit Forest with his aura through his insiders. Through that, he gradually made the entire forest his own.

    No matter how powerful the Spirit Queen was, there would be limits when faced with the countless spirits that served as the source of her power and her own forest being corrupted.

    Thus, the dark evil god sessfully devoured the Spirit Queen without suffering significant damage.

    Now, I would apply that anecdote directly to the Barrow mansion.

    From Nakrad''s perspective, this wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.

    If he were to taint the drinking water in the mansion or contaminate the food supplies, it would be enough.

    While it would be a hassle to infiltrate, he had insiders.

    The aura possessed by the dark evil god was so subtle that even the old man wouldn¡¯t be able to detect it. No matter how many talented people the Barrow family had, it would be impossible to find it.

    Why did the Duke of Barrow fall ill?

    This could be easily exined. Because the Duke of Barrow was a strong person. Strong enough to resist desperately while the evil god¡¯s aura spread.

    ¡°Lady! I absolutely did not harbor such malicious intentions!¡±

    I pulled myself out of my thoughts and posed a question to the still-red-faced Faybi.

    Did she perhaps feel something strange in the Barrow mansion? Even the smallest detail would suffice for her to answer.

    For a moment, she seemed unable to shake off her agitation and stumbled over her words, but soon, she provided a proper response.

    ¡°After parting from the Barrow Prince and making my way outside the mansion, I felt an odd sense of difort.¡±

    Had she be sensitive to the evil god¡¯s aura after feeling it from the inferior prince?

    Faybi discovered subtle difort in ces she had thought were fine before.

    From the attendants of the mansion. From various ornaments in the mansion. And from the clock in the mansion.

    What her words clearly indicated was that the Barrow family¡¯s mansion had already been infested by the evil god¡¯s aura.

    To put it simply.

    That ce had already be a dungeon.

    A dungeon that I did not know about.

    One that existed only in this world.

    A dungeonpleted by Nakrad and Jackal.

 Chapter 246

    When all the conversations came to an end and it was time to return, Faybi offered a bright smile and said she''d see me tomorrow, while anxiously ncing at me.

    I wondered what more she had to say, and as I kept silent, Faybi carefully spoke up.

    ¡°Um, Lady. Was I of any help to you today?¡±

    I chuckled softly, unable to hold back my amusement at her worried expression. I let out a few lightughs before answering her.

    ¡®Of course.¡¯

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even sense the aura of the evil god! If the pathetic saintess didn¡¯t help, then what am I?¡±

    ¡°...Ah, that¡¯s not what I meant! Just... um.¡±

    Seeing Faybi flustered, I could sense that she had changed significantly from the saintess I once knew.

    In the game, it was hard to find her flustered at all.

    Was it because I was the apostle of the Divine? Or had she made mistakes she wouldn¡¯t have made as the saintess in the game?

    Regardless, I didn¡¯t dislike this version of Faybi. Her humanity was much more suitable for friendship than a saint who was detached from everything.

    ¡®You were plenty of help, Faybi.¡¯

    ¡°Quite a bit of help. For a pathetic saintess, that is.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m d to hear that.¡±

    After Faybi cast aside her worries and left with a bright smile, the moment I was certain her footsteps were fading into the distance, I let out a loud cheer that echoed through the room.

    A dungeon.

    One that didn¡¯t exist in the game. One that existed only in this world. A unique dungeon created by a multitude of variables¡ªone I had yet to conquer!

    Previously, the old man had told me to think of entering that mansion as conquering a dungeon, but now it had truly be a dungeon conquest?!

    Hehe. Hehehe.

    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a carelessugh.

    A new dungeon, indeed.

    What a sweet resonance it was.

    Years had passed since the game <em>Soul Academy</em> was released.

    Havingpleted everything possible within it, I had spent days desperately trying to find ways to enjoy the game. Now, I was finally being rewarded.

    No, now wasn¡¯t the time to get carried away.

    I needed to think about what to prepare to conquer that dungeon!

    I pulled a nk notebook from the shelf and began jotting down various information I currently knew.

    First and foremost, I had to establish the fact that the Barrow family had fallen into Nakrad''s grasp.

    When we visited, the Duke of Barrow imed that his illness had nearly recovered.

    Assuming his illness had arisen from resisting the evil god''s aura, his recovery would mean he had been consumed by the evil god¡¯s influence.

    If even the Duke had been devoured, there was no way the others would remain unscathed.

    Well, still, I didn¡¯t think Nakrad could fully control the entire Barrow family.

    He had been swept away by me throughout the first semester and had hardly done anything effective. There¡¯s no way he has the strength to manipte the entire Duke''s household.

    In most cases, his limit would probably be to trap them in an eternal nightmare. The number of people he could handle at once would be, at most, three to four knights, plus a few minions of the evil god.

    Considering the knights wouldck reason, I¡¯d be able to manage on my own without issue.

    I knew all the paths in the Barrow mansion by heart, so that wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    I could counter the traps Nakrad would set, as they were all rather predictable.

    Hmm. Ultimately, the problem would be the boss battle.

    Thinking about the structure of the dungeons Nakrad creates, I envisioned how the boss battle would unfold.

    First, he would appear as a mid-boss¡ªthe inferior prince.

    He would show up first, followed by the fake boss¡ªthe Duke of Barrow. It would seem resolved, but in reality, there would be one more hidden stage.

    That would be the battle against Nakrad himself.

    I remembered all the strategies for conquering every dungeon in the game <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    While every dungeon has its characteristics, they can¡¯t all bepletely different.

    The theme of the dungeon. The creator of the dungeon. The one who will be the boss. The very existence of the dungeon.

    By incorporating this information, I could make a rough guess about how its structure would be.

    Having organized everything that came to mind in my notebook, I flipped to the next page to think about the various preparations I needed to make.

    I had already stored most necessary items in my inventory before heading to the Barrow mansion, so there was no need to sweat the small stuff.

    I only needed to consider the essentials.

    First, enhancing my personal specs.

    I needed to at least be able to stall the Duke of Barrow for time.

    And as for party members...

    I couldn¡¯t let anyone else join in the sacred task of conquering a new dungeon! If it wasn¡¯t absolutely impossible, I should move alone as much as possible.

    Now, for the items I needed to prepare.

    First, I¡¯d need a means to detect the evil god¡¯s magic.

    I¡¯d have to get my hands on a wedge to ensure Nakrad couldn¡¯t escape.

    And... as I started jotting down the necessary items, I quickly filled a page of the notebook.

    As much as I wanted to gather all of this, it would take too long. The sooner I resolved this matter, the better.

    Though I thought I should only select the absolutely necessary items, everything seemed essential, and I found myself unable to stop writing.

    Ugh. What should I give up?!!

    <Child.>

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    <I have a question. Why don¡¯t you even consider asking for help from others?>

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    <If the evil god''s influence is at y in that mansion, wouldn¡¯t it just be easier to borrow power from elsewhere?>

    Suddenly, I wondered why the old man was saying this.

    <It¡¯s simple. No matter how rotten the church may be, they won¡¯t just overlook traces of the evil god. If there¡¯s testimony from a saintess, they will do everything in their power to attack the Barrow family.>

    That made sense. No matter how decayed, the church is still the church.

    They would know that failing to perform even minimal obligations would cost them support from various countries. They would undoubtedly be a great help in driving out the evil god''s influence from the Barrow family.

    <If you¡¯re truly wary of the church, you can also ask your father for help. If you give him a reason to mobilize based on the saintess¡¯s testimony, everything can be resolved easily.>

    That made sense too. Even if Nakrad had grown stronger than during the first semester, that was only inparison to the first semester.

    He wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand Benedict¡¯s strength. If he attempted to assault the Barrow family, it could be resolved without much difficulty.

    <Why are you so determined to solve everything on your own? Why are you rushing into danger this time without seeking help from others?>

    In the old man¡¯s tone, which sounded somewhat scolding, I could feel his wish for me to avoid unnecessary risks.

    So I couldn¡¯t bring myself to reveal my true feelings.

    How could I tell someone genuinely worried about me that I didn¡¯t want to pass on the content I had only just found after crossing into this world?

    Even I thought it sounded crazy, so how would others react if they heard it?!

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only reason, but I also shared the sentiment of not wanting to say it aloud.

    As I hesitated, unsure of how to respond, the old man pressed me.

    <Did the Divine instruct you to solve everything alone?>

    Not at all. The pathetic god had yet to issue anymands. The quest window still only disyed that rewards were being calcted.

    <If that¡¯s not the case, do you believe you can handle the deaths that might arise from your actions...?>

    ¡°Stop it, old man.¡±

    The old man¡¯s probing had be tiresome. The girl who had somehow made her way onto my desk was standing there, resting her butt against the mace.

    ¡°Nothing has even begun, yet why are you acting so reckless?¡±

    <The master of the forest, you do not know the dangers posed by the evil god. Anything could happen in rtion to those bastards. So...>

    ¡°I¡¯m a child who has nearly died several times due to the threat of the evil god. Do you think I don¡¯t understand?¡±

    <...>

    ¡°Let me ask on your behalf. What you should be asking isn¡¯t why I made that choice, but rather if I¡¯m confident I can seed after making that choice.¡±

    The girl, usually not so strict, reprimanded the old man before turning her gaze toward me.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult to understand the meaning behind that look. She wanted me to respond to her question.

    ¡®I''m confident.¡¯

    ¡°What do you think I am? Of course, I''m confident.¡±

    Be it the inferior prince, the Duke of Barrow, the knights within the mansion, Nakrad, or the dark evil god, these were all opponents I had faced countless times.

    If this were a game, I could beat them to death with my bare hands and underwear.

    There was no need to throw myself into danger; I could face them after preparing for it, so there was no way I would fail.@@novelbin@@

    The rotten waters of <em>Soul Academy</em> shouldn¡¯t fail in such a manner.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    Just as I resolved this in my mind, a notification sound rang, and a blue window appeared.

    [A new quest has been issued!] [Defeat the apostle of the evil god!] [An apostle of the evil god has infiltrated the Barrow family mansion! Use your strength to eliminate him!] [Reward: Unlock one of the potential abilities of Ruel¡¯s mace, ???]

    ...Hah.

    Pathetic god, were you waiting for me to make a decision?

    Have you been eavesdropping this whole time?!

    Ugh. It really bothers me.

    Even while inwardly grumbling, a smile crept onto my lips. This guy really supported my choice.

    [The rewards for the previous quest are being issued...]

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take my leave...¡±

    I grabbed the nape of the girl¡¯s neck as she tried to escape from the mace.

    ¡°W-What is it? This time, I¡¯m not offering you anything.¡±

    ¡®Um...¡¯

    ¡°Hey, girl. Since when could you talk to the old man?¡±

    I hadn¡¯t heard anything about this!

    Having resolved to conquer the Barrow Duke¡¯s household, the next day.

    Utilizing the teleportation circle, I visited the Alrn territory and headed straight for the church. I had a favor to ask of Johan.

    ¡°Are you the Lady of Arteia? Yes, as you said, I have a connection. If you provide me with your name, it should be quite possible for us to meet personally.¡±

    This was regarding Isabel Arteia. I needed to retrieve the tablet that she had taken from me, one I had endured humiliation to acquire.

    To overwhelm Nakrad, I needed items I could obtain through that tablet.

    Of course, getting that tablet wouldn¡¯t be easy. Isabel had a tendency to cling to items rted to the pathetic god, so she wouldn¡¯t simply hand over the tablet containing the aura of the pathetic god.

    But I was confident I could get the tablet back from her.

    Last evening, as a reward for finding the anomalies in the Barrow family, the pathetic god had given me an item. A precious artifact that allowed me to feel his divinity on my skin.

    Isabel would have no choice but to refuse this.

 Chapter 247

    Thest time Duke Patran teleported me, I remembered thefort it brought, and I hoped I could have a simr experience this time.

    Of course, I knew the reason I didn¡¯t experience motion sickness back then was due to Duke Patran¡¯s exceptional magical skills, but who knows?

    Maybe now, being much stronger than before, I could withstand the nausea!

    With a hopeful heart, I enhanced my body with divinity and stepped into the teleportation circle, only to realize once again how weak I truly was.

    I wasn¡¯tpletely incapacitated, but that was about it.

    Nothing more, nothing less.

    As I struggled to endure the churn in my stomach, the girl sitting above my head let out a chuckle.

    ¡°Just let me help you.¡±

    The moment she unfolded something, my difort vanished. It was clear that this fox was useful in situations like this.

    It¡¯s just a shame she only excelled at times like these.

    Last night, realizing that the fox couldmunicate with the old man sparked a brilliant idea in my mind.

    That was tomunicate normally with people through the fox!

    I would convey my message to the old man, and he would pass it on to the people.

    I was ted at the thought that I might finally escape the frustrations caused by the Mesugaki skill, but naturally, my ingenious n met with failure.

    <I''m sorry, child. It seems the voice isn¡¯t getting through.>

    The pathetic pervert god who wanted to torment me would never allow that!

    Having expected this oue from the moment I had the idea, I wasn¡¯t too disappointed.

    I should have experienced this a time or two before.

    Ha. Why is the pathetic god so thorough only in these matters?!

    If only that thoroughness could lend me a hand!

    ¡°Lady, are you really sure it¡¯s fine not toe with Bishop Johan?¡±

    As my resentment toward the pathetic god bubbled up, Cal asked me a question.

    Just a moment ago, when I told Johan I was going to meet Isabel, he had offered to apany me, saying it would make entry easier.

    However, I had declined that offer.

    There wasn¡¯t going to be a long conversation, and after negotiating about the tablet, why would I bring a bishop to meet someone I wouldn¡¯t be seeing again?

    At that moment, I had thought it was just a courtesy, but seeing Cal¡¯s expression, it seemed there was more to it.

    ...Did I cause some trouble in the Arteia family? No way. That couldn¡¯t be it, right?

    Not long after exiting the teleportation circle, the mansion of the Arteia family came into view. The moment I saw it, I couldn¡¯t help but gasp in awe.

    The mansion of the Arteia family was more beautiful than any building I had ever seen.

    The words used by game characters to describe this ce were akin to a depiction of a holy site. It felt as if the Divine had once resided there and bestowed blessings.

    When I heard that description through the monitor, I thought it was an exaggeration. While the mansion''s design was beautiful, it wasn¡¯t particrly remarkablepared to other splendid mansions.

    But that wasn¡¯t the case now. Having stepped into this world and witnessing the mansion with my own eyes, I was overwhelmed by its beauty.

    It wasn¡¯t particrlyrge.

    It wasn¡¯t so ornate that I couldn¡¯t look away.

    It was simply divine.

    I could believe that even if the Divine had stayed there before, they had recently departed.

    This was what it felt like to be overwhelmed by a man-made structure.

    <Heh. How much money must be spent to create such a building?¡ª>

    ¡®...Are you seriously talking about money right now?!¡¯

    No, old man! I¡¯m trying to feel something here! Don¡¯t ruin the moment!

    Even I, who look down on the god, could feel a sense of reverence building up inside me, and for you, who serves that god, to act like this is uneptable!

    Look! Even the fox is quietly gazing at it!

    You¡¯re more emotionally dry than that perverted fox!

    ¡°It¡¯s not that impressive. They dressed it up with money, but in the end, the foundation hasn¡¯t changed. There¡¯s no value in looking at it.¡±

    ...This is exactly why dry adults are no good!

    You see everything through numbers!

    You should appreciate it with your heart! Just like me!

    ¡°Please hold for a moment.¡±

    As I approached the mansion, feeling pity for the old man and the fox who had be jaded with life, I noticed the guards of the mansion murmuring among themselves.

    Seeing their disgusted expressions reinforced my hypothesis that Lucy had caused trouble in the past.

    Eventually, the youngest of the guards stepped forward.

    ¡°Excuse me, Lady of the Alrn family. May I ask what business you have in this mansion?¡±

    ¡®I came to meet the lord of the mansion.¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯vee to meet a money-crazed fanatic.¡±

    Is Isabel a fanatic? It¡¯s not entirely inurate, but from the guard¡¯s perspective, it probably wasn¡¯t a good thing to say.

    His face twisted in response to the insult directed at his master, and he asked me again.

    ¡°...Are you referring to Count Arteia?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Why ask if you already understood? Is there a problem?¡±

    He clearly wasn¡¯t managing his expression well. After all, it wasn¡¯t just any insult; it was one tinged with the provocation of the Mesugaki skill. It wouldn¡¯t be abnormal for him to get angry.

    ¡°Did you schedule an appointment in advance?¡±

    ¡®No, I didn¡¯t.¡¯

    ¡°Why should I need to schedule an appointment when I¡¯m the one offering to meet you? That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    ¡°...Please wait a moment.¡±

    As the guard finished speaking, he rushed toward the mansion as if fleeing.

    Hey. Wait a second! I had something for you!

    Feeling troubled by his retreating figure, I couldn¡¯t raise my voice.

    The eyes of the guards near the mansion were not friendly. They must have heard me call the Count a money-crazed fanatic.

    Hmm. I was here to negotiate, so causing a scene wouldn¡¯t be beneficial, right?

    Let¡¯s wait for the guard to return for now.

    If I can¡¯t meet him, I¡¯ll just show him the seal.

    ¡°I apologize, Lady.¡±

    Not long after, the guard returned with an apologetic expression.

    He said Count Arteia was too busy with work and probably wouldn¡¯t have time to meet with me.

    Even someone with political sense, like me, could feel the implications behind those words.

    Tranted, it meant something like: ¡°I don¡¯t have time for someone like you, so just leave.¡±

    Considering Lucy''s notorious reputation, it was a natural oue. So, I took out the seal I had received from Johan and showed it to him.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t juste here...¡¯

    ¡°I was sent by Bishop Johan to meet with this fanatic. He told me to talk to him while I was here. Surely, someone like you can figure this out, right?¡±

    The guard¡¯s expression clearly showed his difort upon seeing the seal.

    Why not just go inside and check whether it was genuine or not?

    As I was thinking that, another man walked out from among the guards at the door.

    Even at a middle age, he showed no signs of aging. He grabbed the young guard by the shoulder, pushed him aside, and stood in front of me, saying this:

    ¡°It¡¯s problematic to show such fakes.¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡±

    ¡°The fact that Bishop Johan suffered because of you is a trivial matter. However, it¡¯s impossible for the Bishop to have given you the seal.¡±

    Ah, so he¡¯s saying Johan wouldn¡¯t give something like that to someone like me?

    That thought was indeed valid. I understood his suspicions, knowing that I had a reputation.

    So, I asked him to verify it inside, but the guard just shook his head.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to verify. I don¡¯t know what desire you have to meet with Count Arteia this time, but please stop causing a disturbance and leave.¡±

    The word "again" popped out, suggesting that Lucy had indeed caused some mischief with Count Arteia in the past.

    Wow, Lucy! You really haven¡¯t left a ce untouched, have you?! I mean, you even told the king he smelled like livestock, so what could scare you?!

    ...Ah. So that¡¯s why Johan wanted to apany me. If I had known, I would have just brought him along.

    It can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll head back to the territory once more ande back.

    ¡°Please understand that such behavior could harm the reputation of Count Benedict.¡±

    I was nning to leave, but the old guard added one more line, changing my thoughts.

    While his tone sounded polite, the underlying meaning was clearly: ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed if your father hears you acting this way?¡±

    I can understand insults well, having heard them endlessly during the first semester of <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    Hmm. That¡¯s somewhat irritating.

    What should I do?

    It¡¯s not my style to back down after being insulted directly.

    Ah. A good idea came to mind. I would cause a ruckus on purpose.

    The mistakes of a subordinate are the responsibility of the manager! I¡¯ll provoke him to create a problem and leave Isabel with a debt!

    I didn¡¯t know how Isabel would perceive me, but if her subordinate attacked me first, she wouldn¡¯t be able to cast a curse!

    Besides, with Cal and the fox by my side, there was no chance I¡¯d get hurt.

    ¡®This is what I¡¯m going to do. What do you think?¡¯

    I shared the sudden thought with the old man.

    <Child, you shouldn¡¯t do that.>

    As expected, the old man was trying to dissuade me.

    Sorry, old man. What I just said was not a question of your opinion but a notice of what I was about to do. I nned to cause some trouble anyway.

    <It should be more grand. Is that really enough to stop there?>

    ...You weren¡¯t trying to stop me, but rather egging me on?!

    That waspletely unexpected, causingughter to escape me.

    Ah. I understand, old man.

    I¡¯ll take your advice and make this a bigger mess.

    As I finally stoppedughing and lifted my head, the old guard was looking at me with concern.

    He probably thought I might do something reckless.

    Ha. Why provoke first, then?

    I gave him a sly smile and stomped on the guard¡¯s foot.

    ¡°Hey? Hey? Don¡¯t you think what you¡¯re doing right now is insulting the crazydy of this mansion??¡±

    ¡°...What? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Oh. You¡¯re so dumb that you can¡¯t even think about it?? Why is such a moron guarding the mansion¡¯s front door?? Did you leave the statue in the middle because you¡¯re a fanatic of the pathetic god??¡±

    The old guard¡¯s face turned bright red.

    The tremendous anger written on his face was more than he could bear. Based on past experiences, if I pushed just a little further, he would likely strike my face.

    So, I had to poke a bit more.

    ¡°Are you angry?? Are you mad that this little brat is ignoring your magnificent master?? Haha? Hahaha?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°But a moron like you is the one hired as a guard! You threw trash at the entrance of the mansion, so how can you not be ignored??¡±

    ¡°...Lady.¡±

    ¡°Looking at your face makes it smell like trash, so why don¡¯t you get lost somewhere?? Ah, are you so dumb you can¡¯t understand these words?? This is troubling~? I don¡¯t know thenguage of stones!? Could someone perhaps trante...?¡±

    Finally, unable to withstand my provocation, the old guard swung his fist.

    A child¡¯s fist thrown in anger.

    His physical abilities were certainly impressive, but there were limits to the punches that came from such a clumsy stance.

    There was no need to pull out a shield to block that.

    I simply moved my hand to intercept the punch based on its trajectory.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°A punch from a fool feels like cotton! How interesting!?¡±

    Now, could you create even more of amotion?

    So that your master would have to bow her head to me!

 Chapter 248

    Isabel Artea.

    Born into the Artea Count family, she had never been fond of deities.

    Having been raised in a noble environment, she viewed faith merely as a means for reputation andmerce.

    She could notprehend a belief that expected no reward in return.

    It was a dungeon that instilled faith in her life, which had previously been far removed from any belief.

    When Isabel had yet to inherit her family¡¯s title, a dungeon appeared at sea.

    That dungeon was of considerable size, making it a challenge that most people could hardly even attempt to conquer.

    At the time, her father, the lord of Artea, summoned several famous adventurers and mercenaries to tackle the dungeon, but they failed.

    Even the knights of the Artea family were not significantly different. After countless failures, the dungeon only grew in power as time went on.

    Desperate, Count Artea sought help from neighboring nobles, but they all refused to assist him.

    Ultimately, after exhausting all options, Count Artea entered the dungeon himself to fulfill his noble duty, leaving only the words that he would surely return.

    However, a day passed, then two days, and a week went by without his return.

    People began to say that Count Artea had failed to conquer the dungeon.

    As time passed, a truly strange thing urred. From the moment Count Artea''s death was half-confirmed, the surrounding nobles began to express their willingness to offer support.

    Those who had previously imed they were too busy to help suddenly extended their hands as soon as the primary decision-maker disappeared. Their intentions were so clear that even the naive Isabel could detect them.

    Those around her were coveting what the Artea family possessed.

    Despite her awareness of this and her desperate efforts alongside her mother to protect the family, there were limits to what they could do.

    The repeated failures in conquering the dungeon had led the Artea family to a decline.

    The surrounding nobles applied pressure on Count Artea''s family by any means necessary, and it was evident that their goals would soon be achieved.

    On that day, when she heard the near-threatening words that if they did not produce proper results, they would have no choice but to act.

    Isabel prayed earnestly before the divine statue for the first time.@@novelbin@@

    Please let my father conquer the dungeon safely and return, so that our family can regain peace once more.

    Perhaps her desperate voice reached the heavens. The next day, a miracle urred.

    The dungeon disappeared, and Count Artea returned.

    In that moment, when she faced her father, who was smiling brightly despite countless injuries, Isabel came to believe in divine miracles.

    It was then that she began to obsess over items rted to the divine. Holding something rted to the deity seemed to bring her good fortune.

    Whether Isabel''s faith was effective or if the various items she collected brought her luck, she seeded in everything she undertook.

    Ultimately, she brought the Artea family to a level of prosperity that was iparable to before.

    Now, even after inheriting the family, Isabel Artea continued to thrive as one of the owners of one of the continent''srgest trading houses and a significant patron of the church.

    She was a formidable figure that no noble family could disregard, and one of the great nobles whom no one dared to overlook.

    Despite her sess in obtaining such power and authority, Isabel showed little interest in revenge.

    The reason was remarkably simple. The deity instructed her to embrace the world with love rather than hatred, and she was following that guidance.

    However, asionally, very asionally, there were individuals who she simply could not forgive or even wanted to forgive.

    For Isabel, that person was Lucy Alrn.

    No matter how immature she was at a young age, she had insulted many faithful and priests while attending church, even pouring water over a bishop and throwing around insults questioning the sacred water.

    It was Lucy Alrn who had broken the divine statue.

    If it weren''t for the prominence of Benedict Alrn, that little brat would have long ago been arrested for sphemy and faced the appropriate punishment.

    Even just from the rumors she heard, Isabel had ample reason to dislike Lucy, but the reason she viewed Lucy with disdain was not limited to that.

    When Isabel had purchased a ne containing divine power at an auction, Lucy Alrn hade to her and caused a scene.

    ¡°Give it to me. That ne would prefer being used by a cute and pretty girl like me rather than a zealot who seems like she¡¯s just holed up in her room with a pen and a cross!¡±

    Isabel had rejected that absurd demand. There was no reason for her toply.

    However, Lucy Alrn did not stop causing a ruckus until the various guards from the auction house arrived.

    If it had ended there, it would have been a small incident, but Lucy Alrn continued to annoy Isabel in various ways afterward.

    There was even an incident where she caused trouble at Isabel¡¯s family estate, only to be resolved when Benedict Alrn arrived.

    Because of these experiences, Isabel could not look favorably upon Lucy Alrn.

    So, even when she heard that Lucy Alrn hade to the mansion, she refused to meet her.

    She believed there could be no other reason for her sudden visit than to cause trouble.

    The rumors were not wrong. Despite having developed her abilities like a member of the Alrn family, her personality remained the same.

    The saintess seemed to be friendly with her for some reason, but that was thanks to the saintess''s grace.

    That idiot Prete¡¯s nonsense made her momentarily wonder if it could be true.

    Anyway, humans who worship the goddess of beauty and art. Does having a pretty face mean nothing else matters?

    She was on her way to the Barrow family estate for work. Perhaps she should get into an ident and hurt her head along the way. After all, if she was already a mad pervert, then a head injury would normalize her.

    ¡°Lady!¡±

    Isabel frowned at the sight of her secretary bursting into the room without permission.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s amotion outside.¡±

    ¡°Is it thedy from the Alrn family?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct!¡±

    Sigh. Seriously.

    Does that brat Lucy Alrn know how burdensome it is to apologize while bowing her head to someone who could crush a mediocre army single-handedly, being a hero of the nation?

    Seeing Isabel sigh, did her secretary realize something? He hastily added.

    ¡°Thedy didn¡¯t cause the problem first.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The guards protecting the mansion attacked Lady Alrn.¡±

    ¡°...What?!¡±

    Crazy. Crazy. Crazy. Crazy?!

    Isabel threw down the pen she had been holding and hurriedly headed outside the mansion.

    She didn¡¯t care about noble decorum or anything else. If what her secretary said was true, this was a very serious matter.

    If Lucy Alrn were to be injured... If Benedict Alrn were to be furious and point his sword at this side... That would be a disaster that sent chills down her spine just from the thought.

    Please, let nothing happen.

    Please!

    ¡°...What is this?¡±

    After desperately rushing, Isabel finally arrived in front of the mansion, only to be frozen in ce at the sight of the guards lying scattered.

    It was true that they were weakerpared to proper knights. However, that was only regarding individual weakness.

    Having consistently trained and learned to fight in groups, they were undoubtedly a formidable force. Isabel would never have entrusted them with guarding if theycked even the minimum skill.

    Yet, those who should have been strong were utterly defeated.

    Not only were they defeated, but there were no casualties or even serious injuries among them, indicating that they had been shown mercy.

    ¡°Hey, zealot merchantdy. Aren¡¯t you a bit too slow?¡±

    The moment she heard that annoying, piercing voice in her ear, Isabel looked up and froze for a different reason than before.

    ¡°Get some exercise. Just sitting around makes your clothes scream for help.¡±

    The one standing there was Lucy Alrn, but she was not the Lucy Alrn Isabel knew.

    The past Lucy Alrn was merely a cocky, arrogant brat. While her appearance was beautiful, that was all. She had no value beyond that.

    But what about now? Look at the divinity she was holding.

    Look at that rare and powerful divine object!

    Isabel, who had acquired many items rted to the deity and learned how to assess their value, immediately realized Lucy¡¯s worth the moment she met her gaze.

    She was loved by the deity.

    ¡°Hey, zealotdy? Do you realize your face looks incredibly perverted? It¡¯s kind of creepy, you know?¡±

    Ah, so that¡¯s why Prete said such things.

    Now she understood.

    There was a reason he praised her all day long!

    ¡°Hey?¡±

    Isabel did not know what had happened in the past few years, but that was none of her business.

    The important thing was that the person known as Lucy Alrn was shining with divine light more than any object.

    ¡°Are you not listening to me?¡±

    As she swallowed hard, she regained herposure and wore a mask befitting a merchant over her face.

    ¡°I apologize, Lady Alrn. I should have knocked beforehand...¡±

    And then she thought to herself.

    She wanted to possess that shimmering object.

    After Isabel''s arrival, the situation was settled.

    Once inside the reception room of the mansion, I found it impossible to hide my uneasy feelings.

    I should have been pleased that things went better than I expected, but after seeing Isabel''s indescribable gaze, I felt a chill run down my spine, making it impossible to feel joy.

    That gaze was eerily reminiscent of the dumb fox''s look when she had been staring at me dressed as a bunny girl.

    Strange? Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be a normal and intelligent person, except for her obsession with divine-rted items?

    Surely, there shouldn''t have been any underlying story about her being a disgusting pedophile?!

    <Girl, you said that she was obsessed with divine-rted items, right?> ¡®...Is that so?¡¯ <As a saint of the deity, aren¡¯t you the ideal object for her obsession? Isn¡¯t it true? >

    ...Huh?

    Huh?!

    <Ha ha ha. Don¡¯t be too surprised. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d have any means to discover you¡¯re a saint of the deity. It must have been some sort of misunderstanding.>

    The old manughed it off, but I couldn¡¯t rx my expression.

    There¡¯s no way she would have any means to discover that I¡¯m a saint of the deity.

    But she¡¯s holding an artifact that can assess the value of divine power contained in people and objects.

    That means she can feel the divine presence residing within me.

    Not something that had degraded and deteriorated over time. I¡¯m talking about the divine essence granted to me by the shabby deity half a year ago.

    ...Will it be okay?

    No matter how obsessed Isabel was with divine-rted items, there¡¯s no way she¡¯d abduct or confine me.

    Yeah. It¡¯s definitely just unnecessary worry.

    After all, she¡¯s someone I won¡¯t have to deal with after receiving the b.

    Suddenly.

    ¡°Eek?!¡±

    Perhaps because I was lost in various ominous thoughts.

    I was startled by the sound of the door opening and cautiously turned my head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady. I should have knocked in advance.¡±

    Standing on the other side of the door was Isabel, wearing a soft smile.

    ...Whether it was my impression or not, that smile was truly chilling.

 Chapter 249

    If the other party shows goodwill, it is something to be pleased about.

    However, if that goodwilles after causing a disturbance in their residence, one should be suspicious.

    What emotions lie beneath the surface of what seems like goodwill? Is the person wearing a mask while harboring different thoughts?

    Especially if they have a history of simr incidents and, unlike this time, their reactions were more extreme.

    Someone who strikes you yet extends a hand cannot be considered normal.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s have a sip of tea first. This is precious tea brought from the East.¡±

    Due to what I had mentioned earlier, I couldn¡¯t look at Isabel, who offered me a tea cup with a sweet smile, in a positive light.

    No matter how hard I thought about it, there was no reason for her to treat me kindly¡ªexcept for the divine essence that resided within me.

    Ugh. This is all because of the old man. Thanks to his unnecessaryments, I can¡¯t help but interpret Isabel¡¯s arrogant behavior in a strange way!

    Even this tea! With its soft and subtle fragrance filling the room, it must be good quality, yet I couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy that something other than tea might be mixed in!

    Ordinary poisons or drugs wouldn¡¯t affect me now, but it wouldn¡¯t be strange for Isabel to have something rather unusual in her possession.

    ¡°Count Artea, I¡¯m pressed for time¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not someone who has the luxury to sit and drink tea with a zealot, you know?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? How unfortunate. I had gone to great lengths to prepare it.¡±

    I pushed the tea cup aside, disying my sharp attitude, but Isabel showed no signs of displeasure. She merely wore a genuinely disappointed expression.

    This is strange. Something is off.

    ¡°I came here because¡­¡±

    ¡°The reason I¡¯m in this unpleasant mansion is simple. There¡¯s something here that¡¯s too good for a zealot.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what it was. I suspected as much.¡±

    No sooner had I spoken than Isabel rummaged through her clothing.

    ¡­Did she anticipate that I was after the b?

    How could she?!

    When I went to the auction house, I was disguised, so no one should have recognized me!?

    Could it be that she found out about my embarrassing appearance?

    She knows about my dark history?!

    ¡°Here is the ne you were looking for back then.¡±

    In the midst of my wild thoughts, I blinked in surprise, but what Isabel presented was not the b.

    It was a ne¡ªfairly ornate, somewhat stylish, and appeared to be an old ne passed down in a poor noble family.

    The only noteworthy aspect was that a faint yet strong divine essence could be sensed from it.

    [Ne Containing Divine Power] [This ne once contained a miracle. Now, having lost all its power, it is no different from an ordinary ne.]

    The result from my appraisal skill was simr.

    I might not know how it was in the past, but right now, that ne was no more than an ordinary piece of jewelry.

    Did my reaction hint at something unusual? Isabel raised an eyebrow in question.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you were looking for?¡±

    ¡°Yes, what I want is¡­¡±

    ¡°What I desire is the b, not a ne that¡¯s too good for a glutton like you.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s the b¡­ Ah, that¡¯s it. My apologies, Lady. I mistook you for wanting this ne since you were searching for it before.¡±

    Did the past Lucy actually want something like this?

    That can¡¯t be true.

    Having stayed in Lucy''s room and seen the things she used, I roughly knew what she liked.

    She favored items that were eye-catching, as if she were a princess.

    The moment I thought that such a worthless thing could be so valuable, my mind hit a brake.

    As if I shouldn¡¯t have such thoughts.

    Before long, an emotion surged within me. That emotion was nostalgia.

    It was so distant that it had be hazy, yet it still lingered in that ce.

    ¡­This isn¡¯t my emotion.

    I knew nothing about that ne.

    If that¡¯s the case, then whose clear emotion lingers in my heart?

    This was not a difficult question to ponder. The only person who could leave an emotion in my heart was one.

    Lucy.

    The Lucy Alrn from before I had possessed her.

    ¡°Child, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    I snapped back to reality at the old man¡¯s voice.

    I must have been momentarily swallowed by the sudden wave of emotion.

    ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t something trivial, but I didn¡¯t have the confidence to exin the situation, so I answered that it was nothing.

    ¡°Hm. Is that so? Then that¡¯s fine.¡±

    He was clearly skeptical, but the old man didn¡¯t press further. It was fortunate he was a mature person.

    After letting out a long sigh internally, I looked at the ne Isabel had ced on the table, pondering.

    I had no idea why the feelings of the past Lucy had shed through my mind.

    However, one thing was certain. One item had been added to the content of the deal I was about to make.

    I had to obtain that ne.

    While it wasn¡¯t something I necessarily needed, my heartpelled me to go after it.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll return this ne.¡±

    As I reached out and grabbed Isabel¡¯s wrist, I gazed steadily into her eyes.

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Actually, thinking about it, this ne is indeed too good for you. I should take both.¡±

    ¡°Both the b and the ne? Either one is quite valuable, you know?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha! Are you worried about me? I appreciate it so much, but I¡¯ll decline. That virtuous gaze is kind of unsettling.¡±

    I took out an item I had prepared in my inventory.

    Last evening, as a reward for clearing a quest, the shabby deity had given me this item.

    It felt as if the deity had instructed me to use it for negotiating with Isabel. A diamond infused with divine essence.

    ¡°...What is this?¡±

    Unlike ordinary gems, this one radiated a warm, soft, and cozy glow, beautiful in its appearance.

    Anyone who enjoyed embellishments would certainly covet this luxury, but for Isabel, who was obsessed with divine-rted items, it held even greater value.

    How could Isabel, who was fixated on items associated with the deity, refuse the unblemished divine essence?@@novelbin@@

    My assumption was not wrong. The moment Isabelid her eyes on the gem, she froze as if overwhelmed by the exquisite artwork.

    Before long, as she regained herposure, her hands trembled as she asked me.

    ¡°Where on earth did you obtain such¡­ such an item? If such a rare gem had surfaced, it wouldn¡¯t have escaped my ears!¡±

    Her voice was sharp as she posed the question, but she didn¡¯t even meet my gaze as she was too busy admiring the gem.

    She was likely too captivated to even consider the notion of maintaining decorum.

    Seeing that spectacle, I was certain that Isabel could not refuse this deal.

    ¡°Is this sufficient?¡±

    ¡°Now, zealot merchant, are you still worried about me? Huh?¡±

    Only after I spoke did she raise her head, her lips quivering as she alternated her gaze between me and the gem before she finally swept her face with both hands.

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare it right away.¡±

    Having exited the Artea family estate and making my way back to the academy.

    ¡°That was truly an unpleasant character. I don¡¯t want to see her again.¡±

    The usually silent dumb fox muttered. Her words were indeed correct. I too had found Isabel somewhat unpleasant.

    Wouldn¡¯t she want to dine with me?

    Or perhaps she wasn¡¯t thinking of receiving support from the Artea family?

    Wouldn¡¯t she discuss trade between the Alrn and Artea families?

    Isabel¡¯s desire to maintain some form of rtionship with me was so disgusting that I couldn¡¯t help but blurt it out.

    ¡°That kind of person wouldmit a crime at the slightest misstep. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Are you the same kind of pervert as Isabel to say that?!¡±

    ¡°Dumb fox. No matter how I think about it, aren¡¯t you and she somewhat alike? Ah. Could it be that you¡¯re feeling threatened? You don¡¯t want to lose to a fellow pervert? Wow, that¡¯s really disgusting.¡±

    But is it appropriate for you, dumb fox, to say that?

    You¡¯re the one who followed me like a stalker just because you wanted to be with me, repeatedly engaging in perverse acts right beside me!

    When I brought that up, the dumb fox frowned. It seemed she was displeased with beingpared to such a character.

    ¡°While I appreciate that cold gaze, I must correct your statement. I am merely sincerely fond of you, while that unpleasant character only looks at what you possess.¡±

    Different? In what way? You fell for my appearance, and she fell for my divine essence.

    Aren¡¯t the roots essentially the same kind of perversion?

    The world of perversion is profound. Not that I particrly want to know.

    Since I felt that my mood would only worsen if I kept listening, I let the dumb fox¡¯s words slip by and took out the ne Isabel had given me.

    What is it about this ne that brings forth feelings of nostalgia and sadness every time I look at it?

    The restless feeling of this being my emotion yet not my emotion gave me a peculiar sensation.

    I wondered if Kal, the family knight, might know something about this ne, but he shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t been a member of the Alrn family for long.¡±

    Hmm. If I wanted to learn about this ne, my only option would be to ask Benedict.

    ¡­For now, I¡¯ll store it in my inventory. There are more important matters to attend to than confirming this.

    Thest item I pulled out was the b.

    At first nce, it looked so unremarkable that I felt it should be thrown away immediately.

    <What on earth is this that you would exchange such a precious gem for it? >

    The old man sighed as soon as he saw the b.

    From his perspective, not knowing the true worth of the b, it must be hard toprehend why I exchanged a divine gem for such a stone.

    But not for me.

    To me, this b was far more precious than that gem, which could only be used to fill divine essence during battle.

    Why?

    ¡°This is the key.¡±

    <Key?>

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the key to obtaining the shield I desire.¡±

    This was the trigger for acquiring an endgame-level shield.

 Chapter 250

    Nacrad was beside Duke Barrow as usual. The task of shrouding the duke''s mind in darkness had already beenpleted.

    It wasn¡¯t particrly difficult. Although Duke Barrow was a man of formidable strength, he was different in mind.

    How strong could a father¡¯s mind be when he still harbored the memory of his son, who had died ten years ago, and dreamed nightmares every day?

    The phrase "like father, like son" suited them too well. Thanks to that foolish boy, everything had unfolded so easily.

    Though I still couldn''t control this man at will, it was fine. The mere fact that the ruler of the territory was passive opened up many opportunities.

    With the priests of Tariki gathering in the territory, I could use them to inform the ignorant of Tariki''s greatness.

    Thus, by enhancing Tariki¡¯s prestige, I would gain power.

    Ah, and I must also bestow the blessing of Tariki upon the foolish Barrow¡¯s heir, who remains trapped in the shadow of his deceased kin.

    All this was made possible by that man''s foolishness.

    At the end of all the ns, the demon would fulfill the desire of the great evil god by toppling that massive academy.

    <ul>

    <li>Child.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Yes, great Tariki.¡±

    Though the voice was sudden, Nacrad''s reaction was swift. It was as if he had been waiting, and he knelt on one knee, ready to hear the voice of the god.

    <ul>

    <li>The ears of those who deserve to be cursed are perked up.</li>

    </ul>

    The moment he heard those words, the image of the damn saint¡¯s apostle shed through Nacrad¡¯s mind.

    It was that girl.

    There was no one else.

    None of the other stragglers would have discovered what had been concealed by Tariki¡¯s power.

    Indeed, I should have killed her back then. I should have watched her scream for mercy under my feet.

    The old man hidden within the weapon should have made her shed tears of blood.

    Even if it meant pushing the limits, I should have.

    <ul>

    <li>Do not worry. This is not to chastise you.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Merciful Tariki, what should I do?¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Do what is yours to do. I ask for no more than that.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Ooh, understood. I will trust you and do my work!¡±

    Dungeons created by evil gods typically possess characteristics that align with their power.

    Of course, the dungeon created by the evil god of darkness also bore appropriate characteristics, and if one did not know them, they would suffer.

    Traps that could never be discovered by conventional means.

    Paths hidden by the power of darkness.

    Unique mechanisms that could not be found in other dungeons.

    Various monsters lurking in the shadows, targeting the user.

    In addition, the dungeons under that god''s influence possess dark and sinister traits akin to darkness itself.

    It is no wonder that users of themunity advise against entering dungeons associated with the evil god of darkness. If one must enter, they suggest watching various guides posted on themunity or XTube.

    Guides, you say? The best approach is to try it with bare hands! The moment you enter the dungeon, you¡¯ll end up breaking something, whether it¡¯s your monitor, mouse, or keyboard.

    When I first entered the evil god¡¯s dungeon, I must have cursed multiple times, wondering what kind of trash this dungeon was.

    However, that was when I was still unustomed to the Soul Academy.@@novelbin@@

    Yearster, having turned into a rotting fish, I became someone who could conquer even the most treacherous dungeon on the first try. After tackling dungeons created by users, I had be like that.

    Ah, thinking back to those days is just awful.

    The malice of humanity is truly vile.

    Compared to humans, the evil god of darkness is nothing.

    At the very least, that creature wouldn¡¯t lock someone in a coffin and yell, ¡°Kill yourself, you rookie!¡± just because they misstepped once.

    Well, inparison to humanity¡¯s endless malice, it¡¯s not much, but the dungeons created by the evil god of darkness have high difficulty levels.

    It¡¯s not a ce that I can treat lightly.

    I can¡¯t think that if I fail, I¡¯ll just die like I did in the game.

    Death in this ce is real death.

    A horrific experience of struggling amidst extreme fear and pain.

    To avoid this, thorough preparation is essential for a perfect strategy.

    The beginning of that thorough preparation is the semi-endgame shield, ¡®Ankir.¡¯

    Finding clues through a b with an extremely low drop rate.

    Entering hidden locations via one of those bs.

    Passing through mazes using one of those bs.

    Ankir is an item that can only be acquired after conquering a dungeon called ¡®Trial,¡¯ making it a difficult item to obtain, and it possesses significant performance.

    Infinite durability and automatic repair are basic options, and it also has considerable shock resistance and various additional effects.

    Among these useful features, the one I currently consider important is its ability to dispel negativity.

    This shield, which an angel from the distant past directly imparted to a hero, drives away all unclean forces.

    In other words, it allows me to detect various traps hidden by Tariki¡¯s power.

    I didn¡¯t just decide to seek out the shield the moment I noticed my opponent was the evil god of darkness.

    ¡°It¡¯s quitete. What brings you here, Lady?¡±

    Having sessfully met Isabel and obtained the b, I chose to find Luca instead of returning to the dormitory.

    To use this b, I needed his cooperation. I was also looking for someone to bear the brunt when we tackled the dungeon.

    ¡°Are you referring to the old building of the academy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Can we go right now?¡±

    ¡°Sure. It¡¯s the ce we used even when this shabby academy was just a decrepit old building. Can we go now?¡±

    ¡°Of course, but why are we going there?¡±

    ¡°If you follow me, you¡¯ll find out.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling me that a pedophile professor like you can help a cute girl like me? Isn¡¯t that a bit too kind? Oh, don¡¯t tell me you want to be ridiculed for that? Ugh, disgusting.¡±

    ¡°...Yes. I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut and guide you.¡±

    The Soul Academy has both a main building and an old building.

    The old building is the ce that was created when the Soul Academy was established and is currently used by those conducting research within the academy.

    In modern terms, it could be described as a prison for graduate students.

    Even during a time when the sun used the ground as its nket to sleep, the building still emitted bright light, indicating that graduate students were treated no differently here.

    No, people in this world generally possess superior physical abilitiespared to those from the original world, so they might be treated even more harshly.

    ¡°Please hold on for a moment.¡±

    The old building is a ce where the research results of various schrs belonging to the Soul Academy are stored, thus unauthorized ess is strictly prohibited.

    Even with a professor like Kal present, the same rule applies. He hasn¡¯t been in the academy for even a year, so he has limited rights.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Luca.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Professor Luca! My apologies. Please, go ahead.¡±

    However, Luca is different. Having worked at the Soul Academy for a long time and built up a record, he can do anything he wants in here.

    Typically, Luca uses this authority for his own selfish purposes, but it can certainly be useful if utilized well.

    Thanks to that, I easily entered the old building, and the ce I moved to was the archive room.

    ¡°Do you have business in this old ce?¡±

    Luca tilted his head, looking at the worn door of the archive room.

    Although this ce holds the history of the Soul Academy, which has historical significance, it contains nothing particrly useful.

    That was the case in the game, too. There were small items and various Easter eggs, but nothing of great importance.

    However, that was when I entered the door. To see the true nature of this archive, one must prepare a special item outside the door.

    As I took the b from my inventory and held it forward, the door of the archive room changed its appearance.

    From an old wooden door to a grand marble door.

    ¡°...What on earth is this?¡±

    Luca blinked, seemingly unable to believe that such a thing was hidden in the archive room he had seen many times before.

    Observing that scene quietly, Kal patted Luca¡¯s shoulder and spoke.

    ¡°Pathetic junior. You shouldn¡¯t be surprised by things like this one by one. The path walked by thedy is always filled with such things.¡±

    Is that a jab? Is he trying to assert dominance over his pathetic junior?

    Look at that prideful expression.

    Why is he so proud of the fact that he was called pathetic first?

    I truly cannot understand Prete and him. Why do they grin when they¡¯re being insulted?

    Leaving them be would only make them act even more ridiculous, so I promptly opened the door.

    ¡°Kal, let¡¯s hurry up.¡±

    ¡°Hey, pathetic one. I want to return before morning, you know? Everyone knows you¡¯re a perverted child, so don¡¯t brag about it and just follow me.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. I apologize. Even if everyone knows, I still want to brag once more.¡±

    Despite the ridicule from the mesugaki skill, seeing Kal shrug away made me sigh involuntarily.

    ...This is why I can¡¯t give him the present I prepared. He always acts like this, so who knows what kind of trouble he¡¯d cause if I give him a gift?

    I thought that further conversation would only give me a headache, so I simply moved my feet into the archive room.

    As soon as I entered, Kal and Luca naturally followed behind me, and the moment all three of us entered, the door closed on its own.

    Huh? Did this door close automatically?

    Surely.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe such a ce existed. What you said about your pathetic senior was indeed correct. It would be quite challenging if one doesn¡¯t get ustomed to it.¡±

    ¡°To realize that already. Truly, it¡¯s Professor Luca.¡±

    ...No.

    Hey. No matter how I think about it, aren¡¯t you mocking me? You¡¯re being sarcastic!

    Why are you grinning at the title of ¡®pathetic senior¡¯?

    Haa. Where did it all go wrong?

    Among the knights of the territory, my reputation is good.

    If I hear from Zoyna or Arthur, they say I¡¯m a cool and kind person among the academy students.

    Why do I turn into such a regrettable person only when I¡¯m by your side?

    Now that I think about it, it¡¯s not just him.

    Benedict is like that too.

    The dumb fox is the same.

    Faybi too.

    Even Isabel, whom I met not long ago...

    Oh?

    Could it be that I¡¯m the problem?

    Is that it?!

 Chapter 251

    ¡°Is the idiot who made this trap really that stupid? Who do they think would fall for such a trap? Do they think everyone else is a monkey just because they are one themselves?¡±

    Lucy Alrn said this as she effortlessly jumped over the trap, but Luka couldn¡¯t rte to her words at all.

    The faint, small traces of magical energy existing in the corridor were by no means flimsy.

    Who would fall for such a trap? Most people would.

    Even I, myself, would have been in danger if Miss Alrn hadn¡¯t mentioned it; what about ordinary adventurers? If such a trap were in a regr dungeon, there would have been countless casualties.

    Luka thought this internally but didn¡¯t voice it. Ever since stepping into the hidden area of the academy¡¯s old building following Lucy, this kind of thing had happened countless times.

    Not only did she quickly find her way forward in abyrinth with no light, but she also discerned every trap that appeared along the way.

    When monsters showed up, it was as if she anticipated their moves, swinging her mace to crush their heads before they even attacked. She looked less like a human and more like a sort of oracle.

    Luka, having seen Lucy tackle the academy dungeon, had a rough understanding of her abilities, but watching it on screen and experiencing it beside her were entirely different.

    Thus, Luka was in awe every time Lucy disyed her talents, only to be met with teasing from Lucy and scornful nces from Kal.

    The former was expected, so the damage was minimal, but thetter was different.

    The scornful gaze from Kal seemed to say, "You¡¯re surprised by such a little thing? You really have no discerning eye."

    For Luka, who took pride in being a craftsman, that condescending look was unbearable, so he ultimately chose to marvel internally while appearing ustomed to the situation.

    No matter how I think about it, it¡¯s unfair. Isn¡¯t Miss Alrn and her escort knight an exceptional case? Anyone would be surprised by this!

    Just try telling this story to the nobles who value honor.

    They would drool and rush to thedy, and upon hearing her many tales of bravery, they would praise her regardless of her past.

    They believe that conquering dungeons is both the duty and honor of a noble.

    How difficult a dungeon was conquered. How many dungeons were cleared. What great things were acquired inside. What perilous experiences were endured. Such things are considered proof of nobility.

    Even if it¡¯s their firstborn son, if he has no experience in dungeon conquest, they would call him a simpleton and refuse to grant him a title.

    Thus, naturally, those who have overflowing experiences in conquering dungeons would praise Miss Alrn to the point of wearing their mouths dry upon seeing her achievements.

    Why should I receive that kind of scorn when I¡¯m amazed by such things? I can¡¯t understand it at all!

    Luka wriggled in indignation, but there was no one here to empathize with him.

    Those who had grown too ustomed to the light that is Lucy Alrn would only call him dramatic if he shouted that it was hot here.

    ¡°It¡¯s already the end. The one who made this pitiful trap must have thought it was difficult, right? The reality is that a small girl can casually conquer it as if it were a walk in the park.¡±

    At least Luka was fortunate that his time of feeling indignant was short.

    It only took two hours to reveal the hidden dungeon in the academy¡¯s old building.

    With numerous paths lined up and filled with traps brimming with malice, the time taken to reach the end of a ce where one could get lost forever in a single misstep was only two hours.

    ¡°How could one not be surprised by this?¡±

    Luka checked his pocket watch and let out an involuntary chuckle.

    ¡°Ha. Really. I don¡¯t know how long they intend to remain as screeching monkeys. Is it so hard to see things from a human perspective?¡±

    ¡°Please understand, youngdy. Themon sense is so ingrained that they cannot escape it.¡±

    Having overheard the banter between the mistress and her servant, Luka ground his teeth. He thought he would challenge Kal to a duelter.

    <...strange. Why do I feel a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu?>

    Throughout the entire dungeon exploration in the academy¡¯s old building, the old man kept saying such things. He imed that the structure of the dungeon hidden in the old building felt all too familiar.

    <Girl. You may not believe it, but one of mypanions loved making mazes like this.>

    I knew who the old man was talking about.

    One of those who stood at the forefront when the evil god was unleashed, attempting to turn this world into hell.

    The great wizard who had his hand in most of the current magical systems.

    The one who vanished one day as if evaporated, leading to tales that he might still be alive somewhere.

    <I can only exin the grotesque tastes that exist here as belonging to that fellow.>

    The old man¡¯s suspicion was urate. Thebyrinth that could not be invaded without a te was created by the great wizard Erginius, who was once apanion of the old man.

    ¡®Is that so?¡¯

    I knew this but didn¡¯t tell the old man the truth.

    If I were to tell the old man everything, I would have to exin the backstory as well, which would not be a good story for him to hear.

    I didn¡¯t want to see the old man clutching his neck and copsing. He might not have a neck to grab, but still.

    And anyway, even if I didn¡¯t exin it to him, he would eventually find out, so there was no reason to exhaust myself exining it.

    <That fellow is rted to this academy? Why?>

    Ignoring the old man¡¯s question, I walked ahead.

    Originally, the hidden dungeon in the academy¡¯s old building was a maze that could not be passed without the guiding te. If you didn¡¯t follow the path indicated, you would soon find yourself back at the entrance.

    However, regarding this maze, the creators were somewhat sloppy. The path indicated by the te was fixed to just one.

    Of course, that path was ridiculouslyplicated and hard to memorize, but that was not a problem for a rotten fish.@@novelbin@@

    If memorizing was efficient, a rotten fish would memorize it!

    At that time, the time I spent cursing was properly rewarded even after many years when the world had changed.

    Was it about two hours?

    I was a bit dyed because I was paying attention to the two people following me.

    Well, still, at this pace, I should be able to return before morning.

    Thinking that, I grasped the doorknob.

    I didn¡¯t need a break.

    I had only taken a stroll for about two hours, so what kind of rest would I need?

    ¡°Is it an intruder?¡±

    The moment I easily pushed open the thick iron door, a voice was heard.

    Having lost all flesh and organs after such a long time dead,

    Losing sanity,

    Losing memories,

    And even though the soul had worn down and decayed, he still remembered only his purpose.

    No, it was the voice of someone who believed he remembered.

    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be. There¡¯s no way you¡¯re an intruder.¡±

    <That voice is!>

    The one sitting on the rough stone chair, gazing quietly at us, stood up while pressing down on his knee bones.

    ¡°...Miss. Please step back. That is dangerous.¡±

    Before I could say anything, Kal drew his sword and blocked my path.

    ¡°Professor Kal is right. The currentdy cannot face that being.¡±

    Luka pulled a dagger from within his robes.

    While Kal¡¯s overreaction wasn¡¯t strange, Luka¡¯s was.

    If it were a regr threat, he would willingly push me forward, but he stood in front of me for one reason only.

    That facing that skeleton would yield nothing for me.

    The moment I stood before that skeleton, I would be met with instant death.

    Both of their judgments were urate.

    I still couldn¡¯t win against that thing.

    Maybe after six more months, I would stand a chance, but not now.

    I knew that fact all too well.

    How could I not know? I had visited this ce thousands of times without a doubt.

    Yet, despite that, the reason I confidently approached this ce was that I didn¡¯t need to defeat that skeleton.

    This ce is a trial ground before being a dungeon.

    ¡°The monsters that appear in dungeons are the problem. I let my guard down.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to be saying that. We should think about how to deal with that thing.¡±

    They were two martial artists with exceptional skills. Recognizing the gap between their skills and that of the opponent, they quickly began to formte a strategy.

    However, the skeleton seated on the chair didn¡¯t even nce at them.

    He simply looked at me. Only me.

    As if trying to pull me into the depths of his ck eyes, which had long lost their sight.

    ¡°Child of divine love.¡±

    <...Hmm?! No, that¡¯s wrong. It¡¯s not that guy. It¡¯s someone mimicking that... Ah!>

    Then he spoke to me. With words I had never heard in the game before.

    ¡°State your name.¡±

    ¡®Lucy Alrn.¡¯

    ¡°Lucy Alrn, huh? Thank you for the proud introduction; I shall introduce myself as well. The name of this knight is Garard. Once, I held a portion of a hero''s legacy.¡±

    <Ha ha ha! Erginius! This insane guy was a total fool until the end!>

    As soon as the skeleton finished his introduction, the old man burst into wildughter, swearing.

    It wasn¡¯t strange at all.

    That skeleton¡¯s true identity was a homunculus created by the great wizard Erginius, who reminisced about hispanions.

    As the Mesugaki skill said, he was a psychotic skeleton who believed himself to be a hero, possessing all the ridiculous traits of a hero.

    From the old man¡¯s perspective, it must have felt like watching his friend¡¯s dark past being enshrined.

    ¡°...Garard?¡±

    ¡°A relic of a hero? No way. That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Ah, damn. I felt likeughing too because of the gap between the old man and the two beside him.

    One side was highly tense, while the other side wasughing uncontrobly!

    Calm down. Let¡¯s calm down. If I suddenly burst outughing here, I¡¯d just look like a madwoman.

    ¡°What brings you to this ce?¡±

    ¡®I''m here to retrieve the shield you possess.¡¯

    ¡°I came to reim the shield, which is too much for a psychotic skeleton.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. That would be the only reason.¡±

    <Ha ha ha!>

    As the skeleton nodded, the old man''sughter grew louder.

    Ah, this is really chaotic.

    ¡°Since you are one favored by the divine, I would like to give it to you, but unfortunately, I do not have the authority to do so.¡±

    ¡®What then?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m d to have someone to chat with after a long time, but could you please consider that I am wasting time because of this insane skeleton?¡±

    ¡°...Ah, I apologize.¡±

    <Ha ha! Even while imitating a madman, there¡¯s no escaping etiquette in front of a girl!>

    Old man! Please, calm down!

    ¡°I shall get straight to the point. You must pass the trial that I impose.¡±

    No matter how trivial the trial may be, you need to focus when the timees!

 Chapter 254

    <...I don''t understand. There''s no way you can block that attack with your skills, right?>

    After deflecting the sword strike from the skeleton, some time passed before the old man muttered softly.

    His words were correct. Normally, I wouldn''t be able to block that attack.

    The only reason I could parry this time was because it was a trial.

    If I hadn¡¯t drilled the timing of the skeleton¡¯s attacks into my body in the past...

    If he hadn¡¯t given me any chance to adjust my posture with each attack...

    If he hadn¡¯t shown any preparatory movements as if to unt it...

    I would have crumbled helplessly before the skeleton.

    Thus, this was an act that could only ur within the confines of a system.

    Even if it were a real fight, I might have been able to do something simr, but the oue would have been a girl trembling in fear, her shield shattered.

    ¡®It¡¯s a miracle, isn¡¯t it?¡¯

    <Was it due to the blessing of the gods?>

    Knowing him, I attributed the credit for this incident to the useless deity. No matter how absurd it seemed, invoking the name of a god would lend it credibility.

    <But, you know, youngdy, there¡¯s one thing I want to ask.>

    ¡®Yes?¡¯

    <Didn¡¯t you just call me "old man"?>

    ¡®...What? What are you talking about?¡¯

    Oh,e on, old man. How could I call you "old man"? You¡¯re like my teacher!

    <Oh ho, do you think I didn¡¯t hear it?>

    You didn¡¯t hear it?! Were you so overwhelmed by the miraculous scene that you missed it?

    Damn it! If you heard it, you should have said so earlier!

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry!¡¯

    Was it because my mind was in an elevated state due to the mesugaki skill that I blurted that out? I¡¯m really sorry!

    Without making any excuses, I offered an honest apology, and the old man chuckled.

    What? Old man, you weren¡¯t angry?

    <Well then, this time, it was you who made a mistake, wasn¡¯t it?>

    ¡®Umm... yes?¡¯

    <Just a moment ago, I made a mistake, didn¡¯t I?>

    Ah. Oh no.

    <So, am I not supposed to receive any punishment for that?-->

    You were actually paying attention to that from the start?!

    <These days, they call it ¡°you scratch my back, I¡¯ll scratch yours.¡± Do you agree?>

    ¡®¡°You scratch my back, I¡¯ll scratch yours¡± isn¡¯t exactly a modern phrase.¡¯

    <Anyway!>

    Phew. It was a good thing I threatened him at first. Thanks to that, I managed to get through the situation.

    Otherwise, it would have surely led to his endless nagging or some hellish training starting. Or maybe both at once.

    I felt like the mental erosion from the mesugaki skill had intensified. No matter how high my spirits were, I had never made a slip of the tongue in front of the old man.

    This is not a good sign.

    If I¡¯m not careful, I could be someone who genuinely says, ¡®Did you think you could beat me, the pathetic boy who gets beaten by a girl?? Did you think I¡¯d say ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡± while crying?? Hahaha!? So close~? If you were just a bit stronger, you could have broken my fingernail~?¡¯

    ...

    Didn¡¯t I say something simr recently?

    I think I said that while making excuses to provoke my opponent.

    Huh?

    Am I already in a state of being consumed?

    ¡°Excellent.¡±

    While I was gnawing on my lips in a sense of crisis, a voice came from in front of me.

    It was the skeleton.

    He had just wielded his sword with some sincerity, but now he spoke in a soft voice, as if the trial was merely a trial.

    ¡°I cannot deny your skill. Congrattions. You have passed the trial.¡±

    ¡®Thank you, Garad-nim.¡¯

    ¡°Why do you evaluate yourself as if you¡¯re better after getting beaten? Ah, are you trying to achieve a mental victory since your pride is shattered? Sorry~ Hero~ I didn¡¯t know~¡±

    I could see the skeleton''s hands trembling. He wasn¡¯t calm; he was desperately hiding his anger.

    If I went a little further, he might genuinely swing his sword with real intent. I should keep my mouth shut.

    ¡°...Here is the reward for the trial. Ankirda.¡±

    I looked at the shield the skeleton offered.

    Even after hundreds of years, the shield still retained its pure white appearance.

    The moment I saw it, the corners of my mouth curled up, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    When I first arrived in this world, I was a kid who didn¡¯t understand the value of a legendary weapon.

    Thanks to my knowledge from the game, I could tell whether it was great or not, but Icked the ability to judge the real thing.

    I was a modern person who would never touch a real weapon in my life.

    But I am different now.

    Having swung a mace countless times for a year since my reincarnation and having blocked numerous attacks with a shield, I could understand the value of legendary weapons just by looking at them.

    That shield, named Ankir, was a legendary weapon that anyone wielding a shield would desire and admire.

    As I carefully epted it from the skeleton, I felt the divine energy that had been lingering inside me bing even purer.

    The divine relic given by the messenger of the gods was elevating my status even further.

    Hmm. A mithril shield. Do you want to take a moment to be in my inventory?

    You¡¯ve been working hard, so it¡¯s time to let you rest.

    I would never abandon you!

    Got it? Just take a moment to rx.

    Having grown attached to the now-vanished mithril shield, I carelessly tossed it into my inventory and tried on Ankir.

    As soon as I did, the size of the shield automatically adjusted to the ideal size I imagined.

    Kyaah! This is what a divine relic should be! Yes!

    The weight felt just right when I held it.

    The grip felt great as well.

    There was nothing bothersome when I moved.

    Most importantly, the divine energy flowed through me smoothly!

    It waspletely different from when I held that mithril shield!

    With this, I might be able to replicate the old man¡¯s actions perfectly.

    Ah. What should I do?

    I want to use this in actualbat soon.

    I want to block an attack that is genuinely trying to destroy me.

    As I was overwhelmed by how much I liked Ankir, the skeletonughed and spoke.

    ¡°Those who receive the love of the gods, if it¡¯s you, then my friend Karon has surely left several trials that you can break through. If you find me, give it a try. It may not be as valuable as the so-called holy knight¡¯s weapon you hold, but it will surely be a worthwhile item.¡±

    I know that too. So-called holy knight? Are you talking about yourself, old man?

    <What kind of bullshit is that from someone whose only talent is seducing girls! I¡¯ve protected your embarrassing past as a friend, but enough is enough! Youngdy! Provoke him! You need to provoke him!>

    ¡®...I don¡¯t want to die, though.¡¯

    I don¡¯t know what that embarrassing past is, but mentioning it feels like I might genuinely get stabbed.

    ¡°May the blessings be with you on your path.¡±

    Believing himself to be Garad, the skeleton offered a neat farewell and turned back to the left.

    As soon as he sat down, the skeleton copsed along with the left side, and with a creak, the door opened once more.

    Thus, the trial was over.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    [You have ovee the trial left by the hero!] [You have seeded in achieving a great feat!] [Rewards will be given!]

    I tensed up when I heard the sound of the messageing in, but fortunately, it wasn¡¯t from the evil god.

    Hah. Useless deity! If you¡¯re going to give me a reward, do it after I¡¯ve escaped from here!

    Do you know how scary it is to hear that ding?!

    I can¡¯tin since they said they¡¯ll give me a reward, but please be more careful next time!

    By the way, a reward? Just having Ankir in my hands is enough, but are they giving me something else on top of that?

    It can¡¯t be anything grand. Maybe they¡¯ll just increase my stats a little, like when I overcame the trial prepared by Luka.

    [Reward: S#^#^#$%@!$%%]

    ...Huh?

    Wait a minute.

    I¡¯ve seen this before.

    I¡¯ve definitely seen it.

    When I was tackling Menestailst time.

    At the moment when the evil god blocked my escape from the dungeon.

    The message window was contaminated.

    So this means...

    A warning that the evil god will intervene.

    My prediction was not wrong.

    As the strange letters appeared on the message window, suddenly ck letters emerged.

    [The night is the time of darkness. The underground will be a ce of darkness.] [You will be devoured by the darkness.]

    Before long, the message window scattered, and shortly after, the dimly lit underground space plunged intoplete darkness, making it impossible to see an inch ahead.

    A hollowugh escaped my lips.

    Did you know I caught on to the truth of the Barrow Duke family? I thought I managed to keep it hidden well, but I guess not.

    <Youngdy.>

    The voice of the old man calling me was filled with seriousness, unlike before.

    This wasn¡¯t the silly old man; it was the hero, Ruel, speaking.

    Listening to him filled my heart with seriousness.

    <Illuminate the light.>

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    I imbued the divine energy I possessed into Ankir.

    As I overcame the trial, the divine energy of the apostle became even more refined.

    Then, light burst from the pure white shield, spreading warmth like the sun around me.

    One step.

    And another step.

    As the light frightened the darkness, it began to retreat.

    This was the power held by Ankir.

    The power to expel negativity.

    As the room where the trial was held brightened as if it were noon, the world regained its lost senses.

    ¡°...Huh.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Have you finally regained your senses? Useless junior.¡±

    The scenery revealed was Luka, who had been about to swing his dagger at us, and the sword blocking him.

    This was one of the annoying aspects of tackling a dungeon rted to the evil god of darkness. If you fail to resist, you will be devoured immediately.

    As the negativity fled, Luka came to his senses, blinking rapidly before desperately reaching for his weapon.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s the work of the evil god of darkness.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s the work of that creepy pervert. What does he want to achieve by controlling a girl¡¯s body? It¡¯s disgusting and makes me feel sick.¡±

    But it¡¯s strange. Considering Tariqi¡¯s power is still minimal, and Luka is quite a strong individual, resisting should be normal.

    How many sins must that guy have stacked up in his heart?

    If I leave him alone, he might rampage again, so I held onto Luka''s hand and used Armadi''s touch.

    With Ankir in hand, I should be able to drive out at least the uninvited energy.

    Did he feel the divine energy passing through his hand? Luka stared at me nkly before deeply bowing his head.

    ¡°Thank you, youngdy.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t respond to that. Just as I was about to answer him, a new message appeared before me.

    [A new quest has been issued!] [Escape!] [The evil god of darkness has taken control of the dungeon using his powers! Escape from here!] [Reward: ???]

    He didn¡¯t just throw a random challenge; he¡¯s taken control of the dungeon?!

    Did I really annoy him that much?

    Despite having such little power, he¡¯s doing this?

    But you know, if he was going to do it, he should have done it earlier. What an idiot.

    Trying to pull some tricks after I¡¯ve grasped Ankir is pointless.

    Ah. Could it be that he heard me say I wanted a ce to use my shield and granted my wish?

    Kyaah. So he¡¯s not the evil god of darkness but a god of darkness? How could he be so considerate!

    As a reward for that, I¡¯ll show him something fun.

    A circus where the many traps he prepared will easily get destroyed!

    It¡¯ll be so fun that you¡¯ll curse involuntarily, so look forward to it!

    Recalling the map of this maze, I unleashed my spear.

    Suddenly, the sword clutched his chest.

    ¡°Ugh. Youngdy, I think I¡¯m infected by the evil god¡¯s energy too!¡±

    My gaze towards him was cold.

    His tone was rigid.

    His movements were awkward.

    It was evident to anyone that he was feigning illness.

    What¡¯s more disgusting is that it¡¯s obvious what his intentions are.

    Was he that envious of me purifying Luka¡¯s hand?!

    ¡®Seriously disgusting.¡¯

    ¡°Seriously disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡±

    As I spoke sincerely, the sword¡¯s body fell forward.

    Hah. I really don¡¯t know what to do with him.

 Chapter 255

    The dungeon influenced by the evil god of darkness, Tariqi, is a type I¡¯m very familiar with.

    It¡¯s not because there are many dungeons rted to Tariqi in the main storyline of Soul Academy. Tariqi only shows up in the veryte game. So how many dungeons can be rted to that guy?

    Then why am I so ustomed to this guy¡¯s dungeon?

    It¡¯s because about 40% of the dungeons created by users are rted to Tariqi.

    As I mentioned earlier, the characteristic of dungeons created by Tariqi is: ¡°If you don¡¯t know, you die.¡±

    There¡¯s no better feature for tricking those who are tackling the dungeon for the first time. Because of this, Tariqi¡¯s dungeons have been beloved by many trolls.

    Not everyone who creates mods is like this, but there are certainly people who enjoy breaking keyboards and spewing curses.

    They are just obsessed with making it difficult and annoying for others.

    Usually, these people don¡¯t care about the fun of the game.

    They don¡¯t think about their own originality.

    They don¡¯t care about the sense of achievement of those challenging the dungeons.

    They just create dungeons that are frustrating in any way possible andugh at the sight of people who download the mod and start cursing.

    These types of mods proliferate quickly because they ignore many basic elements.

    I, who was drowning in the rotten waters of Soul Academy and addicted to new content, was a fish biting the bait more enthusiastically than anyone else.

    No, I really couldn¡¯t help it!

    Every time I got some trashy items, I could shake it off and say I wouldn¡¯t do it anymore, but sometimes a mod woulde out that was so impressive it felt like a hope torture!

    How could I give up the challenge!

    If hope exists at the end of countless misfortunes, I must willingly break through those misfortunes!

    Well, the troll mod makers probably didn¡¯t like me very much.

    The people they liked were those who tried casually and got frustrated, cursing and leaving. The nasty ones were those who praised it on themunity while saying it was a fucking shitty mod, and they would be overjoyed.

    But I was a bit different from those people.

    Unless something was madepletely impossible to clear, I was the type to clear it by any means and leave scathing reviews along with strategies.

    I¡¯d criticize them forcking creativity or stealing gimmicks from elsewhere. Or for being so useless that they couldn¡¯t even make a decent troll mod.

    My reviews were so aggressive that the mod creators would sometimese by to curse at me. Those times were the best.

    ¡°If it were me, I would have done this and that. Tsk tsk, your level of creativity is just pathetic.¡± Seeing them freak out in response was just too fun.

    Well, this was all during the time when Soul Academy had been out for less than a year. As the game¡¯s poprity waned, the number of people making both good and troll mods gradually decreased.

    Eventually, it got to the point where I would be grateful for any mod that came out and felt like I should thank them.

    I didn¡¯t download the mesugaki mod for no reason! Back then, user mods were rare!@@novelbin@@

    Thinking back, I wasn¡¯t careless at that time! I checked other people¡¯s reviews before downloading that mod, and suddenly I was reincarnated!

    What the hell?!

    Why me!

    Why only me?!

    ...Returning to the main point, having cleared hundreds of dungeons rted to Tariqi, I knew very well how to deal with the ¡°If you don¡¯t know, you die¡± strategy.

    If you die because you don¡¯t know, then knowing means you won¡¯t die, right?

    So to put it simply...

    If I memorize all the variables that can be created with Tariqi¡¯s powers and prepare for them, I can handle it.

    ¡°Both of you need to quietly follow me from behind, okay?¡±

    ¡°You two useless ones will only get in the way if you try to show off, right? So just quietly follow behind me.¡±

    After noticing that Tariqi had taken control of the dungeon, the first thing I said to Kal and Luka was to not do anything.

    Even if those two acted with good intentions, they would only add variables inside the dungeon and give me a headache.

    It¡¯s much better for them to do nothing and be meat shields when we face dangerous monsters.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible! Youngdy!¡±

    While Luka obediently nodded to my words, Kal did not.

    He raised his voice, saying that standing at the front means facing danger first and that he couldn¡¯t put such a role on our esteemeddy.

    Kal¡¯s loyalty, that he could sacrifice his life for me, was so moving it made me chuckle, but right now it was a hindrance.

    I had no idea what kind of variables might arise in this dungeon.

    So I couldn¡¯t givemands in advance like I had in other dungeons, predicting what would happen.

    If I judged based on what I saw andmunicated verbally, it would already be toote to respond, so how could I put him in the front?

    And, you have something you need to do separately.

    What the hell has that fox done? Since he went near Kal and then returned, he must have ryed my words to Kal, so why is Kal still acting like this?

    <Youngdy.>

    Seeing Kal shake his head even when I told him he was just a hindrance, I frowned, and the old man spoke up.

    <Lina said that she conveyed the message.>

    ¡®Then why is he acting like this?¡¯

    <When thinking about how he usually behaves, if he just epted it, Luka would find it strange, so he¡¯s being persistent.>

    So this act is just a performance, huh?

    Kneeling before a girl and begging her to reconsider?

    No matter how I look at it, it seems to be 100% genuine.

    <If you refuse him roughly, that should be enough.>

    ¡®Got it for now.¡¯

    I¡¯m not sure, but should I just insult him as if I¡¯m angry? That won¡¯t be easy.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand what I¡¯m saying?? Is it because you¡¯re a beast and not a human?? Do I have to say ¡®King!¡¯ for you to understand??¡±

    ¡°No, youngdy!¡±

    ¡°No, even dogs can understand ¡®sit¡¯ and ¡®wait,¡¯ but you can¡¯t?? So you¡¯re trash, even worse than a beast?? How can this be my knight??¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! But...¡±

    ¡°Shut up? Why is a beast speaking human words?? If you¡¯re a beast, then act like one and crawl on the floor while barking? Stupid useless dog?¡±

    ¡°...Woof!¡±

    As I watched Kal hesitate and bark, a suspicion arose in my mind.

    Is he really clinging to me to avoid Luka''s suspicion? Or is he just making excuses because he wants to get scolded by me?

    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t think like this about anyone else, but he¡¯s Kal.

    Considering his perverted nature, it¡¯s a perfectly reasonable suspicion. However, unfortunately, I can¡¯t read his mind.

    So I¡¯ll just leave this as suspicion. I feel like pressing him could only make me feel worse.

    Having sessfully degraded Kal''s existence from a human to a beast, I stepped out of the boss room with the two of them behind me.

    As the useless deity said in the quest, the dungeon overtaken by Tariqi was filled with darkness.

    I slowly moved my feet, sweeping away that darkness with Ankir¡¯s light.

    For now, I can confirm that the traps have disappeared as I overcame the trial, just like in the game.

    And despite being consumed by darkness, the path through the dungeon hasn¡¯t changed.

    This is definitely good news. I can use the shortcut that opens after clearing the trial.

    And...

    Following my instincts that alerted me to danger, I paused my thoughts and spread my senses around.

    After enduring nearly abusive training, my heightened senses detected a faint magical energy.

    In the quiet darkness, that magical energy was moving on its own.

    Ting! Instinctively raising my shield, an arrow struck it and bounced off.

    Seeing the arrows scattered on the ground, the energy of the evil god was swirling within, so it was certain that a cursey within.

    Gripping my mace tightly, I took a step forward as the darkness receded, revealing the opponent¡¯s figure.

    Those who had obstructed our path in the maze. The dolls made by the archmage Karon, mimicking knights, were moving, consumed by darkness.

    The base was skeletons.

    There was one archer, two holding spears, and one with a shield and sword.

    Their movements were simr to those I had seen wandering the maze, yet they appeared strangely clumsy.

    Hmm. I¡¯m not sure, but to verify, I need to charge in first.

    ¡°Just watch.¡±

    ¡°Useless ones. Just stay back and watch.¡±

    Issuing orders to Kal and Luka while forming a rough battle strategy, I moved my feet as I watched the skeleton with the bow draw its string.

    Having surpassed numerous trials, my physical abilities had already transcended those of an ordinary human.

    Thus, I could close a distance that would normally take 20 steps in just two.

    Perhaps startled by the sudden disappearance of the gap, the shield-wielding skeleton hurriedly raised its arms.

    But it was too slow.

    I charged forward, smashing the skeleton''s head with the force of my shield.

    Swinging my mace, I finished off one of the spearmen before he could lift his spear.

    Ducking under an arrow aimed at my face, I struck the archer¡¯s chin with my mace, finishing him off.

    Lastly, I went to stab thest skeleton¡¯s head with the edge of my shield.

    But I hesitated and stepped back.

    Not long after, the skeleton I had just been about to deal with exploded, scattering concentrated dark energy.

    The energy that had sustained those four skeletons had fused into one and caused an explosion.

    The concentrated energy lingered like fog, but it was only a moment.

    In the end, that too was likely a negative energy, and before Ankir''s light, it had no choice but to retreat.

    Hmm. Is it just this much? I guessed correctly.

    Those skeletons were weaker than when I first came to tackle them.

    I can specte on the reason for their weakening.

    The magic that had been controlling those skeletons until now was Karon¡¯s, but after the trial ended, Karon¡¯s magic had disappeared.

    So now, what moves the skeletons can only be the evil god''s energy.

    However, since the evil god of darkness has a long way to go before resurrection, even though he has taken control of the dungeon, he cannot threaten me like he would if he had all his power.

    To put it simply, if you remove the characteristics that the evil god of darkness possesses, this dungeon is in a weaker state than before.

    Tariqi¡¯s ability is insufficient to perfectly control the magic contained within those skeletons.

    But the characteristics that should pose a threat to me also feel nd from my perspective.

    It¡¯s partly because Ankir is in my hand, but mainly because that bastard Tariqi is just too pathetic right now.

    I¡¯m someone who tackled dungeons made while he had all his powers.

    There¡¯s no way I would fall for traps created with such pathetic powers, right?

    <If it¡¯s like this, breaking through should be easy.>

    I nodded at the old man¡¯s words, who had previously faced Tariqi.

    As he said, breaking through should not be difficult.

    However, escaping the dungeon is an entirely different story.

    Think about it. The fact that Tariqi has taken control of the skeletons present in this dungeon means that...

    The skeleton at the end has likely always been there to guard it.

 Chapter 256

    The sword quietly observed Lucy, who moved leisurely ahead.

    The current battle was a fight of many against one.

    The opponent was a group of monsters with a certain structure.

    Since they were both in the position of attacking the dungeon together, Kal should have stood by Lucy''s side, but he did not.

    Lucy, his master, hadmanded him to guard the rear.

    Kal felt no anxiety in his eyes as he watched the battle. He knew that Lucy would not be defeated by such a group.

    His expectations were not wrong.

    It took less than a minute for Lucy to eliminate the monsters.

    She easily deflected the attack from a skeleton wielding a massive double-headed axe, disrupting the skeleton''s center.

    With a swift kick, she knocked it down, hindering the movements of the waiting enemies.

    Running past the sprawled skeletons, she dealt with the mage at the back.

    Kal nodded as he watched Lucy take down the ones who struggled to rise.

    Indeed, ourdy is much better than those inexperienced knights who can''t rx their shoulders.

    Those guys could swing their weapons decently but would fumble when the battle continued.

    However, Lady Lucy was different.

    Before rushing in, she assessed the enemy''s strength, devised a strategy for the battle, and then acted ordingly, responding optimally to the variables that arose¡ªshe was truly at the level of a seasoned warrior.

    Who would think of her as someone who has only a year of battle experience?

    Just as Kal continued to praise Lucy in his mind, darkness suddenly surged beneath her.

    Since he was out of the fight, Kal was able to perceive it immediately and unconsciously tried to dash forward.

    ¡°Stupid fool. How many times do I have to tell you to stay still?¡±

    The voice that blocked Kal came from within his mind.

    It was the fox that Lucy had always carried with her, the guardian of a forest, scolding Kal.

    When he heard that condescending tone, Kal paused.

    Lucy immediately dealt with the aura beneath her feet.

    Gathering her divinity at her toes, she crushed the unclean energy. Thus, the sudden threat vanished.

    ¡°Did you think your master would get hurt from something like that?¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you moving?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    At the sound of the tongue clicking as if to say ¡°Listen,¡± Kal let out an awkwardugh.

    He knew. Lucy would not be in danger here.

    He had been by Lucy''s side since she first entered the dungeon.

    When he assisted Lucy during knight training, when she entered the academy''s dungeon, and when they thoroughly cleared out the dungeons near the academy for some unknown reason, and even when they rapidly traversed toward Menestail.

    Always.

    Always by Lucy''s side.

    Kal knew better than anyone the abilities Lucy possessed. He knew that Lucy Alrn was nearly omnipotent when it came to dungeons.

    Thus, when Lucy said she would lead the charge, Kal had no particr worries.

    He knew that hisdy was not someone who would act recklessly. She would say what was possible was possible and that what was impossible was impossible.

    So, when she said to lead the front and just follow, it was because she believed that was the most efficient course of action.

    Kal understood all of this rationally, but his body did not cooperate.

    Whenever Lucy was in danger, the scene from Menestail involuntarily shed before his eyes.

    His pathetic self, who could not even serve as a meat shield. The dagger that stopped just in front of Lucy''s face. The trembling hands visible beneath his pale face.

    When trying to sleep, Kal would often face that scene again.

    The only difference from reality was that miracles did not exist in his dreams.

    Perhaps because he had seen such sights countless times, whenever Lucy seemed in danger, Kal would move his body before he could even think.

    ¡°Being unable to even do what you were told, you''re just a stupid fool. Because of you, I have to stay on your disgusting shoulders instead of leaving this fragrant and soft hair behind.¡±

    Snapping out of his thoughts due to the grumbling voice, Kal looked at the fox''s face, which gazed at him as if genuinely annoyed, and tightened his lips.

    This elegant-looking fox was indeed formidable and a helpful presence to Lucy.

    Kal owed his life to her assistance in the past. How could he deny that fact?

    Still, whenever he heard the words of the forest¡¯s lord, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was okay to keep someone like her by hisdy''s side.

    Despite the fox''s status, it was clear that she was a pervert he didn''t even want to associate with.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the pervert? The one who filled his desires under the pretense of tricking the one behind him.¡±

    ¡°Th-That wasn¡¯t an excuse!¡±

    Even though Kal knew that Lucy would not issue baseless orders, his disobedience was only to deceive Luca.

    He fervently argued that there was no ill intent in this, but the fox did not believe him at all.

    ¡°Oh, really?¡±

    ¡°Yes! That''s right!¡±

    ¡°Can you swear you weren¡¯t even a little happy when you were treated like a dog?¡±

    Kal couldn¡¯t bring himself to answer that. Outside of being with Lucy, he was the very embodiment of a stubborn knight who could not speak a lie.

    ¡°I¡­ think I need to focus on what mydymanded!¡±

    So, Kal hastily changed the subject.

    Lady Lucy had said that once Luca had been consumed by darkness, there was a high chance he would be swallowed by darkness again.

    Thus, his role was to prevent that worthless junior frommitting a sin. He would not worry about anything else!

    It was a clear enough appearance for anyone to see, but the fox only looked at Kal with disdain and did not press further, as if to say there was no point in questioning something so obvious.

    While one person and one fox were having this conversation, Lucy boldly advanced forward.

    The path was entirely different from the one they hade before, but neither Kal nor Luca doubted Lucy''s steps.

    They both knew too well that she could not get lost in the dungeon.

    About thirty or forty minutester, a door leading outside the dungeon appeared.

    However, it was not just the door that existed there.

    In front of it stood a gatekeeper guarding the entrance.

    ¡°Good to see you again.¡±

    A long gray-white sword.

    The aura of a martial artist emanating from his demeanor.

    A clean and solemn voice that did not fit a skeleton.

    Kal knew the identity of that skeleton.

    He was not foolish enough to forget that it hadn¡¯t been an hour.

    Garard.

    A fragment of the hero who saved the world.

    One of the names of knights Kal admired.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? A dog bone? Are you going to give me a sword on top of the shield?¡±

    ¡°I would love to, but it¡¯s impossible right now. Embarrassingly, I¡¯m being controlled.¡±

    ¡°Wow. That¡¯s really pathetic. And you call yourself a hero?¡±

    ¡°Well, what can I do? Reality is like this.¡±

    As Garard raised his sword, Kal hurriedly drew his weapon.

    I¡¯m not yet an opponent mydy can face.

    This is an enemy that we three would barely be able to handle if we put forth all our strength.

    ¡°Put forth all your strength.¡±

    The moment Garard swung his sword down from above, darkness filled everywhere except around Lucy. As a result, Kal and Luca were swallowed by the ck fog.

    Damn it. Mydy!

    As Kal rushed to escape the fog, the surrounding scenery changed.

    The scorching air that choked him.

    The scattered Alsaint in the distance.

    The sight of hisdy, who looked terrified, a few steps ahead.

    A dagger thrusting toward her neck.

    Kal, who stared nkly at that scene, soon shut his eyes.

    It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to see the horrific sight he had seen countless times in his dreams. He just needed to be certain that this was not reality.

    Isn¡¯t that obvious?

    Hisdy is someone who receives the love of the gods. She is a person blessed by the great deity.

    There¡¯s no way someone like her could be in such a wretched state.

    The fact that no miracle urred meant this was not reality.

    Do not trust your sight.

    Do not trust your touch.

    Do not trust your sense of smell.

    Do not trust your hearing.

    The only thing a knight should believe in is his own intuition.

    With closed eyelids.

    The scorching air.

    The unpleasant smell of a volcano mixed with the scent of blood.

    The sound of a person¡¯s doll copsing heavily.

    Kal leaped over all of that and felt the killing intent heading somewhere.

    That¡¯s why he swung his sword, following his instincts.

    ng!

    With the sound of iron shing against iron, the scenery around him changed.

    ck mist.

    The struggle between the past hero and the one bing a hero beyond it.

    The cowardly dagger aiming for the girl¡¯s back.

    And the sword that blocked it¡ªhis own.

    Kal smiled refreshingly as he saw Luca''s eyes, which had flown away from reason.

    Indeed, it is mydy. She anticipated all of this.

    Then, what I need to do is simple. I just have to subdue this foolish junior as instructed by mydy.

    ¡°Buy some time. I¡¯ll bring him back to his senses.¡±

    After a few exchanges of blows, the fox spoke, but Kal rejected the suggestion.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. We have our own way.¡±

    ¡°Our own way?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The knights of the Alrn family, you see. When someone loses their senses, we beat them until theye back to their senses. It¡¯s a shame to have a weak spirit, right?¡±

    This time, Kal intended to follow the traditions of the Alrn family. Not to mention to show the junior the dignity of his seniors.

    Upon hearing that, the fox sighed as if in disbelief and leaped down from Kal''s shoulder.

    ¡°Do as you like.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Alright! Useless junior! I¡¯ll let you feel the greatness of the Alrn family!

    It¡¯ll be a glorious experience, so be grateful!

    The sound of metal shing can be heard from beyond the fog.

    As I expected, Luca was consumed by darkness, and Kal must have blocked him.

    I don¡¯t know how the situation is progressing, but if it¡¯s Kal, he¡¯ll be able to hold out until the foolish fox brings him back to his senses.

    ¡°Is there any chance to divert your attention?¡±

    A sword thrust aimed at my shoulder. I parried it with my shield.

    In ordinary circumstances, it would be natural for a gap to appear, but not now.

    There was no way a skeleton would allow such a gap.

    Before I even attempted to attack, the skeleton withdrew its sword and threatened me again with another swing.

    Attack. Attack. And attack.@@novelbin@@

    Aint about how it moved just as it pleased slipped out, but I did not attempt to attack.

    If I rushed in awkwardly, I would surely be toyed with among numerous swords.

    ¡°Where did that previous confidence go? Hiding behind your shield and not daring toe out is just like a bug hiding in the shadows.¡±

    The skeleton continued its one-sided attacks while throwing insults.

    This insane skeleton.

    It must have kept the words I said during the trial in mind.

    How could a hero be so petty?

    He should know how to generously overlook when a girl is ying around.

    But this one truly couldn¡¯t provoke me.

    Perhaps it¡¯s because of his emphasis on chivalry?

    ¡°Puhaha!? Harassing a little girl and chuckling like that!? So, you¡¯re a hero with such tastes!? No wonder!? They say that those who are polished on the outside are strange on the inside, and it¡¯s true!?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t fall for such tricks¡­¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s a bit curious!? How can a skeleton, with nothing, be a pervert?? Ah!? You must be soothing your emptiness with perversion after losing everything!? How pathetic~? No matter how much you p your lips, your emptiness will only grow~?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? May I ask you something?? Doesn¡¯t it make you feel guilty to pretend to attack because of the Evil God and soothe your desires?? Huh??¡±

    The skeleton, with its mouth shut, swung its sword once more.

    There was definitely a stronger force behind that sword than before.

 Chapter 257

    ¡°Until when are you going to stay still? At this rate, it¡¯s no different from hitting a scarecrow.¡±

    Perhaps it was my provocation that had angered the skeleton, as venom seeped into its voice.

    Given that I was currently in the position of blocking the wildly swinging sword over and over again, it was naturally frustrating to hear. However, regrettably, I could not refute it.

    Because that was reality.

    Quite some time had passed since the battle began, yet I was still only on the defensive.

    There were two main problems.

    ¡°Where did the confidence from the trial go? Was it truly a miracle granted by the gods?¡±

    The first was that facing the skeleton, which had emerged from the trial, was entirely different from oveing the trial.

    The scenery of the trial was not much different from what I had seen beyond the monitor.

    The movements of the opponent, their habits, the types of attacks they unleashed, their tactics¡ªall of it was exactly as I remembered.

    Now, I had the ability to recreate the past madness. I just needed to showcase the ability of the stagnant waters.

    However, the current scenery did not resemble what I remembered.

    I had faced the skeleton that had emerged from the trial several times. I had memorized its patterns.

    For the first few encounters, my knowledge aligned perfectly. If it hadn¡¯t been for the skeleton¡¯s astonishing responses, I might have determined the oue.

    But at some point, the story changed.

    The skeleton began to respond differently.

    From what I knew to something I didn¡¯t.

    Thus, the knowledge I had gathered from stagnant waters became ineffective.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Have you been cornered and now your once active tongue has stopped? Such a childlike behavior.¡±

    The next problem arose as my knowledge was countered and I was forced into a defensive position.

    There was simply no opportunity to slip in.

    The strategy I generally relied on when responding to an equal or stronger opponent was to endure until an opening presented itself.

    It¡¯s true that my skills were rapidly growing, but that was only after a year.

    I was bound tock absolute experience, so if I pursued a fair fight against a strong opponent, I would naturally be at a disadvantage.

    Therefore, I preferred to hide behind my shield, watching for an opportunity, and when a decisive gap emerged, I would rush in and end the battle in an instant.

    Coincidentally, my <em>Mesugaki Skill</em> was specialized in creating openings against opponents. It was also the fighting style that the elder had taught me for those who wield shields. Thus, I had adhered to this strategy until now.

    In fact, this strategy had never failed me.

    If I could withstand the opponent¡¯s attacks, I could create an opening through them. I would inevitably find the path to victory at the end of the fight.

    However, this battle was different from any I had faced before.

    Was it impossible to endure the opponent¡¯s attacks?

    Not at all.

    The skeleton, believing itself to be Garard, was originally moving under the influence of Charon¡¯s magic, just like the other skeletons.

    However, that magic of Charon had disappeared once the trial ended. Now, the skeleton was moving not by Charon¡¯s magic but by the aura of the Evil God.

    And the aura of the Evil God, which had yet to fully resurrect, was likely insufficientpared to Charon¡¯s magic. The power thaty within the skeleton now was iparable to when it was responsible for the trial.

    That wasn¡¯t all.

    The skeleton was resisting the aura of the Evil God. The fact that it could speak with reason and did not unleash its lethal attacks made this quite evident.

    This skeleton had these two constraints.

    Its power was iparably weaker than it had been at the end of the dungeon.

    Therefore, I could endure.

    My shield, Ankhris, could easily block the skeleton''s sword.

    Was my provocation not effective?

    Not at all.

    The ability of the <em>Mesugaki Skill</em> was absolute.

    Every time the words of provocation were uttered, the rattling of the skeleton¡¯s jaw.

    The intensifying sword strikes.

    The hands that showed strength despite having no muscles.

    The rising exhration within my body.

    All of these were evidence that the provocation was indeed effective.

    So, the strategy that had granted me numerous victories until now was working properly.

    As the exchanges of blows continued, the frustration in my heart only grew.

    ¡°...Ugh? Why do you make me open my mouth when I¡¯m suffering from the skeleton¡¯s disgusting smell?? Do you want to see me vomit?? I thought you were a pervert, but you¡¯re truly a revolting type of pervert? You weren¡¯t nning on licking the floorter, were you??¡±

    ¡°...Tsk.¡±

    As I responded to the opponent''s taunts, I pondered.

    What was the problem?

    Why couldn¡¯t I find an opening?

    Wasn¡¯t I being given a chance?

    Am I trying to move too safely?

    Should I take some risks against an opponent stronger than me?

    While my mind was filled with questions, Garard¡¯s sword path became clearly etched in my eyes.

    If it¡¯s that sword...

    I could definitely deflect it.

    My thoughts moved faster than my actions. I moved my shield as if possessed.

    <em>ng!</em> The unmistakable feeling of parrying resonated through my shield.

    This was an opportunity.

    An opening.

    Finally, this moment had arrived.

    Unconsciously, I stepped my left foot forward and surveyed the situation.

    The sword that had been knocked away had already been retrieved.

    The stance was the same. It was prepared for anything, just like before.

    The feeling of exhration turned cold in an instant.

    I was not responding to a crisis.

    I was trying to swallow the bait that was creeping into my mouth.

    Before I could even make that judgment, the steel wall sounded the rm of danger.

    I hurriedly raised my shield as instructed, but...

    The shield I raised in haste, prepared for an attack, was slow and insufficient.

    If I blocked the attack like this, my bnce would copse, exposing me to the opponent¡¯s strike.

    I would have to continue defending from an unstable stance.

    ...But that would surely lead to my downfall.

    So what should I do?

    What shed through my rapidly spinning mind was something I had learned during training in the Alrn family.

    Sometimes, it¡¯s better to let oneself fly rather than awkwardly block.

    Deliberately jumping back slightly, I received the skeleton¡¯s sword.

    My light body, now airborne, was easily pushed back by the skeleton''s strength, and when I spun in the air and regained my stance, the distance between the skeleton and me was considerable.

    I had seeded in resetting a situation that should have been unfavorable.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been good at hiding, but you¡¯re also good at running away. Are you a mouse from the sewer?¡±

    ¡°Sorry~? I thought the dog bone stuck in the sewer was feeling lonely, so I tried to approach, but the smell was too disgusting for me~? Please understand? I¡¯m a small and cute noble girl~? I¡¯m different from you who lives in the sewer?¡±

    ¡°...As expected, that tongue of his.¡±

    I checked the situation while provoking the opponent.

    The first thing I could feel was that the opponent was far superior to me.

    The skill of the sword umted over long years. The logic forged through countless battles. It was perfectly pinning me down.

    If the Evil God hadn¡¯t weakened the dungeon¡¯s control...

    And if that skeleton hadn¡¯t been reserving its strength to resist the Evil God¡¯s aura...

    Would I truly have been able to withstand that skeleton?

    The answer to my own question came back swiftly.

    No.

    I wouldn¡¯t havested even a minute before being shattered.

    And soon, fear would crawl up my spine and take hold of my mind.

    All I would be able to do is wrap my head in my arms and plead for my life.

    That¡¯s how great the difference was.

    That much of a difference.

    As I contemted this fact, augh escaped me.

    If a weakened imitation was this strong, just how powerful would a real hero be?

    I had felt this before when the elder performed miracles, but the distance was vast. Too far.

    Thinking this, I gripped the handle of my shield again.

    <Why are you so intent on winning? >

    Before I could even respond, the elder, who had been silent until now, spoke up.

    <Shouldn¡¯t you just hold out until your knight arrives? >

    ¡®That¡¯s true.¡¯@@novelbin@@

    What I needed to do now was not to defeat the skeleton but to endure.

    Once Luca was subdued and Kal returned to join, he would take care of the weakened skeleton for me.

    <If you know this, why are you rushing in? Do you think you can win? >

    ¡®No. I¡¯m not that deluded about myself.¡¯

    <Then why? Why are you pushing forward? Could it be...>

    ¡®I want to deliver at least one blow myself.¡¯

    Elder, you wouldn¡¯t know, but I wasted a month because of that skeleton.

    Do you have any idea how much stress I went through during that time?

    I actually ended up with a hole in my head from the stress, you know?!

    After countless efforts, I finally seeded in oveing the trial, but that void of power still remains vividly in my memory.

    And now, since I began to spar with that skeleton, the emotions I felt up until now were simr.

    Powerlessness. Frustration. Impatience. Annoyance. Anger.

    If I simply held out until Kal arrived, these emotions would not disappear.

    I would remain stuck at 0 wins and 1 loss.

    I would forever repeat my defeat without even getting a chance to turn this score around.

    I didn¡¯t want that.

    I absolutely didn¡¯t want that.

    Seeing the skeleton win and bragging as it vanished would be so infuriating that I felt like copsing from anger!

    So, I needed tond a blow.

    To achieve a mental victory.

    To shout, ¡°You couldn¡¯t do it, could you?¡±

    <...Kuhaha! Haha!>

    Hearing my words, the elder fell silent for a moment before bursting into the most heartyughter.

    What¡¯s this? Elder? I¡¯m beingpletely serious right now, you know? This isn¡¯t the time forughing!

    <Good! Good! I¡¯m so d you¡¯re such a true youngdy!>

    ¡®What on earth are you saying?¡¯

    <I was originally watching Garard to confirm a few things, but my thoughts have changed.>

    Oh. It¡¯s good that your thoughts have changed.

    But is there something strange in between?

    Did you just say I could withstand because of that amusing dog bone toy rather than my skill?

    <Yeah. Let¡¯s instill some humiliation in that guy.>

    I straightened my stance while listening to the elder¡¯s words.

    Despite the fight having gone on for quite some time, my body was still in perfect condition.

    So, I thought I couldnd a blow if an opportunity arose, but it turned out that my readiness was because the opponent had yed along.

    Hah. Damn. This is seriously embarrassing.

    And.

    Really.

    Really.

    This is not a joke; I¡¯m extremely annoyed.

    <First of all, the strategy is not wrong.>

    ¡®Huh? But¡ª¡¯

    <I know. You felt powerless. You must have felt frustrated. You wondered if your actions were correct.>

    That was true.

    I was frustrated.

    I was powerless.

    As time passed, my thoughts grew numerous.

    As if reading my mind, the elder murmured before responding with an overly confident tone.

    <But do not doubt. That strategy is correct. I, Ruel, will prove it.>

    ¡®...Then what¡¯s the problem?¡¯

    Despite countless attempts to attack so far, they all returned as failures.

    If it had worked when my game knowledge was effective, that was one thing, but afterward, I couldn¡¯t even threaten the opponent.

    <You will find the answer in the fight. Prepare yourself.>

    ¡®I¡¯m always prepared.¡¯

    <As expected. It¡¯s worth all the effort I put into teaching you.>

    The elder praised me for beingmendable and soon spoke in a voice full of amusement.

    <Now, youngdy. This is Round 2. Let¡¯s smash that arrogant yboy¡¯s face!>

 Chapter 258

    The battle resumes once more.

    The situation is simr to before.

    The skeleton attacks, and I defend against it.

    The only change is the voice of the elder ringing in my ears.

    <Youngdy, do you remember why all the skilled ones emphasize the fundamentals?>

    ¡®Of course! You nagged me about it endlessly, Grandpa!¡¯

    What everyone calls the fundamentals is the foundation for that field, a base to build something upon.

    If you ignore the process of honing these fundamentals and start building on top, it might look like you''re constructing quickly at first nce, but before long, it will copse and end up being worse than the effort you put in.

    I had heard about this from the elder countless times.

    There was always a reason why every master emphasized the fundamentals; every time I tried to cheat my way to proficiency, he nagged me about it. How could I forget that?

    <The skeleton imitating Garard... well, let¡¯s just call it Garard. Regardless, the swordsmanship it uses is the pinnacle of the fundamentals.>

    The elder stated.

    Garard¡¯s sword had no outstanding features.

    Given that I was currently feeling powerless facing it, I should have reacted with disbelief at such nonsense.

    Yet I felt I understood what the elder was saying.

    The sword that the skeleton wielded was not fast. Itcked the pressure of Prey''s signature swift sword strikes.

    But it was not heavy either. The intimidation that robbed opponents of the word ¡°defense¡± was nowhere to be seen, unlike the knights of the Alrn family.

    Was it shy? Not at all. Its swordsmanship was painfully in and practical.

    The same could be said for other aspects.

    Garard¡¯s sword was extremely ordinary.

    And yet it was strong.

    So strong that it was impossible to see how to break through. Its sword was always where it needed to be, preventing me from stepping forward.

    <That guy became a fragment of a hero with that ordinary sword, and he was called the strongest knight of his time. Do you know why?>

    ¡®I don¡¯t know!¡¯

    <While others built structures on top of their foundations, that guy kept piling up his foundation.>

    The numerous exceptional sword techniques known to the world could be considered a type of building.

    A terrifyingly tall skyscraper.

    A fortress with no visible entry points.

    Abyrinth with no escape.

    A haphazardly built house that is surprisingly sturdy.

    However, Garard¡¯s sword was not a building.

    It was the foundation.

    By piling dirt on the ground over and over again, he created a hill of simr height to other buildings.

    Instead of building structures, Garard had piled up mountains.

    <Do you know what the oue of that insane feat was? He could draw anyone he met into his battlefield.>

    From atop a high mountain, everything can be seen.

    The weak points of the skyscraper.

    The vulnerable sections of the fortress.

    The map of thebyrinth.

    The pirs of a newly constructed house.

    Thus, it can be tackled.

    By pressing down on the opponent¡¯s strengths and exploiting their weaknesses, the frustrated opponent is forced to burst out from the building, only to be crushed by his overwhelming height.

    <That is the reason you felt powerless. A mountain so high that you couldn¡¯t see the summit gives despair in itself.>

    I had no difficulty understanding the elder''s exnation, but my head felt anything but refreshed.

    ¡®So what should I do?!¡¯

    What I needed most.

    I hadn¡¯t heard how to bring him down.

    Frustrated by the elder''s praise of the suffocating opponent, I shouted, and the elderughed.

    <If there¡¯s a mountain, you must climb it. If you climb silently, one day, you will see the summit.>

    ¡®What kind of nonsense is that?!¡¯

    No, seriously, what is that?!

    No matter how I think about it, there are phrases that don¡¯t make sense!

    As my head momentarily went nk, I yelled, but the elder didn¡¯t respond. It was as if he had said everything he needed to.

    Gyaaaah! To summarize everything so recklessly as if that was enough to make someone frustrated!

    Elder! Are you bing more like that useless deity you serve, bursting intoughter at the opponent¡¯s expense!?

    If I¡¯m gradually bing one with you, I¡¯ll eventually turn into a pervert like that useless deity,ughing and acting like an idiot!

    ...Then, will my surroundings be filled with perverts?!

    No! I cannot ept such a horrifying future!

    As I heatedly spouted nonsense, I momentarily lost track of the skeleton¡¯s sword.

    I heard the warning from the steel wall toote and raised my shield, but the skeleton wasn¡¯t so sloppy as to allow me to assume a stance.

    Struck by the skeleton''s sword in an unstable position, my body flew through the air and crashed to the ground.

    I tasted blood in my mouth.

    ¡°Looks like you can¡¯t even talk now, huh? Hah. Seeing that tiny mouth shut is quite amusing.¡±

    I stood up, hearing the skeleton¡¯sughter.

    I could feel the divine energy rising due to the shock, so it seemed I had taken a solid hit.

    Spitting out the blood that pooled in my mouth, I healed myself with the touch of Armadi. Thanks to Ankhris raising my divine level, my condition quickly returned to perfect form.

    ¡°Are you just going to watch? I¡¯m a little embarrassed since I¡¯m not wearing anything, you know?¡±

    Ignoring its mockery, I reflected on the elder¡¯s words, but a clear answer did note.

    Except for my time in high school, I had never climbed a hill, so asking me to go hiking was unreasonable.

    ¡°Have you resigned yourself?¡±

    The only thing that surfaced was one thought.

    When I was treated like a ve at work, my manager used to say.

    That bald pig would always say that if you looked at the ground and walked, you would naturally reach the highest point. The same goes for work; if you work silently, you¡¯ll finish overtime quickly.

    ...Huh?

    Wait a minute.

    ¡°This is enough.¡±

    As I thought calmly, my mind cleared, and I chuckled.

    Hah. I always wanted to beat him to a pulp whenever he uttered such nonsense as he clocked out. I never thought it would help me now.

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    As I continued to letughter escape, the skeleton tilted its head in confusion.

    Did it think I had lost my mind?

    Whatever it thinks doesn¡¯t matter.

    I organized the divine energy swirling within me and gripped my mace and shield.

    ¡°Hoho. You haven¡¯t given up, huh? As expected¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you castrated skeleton!¡±

    The elder had said it first. My strategy was not wrong. He would guarantee it with his name.

    ¡°If you lost your genitals and became a male failure?? Your prattling is just like a nagging auntie!?¡±

    If my strategy is correct.

    If the path I¡¯m climbing is the right one.

    There¡¯s no need to look around while heading towards the summit.

    I just need to focus on moving my feet while looking ahead.

    ¡°Do you want to search for a new sexual identity even now?? I¡¯ll get you a dress, so wear it!? No one will feel anything weird since you¡¯re just an empty skeleton in the middle!?¡±

    If this interpretation is correct, the elder''s words ultimately meant not to doubt myself.

    To do as I had been doing. To keep moving forward until it works.

    If I feel it¡¯scking, just add more strength to my steps.

    To believe in the path I chose.

    ¡°Garard the Hero and a dress, huh?? Puhaha!? They might actually go well together??¡±

    ¡°...I suppose I was wrong to give you the opportunity to speak.¡±

    This interpretation might or might not be correct. Perhaps I was heading towards a cliff rather than a summit.

    But so what? If I try to leap off the cliff, the elder will urgently call out to me.

    Then I can argue that it was his fault for not exining it properly then.

    ¡°Did you just realize that?? Your head must be empty since your thoughts are slow?? A castrated idiot?? How pathetic!?¡±

    I received the sword that was thrust at me along with the sound of a tongue clicking.

    It was time to climb the steep mountain trail.

    From Ruel''s perspective, who was always by Lucy¡¯s side, her ipetence was genuine.

    Her perseverance in not giving up despite numerous trials and her quickprehension every time he taught her undoubtedly proved she had the qualities to be a hero.

    However, Lucy had one significant problem.

    That was simply how much she knew.

    The knowledge possessed by Lucy, who had been chosen by the love of the gods and heard directly from the heavens, was so vast that even Ruel, who had experienced many things, couldn¡¯t fathom it.

    Moreover, one astonishing point was that Lucy managed this vast knowledge with such finesse.

    She always brought out the optimal knowledge at the necessary moments and used it to create the quickest and safest paths.

    Watching Lucy ovee dangers, Ruel often thought how nice it would have been if the hero of the past had been just as capable.

    But this knowledge sometimes put Lucy in danger. Because her knowledge was so useful, she became buried in it.

    Even now.

    That skeleton created by that madwoman Charon was infinitely simr to Garard.

    So much so that even someone who had spent over ten years with Garard might momentarily mistake it for him.

    The swordsmanship of the skeleton was the same.

    The sword of the skeleton had the same advantages and disadvantages as Garard¡¯s sword.

    Earlier, Ruel had told Lucy that there were no weaknesses in Garard¡¯s sword, but that was only true for Garard himself.

    With his overwhelming physique, Garard could crush everything underfoot, and there were indeed no weaknesses in his sword.

    But that was only the case when backed by an overwhelming physique.

    If the opponentcked the strength to press down, Garard¡¯s sword would be not a weapon with weaknesses but rather a weapon with no advantages.

    That was the case with the skeleton right now.

    Having lost the tremendous magic it originally possessed, the skeleton was moving precariously with the insufficient energy of the Evil God.

    It had amassedbat experience by crossing numerous battle lines, pressing Lucy, but that was all.

    Its raw physicality wasparable to Lucy¡¯s.

    Thus, even if it couldn¡¯t win by sticking to its strategy, it could stillnd a hit.

    In fact, in the early stages of the battle, Lucy was in control.

    She was pushing the skeleton back as if she had perfectly memorized its habits.

    For an ordinary opponent, that would have been enough.

    If she shook the opponent¡¯s emotions with her unique tone, the opponent would be caught off guard and would rush in recklessly, getting smashed.

    But this opponent was not ordinary.

    The skeleton, with the memories of Garard from countless battlefields.

    Even in its anger, it could identify problems and thwart Lucy¡¯s knowledge by changing its swordy.

    From that moment on, the situation turned.

    As her knowledge became useless, Lucy began to waver.

    Emotionally entangled, she became a puppet to the skeleton¡¯s whims.

    Ruel observed this entire process but said nothing.@@novelbin@@

    Lucy was not a child who wanted to be a hero. She was a child who had to be one.

    Even if I helped her defeat the skeleton now, she would eventually encounter another strong opponent and be threatened with her life in the same way.

    If that were to happen, it would be better to lose here, in a ce where there was no worry about losing her life. That was what Ruel thought.

    The reason Ruel changed his mind was not anything special.

    It was because Lucy, who gripped her shield, looked so determined.

    And because he was irritated by the bastard torturing a girl like his granddaughter.

    It was a highly emotional judgment.

    So, even while giving Lucy various advice, he regretted that it shouldn¡¯t havee to this.

    But not now.

    ¡°Why do you keep licking your legs?? Since you¡¯re castrated, there¡¯s nothing to raise, right?? Ah! Could it be that it¡¯s a habit you retained from your life?? It turns out you were an incredible pervert, huh??¡±

    ¡°...Enough already!¡±

    Lucy was climbing the mountain.

    Firmly believing that the path she was on was correct.

    Upwards. Upwards. Once more, upwards.

    She was heading towards the summit.

    The initiative of the battle had long since flipped.

    Lucy was leisurely moving while the skeleton was hasty.

    This couldn¡¯t go on like this.

    The skeleton,cking power, couldn¡¯t prate Lucy¡¯s shield.

    So it needed to create an opening, yet it was blindly charging ahead, swayed by Lucy¡¯s provocations.

    Hah. This guy who does so well, why did he act like that just a moment ago?

    If he could fix it, he should have done it sooner.

    Well. That conviction is not without its problems, but that¡¯s something I can gradually teach him.

    For now, let¡¯s be satisfied with this.

    <Youngdy.>

    ¡®What is it, Grandpa? Please make it brief!¡¯

    <Use the key. Attack with the key. That guy has aplex about being shorter than those around him.>

    ¡®...That¡¯s quite helpful advice!¡¯

    Then, should I sit back and enjoy watching the skeleton resembling Garard being humiliated?

 Chapter 259

    Frete, the apostle of the goddess who governs beauty and art, regained consciousness in a ce filled with darkness.

    The first sensation he encountered was pain. There wasn¡¯t a part of his body that didn¡¯t hurt.

    What on earth did I do yesterday?

    I don¡¯t know. Nothinges to mind. My head is clouded with various disgusting thoughts, preventing me from recalling any clear memories.

    First, let me assess my surroundings.

    I can¡¯t see in front of me. Is my vision obstructed by a blindfold?

    No, I can¡¯t feel anything near my face.

    Huh? It¡¯s not just near my face that I can¡¯t feel anything. My hands, feet, skin¡ªmy sense of touch haspletely disappeared.

    Since my wrists don¡¯t seem to move well, it feels like I¡¯m bound to something.

    ...It¡¯s natural that I don¡¯t smell anything. Even while moving my wrists around, there¡¯s not a sound to be heard.

    What on earth has happened?

    Despite being in a situation where any kind of danger could have befallen him, Frete remained calm.

    Whether it was summer or winter, he had roamed thend, using the ground as a bed and the sky as a nket while delivering the goddess¡¯s words. He was a person who could be considered overly optimistic.

    Even now, he thought that as long as he wasn¡¯t dead, everything would be fine, and he tried to close his eyes again.

    ¡°Hey. Hey. Don¡¯t sleep. You madman.¡±

    At that moment, a voice finally broke through the surroundings.

    It was a voice that seemed familiar from a distant past. Judging from the faint memory, she might have been somewhat beautiful.

    ¡°What would I do other than sleep when I can¡¯t recall any thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to be terrified in that case?¡±

    ¡°If I die, I die. I¡¯d get to see the beautiful goddess¡¯s visage, so what¡¯s there to fear?¡±

    ¡°...Wow. This guy has gone crazier over thest ten years.¡±

    With a snap! The darkness lifted as the surroundings came into view.

    The first thing visible was the gloomy ceiling of a brick prison.

    Iron handcuffs bound his limbs.

    His body was a mess, as if he had undergone torture.

    And finally, the face of a woman he had seen long ago, a face he thought he would never see again.

    ¡°Karia?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s me, you perverted bastard.¡±

    ¡°I... I heard you were dead.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯splicated if you want to talk about it. Hurry up and think.¡±

    Think, huh?

    Ah. Indeed. As various senses returned, the disgusting thoughts in his head also faded away.

    Recognizing this, various pieces of information floated to the surface of Frete¡¯s mind.

    The reason I ended up here was the goddess¡¯s guidance.

    She mentioned that there were those attempting to taint the world in the Barrow Domain, so he moved there disguised.

    This ce, from the outside, appeared normal, but it could not deceive Frete¡¯s eyes.

    To him, who distinguishes everything in the world between beauty and ugliness, the foulness underlying the domain was something he could not help but notice.

    Frete realized soon after entering the domain that the entire territory had fallen into the hands of the Evil God, and that the Barrow family was at its center.@@novelbin@@

    Having grasped everything, he initially nned to retreat and bring the order¡¯s pdins tounch a crusade for purification, but unfortunately, his intentions failed.

    Despite using various means to erase the traces of the apostle, he could not escape the Evil God¡¯s gaze.

    Frete desperately tried to escape this domain, but the darkness seemed endless no matter how fast he ran.

    The only thing he could do was to resist until he copsed.

    ¡°Do you remember everything?¡±

    Spitting out the blood pooling in his mouth, Frete nodded.

    ¡°...Yeah. Mostly.¡±

    ¡°Just how weak have you be in the ten years I¡¯ve been gone? You can¡¯t even escape properly.¡±

    ¡°I had no choice. I didn¡¯t get a proper chance to fight.¡±

    The moment he realized his identity was exposed, the darkness that swallowed the domain.

    The countless traps lurking within.

    Thest appearance of the Evil God¡¯s apostle that emerged after being whittled down by that darkness and the Duke of Barrow, standing in front of him like a guardian.

    Even if they faced each other in perfect condition, they would be in a precarious situation; he had no choice but to lose.

    ¡°And by the way, if we¡¯re talking about weakness, isn¡¯t it simr for you, Karia?¡±

    Back in her prime, she possessed exceptional strength, considered a pir of protection for the kingdom alongside Benedik Alrn, but that was no longer the case.

    The Karia in front of Frete now possessed barely the strength of an ordinary knight.

    Hmm. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s strange. No matter how skilled Karia is at this kind of espionage, she couldn¡¯t possibly deceive the Evil God with that level of power, could she?

    ...Could it be that I¡¯m hallucinating right now? Is my sense of duty to report the cmity of this ce creating illusions before me?

    No, that can¡¯t be.

    If I were to create an illusion, I¡¯d make it something more beautiful.

    For instance. Yes. Like that beauty I saw not long ago in the Partan domain, where the goddess seemed to manifest on earth.

    Ah. I want to meet her again.

    The moment our eyes met, everything around me vanished, and I heard celestial music, wanting to feel again the sight of the goddess dering her blessing upon such beauty.

    Bowing at her feet while receiving that piercing gaze...

    ¡°...You disgusting pervert. Get a grip.¡±

    ¡°Oh. You can still read expressions?¡±

    I briefly thought that perhaps the Evil God was mimicking Karia, but no. Thank goodness for that.

    ¡°Do you have something to say?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s important. Karia, there¡¯s a massive ck magic being prepared in this domain.¡±

    Frete, who had traveled all over the continent and fought against the Evil God¡¯s followers.

    In the process, he naturally gained knowledge about ck magic and had a rough idea of the magic circle he had seen during his escape.

    ¡°The Evil God¡¯s apostle intends to offer this entire domain as a sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°...Crazy. Is that real?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know what results that ck magic will yield, but it¡¯s clear that the lives of everyone in this domain will be sacrificed.¡±

    A greater cmity will blossom from this cmity. That must be stopped. As Frete spoke, Karia raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°More details... Ah, damn. It¡¯s urgent, so just listen. Salvation will arrive here soon. I n to blow it up from within, so save your strength. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Though many details were omitted from the story, Frete didn¡¯t ask questions. Karia, who was pulling out someone¡¯s scalp, seemed to have no leisure for that.

    ¡°Oh, and prepare yourself mentally. I¡¯ll pretend to torture you to hide my identity.¡±

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    Torture...?

    ¡°I¡¯ll make a hole in your palm. Scratch your side a bit. I¡¯ll touch your organs too.¡±

    The moment he put on the scalp, Karia¡¯s voice changed. From a slightly light feminine tone.

    To a dark and husky middle-aged voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll only make it painful. So scream genuinely for me.¡±

    ...Isn¡¯t that supposed to be about forcing me to scream?

    The thought naturally engraved itself in Frete¡¯s mind, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t voice it.

    Before he could, his mouth was filled with screams.

    The elder¡¯s words were correct.

    I believed that my interpretation was right and moved forward recklessly, and at some point, I discovered the advantage.

    The foundation of that advantage was that the skeleton, no matter how calm, could not maintain itsposure indefinitely.

    If it were an ordinary opponent, it wouldn¡¯t matter. But in front of the Mesugaki skill, even an unusual skeleton would inevitably build up anger.

    While the skeleton held the initiative, I could alleviate that anger by striking it asionally, but not anymore.

    As long as I focused on defense, the skeletoncked the ability to break through my shield. The unresolved anger would gradually umte, and it couldn¡¯t help but take over the skeleton¡¯s mind.

    Look. See the sword the skeleton is swinging right now.

    The swordy that once evoked admiration was nowhere to be found, reced by frantic and desperate attacks.

    Tiiing!

    Gritting my teeth, I deflected the skeleton''s attack and smiled beyond my shield.

    ¡°Ehh?? What is this girly attack?? You¡¯re small and? without a dick? and even weak?? I see now~? This skeleton is not a knight but a youngdy!?¡±

    Instead of answering the provocation, a strike flew at me, but it wasn¡¯t a problem.

    It wasn¡¯t a threat at this point. If I were in the trial location, it might have been different. But right now, even though the skeleton''s sword was threatening, it wasn¡¯t at a level I couldn¡¯t handle.

    After all, the skeleton''s sword was ordinary.

    This time it¡¯s from the right. The swordy has be significantly more erraticpared to before.

    With that much, it would be possible to not just receive it but also to deflect it.

    Without hesitation, I moved my shield, and the skeleton¡¯s sword slipped across the surface of the shield.

    As a result, the skeleton¡¯s bnce momentarily wavered, but I didn¡¯t press in again and raised my shield.

    That opening from just now wasn¡¯t a decisive gap.

    ¡°Skeleton youngdy~? Are you going to keep moving so cutely?? Kheuh? Kugh? But what should I do?? No matter how hard the skeleton tries, it can¡¯t be as cute as me!? How sad~?¡±

    ¡°Are you just hiding behind your shield, coward?¡±

    I observed the iing attack, filled with rage.

    Am I losing myposure?

    Even amidst all the provocations, the skeleton was bound to have its own habits and patterns of attack.

    Therefore, I thought it was a clear opportunity.

    After blocking its attack, I made a quick assessment of the situation.

    The attack was basic, descending from above¡ªamon but powerful strike.

    And it was the same attack I had been bored of facing before I was possessed.

    As I hastily made a decision, I suddenly felt a sense of unease.

    How could the skeleton, which had made three mistakes in a row, be so uncharacteristically calm?

    Wasn¡¯t this the same skeleton that had pressured me, modifying its swordy?

    Following that suspicion, I didn¡¯t act rashly and observed the skeleton.

    A brief step forward.

    A sword raised overhead.

    Slightly lifted shoulders.

    Huh. It¡¯s preparing to recover, expecting to be deflected.

    It¡¯s trying to lure me in by pretending to make a mistake.

    It¡¯s in a hurry. It really is angry now, isn¡¯t it?

    If this were the original skeleton I faced, it would havemitted some reckless act with more precision.

    For now, I¡¯ll express my gratitude internally.

    Thanks to its urgency, I was able to read its intentions, and it became possible to use that against it.

    The timing and power of the current attack matched perfectly with what I had seen countless times.

    It was only preparing to recover from being deflected. The attack was still the same.

    Then, you know, it¡¯s also possible to parry without using the shield.

    I recited an incantation in my head.

    The magic of defense that creates a shield.

    A shield made of divine power.

    A shield crafted at the precise location and timing easily deflected the skeleton''s sword, creating a massive opening.

    And I¡ª

    Without moving my shield at all, I was able to dive into the opening much faster than the skeleton expected.

    As it tried to pull back and prepare to counterattack, my clumsy motion resulted in a weak attack.

    Only to be blocked by my shield.

    The distance between the skeleton and me closed.

    Its hollow eyes met my smile.

    And as I raised my mace high, watching the skeleton¡¯s hurried attempt to dodge.

    I thrust forward with all my strength.

    As the mace connected with the skeleton, a shock transmitted through my hand, ringing a cheerful sound as if celebrating my sess.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    [Quest Clear!] [You have sessfully conquered the dungeon dominated by the Evil God!] [Your previous achievement and current achievement arebined!] [Reward ¡°Holy Domain¡± will be granted!]

    I won.

    This pathetic piece of trash.

 Chapter 260

    The skeleton, struck by the mace, staggered as it tried to rise again, only to fall back to the ground with a chuckle.

    To be precise, it would be more urate to say it was forced down. The bones around its knees had shattered.

    ¡°The power of the Evil God is dissipating. Is morning approaching?¡±

    What had moved it was the energy infused by the dark Evil God. As the time of Tariki came to an end and morning arrived, the skeleton¡¯s body would naturally crumble away.

    As the skeleton observed its gradually disintegrating body, it chuckled softly and then lifted its head.

    The skeleton. The remains holding Garad''s memories. The one who believes itself to be a noble knight. Its empty eyes gazed at me.

    There were no pupils. No eyes. No brows, frowns, or expressions. Yet, I felt a softness from the skeleton''s face.

    It was a strange feeling. Considering the earlier situation, the emotion that should have been emanating from the skeleton was anger and annoyance.

    That was only natural. The many insults I hurled at the skeleton would have been reasonable responses to any sort of provocations.

    But the skeleton did not respond that way.

    ¡°You were excellent. To have this level of skill even before reaching adulthood, your name will surely be remembered in history.¡±

    Instead, it simply praised me with sincerity.

    That gentleness made me feel embarrassed.

    While some would go to any lengths to exact revenge for perceived wrongs against the skeleton, I, amidst countless insults, had not used even a single assassination attempt.

    At that moment, a thought crossed my mind.

    In this instant, I realized that while I had won, I had lost.

    I had won in the contest, but lost as a human.

    No, did I even win in a real contest?

    No matter how I thought about it, it seemed like I would end up being the arrogant brat, basking in the fact that the adults around me were deliberately letting me win.

    To be honest, if the skeleton hadn¡¯t gone easy on me, I would have died long ago.

    ...

    Let¡¯s not think about it. The more I think, the more miserable it feels.

    <What are you doing, girl?!>

    As I was at a loss for words, my lips twitching, the elder raised his voice.

    <It¡¯s time to finish! Finish it off! Just like you usually do, you talk too much after getting beaten...>

    ¡°If you keep that up, I¡¯ll throw you to the idiotic creature as a toy.¡±

    Why does he keep nagging me when I¡¯m already starting to feel self-loathing now that the excitement from the Mesugaki skill has worn off?

    I had originally nned to yell ¡°You can¡¯t do anything, can you?¡± but now I really felt likemitting suicide.

    So just stop. If you want to be licked by that foolish creature, I won¡¯t stop you.

    After saying that, the elder hurriedly closed his mouth.

    ¡°Why are you saying nothing? Ah! Are you feeling weighed down by what I said during our duel? Don¡¯t worry about it. In a fight, it¡¯s only right to do whatever it takes to win.¡±

    Damn this skeleton! Stop showing such an adult side of yourself!

    You should show your ugly side to at least hide my own ugliness a bit!

    ¡°More importantly, this fight was born out of my shorings. If anything, it should be me apologizing.¡±

    Please stop.

    No, please stop it.

    Can¡¯t you sacrifice a bit of your honor to save me from this situation?

    ¡°Take this sword. Compared to the one I used in the past, it may becking, but it is still worthy of being called a fine sword.¡±

    Is this really necessary?!

    ¡°Whoever you give it to or sell it to, it will surely be useful no matter how you use it.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Ugh. How could I have said something like, ¡°You¡¯re dickless,? talentless,? and characterless, but you¡¯re full of perversion, skeletondy?? That¡¯s so cool!?¡±

    Feelings of self-loathing and guilt mixed, creating chaos in my head.

    The most despairing part is that all my remarks from before were words I threw to provoke the opponent, unrted to the Mesugaki skill.

    There¡¯s no ce to make excuses! What do I do?!

    I feel like I¡¯m bing more and more of a trash person, and what should I do now?!

    As I internally screamed, a thought emerged. Since I had already be trash, I might as well follow through with my original n and be true trash, but I forcefully pushed that devil¡¯s whisper away.

    If I did that, I felt like I¡¯d really lose the chance to turn back.

    ¡°By the way, can I ask one thing?¡±

    With the bare minimum of courtesy, I thought to respond, and the skeleton asked a small question.

    ¡°Are you receiving teachings from Ruel?¡±

    ...Ah. You figured it out. You realized that I was receiving help from the elder.

    Well, considering that I had been provoked by words that could only be known from mid-way through the fight, there¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t know.

    Nodding without denying it, I heard the skeleton chuckle softly.

    Following thatugh, I saw its ribcage start to crumble.

    ¡°Indeed. So that was the case. I thought you were devout because you showed no interest in women, but is this kind of girl actually your type?¡±

    <...What crazy nonsense are you spouting?!>

    ¡°Disgraceful. Ruel. To hide behind the one you¡¯re teaching while focusing on ridiculing a friend. That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t obtain the shield.¡±

    <How many times must I repeat this?! The reason the angel didn¡¯t hand me a shield back then was that I already had a shield blessed upon me! It had nothing to do with nobility!>

    I knew that the elder¡¯s words were correct since I knew various episodes from the game, but I didn¡¯t bother to correct him.

    <No. No, that¡¯s not it. This isn¡¯t the time for that. Girl! Quickly shut that mouth that¡¯s just spouting nonsense!>

    Seeing the skeleton¡¯s ribcage crumble, I realized time was running out.

    Until just a moment ago, I had only caused the skeleton trouble. I should repay him in some way, right?

    <Girl?! Are you not listening to me?!>

    For a while, while the skeleton continued to insult the elder, it seemed to remember something and attempted to p, only to realize its arms were missing, chuckling to itself.

    ¡°...Ruel. You might not know this, but let me tell you something interesting. Do you think this ce is the only thing that crazy Karon has created?¡±

    <What?>

    Did the skeleton¡¯s words shock me that much? As the elder fell silent, a calm enveloped the atmosphere, and I could hear the skeleton continue speaking.

    ¡°Since there¡¯s no time, let¡¯s stop ying around. Child blessed by the goddess. You will have to ovee many hardships ahead. Although I¡¯ve said many bad things, that foul knight is a reliable fellow. It may be picky, but if you trust him and follow him, he will surely be of great help.¡±

    Even if you don¡¯t say that, I already know he¡¯s more trustworthy than anyone else. If I don¡¯t trust the one person who understands my struggles, then who can I trust?

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t give up and keep moving forward. It¡¯s shameless for me to say this, considering that I am the one who has burdened you.¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry.¡¯

    ¡°What are you worried about? Do you think I¡¯ll lose to the trash that¡¯s been beaten down and is now rotting on the ground? I¡¯m just a skeleton without a brain.¡±

    ¡°Heh. You know, they used to say I had good taste in people back in the day.¡±

    Afterughing for a while, the skeleton slowly looked up at me, realizing its shoulders were crumbling.

    ¡°Hang in there.¡±

    With that one phrase, the skeleton¡¯s head fell to the ground.

    In a panic, I rushed over to pick it up, but by then, the skeleton¡¯s head had already turned to dust, scattering across the ground.

    Ugh. Damn it. I really hate facing good people. The ending is unsettling. If my opponent were trash, I¡¯d feel refreshed after smashing their head in.

    I want to hurl insults as I leave.

    Could this have been their intention?! To give me difort while simultaneously boosting their reputation?!

    ...Ugh. That¡¯s unlikely.

    <Girl.>

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    <Was what that guy just said true?! Is there really another dungeon created by Karon?!>

    As I sighed inwardly and heard the elder¡¯s urgent voice, I couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.

    No way. Elder. In this situation, shouldn¡¯t you be the one feeling the aftermath more than I do?!

    Why are you only worrying about yourself and not even ncing at the skeleton?! Are you really a knight?!

    ¡®It¡¯s true. It¡¯s a ce I intend to visit someday.¡¯

    I don¡¯t particrly want to go there.

    It¡¯s a ce that¡¯s difficult to enter. Plus, it¡¯s not a ce where I need to suffer to obtain something.

    But I don¡¯t need to tell the elder that honestly.

    <...Girl? What do you mean you¡¯re going to visit? Girl?!>

    Ha ha. Be afraid of the fact that you don¡¯t know when your dark history wille back to haunt you, elder!

    Ignoring the elder¡¯s urgent voice, I looked up and saw the figure of a sword.

    With a face and body that seemed to have taken a beating, Luca, who had a perfectly normal expression, bowed his head without saying a word.

    Wow, this guy really is disgustingly strong. Even though Luca was in a state of losing his mind, that guy was still on the list of strong ones.

    To overpower someone like him without a scratch, was it thanks to the foolish creature helping him little by little?

    ¡°Are you going back right away?¡±

    ¡®No. Just a moment.¡¯

    ¡°Ugh. Is that worthless knight rushing us while his master is waiting? You¡¯re really lower than a dog.¡±

    ¡°I''m really sorry! Miss!¡±

    After tossing Luca¡¯s body like a sack of rice and leaving his head on the ground, I opened the quest window to properly check the reward I just received.

    ...Huh? Why is there another quest I don¡¯t know about?

    Clear the knight¡¯s trial.

    Ah, right. They mentioned they¡¯d give a reward for passing this trial initially. How did I forget that?

    Ipletely nked due to the evil god¡¯s interference earlier.

    Hmm. For now, let¡¯s check the reward I know. After all, it¡¯s said that fun things should be saved forter.

    [Reward ¡®Holy Domain¡¯ has been granted!]

    Holy Domain. A skill that covers a certain radius around oneself with holiness, turning that space advantageous for allies and disadvantageous for enemies.

    It¡¯s ambiguous.

    While it is a good skill in thete game, it only bes effective in thete game.

    Using it consumes a massive amount of holy power, and if the level of holiness is low, the holiness could just dissipate without activating. Furthermore, it consumes a lot of holy power just to maintain it, making it extremely difficult to use.

    To be honest, it was a skill rarely used unless one wanted to have a fun concept.

    Given that I had just cleanly defeated the dark Evil God, to receive such a skill as a reward made my voice almost rise to my throat in protest.

    Yet I forcibly held it down.

    The rewards given by the useless god had proved their worth at some point in the past.

    I could always curseter.

    Who knows? If I were blessed with the holy power of the useless god, it might be different?

    For now, I¡¯ll check this out after I recover my physical condition, and then look at the other rewards.

    What could it be? What will they give me?

    I wasn¡¯t really expecting much due to the useless skill I just received, but it was still a reward, so I needed to check.

    [You have seeded in earning the recognition of the Guardian of Trials.]

    [Achievement that even the creator of the trials could not have anticipated.]

    Oh? Was the exnation like this? I thought it was a different description.

    Am I mistaking something?

    [...]

    [The past hero Garad excelled at grasping his opponent''s weaknesses and taking control of the flow. Some of the abilities he possessed have been granted to your mace.]

    [Weakness Recognition.]

    [You will now be able to identify weaknesses more effectively.]

    Was there such a skill in Soul Academy?

    If there was a skill with such a good effect, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t have remembered it!

    I concluded one thing as I pondered deeply with my arms crossed.

    This skill didn¡¯t exist in the game.

    ...

    This is insane.

    So, are they granting me a skill that didn¡¯t exist in the game right now?!

 Chapter 261

    The darkness is slowly receding.

    The cursed sun is neverte, even today.

    In the past, I never liked seeing that thing raise its head, which was unable to do anything under the cover of darkness.

    But that¡¯s alright. There isn¡¯t much time left for that anymore.

    Even if I disappear, if I can perish together with that hope, our Lord shall surely restore glory.

    Child who is loved by that hideously ugly thing.

    How has it been?

    Did my trickery bring outughter because it was too simple?

    I felt the same way.

    As I confirmed the many things you possess,ughter naturally escaped me.

    You are quite skilled at countering darkness.

    You have memorized the paths of ces you¡¯ve never been to perfectly.

    You even know how to handle the sword of someone you face for the first time.

    Armadhi has surely bestowed upon you countless knowledge.

    However, you are far too overconfident in your own knowledge.

    A trump card is not something to be shown so easily.

    Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t the opponent be prepared to counter it?

    If you are the only hope of thisnd.

    Then my role is to devour that hope.

    After preparing everything.

    I shall wait in anticipation.

    For the moment youe.

    For the moment you scream in pain.

    For the moment you weep for salvation that does note, begging Armadhi to save you.

    You will not be able to turn away from this.

    Because I have already seen the weakness of your heart that desperately tries to hide it.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    The first thing I did after escaping the academy¡¯s old building was to run to the training ground.

    Just before dawn. At the moment I would usually start training as a habit.

    I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be there at this time.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    As expected. Frey had already arrived at the training ground before me, swinging his sword.

    ¡°What a nice shield! Did you get it recently?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a little while ago.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it cool? A fool like you wouldn¡¯t even be able to scratch it.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to test it?¡±

    ¡°Please do.¡±

    ¡°If you want to feel just how pathetic you are, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±

    The reason I came to meet Frey was simple.

    It was a skill I had never seen before in the game.

    To understand exactly what kind of performance Weakness Recognition possessed.

    There were no hidden skills in the game called Soul Academy.

    It was a game that had not received a single update during the countless modes created. Naturally, all hidden information had long been revealed through unpacking.

    Achievements, speedruns, constraint y, etc. I had actively utilized this unpacked information during my countless experiments and, in the end, produced numerous records.

    Some people expressed their dissatisfaction with using unfair methods, but I didn¡¯t care about that opinion. There was no reason to listen to someone less skilled than me, right?

    In any case, after conducting countless studies, I naturally knew all the skills present in Soul Academy.

    To create the optimal efficiency, I had touched upon every skill that seemed promising.

    And this was a skill I was seeing for the first time.

    A skill I encountered because I had been reincarnated into this world.

    Of course, I needed to check its performance first!

    To be honest, the exnation of Weakness Recognition is ambiguous. It states that you will be able to recognize weaknesses more effectively.

    If this were a game, I would think it was just an increase in critical hits, but this is reality.

    How the skill will activate, what effects it will produce, what its performance will be, and what uses it might have¡ªall of these are things I need to verify.

    This is precisely why I came to find Frey.

    The sword is my guard and simultaneously a teacher of Soul Academy. Since she already wasted a day because of me, I can¡¯t hold her up any longer.

    However, Frey is different. This fellow, who has no interest in academics or anything else and only cares about swinging his sword, can be held up as long as needed.

    ¡°Shall we go?¡±

    ¡°Anytime.¡±

    ¡°Do as you wish. I¡¯ll have to attempt a surprise attack since I¡¯ll be the one getting ambushed anyway, right?¡±

    ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Watching Frey dash forward quickly, I thought. For now, it felt no different from usual.

    He practices sparring with me dozens of times a day.

    Can¡¯t I find something new in the sword that has already be familiar?

    ¡°¡­The shield has be sturdier. Equipment boost. Cowardly.¡±

    As I blocked Frey¡¯s sword with Ankir, he whined while striking in session.

    I was aware that equipment also counts as a skill, so it must have touched Frey¡¯s emotions, but I didn¡¯t let it affect me.

    Just a moment ago, while facing the skeleton, I had doubts about my personality.

    So instead of mindlessly chatting, I focused on watching Frey¡¯s sword.

    The sword she wielded then and the sword she wields now are different in many ways.

    While she still pursues her unique speed and relentless onught, there are clear differences in between.

    To put it simply, that difference is refinement. In the past, Frey moved her sword ording to her instincts.

    She had not learned much, so it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Most people would feel something was off midway and seek to learn from others, but Frey did not.

    Her talent was exceptional enough to conquer the continent with just instinct.

    But not now. For some reason, Frey, who had asked her father to teach her how to wield a sword, now had a sword that was remarkably cleaner than before.

    Retaining the advantages that Frey had¡ªquick judgment and fearlessness in attack¡ªshe has built the fundamentals of swordsmanship on top of that.

    Now, with the sword''s movements sharpened, the speed and power of her attacks have increased.

    As unnecessary thought processes have decreased, the speed at which her sword strikes has be faster.

    Though she had only received teachings during the vacation, her sword had undoubtedly be significantly stronger.

    However, it was still not enough.

    Perhaps having confronted a skeleton that had reached the extremes of the basics or because I had acquired the skill of Weakness Recognition, I could see her shorings.

    The intervals between her sword strikes are too short.

    Out of frustration, she might be increasing the number of attacks, but the fact that her attacks are faster means that each individual attack bes weaker.

    If there isn¡¯t sufficient power, even the fastest sword will merely bounce off the shield.@@novelbin@@

    No special techniques are necessary to deal with me.

    If I just wait quietly, she will self-destruct.

    My judgment was urate.

    As Frey increased her speed, she eventually exposed a huge gap, and in that moment, I saw the imbnce in her stance.

    When I pushed against the spot I had been eyeing, Frey fell down far too easily.

    Lying sprawled on the ground, Frey blinked and then raised her sword.

    ¡°Again.¡±

    I willingly epted her request.

    To truly feel the power of the skill Weakness Recognition.

    As the sparring time lengthened, I began to understand what the skill Weakness Recognition was.

    First of all, this skill reveals weaknesses.

    Just as I saw Frey¡¯s impatience and her crumbling bnce, it allows one to naturally see the opponent¡¯s weaknesses.

    And this skill does not show everything from the start.

    During our first spar, I could not see several weaknesses, but as time went by, I could see more.

    The gap that arises when one is in a hurry, swinging their sword ¡®just a little¡¯ faster than stepping forward.

    Or the eyebrows that drop ¡®slightly¡¯ when one is about to take a gamble.

    Thanks to this, I was able to suppress Frey more easily as the sparring continued.

    Next, it was clear that this skill was influenced by my abilities.

    Because I could see weaknesses that I had roughly grasped from countless sparring sessions with Frey.

    At this level, Weakness Recognition could easily be called a cheating skill.

    I, who am adept at defense, naturally create prolonged battles.

    As time passes, I can identify my opponent and find ways to break them down. This Weakness Recognition skill fits my fighting style perfectly.

    However, the cheating nature of Weakness Recognition did not end there.

    Surprisingly, this skill didn¡¯t just influencebat.

    I should have realized it from the moment the exnation was vague.

    A weakness literally refers to an opponent''s weak points.

    Body parts that are ufortable to show? Weaknesses.

    Words they don¡¯t want to hear? That¡¯s a weakness too.

    Things they never want to be discovered by the opponent? Naturally, those are weaknesses.

    Exining this way might be a bit hard to understand. Hmm. For example. Yes.

    ¡°That''s unfair. Because I''m small, hiding behind the shield makes it all blocked.¡±

    What Frey doesn¡¯t want to be discovered right now.

    ¡°Hey? Foolish swordsman? I know you want to insult me, but with a sword this pathetic, there¡¯s no way that would even cross my mind?¡±

    She keeps trying to pick a fight and provoke me.

    For some reason, this is also Frey¡¯s weakness.

    Look. As soon as I bring it up, hesitation appears in her sword.

    ¡°Instead of wasting time babbling, you should focus on swinging your sword, right?? But the result would still be the same?¡±

    Just as I chuckled, a red hue appeared on Frey¡¯s face.

    Anger? Embarrassment? I¡¯m not sure what emotion she carried, but the result was clear.

    A blue light gathered above Frey¡¯s sword.

    Whoa!? This is a sparring match! What are you doing using aura here?!

    As soon as I saw that, I hurriedly surrounded my shield with holiness.

    The only fortunate thing was that Frey¡¯s preparation was not perfect.

    Because her provocation had worked so well, her aura was wrapped around her sword in a haphazard manner, leading to uncertain power.

    But I could block it because of my equipment. If it had been someone else, they would have been smashed to bits.

    Nheless, Frey¡¯s swordsmanship was genuine.

    As I intended to speak harshly while protecting my head with my shield, Frey was already running far away.

    ¡­What is this about hitting first and then running away? Did she find my nagging that unbearable?

    Hmm. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be weed if I chase after her.

    Since I¡¯ll meet herter, I can nag her then.

    So, let¡¯s check on something else first.

    Thanks to spending time sparring with Frey, my holiness had been significantly restored.

    I will use the Holy Domain to check¡­

    ¡°Miss.¡±

    The moment I decided to look, a voice that seemed to have been waiting for me rang out, causing me to halt the use of holiness.

    Standing behind me was something that looked like a sword, but it was not a sword.

    It¡¯s hard to put into words, but how should I say it?

    I can¡¯t feel the subtle madness usually emanating from a normal sword.

    If it were that one, it would wait for several days without showing impatience.

    Instead, it would shout, ¡°Thank you for letting me wait!¡±

    What¡¯s this? What is this guy doing?

    I applied more force to the hand gripping my mace as the opponent hurriedly spoke.

    ¡°I am Alsetin, mydy.¡±

    ...Alsetin?

    What is he doing here?

    What if he gets discovered by the academy?

    If he had just sent a note, I would have gone to meet himter. Why is he doing something so urgent?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mydy. It¡¯s quite an urgent matter.¡±

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    ¡°Speak. Quickly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s rted to what you were looking for, mydy. Darkness is attempting to engulf thend.¡±

    ¡­Huh.

    Wait a moment?

    So, if it¡¯s something I was looking for, it¡¯s definitely information rted to the Burrow noble family.

    If it¡¯s about darkness, then it¡¯s Tariki.

    And thend refers to the territory.

    Putting all of this together, it means Tariki is trying to engulf the territory.

    To put it another way, it means the Apostle of the Evil God is trying to offer the Burrow territory to Tariki...

    Are you insane?

    Are you insane!?

    Is that bastard going crazy to get annihted?!

 Chapter 262

    As soon as I heard Alsetin¡¯s story, I headed outside the academy.

    sses are waiting, but right now is not the time to worry about such trivialities.

    To think that they would attempt to offer an entire territory to the Evil God. What kind of insane talk is that?! It doesn¡¯t make sense!

    The Burrow noble family is undoubtedly massive. As one of the few ducal families in the kingdom, thend under their influence is vast, and there are many people living on it.

    If they could devour all life existing there, they would surely gain immense power.

    But that¡¯s only based on the premise that they can devour everything.

    There are several points at which this n does not make sense.

    First of all, the size of the Burrow territory itself is a problem.

    How will they prepare magic capable of handling such a vast area, and even if they manage to prepare it without being discovered, that magic will undoubtedly be filled with ws.

    The evidence for this is countless.

    First, Tariki''s authority is insufficient. The power of Tariki is not that great.

    Since the Burrow family is a knightly territory, it likely does not have abundant magical resources.

    Above all, the biggest issue is theck of time.

    It hasn¡¯t been long since Nakradpletely swallowed the Burrow family.

    Even if they had been preparing this since then, time is too short.

    There is a limit to how much madness can drive people. The magic of sacrifices can never be perfect. If it is activated at all, it should be called a miracle.

    Even if, by some stroke of luck, the spell for the sacrifice was ready, the question remains: how will they endure until the sacrifice is offered?

    The Burrow noble family is a massive territory.

    When the dark magic capable of swallowing everything is activated, the church will undoubtedly notice. No matter how specialized Tariki¡¯s authority is in hiding, there are limits.

    Especially with his power being imperfect now.

    The surrounding territories. The nation. The church. They will alle to crush Tariki. The magic cannot bepleted.

    ...

    What if, by some chance.

    If, by a slim chance, the magic of the sacrifice was sessfully deployed.

    If, somehow, they managed to endure the movements to subjugate Tariki while offering the Burrow territory to him.

    But can Tariki really defeat those who havee to subjugate him?

    Ha. No way.

    A sacrifice is, after all, energy and heat.

    No matter how much food is in front of you, there¡¯s a limit to how much you can eat. Just like that, even if countless sacrifices are offered, there is a limit to how much power can be drawn from them.

    Currently, Tariki is like a human who has been stuck in the ground for a long time, surviving on water dripping from the ceiling and insects passing by.

    It doesn¡¯t matter how much of a glutton he was in the past. How much can he eat when a feast is presented before someone who hasn¡¯t had proper food for a long time?

    I¡¯m certain. Even if the magic ispleted, the resurrected Tariki¡¯s power will be infinitely weakerpared to his peak.

    In that state, Tariki will not darken the sky but rather add a line to the achievements of those who came to subjugate him before he fades away.

    How can I be so sure? Because I saw the hastily resurrected Tariki with my own eyes, andpared to when he was fully revived, he was so weak that it made me scoff.

    Thus, I thought there must be some kind of misunderstanding.

    No matter how I think about it, this is an act of suicide. What else can you call betting your life on a gamble that is sure to fail if not suicide?

    Could it be that I figured out the hidden secrets of the Burrow family and that he is starting to move to eliminate me?

    Not at all. While it might cause him to feel rushed, there¡¯s no reason for him tomit such a crazy act.

    He would have recovered enough strength in the process of swallowing the Burrow family, so it would be better for him to retreat satisfied with that. Why would he risk his life on a gamble that is clearly going to cost him everything?

    In fact, the Tariki from the game acted that way. He would say that if he left, humans would fight each other and cause even more damage than when he was present.

    ¡°This is the report conveyed to me by my master. It has been seen by the Apostle of Beauty and Art, and since you have verified it through several priests, there should be no errors.¡±

    However, the Tariki of this world is very different from the one I knew.

    He was truly preparing to swallow the Burrow territory.

    I don¡¯t want to admit it. I want to deny it!

    But all the information in front of me points too urately to one undeniable fact!@@novelbin@@

    Damn it! Karia! You really are doing an outstanding job!

    How on earth can you mix in among the apostles of the Evil God?!

    Is it really in a state where it has lost most of its power?! How ridiculously strong was it in its prime?!

    ¡°What will you do?¡±

    At Alsetin¡¯s question, I snapped out of my daydream.

    He was trying to keep a normal expression, and that act was certainly skilled. If it had been me before I discovered Weakness Recognition, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed a thing.

    But not now. I can see it in Zigg¡¯s eyes. The anxiety he doesn¡¯t want to reveal. The worry for his master.

    The moment I faced that feeling, the various thoughts floating in my head subsided, and calmness took their ce.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes.

    As all information points to this magic being real, it is indeed true that Tariki is about tomit a crazy act.

    So pointing out that this is a crazy act is meaningless.

    Let¡¯s think in the opposite direction.

    ¡®Why must hemit a crazy act?¡¯

    What is he aiming for? Recovery of power? No, if that were the goal, there are many better options.

    Hatred towards the Burrow family? He has no such thing.

    Nakrad¡¯s arbitrary decision? That¡¯s not it either. He might be a show-off, but his loyalty is genuine.

    What is it? What is it really?

    The more I think, the more I feel like I¡¯m falling into abyrinth, and just then, my grandfather let out a sigh.

    <Sigh. Why does my head get so stiff when it¡¯s not rted to dungeons?>

    ¡®...Huh? Grandfather. What did I say?¡¯

    I haven¡¯t said anything to my grandfather! I was just thinking in my head?!

    <I heard several thoughts slip out in between.>

    ¡®Then you should have said so in advance!¡¯

    Why are you eavesdropping so sneakily?! You should respect personal privacy! Be an adult!

    <I was just admiring how you were thinking for yourself.>

    ¡®Really?¡¯

    <Then what other reason could there be?>

    ¡®No, but there was that thing the skeleton mentioned not long ago.¡¯

    <How many times do I have to tell you it¡¯s not! My preference is not for brats like you!... Anyway! Why can¡¯t you think when you¡¯re in front of the answer?!>

    You say I¡¯m in front of the answer? What does that even mean?

    <Let me ask you this. When you are willing to throw your life away for something? >

    ¡®When I want to protect something precious?¡¯

    <...Close. More urately, it¡¯s when something more important than your life is at stake.>

    Something more important than life. If it¡¯s Tariki. If it¡¯s the Evil God of Darkness. If it¡¯s a guy who has been sealed away for a long time, umting hatred after defeat.

    ¡®Revenge against the deity.¡¯

    That¡¯s the one thing he wants to achieve, even if it costs him his life.

    <Good. Then what must he do for revenge?>

    ¡®Destroy the world.¡¯

    <Why do you think so?>

    ¡®Because this world is the most precious thing to the deity¡­ perhaps.¡¯

    Precious things. Things to cherish. Things to care about. Things that one continues to gaze upon.

    In the past, when the useless deity had almost no involvement in this world, that object had to be abstract.

    But not anymore.

    Because I have.

    An apostle of Armadhi.

    <Yes. That¡¯s you.>

    ¡®...No. But this has nothing to do with me, right?¡¯

    Of course, I have to head to the Burrow family because of the quest.

    But Tariki knows nothing about the quest.

    To put it bluntly, whatever happens in the Burrow territory, if I ignore it and sit still, what will he do?

    He¡¯ll just cause a ruckus by himself and self-destruct.

    Isn¡¯t that too clumsy to target me?

    <So you can ignore it?>

    ¡®...What?¡¯

    <Are you going to ignore the countless damages that will arise from your indifference?>

    ¡®...¡¯

    <Since you can¡¯t answer, let me ask something else. Can you bear to see the Burrow territory burning because you dragged in other forces?>

    ¡®...No.¡¯

    I can¡¯t. I¡¯m not that strong of a person.

    I struggle to bear even one person¡¯s life, and if countless lives are added to that, I would surely copse.

    <Then let¡¯s go back to the beginning. Does this matter have nothing to do with you?>

    ¡®...No.¡¯

    I had no way to refute that. As long as I exist, I can never ignore what happens in the Burrow family.

    <That¡¯s it. Since you have shown many clues up to now, he must be aware of this.>

    When I faced reality, my heart sank.

    Ah. Damn it. I can no longerpletely turn a blind eye to this.

    If Tariki goes and causes trouble, leading to sacrifices, then my failures will also be present.

    <It is certain that the opponent is digging a trap targeting you. If you go there, many dangers and hardships will follow.>

    That will be the case. Knowing the opponent ising, there¡¯s no reason not to prepare for that opponent.

    Ah. Is that why I conquered the Trial Dungeon?

    To find out how I tackle dungeons?

    And based on that information, they are trying to create a dungeon to capture and kill me?

    So that thing I thought was a bait was actually reconnaissance?!

    <My opinion remains the same asst time.>

    My grandfather said.

    To learn how to sacrifice for others.

    To not stake your life on everything.

    To ask for support.

    Just likest time.

    However, this time, there was one part of my grandfather''s words that was different from before.

    <Since you are my master, I must respect your intentions. Let me ask. What will you do?>

    The moment I heard the question of what I would do, only one word came to my mind.

    ¡®Conquer it.¡¯

    Conquer.

    Created for me.

    A dungeon created to kill me.

    You want me to just walk past a dungeon optimized for me?

    The mode creator made a dungeon for me, and you want me to ignore it?

    I can¡¯t! I absolutely can¡¯t!

    <...Sigh. Alright. I expected that. Then the next question. Are you confident?>

    ¡®Is that even a question? It¡¯s a dungeon.¡¯

    Ha. What can he do if he tries to eliminate me! After all, he¡¯s just a pathetic Evil God!

    Having cleared this game countless times, I know just howcking his creativity is!

    Go ahead! Let¡¯s see you try! I¡¯ll make you feel the sting of your stupidity!

    <What¡¯s the n?>

    ¡®Since I know the opponent has prepared a gift for me, I must prepare a gift for him as well.¡¯

    If the opponent is sincerely preparing something that I dislike, then I must prepare something that he will dislike in return.

    I¡¯m a kind and polite person.

    Wouldn¡¯t he be happy enough to squirm if there were two suns in the sky?

    <...Is that possible? Without the deity''s help?>

    ¡®It¡¯s possible.¡¯

    It may not have been possible in the past, but I now possess a new skill.

    Although it will cost me a little bit of my dignity.

    No, I will have to sell it quite a bit.

 Chapter 263

    I jokingly told my grandfather that I would give Tariki a gift, but the reality is a bit different. The sun I want to create is merely a means for conquest.

    ording to Karia''s report, Tariki''s forces have already swallowed the Burrow territory.

    The citizens of the territory. The mansion''s attendants. The criminals in the alleys. The soldiers guarding the streets. The priests of the church. The knights affiliated with the family.

    Everyone is in a state of being consumed by darkness.

    In the past, I thought I would only face some of them.

    The difficulty of putting someone to sleep is entirely different from the difficulty of moving someone. I judged that with the current Nakrad, moving a few at once would be the limit.

    Afterpleting adequate preparations, I thought I could face the dungeon disguised as the Burrow family with sheer force.

    However, the story has changed now.

    If the magic circle activates and the darkness consumes the territory, all those people will be my enemies.

    That volume is beyond what I can handle.

    It¡¯s a kind of military force and a disaster. If I respond clumsily, I will be suffocated before I even reach the mansion.

    So, I prepare the sun.

    No matter what Tariki has prepared, I will create a bright light that can erase all that darkness.

    A brilliant light that will take away the night from those trapped in a deep slumber.

    <...Theoretically, it seems possible.>

    Hearing my n to create the sun, my grandfather appeared somewhat displeased.

    Was it to be expected? What I was about to do was a type that was far removed frommon sense.

    <It¡¯s too reckless and carries a huge risk. Honestly speaking, if one of my subordinates brought something like this, I would have shouted, "Are you crazy?">

    ¡®Grandfather, have you forgotten how I usually operate?¡¯

    No, grandfather. You¡¯ve seen all the crazy things I¡¯ve done, so what do you mean by risk?

    <That may be true, but...>

    My grandfather, who has seen my antics up close more than anyone else, seemed to be at a loss for words and dragged his voice out.

    ¡®So, it¡¯s still definitely possible, right?¡¯

    <Sigh. Yes. If it goes as you say.>

    ¡®That¡¯s all I needed to hear.¡¯

    Receiving my grandfather''s affirmation, I told Alsetin to wait before heading out of the academy street.

    Finding the person I wanted to meet was remarkably easy.

    With immense holiness, she became a beacon by her very existence.

    ¡°Lady.¡±

    Feiby. The false saint who will one day be the true saint.

    The more she trained, the more I felt how skilled she was in handling holy magic.

    One of the overpowered characters in Soul Academy.

    In the early morning, as she prayed before the holy symbol in the church, she smiled upon seeing my face.

    A smile filled with reassurance, relief, and happiness.

    I smiled back at her and spoke.

    ¡®I need your help.¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic saint. I¡¯m going to give you a special chance to let me help you. What will you do?¡±

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    Even though I had blurted out a request before greeting her, Feiby nodded without hesitation.

    There was a kind of madness in her demeanor. A simr kind of madness I had seen from the sword.

    Feeling perplexed, I asked her if she wouldn¡¯t want to hear what I had to say, and Feiby tilted her head and replied.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to listen. You¡¯re the one asking for a favor.¡±

    ¡®...What if I ask for something strange?¡¯

    ¡°Huh~ Anything? Then should I crawl on my feet and bark like a dog?¡±

    ¡°Is that necessary?¡±

    Feiby¡¯s face, devoid of even the slightest trace of a smile, made it impossible to distinguish whether she was being serious or joking.

    So, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to respond. If I said it was necessary, I felt she would actually follow through with it.

    ¡°I¡¯m joking, mydy.¡±

    The short, heavy silence vanished when Feiby let out augh.

    ...Oh. Right? That¡¯s a joke, right?

    ¡°The reason I asked what I should do is that I thought there would only be one thing you¡¯d ask for.¡±

    Ah. That makes sense.

    Feiby was the one who confirmed the abnormalities of the Burrow family. It was only a few dayster that I came to ask her for something, so it was only natural that it would be rted to the Burrow family.

    So now, I¡¯ve be a toy for Feiby.

    To think that the kind and gentle saint would y tricks on me. It seems she thinks of me quite fondly.

    Understanding that fact made me happy, but alongside that joy, I was indeed annoyed to be teased.

    I must retaliate.

    ¡°Lady?! Does it hurt?! You say it hurts?!¡±@@novelbin@@

    I appropriately punished her by pulling her cheeks, then took the now red-faced Feiby outside the church. The church was not a suitable ce to have secret discussions.

    The day I noticed the anomalies of the Burrow family.

    Feiby exined everything she had seen to Lucy. She even mentioned that she could report the Burrow family to the church if necessary.

    However, Lucy rejected her proposal.

    She had no intention of borrowing the church¡¯s power or even of bringing the matter to light. She told the pathetic saint to keep quiet for a while.

    At that time, Feiby could not understand Lucy¡¯s request.

    The Apostle of the Evil God is trying to swallow the ducal family. If not handled quickly, it could lead to a great disaster.

    ording to the original n, upon noticing any trace of this, she should report it to the church and cut it off at the root.

    Having spent a long time as a symbol of the deity''s church, Feiby understood the importance of this process better than anyone.

    Yet, despite this, she followed Lucy''s words as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

    She is an apostle of Armadhi. A being who hears the word of the deity from the closest distance. Whatever she requests must have a profound meaning behind it.

    Feiby remained silent without a hint of doubt.

    She waited quietly for the day when the will of the deity would descend upon the earth.

    A few dayster, on a morning like any other.

    Lucy, who should have been sweating in the training ground, came to find Feiby at the church.

    That alone was enough for Feiby to understand the situation. The Apostle of the Deity needs her to defeat the Evil God.

    Her prediction was not wrong. Lucy wanted Feiby to helpbat the disaster arising from the Burrow territory.

    She had been chosen by the Apostle, Lucy.

    It was something she should feel honored about, and if it were the usual Feiby, she might have shed tears of gratitude.

    But Feiby could not do so.

    ¡°Let me tell you in advance; this is a trap that filthy garbage is trying to pull me into. As expected from that cautious trash, there will be a lot prepared, and it will be extremely dangerous. So think carefully. This is a matter of life and death.¡±

    The words Lucy spoke were so strange.

    ¡°...Um. Mydy.¡±

    ¡°What is it, pathetic saint?¡±

    ¡°Trap, you say?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That pathetic, cowardly Evil God can¡¯t take revenge on the deity directly, so he must be trying to torment me.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll go there directly?¡±

    ¡°Hey. Are you hurt? Why do you keep asking me the same thing like a goldfish?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Why?

    Even knowing that it¡¯s a trap.

    Even knowing that it¡¯s dangerous.

    Even knowing that if I go there, I will surely suffer and may even die.

    Why would she insist on going there herself?

    There are plenty of good alternatives.

    She could borrow the power of the nation or the church.

    No matter how I think about it, there¡¯s no reason for thedy to step into danger.

    You, an apostle of the deity, have no reason to stake your life.

    But why on earth would you insist on it?

    ¡°Why should I, a weakened being, ept help in facing that pathetic self-proimed god?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not such a simple problem! Mydy!...¡±

    As Feiby was about to shout in disbelief at Lucy¡¯s response, she suddenly realized one fact.

    What if.

    What if, as Feiby said, other forces were brought in?

    What if the nation and the church were involved?

    Feiby knew the answer to that.

    She had heard it in her voice. She had read it in text. She had seen it in pictures. And she knew it too well because she had faced it with her own two eyes.

    The Burrow family would vanish.

    One of its members would be erased from history just for reaching out to the Evil God.

    The Duke of Burrow would lose everything due to the foolish actions hemitted in his youth.

    Unlike Feiby, he would not even have the opportunity to repent.

    He would surely fall into hell.

    But what if the problem of the Burrow family were resolved without involving any other forces?

    What if everything were quietly buried?

    Having reached that thought, Feiby suddenly burst outughing.

    It was not the gentleughter befitting a saint.

    It was theughter born out of disbelief.

    And it was theughter that came from being utterly amazed by the opponent before her.

    So, you¡¯re saying that, as a matter of course, you intend to throw your life away for the lives of others?

    No one would acknowledge that achievement.

    It¡¯s even uncertain whether the Duke of Burrow himself would express his gratitude.

    With not even a hint of hesitation, you intend to throw away your own life?

    Ah, yes. Of course.

    It¡¯s because of this kind of person that Armadhi chose you as an apostle.

    In contrast, this foolish me was calcting the value of my life.

    Thinking that the life of the deity''s apostle is preciouspared to someone else¡¯s.

    Even though I was saved by your nobility.

    I should offer prayers of atonement during the nights toe.

    How long did Iugh?

    It was only when Lucy began to look at Feiby with a worried expression that Feiby finally opened her eyes.

    ¡°Mydy.¡±

    ¡°...Pathetic saint? You haven¡¯t lost your mind, have you? Right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°No matter what danger awaits, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    To add my pitiful strength to the will of the noble apostle.

    ¡°So please tell me what I need to do.¡±

    Unlike before, when Lucy scolded Feiby for saying something simr, this time it was different.

    She raised her eyebrows slightly and only lifted one corner of her mouth.

    ¡°Got it. Pathetic saint. I¡¯ll tell you what we need to do.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I will do my best with whatever it is.¡±

    ¡°We are going to the Arteia family right now and sell our dignity to the holy pervert there.¡±

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

 Chapter 264

    ¡°...What do you mean by that?¡±

    Feiby blinked at my statement about needing to sell our dignity.

    I understand. If someone else had said this, I would have responded that it was crazy talk.

    However, this was something I absolutely had to convey.

    The person we are about to visit, Isabel Arteia, is a pervert obsessed with the deity''s holiness. Even Feiby, the saint of the deity''s church, would likely react simrly to me.

    No matter how much of a saint she is, standing in front of that pervert would undoubtedly cause significant psychological damage. I should prepare her mind in advance.

    And more importantly, in case of emergency, we might genuinely have to sell our dignity. I need to tell her in advance to avoid any resentment.@@novelbin@@

    ¡®That person is, well, quite strange.¡¯

    ¡°That disgusting fanatic is far from normal. If it has holiness, they would even lick a pit.¡±

    ¡°Are you referring to Lady Arteia?¡±

    ¡®...Huh? Feiby. Don¡¯t tell me...¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic saint. Do you know about that perverted fanatic?¡±

    ¡°I do. They are someone who provides a lot of support to the deity''s church. I¡¯ve encountered them several times at official events.¡±

    Now that I think about it, that¡¯s true.

    Isabel Arteia has been closely rted to the deity''s church for a long time. Where else would the information about all the holy artifacts she purchasese from?

    She has built a connection with the church through her enormous wealth and uses it to buy various sacred relics.

    Naturally, she would have participated in various events during that process and would have crossed paths with Feiby.

    ¡°I know Lady Arteia as someone full of grace and poise.¡±

    ¡®That person?!¡¯

    ¡°That crazy woman?!¡±

    Grace? Poise? What on earth allows one to describe that pervert with such words?

    As I stared at her seriously, Feiby gave an awkward smile.

    Hmm. Does this mean she truly didn¡¯t do anything to Feiby? The one who looked at her as if wanting to imprison her the moment they met?

    Now that I think about it, there was no mention of Isabel doing anything to Feiby in the game¡¯s story.

    Is it because Feiby is a false saint?

    ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re saying you want to meet Lady Arteia to make a request, right? I will do my best.¡±

    Feiby, who doesn¡¯t know Isabel¡¯s true nature, clenched her hands tightly and promised to be of assistance. Her innocent demeanor was quite pleasing.

    Yes, Feiby. I won¡¯t bother exining the reality to you.

    Soon enough, you¡¯ll naturally understand when you be the true saint.

    When that timees, you will see that what I said was indeed true.

    There were various reasons for meeting Feiby before visiting the Arteia family.

    One reason was that she would y an important role in executing the n I had in mind.

    Another was that she was the closest person to me.

    Additionally, she seemed likely to help me.

    And among those many reasons, there was also the reason that she would make it easier to enter the Arteia family.

    Yesterday, I had smashed the guards of the Arteia family.

    No matter how much the head of the Arteia family has a somewhat favorable view of me, that sentiment likely doesn¡¯t extend to the guards. Perhaps there could be another scuffle like yesterday¡¯s.

    That¡¯s where Feibyes in. As the face of the deity¡¯s church, and someone who has done good deeds in numerous ces, she is truly an idol of the continent!

    When Feiby smiles and speaks, there¡¯s no one who could give a harsh response!

    So, if Feiby takes the front, we could enter the Arteia family without bloodshed!

    Having thought this, I intended to let Feiby deal with the guards before entering the Arteia family.

    ¡°Wee! Lady Alrn!¡±

    ¡°¡°Wee!¡±¡±

    ¡°We truly caused a huge troublest time. We apologize!¡±

    ¡°¡°We are sorry!¡±¡±

    It seems my worries were quite unnecessary.

    Seeing the guards bow their heads upon seeing my face at the entrance was evidence of that.

    Is it strange? Just yesterday, when I left, the guards were ring at me, wasn¡¯t it?

    What on earth did Isabel do after I left yesterday?

    I¡¯m curious, but let¡¯s not ask. There¡¯s likely nothing good to find out.

    Thus, we were weed into the Arteia family and were immediately guided to the reception room.

    There was no waiting time. Before the carriage brought by the attendants was even ready, the head of the Arteia family appeared.

    ¡°Wee, Lady Alrn. It is an immense honor that you have visited once again today.¡±

    Isabel Arteia, who entered the room, attempted to offer a dignified greeting, as befits a noble, but her intention did note through properly.

    Her neat attire and graceful movements were fine, but the problemy in her expression.

    The overly excited smile that looked ready to melt was definitely not an expression fit for a noble¡ªor a human, for that matter.

    I can say with certainty that it was the face of a clear pervert.

    No wonder Feiby looked shocked and froze her smile.

    ¡°...Ah. The saintess is also here. I apologize.¡±

    After rambling on to me, Isabel quickly tidied her expression upon noticing Feiby beside me, then took her ce before us.

    Clearly, her reaction was normal when facing Feiby.

    It¡¯s not the amount of holiness that matters, but rather the quality of the holiness contained within.

    ...Damn it. If it continues like this, I¡¯ll have no choice but to offer myself as a sacrifice.

    There¡¯s no helping it. I must make sure that such a situation doesn¡¯te to pass.

    After finishing the ceremonial greetings, Isabel took a sip of the tea brought by the attendants and examined my and Feiby¡¯s faces.

    Then, as she ced her cup on the table, she turned her gaze toward me.

    ¡°So, Lady. What brings you here today?¡±

    ¡®I need some necessary items.¡¯

    ¡°It seems there are more extravagant items for a pathetic fanatic like you. I¡¯m here to take them.¡±

    ¡°You said there were no items needed aside from the tablet, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    That¡¯s right. I had told Isabel that I didn¡¯t need anything as she tried to sway me with various items.

    However, the situation has changed. To save the Burrow territory.

    To defeat the darkness lurking there.

    To let another sun rise beneath that darkness.

    I needed the various sacred artifacts that Isabel possessed.

    ¡®The situation has changed.¡¯

    ¡°But no matter how I think about it, those items seem extravagant for you.¡±

    ¡°What items could possibly be too extravagant?¡±

    Instead of answering Isabel¡¯s question, I took out a piece of paper from my pocket and handed it to her.

    As Isabel quietly examined what was written on the paper, she momentarily froze before forcing a smile and began to read the items listed.

    ¡°The Staff of Taornati. It is a staff used by one of the ancient saints. It¡¯s a very expensive item due to its high historical value.¡±

    The Staff of Taornati.

    The historical value and all that mean nothing to me.

    The only thing that matters is that this staff has the ability to amplify holiness once a day.

    ¡°When the deity descended, this holy water was created. It is treated as a sacred artifact by the deity¡¯s church, making it extremely difficult to obtain.¡±

    That pathetic deity may be a pervert who dresses little girls as bunny girls, but a deity is still a deity.

    Anything touched by him bes an elite catalyst.

    In this instance, it will serve to seamlessly connect my holy magic with Feiby¡¯s holy magic.

    ¡°The soil that used to reside in the sacred ground.¡±

    This soil will serve as the foundation for the miracle I will prepare.

    ¡°Powder made from angel wings.¡±

    The powder that will paint over it.

    ¡°A holy sword consecrated for the past 100 years.¡±

    This sword will serve as the center of all these miracles.

    ¡°And finally, the power of the deity that you gave me instead of the tabletst time.¡±

    The power that will be the source of the miracle.

    After listing everything I had written down, Isabel set the paper on the desk and let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°They are all precious items, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    As Isabel said, each item I had written down was more than worthy of being called a sacred artifact.

    If I were to attempt to buy all of those with money, wouldn¡¯t I need hundreds of tinum coins?

    ¡°I do have a lot of money, but it¡¯s hard to possess all of this, mydy.¡±

    Yeah. That¡¯s right. Those items cannot be obtained just by having a lot of money.

    ¡®But you have them, don¡¯t you?¡¯

    ¡°Yeah? I figured it all out, you pathetic fanatic.¡±

    But Isabel, you¡¯re not just someone with a lot of money, are you?

    You possess enough wealth.

    The power to ess any sacred artifact the moment ites onto the market.

    And an obsession bordering on madness for sacred artifacts.

    With all that, you have everything.

    Right?

    You can fool others, but you can¡¯t fool me.

    When I was busy with looting y in the game, I¡¯ve piged your territory countless times.

    ¡°Indeed. You can¡¯t deceive me regarding sacred artifacts.¡±

    Isabel did not deny my words and nodded readily.

    ¡°Yes. You are correct. All the items listed here are in my storage. However, as you know, each of these items is extremely precious. No matter how good my feelings toward you are, I can¡¯t just give them to you out of goodwill.¡±

    I understand too. Even if Isabel Arteia is a person obsessed with holiness, there are limits to it.

    Her fundamental nature is that of a merchant. There¡¯s no way she would donate that vast wealth to a ce with no benefit.

    ¡°What do you intend to trade for those items?¡±

    No matter how shameless I am, I won¡¯t go as far as to ask her to simply hand over items worth hundreds of tinum coins.

    Of course, Isabel has likely brought some conditions that would make her drool.

    Something that no one else could think of, let alone present.

    ¡®The right to help me.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the right to help me. How about that? Isn¡¯t that an enticing condition for a pathetic fanatic like you?¡±

 Chapter 265

    ¡°Pardon? What does that mean?¡±

    Seeing Isabel blink, I realized I had skipped too much context.

    Ah. Has the pathetic deity¡¯s habit of speaking now rubbed off on me?

    ¡®There was too much summarization. Let me exin once again...¡¯

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. As someone with no knowledge, it must be hard for you to understand. I¡¯m kind, so I¡¯ll exin it again. I, who is loved by the pathetic deity, am offering you a chance to help drive away the pitiful and weak Tariki.¡±

    As soon as my words finished, Isabel stared at my face nkly, forgetting the pretense she was trying to maintain, and then turned her gaze aside.

    She had just heard something absurd about the deity¡¯s apostle and the evil deity. If my previous statement was nonsense, she would likely expect a reaction from Feiby, the saintess of the deity¡¯s church.

    However, Feiby¡¯s expression remained unchanged. She simply offered a gentle smile to Isabel, who was looking at her.

    ¡°Is it really... true?¡±

    ¡°I, Feiby, have decided not to engage in any actions that would bring shame before the deity.¡±

    Feiby¡¯s title may be false, but the faith she carries beneath it is certainly not a lie.

    She is truly a good person and someone with unwavering faith more than anyone else. She would never lie using the deity''s name.

    Feiby has proven this fact over a long period.

    Isabel, who has various connections rted to the deity''s church, would know this all too well.

    This is why I spoke to Feiby first.

    Even if Lucy Alrn, known for insulting the deity, ims to be the deity¡¯s apostle, people would simply think she¡¯s gone mad.

    But with Feiby beside her, the story changes.

    No matter how nonsensical it is, if Feiby nods in agreement, it adds credibility.

    This is the difference in reputation between a saint who has repeatedly done good deeds and a recklessdy!

    ¡°You are truly loved by the deity.¡±

    As Feiby¡¯s affirmation reached Isabel, her gaze returned to me.

    In her eyes, filled with bewilderment, many thoughts were swirling.

    I knew she wouldn¡¯tprehend it right away.

    Who is Lucy?

    She¡¯s a madwoman who has insulted the deity¡¯s church for the past few years.

    Who would believe that such a heretic is actually the deity¡¯s apostle? I wouldn¡¯t. I would just think she¡¯s finally lost it.

    But it¡¯s okay. I have more than enough ways to prove I¡¯m the deity¡¯s apostle.

    I¡¯ve kept it hidden because I didn¡¯t want to be discovered, but if I start actively exining using knowledge from the game, I can easily convince her that I am the deity¡¯s apostle.

    With that confidence, I remained calm even when I saw Isabel rise from her seat and walk towards me.

    Go ahead. Ask anything. No matter what questions arise, the conclusion will inevitably be, ¡°So, you are indeed the deity¡¯s apostle!¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ...Huh?

    ¡°Indeed! I understand now! That¡¯s why you bear the deity¡¯s holiness!¡±

    Thud!

    Isabel, who arrived beside me, knelt on the floor.

    Tears welled in her eyes, overwhelmed with emotion.

    Her hands were sped reverently.

    The wless posture of kneeling was something I could only observe with a dazed head, causing me to forget everything I intended to say.

    ...No way. Seriously. Is there a ce that teaches merchants to kneel and bow their heads? Why do all those with the title of merchant have such impable postures?

    While I was escaping into another thought due to the overwhelming reality, Isabel¡¯s praise continued.

    ¡°I thought something was unusual when I first met you, but who would have guessed that your true identity was the great deity¡¯s apostle!¡±

    As I was wondering what to say, Isabel¡¯s emotional turmoil at that moment caused me to hesitate.

    I thought she might ask for something or make demands, but her reaction was not normal.

    ¡°Indeed. I had thought something was unusual when I first met you.¡±

    ¡°Therefore, it¡¯s only natural that the deity¡¯s apostle would require assistance in dealing with Tariki.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it is true. I witnessed it with my own eyes.¡±

    Just as I thought the previous strange conversation would never end, Feiby stepped forward to carry on the discussion.

    ¡°Then, we should request cooperation from the church.¡±

    ¡°No! Lady Arteia! That would...¡±

    ¡°Oooh! To extend a helping hand even to those who have gone down a wrong path! Truly, you are the deity¡¯s apostle!¡±

    What? It seems things are going quite well. Isabel¡¯s eyes sparkled, indicating she would willingly ept my request for cooperation.

    Yeah. Let¡¯s think positively. If I can earn hundreds of tinum coins by selling my dignity, that¡¯s a good deal, right?

    ¡°I understand the situation.¡±

    After all the discussions, Isabel, who seemed to have been moved by something I couldn¡¯t pinpoint, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away her flowing tears, nodding her head.

    ¡°I, Isabel Arteia, have always sought ways to repay the grace bestowed upon me since I was saved by the deity. Therefore, I am willing to cooperate as much as possible, but before that, I have two requests.¡±

    ¡®What are they?¡¯

    ¡°What is it, you perverted fanatic?¡±

    Requests? I don¡¯t know what they could be, but given the current situation, Isabel seems to be doing me a favor. If it¡¯s something I can repay, I¡¯ll dly amodate her.

    As long as it¡¯s not something too bizarre or perverted.

    ¡°One is that I would like you to leave the miracle you will perform in this crystal ball.¡±

    Isabel held out the crystal ball, indicating that it had the security magic of the Arteia family and would not leak out anywhere, and that it wouldn¡¯t be used for purposes other than personal possession.

    Well, I can agree to that. It¡¯s not a difficult request.

    I¡¯ll have to check with Alsaetinter to see if Isabel¡¯s ims about this are true, but if it can only be used for personal possession, I can do my best to document it.

    ¡®Okay. What¡¯s next?¡¯

    ¡°The second request is that, before you leave, could you leave your holiness behind?¡±

    Leave my holiness? When I tilted my head in confusion, Feiby provided an exnation.

    ¡°It involves leaving the holiness in a bead that can contain it, along with a blessing. It¡¯s somethingmon to do when visiting a noble house.¡±

    Ah, so that¡¯s what it is? I was suspicious because Isabel brought it up, but it turns out it¡¯s quite normal.

    If that¡¯s the case, I have no reason to refuse. Considering what I¡¯m about to receive, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t do something so simple.

    I nodded in agreement, and Isabel quickly stood up and dashed out of the reception room.

    And before long, she returned, disheveled, and presented a small bead before me.

    ¡°I ask this of you.¡±

    Hmm. So all I need to do is contain my holiness in it?

    With that thought in mind, I lightly reached for the bead when Feiby stopped me.

    ¡°No, Lady. You must include a heartfelt prayer and leave your holiness along with the blessing.¡±

    A heartfelt prayer? For whom? For the pathetic deity?

    To pray sincerely to that perverted bastard?

    ¡®Can¡¯t I just do it?¡¯

    ¡°Pathetic saint. Why are you being so meticulous?¡±

    No, it¡¯s genuinely impossible for me to do that! Can¡¯t I just leave my holiness and go?

    When I voiced this, Feiby shook her head more firmly than ever.

    ¡°Since they have given so much to the deity, they should be reciprocated with sincerity.¡±

    That¡¯s true. It¡¯s a valid point.

    Ah. Damn it. Fine. I¡¯ll do it!

    I took a deep breath, sped my hands together, and closed my eyes.

    A heartfelt prayer, huh.

    I¡¯ve never done such a thing, so I¡¯m not sure, but I guess I just have to thank the pathetic deity and wish for Isabel¡¯s future?

    ...Well, I can¡¯t exactly not be grateful.

    That pathetic deity¡ªno, Armaadi¡ªhas helped me a lot up until now.

    If it weren¡¯t for his help, I wouldn¡¯t be here.

    Though he has caused a lot of trouble, he has tried to take responsibility every time.

    Unless he engages in his perverted behavior, I can certainly express my gratitude.

    Honestly, when I think of a crisis, the name thates to mind first is Armaadi¡¯s.

    Wishing for Isabel to do well is the same.

    Even though she seems quite peculiar right now, Isabel is a good person. She donates a lot and does many good deeds.@@novelbin@@

    If Isabel does well, many people will be saved, so I can willingly wish for her future.

    ...Even so, I can¡¯t shake the feeling that this is far from a solemn prayer.

    Whatever. If it doesn¡¯t work out, then it can¡¯t be helped.

    As I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was the warm light that filled the room.

    I realized shortly after ncing around that I was the source of it.

    Oh. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but did the prayer go well?

    Then, I just have to transfer my holiness into this bead, right?

    With that thought, as I moved my holiness into the bead, the light that had been flowing around me shifted into the bead, filling the room with warmth.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    [Hidden Quest Triggered!] [Daily Quest: Apostle of the Deity] [The deity was touched by your solemn prayer! If you conduct a ''preparation'' every morning and offer a heartfelt prayer, you will receive a modest reward!]

    Armaadi, I understand that you¡¯re pleased because I, who have never prayed sincerely, have done so.

    But why emphasize the part about preparation?

    Is it just my imagination that I feel a sense of ulterior motive?

    ...

    Damn it! It¡¯s all because of that pathetic perverted deity! You keep making it hard for me to feel sincere!

    Can¡¯t you just stay quiet during times like this?

 Chapter 266

    Isabel and Feiby raised their heads only after a considerable amount of time had passed since I finished all the procedures.

    The sight of Isabel, who looked as though she might burst into tears at any moment with just a light touch, and Feiby, who was all worked up, was quite burdensome, but I chose to act as if I knew nothing.

    I figured that if I identally touched the wrong nerve, it might set off a chain reaction.

    Fortunately, Isabel didn¡¯t make any further fuss and headed to her storage, returning with a small pocket.

    ¡°This is a pocket of space. The items you requested are inside.¡±

    A pocket worth hundreds of tinum coins, perhaps.

    I n to return everything left over once the job is done, but I can¡¯t help feeling guilty about it.

    If you¡¯re going toy a foundation, you should do it all the way, but I couldn¡¯t do that.

    ...I guess I¡¯ll visit whenever I get the chance in the future. It might please Isabel if I pretend to pray for her each time. Probably.

    For now, I¡¯vepleted the preparations needed to create a miracle.

    Now all I need to do is find the people.

    Even if I say ¡°people,¡± there are only three individuals I absolutely need. Everyone else is just a bonus¡ªcharacters who are fine to have around but not necessary.

    Since I¡¯m determined to proceed with the minimum number of people, even if I add some, it shouldn¡¯t exceed one or two.

    ¡°Um, Lady Alrn.¡±

    As I was checking my ns in my head, Isabel quietly spoke up.

    ¡°May I ask what kind of miracle you¡¯re trying to create?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about that as well, Lady. I haven¡¯t heard any specific ns yet.¡±

    It¡¯s not difficult to exin. After all, I had already told her about being the Apostle of the Deity and the Evil God, so I could certainly share at least my n.

    However, if I exin it now, I¡¯ll just have to exin it againter.

    Since it¡¯s a n that even my grandfather found ridiculous, I would also have to exin why it¡¯s feasible.

    So, I wanted to bring Johan, the key figure of the n, before discussing it further.

    Having that thought, I asked Isabel to bring Johan, and she nodded readily.

    ¡°You mean Bishop Johan of the Alrn territory, right? Understood. I¡¯ll send a spatial magician to fetch him.¡±

    ¡®...A spatial magician?!¡¯

    ¡°Does that lousy house even have a spatial magician?¡±

    A spatial magician is a general term for a wizard who specializes in magic rted to space.

    Telekinesis, teleportation, spatial pockets, etc. They aren¡¯t necessary, but having them adds a richness to life.

    ¡°Yes. Even if I look like this, I lead arge tradingpany. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to have a few spatial magicians around. I have some under personal contract, and there are several working with thepany as well.¡±

    Right, even though Isabel appeared quite disheveled and repulsive in front of me, she was originally the head of a massive tradingpany.

    Given that she had to work extensively, it was only natural for her to have hired spatial magicians personally.

    This is a fortunate turn of events. I needed a spatial magician for personal use anyway.

    Originally, I nned to rush to find someone through the Newman family, but if the Arteia family has a spatial magician, the situation is different.

    ¡®That spatial magician...¡¯

    ¡°What kind of fool would contract with the perverse fanatic you are?¡±

    ¡°Could you please tell me the necessary conditions?¡±

    Before I could finish my question, Isabel adjusted her posture. She quickly grasped the significance of my interest.

    Truly, a merchant knows her trade.

    ¡°So...¡±

    ¡°They should be able to transport around seven people at once. They must be tight-lipped. Aside from those two conditions... well, they can¡¯t be a coward who cries at the drop of a hat.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, our spatial magician is quite suitable.¡±

    ¡°Is it about defeating the Evil God of Darkness?¡±

    Having received a rough exnation from Lucy, Johan exhaled deeply.

    The apostle of the Evil God, who devoured the Burrow family. The colossal ck magic being prepared there. A special operation to stop it.

    None of it sounded even remotely absurd.

    If a child had uttered such words, they would have been scolded for speaking recklessly.

    Yet, it was Lucy who provided that exnation. She was the one who had caused a miracle in Menestel, a beloved of the great Deity.

    Could there truly be any falsehood in her words?

    Of course not.

    ¡°I understand what you¡¯ve said.¡±

    As Johan nodded, Feiby let out a sigh of relief beside him.

    However, it was only for a moment. When Feiby met Johan¡¯s gaze, her expression hardened again.

    Knowing Feiby¡¯s true identity, Johan had treated her sternly for a long time. Even now, the memories of the past likely lingered, causing him difort.

    To be honest, Johan still didn¡¯t particrly like Feiby. She represented the corruption of the Deity¡¯s church.

    However, since the one receiving the Deity¡¯s love was by his side and he recognized that he too was someone the Deity wished to protect, he was merely suppressing that sentiment.

    As Johan tore his gaze away from Feiby, he met Lucy¡¯s eyes again.

    ¡°However, you¡¯ve omitted the most crucial part. How do you n to chase away the Evil God¡¯s influence?¡±

    ¡°I was about to exin that. Impudent bishop. You really are impatient.¡±

    At the sound of the insult directed at Johan, Feiby next to him held her breath, but Johan remained unfazed.

    He knew the fierce Lucy from his childhood. Compared to back then, this level of provocation was nothing.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why the kids run away when they see you. You devilish fool.¡±

    ...Maybe it is a bit more than nothing.

    ¡°The n is simple. We¡¯re going to create a sun in the center of the Burrow territory.¡±

    ¡°A sun... you say?¡±

    ¡°A sun?¡±

    ¡°We''re going to create a sun?¡±

    Everyone present in the reception room of the Arteia family disyed their confusion, yet Lucy¡¯s face revealed no emotion other than confidence.

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin it in a way that even you suspicious fools can understand.¡±

    When Johan first heard Lucy¡¯s words, confusion filled his mind.

    Creating a sun? How could that be possible?

    However, as Lucy continued her exnation, Johan¡¯s thoughts began to shift.

    Despite being distanced from the mainstream factions of the church, he had risen to the position of bishop.

    His only source of faith was his own ability, so he had desperately honed himself. He was among the top five in the current church in terms of knowledge of holy magic.

    Thus, he realized that Lucy¡¯s seemingly absurd words were actually quite feasible.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve exined it in a way that even a monkey could understand, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    After all the exnations concluded, Lucy straightened her shoulders, but Isabel and Feiby next to her still appeared confused.

    Johan understood their feelings.

    ¡°It¡¯s unstable. Dangerously risky. And it¡¯s a gamble with no real-life examples.¡±

    Even Johan, who fully understood Lucy¡¯s words, would evaluate it this way. It was rather strange to ept it so readily.

    ¡°What are you trying to say, you foolish bishop?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Lady.¡±

    And now, Johan added:

    ¡°I definitely want to participate.¡±

    He was indeed an unusual person.

    A recipient of the Deity¡¯s love, willing to risk his life to save others.

    He was attempting to throw away his own life to defeat the Evil God and save humanity.

    Could he really participate in the miracles, standing next to me?

    Ha! If that were possible, I could easily stake the rest of this old man¡¯s life on it!

    ¡°However, Lady, I have a few suggestions I¡¯d like to make.¡±

    ¡°Speak up, foolish bishop.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Regarding the early stages of the n...¡±

    As I made my way back to the dormitory after leaving the Arteia family, I praised myself for bringing in Bishop Johan.

    Originally, I had intended to call Bishop Johan to prepare for contingencies and to give Feiby a reason to act, but he yed a role greater than I had anticipated.

    Since the n was based on knowledge from the game, he tightened up the unstable parts with his knowledge of holy magic.

    Thanks to that, the gift I prepared for Tariki became even more perfect.@@novelbin@@

    Of course, it¡¯s still notplete. There¡¯s onest thing to do to finalize the n.

    That is to procure the military force that will protect us until the sun ispleted.

    ording to Alsaith¡¯s report, the Burrow territory is already engulfed in the Evil God¡¯s influence.

    If we prepare to create the sun there, all the inhabitants of the territory would likelye rushing at us.

    While a few might be manageable alone, if the entire territory bore down on us, the situation would be different.

    That would be an area where dealing with it would be impossible.

    Even if I brought Kal or Alsaith along, it would be the same.

    They wouldn¡¯t copse, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to perfectly protect the miracle in front of the crowd.

    In such a situation, the best option would be to employ the knights of the Alrn family, including Benedict. But they would stand out too much. Once the knights began preparing to depart, everyone would notice something amiss.

    The same goes for the others. If their movements were too obvious, or if I couldn¡¯t be sure they would follow my instructions.

    Adri was the closest to meeting the conditions I wanted, but if I brought her along, there¡¯s a possibility I¡¯d end up purifying Adri as well, which would be unmanageable.

    Thus, as I pondered these various concerns, I ultimately decided to reach for a forbidden means.

    ¡°...You want to bring the main body of the Ice Fox?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    The main body of the Ice Fox.

    Asking the lord of the forest for help.

    Upon reflection, the Ice Fox is the ideal choice.

    It has the power to fend off the crowd.

    Since it is constantly hidden in the forest, no one would care if it disappeared.

    Moreover, I¡¯m confident it would keep secrets.

    The reason I dyed asking the Ice Fox for help until the veryst moment is simple.

    ¡°The guardian of the forest is the very essence of its existence. No matter how much you may plead, there are areas where I cannot grant your request.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know how much I would have to give up to ask the Ice Fox, the lord of the forest, to vacate its home.

    But now, there¡¯s no other choice.

    In the hand I hold now, this is the best option.

    So I¡¯ll throw away my dignity.

    To save the people of the Burrow territory.

    To make a fool of Tariki.

    To shove a mace into Nakrad¡¯s face.

    To conquer a new dungeon.

    ¡°Are you listening?¡±

    I approached the Ice Fox, which had now taken on a human form and was sitting on the bed, lecturing me.

    I made sure my breath reached its perked ears, which were full of expectation despite its furrowed brow.

    ¡°Really??¡±

    ¡°Eek?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared something that a disgusting perverted thing like you would like? Aren¡¯t you curious?? Huh?? Perverted fox?¡±

    ¡°T-That kind of talk won¡¯t sway me.¡±

    ¡°Bunny girl. You want to see her again, don¡¯t you??¡±

    The moment I mentioned the Bunny Girl, the Ice Fox closed its mouth.

    Haha. This perverted thing.

    I knew it would be like this.

    ¡°Puhaha? Why are you remembering the past?? It must be because I¡¯ve thoroughly examined your nape, corbone, and armpits?? Just like a disgusting pervert??¡±

    ¡°B-But I never did such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Who was the one begging, ¡®Please step on me~?¡¯? I wonder who that trash was?? It¡¯s strange? It seems like I can smell trash from you right now?¡±

    I could see the Ice Fox¡¯s eyes trembling uncontrobly.

    It was likely struggling between instinct and reason.

    ¡°W-Well, that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t do it! This is a sin engraved on my soul!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? You don¡¯t need any of that, do you??¡±

    ¡°Indeed!¡±

    ¡°Then there¡¯s no helping it~? I guess I¡¯ll have to throw away the cor I prepared for the perverted Ice Fox~?¡±

    ¡°A cor?¡±

    ¡°Or should I gift it to that pathetic dog?? Kuhuh? I¡¯m sure it would be overjoyed...¡±

    As Iughed and chattered, the Ice Fox urgently grabbed my hands.

    Its grip was so strong that I was slightly taken aback, but the Ice Fox didn¡¯t care.

    It merely knelt on the floor, pleading fervently.

    ¡°No! There¡¯s no need for that! I will help you! No, let me help you! I beg you!¡±

    In the end, it couldn¡¯t resist its instincts. This trashy perverted fox.

    What a disgrace it is to be the lord of the forest. I wonder how shocked the life forms in that forest would be if they saw this sight.

    Well, whatever. With this, the preparations for the n areplete.

    ...

    Ha. Life is truly something.

    Damn it.

    You bastard Tariki.

    I¡¯m going to unleash all the pent-up frustration, shame, and anger building in my heart on you.

    You¡¯d better not n on dying quietly.

 Chapter 267

    The night before heading to the Burrow territory, those of us, including myself, who had decided to join in defeating the Evil God were all gathered at the Arteia family estate.

    The reason was simple.

    We intended tounch an assault on the Burrow territory at the break of dawn.

    No one knew how long it would take to defeat Tariki.

    If everything went ording to n, I estimated it would take less than half a day, but fighting against an Evil God always meant ounting for variables.

    If the fight dragged on, we might not know how the situation would unfold by nightfall.

    So, we nned tomence our operation the moment the sun rose, ensuring we could finish everything before it had to retreat to the sky.

    Given this n, it would be wise for me to get some sleep in preparation for the next day, yet I found myself staring out the window at the moon as it rose high in the night sky.

    <Are you feeling anxious?> ¡®...Yes.¡¯

    The tension in my heart made it impossible to lie down on the bed.

    <It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you like this, not since the academy entrance exam.> ¡®Is that so?¡¯ <Indeed. You¡¯ve always been a person of poise and confidence.>

    Now that I thought about it, that was true.

    I had rarely been this nervous before.

    The crises that hade my way before either seemed manageable from the start or were so sudden that I didn¡¯t have time to fret about them.

    ¡®Um, Grandfather.¡¯ <What is it?> ¡®What were you like in times like this?¡¯

    I wondered what my grandfather had felt.

    Considering his usual personality, I didn¡¯t think he would be that nervous.

    <Me? I was incredibly tense.> ¡®...You, Grandfather?¡¯ <Yes. There were countless nights I couldn¡¯t sleep, praying to the Deity instead.>

    He let out a heartyugh, recalling the many mistakes he¡¯d made due tock of sleep.

    It was hard to imagine him, usually soposed, being in such a state of tension.

    <That¡¯s normal, my dear. If you¡¯re in a situation where your life is at stake, wouldn¡¯t it be strange not to be nervous?> ¡®That... makes sense.¡¯ <So don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve done everything you can. Now, ponder how to crush Tariki¡¯s face and what kind of insult you¡¯ll throw.> ¡®Why is the insult the primary condition?¡¯

    <Wasn¡¯t that what you were nning to do?>

    ...Of course, I was going to insult him.

    If Tariki got mad and started throwing curses at me, he¡¯d likely get all riled up and spout all kinds of nonsense.

    However, I found it concerning that he thought it was a given that I would insult him!

    That would make me seem like a real... you know what!

    <Well, enough of that.> ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ <If you¡¯re really at a loss, why not train instead?> ¡®You said to rest before a big event!¡¯ <Isn¡¯t this more practical than tossing and turning in bed all night?>

    That¡¯s... true. I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep just staring out the window like this, so Iy down in bed.

    As soon as I closed my eyes, the familiar yet now tiresome training ground appeared before me, with my grandfather in armor looking at me with a reassuring smile.

    <strong>The Next Morning.</strong>

    In the time when the moon and stars still lingered with faint clouds, Feiby had finished her preparations and was praying devoutly to the Deity.

    The prayer was long andplex, but the essence of it was simple.

    ¡°O great Deity, please watch over those who strive to fulfill your will. Protect them, and grant them aid.¡±

    The lengthy prayer was interrupted when someone knocked at the door.

    ¡°Saintess.¡±

    At the sound of Johan¡¯s voice from outside the door, Feiby was startled and quickly stood up. She hurried to check her appearance in the mirror before opening the door.

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    Even though it was still early in the morning, Johan looked immacte.

    He was presentable enough to attend a worship service right away.

    ¡°Of course. Bishop Johan, did you sleep wellst night?¡± ¡°I should say I did, but unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t get much rest. Every time I think about tomorrow, my heart races.¡±

    Despite being of an age where one would typically beposed, Johan spoke with a shy smile, which made Feiby¡¯s eyes widen slightly.

    The Johan she knew was strict not only with himself but also with others.

    Especially with her.

    Whenever Johan looked at Feiby, he always maintained a stern expression, with lips that only uttered reprimands.

    Thus, Feiby felt uneasy around him.

    She knew he was a good person at heart and someone who genuinely sought to approach the Deity more seriously than anyone else.

    However, Johan was different now.

    The rxed smile on his face resembled that of a boy dreaming of adventure.

    The kind of boy Feiby had seen in her childhood.

    ¡°Saintess?¡± ¡°...Yes? Oh.¡±

    It¡¯s okay. Feiby.

    It¡¯s okay.

    This was something she had already epted in her heart.

    Seeing Feiby struggling topose herself, Johan raised an eyebrow slightly.

    ¡°I apologize. I guess I¡¯m a bit sleep-deprived as well.¡±

    Didn¡¯t seem to like my slip-up. Feiby prepared to make excuses and await a reprimand, but Johan merely sighed lightly without saying anything further.

    ¡°I came to see the Saintess because of Lady Alrn. It seems we¡¯re almost ready to act, yet she appears to still be resting in her room.¡± ¡°I understand. I will go see her.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡±

    After Johan left, Feiby took a deep breath.

    Stepping outside, she hesitated for a moment.

    She didn¡¯t know where Lucy¡¯s room was, but that wasn¡¯t a problem.

    Her divinity, a warmth like the sun, was something one couldn¡¯t easily forget once they stood by it.

    As she reached the door of a room, a voice suddenly echoed from within.

    ¡°Come in, you pathetic Saintess.¡±

    It seemed she sensed my presence. Thinking that Lucy was indeed Lady Alrn, Feiby opened the door, only to freeze in ce.

    The window was wide open, and the curtains danced in the chill of the changing season.

    And there was Lucy, her long, red hair swaying as she prayed with her small hands reverently gathered at her heart.

    Her lips moved slowly, and her eyes were tightly shut.

    The faint, warm divinity flowing from her made one forget even the chill of early winter.

    Lucy was praying.

    Ah.

    What a beautiful sight it was.

    Enchanted by the scene, Feiby instinctively wanted to join her hands in prayer, but she quickly regained her senses.

    She realized she had interrupted Lucy¡¯s prayer.

    ...How rude of me, Feiby!

    To disturb the prayer of Lady Alrn!

    Should I close the door again even now?

    But then again, she did say toe in.

    If I left, that would be even more rude.

    In a state of panic, just when Feiby didn¡¯t know what to do, Lucy opened her eyes, and the divinity surrounding her scattered with the breeze.

    ¡°What are you doing, pathetic Saintess?¡± ¡°...I-I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    No matter how she thought about it, Feiby felt that she saw me as a figure to be respected or revered rather than a friend. To be causing such a fuss over merely interrupting a prayer was absurd.

    <In this situation, her reaction is quite normal. You interrupted morning prayer, and that too, a prayer from the Deity¡¯s apostle.> ¡®Is that so?¡¯

    While my grandfather exined that Feiby¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t strange, I still found it hard to understand her feelings.

    After all, isn¡¯t prayer just talking to a pathetic Deity?

    Isn¡¯t it okay to be a bit casual about it?@@novelbin@@

    Look.

    [Daily Quest Completed!] [Divinity has increased slightly!] [Grace has increased slightly!]

    Even if I were to be a bit casual, the pathetic Deity is satisfied enough to give rewards.

    Are the church members overthinking the pathetic Deity? Sure, he¡¯s a perverted little man, but he¡¯s not that picky.

    <...I think you¡¯re taking the Deity too lightly.>

    As I let my grandfather¡¯s incredulous voice wash over me, I calmed Feiby, sent her off first, and then took out my armor from the inventory to put it on.

    When I first wore this armor, I had no idea what to do, but now my hands moved faster than my thoughts.

    Well, it has been a long time since I wore this armor.

    As Ipleted my preparations and headed to the reception room, everyone had already gathered except for me.

    ¡°Wee, Lady.¡±

    The sword I had gifted earlier bowed its head from the disy case.

    ¡°I apologize for my earlier rudeness, Lady Alrn.¡± Even after being told not to, Feiby expressed her apologies once more.

    ¡°You have arrived.¡± Johan bowed his head while holding the scriptures close to his chest.

    ¡°All preparations have beenpleted,¡± Alsaith stated with a firm expression.

    ¡°I must be crazy. To abandon the forest because of desire.¡± The Ice Fox, sitting on the sofa, covered its face with both hands, cursing its foolishness.

    It had been acting like this since yesterday.

    If it had sumbed to its desires, it should at least stick to that. I couldn¡¯t understand why it was causing such a fuss over both.

    It was truly irritating.

    I approached and removed the hands covering its face.

    Our gazes met.

    ¡°Hey. Trash Fox? Since when have you been normal?? You¡¯ve always been a disgusting pervert?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If you want to crawl on the floor with a cor on, you better listen to your master??¡±

    If you want punishment, do your job properly? You trash!

    As I whispered that, I saw life returning to the Ice Fox¡¯s eyes.

    It seems that hearing insults was what revives it. It truly is a perverted little thing.

    ...Could it be that it¡¯s acting this way on purpose to hear me insult it?

    If it were someone else, it wouldn¡¯t make sense, but given it¡¯s the Ice Fox, it¡¯s a reasonable suspicion.

    Ugh. This is really unpleasant.

    After ring at the Ice Fox with disdain, I lifted my head to find everyone¡¯s eyes fixed on me.

    ...It was so irritating that everyone, except for the spatial magician, remained unfazed. At this rate, I might seem like this is how I usually am.

    And by the way. Why is the sword looking at me as if it envies me?!

    Ah! Seriously! Can¡¯t you just return to normal for a moment?!

    Where did the knight who aspired to be a proper knight go? The past you was so much moreposed!

    After wiping my face, I turned my gaze to the spatial magician, who coughed awkwardly and spoke.

    ¡°The preparations for teleportation areplete. We can leave at any time if you wish.¡±

    Looking outside, I noticed the sky transitioning from purple to crimson. The sun was rising.

    After confirming that, I nced around, and everyone seemed to nod as if they already knew what I was about to say.

    Everyone is ready, right?

    Understood.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go right away.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go immediately, teleportation servant.¡±

    ¡°...Ahem. Yes. Understood.¡±

    As the spatial magician struck the ground with his staff, blue mes rose from the floor.

    Confirming that, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

    It¡¯s okay. My n is perfect enough for Grandfather to deem it so. Now all that¡¯s left is to execute the n andugh at Tariki, who thought he could win.

    ¡°Wha?!¡±

    Just then, a voice filled with shock erupted from the spatial magician.

    ¡°The magic is being disrupted!¡±

    ...Tariki. That guy has caught on.

    ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s impossible to cancel! I¡¯ll try my best to stabilize the coordinates, but don¡¯t expect much!¡±

    How long had it been since the spatial magician¡¯s irresponsible shout echoed?

    The surroundings began to change.

    From the neat reception room of the Arteia family to an empty blue sky.

    Ha! This is insane! Are we going to give our guests a skydiving experience?!

    Feeling my body elerate under gravity, I looked down.

    At least, I had sessfully arrived in the Burrow territory.

    Everyone who had been in the reception room had sessfully teleported to one location.

    Given this, I¡¯d say the spatial magician did his job well despite Tariki¡¯s interference.

    Now, it was time for the rest of us to work.

    ¡®Ice Fox!¡¯ ¡°Ice Fox!¡±

    ¡°I got it! I¡¯ll handle it!¡±

    Leaving it to the Ice Fox, who handled various mystical techniques, I felt an ominous energy swirling below and steadied my shield.

    A ck magical cannonball shot towards us, aiming to engulf us.

    Wow. Not only skydiving, but also fireworks. They really prepared thoroughly for our arrival?!

    ¡°Lady! I¡¯ll take care of that!¡± ¡®It¡¯s fine!¡¯ ¡°Just wait! You trash dog!¡±

    In the past...

    When I first faced Nakrad...

    I wouldn¡¯t have even thought about stopping that.

    But not now.

    I am different from the me back then.

    What? It¡¯s only been half a year?

    No.

    In this rotten world, half a year is a period that should be referred to as half a year.

    As I concentrated the divinity onto the tip of my shield, it spread out, forming a shield massive enough to block the cannonball.

    In an instant, the cannonball struck the shield made of divinity.

    The force was so immense that my body tried to rise against gravity, but that was all.

    In the presence of darkness, even a speck of gold was invisible.

    Hey, Tariki.

    If what you prepared was only this level of nonsense...

    I might be a bit disappointed.

    You pathetic, gloomy, trashy little thing.

 Chapter 268

    Tariki¡¯s greeting was not a single urrence.

    He unleashed a barrage of magical energy, seemingly intent on filling the sky with ck fireworks.

    However, all those projectiles were powerless before the divine light. The divinity of Armaadi that I possessed was clearly superior to Tariki''s magic.

    How could shadows that seek to hide in darkness stand confidently before a power akin to the sun?

    Did Tariki realize this? After a time spent firing his magic, he stopped his attacks.

    Didn¡¯t want to waste energy on ineffective strikes? Just then, I sensed a sinister aura swelling throughout the city.

    Although my knowledge of magic was stillcking, I now possessed at least a basic understanding.

    Therefore, I could tell. That aura was a magic circle.

    The magic circle prepared for the Evil God in the city had been activated.

    <Is the range of the magic circle limited to this city?> ¡®So, the magic circle that spread across the entire Burrow territory was merely a decoy.¡¯

    The magic circle I had discerned through Alsaith was intended as intimidation. This was the real magic circle prepared to capture and kill me, the pathetic Apostle of the Deity.

    ¡®Just as I anticipated.¡¯ <Just as you anticipated.>

    I had yet to enter a scenario where my preparations would be insufficient.

    So now, the Ice Fox just needed to handle this fall...

    What on earth is it doing?! The ground is getting closer! At this rate, we¡¯re going to crash into it!

    I turned my gaze towards the Ice Fox, horrified at the approaching ground, only to find it leisurely inspecting the ground below.

    ¡®Is this really the time?!¡¯ ¡°Ice Fox! What are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m ready now.¡±

    No sooner had the Ice Fox finished speaking than a mist began to form around us, gripping our clothing.

    As a result, my body, which had been elerating towards the ground, gradually slowed down, and by the time we neared the ground, the eleration from the fall had already dissipated.

    Before long, the mist dispersed, and wended cleanly on the ground.

    ¡°I apologize, everyone.¡±

    The spatial magician seemed burdened by guilt for putting us in danger, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he offered his apologies, but there was no time to respond.

    I felt the ominous magical energy roiling in the distance.

    <Heh. You¡¯ve been conserving quite a bit of power.> ¡®Indeed.¡¯

    I could see the ckness gradually spreading out from the mansion.

    It aimed to cover the sun, creating a perfect darkness in which not even the moon or stars could exist.

    The reason why the dungeon Tariki had tainted previously was no big deal was not solely due to his inadequacies. The primary objective had been reconnaissance, which meant he had not used all his strength.

    Watching the encroaching darkness cover the Burrow territory made me smirk. After all, an Evil God is still an Evil God, isn¡¯t it?

    Ha. At least this much is expected of you. That way, my sacrifice of dignity will have some meaning. If it were truly pathetic, I would have felt wronged.

    Raising the corners of my mouth, I turned my head back to see Feiby and Johan preparing for the ritual.

    Both of them had spent a long time working in the church. Their movements were seamless, with no trace of error.

    As long as I do my part well, everything will be fine. I opened my inventory and took out a sword.

    The item I had received from Isabel a few days ago.

    A sword that had been blessed for a long time in the holy ground.

    An artifact created by human hands over a long period.

    While this dull sword held no value as a weapon, that was no issue at all.

    This sword was not originally crafted as a weapon.

    It was solely a holy sword prepared to create miracles.

    Gripping the hilt with both hands, I raised the sword high.

    Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes.

    ¡°Prepare yourselves. The ones ensnared by darkness are approaching.¡±

    I stirred the divinity within me, gradually filling the tip of the sword with it.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve been entrusted with this task, I will handle most of it. So focus only on intercepting thoseing nearby.¡±

    Then, at some point, the sword began to greedily absorb my divinity.

    This much isn¡¯t enough. It cries out for more divinity. So, Iplied with the sword''s demands.

    As the divinity rose along the de, the temperature of the sword also increased.

    The once cold hilt began to warm gradually, and now it emitted a fierce heat as if it were recalling the time it was forged.

    Due to that, a stinging pain spread across my palm, but I did not pull my hand away from the sword.

    For someone who had endured countless trials, this level of pain was nothing.

    How much time passed?

    The sounds around me gradually diminished, then vanished.

    When my wide-ranging senses had coalesced entirely within the sword, a firm and trustworthy voice emerged from deep within me.

    <Now, let¡¯s begin.>

    In that moment, the darkness that had concealed my eyelids met with the reflection of a man in my eyes.

    <It is about creating a ce where darkness cannot dwell.> ¡®Yes, Grandfather.¡¯

    Having finished the preparations alongside Feiby, Johan wiped the cold sweat from his brow and lifted his head.

    Even if it was imperfect, an Evil God is still an Evil God. Darkness is moving to consume the sun.

    As Johan watched the encroaching darkness filling the sky above the Burrow territory, he spread his divinity around himself to repel it.

    So that the Evil God¡¯s magic could perform no trickery.

    Tsk. The power of the Evil God is formidable.

    I can¡¯t hold on for long.

    Before this old man reaches his limits, the Lady mustplete her preparations.

    ¡°It¡¯s pouring down quite a bit.¡±

    When I shifted my gaze downwards, I saw human figures rushing madly around, as if the voice of the holy waters, which governs the entire forest, were calling them.

    Right now, they were humans, but they were not people.

    Unknowingly enchanted by the Evil God¡¯s magic, these individuals had be akin to puppets controlled by the Evil God.

    Originally, they would have had no chance for salvation. They would have been turned to ashes along with the city.

    But now it was different. The great Deity had sent his apostle for them. They would regain their lives once more.

    ¡°Come forth, beasts.¡±

    As the master of the forest spoke, opaque mist began to spread around her.

    Had that been ordinary mist, it would have scattered into the atmosphere, but it was distinctly different from themon.

    The mist created by the master of the forest took shape in the air.

    To Johan¡¯s eyes, they appeared as a massive pack of foxes.

    ¡°Drive them away. Ah. But do not kill them. If you do, it¡¯s not just punishment; it seems I will receive a penalty.¡±

    No sooner had the forest master given hermand than the pack of foxes began to spread out.

    Although they were foxes, made of mist, they dashed toward the human figures with a speed that surpassed anything a living creature could achieve.

    At the moment the mist in the shape of foxes touched the puppets, the humans copsed to the ground as if their strings had been cut.

    ¡°Lady Rina, what was that?¡±

    An Alrn knight, witnessing the scene, expressed his confusion, and the master of the forest shrugged as if it were no big deal.

    ¡°I merely put them to sleep. Once everything is over, I will awaken them, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡±

    Even while the master of the forest spoke, the foxes did not cease their movements.

    As people drifted one by one into the dream world, the momentum of the enthralled rush gradually slowed.

    So this is the master of the forest.

    Hearing the Lady¡¯s irritated voice, I felt a melt of expression while doubting her true worth, but the essence of it was undeniable.

    As long as that presence continues to keep watch over us, I need not worry about being crushed under the crowd...

    Feeling the warm yet searing divinity beside me, Johan turned his head.

    ¡°Heh.¡±

    Johan recognized the sword Lucy was holding.

    The holy sword made in the holynd of the Deity¡¯s church.

    A sword that had been blessed for a long time solely for the purpose of rituals.

    Johan, who had risen to the position of bishop, had blessed that sword countless times and had even used it for rituals on several asions.

    He had experienced watching the rituals unfold so many times that he couldn¡¯t even count them.

    Yet even he had never seen a holy sword glowing as brilliantly hot as the one in Lucy¡¯s hands.

    That sword was truly loved by the Deity.

    A representative whom the Deity had chosen.

    Had everything been prepared? As Lucy exhaled deeply and opened her eyelids, her red pupils were revealed.

    Her eyes, glowing with divinity, fixed on the sword that shone like the sun she had created.

    After observing it quietly, Lucy chuckled softly and reversed her grip on the sword''s hilt.

    The tip of the sword, which had been pointed towards the sky, now faced the ground.

    As Lucy exerted strength in her lips and lowered the sword, the sword, infused with the Apostle¡¯s divinity,

    that once dull and blunted sword, which had seemed unusable as a weapon,

    pierced effortlessly through the city¡¯s streets, embedding itself firmly into the ground as if it were plunging into the depths of ake.

    ¡°From this moment forth.¡±

    No sooner had Lucy spoken than the divinity concentrated in the sword began to spread, following the clear and beautiful voice of the Deity¡¯s apostle.

    ¡°The murky and unpleasant darkness will feel shame and flee.¡±

    As she passed by Johan and Feiby.

    ¡°The pathetic line will be a little less pathetic under the protection of my noble divinity.¡±

    After embracing Alsaith and Kal, who had broken through the mist,

    ¡°I, Lucy Alrn, the representative of the pathetic Deity, shall dere.¡±

    Passing by the master of the forest, the divinity extended further.

    ¡°That the pervert will desperately guard this ce to protect what is his.¡±

    As she dispelled the darkness attempting to invade this ce, a realm was created.@@novelbin@@

    A realm of divinity.

    A ce that drives out evil and embraces goodness.

    How strange it is.

    While the words uttered by the Apostle were filled with irreverence, why is it that the divinity filling this space holds nothing but reverence?

    Without realizing it, Johan gripped his cross tightly, chuckling in disbelief, and turned his head.

    ¡°Saintess.¡±

    Feiby,

    sprinkling the soil that had been guarding the holy ground even before it was called so,

    drew a circle above it with the powder made from angel wings.

    Standing in the center with the staff of an ancient saint, she met Johan¡¯s gaze and nodded with a firm expression.

    ¡°Yes, Bishop.¡± ¡°It is now our turn.¡±

    Johan, seeing this, sprinkled holy water over her.

    So that the divinity of the Deity, which now filled this space, could connect with Feiby.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°At any time.¡±

    After Johan finished the final confirmation, he took out a pearl from within his garment that still held the warmth of the Deity.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s begin.¡±

    He then threw the pearl into the air.

    Normally, it would have fallen to the ground under the influence of gravity, but the pearl settled between Johan and Feiby, refusing to move any further.

    With that, all preparations for creating a miracle wereplete.

    ¡°For the great Deity.¡± ¡°For the great Deity.¡±

    The time hade to raise the sun over this darknd.

 Chapter 269

    The divinity concentrated in the sword began to gradually spread out around us.

    It was not the kind of divine energy one could see anywhere, but the divine energy that the pathetic Deity had personally gifted to me.

    It held a sacred aura, more divine than anything possessed by the other gods.

    No matter how much Tariki¡¯s power had permeated this ce, darkness would be powerless before the divinity of the Deity.

    As the area of effect expanded, I could see the darkness retreating step by step.

    After confirming all of this, I released my grip on the sword and sighed.

    Perhaps it was because I harbored the pathetic Deity''s divinity within me, but the effects of the sacred realm were certainly strong.

    Thanks to that, not only was I able toy the groundwork for a miracle, but I could also prevent Tariki from taking me by surprise.

    <To think such results coulde from such a jumbled prayer.>

    As I gazed at the growing might of the divine energy, my grandfather chuckled softly.

    ...The prayer was indeed a mess. Upon reflection, it was closer to sphemy than a prayer.

    <Is it because you are the Apostle of the Deity?> ¡®No, Grandfather.¡¯ <Hmm?> ¡®It¡¯s just that the Deity likes such things.¡¯

    No deity would lend their power to someone insulting them, even if they were their apostle, right?

    That lewd perverted deity simply enjoys being insulted by cute girls!

    I am sure of it! Otherwise, there¡¯s no way this sacred realm could unfold so properly!

    <Enough with the nonsense.> ¡®I¡¯m being serious.¡¯ <Look ahead. Your n has only just begun.>

    Tsk. Once again, I failed to inform my grandfather of the truth about the pathetic Deity. However, his denial won¡¯t change reality.

    Someday, he wille to realize that the pathetic Deity is an irredeemable perverted lolicon.

    I¡¯ll make him understand.

    Thinking that, I steadied my shield.

    Now, my task wasplete. All that remained was to endure while waiting for Feiby and Johan to properly create the miracle.

    <The darkness is approaching.>

    The moment my grandfather warned me, all the figures rushing toward us copsed to the ground in unison.

    Wondering if the Ice Fox was responsible, I turned my head, but she shook it.

    So you didn¡¯t do it? Then what is this?

    As I surveyed my surroundings in confusion, I saw the darkness of Tariki¡¯s power seeping out from the people.

    Was Tariki changing his strategy because he deemed it impossible to crush us under the crowd?

    What would he do this time? What kind of trick was he going to pull to shatter me?

    Just then, I heard the sound of hooves pounding from afar.

    ¡°Cavalry!¡±

    In the distance, a cavalry unit was charging, kicking up dust.

    Horses grotesquely transformed by the Evil God¡¯s magic, armored in ck, rushed toward us, scattering dark smoke.

    They were no longer knights but rather a wave of darkness, a tsunami aiming to engulf thend.

    <Are they going to break through at one point? > ¡®If I step forward and block it...¡¯ <Do you have the luxury to do that right now?>

    ...No. Right now, I was expending most of my divinity to maintain the sacred realm.

    It would be tough to withstand the shock created by that cavalry charge.

    <You don¡¯t have to handle everything alone. That¡¯s why you brought so many with you, right?>

    My grandfather was right. It was better to trust those I brought rather than foolishly stepping forward and creating variables in the n.

    As I suppressed my desire to step forward and continued to observe the situation, the Ice Fox began to move.

    The misty foxes she conjured started charging toward the cavalry.

    They moved toward the cavalry like they did when putting the city¡¯s inhabitants to sleep, yet strangely, the cavalry did not fall.

    ¡°...Are they unable to sleep because they¡¯re already in the midst of a nightmare? How interesting.¡±

    Although the Ice Fox muttered that it was interesting, there was not a hint of a smile on her face.

    Her expression was serious, something I had never seen in her before, her beastly demeanor as the master of the forest disyed itself. As she gently moved her fingers, the mist in the shape of foxes dispersed, gathering in the path of the cavalry¡¯s charge.

    Although the fog seemed too vague to obstruct the cavalry¡¯s sight, it shattered all mymon sense with ease.

    BOOM! The cavalry¡¯s charge proved it was a solid wall that could not be broken.

    Is this the power of the master of the forest?

    The sight was so magnificent that I forgot for a moment that the Ice Fox¡¯s true nature was that of a pervert, but the Ice Fox¡¯s expression was far from pleasant.

    What kind of face is that? You just sessfully blocked the charge!

    My confusion was resolved even before the Ice Fox could answer me.

    From behind me came a thunderous sound, greater than what I had heard before.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite chaotic everywhere.¡±

    While the Ice Fox expressed her irritation, the sounds of chaos from various ces continued unabated.

    Charge. Charge. And once more, charge.

    If the mist is a solid wall, then they seemed determined to break it by ramming into it repeatedly, their madness growing louder as time passed.

    ...This is insane. Does this mean the crowd from earlier was merely a probing attack? What kind of firepower is this?

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not just from all directions; it¡¯sing from above as well.¡± <Look above!>

    Above? What¡¯sing from above that has both the Ice Fox and my grandfather shouting?

    Instinctively, I raised my head to look at the sky and saw it.

    A human figure falling from above.

    In his hand was a ck... no, forcibly dyed ck sword.

    ...Duke Burrow.

    Damn it. He seeded in subjugating Duke Burrow in such a short time?!

    Although the Duke was descending rapidly, the sound of himnding was surprisingly light. It was as if a feather had settled on the ground.

    Then, as he stood before us, he surveyed his surroundings and offered a slight smile.

    <ul>

    <li>You cursed child loved by Armaadi.</li>

    </ul>

    The voice flowing from the Duke was his yet not his.

    <ul>

    <li>Do you hold hope? Did you think your n woulde to fruition?</li>

    </ul>

    Tariki, the Evil God of Darkness, was speaking to me through the Duke¡¯s body.

    <ul>

    <li>From the moment you arrived here, the oue you would face was predetermined. Everything is in vain.</li>

    </ul>

    As he spread his arms wide to speak, the Evil God¡¯s energy that had been felt in the Burrow territory thickened even further.

    There was no need for exnation as to why. The darkness spilling out from the ground outside the sacred realm gaped wide, seeking the unconscious people.

    ...Damn it. I need to stop this. If I don¡¯t, the people!

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. It¡¯s rather unwise to make such affirmations when the conclusion hasn¡¯t even arrived.¡±

    Just as I was about to move urgently, the Ice Fox moved faster than me. The mist she had spread throughout the city intercepted the darkness, preventing it from consuming the citizens.

    <ul>

    <li>What nonsense does a beast dare to speak?</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but only the girl may consider you a beast, you disgusting Evil God.¡±

    Despite enduring Tariki¡¯s tant fury, the Ice Fox smiled.

    Yet, it was evident to anyone that she was not at ease.

    It seemed she was struggling to maintain the barrier against the darkness, as sweat dripped from her forehead.

    <ul>

    <li>You dare to be so bold without the luxury of self-defense.</li>

    </ul>

    He swung his sword.

    There was indeed a significant distance between the Duke and the Ice Fox.

    Under normal circumstances, his sword shouldn¡¯t have been able to exert even the slightest influence on her.

    However, the sword of a seasoned warrior easily shatteredmon sense.

    The Evil God¡¯s power, released alongside the Duke¡¯s sword strike, shot toward the Ice Fox as a lethal blow.

    The Ice Fox did not make any move to counter it. She had lost herposure trying to halt the magic spreading through the city.

    But that didn¡¯t matter.

    She wasn¡¯t alone.

    What tank would leave a caster alone?

    I stepped in front of the Ice Fox and braced myself against the lethal strike.

    Although I didn¡¯t have much divinity to use right now,

    It¡¯s alright.

    My battle logic, built up until now, tells me.

    I can block it.

    The wall speaks.

    I can withstand it.

    Since our opinions align, there¡¯s no reason I shouldn¡¯t be able to block that lethal strike.

    With strength added to my grounded legs,

    I gripped the handle of my shield tightly.

    I bit my lip.

    I would block the attack aimed at myrade.

    The Duke¡¯s lethargy, mingled with the Evil God¡¯s power, bore significant force.

    My body was gradually pushed back.

    The arm holding the shield screamed.

    The light seeping into my Ankh grew dim.

    But that was as far as it went.

    The lethal strike infused with the Evil God¡¯s power ced a burden on my body but could not inflict even a scratch on my Ankh.

    ¡°Is that all, huh?? Is Duke Burrow getting old?? A sword so weak it feels like a limp penis?? Is that why the Burrow family has no heirs??¡±

    I could see the Duke¡¯s brow furrowing at the taunt I threw beyond my massive shield.

    With that, a new sword strike was aimed at me.

    With my current condition, it would be difficult to block that strike, but I did not prepare for it.

    As the Duke raised his sword, I could see a knife charging behind him.

    <ul>

    <li>How dare you sneak attack!</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Consider it a legitimate strategy!¡±

    Duke Burrow hastily twisted his sword to block the knife¡¯s attack.

    As the Evil God¡¯s power shed with the pure white aura of the knife, they pushed against each other.

    Since he was caught off guard and blocking the attack in an unstable state, the situation should have been unfavorable for the Duke.

    But reality was otherwise.

    With the Duke, known for his formidable strength, enhanced by the Evil God¡¯s power,

    He attempted to push the knife away with his strength instead.

    Had he predicted his disadvantage from the start?

    The knife withdrew, not greedily pressing forward.

    Seeing this, the Duke seemed unwilling to allow him any leeway, but his attempt to pursue failed.

    Alsaith, standing behind the knife, obstructed the Duke¡¯s movements with his arrows. The knife neatly widened the distance and waited for another opportunity to attack.

    ¡°Hmm. I must say, I¡¯m d I came here. I never expected to be protected by you.¡±

    ¡®Now¡¯s not the time for that!...¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s unwise to spout such nonsense when you should be stopping that murky garbage¡¯s magic right away, you pathetic perverted fox!¡±

    As I kept my lips tightly pressed together, watching the situation unfold, the Ice Fox yelled nonsense from behind me.

    I responded with irritation while racking my brain.

    Just a moment ago, I had insulted not Tariki but the Duke.

    Despite that, my provocation seemed to have hit hard.

    That means there¡¯s a high likelihood that Duke Burrow retains some self-awareness, even while being controlled by the Evil God.

    ...Alright. Let¡¯s conduct an experiment.

    ¡°Impotent Duke Burrow? What are you looking at?? Isn¡¯t it pathetic to be jealous of another man just because you can¡¯t get it up??¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Or have you perhaps discovered a new preference?? Are you trying to turn your backside into an entrance?? Puhaha! That sounds interesting~?¡±

    As the Duke responded to Alsaith¡¯s arrow, he suddenly twisted his waist, allowing for a slight injury as he charged toward me.

    Heh. It seems he still has some self-awareness left.

    Even though he¡¯s asleep due to Tariki¡¯s influence, he isn¡¯t deeply unconscious.

    Then I know how to proceed.

    If the sleepy Duke can¡¯t wake up, I¡¯ll simply shout in his ear to rouse him.

    ¡°Did it sting?? It hurt, didn¡¯t it?? Hehe? Who would have thought Duke Burrow would be a closet homosexual~??¡±@@novelbin@@

    I knew it was shameless.

    There was no choice but to provoke him.

    Duke Burrow, you¡¯d better wake up quickly.

    Otherwise, who knows what I might say next.

 Chapter 270

    The sword, having taken the blow from the Duke¡¯s attack, bit down hard.

    It¡¯s strong. So very strong.

    I felt that if I lost focus for even a moment, I might be cut down entirely.

    Truly, the Duke of Burrow is a formidable warrior, one of the best in the kingdom.

    A year ago, I would not have dared to think about withstanding such an attack.

    Six months ago, I would have shattered under this de.

    But now I am different. I, who have trained countless times to face my limits. I, who wield the sword gifted to me by the Lady.

    I can withstand the Duke''s sword.

    <ul>

    <li>You pathetic mutt of the Deity.</li>

    </ul>

    Even as my strength waned, the sh I created with my technique continued, and the Duke opened his mouth.

    The voice spilling from him was sickeningly repulsive, clinging to my ears like a foul stench.

    <ul>

    <li>Do you truly believe an iplete pup like you could defeat me? You will be consumed by the darkness without realizing your dreams.</li>

    </ul>

    The voice of the Evil God of Darkness filled my mind.

    For an ordinary person, this would be a level of mental corruption that would have driven them mad.

    No matter how excellent a knight they might be, at this point, they would likely be lost in confusion.

    Yet, there was no trace of wavering in my eyes.

    <ul>

    <li>Surrender. Beg for your life. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I¡¯ll pass.¡±</li>

    </ul>

    It was not at all knightly to waver under the Evil God¡¯s seduction.

    His heart was crying out to protect his dreams amidst the darkness.

    And the warm divinity surrounding his heart was driving away the darkness, affirming that it was the right thing to do.

    ¡°A knight does not change their master once chosen.¡±

    To put it simply.

    Lucy Alrn. The Lady, to whom he vowed to dedicate his life.

    <ul>

    <li>I¡¯m curious. Until when can that loyaltyst?</li>

    </ul>

    As the voice finished, something slimy stretched out from the Duke''s shadow, attempting to seize his ankle.

    The knight sensed it immediately and used Alrn''s characteristic evasion technique to escape, but unfortunately, that was not the best option.

    His movement caused the fragile bnce to shatter.

    The bnce between swords was disrupted, and the ominous power of the Evil God invaded my aura.

    <ul>

    <li>Tell me. How do you feel now?</li>

    </ul>

    In a moment of careless action, I could have been consumed by the Evil God¡¯s power, but still, a smirk lingered on my lips.

    ¡°Even if you keep being disgusting, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not into homosexuality.¡±

    As the Duke clenched his teeth and his tendons became prominent in his hands, a voice echoed from behind.

    It was not the repulsive voice I had heard until now but a clear and beautiful voice thatmanded everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Puhaha! Rejected, huh~? Poor pathetic uncle~? Are you starting to realize that you¡¯re an impotent old man??¡±

    As Lucy¡¯sughter rang out, the Duke¡¯s head turned.

    It seemed he hadpletely forgotten about the knight in front of him.

    Even though the knight was merely a page, he was from the Alrn family.

    He wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to miss such an opening.

    The moment the knight moved his sword, the Duke hastily tried to react, but the gap was far too wide for him to make a perfect defense.

    He allowed a massive gash on his left shoulder.

    ¡°...Tsk.¡±

    Despite the fact that it was undeniably a solid hit, the knight¡¯s expression was less than favorable.

    As the Duke stumbled back, avoiding Alsaith¡¯s arrows, he began to heal his wound.

    ¡°Hey, Knight. Can¡¯t you slice him properly?¡±

    Seeing the Duke appear to be unharmed, Alsaithined from behind.

    ¡°I did slice him properly. If it had been you, you would have died the moment you were hit.¡±

    ¡°Then why is that guy still intact?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because he¡¯s fighting like a disgusting pig.¡±

    If what was before me was merely Duke Burrow, it would have posed no problem.

    He is strong, but under Lucy¡¯s provocation, he would have had to allow a gap, ultimately leading to his defeat.

    Yet the reason the situation was flowing unfavorably was that the Duke was infused with the Evil God¡¯s power.

    Overall enhancement of the body and rapid recovery beyond the limits of a human.

    Various tricks utilizing the Evil God¡¯s power.

    Moreover, the mental corruption that intensified over time.

    Had it not been for Lucy dering the territory, if the darkness was surrounding us, the knight and the others would have been consumed by it.

    ¡°...Disgusting. That¡¯s true. I can¡¯t deny it, hearing the nonsense echoing in my head.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°But if we¡¯re talking about disgusting, we¡¯re the same.¡±

    Alsaith pointed to the Duke, who was staring at Lucy.

    ¡°Why is he ring?? Are you trying to vent your frustration on this cute little girl because you got rejected?? Sounds fitting for a disgusting trash like you~? But it¡¯s futile~? My shield isn¡¯t weak enough to be pierced by an impotent Duke!?¡±

    As I babbled nonsense, pulling his attention, it was undoubtedly a valid strategy.

    That strategy was effective, but Alsaith didn¡¯t consider it a noble approach.

    However, the knight thought differently.

    ¡°What nonsense is this? Where¡¯s the shame in putting your life on the line to protect yourrades while drawing the attention of a strong foe?¡±

    As the knight adjusted his grip on his sword, Alsaith let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°Hah. I knew you¡¯d say that.¡±

    Though both had much to say to each other, they could not voice it now.

    The battle was about to begin again.

    With a twisted face, the Duke of Burrow unleashed another sword strike.

    Ugh. He¡¯s really filthy strong!

    The pain in my shield arm, which I had been holding since earlier, felt as if it had cracked my bones.

    Normally, I would have used Armaadi¡¯s touch to recover from the injury, but I couldn¡¯t do that now.

    There was no way I had the luxury to utilize such healing while maintaining the sacred realm!

    ¡°Why are you trying to attack a girl when you can¡¯t even get it up?? Aren¡¯t you just going to feel miserable for failing?? Impotent Duke??¡±

    Biting my lip, I spat out another provocation. Immediately, the Duke swung his sword again.

    As I deflected the strike with my shield, pain surged through my body.

    ¡°Lady!¡±

    Taking advantage of the moment when the knight rushed in, I pulled out a potion from my bag and drank it.

    As the pain from the cracked bones started to heal, tears streamed from my eyes, but I bit my lip to suppress my cries.

    Damn it. Why isn¡¯t Duke Burrow waking up?

    Is he a princess? Does he need a kiss from a prince to awaken?

    Ha. I¡¯m really going to lose my mind!

    Considering the unfavorable situation, I spewed out provocations indiscriminately, but the Duke was still trapped in his mental control.

    The provocations weren¡¯tpletely ineffective.

    The frequency of the Evil God¡¯s voice had lessened, and he was hardly utilizing the power of darkness, indicating that the mind control had weakened.

    But if that guy doesn¡¯t wake up, it won¡¯t matter!

    As I nced around, watching the knight and Alsaith maintaining their stance against the Duke, I saw Feiby and Johan gradually preparing the miracle amidst the chaos.

    ording to my grandfather¡¯s judgment, the miracle was about 80%plete.

    <It¡¯s gettingte. It should have been finished by now.> ¡®It¡¯s likely due to the Evil God¡¯s power being stronger than anticipated.¡¯

    Even though the sacred realm prevented the darkness from seeping in, the knight and Alsaith were still experiencing mental corruption.

    Feiby and Johan likely weren¡¯t having it easy either.

    <Even so.> ¡®It¡¯s fine. As long as we keep trying, it¡¯ll be fine.¡¯

    Thinking that, I looked at the Ice Fox behind me and saw her drenched in sweat.

    While it¡¯s true the Ice Fox belonged among the strong, there was a disparity between her and the Evil God.

    The master of the forest was grappling with the Evil God in a battle that extended beyond her domain.

    No matter how strong the Ice Fox was, she would eventually start to feel the strain.

    ...Is it time to resort to measures?

    As I bit my lip, I felt the taste of blood seeping out and took out a ss vial from my inventory, tossing it to the Ice Fox.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this?¡± ¡®A gift.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s a gift for the weak Ice Fox.¡±

    A potion that quickly restores the energy of a yer, regardless of whether it¡¯s divinity or magical power.

    Originally, I had prepared it to use before entering the Duke¡¯s mansion, but now was not the time to think of the past.

    ¡°...Thank you for the precious gift.¡±

    After the Ice Fox drank the potion, she raised her shield once more.

    Even if we continued the standoff like this, there was no guarantee we could endure until the miracle wasplete.@@novelbin@@

    The enemy¡¯s vitality was endless while our stamina was being drained in real-time. Even if we managed to hold on for a while, we would eventually copse at some point.

    Ha. Until now, I¡¯ve tried not to cross thest line, but given the situation, I have no choice.

    Duke Burrow. This is all your fault for sleeping too much, isn¡¯t it?

    You can¡¯t me me if I say something like thister, right?

    After taking a light breath and gathering the limited divinity into my lungs, I expelled it along with my voice.

    ¡°Impotent Duke?¡±

    The Duke of Burrow, who had been facing the knight, fixed his gaze on me. What was reflected in his eyes was pure, crimson rage.

    ¡°Your son was a good pathetic boy who died trying to save others? But what about you?? Swinging your sword at a man who rejected you~? Trying to vent your frustration by hitting a girl~? What do you think your son would think if he saw you like this?? Huh??¡±

    With each word I uttered, the crimson hue deepened, growing more viscous and slimy.

    ¡°Are my words wrong?? Ah, you can¡¯t speak?? You¡¯re too scared to even face your own relics because you fear being hurt again?? Afraid to imagine your son¡¯s reply!? Isn¡¯t that right??¡±

    The Duke red at me, swinging his sword to sweep away the knight and Alsaith.

    I thought he would charge right at me, so I gripped my shield tightly, but no.

    He merely stared at me quietly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not wrong, is it?? You¡¯ve sold everything because you¡¯re afraid to even see your relics!?¡±

    ¡°...Shut up!¡±

    For the first time, the Duke¡¯s voice rang out, breaking the tension.

    ¡°You cowardly, weak-willed coward of a Duke!¡±

    Alright. There¡¯s a crack in the Duke¡¯s mind control.

    Just a little more. Just a bit further.

    I can provoke him a bit more, and with that, he could possibly break free from the mind control.

    After all the provocations I had hurled at him, countless methods of enraging the Duke surfaced in my mind.

    They all seemed appropriate for provoking him, but my instincts told me there was only one method that was both the best and the worst.

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re old, you can see this, right??¡±

    Moving my shield aside, I presented a ne I had just pulled out from my inventory to the Duke.

    ¡°Now, greet it? This worthless thing your pathetic son left behind when he died so futilely!...¡±

    ¡°Your son!¡±

    My words were cut off.

    Before I could finish, the Duke charged at me, filled with rage.

    The power coursing through his sword was no longer that of the Evil God but a brownish aura.

    Ha. There you go, sleepy uncle. You should have woken up earlier.

    If you had, I wouldn¡¯t have had to say such things.

    And you know what? If you¡¯re awake, maybe you should take a look around.

    Otherwise, who knows what might drop on your back.

    CRACK!

    Seizing the opportunity, the knight swung his de, striking the Duke¡¯s head from behind.

    It wasn¡¯t necessary to use the edge; a sword reinforced with aura was sufficient as a weapon.

    As that object was swung by a human weapon called the knight, how great was the impact that struck the back of Duke Burrow¡¯s head?

    Even after a bad sound echoed from his head, the Duke, who had been stumbling forward, eventually copsed, scraping along the ground as he moved forward until he finally stopped.

    ¡®...He¡¯s not dead, is he?¡¯ <Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s just unconscious.>

    After confirming with my grandfather, I cautiously approached the fallen Duke and ced my son¡¯s relic firmly in his outstretched hand.

    Then I mentally conveyed my apologies.

    I¡¯m sorry.

    I won¡¯t ask for your understanding.

    Whatever happenster, I¡¯ll ept it humbly.

    And.

    ¡°Lady!¡±

    As I uttered my apologies, I opened my eyes at Feiby¡¯s urgent voice.

    What?! What is it?!

    What¡¯s the variable this time?!

    ¡°All preparations areplete! Pleasee here!¡±

    ...

    Hah.

    Feiby.

    Well done.

    You did well, but...

    Couldn¡¯t you have done it a little faster?!

 Chapter 271

    When Feiby first heard Lucy''s n, she did not doubt it.

    As the apostle of the great deity, how could she doubt the words of Lucy, who had turned countless absurdities intomon sense?

    No matter how nonsensical it sounded, there must be a trustworthy reason behind it,ing from her mouth.

    How could someone like Feiby doubt her words?

    Thus, Feiby believed in Lucy.

    However, that belief was directed solely at Lucy and did not extend elsewhere.

    To put it simply, Feiby never believed in herself.

    "You useless saintess. You''re at the center of this n. It¡¯s a useless saintess who causes the useless deity''s miracle, right?"

    Me? You mean I should be the one to execute this miracle, rather than Your Ladyship doing it herself?

    No matter how much Bishop Johan assists, I...

    I am a fake. I am merely a creation of the church.

    How could a sphemous being like me reproduce a miracle? That could never be permitted.

    Suppressing the countless thoughts rising within her, Feiby only revealed her uncertainty.

    But Lucy was obstinate. Stopping her exnation, she walked up to Feiby and looked down at the dejected saintess, wearing her usual smile.

    "So you¡¯re saying my judgment is wrong?"

    "...Huh?! No, that¡¯s not what I meant!"

    "Ha ha. Hey, loser saintess. Who told you to believe that I would trust someone as useless as you? It''s me you should trust¡ªtrust the holy and adorable me."

    After poking Feiby on the forehead, Lucy left.

    Feiby did not bring up her anxiety.

    She simply thought to repay Lucy¡¯s faith and prepared for the miracle with all her might.

    Even when she woke up in the morning. Even during ss.

    After school as well.

    Even when she practiced desperately until she fainted.

    Continuously. Continuously. Continuously.

    And yet, even when the moment to bear the fruits of her efforts arrived, Feiby could notpletely shake off her doubts about herself.

    In the past...

    When she believed wholeheartedly that she was a true saintess without any doubts.

    When she was unaware that she was a fake born under the deaths of her friends at the orphanage.

    Before being tempted by the Evil God.

    If it had been back then...

    Feiby would have dly repaid Lucy¡¯s faith.

    She wouldn¡¯t have doubted that she was someone meant to act on behalf of the god, bringing the deity¡¯s will to the world.

    But now was different.

    There were too many things confusing Feiby¡¯s mind to continue the pure faith of the past.

    "Saintess, focus."

    "...Yes!"

    Could it be because of that? The process of drawing the miracle on the orb imbued with the deity''s divinity was sluggish.

    "That part should go up from the right."

    "I''m sorry!"

    As mistakes continued to ur¡ªmistakes she hadn¡¯t made during practice¡ªclouds of worry gathered in Feiby¡¯s heart.

    What the hell am I doing?

    Your Ladyship believed in me and brought me here, but what would happen if I ruined this?

    <ul>

    <li>Of course, it wouldn¡¯t work.</li>

    </ul>

    It was at that moment. A voice echoed in her mind.

    <ul>

    <li>How could a symbol of the church¡¯s corruption perform a miracle?</li>

    </ul>

    A murky and sticky voice settled in the middle of Feiby¡¯s confused thoughts.

    <ul>

    <li>That would prove that the impurity was right.</li>

    </ul>

    Feiby wanted to ignore the voice, but it was already lodged in her mind, and no matter how much she shook her head, it wouldn¡¯t disappear.

    <ul>

    <li>You, born from the blood of your friends.</li>

    </ul>

    No.

    <ul>

    <li>

    You, born from resentment and pain.

    No.

    </li>

    <li>

    You, born from corruption, impurity, and greed.

    I¡¯m telling you, no!

    </li>

    <li>

    Let me ask you.

    </li>

    </ul>

    Please, shut up!

    <ul>

    <li>When you scream, what has that deity done for you?</li>

    </ul>

    Feiby, snapping out of her fantasy, exhaled sharply.

    Cold sweat poured down her body.

    Her legs, losing strength, trembled.

    Her eyes, staring into the void, were as bewildered as those of a terrified person.

    "Saintess?"

    Sensing something wrong, Johan urgently called Feiby¡¯s name, but her ears could no longer catch his voice.

    Her head was filled with the word "doubt."

    Feiby.

    Calm down.

    Please! Feiby! You can''t ruin everything here!

    "Ha ha?"

    What brought her back from panic was a clear and beautiful voice that pierced her ears.

    Feiby, staring nkly at the floor, turned her head to find the source of the voice.

    There stood Lucy.

    "Hey?? Is this it??"

    One eyebrow twisted in pain.

    Blood oozing from her lips.

    Trembling arms.

    Anyone could tell.

    Lucy was not in a rxed situation.

    It wouldn¡¯t be strange if she copsed at any moment.

    Did Lucy herself not know this fact?

    It wouldn¡¯t be so.

    Rather, she would understand it better than anyone.

    Every time their swords shed, it must have hurt and terrified her.

    And yet, Lucy smiled. She stood in front of others, smiling.

    Feiby knew. She knew Lucy felt fear.

    As she lifted her eyes, she heard the trembling in that voice.

    Feiby knew. She knew Lucy hated pain.

    She had seen her sulking after sparring with the Sword Professor.

    Feiby knew. She knew Lucy didn¡¯t blindly believe in the deity¡¯s miracles.

    She had faced the sight of her seeking only practicality in every crisis time and again.

    Then... how could Your Ladyship raise her shield?

    <ul>

    <li>That¡¯s...</li>

    </ul>

    That¡¯s obvious.

    Because it¡¯s something she has to do.

    Taking a deep breath as she heard the sounds of swords shing, Feiby thought of the task she had to aplish, regardless of sess or failure.

    What meaning does doubt hold?

    I have to do it.

    Even if I end up being scolded as a useless saintess by Your Ladyship.

    "Bishop, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll start again."

    "...Are you okay?"

    "Yes."

    Though the dark, sticky voice still filled her mind, she felt okay now.

    As long as there was a piece of warmth in her heart, that was enough.

    Regaining herposure, Feiby began to weave the miracle once more atop the orb.

    Even Johan struggled to keep up with her speed.

    Without a single mistake.

    She transferred all the efforts she had built up until now onto the orb, turning it into a singr result.

    And after some time had passed...

    Seeing the orb filled to the brim, Feiby couldn¡¯t help but smile and then copsed right there.

    I did it.

    I actually did it!

    "Your Ladyship! All preparations areplete!"

    With joy so great it could wash away the darkness in her mind, Feiby shouted, and a visibly weary Lucy approached her.

    Lucy, staring nkly at the orb, soon smiled and gently patted Feiby¡¯s head.

    "It may be useless, but you¡¯re still a saintess."

    Then she took the staff from Feiby and stood in front of the orb.

    "Okay, everyone. It¡¯s time to give that weak, filthy scum a taste of his own medicine."

    The moment Lucy tapped the orb with the staff, the orb rose higher and higher into the sky.

    Then, at the moment when the orb became so distant that its form was no longer visible...

    Light erupted from the heart of darkness.

    It was bright enough to blind.

    So enormous that it could erase the surrounding darkness.

    So intense that it could burn away all impurities.

    But it was also warm, like the light streaming in through the window on a spring day.

    "The sun."

    Feiby gazed up, then let out a long breath, clenching her hands together in prayer.

    For those who had acted against their will, caught in the web of the Evil God.

    For Johan, who helped her until the end despite the suffocation.

    For Karl, Alsatin, Lina, and Teru, who had protected her amidst countless dangers.

    For the merciful deity who granted her the miracle.

    And for Lucy, who believed in her.

    The miracle they had prepared with great difficulty fulfilled its role.

    As the miracle unfolded in the sky, the darkness gradually diminished.

    Watching as the forces trying to swallow the Burrow territory fled from the light, she caught sight of the original sun floating in the sky.

    Huh. That¡¯s strange. Why is the sun so small and pathetic?

    ¡®Doesn¡¯t it look like what we prepared is the real sun from this angle?¡¯

    <Ha. Well, who created it?>

    ¡®Didn¡¯t Karon y a big role? Truly a great mage.¡¯

    <...Are you doing this on purpose?>

    ¡®Was it too obvious?¡¯

    Chuckling lightly at the old man¡¯s retort, I surveyed the surroundings.

    Everyone was in poor condition.

    The clueless fox, who had battled Tariki, was already on the verge of copse.

    Karl and Alsatin, who had to face the Duke of Burrow, bore all sorts of injuries.

    Feiby and Johan, who had struggled to prepare the miracle, were also on the brink of exhausting their divinity.

    I wasn¡¯t much different.

    I had regained a little divinity from taking hits from the Duke of Burrow, but it was only a little.

    My body was screaming from having blocked attacks without strengthening through divinity.

    And after throwing so many potions into my mouth, I felt nauseated and ready to retch.

    Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to faint and wake up under the dormitory ceiling, but I couldn¡¯t do that yet.

    The most important part was still remaining.

    I hadn¡¯t even seen the dungeon prepared by Tariki yet!

    All I had done was provide a grand housewarming gift. I couldn¡¯t just stop here!

    If I gave a gift, I had to receive a reward in return!

    As I stumbled to rise, the others followed suit.

    It was the same for those who were on the verge of copse; even if I told them to rest and take care of the citizens, it wouldn¡¯t matter.

    "Hey. Would you just stand by while someone else is pushing themselves to their limits?"

    ¡®...That¡¯s true.¡¯

    "How dare you act so grand while being a perverted fox."

    Then, after hearing the clueless fox¡¯sment, I understood and left the space magician to look after those sprawled on the floor and headed for the Burrow mansion.

    Some of the darkness trying to swallow the Burrow territory had been burned away before the divinity, but another part fled into the Burrow mansion.

    So the mansion was the real deal.

    The dungeon prepared by Tariki to kill just me.

    It¡¯s okay. I can do this.

    My physical condition being at its worst was not a problem at all.

    I¡¯m like rotten water.

    As I approached the mansion, I mentally repeated my firm determination.

    "Employer!"

    All that determination scattered at the sight of Karia, who waved her hand with a nonchnt smile in front of the mansion door.

    ...Huh?

    Why is she here?

    No. That¡¯s not right.

    It¡¯s not strange for her to be here.

    She was supposed to have infiltrated this ce.

    "Karia, please hold on for a moment."

    "I believe Master will understand."

    As Karia approached, Karl and Alsatin hurriedly blocked my way.

    "I know, I know. You¡¯re suspicious of me, right?"

    "...Yes."

    "What should I prove it with? A password? Or that our cute disciple is trying to contain her excitement? Or maybe that your employer''s knight was slightly happy to see her knight in his proper form?"

    As Karia spoke, the expressions of Karl and Alsatin hardened.

    Both of those were real?!

    "Ah, there¡¯s also this. That I witnessed the sun raised in the middle of the city. Wow, that was something else."

    The detailed description that followed Karia¡¯s words was so vivid that it could onlye from someone who had seen it with their own eyes.

    If someone had seen the miracle unfold, could there be a possibility of being entranced by the Evil God?

    Karl and Alsatin seemed to think simrly, lowering their weapons midway.

    "...You should have told us that from the start, Master."

    "I got a little carried away from meeting a normal person after a long time. Please understand."

    After giving a reply to the grumbling Alsatin, Karia didn¡¯t approach me but continued speaking from where she was.

    "Let¡¯s get to the point. Employer. First, I¡¯ll tell you that I and the Apostle of the Art Order have mostly cleaned up that mansion."@@novelbin@@

    ...Huh?

    Wait a minute.

    What?!

    You¡¯ve cleaned up the mansion?!

    Regardless of my astonishment, Karia shrugged her shoulders and continued her exnation.

    From what I gathered, taking advantage of the confusion created by the miracle, they had ambushed the people in the mansion, knocking them unconscious, while appropriately subduing those serving the Evil God.

    "The Duke and the main forces of the Duke of Burrow went out to take down Your Ladyship. The rest, apart from the Evil God¡¯s apostles, were nothing to speak of."

    ...I would need to see it with my own eyes to know for sure, but Karia¡¯s words had a high likelihood of being true.

    If not, I couldn¡¯tprehend why she had walked out unharmed.

    This was a great thing.

    Everyone¡¯s stamina had reached its limit.

    Thus, it was best not to have to fight.

    But then why...

    Why did a sense of emptiness seep into my heart?

    ...

    Dungeon.

    Where did my dungeon go?

    Where is the dungeon prepared by Tariki just to mess with me?!

    I¡¯ve struggled so hard to conquer it until now, why has the main event disappeared?!

    Why am I only left with a side dish instead of the main course?!

    Give me back my steak!

    "Ah. To avoid misunderstandings, I¡¯ll add that we didn¡¯t defeat the apostles of the Evil God."

    ¡®What do you mean...¡¯

    "What are you trying to say, you shameless old maid?"

    "When you came here, the apostle of the Evil God had already hidden inside the dungeon."

 Chapter 272

    As I followed Karia into the mansion, I saw the bodies of those sprawled on the floor.

    ording to her exnation, they had been knocked unconscious, enchanted by the Evil God.

    "I figured you wouldn¡¯t like it if I killed them all, so I took care with it."

    ¡®Thank you for your hard work.¡¯

    "Hmm. I guess it was hard work. Just listen to the creaking sounds in my bones. At this rate, I might be able to y an instrument with my body."

    "...Can¡¯t you just give me a straightforwardpliment?"

    Not happening. To be precise, even if I wanted to, I couldn''t. The moment Iplimented you, I would end up saying something worse than usual, so be satisfied with this much!

    As I followed the grumbling Karia deeper into the mansion, a suddenly pungent smell permeated my nose.

    Though no one had told me, I recognized this smell. It had always lingered amidst the countless crises I had faced until now.

    The smell of blood.

    Human blood.

    "Lady."

    "...Employer? Just a moment."

    Ignoring the protests from Karl and Karia, I moved toward the increasingly potent smell.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult. My heightened senses, honed through training, pinpointed the source of the stench.

    As I opened the door, the sight that met me was a man praying beside a line of at least a dozen corpses,id out side by side.

    The sight of those who had clearly died in pain shocked me, but even as panic surged, my heightened senses told me they were not ordinary humans.

    A sinister energy still lingered in their bodies despite their lives being extinguished.

    They must have served Tariki in life. They were the scum that sought to turn this territory into hell.

    So, there was no reason to sympathize with them, yet my heart couldn¡¯t help but feel otherwise.

    My breath quickened.

    "Lady."

    ¡®I¡¯m fine.¡¯

    "What are you worrying about, you useless one?"

    The advice I received from Karl when I first killed something still lingered in my memory.

    This is normal now. In time, I¡¯ll be numb to it.

    So, what I needed to do now was to face death without turning away, to quickly be ustomed to that sight.

    Soothing myself, I focused on my breathing when a long sigh escaped from behind me.

    "...Hah. Seriously. Hey, you perverted bastard. I told you to clean this up."

    Despite Karia saying something to the man, he did not reply.

    He simply closed his eyes and quietly prayed as if he couldn¡¯t hear anything.

    Seeing that, Karia sighed again, but no response came from the man.

    "Employer, just to avoid misunderstandings, I didn¡¯t kill them on purpose."

    ¡®I know, Karia.¡¯

    "I know. You loudmouthed old maid."

    I had no intention of ming Karia for this.

    My desire not to kill others stemmed from my own inadequacies, not from any convictions. What good would it do to impose this inadequacy on others?

    Did Karia pick up on my thoughts? She didn¡¯t say anything further.@@novelbin@@

    A heavy silence descended, and before long, Feiby and the others entered the room.

    Alsatin and the clueless fox showed no reaction, Johan remained expressionless, and even Feiby merely bowed her head toward the dead.

    Everyone was used to this scene. Except for me.

    Feeling like a clumsy child, I forced augh as the man finished his prayer and stood up.

    "Karia, no matter how much of a viin you may be..."

    He turned to speak to Karia, but froze the moment he met my gaze.

    The moment he saw my clear and persistent eyes, I remembered where I had seen this man.

    He... what was it? A pervert serving a beauty and a pervert, right?

    I couldn¡¯t remember exactly, but one thing was certain.

    This bastard was a pervertparable to the clueless fox.

    "Mydy! I¡¯ve longed to see you again!"

    "Huh?!"

    I stepped back in shock as the blood-soaked pervert lunged toward me, but Karl blocked my way.

    He immediately coated his fist with aura and struck at the pervert.

    With a clean single blow, without a hint of hesitation.

    The pervert¡¯s body flew through the air.

    Normally, that flight would end with a crash against the wall. That¡¯s how the world works.

    However, the pervert¡¯s body suddenly stopped in midair, ensnared by a mist that had surrounded him.

    "Crush him."

    Before the clueless fox could even speak, the pervert mmed to the ground as masses of mist began to crush him.

    ...Uh. Well, I¡¯m grateful that you got rid of that guy for now.

    But, you know, is that really okay?

    Isn¡¯t he going to die from that?

    "It¡¯s fine, Employer. He won¡¯t die easily."

    As if reading my thoughts, Karia, who was pping beside me, spoke in a cold voice.

    I didn¡¯t know for sure, but it seemed there was a lot of buildup.

    Since I brought it up, I should keep quiet to avoid the bacsh.

    "If it were up to me, I¡¯d want to keep watching that scum get beaten, but we have something more important to deal with. Follow me, Employer."

    "Okay. You go ahead. I¡¯ll deal with this guy."

    Leaving the pervert to the clueless fox.

    Actually, now that I think about it, is it really okay to leave him to the clueless fox?

    Both of them are equally disgusting trash, so is it really fine to leave those two alone?

    If they join forcester, it could truly be a disaster.

    ...It should be fine.

    Even though the clueless fox is a pervert, he still has a hatred for his own kind.

    After leaving those two behind, Karia guided us to a room in the mansion.

    The room looked just like a model house. It showed no signs of habitation, and there were no traces left behind. Yet, it was impably clean, with hardly a speck of dust to be found.

    I knew the identity of this room.

    No one outside the Burrow family should know about it, but I, as someone from outside this world, had to know.

    This was the room of the firstborn son of the Burrow family, who had died here.

    "Nakradr brought the inferior child in here as soon as you arrived, Employer."

    Nakradr has a bad temperament. Creating a dungeon entrance here is typical of a trashy middle schooler.

    "Employer."

    ¡®Yes?¡¯

    "What?"

    "How does this dungeon look to you? Does it look like an ordinary dungeon?"

    ¡®No.¡¯

    "Old maid. You¡¯ve aged badly. Does that look like an ordinary dungeon to you?"

    In the center of the room stood a dungeon that was anything but ordinary.

    It was the dungeon I had entered months ago to rescue Adri.

    Created not by Agra but by another Evil God. Formed with something as a wedge. A dungeon that only one person can enter.

    "Indeed, Employer, you are a specialist when ites to dungeons. Correct. This ce is quite different from an ordinary dungeon. There are various differences, but the biggest one is that only one person can enter."

    "I will go."

    Before Karia could finish her exnation about the dungeon, Karl stepped forward. His instinct to head into a dangerous ce was undeniably that of a true knight.

    Except for one thing. He didn¡¯t care about his employer¡¯s wishes.

    ¡®Karl¡­¡¯

    "Useless one. Stay still."

    Hey, Karl. I came all this way to conquer this dungeon with so much effort, and now you want to give it up to someone else?!

    The knight has no sense of morals. No sense of morals at all.

    Is it right to want to pick the most delicious piece from the feast that¡¯s already prepared? Huh?!

    If you want to be my dog, at least learn to wait!

    "Butdy!"

    ¡®Karl. Do you know more about dungeons than I do?¡¯

    "The only thing I¡¯m good at is swinging a sword, and why are you so arrogant? Do you know more about dungeons than I do?"

    "¡­That¡¯s not true."

    "Mydy, Bishop Karl is right."

    As Karl hesitated to answer, Feiby stepped forward.

    "Mydy, your condition is at its worst. What if you go inside and face some danger?"

    Well, that¡¯s true. To be honest, I think it wouldn¡¯t be strange if I copsed at any moment.

    But you know, I¡¯m quite used to moving in this state.

    There were times during training in the Alrn family when it was even worse than this.

    This is nothing!

    ¡®I have to do this!¡¯

    "You useless saintess. Are you really going to leave this to these useless ones?"

    Don¡¯t take the dungeon away from me! I came here to see that!

    Feiby seemed to want to say something in response to my words, but Johan ced a hand on her shoulder before she could.

    "Saintess, let¡¯s stop."

    "But, Bishop!"

    "It is thedy¡¯s choice."

    Looking up at Johan¡¯s face, Feiby stammered and eventually lowered her head without saying anything.

    Leaving Feiby behind, Johan carefully extended his hand toward me.

    In his hand was a sphere containing condensed divinity.

    "This is one of the few remaining pieces of divinity in my body. I hope you will use it wisely, as per thedy¡¯s intentions."

    As I epted the divinity from Johan, I felt energy surging within me.

    It wasn¡¯t aplete restoration of my divinity.

    But this was enough to smash Nakradr.

    The me who had been humiliated by Nakradr in the past and the me now were entirely different people.

    "I¡¯ll also! I¡¯ll give you mine too! Mydy!"

    While I was checking my body after receiving Johan¡¯s divinity, Feiby rushed over to my side and cast a holy spell on me.

    Since she had used most of her strength to perform the miracle just moments ago, her magic was weaker than one would expect from a saintess.

    But the feelings contained within it were genuine. The holy magic clearly had an effect.

    Feeling my body recovering, I pondered how to express my gratitude to Feiby, but no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t find the words.

    The moment I said thank you, I was sure disaster would follow.

    So, instead of expressing my gratitude in words, I simply smiled at Feiby.

    Seeing my smile, Feiby returned it with a smile of her own, so I guess that was the right choice.

    Once all that was done, there was no one to stop me as I stepped forward.

    Alright. Let¡¯s do a final check.

    Though it was bent here and there, my armor was still intact.

    Ankhir was still without a single wound.

    And my mace was, as always, in perfect condition.

    As for me, I was always ready.

    That¡¯s just what rotten water is like.

    "Go ande back, Employer."

    ¡®I¡¯ll be back soon.¡¯

    "I¡¯ll return before the wrinkles on this old maid increase."

    "...Wait. Do I really have to go this far?"

    Leaving Karia, who groaned, behind, I took a step into the dungeon.

    The moment I did, the scenery around me shifted.

    [In the darkness, you shall not see an inch ahead.]

    So, shall we...

    Enjoy the theme park that Tariki prepared for me?

 Chapter 273

    The moment I stepped into the dungeon, what greeted my eyes was the scene from the Burrow mansion I had just seen.

    To be specific, it was as if time had frozen in the mansion amidst daily life.

    Maids, pausing mid-conversation while cleaning the floor.

    The head maid, frozen in ce, looking displeased at the sight.

    The pendulum of a grandfather clock, which had moved with the second hand, now stopped along with it.

    A servant bustling through the corridor.

    A cook who would forever have to bear a heavy load.

    As I stared at the scene that felt like stepping into a photograph, I took a deep breath and infused divinity into Ankhir, spreading it around.

    To repel the darkness.

    However, the surrounding scenery did not change.

    ...Ah. Is this it?

    You little brat. You really prepared the worst of the worst.

    <You¡¯re being surprisingly cautious.>

    ¡®I don¡¯t know anything about this.¡¯

    This dungeon, created solely for me by Tariki.

    A gift prepared by that filthy, depraved lolicon, imbued with his own sense of romanticism.

    The moment I let my guard down, I¡¯d likely lose my head.

    It¡¯s my first time tackling a dungeon, and I¡¯m stuck with a forced one-hit kill scenario. If this was a game, I¡¯d question the developers¡¯ sanity.

    Trying to smile to ease my tension, the old man suddenly shouted.

    <You don¡¯t know?!>

    ¡®Yeah. I don¡¯t know anything!¡¯

    <...You¡¯re joking, right?>

    ¡®I swear to the deity that I don¡¯t know anything about this dungeon.¡¯

    I wondered if swearing to a worthless deity like this would be taken seriously, but fortunately, the old man epted my words as the truth.

    <What kind of insane nonsense is this?! You stepped into a ce created to kill you, even in your poor condition?!>

    ¡®It¡¯s fine at this level.¡¯

    <What¡¯s fine about it?!...>

    ¡®What could that filthy Tariki possibly do?¡¯

    I responded lightly while sharpening my senses.

    Then, amidst the frozen scene of the Burrow mansion, a small sound reached my ears.

    The nking of armor; it must be a skeletal knight.

    There were two of them.

    As for their weapons... I could hear the sound of a sword slicing through the air.

    I instinctively moved my shield, but the wall told me to block elsewhere.

    Ah. Not here?

    Ting!

    Due to an unstable defense, my bnce wavered slightly.

    Realizing that continuing the battle like this would lead to umted damage, I decided to unleash divinity from the shield to halt the undead and retreated a fair distance.

    The expenditure of divinity was somewhat significant, but it was better than umting physical strain.

    <What¡¯s happening?!>

    ¡®Old man, can¡¯t you hear the sounds?¡¯

    <What sounds are you talking about?! This ce is silent!>

    Damn. It seems Ankhir¡¯s ability doesn¡¯t extend to the old man.

    ¡®Do you know about sensory distortion? You can experience it while fighting Tariki.¡¯

    <...Is it spread throughout this dungeon?!>

    Sensory distortion.

    A pattern encountered during the boss fight with Tariki after his resurrection.

    A gimmick where your senses are stolen by Tariki¡¯s powers.

    In the main game, the screen would turn ck, sounds would cease, and the HP bar and status window would turnpletely dark.

    It demonstrated how strong and tricky Tariki was, but from a yer¡¯s perspective, it felt like you would die if you didn¡¯t know.

    Of course, there were ways to counter it.

    If you brought items like Ankhir that could dispel darkness, you could regain your hearing.

    What about the other senses? Those were irrecoverable. You¡¯d have to rely solely on sound to surpass the patterns and defeat Tariki.

    Hearing about it was infuriating, and experiencing it was just as frustrating, but the evaluation of this gimmick itself wasn¡¯t too bad.

    After all, it was a gimmick you¡¯d only face once. Once you fully understood how to tackle it, beating it wasn¡¯t difficult.

    Among seasoned yers, some would grumble that patterns of upper-tier Evil Gods should be more challenging than this.

    In reality, the hatred for this gimmick arose nearly six months after the main story was released.

    At that time, a particrly malicious mod revealed that he could embed sensory distortion gimmicks throughout Tariki¡¯s entire dungeon.

    That bastard was indeed a diligent piece of work. He even made a manual detailing how to insert and utilize the gimmick for other malicious yers.@@novelbin@@

    Thanks to that, how many times did I have to face sensory distortion dungeons afterward?

    Looking back, it was terrifying. The moment I made a mistake, I had to die, and I found myself cursing repeatedly.

    Once again, I heard the sound of wind slicing through the air and raised my shield.

    This time, I didn¡¯t trust my senses but relied entirely on the wall¡¯s shout.

    I might make mistakes, but the wall only tells me the best moves.

    Following the wall¡¯s guidance, I moved as the attacks from the enemies came, but I didn¡¯t dream of counterattacking.

    I didn¡¯t feel anxious.

    Having been taught firsthand what happens when you gamble with impatience.

    Block. Block. Block again.

    How long did I do this?

    Gradually, my senses began to align with the wall¡¯s shout.

    ¡®Diagonal from the upper right.¡¯

    Straight from the upper right... Ah. Is that sound diagonal?

    I understand. I¡¯ll correct it.

    Slowly but surely.

    ¡®Swing horizontally with great force.¡¯

    Swinging horizontally. That was urate.

    ¡®After that, a charge from the left.¡¯

    I got the ambush from the left, but this was a charge.

    That¡¯s why the sound was heavy.

    The gap between my judgments began to close.

    ¡®Attack together from both sides.¡¯

    Attack together from both sides.

    At some point, the two judgments perfectly aligned.

    It felt strange.

    Though my only existing sense was sound.

    Whaty before my eyes was just the scene of the Burrow family, like a photograph.

    But it felt as though the image of the knight standing before me was being drawn.

    Shall we start the counterattack?

    Even if most of my senses were shot, the enemy still retained theirs.

    So they could hear my voice.

    If my voice reached them, I could provoke them.

    "You filthy perverts? What are you trying to do with a girl¡¯s eyes covered?? I can¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so devoted to your desires when you don¡¯t even have a cock~? Were you frustrated in life?? You pathetic losers who couldn¡¯t even hold a girl¡¯s hand?? Right??"

    Before I finished my sentence, I heard the sound of a sword being raised beside me.

    From above, downward.

    ¡®From above, downward.¡¯

    A foolish attack focusing solely on power.

    ¡®Strong attack.¡¯

    After dodging, I seized the opportunity to smash their head.

    ¡®Dodging is safer than blocking.¡¯

    Crack!

    The sound of a skull shattering pierced through my eardrums.

    It was unfortunate that I didn¡¯t feel any sensation in the hand holding the mace. The most enjoyable moment while swinging the mace was when a heavy sensation transferred to my hand.

    Dealing with the remaining skeletal knights wasn¡¯t difficult. Now that I had regained my senses, the skeletal knights were mere toys, unable to even reach the level of Frey or Arthur.

    After taking care of the two of them, the scenery at the entrance of the mansion shifted.

    The frozen scene of the Burrow family vanished, reced by the wreckage left from the previous battle.

    Not long after, when my senses returned, the first thing I felt was the smell of blood.

    It was so thick that it couldn¡¯t be ignored, invading my nostrils.

    <Girl! Don¡¯t look down! Never lower your head!...>

    What had I seen that made the old man shout in a panic, but at that moment, my chin was already directed downward.

    Ah. That¡¯s why they told me not to look.

    There was a knight.

    Not a white skeleton. Not a decayed corpse.

    A person.

    Someone whose head was shattered, unable to keep their eyes open, leaving a pool of blood on the floor instead of a farewell.

    The moment I faced him, something rose within me.

    I tried to force it down, but it was futile.

    My body had already left my will behind.

    After retching several times, when I finally managed to lift my head, I found myself staring into the eyes of those who had lost their vitality once more.

    They were staring nkly, not knowing where to look.

    <Lucy!>

    Startled by the voice filling my head, I looked up.

    <Lucy! Get a grip!>

    ¡®...I¡¯m fine.¡¯

    <Then raise your head and look at the ceiling! Then feel the energy below you!>

    ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯

    <Enough with the chatter! Just do as I say! Quickly!>

    Half-conscious, I sensed the energy below me without understanding its meaning.

    It was strange. My senses determined that the corpses I had just seen were monsters.

    I felt no trace of humanity whatsoever.

    ¡®...Fakes?¡¯

    <Exactly. Fakes.>

    ¡®But what I just saw¡ª¡¯

    <Think about it. This dungeon only allows one person inside. Is it possible for another human to be here?>

    The old man was right. Given the dungeon¡¯s restrictions, it was impossible for anyone other than me to enter.

    So whaty beneath me...

    No matter how I thought about it, what appeared to be human was...

    A fake.

    A surprise gift prepared by Tariki for me.

    ...That filthy piece of trash. He was nning this from the start?

    He had no intention of overpowering me with dungeon gimmicks.

    He aimed to eat away at my sanity, assuming I would be conquered.

    <Do you understand? You didn¡¯t kill a person. You merely defeated a monster. So¡ª>

    ¡®I understand, Grandpa. I got it, just give me a moment.¡¯

    What a joke.

    Is this how Tariki thought I would conquer it?

    Suffocating me with guilt?

    Ha. That filthy bastard.

    It was such a perfectly Evil God-like method that praise involuntarily spilled from my lips.

    Alright. I¡¯ll admit it. Your vertical strategy was fucking effective.

    Had it not been for the old man, I would still be staring at those corpses.

    What frustrated me even more was that even now, knowing this was Tariki¡¯s scheme, I was still scared to lower my head, and the overwhelming smell of blood was nauseating.

    ...Crack!

    Even after smashing the head of the creature mimicking a human corpse, the red emotions bubbled within me.

    The joy of tackling a new dungeon had vanished into the evening. Now all that remained was pure rage toward Tariki.

    Closing my eyes to steady my rapid breaths, I took a step forward again.

    <Girl, are you alright?>

    ¡®No.¡¯

    To be honest, I¡¯m not alright at all.

    The moment I closed my eyes just now, the faces of the two knights engraved on my retinas made it likely that I wouldn¡¯t sleep properly for a while.

    ¡®But this won¡¯t hinder me from smashing this dungeon to pieces.¡¯

    Having reciprocated my opponent''s carefully prepared gift, it was time for me to show something in return.

    Ah, I hope Nakradr¡¯s face is stiff.

    That way, I can smash my mace into it repeatedly.

    <...Alright. I understand.>

    ¡®But Grandpa.¡¯

    <What is it?>

    ¡®Can you stop calling me Lucy like that?¡¯

    <What¡­? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. You must have heard it wrong.>

    ¡®No, I heard it perfectly! It was a desperate voice calling ¡°Lucy!¡±¡¯

    <Enough! Focus on conquering the dungeon now!>

    Puhaha. Grandpa. Aren¡¯t you being a bit too cute for your age?

    ...

    Thank you.

    Thanks to you, I feel a bit better now.

 Chapter 274

    When I first faced a knight, everything was frozen except for my hearing.

    The only thing visible was the scenery of the Burrow family, and my sense of touch and smell werepletely nonfunctional.

    So, when fighting the knight, I could focus solely on that battle.

    Since I wasn¡¯t used to fighting relying on hearing, I struggled at first, but the moment I adapted, I easily brought down the knight.

    The following battles weren¡¯t much different.

    As soon as I entered a room, the door would close, and the battle would begin, where senses other than hearing were meaningless.

    However, there was one key difference.

    As the battle progressed, a certain smell began to invade my nostrils.

    It wasn¡¯t the freshness of air.

    It wasn¡¯t thefort of antique furniture.

    It wasn¡¯t the aroma of tea either.

    The scenting from the room was...

    The smell of blood.

    The unpleasant odor that wafted out when blood flowed from the human body filled the room.

    Perhaps because of that smell.

    Even when I should have been concentrating on the fight, the painful faces of the two knights kept shing in my mind.

    The line of corpses I had seen before entering the dungeon came back to haunt me.

    At least it was fortunate that the ones attacking me weren¡¯t that strong.

    I could knock them down easily even while distracted by other thoughts.

    ¡®...Damn it. Seriously.¡¯

    When the battle ended and the frozen scenery of the mansion vanished, whaty before me once again resembled human corpses.

    The bodies of maids.

    ck maid uniforms gradually stained with thick red, alongside a few bodies with faces so smashed they were unrecognizable.

    I knew those were fake, but still, I couldn¡¯t bear the feeling of my stomach turning.

    ¡®If this keeps up, I might lose my voice from choking.¡¯

    <...Girl.>

    After a while, while I rubbed my sore throat and tried to act calm, the old man spoke in a worried tone.

    Ugh. Old man. Why are you socking in sense?

    At times like this, you should have retorted that it¡¯s better to not have a voice.

    It¡¯s no wonder you lost all your women to yourpanions.

    <It¡¯s not about losing them; I¡¯ve only fulfilled my duty as a clergyman. How many times must I say this?!>

    ¡®Yeah. I guess you would.¡¯

    <You really!>

    In the next battle, Tariki yed his tricks again.

    This time, the sense that emerged was touch.

    The sensation of a viscous liquid with every step I took.

    The touch of powerless hands grabbing at my ankles.

    The feeling of something desperately trying to block my path.

    If it had only been touch, I could have ignored it.

    However, that sensation was intertwined with the smell.

    The smell of blood.

    The smell of a person blocking my path.

    The nauseating odor wafting from decaying corpses.

    It drove me insane.

    Honestly, I considered it a miracle that I had been able to take down the monsters without any injuries.

    If the monsters had been even a bit stronger, I would have already been lying on the ground, facing my fears.

    After the battle ended.

    Naturally, there were several corpses lying on the floor.

    The scene was a mess, as if the protagonist of an action movie had passed through, making me let out a hollowugh.

    What was curious was that I hadn¡¯t felt any urge to vomit at that sight.

    Was it that there was nothing left to regurgitate?

    Maybe I had grown ustomed to such scenes.

    Either way, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing.

    Throwing up was quite a burdensome task.

    Dragging my gaze away from the scene in the room, I forced my stiff legs to move upward.

    After that, several more battles ensued.

    Sometimes on the stairs.

    Sometimes in a room.

    Sometimes in the hallway.

    The monsters ambushed me, taking advantage of the fact that my sight waspromised, and every time the battle raged on, Tariki¡¯s malice surrounded me.

    While fighting in the Burrow mansion, the ground beneath my feet was always a mire of blood.

    The unidentified people lingering around me constantly tried to hinder my movements.

    The bizarre scents I could only experience in hell clung to my nose.@@novelbin@@

    By the time the battles ended, the area around me always resembled a hellscape that had clearly been visited by a serial killer.

    And every time I passed through that scene, my steps became heavier than before.

    How long did this continue?

    When I finally regained my senses, I found myself standing in front of the Burrow mansion''s office.

    "Have you arrived?"

    Hoping desperately that this ce was the boss room, the moment I opened the door, a voice echoed from the center of the room.

    It was a face I hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.

    An unnecessarily serious and pretentious middle schooler.

    Tall, yet just tall with an empty head.

    Tariki¡¯s apostle.

    Nakradr was seated at the desk in the office.

    ...Ah. More urately, it should be called Nakradr''s illusion. Since there¡¯s no actual body there.

    "How was the dungeon I carefully created for you? I would be delighted if you enjoyed it."

    The moment I saw Nakradr, buried in his chair with a smile, blood rushed down my spine.

    "Yeah? It was fun? Watching the creativity of a shut-in Evil God stuck in a hole was quite the sight?"

    So I spoke up first.

    I didn¡¯t know whether this was a trap prepared by Nakradr or not.

    I didn¡¯t even know if this was the real boss room.

    It was hard to guess what kind of oue this provocation would bring.

    But one thing was certain.

    Seeing the frown on Nakradr¡¯s forehead made it clear he was listening to my voice.

    And if Nakradr was listening to my words, then Tariki was also paying attention to what I had to say.

    That was enough.

    I would think about the aftermathter.

    Right now, it was more important to repay those bastards who tormented me.

    "Honestly, I had no expectations of you useless guys? One¡¯s a shut-in Evil God who got beaten by a human and got stuck in a hole? The other¡¯s an apostle who fled after being schooled while whining like a baby? Naturally, I thought you¡¯d be pathetic?"

    "This girl right now..."

    "Puhaha? But you exceeded my expectations?? You were so pathetic that it was actually fun!?"

    Halfway through, Nakradr tried to refute me, but I pressed down with my voice.

    With the aid of the mesugaki skill, my voice was clearer than anyone else''s.

    No matter how loud you yelled, it was impossible to cut through this voice.

    "With the delusional idea of tormenting me by stealing my senses like some psycho, since you can¡¯t win me face-to-face, you¡¯re resorting to torturing my mind, huh?? You¡¯re such a coward that even after doing this ridiculous crap, you still want to show your face and provoke me!? So this is what it takes to be a pathetic trash who imitates a scoundrel and follows it up with stupidity?? I¡¯m seriously impressed!?"

    As Nakradr mmed his fist on the desk, he stood up, but there was no sound. He had no physical form.

    "Why?? Why don¡¯t you attack?? Ah~? You don¡¯t have the confidence to win, do you?? This tiny and cute girl is scaring you, huh?? Right??"

    "..."

    "Puh? You coward!?"

    Ha. Why did you challenge me verbally?

    You¡¯re just a sad excuse for a human who can only bully the weak.

    How pathetic you are.

    It was hard to bear Nakradr¡¯s distorted face as he vanished without another word.

    Hmm. Since there¡¯s no retaliation, it seems this isn¡¯t the real boss room. If it were somewhere prepared for a fight, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold back from attacking me after the provocation.

    In the end, it felt like I had taken a futile step, but it was a good thing I came here first. Watching that bastard Nakradr¡¯s face crumple made me feel much better.

    After leaving the office, I stretched my body while sketching theyout of the Burrow mansion in my mind.

    If this isn¡¯t the boss room, then there¡¯s only one ce left.

    I had no hesitation in my steps as I moved forward.

    After countless battles, the picturesque scene of the Burrow family had long since copsed.

    There were no gaps in the blood and corpses-filledndscape, so there was no reason to move cautiously.

    After moving quickly, I arrived at the ce where Nakradr¡¯s dungeon entrance had once been.

    The room of the dead firstborn son of the Burrow family.

    The moment I opened the door without hesitation, a meadow appeared before me.

    A vast meadow located behind the Burrow family¡¯s territory.

    In that expansive area, only two people were present.

    One was a child who couldn¡¯t have been older than ten.

    The face of the boy wielding a slightly oversized wooden spear showed a glimpse of untainted innocence.

    And facing that boy was clearly an adult who had already undergone the rites of passage.

    The man, evading the boy¡¯s effortless thrusts, offered praise and various advice, clearly showing affection toward the boy.

    Since they were unfamiliar faces, it would be normal to be curious about their identities, but I had no interest in who they were.

    As this ce was set against the backdrop of the Burrow mansion.

    And since I had opened the door to the room of the firstborn son of the Burrow family and stepped into the meadow.

    The identities of the two were already determined.

    The small one was Jackal Burrow.

    And therger one was definitely the dead brother of Jackal.

    Ah, so the memory of the brother is acting as the keystone of this dungeon, huh?

    As expected, it¡¯s typical for someone like a child who can¡¯t live without their brother.

    Letting out a chuckle, I prepared for battle.

    Gripping my mace once more.

    Tightening the strap on my shield.

    Donning divinity upon my body.

    Although there were more damaged parts than intact ones due to the rush here without a break.

    It was fine.

    If I could smash my fist into Jackal¡¯s face, I could endure this level of penalty.

    As I finished all the preparations I could make, the brothers of the Burrow family stopped their sparring.

    Both of their gazes fixed on me.

    "Who goes there?"

    With a wary look, the elder son of the Burrow family approached, while the frightened Jackal Burrow hid behind him.

    Seeing their forms, I got a rough idea of what the boss battle would entail.

    Considering the fact that this dungeon had tried to gnaw away at my sanity, it was obvious what kind of ending it was preparing.

    "Answer me!"

    "Or what will you do?"?

    Let¡¯s start by hitting them a bit.

    Until the build-up inside me releases a little.

 Chapter 275

    Ignoring the firstborn''s attempts to stop me, I took a step forward, channeling my energy into the end of his wooden spear.

    "I will subdue you if you don¡¯t stop!"

    His threat was clear and filled with hostility, but I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the shimmering aura before me.

    Because I could see what that aura was¡ªor rather, what it was imitating.

    He had merely coated his mana on the outside to make it look impressive, but the insides were filled with the Evil God¡¯s power.

    It was only natural to think so. This dungeon was created by an Evil God, and the boss would undoubtedly be influenced by that, right?

    Especially since this "prince" serving as the keystone of the dungeon was so pathetic that even I, back when I had just entered the academy, could have easily beaten him; he must have been heavily affected by the Evil God.

    "What?? Are you trying to give me a massage with that?? Wow~ So threatening~? I hate massages, you know~?"

    Through my giggles, I heard the sound of the spear slicing through the air as it came flying toward me.

    Is he really that easy to provoke?

    With such a hot temper, there''s no way he¡¯ll ever be a gentleman.

    And the trajectory of that attack was far too predictable.

    At this point, it felt like he was begging me to block it.

    With a grin, I raised my shield to deflect the attack, only to feel a sharp pain travel up my arm.

    Even with a parry, this is how much I suffered?

    The remnants of my injuries from facing Duke Burrow still lingered, but the sheer strength of the firstborn was considerable.

    If this battle drags on, my defenses might crumble.

    "I¡¯ll say it again. Step back."

    "Are you trying to look cool in front of your little brother?? Deep down, you want to run away because you''re scared, but you¡¯re just putting on a show~? You coward!?"

    So, the action I needed to take was simple.

    I had to turn this fight into a short battle rather than a long one.

    Smash the opponent before I got exhausted and copsed.

    It was a strategy that contrasted with the lessons I had learned from facing the skeleton days earlier, but this time it should work out.

    I already understood how my opponent would move.

    "If you won¡¯t step back, I¡¯ll have to subdue you!"

    "Go ahead? If you can?"

    With confidence in his voice, I carefully observed his movements.

    I was confirming whether my initial assumptions about the scenery of this boss room were urate.

    And the moment I blocked the firstborn¡¯s spear, I became certain.

    Just as I had guessed, he was utilizing the Burrow family¡¯s spear technique.

    This makes it easier.

    After all, the Burrow family¡¯s spear technique is at a disadvantage against me.

    It seems like a martial art that was created based on the ideology that anyone can win if they can dodge well and hit.

    Using the spear¡¯s long reach to umte damage on the opponent, gradually widening the gap until they are overwhelmed.

    This spear technique passed down through the Duke¡¯s family is undoubtedly an excellent martial art.

    Even the old man hadmented on its solid foundation while watching it.

    But there is one w.

    The idea of wearing down the opponent until they perish can only be executed when one maintainsposure at all times.

    If one loses thatposure, then it¡¯s not the enemy who will wither away but themselves.

    "Were you trying to give me a massage?? Why are you just swinging at thin air?? Is there an invisible man around??"

    Like the firstborn, who was unable to control his emotions and wildly swung his spear.

    "Hey, Mr. Invisible!? Is the massage great?? Are you disappointed because youck strength?? But what can you do~?? A coward swinging a spear like a pathetic weakling!?"

    I have been bored to death watching Jackal wield the Burrow spear technique in the academy''s sparring sses.

    While watching him duel with others, I had been plotting how to respond to it.

    Even though that cowardly and fearful Prince Jackal always ran away, it seems my strategy was indeed correct.

    Look at him.

    With aplete physical condition, full stamina, and better physical specs than me, the Burrow firstborn can¡¯t do anything but il around.

    Well, I can''t say this is entirely the firstborn''s fault.

    He had clearly made an effort to maintain hisposure, and he was trying his best to uphold the principles of spear techniques.

    However, all those efforts were rendered meaningless in front of the mesugaki skill.

    What could I say? The mesugaki skill is a game-breaking, bnce-shattering cheat.

    Tariki, who created this dungeon, would probably start trembling and scream, "That mesugaki!" after a few provocations.

    "How does it feel to have your little brother see you being made fun of by a girl?? Embarrassing?? Shameful?? Angry??"

    As my taunts continued, the firstborn''s movements became increasingly frantic.

    Instead of maintaining the basics of the spear technique, he focused solely on how to teach a lesson to the mesugaki in front of him.

    Thanks to that, I was able to easily identify various weaknesses of the firstborn.

    Because he swung his weapon recklessly without thinking about what was behind him, the gaps in his defense became wider.

    He didn¡¯t pay attention to his footwork, so his stance was unstable.

    Sometimes he took steps forward without thinking about distance control.

    "By now, doesn¡¯t your silly little brother think, ''My brother is such a pathetic loser''??"

    I could see the firstborn rushing toward me, losing his rationality beyond the shield.

    Having waited for that movement, I purposely lowered my shield to expose my head.

    It was an obvious trap that told him to target me.

    If he had been rational, he might have doubted it, but he had already been consumed by his emotions.

    It was faster for him tosh out than to be suspicious.

    The moment he charged in without a second thought, I dodged my head and ducked.

    Then, I pushed my body with the shield to trip him.

    I tried to finish him off with a blow from my mace.

    But I failed.

    Before my mace could strike the ground, the firstborn¡¯s body scattered.

    As I steadied my ragged breath and raised my head, I noticed the scenery around me shifting.

    The wide meadow of the duke''s family sprouted trees and then transformed into a forest, leaving me unsure of where the boss room was.

    "Monster!"

    I turned my head at the enormous shout that seemed to shake the leaves.

    There was a broken carriage.

    Beside it were either dead or dying individuals.

    Standing in front of them was the firstborn, now fully armed, unlike before.

    "I¡¯m your opponent!"

    Is this the second phase?

    He¡¯s quite desperate.

    After getting wrecked just a moment ago, he should be cowering in fear.

    After all, if the spear technique he¡¯s using is from the Burrow family, he¡¯ll likely be trounced again.

    Or has he developed a weird taste while being provoked by me?

    <Don¡¯t let your guard down, girl. You never know what might happen.>

    ¡®I know, Grandpa.¡¯

    After all, Tariki loves to dig for weaknesses. I¡¯m not letting my guard down.

    I didn¡¯t conserve my divinity while fighting just for nothing.

    As I retorted to the old man and lifted my shield, suddenly, my steel wall warned me of danger.

    Even though I was far from the firstborn.

    And even though I heard no sound around me.

    I didn¡¯t doubt the steel wall''s voice.

    Because it had saved my life so many times until now, I moved my shield ording to that voice.

    And as soon as my shield reached the position the wall had mentioned...

    It was shoved back, and pain surged through my arm.

    By the time I finally regained my senses, my body was already floating in the air.

    Ah.

    This is bad.

    When the darkness that had colored my vision faded back to normal, the first thing I felt was pain.

    There wasn¡¯t a part of my body that wasn¡¯t hurting, making it hard to distinguish where the pain wasing from.

    Next, the familiar scent of blood I had experienced throughout my time in the dungeon invaded my senses.

    Then I felt something gripping me.

    At this point, I knew what was about to happen, so I forced my heavy eyelids open.

    Before me were the corpses of knights. The corpses of maids. The corpses of attendants. And then someone else¡¯s as well.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ...

    Since my senses weren¡¯t normal, I couldn¡¯t tell what had just happened.

    All I could do was specte that I might have been kicked in the face because I heard ringing in my ears and felt intense pain in my face.

    As I tried to rise, my arms were too weak to support me.

    No, it would be more urate to say that I couldn¡¯t exert any strength.

    No matter how hard I struggled to get up, my body continued to press down on the corpses beneath me.

    Did my bones break?

    Damn, this is really bad...

    ¡°Gah!¡±

    Something kicked me in the side.

    It seemed to be an intent to turn my body, and while the impact wasn¡¯t strong, it was still enough to inflict pain on my already wrecked body.

    Fear began to creep up my spine.

    I wasn¡¯t yet at the point of oveing that fear.

    But I knew exactly what the oue would be if this continued.

    ¡°Gah!¡±

    Just as I tried to gather my wits, someone stomped on my throat.

    With the heel of a shoe, pressed down painfully, making sure to inflict the maximum difort.

    ¡°Did you think you¡¯d won?¡±

    In the midst of my screams, I heard the voice of Nakrad.

    ¡°Did you think this dungeon was nothing to worry about?¡±

    His voice, filled with a hint ofughter, suggested that he was certain of his victory.

    ¡°You should have suspected something. Why is it going so smoothly for you?¡±@@novelbin@@

    So, it wasn¡¯t an intention to mentally attack me.

    I see now. Ah, I get it.

    The corpses that were spread before me were not just to torment my mind.

    They were observing me, assessing how I approached the dungeon.

    And they must have figured it out.

    They realized that I relied on my hearing.

    Yeah, that¡¯s right.

    These guys are not mere game enemies.

    They are sentient beings capable of thought, reasoning, and judgment.

    Of course, they would be pondering how to best take me down.

    How foolish I was.

    ¡°How could you beg for your life like that? Do you really think a little girl like you could keep her virginity even while being raped by a monster?¡±

    It hurts.

    It hurts.

    It hurts!

    There¡¯s no part of me that isn¡¯t in pain.

    Somewhere in the depths of my consciousness, panic was starting to set in.

    I had just been kicked hard.

    ¡°Please! Help!¡±

    ¡°Who? Who wille to save you?¡±

    The pain was overwhelming, and it started to suffocate me.

    ¡°Please! I don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    ¡°Then beg for mercy from your God!¡±

    My thoughts were scattered, lost amidst the pain.

    I didn¡¯t want to die.

    I didn¡¯t want to die.

    ¡°Help me! Aramadi! Please, I need your mercy now more than ever!¡±

    In that moment, as I cried out in desperation, I felt the divine energy swell within my heart.

    And I knew.

    I still had one chance left.

    Onest opportunity to drive my mace into Nakrad¡¯s face.

 Chapter 276

    Divine energy began to spread throughout my body, coursing through the blood vessels of my heart.

    The organs that had strayed from their original ces returned, healing the damaged areas.

    The broken bones reattached, regaining their former solidity.

    The torn and bruised muscles regained their shape, binding together strongly.

    Of course, there are downsides to recovering so rapidly.

    Because things that should naturally ur are forced to happen, my brain fills with pain.

    Perhaps unable to endure the suffering, my consciousness flickered in and out, but by the time it returned, my body had already regained its integrity.

    Along with it, the various unpleasant sensations that had been forgotten during my engulfment in fear returned as well.

    Even with my eyelids closed, I had to face the corpse. Isn¡¯t this a bit too much?

    Exhaling deeply, I opened my eyes and disregarded the face of the corpse, instead observing my own body.

    Thanks to my unwavering grip even while being beaten, Ankir remained by my side.

    It seemed Luel''s mace had flown somewhere, but that was alright.

    As long as the mace is my possession, it must respond to my call.

    Not long after I opened my right hand, my grandfather''s voice reached my ear.

    <Are you alright?! Are you back to your senses?!>

    A voice slightly hoarse with moisture.

    He must have been calling my name frantically after I lost the mace.

    Grandpa, were you that worried about me?

    ¡®Grandfather.¡¯

    <Oh! Thank goodness! Really, thank goodness!>

    As soon as I replied, my grandfather began to fuss.

    <How''s your body?! Do you think you can move?!>

    ¡®Yes. I can move well enough.¡¯

    My body, having received Armaadi¡¯s mercy, was almostpletely restored.

    Although I had used all the divine energy to heal my body, leaving me with virtually no divine energy to use right now, it wasn¡¯t a major problem.

    As long as I have the divine light to illuminate Ankir, I can face Nakrad.

    I stood up while hearing footsteps approaching from a distance.

    <From what I just saw, have you lost your hearing as well as your senses?>

    ¡®Not at all.¡¯

    Thanks to Ankir¡¯s ability, the hearing I managed to keep was still functioning properly.

    It was just that Nakrad had hidden his sounds somehow.

    <He¡¯s hiding his sounds?!>@@novelbin@@

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    <...Damn it. There¡¯s no way you can fight while your senses are impaired! Fall back for now.>

    ¡®It¡¯s alright, Grandpa.¡¯

    <What do you mean it¡¯s alright?!>

    ¡®I¡¯ve done something simr before.¡¯

    Of course, I was referring to the time when this was still a game.

    But now, I feel like I can recreate that memory in this ce.

    A few months ago, I had to crawl on the ground against Nakrad without being able to do anything.

    There had been such a gap between us.

    Even now, there¡¯s still a clear difference between Nakrad and me.

    No matter how steeply I¡¯ve grown over the past few months, how could there be no difference between me, who cannot use divine energy, and a pervert who¡¯s been tormenting me without any minor exertion?

    However, that difference isn¡¯t as great as it was when I first encountered him in the back alleys of the Academy.

    It¡¯s not the gap between an ant that must die when crushed and a human, but rather just a difference in strength between a child and an adult.

    This isn¡¯t a small difference, but for me,

    for this rotten water,

    this difference is enough.

    If I¡¯m allowed to struggle, then that will suffice.

    ¡®So please trust me and watch.¡¯

    <Are you confident?>

    ¡®Yes. Of course.¡¯

    <If that¡¯s the case... I understand.>

    With my grandfather''s reluctant response behind me, I fully raised my body.

    As soon as I did, the footsteps stopped, and the disgusting sound of trash flowed out.

    ¡°You¡¯re making a fuss. If you have that much strength, wouldn¡¯t it have been better to bite your tongue instead?¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you bite your tongue?? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to die and protect your disgusting hikikomori master instead of living as a pervert who torments girls??¡±

    With every word I added, the fear that once resided in me was gradually reced by exhration.

    The rising thrill made it clear to me:

    The reason the sanity of the being in front of me was gradually disappearing.

    ¡°Ha. Talk all you want. The angrier you make me, the greater the pleasure will be when your bitch screamster.¡±

    ¡°Wow~? The thoughts of a filthy hikikomori who¡¯s been chosen are on another levelpared to a normal person? It¡¯s so disgusting I can¡¯t even bring myself to imitate it?¡±

    Seeing that my exhration was growing, it was clear he was getting heated, yet no retort came back.

    The reason was clear. He must have been silent because hecked confidence in winning this verbal battle.

    He truly is a petty little shit. Once I seize the upper hand, he¡¯ll undoubtedly start rambling excitedly.

    ¡°Is something strange?? Why so quiet?? Just a moment ago, I could hear your disgusting voice next to me??¡±

    I kept moving my lips, drawing up my senses.

    Even when I had been ambushed for the first time, and my hearing had been neutralized in that moment, my iron wall had still done its job.

    It always warned me of the danger that lurked in front of me.

    It was just that I couldn¡¯t follow that warning.

    So this time, I focused solely on the voice of the iron wall from the beginning.

    Ignoring all the trivial things, I listened only to what the iron wall was saying.

    ¡®Straight ahead.¡¯

    Following themand of the iron wall, I moved my body, and I realized just how messed up my body had been a moment ago.

    My body moved this lightly.

    Haha. No wonder I couldn¡¯t keep up with what was being told and ended up in shambles.

    Just as I smirked, the shock of an impact hit me.

    This wasn¡¯t the shock of being struck by something.

    This was the shock delivered by magic.

    ¡®Again, straight ahead.¡¯

    As soon as I made a judgment, the iron wall warned me of danger once more, so I moved my shield.

    And once again, I felt a massive shock.

    That bastard Nakrad.

    If he didn¡¯t want to create variables by approaching me, he¡¯d rather suppress me safely from a distance.

    Yeah. I knew you would act like this.

    I knew you were a petty, cowardly piece of trash.

    ¡°Big, cowardly wretch? Are you scared?? You ran away because you thought you¡¯d lose if you got close??¡±

    After getting my game knowledge dismantled by the skeleton, I had pondered for a long time.

    In a situation where I couldn¡¯t trust all the boss strategies stuck in my head.

    ¡°Puhaha? Well, you¡¯re a coward and aplete weakling?¡±

    But as I kept thinking, I realized one thing. Most of my strategies had indeed been correct.

    Unless the opponent noticed my strategy and moved while being mindful of it, my knowledge was spot on.

    ¡°If I poke you, you¡¯ll break, so what will you do?~? You¡¯ll have to run away, dirty and ugly?¡±

    This tendency grew stronger the less reason the opponent had.

    The angrier they got and the more they couldn¡¯t make a normal judgment, the more it escted.

    From this, I came up with an idea.

    If I could just blow away their sanity, then I could move ording to my knowledge of this rotten water.

    ¡°I get it~? The middle school syndrome wretch ran away regardless of whether his lover died or not? Compared to that, running away from a girl is nothing?¡±

    While I spoke, the iron wall urgently warned me of danger.

    Before I could think, I raised my shield, and the shock came through.

    ¡°Are you mad because I mentioned someone you abandoned??¡±

    The voice of the iron wall, warning me of danger, continued unbroken, and following it, I felt another shocke from beyond the shield.

    That shock was by no means light, but I stubbornly continued my words.

    ¡°Puhaha? Why didn¡¯t you act like this when your lover was dying?? Ah? Is that it?? The monster attacking your lover looked scary, and I looked like fodder??¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You cowardly little shit? A piece of trash who abandoned the person he loved to save himself?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true! I didn¡¯t abandon her!¡±

    Kwaaaang!

    With Nakrad¡¯s voice, almost like a scream, an enormous shock was delivered to my shield, iparable to before.

    It felt like a cannonball exploded right in front of my shield.

    Since I was in no state to even attempt a parry, I had to endure the entire shock, clenching my teeth and trying to hold onto my body, which felt like it would fly away.

    ¡°I said that¡¯s not true!¡±

    Alright. I think I¡¯ve achieved my first goal with that.

    Now it¡¯s time to move on to the second.

    Verifying my thoughts.

    I have to check if Nakrad will move ording to the pattern.

    Grimacing, I defended against Nakrad¡¯s onught.

    While doing that, I engraved his attacks into my mind.

    My eyes were still filled with the faces of corpses.

    All I could smell was the scent of blood.

    The only sensation on my skin was the feeling of bugs crawling around.

    The only sound in my ears was Nakrad''s voice.

    In examining the opponent''s attacks, the only things I could rely on were the iron wall''s voice and the pain transmitted from beyond the shield.

    This was enough to decipher Nakrad''s patterns.

    Losing his sanity.

    Losing his thoughts.

    Attacking like a beast based on instinct, Nakrad was no different from the mid-boss Nakrad that appeared in the game.

    What woulde next after this pattern was surely an area attack, right?

    After waiting for 0.5 seconds, I rolled to the right twice to evade.

    ¡°Does the middle school syndrome wretch have worse eyesight than me, who can¡¯t see?? Why are you attacking thin air??¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡±

    Next, it would be one of two things.

    Either a surprise attack using teleportation or a barrage of magic bullets from a distance.

    Since I could hear his voice from afar, it seemed like it was thetter.

    Taking a step back.

    Then two steps forward.

    After that, I stepped sideways and charged straight ahead.

    ¡°Ah~? Is it because you¡¯re old?? It must be!? You could see your dying lover''s face clearly when you were young, right??¡±

    ¡°Shut up and die!¡±

    With every time I deciphered Nakrad''s pattern, his voice echoed closer.

    If he had even a shred of sanity, he would have thought to distance himself.

    But he didn¡¯t have the luxury for that.

    As he became distracted by the meager voices of the mesugaki breaking through the trauma he held, he was too busy trying to shut me up.

    Thanks to that, I could keep advancing.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see me well?? I¡¯m such a cute and pretty girl, you know??¡±

    By continuing to provoke him, I didn¡¯t give him a chance to think.

    ¡°Do you happen to like older women?? Is that it??¡±

    ¡°You filthy trash like a bug!¡±

    One step. One step.

    I was getting closer and closer to Nakrad.

    ¡°Ah~? I see~? Then you should be able to see the face of the lover you haven¡¯t forgotten until now~?¡±

    Eventually, I reached the point where Nakrad''s voice was right in front of me.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    What was the pattern when we were this close?

    Using Tariki''s energy to push the user over.

    What was the counter?

    Banishing the darkness with Ankir¡¯s divine energy.

    ¡°Zebaal!¡±

    I charged forward.

    ¡°Shut that mouth!¡±

    I thrust the mace into Nakrad''s face.

    Puh-rrr!

    The thought that the mace had struck something flickered through my mind, and a rough sound pierced my ears.

    Not long after, I heard the sound of a human body tumbling pathetically to the ground.

 Chapter 277

    When Ruel entered the dungeon with Lucy, what he saw was a stillndscape of a mansion.

    It resembled a painting crafted by a skilled artist.

    What could be prepared in this dungeon? As Ruel pondered this, he first felt unease when he noticed that Lucy was absent from the painting.

    What is this? There¡¯s a girl here, but why can¡¯t I see her?

    The one to answer Ruel, who was engulfed in confusion, was Lucy.

    She was retreating from the attacks of an enemy that was neither visible nor audible, revealing what lurked throughout the entire dungeon.

    Sensory disruption.

    One of Tariki¡¯s powers that robs the opponent of all senses.

    The power that had once put the hero and hispanions in life-threatening danger.

    Even now, after a long time had passed, Ruel remembered the crisis of that day.

    If the deity hadn¡¯t performed a miracle, Ruel¡ªno, all the heroes would have lost their lives right there.

    As far as I know, the ability that robs all five senses is one of the highest-level powers that Tariki possesses.

    Did that guy spread such a power throughout the entire dungeon while he still hadn¡¯t even resurrected?

    Even more so when he was in a considerably weakened state due to the miracle performed by the girl?

    For him to pull off such a stunt, Tariki himself would have to pay a significant price.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Lucy¡¯s words to be proven true.

    Not long after Lucy emerged victorious in battle, a portion of thendscape began to melt away, restoring Ruel¡¯s senses.

    The mansion¡¯s scenery was in disarray from the battle.

    Lucy was forcing her body to move, which could copse at any moment.

    And,

    Two corpses sprawled on the floor.

    The moment Ruel saw them, he became certain.

    The Dark Evil God considered Lucy a threat.

    He was willing to pour everything he had umted over hundreds of years into this ce to bring Lucy down.

    The method he chose was the worst.

    Driving the physical body to its limits, gnawing at the mind to push the opponent further into a corner, making them kneel.

    No, this is too much for the girl right now.

    The girl has not yetpleted her role as an apostle.

    How could a child whocks the courage to bear the death of a person endure this, risking her own life?

    How could a fragile child, who cannot even withstand a false death, endure this?

    After kneeling on the ground and vomiting, Lucy managed to rise again, putting on a brave face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°This is nothing at all.¡±

    She smiled as she spoke, but Ruel saw the truth hidden behind her fabricated bravado.

    The eyes that couldn¡¯t even look down.

    Her condition worsened the further they progressed into the dungeon.

    The hand gripping the mace trembled.

    She kept murmuring to herself.

    She was afraid to move forward.

    Seeing Lucy, who had never lost her confidence, crumble, Ruel felt as though his heart was being torn apart.

    What hurt him the most was that Lucy did not stop moving forward.

    Though she should want to copse, though it should scare her to keep going.

    Though she should want to burst into tears.

    She kept pushing ahead.

    As if it were only natural.

    In the face of the overwhelming power weighing down on her shoulders, all Ruel could do was pray.

    May the girl be able to escape this dungeon unscathed.

    May the deity bless the child who seeks to fulfill your will.

    Please.

    Please.

    Please.

    ...

    <Are you okay, girl?>

    What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s happening? Why can¡¯t I hear your voice?

    <Don¡¯t joke around.>

    Your defensive skills are renowned across the continent.

    There¡¯s no way you could fail to block an opponent''s attack.

    A warrior as excellent as you wouldn¡¯t drop their weapon.

    You must be alright.

    Even if you failed to defend, even if you¡¯re in danger, it¡¯s surely alright.

    You are the apostle of the great deity.

    That being must always be watching over you and will perform a miracle.

    Just as we have been cared for, you too will receive care!

    <Lucy. Please, respond.>

    Surely.

    Surely, it will be so.

    No, it must be so.

    It must!

    <Lucyyy!>

    Ruel called out Lucy''s name with all his might, but there was no reply.

    Yet, he continued to call out.

    Having lost glory.

    Having lost his body.

    With only a wretched soul remaining in the weapon, that was all he could do.

    ...How powerless.

    So utterly powerless.

    How long had it been?

    From afar, he felt a warm divine presence.

    A light that could be found even in the thickest darkness.

    That must be¡ª

    ¡°Grandfather.¡±

    The moment Ruel heard Lucy¡¯s voice, he nearly burst into tears.

    Thank goodness. I¡¯m truly thankful.

    I¡¯m so grateful that you¡¯re alive.

    As Ruel struggled to suppress the overwhelming emotion, he asked about the situation.

    What Lucy responded with was the worst possible news.

    Even the one thing he had counted on¡ªher hearing¡ªhad be meaningless.

    Upon hearing that sound, Ruel¡¯s mind raced in desperation.

    He needed to find a way out of this situation.

    Yet nothing came to mind.

    Even Ruel, who had escaped the threat of death countless times in the past, could not think of a way to ovee this crisis.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Grandfather.¡±

    But curiously, Lucy¡¯s voice, which had to face the crisis head-on, was filled with confidence.

    It was different from the time when she had masqueraded her dignity while conquering the dungeon.

    A voice bursting with self-assurance, one that only she could muster.

    Ruel didn¡¯t understand where her confidence wasing from.

    He simply remained silent to avoid disturbing her focus, as she had always shown something out of the ordinary when she spoke with such confidence.

    When Lucy began to fight again, all Ruel could see was the painting.

    In the stillness surrounding them, he couldn¡¯t grasp what was happening.

    However, he felt the warm divine presence beyond the grip of his hands, so he waited, trusting in Lucy.

    He endured, believing that the deity was protecting her.

    Then, at some point, a portion of the painting that filled Ruel¡¯s vision began to flow away.

    What emerged beyond it was Lucy¡¯s footsteps.@@novelbin@@

    Given that she wasn¡¯t stopping for even a moment, it seemed Lucy had seeded at something.

    Oh? Thendscape has vanished again.

    Was this near Lucy¡¯s legs?

    Seeing a wider view than before, Ruel soon felt astonished.

    Lucy was dodging her opponent¡¯s attacks.

    Nothing was visible, and nothing could be heard. Yet her feet moved nimbly, nullifying all of her opponent¡¯s attacks.

    How... is this possible?

    It doesn¡¯t make sense.

    How could she evade attacks that are both invisible and inaudible?

    This is something that even the legendary hero, who was like a monster in his prime, couldn¡¯t aplish!

    This isn¡¯t merely good intuition.

    It¡¯s prophecy.

    Yes.

    It¡¯s prophecy.

    Unless one knows what will unfold in the future, such a feat is utterly impossible.

    As Ruel continued to ponder in amazement, the surrounding scenery began to flow away once more.

    ¡°What the hell are you?! What are you?!¡±

    What appeared this time was the face of the enemy, now a mess.

    His nose was twisted.

    His jaw shattered.

    He could barely open one eye.

    On that hideous face stained with blood, fear was evident.

    Fear of the existence before him.

    ¡°Puhaha?¡±

    Not long after Ruel faced him, the scenery flowed away again.

    ¡°What do you mean??¡±

    Despite being stained with blood, those vividly red eyes stood out.

    ¡°You know what I mean??¡±

    A fierce smile resembling that of a beast spread across his lips.

    ¡°This cute and kind girl is¡ª?¡±

    Ha ha. Yes, this is how it should be.

    ¡°I¡¯m the angel who will smash your dumb head and take you to heaven where your lover is!?¡±

    You, Lucy, wear that expression best.

    Puh!

    As the mace came crashing down into Nakrad''s face, the surrounding scenerypletely crumbled.

    ¡°Oh? By the way? you¡¯ll be cast into hell, so you¡¯ll never meet your lover again? It¡¯s better this way for your lover, the ugly girl? It¡¯d be disgusting if a piece of trash who abandoned her followed her around like a perverted stalker?¡±

 Chapter 279

    The moment I saw the phrase that the inquisitors wereing here, the first thought that crossed my mind was this:

    Why? Why are theying here?

    There¡¯s no reason for them to visit the Burrow family.

    The inquisitors of the church are problem solvers for the church.

    Inquisitors who are charged with suppressing heresy perform various dirty tasks that cannot be conducted in the light.

    As those who engage in activities that should not be publicly revealed, only those deeply loyal to the church can obtain such positions, but it¡¯s somewhat different now.

    They don¡¯t appoint the loyal as inquisitors; instead, they cultivate loyal individuals from the church to create inquisitors from the outset.

    There¡¯s nothing strange about it. The current church even produces its own saintesses.

    Anyway, these individuals are usually sent only to perform dirty work.

    They help coborators maintain eternal silence, silence those with slightly oundish opinions, or, as the name suggests, interrogate heretics.

    So why are these individualsing to the Burrow territory?

    It¡¯s clear that the church has not grasped the situation in the Burrow family.

    After all, it was verified by Bishop Johan of the church and Isabel, who has various connections within the church.

    Therefore, there should be no reason for the church to take an interest in this territory. So why?

    No, wait.

    I can think about the reasonter.

    What I need to focus on is how to respond to the appearance of the inquisitors.

    If the inquisitors reach the Burrow territory, it would cause more than just one problem.

    First and foremost, being discovered is a huge issue.

    I have not yet grown strong enough to stand against the church¡¯s influence.

    If I were to be discovered as an apostle in this situation, as my grandfather once said, I would vanish without a trace.

    That¡¯s not the only problem.

    If the events that urred in the Burrow territory were uncovered, who knows what sacrifices might arise?

    Moreover, there¡¯s a significant possibility that the innocent Feiby and Johan, who only assisted me, would be harmed.

    Ahh. Damn it. My head hurts!

    <Girl, what¡¯s wrong?>

    ¡®...Something not so good has happened.¡¯

    When I shared the situation I was in, my grandfather let out a sound of dismay.

    <It seems troublesome.>

    ¡®Really.¡¯

    I just overcame a life-and-death crisis, and now another one is approaching!

    What¡¯s even more frustrating is that this crisis didn¡¯t arise from the Evil God!

    Why should I, the apostle of the deity, fear the people of the church?!

    As the first apostle of the deity in history, shouldn¡¯t I be revered and treated with respect?!@@novelbin@@

    This is all because of that pathetic, ipetent deity!

    Why can¡¯t a deity manage his own followers properly?!

    Are you really a god?! If your will is being defied, you should impose some form of punishment!

    I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s because you don¡¯t want to talk to those old, smelly geezers!

    If the pride of a perverted lolicon is somehow rted to those geezers, I¡¯m really going to be angry!

    I¡¯ll risk my life to spread your true nature in this world!

    <Girl, are you listening?>

    ¡®...What? What did you say?¡¯

    <Haa. This matter isn¡¯t only your problem, you know. I believe it¡¯s more important to go outside and inform others.>

    My grandfather¡¯s words were undoubtedly correct.

    This wasn¡¯t just my problem.

    Moreover, when considering the situation, it would be better to discuss it with others rather than alone.

    Closing the window, I stood up, gripping my mace in my right hand, and nced at the back of Nakrad¡¯s head.

    ¡°Now to be satisfied... what? Didn¡¯t I do everything you told me to do! Hold on! Stop!...¡±

    If I hit him like this, he should faint, right?

    After Lucy entered the dungeon, Feiby continued to kneel in front, praying continuously.

    The only thing she could do was ask the deity to protect Lucy.

    Ignoring suggestions to eat or drink, to rest, or anything else, she stayed in her ce.

    At that point, she couldn¡¯t even tell how much time had passed.

    Then, a warm energy flowed out from beyond the dungeon door.

    As she felt it on her skin, Feiby hurriedly opened her eyes.

    Standing there was undoubtedly Lucy.

    Her flowing red hair was a mess, stained with blood.

    Blood flowed down her face, covering half of it.

    The armor she wore was dented and hard to recognize in its original state, but standing at the entrance of the dungeon was certainly...

    Lucy.

    She threw the two dolls she had carried over her shoulder to the ground like they were baggage, met Feiby¡¯s gaze, and grinned.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Pathetic saint. You...¡±

    ¡°Lady!¡±

    As soon as Feiby saw that smile, she rushed to Lucy and hugged her tightly.

    She didn¡¯t care that Lucy was covered in blood and that her clothes might get dirty. The overwhelming joy made it impossible to think about such things.

    ¡°Do you have any idea how worried I was?!¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You said it was nothing, but you took so long toe back!¡±

    ¡°Sleep.¡±

    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m really! I¡¯m so d you¡¯re safe! Lady...¡±

    ¡°Hey! Pig saint! Could you back off a bit? It¡¯s a bit overwhelming!¡±

    Only after Lucy yelled did Feiby realize how rude she had been.

    How could she have been so disrespectful to someone who just fought against an apostle of the Evil God?!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Lady!¡±

    ¡°...Haa. That¡¯s enough. Where are the other pathetic ones?¡±

    ¡°The others are...¡±

    ¡°What about them? The employer? Is it urgent?¡±

    Just as Feiby was about to respond, a voice suddenly came from behind.

    Karia. An informant following Lucy peeked his head in through the door.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s as urgent as ady¡¯sing of age.¡±

    ¡°...Mying of age isn¡¯t particrly urgent, you know?!¡±

    Karia raised her voice, as if stabbed by a dagger, while Lucy, who was telling her to gather people, stood in between them.

    Unable to interject into the conversation, Feiby turned her head to check the faces of those Lucy had brought.

    One was Jackal Burrow.

    The son of the Burrow family and a seducer who had fallen for Tariki''s temptation but was given another chance by Lucy.

    The other was...

    ¡°Pfft?!... Cough! Cough!¡±

    Confronted with the apostle of the Evil God, Feiby was so shocked that she choked several times.

    What is... what on earth?

    As Karia approached behind Feiby, she lightly tapped her back and asked Lucy as if to interrogate her.

    ¡°Employer. What the hell is going on here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this perverted tall one is thinking.¡±

    ¡°...Is this personal preference? Really?¡±

    As Karia observed Nakrad sprawled on the floor, she shook her head as if she had seen something terrible and stepped out of the room.

    Silence then settled in the room.

    Feiby was too upied with worrying about her recent mistake to pay attention to Lucy.

    Lucy, with a furrowed brow, was staring at the floor, deep in thought.

    Ugh. Silly Feiby. Why do you have to keep making mistakes even in a moment of reunion that should be joyful?

    Thanks to that, I only received criticism from thedy.

    Haa. Pathetic saintess.

    ...But if I think about it, thedy doesn¡¯t speak untruths even if she exaggerates a bit.

    Oh? Is that a little weight?

    ¡°Lady! Are you okay?! Is there anywhere you¡¯re hurt?! This sword! I was so worried about you!¡±

    Breaking Feiby¡¯s thoughts was the frantic entrance of Cal, who rushed in.

    As soon as he entered the room, he began to fuss about everything, ultimately being subdued by the annoyed Lucy.

    Before long, Alsethin revealed himself.

    Johan quietly took a seat in the room, followed by the Forest Master and the Spatial Mage.

    ¡°Frete that pervert will be finishing up soon.¡±

    And finally, when Karia also revealed herself, Lucy spoke with a somewhat serious expression.

    ¡°The dog of those trash pretending to serve the pathetic deity ising here.¡±

    ¡°Really... there¡¯s no need to ask if it¡¯s true.¡±

    The first voice came from Karia. Being able to read a person¡¯s intentions, she realized that my words were true and turned her gaze to Johan with a sigh.

    ¡°Bishop. What will happen if the inquisitors see the situation in the Burrow territory?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Johan didn¡¯t doubt my words either.

    He seemed to have concluded that my words were true and promptly responded to Karia¡¯s question.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t find traces of Tariki. Then they would interrogate us for acting without notifying the church.¡±

    ¡°That would be annoying.¡±

    ¡°More than that.¡±

    ¡°What about persuasion?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. The same goes for subduing them. We might win against the inquisitors, but someone will get away.¡±

    ¡°Haa. Then.¡±

    ¡°Um.¡±

    As the conversation progressed rapidly, Feiby spoke up, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

    Though she could have felt the pressure of those gazes, Feiby smiled as usual and continued speaking.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay behind to testify. Then we can portray the Burrow Dukedom as innocent victims, and Lady will not face any arrows of me...¡±

    ¡®No!¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, pathetic saint.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, saintess.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bad idea, saintess.¡±

    As soon as Feiby proposed it, the three of us¡ªme, Johan, and Karia¡ªshook our heads in unison.

    ¡°Why... why not?¡±

    ¡°First, it¡¯s a problem because the saintess cannot handle the scale of this matter alone.¡±

    ¡°It would raise suspicion and lead to investigations from behind. That would cause trouble.¡±

    While I wouldn¡¯t say it directly, even if Feiby¡¯s suggestion were epted, it would still be a problem.

    The false saintess defeating the apostle of the Evil God would not be something the church would wee.

    What those tools might do when they begin to develop a sense of self.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll step forward!¡±

    When Feiby was at a loss due to the continuous objections, the door burst open.

    It was the apostle of the goddess of beauty and perversion. No, the goddess of beauty and art, who made her dyed entrance.

    ¡°If I take the lead in this matter, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡±

    ¡°...The apostle?¡±

    In response to Feiby¡¯s question, the one who gave a gentle smile nodded, stepping into the center of the room.

    ¡°I actually came here after hearing the goddess¡¯s words, so questions about how I knew are unnecessary. Moreover, given my umted achievements, even if I handled everything myself, no one would suspect it. Of course, I¡¯ll im the Burrow family¡¯s innocence and use our church¡¯s power to prevent the deity¡¯s involvement.¡±

    What they said had no ws.

    If this guy took the lead, many problems would be solved.

    What¡¯s more important is that he is beyond the influence of the deity¡¯s church.

    Even if they are inquisitors, they cannot strongly confront an apostle of another god, so if he boldly steps forward, they would have to step back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you wouldn¡¯t want this matter to be exposed to the church, but isn¡¯t this the cleanest solution?¡±

    Is this really the same pervert who used to charge at me?

    The same pervert who screamed all sorts of bizarre things, shocking me, can speak so logically?

    I was astonished to see a beast speaking human words.

    At that moment, Karia sighed.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to do that, that¡¯s the best option, but what are your ulterior motives?¡±

    Huh? Ulterior motives?

    ¡°That¡¯s the repayment for saving my life.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. Have you forgotten who¡¯s in front of you?¡±

    Karia, who possesses the ability to read the movements of others, was remarkably adept at interpreting their intentions.

    Her skill was so exceptional that it could even grasp my innermost thoughts.

    The fact that Karia raised her voice meant...

    What? Is this guy not just expressing gratitude? Does he have ulterior motives?

    ...No. Wait a second. If this perverted guy has ulterior motives, then it must be...

    ¡°Speak quickly, you pervert. There¡¯s no time.¡±

    ¡°Um. It is, you see. While I was discussing with Lina, I heard that Lady Alrn intends to present herself beautifully before the master of the forest.¡±

    Yo.

    The fool.

    This crazy girl!

    Did you boast about that when I entrusted you with it!?

    I red at him, not hiding my anger, and the fool awkwardly avoided my gaze.

    You actually said that! This hopeless perverted fox!

    Though I wanted to rush at him right now and swing my mace, sadly, I could not do so yet.

    Because the apostle of the goddess hadn¡¯t finished speaking.

    ¡°If I can leave that sight as a painting, it would be perfect. If Lady permits me, this Frete will do anything.¡±

    ...

    Haa.

    Damn this life.

 Chapter 280

    As time passed from morning into the afternoon, Keadle, the secretary of the Pope, visited the inquisitor Nian, who was training with his subordinates. He brought with him the orders of the deity.

    The content was as follows:

    ¡°Immediately head to the Burrow Dukedom in the Sdin Kingdom and conduct an investigation there.

    You must thoroughly check for any unusual urrences, and if there are any church officials or anyone who appears to possess significant divine power, bring them to the Holy Land by any means necessary.¡±

    Though there were many unclear aspects in the orders given to Nian, he did not ponder them.

    The fact that he had received an order meant that there was a good reason for it. His job, along with his subordinates, was simply to carry out the tasks assigned to them.

    Not even an hour had passed since themand was given when Nian led his subordinates to the church''s teleportation circle.

    They were to immediately travel to the church located in the Burrow territory.

    ¡°Hmm? I¡¯m sorry, Inquisitor. There seems to be something unusual in the Burrow territory.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, send us to the nearest location.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Understood. I¡¯ll prepare immediately... Huh? No. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    However, the process did not go smoothly.

    It was as if someone had set it up that way; all teleportation circles near the Burrow territory were out of order.

    This must be rted to the Pope''smand. It seems there¡¯s been some trouble in the Burrow territory.

    After wasting quite some time, the only ce Nian could teleport to was a location two hours away from the Burrow territory by carriage.

    Despite the urgency of the Pope¡¯s order, he had lost too much time unnecessarily.

    Normally, everyone would move after recovering from the effects of teleportation, but given the situation...

    ¡°I¡¯ll head to the Burrow territory first. Once the situation is stabilized, you should follow.¡±

    Leaving the recovery to a reliable subordinate, he immediately began using divine magic on himself, as well as enhancing himself using the ancient martial arts established by the great pdin Luel, who was once called a hero.

    By the time all those procedures werepleted, Nian¡¯s body had already surpassed that of an ordinary human. His speed wasparable to that of a warhorse running at full speed.

    After running like a madman for some time, Nian reached a vige and realized what was amiss in the Burrow territory.

    The vige was permeated with the Evil God¡¯s ominous and repulsive energy.

    With a sacrificial magic circle on the outskirts of the vige, it seemed the Evil God had influenced this area for more than just a day or two.

    Furthermore, since all the residents were copsed, it appeared that the magic circle had activated and then failed.

    Hmm. With such an incident happening in the Dukedom, no one has sensed anything unusual.

    This indicates that the threat lurking here is rted to the Evil God Tariki.

    Given the scale of the incident, we should assume that at least the apostle of the Evil God has acted.

    Having often dealt with the repugnant beings that serve the Evil God as an inquisitor, Nian reached his conclusion quickly from minimal information, but his expression was far from pleasant.

    If the apostle of the Evil God is lurking in the heart of the Burrow territory and growing stronger there, then my subordinates and I would reach our limits.

    This is an issue that at the very least should require the church''s knights to deploy, and in the worst-case scenario, the Holy Church may have to mobilize its full force.

    If we all set foot in such a dangerous ce, we might all meet our deaths.

    That would be troublesome. Someone needs to report the situation.

    I should leave orders for my subordinates to wait here.

    If they don¡¯t return after half a day, I will instruct them to report everything to the church.

    Having finished all that needed to be done, Nian set off again toward the Burrow territory.

    As he ran without rest, he noticed something strange along the way.

    If this were a normal situation, the energy of the Evil God would be stronger as he approached the center of the Burrow territory.

    As he neared where the apostle of the Evil God resides, the foul scent of the Evil God should intensify.

    However, it was not so. Strangely, as he moved closer to the center, the Evil God¡¯s scent gradually faded.

    What on earth is happening in the center of the Burrow territory?

    At a moment when Nian, who was running desperately, was lost in thought, the energy of the Evil Godpletely vanished.

    And the repulsive energy that lingered in that ce was filled by something else.

    It was a presence that Nian had felt long ago.

    When he had just received the title of inquisitor.

    The energy he felt from the deity during the inauguration ceremony presided over by the Pope himself.

    The divine presence of the great deity, so warm andforting that tears naturally flowed.

    The moment he sensed that, Nian moved forward with all his might without thinking of anything behind him.

    He wanted to meet the one residing in the Burrow territory as soon as possible.

    He wanted to be buried in the deepening divine presence of the deity.

    Like a person who had lost their mind, he dashed forward recklessly.

    When he finally arrived at the entrance of the city where the Burrow mansion was located, Nian was certain that a miracle had unfolded there.

    The warm divine presence filling the city was a word that could only be described as miraculous.

    However, unfortunately, though he wanted to copse from overwhelming emotion, what greeted Nian as he entered the city was not a person rted to the great, divine, and kind deity.

    ¡°Hold on.¡±

    What blocked him was a man who seemed to give the impression of a statue carved by an exceptional artist.

    A soft and appealing voice. An attractive appearance that forced anyone to cast their gaze upon him. A charming man dressed in tattered clothing, giving an impression of freedom rather than ugliness.

    Nian knew this man. How could he not know someone who had traveled across the continent and gained fame?

    The apostle of the Artistic Order.

    Frete.

    The one who had be the reason the Artistic Order could grow in power despite the scrutiny of the Holy Church.

    ¡°May I ask for your identity?¡±

    ¡°Greetings. I am the inquisitor of the Holy Church, Nian. Apostle of the goddess of beauty and art.¡±

    Even as Nian pulled out the cross of the Holy Church from within his cloak, Frete showed no sign of lowering his guard.

    ¡°From the energy you possess, you seem to be of a fairly high rank. But what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°I have received orders to investigate anomalies here.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you can just go back. All the problems have already been resolved.¡±

    Hearing Frete¡¯s words, Nian raised one eyebrow.

    He didn¡¯t doubt that the problems had been resolved. Given that a miracle was taking ce in this city, how could the ns of the Evil God not have copsed?

    What disturbed Nian was something entirely different.

    ¡°The apostle of the Artistic Order ims to have resolved the problem?¡±

    Frete stated that he had resolved the ¡®problem.¡¯

    That he himself had thwarted the ns of the Evil God.

    That was nonsense.

    With the divine presence of the great deity residing in this city, how could a mere apostle of the Artistic Order dare to fabricate such a lie?!

    ¡°Yes. Thanks to the guidance of the goddess.¡±

    How dare he try to steal the credit for the deeds aplished by someone serving the great deity?!

    ¡°Did you resolve it all on your own? Without anyrades?¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡±

    ¡°If you did it alone, it seems the task of restoring this city would be quite burdensome.¡±

    Nian, hiding his rising anger, forced a smile as he spoke, but Frete shook his head before he could finish.

    ¡°I won¡¯t need any help. The people of the Artistic Order will be here soon.¡±

    ¡°However.¡±

    ¡°Please refrain from interfering. Or what? Are you going to try to steal our aplishments again?¡±

    When Frete pointed out the mistakes made by a member of the Holy Church years ago, Nian clenched his mouth shut.

    He had ample circumstantial evidence.

    The scale of the incident was such that it could not be handled by Frete alone.

    The presence of the great deity in this city.

    In addition to several other suspicious actions, he couldn¡¯t question them.

    Theck of clear evidence was a problem.

    The strength of the Artistic Order was formidable enough to pose an issue.

    But above all, the reputation and power that Frete held far surpassed that of Nian.

    ¡°...I will make some inquiries through the churchter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please do.¡±

    After politely bowing to Frete, Nian stepped out of the city and stabbed a dagger into his own shoulder.

    To punish himself for his ipetence and to repent to the deity.

    And to etch this humiliation into his body.

    ¡°...No! Please don¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just take it off! I didn¡¯t want to see that!¡±

    The persistent words of the fool were now trapped in the ugly, male-dominated essence, and I figured this ce must be hell for himpared to being in this ce.

    However, I have no intention of releasing him.

    The grudge of selling my dignity to the ground and throwing it away to a disgusting pervert cannot be resolved with just this much.

    ¡°...Sorry. I¡¯ll keep quiet.¡±

    Did the fool realize he¡¯d get thrown into the trash if he touched me? My grandfather quickly sealed his lips.@@novelbin@@

    Haa, to sell my dignity to that perverted piece of trash is a significant decision on my part, yet now I have to endure the humiliation of being preserved!

    Isn¡¯t this just too much?!

    Of course, I made the choice myself!

    But at that moment, it was the only option!

    It was either to suffer along with everyone or be immortalized in this shame.

    How could I choose to suffer along with everyone when faced with that?!

    Damn it! You useless deity!

    Honestly, just admit it!

    You orchestrated this!

    You made the inquisitors move and forced me to eat shit!

    There¡¯s no way the timing could align perfectly otherwise!

    Huhgyaaaah!

    Just wait!

    You pathetic, ipetent, perverted, trash deity!

    One day, I¡¯ll spread your true nature across the entire continent!

    <ul>

    <li><em>Ding!</em></li>

    </ul>

    As I chewed on my lips and vowed for revenge, an alert sound rang.

    [You have sessfully thwarted the Evil God¡¯s ns!]

    [You have seeded in saving the citizens of the Burrow territory!]

    [You have seeded in neutralizing the apostle of the Evil God!]

    [Thanks to your achievements, Tariki has exhausted most of his power!]

    ...

    [An astonishing achievement that reaches the ears of multiple gods!]

    [The count isplete.]

    [Quest rewards are being distributed.]

    What? Are you trying to gloss over my grievances with some worthless reward?!

    Hah! It¡¯s pointless now!

    No matter what you give me, my situation has already changed!

    This is mutual assured destruction!

    Now that my dignity has fallen into the gutter, your fate must be simrly...

    [Skill ¡®Master of Shields¡¯ has been awarded!]

    ...Huh? This is a skill that rapidly increases shield proficiency.

    It¡¯s a nearly endgame skill that¡¯s hard to acquire! You¡¯re giving this to me?!

    No. No, calm down.

    Am I going to be satisfied with this?

    If I let this slide, something simr will happen next time!

    So this time, I must give a warning to that pathetic perverted deity!...

    [Skill ¡®Indomitable Will¡¯ is evolving!]

    ...Should I listen to what he has to say for a moment?

 Chapter 281

    The unwavering will has been the driving force behind my growth up until now.

    If it weren''t for that skill, I wouldn''t have been able to endure the harsh training in the Alrn family.

    Is that all? If I hadn''t had this unwavering will, I would have long since broken down and locked myself away in a corner.

    The countless crises I faced were not something a modern person living in peace could endure.

    In the game, it simply had the function of nullifying instant death, but it has helped me this much¡ªwhat would happen if this skill evolved further?

    Would I be able to rise up no matter what trialsy before me?

    Or, if not, would I be unshakeable no matter what situation arises?

    [Your heart, unyielding even in the face of death, is truly that of a hero!] [The skill ¡®Unwavering Will¡¯ evolves into ¡®Heroic Spirit¡¯!]

    Heroic Spirit?

    This is definitely a skill that doesn''t exist in the game, right?

    So, a new skill has appeared this time?

    [¡®Heroic Spirit¡¯] [Heroes do not crumble under any circumstance. They create miracles amidst crisis.]

    Ah. So roughly, the description "does not crumble" means that the previous function has been inherited, right? Perhaps it might even be stronger than before.

    And the phrase "will create miracles amidst crisis" suggests that something manifests when I''m in a crisis.

    I¡¯ll need to verify the exact performance, but I can roughly guess that this skill will be a good one.

    Even just the Unwavering Will has been a great help, and now it¡¯s been further enhanced.

    I wish there were a detailed exnation, but well, good is good.

    [You have risked your life to save others. A reward will be granted for that noble heart.] [¡®Path of the Saint¡¯] [When you willingly attempt to do good, blessings will be bestowed upon you.]

    This is also a skill that did not exist in the game.

    The exnation being ambiguous is quite simr to before.

    If I interpret it roughly, it seems like there¡¯s a positive buff when I act rightly.

    I get the feeling, but I have no idea how the skill actually functions.

    I have no clue how I should verify it.

    Ah, seriously. Armaadi.

    I¡¯m grateful that you might give rewards that surpass the hardship endured.

    Thanks to what you''ve given me, I¡¯ve ovee countless crises, so how could I harbor a heart of ingratitude?

    But there is one thing I¡¯d like to ask.

    Could you please, when granting skills that don¡¯t exist in the game, provide a proper exnation?

    I¡¯m not even asking for stats! Just tell me exactly what kind of function it has!@@novelbin@@

    Even the ¡®Weakness Recognition¡¯ I received before was like that!

    It¡¯s a godly skill that can be used in various ways beyond battle, yet I didn¡¯t know about it until I verified it!

    There might be hidden functions even now!

    This skill is the same!

    I¡¯ll have to figure out the functions of this skill somehow, but how would I know if its utility ends there or if there¡¯s something more?

    This isn¡¯t a game; it¡¯s reality!

    I can¡¯t crack open the client, nor can I verify it through collective intelligence!

    I don¡¯t even have a status window, so any self-verification has to rely on intuition, and why do you keep throwing ambiguous exnations at me?!

    It''s already dangerous enough being your apostle, so could you help me utilize all the functions of this skill?

    [Having perfectly carried out themand as the Apostle of the Deity, there should be a fitting reward.] [The hidden function of ¡®Ruel¡¯s Mace,¡¯ ¡®Spirit of the Hero,¡¯ is unlocked!] [¡®Spirit of the Hero¡¯] [The source that allowed the past hero to be called a hero. It has faded over time, but its power still remains here.]

    Now, this text is impossible to guess at all.

    Wow. Imagining starting from scratch to verify is just too exciting!

    ...

    What is the power of the hero?

    At the very least, let me at least make some guesses to verify!

    Letting out my frustration inwardly, I sighed in exasperation.

    What can I do? Our ipetent deity seems to enjoy watching me struggle.

    I guess I¡¯ll have to roll around and verify it. For now, I¡¯ll practice in mode and spar with the old man to check various things.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding.</li>

    </ul>

    While I was thinking about the verification process, another notification sound rang out.

    Is there still a reward to give?

    It seems like you think the scale of this event was quiterge.

    I¡¯ll graciously ept since it would be rude to refuse, but I hope there¡¯s a proper exnation this time.

    Please.

    My head is already hurting, and I don¡¯t want to add more to the verification process.

    [You have disrupted the n that the Evil God, Tariki, put so much effort into.] [An achievement worthy of attention from many gods!] [Your divine rank rises further!]

    This time, at least it¡¯s intuitive!

    Thank you so much for granting my request!

    But isn¡¯t this a reward that already exists in the game?

    I already know what happens when my rank rises! Buffs are applied to various abilities using divinity.

    ...

    Huh? That''s strange?

    Why are my eyelids suddenly getting heavy?

    I¡¯m not that tired to the point of copsing...

    <ul>

    <li>Ding</li>

    </ul>

    [I have confirmed your wish.]

    After leaving the Apostle of the Artistic Order in charge and returning to the mansion.

    Johan first tidied up his disheveled appearance.

    He believed that as a clergyman, he should always present himself in a manner that would not be embarrassing, even if God were to see him.

    Having finished all his tidying up, he headed back to the reception room when he spotted Feiby carefully walking while carrying a tray filled with snacks.

    ¡°Saintess?¡±

    Upon hearing Johan¡¯s voice, Feiby flinched.

    The impact nearly caused the teapot on the tray to fall, creating a loudmotion, but Johan managed to grab the pot before anything happened.

    ¡°Bishop! Are you alright?! It must be extremely hot!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m protecting my hand with divinity.¡±

    Johan ced the teapot back on the tray and spread his palm as proof. Just as he said, there were no wounds there.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I...¡±

    ¡°No, I startled you, Saintess. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Saying this, Johan took the tray from Feiby.

    Feiby let out a slight sound of disappointment, but that was all. She quietly handed the tray to Johan.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to have a maid from the Arteia mansion do it?¡±

    ¡°¡­I want to do it myself.¡±

    Feiby hesitantly answered, and Johan smiled.

    Perhaps she wanted to hear that she worked hard serving the nobledy.

    Such a childish thought.

    What should someone with the title of Saintess be doing?

    As Johan thought this, he suddenly realized that Feiby was still a young child.

    An age where one craves friends to shareughter and conversation, still not quite an adult yet.

    The old Johan wouldn¡¯t have entertained such thoughts. For him, Feiby was someone to be despised.

    Havingpromised with reality, he observed her, but she was someone he believed he had to eliminate one day. That was how Johan viewed Feiby.

    However, his thoughts had changed now.

    Having faced one particr incident.

    While preparing to unfold miracles in the heart of the Burrow territory, Feiby¡¯s face suddenly turned pale.

    Her teeth ttered.

    Cold sweat poured down.

    With her legs giving out, she barely supported herself with her staff.

    Muttering only words of apology, that sight was reminiscent of something Johan had encountered in the past.

    She had beenpletely consumed by the Evil God.

    During his work on-site, Johan had seen colleagues consumed by the Evil God¡¯s voice multiple times.

    No matter how strong-willed someone might be, it was impossible to escape alone.

    Even the young Johan had almost gone mad when facing darkness.

    Having experienced the past, Johan tried to knock Feiby out before she became enthralled by the Evil God, but that judgment was not put into action.

    At the moment he moved his hand, Feiby¡¯s eyes shone brightly.

    In that moment, Johan froze.

    A human had shaken off the Evil God¡¯s binding through sheer will.

    Even though she was already consumed, she had escaped from that hell.

    He witnessed an event that could rightly be called a miracle; how could he maintain hisposure?

    Seeing Feiby, who was staggering yet trying to do what needed to be done, Johan thought.

    Perhaps he had been thinking incorrectly.

    Even if she were a false saintess, the faith and will contained within her could be genuine.

    At least that unyielding heart.

    Still, Johan could not reach a conclusion.

    The only thing that had changed from before was that Johan had resolved to view Feiby not as the corruption of the Church of the Deity but as a human being.

    ¡°I¡¯ll return this before we go back to the reception room.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Then can¡¯t the Saintess serve the nobledy?¡±

    Feiby, who had been gazing quietly at Johan¡¯s face, blushed slightly on both cheeks and soon broke into an awkward yet bright smile.

    ¡°Thank you very much, Bishop.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing special.¡±

    So when the two arrived at the reception room with a lighter atmosphere than before, the door swung open, revealing their figures.

    One was Lina, the master of the forest, and the other was Lucy.

    It wasmon knowledge that Lina always followed Lucy, so it wasn¡¯t strange for the two to be together.

    If only Lucy wasn¡¯t unconscious in Lina¡¯s arms.

    ¡°¡­Noble Lady?!¡±

    ¡°Noble Lady!¡±

    Lucy had copsed.

    So suddenly.

    <ul>

    </ul>

    ...Ugh. My head hurts like it''s going to split.

    It feels worse than the day after I turned into an adult, celebrating by drinking until I passed out without knowing my limit.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    As I held my aching head and managed to open my eyes, the familiar face I saw every night appeared before me.

    ¡®Grandfather.¡¯

    ¡°Old man.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s me.¡±

    Ah. I¡¯m in practice mode. Why am I here? I was clearly checking the rewards given by that ipetent deity.

    ¡®Um...¡¯

    ¡°Old man. Did I copse?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true, but there¡¯s no need to worry. It¡¯s a normal urrence when your divine rank rises.¡±

    As I tilted my head in confusion, the old man continued exining.

    ¡°To put it simply, it¡¯s changing to ept divinity that originally cannot be epted by a human body.¡±

    Ah. I understand. Is it somewhat like a rebirth?

    Of course, considering that I¡¯m still weak, it¡¯s not quite something to describe as a rebirth.

    ¡°When the time passes and the transformation ends, you will naturally wake up. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

    Speaking of which, thest phrase I saw was about my divine rank rising.

    ...Wow. So I just copsed suddenly while sitting in the reception room?

    There must have been quite amotion.

    With Feiby and Johan there, they¡¯ll quickly realize that nothing is wrong, so there¡¯s no need to worry too much.

    ¡®So what now...¡¯

    ¡°So I have to stay with the stinky old man until I wake up?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just keep your thoughts to yourself? Communication is still possible, you know.¡±

    ¡®Sorry.¡¯

    The old man gave me a serious look, so I quietly apologized.

    I was just trying to joke around with my mesugaki skill, but he¡¯s being too serious.

    No wonder he¡¯s not popr with women.

    Anyway, it seems I¡¯ll have to stay in practice mode until I regain consciousness.

    That works out well.

    I was nning to visit practice mode for skill verification anyway.

    Together with the old man, to verify the skills.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding.</li>

    </ul>

    Huh? What¡¯s this?

    Is there more notifications toe?

    [The ¡®Tutorial¡¯ feature has been added to ¡®Practice Mode¡¯!]

    ...What is this?

 Chapter 282

    <strong>Tutorial?</strong> The moment I saw that word, I instinctively tilted my head.

    It¡¯s been over a year since I came to this world, and now there¡¯s a tutorial?

    While I felt something was off, I decided to check the tutorial function. Whether I was happy or annoyed, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to see what this function was about first.

    [Check your skills through the tutorial!]

    So it was a skill tutorial.

    It seems our great deity heard my previousints and has decided to alleviate the apostle''s grievances.

    What a merciful and generous being He is.

    Oh great Armaadi, who exists among countless gods.

    I, your apostle Lucy Alrn, believed you would not turn a blind eye to me!

    I truly did!

    Theints I made were merely suggestions that things could be better!

    You know, right?

    Surely your apostle wouldn''t think of you as a useless, perverted lolicon who is only honest about his desires!

    Don¡¯t tell me to shut up?

    I suppose it does sound a bit silly even to me!

    As I muttered this nonsense internally, I let out a long sigh.

    This situation is definitely something to be happy about.

    It¡¯s what I¡¯ve been wishing for.

    But watching the wording of the tutorial fills my heart with nothing but anxiety.

    The ipetent deity I know would y strange tricks if Iined.

    Like the enhancement of the mesugaki skill or the ¡°Toki.¡± There are a few other oddities as well.

    For this ipetent deity to hear myints and fulfill my request without any tricks¡ªwhat on earth is hiding behind this?

    What could possibly make Him treat me this well?

    ...

    No, let¡¯s not worry about crises that haven¡¯t even appeared yet.

    Perhaps it¡¯s just that Armaadi has decided to take care of me for once.

    Yeah. That must be it. So I should just be happy.

    [Completing the tutorial will grant a small reward!]

    Hey, Armaadi!?

    What exactly are you nning by treating me so well?!

    Can¡¯t you just do things as usual?!

    Can¡¯t you just throw in some yful tricks and give me some weird quests?

    Honestly, I¡¯d feel much more at ease that way!

    I desperately tried to voice my thoughts, but of course, there was no reply.

    The future that wille someday frightens me too much.

    What this ipetent deity is preparing is scarier than enduring Tariki¡¯s schemes.

    ...I wonder if offering a prayer in a bunny girl outfit will ease His heart even a little.

    It¡¯s an irreverent thought, but it might be worth a try.

    Who knows? That perverted deity might just loosen up with a ¡°Huh-huh-huh!¡±

    With such thoughts, I wiped my face and lifted my head again.

    But that¡¯s a matter forter.

    For now, let¡¯s experience what this tutorial function is all about.

    Given that a reward is offered, it¡¯s unlikely to be just an exnation of the skill.

    Hmm. But how do I use the tutorial?

    Do I just think about wanting to do the tutorial for this skill?

    ¡°I want to do the tutorial for the Master of Shields skill.¡±

    No sooner had I muttered this in my mind than a blue window appeared before me.

    [¡®Master of Shields¡¯ Tutorial]

    [Prerequisites: 1. Shield Proficiency ??? or higher (Achieved!) 2. Possess a shield of a certain grade or higher (Achieved!)]

    What kind of tutorial has prerequisites?

    A tutorial is supposed to exin the basics, right?

    If there are prerequisites, how can I learn the skill¡¯s functions?

    No matter how I think about it, this isn¡¯t a typical tutorial.

    Well, since I¡¯ve met the prerequisites, should I just give it a try?

    [Starting the ¡®Master of Shields¡¯ tutorial!]

    As soon as that phrase appeared, the scenery around me transformed.

    From the usual training ground in practice mode to that of an arena.

    <Huh?! A giant! What¡¯s happening?! Why did the scenery suddenly change?!>

    ¡°It¡¯s a new blessing gifted by the deity. He said I could test the blessing I possess.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you should have told me beforehand. You startled me!¡±

    I responded to the old man, who looked bewildered, while checking my body.

    My body felt extraordinarily heavypared to usual.

    It wasn¡¯t just fatigue. It felt more like my physical specs had significantly dropped.

    Moreover, with my divinitypletely drained, I couldn¡¯t even enhance my body.

    [¡®Master of Shields¡¯ provides a positive buff to various movements using a shield as you increase shield proficiency!]

    [Fight against the enemy before you and get ustomed to the effects of ¡®Master of Shields¡¯!]

    Enemy? The moment I read that word, the previously silent arena began to stir.

    People emerged in the once-empty spectator seats of the arena.

    As I watched them screaming in an iprehensiblenguage, the ground of the arena suddenly trembled.

    I could see the source of the vibration that felt like a weak earthquake.

    ¡°Grahahaha!¡±

    It was something far too enormous to be called a human, drowning out all voices in the arena with its gigantic roar.

    It looked to be at least 3 meters tall. With that size, it seemed to berger than Benedict!

    With every step it took, the ground trembled. As I stared nkly at this, a new window appeared before me.

    [Objective: Endure for the given time!]

    [5:00]

    So I¡¯m supposed to endure against that giant, clearly mixed with giant blood, for 5 minutes?

    In a situation where my body has weakened and I can¡¯t use enhancements from divinity?

    ...What kind of tutorial is this?! No matter how I look at it, this is closer to a challenge than a tutorial!

    Don¡¯t pretend it¡¯s a tutorial when all you do is throw in some exnations!

    <Watch out! It¡¯sing!>

    Hearing the old man¡¯s shout, I bit down hard on my teeth.

    I could see the giant charging towards me from afar.

    Considering its clumsy steps, it didn¡¯t seem like it had received any martial arts training.

    Well, with that size and muscle, why would it need to learn anything? Its body itself was a weapon.

    Watching the punch thrown with the speed of its charge, I thought that at least the attack was straightforward, so parrying wouldn¡¯t be difficult.

    Still, I shouldn¡¯t take the impact head-on. If I do, I¡¯ll likely be sent flying with my shield into the audience.

    Bang! The moment its fist hit the shield, my body naturally got pushed back, scraping the dirt below.@@novelbin@@

    Not yet. I have to endure until the opponent exerts a bit more force.

    Until the moment I can break its bnce.

    ¡°#@#@!¡±

    Now!

    As it roared, I turned the shield to the side.

    The giant¡¯s force, which was about to crush me with its shield, slid off the surface of the shield and mmed into the ground. The giant lost its center of gravity andically kissed the dirt.

    ¡®...Huh?¡¯

    This situation was indeed what I intended.

    But somehow, the process felt strangely smooth.

    Blocking the opponent¡¯s attack and deflecting the force felt far too easy.

    ¡°#%(#@!¡±

    As I pondered with my head tilted, the giant hurriedly got up and swung its fist again.

    As I deflected it like before, I began to understand why this wasbeled a tutorial.

    The giant was the perfect opponent to test various techniques.

    Its strength, derived from its physique, was intimidating, but that was all.

    Lacking technique or thought, it acted like a toy moving as I intended, allowing me tofortably test the buffs generated from the Master of Shields skill.

    Thanks to this, I learned several things.

    The parrying judgment has be more lenient than before.

    The speed at which I reach the best judgment has increased.

    Even when moving simrly to before, I could produce better results.

    So this is why it¡¯s called a tutorial.

    The giant, who looks intimidating on the outside, was the perfect opponent to feel what can be done with increased shield proficiency!

    I¡¯m sorry! Armaadi! I temporarily doubted your meticulous consideration!

    But you also have your past deeds to consider, so please excuse me!

    If you had yed around normally, I wouldn¡¯t have had such doubts!

    [Tutorial Clear!]

    As I toyed around with the giant, the 5 minutes had passed without me noticing.

    [Returning to practice mode!]

    As the surrounding scenery dissipated, the familiar scenery of practice mode unfolded once more.

    Standing in the middle was the old man, who approached me with a satisfied smile upon seeing me.

    ¡°Did you gain some insight while facing Tariki? Your ability to handle shields has noticeably improved.¡±

    ¡®...Uh. Yeah. Something like that.¡¯

    I was taken aback by the old man¡¯s praise.

    So this is what it feels like to have proficiency suddenly increase.

    After steadily increasing my proficiency, experiencing a sudden spike for the first time is quite exhrating.

    I feel like I could now respond to the de of a sword wielded with full force.

    [As a reward for clearing the tutorial, you will receive:!]

    [The effect of the ¡®Master of Shields¡¯ skill increases slightly!]

    What?!

    Wait, the performance of a skill that was already good is going to get better?!

    I¡¯m grateful for the fun tutorial you provided, but on top of that, you¡¯re giving me additional rewards!

    Ah!

    I can feel my faith surging!

    Oh merciful, kind, omniscient, and omnipotent Armaadi!

    Thank you!

    If you had been doing this from the beginning, I would have be a devout follower much earlier!

    Since my first tutorial experience was so good, I immediately tried to execute the tutorial for another skill.

    [¡®Heroic Spirit¡¯ Tutorial]

    [Prerequisites: 1. ??? (Not Achieved) 2. ??? (Not Achieved)]

    [You cannot execute the tutorial.]

    Not yet?

    That¡¯s disappointing. It would be nice if you could at least tell me what the prerequisites are.

    Well. There are still tests left to perform.

    [¡®Spirit of the Hero¡¯ is not eligible for a tutorial.]

    Ah. As expected, this is a function attached to Ruel¡¯s Mace, so it¡¯s not a skill.

    So I can¡¯t do the tutorial for that.

    Then, I guess I¡¯ll have to verify it directly through action.

    What about the others...

    Huh? Is this the end of what I¡¯ve obtained this time?

    Then I can only experience the tutorial I just did!?

    Ugh. That¡¯s disappointing, but it can¡¯t be helped.

    Armaadi must have had reasons for cing restrictions. Let¡¯s notin about it.

    I¡¯ll gradually learn the rest through testing with the old man.

    Wait a minute.

    Didn¡¯t you say that the tutorial you mentioned was for skills I possess?

    There was no mention of newly acquired skills anywhere.

    If that¡¯s the case, could it be...?

    ¡°I want to conduct the tutorial for Iron Wall.¡±

    [¡®Iron Wall¡¯ Tutorial]

    [Prerequisites: 1. Block 1,000 attacks with a shield (Achieved!)]

    [Would you like to start the tutorial now?]

    ...Hehehe.

    Hehehe!

    This is it! This is what I¡¯m talking about!

    Yeah! Just giving me one and ending it is too stingy!

    Ah, if I could experience the tutorial for all the existing skills, how many would that be!

    ¡°Hey girl. What¡¯s making you so happy? Why are you smiling so fiercely?¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t think there will be any boring moments until I wake up!¡¯

    I responded to the old man and immediately expressed my intention to proceed with the tutorial.

    Then, the scenery around me began to change.

    Now, I wonder what awaits next.

    I hope there¡¯s a fun toy like before.

    That way, it¡¯ll be worth ying with.

 Chapter 283

    As I performed the tutorials for various skills I had acquired so far, I felt that this tutorial concept was somewhat different from a typical game tutorial.

    The tutorials I know teach you how to take your first steps. It¡¯s like introducing the concepts of addition and subtraction in math¡ªsomething like that might make it easier to understand.

    However, the tutorials provided by Armaadi often proceed on the premise that you already have a certain level of foundation.

    Take, for example, the tutorial for Master of Shields that I experienced first.

    It helped improve how to use the shield better, based on the assumption that I already handled it reasonably well; it didn¡¯t feel like it started by exining each function from the beginning.

    The other tutorials were simr.

    In the case of the Iron Wall tutorial, it proceeded on the assumption that I could make judgments before the Iron Wall voiced its opinion.

    And for Holy Arts, it was set up so that if you couldn¡¯t properly wield divinity, you couldn¡¯t clear it.

    It was clear why there were prerequisites.

    If I couldn¡¯t surpass those prerequisites, it was evident I wouldn¡¯t be able to clear the tutorial.

    A tutorial that requires a certain level of familiarity with the skill¡ªit¡¯s more like an advanced course than a tutorial, isn¡¯t it?

    That said, I¡¯m not particrly dissatisfied.

    In fact, I¡¯m so grateful that I find myself thinking about it repeatedly.

    There are many things I learned while performing the tutorials.

    The process of carrying out the tutorials was quite enjoyable.

    The highlight was undoubtedly when I proceeded with the tutorial for Holy Arts.

    That tutorial involved fighting against a young pdin, and the opponent¡¯s techniques were so good that it was fun to use my head.

    What I particrly liked was the entertaining reaction the pdin showed when provoked.

    Eventually, I could hardly tell if I was doing the mesugaki skill tutorial or the Holy Arts tutorial!

    The old man told me to stop when I got a bit carried away, but if that hadn¡¯t been the case, I might have purposely kept him alive to toy with him.

    Well. Regardless, as I diligently performed the tutorials, I eventually reached the end.

    I had finished all the skill tutorials except for Fear Oveing and Heroic Spirit, for which I hadn¡¯t met the prerequisites.

    Though I didn¡¯t feel tired at all, what could I do? Now there was nothing left I could do.

    Ah. Speaking of which, the mesugaki skill is still a skill, right? So, wouldn¡¯t it be eligible for a tutorial?

    ¡°I want to do the mesugaki skill tutorial.¡±

    Sitting in practice mode, I mumbled this out of curiosity, and a window appeared before me.

    [¡®Mesugaki¡¯ Tutorial]

    [Prerequisites: 1. Acquired the ne containing a miracle (Achieved!) 2. ??? (Not Achieved)]

    So, there¡¯s a tutorial for this too. It seems even skills that emerged in the mode are still considered skills.

    But why is the prerequisite for the mesugaki skill the acquisition of a ne?

    What does that have to do with the mesugaki skill?

    I tilted my head in confusion, but no answers came. I knew nothing about the ne.

    Anyway, it seems I can¡¯t execute the tutorial right now.

    Ugh. Just how long will it take for my body to adapt to divinity?

    Now that I¡¯ve done everything I can, can¡¯t I wake up soon?

    I¡¯m itching to test what I learned during the tutorial in reality.

    ¡°Grandfather. Grandfather.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°What kind of changes ur during the process of adapting to divinity that it takes so long?¡±

    By my sense of time, it felt like half a day had already passed, yet why hasn¡¯t the change finished?

    What kind of significant change could be happening that takes this long?

    ¡°Well, it differs from person to person, but the young ones grow, and the older ones rejuvenate. They change ording to their physical peak. When the rank rises...¡±

    ¡®...Growth?!¡¯

    Though the old man spoke for a while, only that one word echoed in my ears.

    Growth.

    The body changes ording to its physical peak.

    Does that mean I can finally break free from this childlike existence?

    Will I finally be able to stop looking up at everyone I meet?!

    I had worried that I might never grow taller, but finally! I¡¯m going to grow!

    How tall will I be? Considering my current height, there should be a noticeable change.

    5 centimeters? Or maybe 10 centimeters?

    Ugh. This is troubling. If I suddenly grow 10 centimeters, it would be hard to adapt.

    My perspective would change drastically, and I might have to relearn how to walk.

    And if I grow that much, my arm length and hand size will also change, so I¡¯d have to learn how to wield the mace differently.

    I¡¯d have to get all new clothes too.

    Ah. Seriously, thinking about it, it sounds like nothing but trouble, doesn¡¯t it?

    Maybe it¡¯d be better if I didn¡¯t grow at all.

    Heh heh. Heh heh heh.

    ¡°Hey girl, just in case, but don¡¯t get your hopes up too high. As I said before, everyone experiences different changes.¡±

    ¡°Aw,e on, grandfather. I know all that. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    I have a conscience too.

    I¡¯m not expecting 10 centimeters.

    But at least 8 centimeters.

    No, even 5 centimeters would be fine.

    Surely, I canpromise and grow at least 3 centimeters, right?

    ¡°...Regardless of what happenster, don¡¯t say anything to yourself.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    <ul>

    </ul>

    That night, when Lucy suddenly copsed, Feiby was still standing by Lucy¡¯s side.

    Her condition was still good. Perhaps due to the extensive training she had undergone, her body was recovering rapidly.

    The exhausted divinity was also replenishing quickly, so she would soon regain her usual warmth.

    So, judging by her physical condition, it wouldn¡¯t be strange whenever she woke up.

    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t she woken up?¡±

    Even as Feiby murmured this absentmindedly, no one was there to answer her. The only ones present in this room were Feiby and Lucy, who was deeply asleep.

    ¡°I heard from the Apostle of the Artistic Order that the phenomenon the nobledy is experiencing is not something to be overly concerned about.¡±

    The Apostle of the Artistic Order, Frete, appeared a few hours after Lucy copsed and immediately sought out Lucy.

    Since she was the one who led this n, she wanted to exin things in Lucy¡¯s presence.

    ¡®The nobledy copsed?!¡¯

    However, that was impossible. By that time, Lucy was still in a deep sleep.

    At first, Frete was taken aback, examining Lucy, who was peacefully breathing with her eyes closed, but her surprise quickly turned into relief.

    ¡®So, it seems her divinity rank has risen.¡¯

    ¡®Her divinity rank has risen?¡¯

    The one who questioned Frete¡¯s relief was Johan.

    He looked at her with a confused expression, as if he couldn¡¯tprehend her words.

    ¡®Yes. I¡¯m certain. I¡¯ve experienced it myself, and I¡¯ve cared for someone whose rank increased. It can¡¯t be a misunderstanding.¡¯

    Johan wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with the phenomenon of a rise in divinity rank.

    It was a rare urrence among those who worshipped gods.

    It was when a god bestowed more love upon their follower to help them draw closer.

    Surely, anyone who worships a god has imagined this at least once.

    ¡®The nobledy is a follower of the deity, but...¡¯

    Nheless, the reason Johan harbored doubts was simple.

    Throughout the history of the Church of the Deity, there had been no cases of followers experiencing a rise in divinity rank.

    ¡®What does that have to do with it? Lady Alrn can simply be the first case.¡¯

    ¡®...That¡¯s true, but...¡¯

    ¡®In any case, she will wake up in time, so I will return to Burrow territory to handle matters ande back when she wakes up.¡¯

    While this conversation unfolded, Feiby, who had been beside them, absorbed all of Frete and Johan¡¯s dialogue.

    ¡°But I just can¡¯t wait peacefully.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Yet, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to wait calmly for Lucy to wake up.

    Having lived as a saintess, she had never seen anyone experience a rise in divinity rank.

    She didn¡¯t know what might happen during the process of this rise.

    She also worried that something might go wrong with the nobledy.

    And she wondered if the Apostle of the Artistic Order had made a wrong judgment.

    Thus, as she looked at Lucy, who couldn¡¯t awaken, Feiby couldn¡¯t quell her anxious heart.

    ¡°I know the great deity loves the nobledy, so there¡¯s no way anything could go wrong with her. But if I think something could go wrong, then I...¡±

    Feiby trailed off, letting out a long sigh, then gazed at Lucy, who was peacefully sleeping.

    This was the first time she had seen Lucy lying in bed, not just slumped over her desk during academy sses.

    Even when they had gone on a field trip to the forest, she had always volunteered to keep watch.

    She remembered thinking back then how could she entrust the vignce to such ipetent people.

    In fact, back then, the nobledy had chosen to sacrifice herself, trying to act strong for their sake.

    Recalling the past, Feiby suddenly realized her eyelids were drooping.

    Having risen early in the morning and ovee countless dangers, it was only natural for her to feel fatigued.

    Under normal circumstances, she would return to her room to prepare for sleep, but instead, Feiby pped her cheeks.

    She wanted to stay by Lucy¡¯s side until she woke up.

    If something went wrong, she wanted to be there to help Lucy.

    And she wanted to greet her with a smile when she awakened from her long slumber.

    However, despite her efforts, Feiby¡¯s head kept drooping lower.

    Her exhausted body was gradually sumbing to sleep.

    No! Feiby. You can¡¯t fall asleep.

    After pping her cheeks several times, she found herself dozing off and eventually fell into a faint sleep.

    The moment she awakened again was when she heard rustling near her ear.

    Having fallen into such a deep sleep that she didn¡¯t even realize she had dozed off, she slowly opened her eyes and realized a nket was draped over her shoulders.

    Huh? What¡¯s this?

    Unable to pull herself out of sleep, she nkly nced around and quickly shot up upon seeing the empty bed.

    Did I... did I fall asleep?!

    When did that happen!?

    When did I fall asleep?!

    No, now is not the time to worry about that!

    Where did the nobledy go?!

    If she¡¯s not in the bed, it must mean!

    ¡°Hmm. So this is how it goes?¡±

    The moment she turned her head quickly toward the source of the voice, Feiby froze.

    Sharp and vivid red eyes.

    A smile that is irritating yet impossible to hate.

    Skin as clean and white as snow falling in winter.

    Long, flowing red hair.

    A petite figure for her age.

    All the characteristics of the person who spoke were undoubtedly reminiscent of Lucy.

    But there was one thing that confused Feiby¡ªthe atmosphere she exuded.

    The alluring aura that drew attention was something Lucy hadn¡¯t possessed before.

    ¡°Honestly, you really are a pathetic perverted lolicon deity. Is this appearance supposed to fit your perverted tastes? Ugh¡ªso disgusting.¡±

    ...

    It seems she really is the nobledy.

 Chapter 284

    Yeah. I knew it. The perverted pedo lolicon deity wouldn¡¯t help me grow taller.

    He¡¯s already given me plenty of rewards; if he helped me grow taller on top of that, wouldn¡¯t that make him a true pedo deity? Something wearing the guise of a deity?

    I knew this, but still...

    ¡°Grandfather! You said I would change! You said I would grow!¡±

    <Didn¡¯t I say? There are individual differences.>

    ¡°But this is too much!¡±

    He could at least have given me a little growth!

    Did I ask for so much?!

    I would have been satisfied with just 3 centimeters!

    But what is this?!

    Nothing has changed! Absolutely nothing!

    <...Well, it doesn¡¯t seem like nothing has changed.>

    ¡°Where? No matter how much I stare at the mirror, I can¡¯t find a single mistake!¡±

    Don¡¯t give me half-heartedfort! No matter what, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m still a puny little kid!

    <Go ask Lina, who¡¯s tied up over there. She¡¯ll tell you well.>

    ¡®...That¡¯s a bit much.¡¯

    ...I¡¯ll retract the statement that nothing has changed.

    I might not know, but it seems something has changed.

    In the morning, when I met Feiby, she blushed slightly and said I had be quite beautiful.

    When I ran into Johan, hemented that I had be full of noble elegance.

    And when the usually awkward fox girl, who tried to cosy as normal when she usually saw me, saw me, she bumped her head and started rambling about such things.

    ¡®Please, stomp on my head! Tell me how disgusting I am! If you spit on me, that would be even better! Huh, huh, a rope? What do you n to do with that? I¡¯m fine with anything! Do as you please!¡¯

    Ha. Even thinking about it now, it was truly disgusting.

    How did that master of the forest end up bing such a pervert?

    If I free her from that binding now, she¡¯ll probably start spouting nonsense again, and I have no desire to listen to it.

    Yet I can¡¯t figure out what exactly has changed within me.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me, Grandfather?¡±

    I¡¯m asking you to just say it! You don¡¯t want to see the awkward fox girl making a fuss, do you?!

    <...Cough.>

    In response to my question, the old man merely cleared his throat.

    What on earth is going on? Why are you acting like this?

    ¡°Employer, you¡¯re awake, I see?¡±

    As I pondered how to interrogate the reticent old man, the door to the reception room opened, revealing Karia.

    She stood at the entrance, quietly inspecting my face, then rushed inside and locked the door behind her.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Why are you acting like this? Even though you¡¯re older, you shouldn¡¯t be experiencing dementia yet, right?¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously unaware of your own changes? Employer?¡±

    ¡®What do you mean?¡¯

    ¡°Changes? What are you talking about? I¡¯m still cute and pretty as ever, unlike this olddy who¡¯s getting older.¡±

    ¡°...Hah.¡±

    As I tilted my head in confusion, Karia sighed heavily and brought a mirror before me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything one by one since it seems you have no clue.¡±

    Then she grabbed the back of my chair and turned it toward the mirror.

    ¡°First, your height. You¡¯ve grown about 1 centimeter.¡±

    ...What? I¡¯ve grown?! By 1 centimeter?!

    Taken aback by the unexpected news, I raised my head, but Karia insisted that this wasn¡¯t the important part and brought my head down again.

    But it is important! Even 1 centimeter is a huge deal!

    ¡°And your face. Your eyes have be a bit more provocative, your eyshes have grown longer, and your jawline has be slightly slimmer.¡±

    Is that... so?

    I couldn¡¯t quite tell even when she pointed out each detail.

    Doesn¡¯t it look pretty simr to before?

    ¡°And your body has changed even more. Your waist has slimmed down, and your hips have rounded out. Plus, you¡¯ve developed muscle in your arms and legs, creating some definition.¡±

    This one I could somewhat understand.

    I couldn¡¯t notice it overall, but when I looked at the parts Karia pointed out one by one, I could feel that something had changed.

    But, you see...

    ¡®In the end, nothing has really changed, has it?¡¯

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I¡¯m beautiful as usual? Why are you rambling about something so obvious?¡±

    I understand that changes have urred, but they¡¯re not at a noticeable level, are they?

    When I asked, Karia questioned whether I was serious and, upon seeing my nod, pressed her forehead and spoke in a slightly sharp tone.

    ¡°To put it bluntly, you¡¯ve gained a certain allure, Employer.¡±

    No.

    What?

    A... allure?

    The unexpected word made me blink in surprise, and Karia continued.

    ¡°Before, you felt like a very pretty and cute girl, but now there¡¯s an added charm. Do you understand now?¡±

    Uh.

    Uh, uh.

    So, does this mean my charm has increasedpared to before?

    When she puts it in gaming terms, it bes much clearer.

    Ah, so that¡¯s why the awkward fox girl went wild. My increasing charm made it impossible for her to contain her perversion.

    ...Should I be happy about this?

    While an increase in charm is certainly good, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to smile.

    I had already endured so many perverts surrounding me, and now it seems that would only multiply.

    I didn¡¯t want this kind of growth!

    If you have the leeway to increase my charm, you should increase stats that are practically helpful, like divinity, stamina, or agility, you perverted lolicon deity!

    Don¡¯t always be honest about your personal desires; at least try to hide your perversion a little!

    ¡°I locked the door for this reason. Behind me, Isabel and that perverted apostle are following you. What kind of situation would it have been if those three had seen you?¡±

    I imagined what would happen if those three came in here.

    First, Isabel. That divine pervert would definitely be excited to see my increased divinity rank.

    Next, the apostle who worships the goddess.

    Even in a dress, he would have been all flustered upon seeing me, and now, seeing my increased allure, he¡¯d probably spout all kinds of nonsense.

    Lastly, the knight...

    Hmm. I think he¡¯d be okay?

    After all, what¡¯s important to him isn¡¯t my appearance, but the fact that I¡¯m his master.@@novelbin@@

    I didn¡¯t think my increased charm would change anything in his mind.

    Anyway, he aspires to be a proper knight.

    ¡°Karia? The door is locked!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll open it! Wait!¡±

    In response to the voice of the perverted apostle, Karia pulled out a long robe from her spatial pocket and draped it over my shoulders.

    ¡°First, take this and cover yourself a bit. It¡¯ll help, even if just a little.¡±

    Then she stepped out the door and spoke to the others, probably advising them not to get too excited upon seeing me.

    ¡°Grandfather. Grandfather.¡±

    <What is it?>

    ¡°Was it really that hard to say that I¡¯ve be pretty? You sound just like a pdin.¡±

    <...What did you mean by that just now?>

    ¡°It¡¯s just what it means, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Can¡¯t you just say I¡¯ve be pretty instead of clearing your throat?

    I could tell without looking at how it used to be.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure if there¡¯s a girl in front of you, you¡¯ll be at a loss for words and fumble, and you¡¯ll lose everything to Garad.¡±

    <How many times must I say it¡¯s not like that?!>

    ¡°Ah, did I let that slip? My bad.¡±

    <What do you mean by ¡®my bad¡¯! It¡¯s intentional!>

    Ignoring the old man, who grumbled about feeling ack of respecttely, I observed those entering the reception room.

    Karl briefly lost his words but soon approached, politely greeting me by saying I had be remarkably beautiful.

    Isabel tried hard to maintain a serious demeanor but ultimately failed to hide the loosening smile on her lips.

    The perverted apostle walked toward me with a stern expression, pulling something resembling a guitar from his spatial pocket.

    ¡°I will recite a song to praise the beauty of the nobledy in ce of the goddess I serve.¡±

    ¡°Karl. Karia.¡±

    ¡°Pathetic olddy.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    ¡°Get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to stop you! The goddess has inspired me! Gyaaa! Don¡¯t touch the instrument! It¡¯s better to break my bones than touch the instrument! Just the instrument!¡±

    After tossing the perverted apostle into a corner, bound next to the awkward fox girl, I turned to Karia to ask how things were handled while I was asleep.

    Specifically about the inquiries from the Church of the Deity and the aftermath in Burrow territory.

    ¡°The inquiries have been resolved well. That perverted apostle is human trash, but still, he¡¯s the Apostle of the Artistic Order.¡±

    After gaining the right to draw my picture, that pervert immediately contacted the Artistic Order and brought in their personnel to Burrow territory.

    Thanks to that, when the inquiries that had been driven away by that pervert returned, the people from the Artistic Order were already tidying up Burrow territory.

    Since the inquiry couldn¡¯t provoke a fight with the Church of the Deity, it had no choice but to withdraw from Burrow territory.

    It seems the Artistic Order in this world is stronger than I thought.

    In the game, they had some standing, but they weren¡¯t at the level to oppose the Church of the Deity.

    ¡°The cleanup in Burrow territory has gone smoothly too. Thanks to the miracle you performed, Tariki¡¯s magic haspletely vanished.¡±

    If I had simply suppressed Nakrad, Tariki¡¯s magic would still be swirling in Burrow territory.

    However, thanks to my miracle, which erased all darkness, not only was there no magic from the Evil God left in Burrow territory, but a kind of blessing spread throughout the entire territory.

    As a result, those who had been possessed by Tariki were reportedly recovering rapidly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve sealed Nakrad in the underground of the Artistic Order. I¡¯ll slowly interrogate himter to extract information.¡±

    ¡®So, then...¡¯

    ¡°Is everything settled now? Olddy?¡±

    ¡°Well, roughly.¡±

    In response to my question, Karia activated a magic inscribed on her ring to block the sound from the surroundings.

    ¡°I¡¯d say everything is resolved except for the Burrow Duke.¡±

    Jakel? Why? I brought him while he was fainting, didn¡¯t I?

    ¡°That guy didn¡¯t just fall under a spell; he made a contract with the Evil God. Tariki¡¯s magic is still inside him. If left as is, it wouldn¡¯t be long before whatever he does is revealed. That¡¯s not what you want, is it?¡±

    Nodding at Karia¡¯s words, I agreed.

    I didn¡¯t wish for that guy to die. Though I don¡¯t like him, we do have a kind of one-sided familiarity.

    ¡°So, for now, I¡¯ve locked him up in a suitable ce. I¡¯ve made excuses to the Burrow Duke that he went missing.¡±

    Her decision was certainly the best one.

    If I hadn¡¯t taken action, Jakel would surely have found himself in trouble one way or another.

    ¡°What will you do?¡±

    Upon hearing the question, I began to think.

    What to do was already determined.

    First, I need to erase the magic of the Evil God embedded in him.

    And for the trouble he caused me, I¡¯ll make him suffer.

    After that...

    Well, I¡¯ll probably have him pay for it, but I¡¯m not sure how exactly to do that.

    I¡¯m not a being who judges sins.

    ¡®Jakel is...¡¯

    ¡°Where¡¯s that foolish inferior duke?¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to go yourself?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°You should.¡±

    If it had been before.

    Before my divinity rank increased.

    And when I hadn¡¯tpleted the merciful deity tutorial and didn¡¯t know how to handle that skill properly.

    I would have had to ask Feiby to eliminate Tariki¡¯s magic.

    But not now.

    Now I can do all of that myself.

    Heh. This is perfect.

    I needed a ce to test my growth, and here it is¡ªa test subject that wouldn¡¯t evoke any guilt even if I ruined it.

    Alright. Let¡¯s see how I can toy with it.

    If it breaks...

    Hmm.

    I suppose I can just ask Feiby to fix it.

    Probably.

 Chapter 285

    Karia didn¡¯t take me to a ce too far away.

    It was in the back alley of the bustling district where the Arteia port is located. Our destination was a ce only a few minutes¡¯ walk from the Arteia mansion.

    ¡°The Arteia port is a ce where manye and go, so it¡¯s a good spot for hiding something or spreading rumors.¡±

    I understood what she meant.

    Most of the people staying here are sailors.

    They stay for a few days, head to other ces, and eventually return here, making it hard to remember anyone¡¯s face in a ce where the faces change daily.

    ¡°But for you, Employer, it¡¯s an exception. It seems rumors will spread about you here.¡±

    ¡®True.¡¯

    ¡°Right? I never thought there would be so many disgusting perverts. Trash that could work like a dog for a lifetime wouldn¡¯t even be able to lick my toes.¡±

    However, among all those people, I felt I would be the one to remain in this port.

    Every time I moved, the gazes of people followed me.

    Since I arrived in this world, I had always been the center of attention.

    Most of it was negative, but attracting attention from others had be a very everyday urrence.

    Most of those gazes were ufortable. The history behind the name Lucy Alrn had instilled fear in people.

    But today was different. Today, the gazes directed at me carried an unpleasant stickiness.

    It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t know the name Lucy Alrn. The moment our eyes met, they turned their heads in horror, so they clearly knew of my infamy.

    So those guys are sending such gazes even knowing my reputation?

    Was the change brought about by my increasing rank that dramatic?

    I still couldn¡¯t feel any significant difference, no matter how much I red at the mirror.

    ¡°You seem to be doing well since you nned it all out.¡±

    ¡°nned? This?¡±

    ¡°Snake-like olddy. What did you n?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to say I¡¯m fox-like instead? Saying I¡¯m snake-like sounds too venomous.¡±

    ¡®Isn¡¯t being fox-like worse?¡¯

    ¡°A fox? Do you want to hear that you resemble an awkward fox?¡±

    ¡°...That¡¯s not it. Yeah. A snake is better. A snake is better.¡±

    Nodding my head, Karia then blocked the sounds from the surroundings and answered my question.

    ¡°To avoid suspicion from the inquiries, you need an alibi that you weren¡¯t in Burrow territory.¡±

    Ah, I see. By making my face known among the people at the port, no one would think I had been staying with the Burrow family.@@novelbin@@

    That¡¯s why she said there was no need to cover my face.

    ¡°And I wanted to let you experience your changes as well.¡±

    ¡®...That¡¯s unnecessary consideration.¡¯

    ¡°Who would have thought you¡¯d be so thick-headed, olddy? Live a bit younger. Are you going to live alone for your entire life?¡±

    ¡°...If it weren¡¯t for the grace I¡¯ve received!¡±

    Seeing Karia trembling, seemingly wanting to smack my head right away, I hurriedly shut my mouth.

    After walking for a few more minutes, we arrived at a restaurant.

    It seemed quite popr, as many people were eating and filling the ce with noise.

    Watching a robustdy deftly manage the rough sailors, I inadvertently turned my gaze toward Karia.

    Is Jakel here? I wanted to ask.

    ¡°This is the ce.¡±

    She said I would know, and then she caught the attention of a waiter and spoke to him.

    The waiter led us to a private room on the second floor, and when Karia pulled on a deer horn adorning a corner of the wall, a passage leading downwards was revealed.

    ¡°Is the suspicion gone?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t answer that question. The secret ce Karia had prepared was stirring my spirit.

    What is this! It¡¯s totally cool! It feels like something out of a spy novel!

    Wow. How long has it been since Karia escaped the grip of the Evil God to set up a system like this? Isn¡¯t she too capable?

    ¡°I¡¯m just making slight adjustments to the system that my disciple set up.¡±

    If this is nothing special, then what does Karia consider special?

    Is this thepetence of someone who used to stand next to Benedict?

    I¡¯m really d she¡¯s on my side.

    ...From now on, I should also be careful about calling her an olddy or a spinster.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    Jakel was sleeping in one of the many hidden rooms underground.

    He had a faint breathing pattern that could stop at any moment. His furrowed brow and the faint voice that slipped out of his mouth were reminiscent of Feiby when she had copsed from Nakrad¡¯s attack.

    ¡°How about it? Do you think you can handle it, Employer?¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Why are you asking such an obvious question? Instead of worrying about useless things, how about thinking about how to catch a man?¡±

    ¡°Really, you should stop talking.¡±

    While listening to Karia¡¯s grumbling voice, I fixed my gaze on Jakel¡¯s body.

    Then, I noticed the essence of Tariki deeply embedded in his heart.

    It grasped his heart, gradually flowing into his blood, trying to stain his entire body with its essence.

    As I observed him, I realized what it meant for my divinity rank to rise.

    <You can see it, huh?>

    ¡®Yes. I can see it well.¡¯

    Previously, I couldn¡¯t sense Tariki¡¯s essence at all.

    Even when Feiby copsed. Even when Nakrad seized Burrow territory. I only learned of Tariki¡¯s schemes from someone¡¯s story; I couldn¡¯t perceive his essence with my own eyes.

    But now it¡¯s possible.

    With my divinity rank rising and my body changing ordingly, I can see Tariki¡¯s essence.

    I can feel the torment etched into Jakel¡¯s body.

    <Then, I have nothing more to say. Do as you wish.>

    ¡®Got it.¡¯

    Taking a deep breath, I spread my divinity throughout my body.

    The divinity that had been depleted after the grueling battle earlier was now filled within me, heavier and stronger than before. It only took a moment for my whole body to be enveloped in warm energy.

    With this, my preparations areplete. Now, let¡¯s get started.

    Let¡¯s put Armaadi¡¯s mercy to the test.

    Until now, I had only thought of Armaadi¡¯s mercy as a skill. Just like in the game, I assumed it was simply a way to heal and remove status ailments.

    In reality, I had always used Armaadi¡¯s mercy that way, and I hadn¡¯t thought beyond that.

    My rotten knowledge from the Soul Academy told me I could only use Armaadi¡¯s mercy in such a manner.

    But my thoughts changed during the tutorial for the skill. I learned something I hadn¡¯t considered.

    As indicated by the name of the deity, Armaadi¡¯s mercy is a skill that grants part of the deity¡¯s power.

    It¡¯s not just a simple healing ability; it¡¯s a way to receive a portion of the deity¡¯s power.

    No matter how pathetic and ipetent he is, being a perverted deity is still a deity.

    He couldn¡¯t possibly be limited to only that level when he has bestowed upon me a portion of his power.

    As I became the apostle of Armaadi, and inherited some of his divinity, I realized the true nature of the skill.

    It is to alleviate suffering.

    Healing and removing status ailments are merely secondary effects.

    The essence of Armaadi¡¯s mercy is the power to relieve suffering.

    Though I spoke confidently, I still didn¡¯t fully grasp this power.

    I had only recently realized the skill of Armaadi¡¯s mercy this very morning; how could I be perfect?

    Still, I had no worries.

    Even though I know less than I should, I can definitely expel the energy of that gloomy trash trying to inflict suffering on a small girl.

    I can save the troubled teenager in a nightmare.

    After concentrating the divinity in my hand, I ced it on Jakel¡¯s heart. As soon as my divinity made contact with his skin, it flowed into him.

    The essence of Tariki, lodged in his heart, began to writhe violently the moment it sensed my divinity.

    It seemed to struggle desperately to prevent the supreme energy from entering its domain.

    But that struggle was futile.

    The rank of my divinity was higher than Nakrad, who had nted darkness in this body. No matter how desperately the darkness fought, it would lose ground in the presence of light.

    At some point, perhaps realizing it could no longer endure, the essence of Tariki vanished in an instant.

    It was likely trying to escape this body, hoping to make me think it had fled.

    Watching that futile attempt made me chuckle.

    What does it mean to hide within Jakel¡¯s body?

    As long as Tariki¡¯s essence remains inside him and as long as Jakel suffers because of that essence, darkness can never escape my sight.

    If I wanted, I could diligently track down and erase that essence, but I chose not to.

    I leisurely filled Jakel¡¯s body with my divinity.

    Just as the sun rises and darkness disappears, the ce for Tariki¡¯s essence gradually fades from Jakel¡¯s body.

    The essence of Tariki, which had been desperately trying to survive, fought with all its might to escape, but even that had its limits.

    Escape was only possible if there was somewhere to flee.

    If blocked at a dead end, one could only wait for death with closed eyes.

    ¡°Hey, worthless Tariki?¡±

    Ultimately, Tariki¡¯s essence was burned away by my divinity, giving up even the struggle to resist.

    ¡°I¡¯ll torment you like thister? Look forward to it?¡±

    After confirming that Tariki¡¯s essence had vanished not long after, I withdrew my divinity from Jakel¡¯s body.

    It was clear that moving my divinity had be much easier than before.

    While I couldn¡¯t tell from the outside, it seems a lot had changed on the inside.

    Hmm. Then my physical abilities must have changed too?

    When I return, I should ask Karl to spar with me.

    I need to see how far I can go now.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    Huh? What is it?

    A reward?

    A new quest?

    [You have purified someone who made a contract with the Evil God!]

    [Because of your noble heart, you saved someone who would have fallen into hell. The fate of the wicked will now be bound to you!]

    [The status of ¡®Jakel Burrow¡¯ changes from that of a contractee of the Evil God to your servant!]

    [The wicked must offer their life to you until they have paid for their sins!]

    ...

    Huh?

    What nonsense is this?

 Chapter 286

    After briefly losing my mind over the message, I quickly regained my focus and checked the message again.

    [The status of Jacal Burrow changes from ''Contractor of the Evil God'' to ''Your Servant!'']

    Servant? Does that mean the word refers to a servant in that context?

    To confirm my understanding, I used my emotion skill on the word "servant," and a new window popped up.

    [Destined Subjugation]

    [This person''s life and death are now subjugated to you.]

    [1. The subjugated subject cannot harm you. 2. The subjugated subject must only take beneficial actions towards you. 3. The subjugated subject must absolutely obey yourmands.]

    The moment I checked all the phrases, one word flitted through my mind.

    ve.

    If everything written here is true, it means that Jacal has be my ve.

    No, it might even be worse than being a ve.

    If I tell him to bark, he has to bark. If I say to roll over, he has to roll over. Even if he gets furious during the process, he can do nothing but wag his tail.

    Having finished my understanding of what it means to be a servant, I crossed my arms and contemted Jacal''s usefulness.

    For now, he¡¯s pretty useless.

    He¡¯s weak, doesn¡¯t know much, has few connections, and unlike Joina or Feiby, he¡¯s not a character I cherished in the game.

    It could be amusing to y with him, but that¡¯s about it. It¡¯s hard to see him having any value beyond that.

    But that¡¯s only true for now.

    Despite having the background of the Burrow family and the nickname of the ''Cabbage Prince,'' considering his performance in the game, if I can raise him well, he could definitely be useful.

    What¡¯s more attractive is that he has no choice but to obey mymands.

    This means I can manipte him just like controlling a character through a monitor.

    Hehe. I wonder what kind of hell I could create for Jacal.

    Just thinking about him rolling around, piling up resentment against me, makes me chuckle.

    For now, it makes sense to raise him based on the Burrow family''s spear techniques, aiming for a versatile style.

    Additionally, I¡¯ll need to develop abilities to handle various tedious tasks like Karia and Alsetin do.

    Later, I¡¯ll also have to increase his political skills so he can be my ally in high society.

    Listing them out seems to add more tasks, but who cares? It¡¯s not like I have to do them myself.

    As long as this ambiguous toy-ve doesn¡¯t break, I¡¯ll be fine.

    While I was pondering what to make him do first, Jacal began to twitch.

    Jacal, waking from his slumber, confirmed his fingers and toes were moving with bloodshot eyes.

    And only after confirming that everything was moving freely did he press one hand against his face and let out a long sigh.

    Has he finally escaped the dream?

    Ever since being made into a wedge in the dungeon by Nakrad, Jacal had been dreaming continuously.

    Dreams of when the mansion was lively.

    Dreams of when his brother was alive.

    Dreams of when his brother was dying.

    Dreams of the people in the mansion being ughtered.

    Dreams of his father choking him.

    Dreams of his mother and servants weeping blood tears of resentment towards him.

    And dreams of something warm and gentle flowing into his body.

    After all those dreams passed, what Jacal faced was a dream where he encountered an unknown being.

    Standing right in front of him, the being¡¯s gender, body shape, age, face, voice¡ªnothing could be recognized about this strange existence.

    The only thing he could feel was that this being was holy and sacred, and it conveyed these words to him in the dream.

    ¡®Poor, foolish child.¡¯

    ¡®Even if my apostle saved you from sin, it doesn¡¯t mean all your sins are erased.¡¯

    ¡®Originally, you were meant to live in pain, both alive and dead.¡¯

    ¡®Considering the merits of your own apostle, I will grant you a chance for atonement.¡¯

    ¡®You should hold gratitude for being alive, child.¡¯

    ¡®You are destined to live for my apostle for your entire life.¡¯

    ¡®At the same time, you must always reflect on your own position.¡¯

    What kind of dream was that? Reflecting on the strangely realistic and vivid dream, Jacal suddenly recalled and frantically inspected his corbone.

    He remembered that the unknown being had left a mark on his corbone in that bizarre dream.

    ¡°...Crazy.¡±

    It wasn''t just a simple dream?

    Then that means it was real.

    ¡°Why are you unting such a pitiful body? If you''re trying to make meugh, you¡¯ve failed. It¡¯s so pathetic that it¡¯s almostughable.¡±

    As Jacal nkly stared at the mark left on his corbone, a voice rang out from beside him.

    The voice was all too familiar to Jacal.

    How could he forget that clear yet irritating voice?

    As he raised his head to question why she was here next to him, he was met with Lucy''s face and froze.

    In the past, Jacal had disliked Lucy, but he had to admit that her appearance was decent.@@novelbin@@

    Her face, which stood out no matter where she was ced, was undeniable.

    However, she was merely cute and pretty. He never thought of her as attractive.

    To Jacal, Lucy was just a doll that looked beautiful from a distance, but as soon as one got close, it became clear that it was filled with poison.

    Just a pretty little brat.

    But now, things were different.

    As Jacal took in Lucy''s appearance, he lost all words he had nned to say and could only think about how beautiful she was.

    ¡°Ugh. Sneaking nces at me, huh? Can¡¯t even hide your perversion? It¡¯s disgusting. I wish you¡¯d just bite your tongue and die.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re so beautiful, my Lady.¡±

    Jacal, who was about to say that nobody would like a girl like her, was shocked to hear the polite tone that escaped his mouth.

    What? Why is my mouth moving on its own?

    ¡°Ha ha ha! Look at your stupid face getting even stupider!¡±

    ¡°Do you know anything about this situation?¡±

    ¡°Curious? Want to know? Then why don¡¯t you kneel and beg me to tell you? Maybe I¡¯ll tell you then.¡±

    Though Jacal wanted to scream why he should do something like that, his body had other ideas.

    Despite his unwillingness, he found himself kneeling on the ground, bowing his head before Lucy.

    ¡°Please grant me the honor of hearing your story.¡±

    What the hell is happening?

    Why is my body speaking?

    ...Could it be?

    ¡°Wow. Looks like you¡¯ve got no pride left? Well, I guess that¡¯s why you signed a contract with that pathetic weakling evil god. You¡¯re nothing but a disgusting piece of trash.¡±

    The sacred being¡¯s words about his apostle.

    ¡°Congrattions. You have the honor of serving me now.¡±

    It was Lucy Alrn!?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Too happy to even speak?¡±

    Jacal didn¡¯t want to ept the fact that Lucy, who was far from being devout, kind, or holy, was the apostle of the god, but acknowledging it wouldn¡¯t change reality.

    His body, which could not even bear to lift its head, had long since sumbed to Lucy.

    ¡°Well, it must be an overwhelming honor for a piece of trash like you who signed a contract with that pathetic evil god.¡±

    ¡°...How do you know that?¡±

    How does she know?

    How does she know that I signed a contract with Tariki?

    Surely, when I left the mansion, she didn¡¯t know anything!

    ¡°I get that you¡¯re an enormous idiot, but how about thinking a little before you speak? Your brain isn¡¯t just decoration, right?¡±

    Hearing Lucy''s words, Jacal reflected back on his memories.

    When the mansion waspletely devoured by the evil god''s apostle.

    When he realized amidst the chaos caused by an intruder that their true purpose was to sacrifice the lives of the entire territory.

    When he shouted that things were different from what he had signed for.

    When he grabbed someone by the cor, insisting that this wasn¡¯t what he wanted.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°My Lady.¡±

    As Jacal cautiously lifted his head, his voice trembled.

    ¡°I have something to ask.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°What has happened to the Burrow territory?¡±

    Lucy¡¯s lips curled into a smirk as she saw the tremor in Jacal''s eyes.

    ¡°Are you curious?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    He wanted to know.

    ¡°Are you really, really curious?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    He wanted to know what kind of results his foolish wish to return to the happyndscape of the mansion would bring.

    ¡°The trash prince is going to be so shocked. Still curious?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Still.¡±

    Just like the unknown being had said, whether everything had been smoothed over or if disaster hade to turn into an unquenchable sin.

    ¡°I want to know.¡±

    He wanted to know.

    Hearing Jacal¡¯s voice, Lucy chuckled and then lifted Jacal¡¯s chin with her toes, speaking.

    ¡°Hmm. You seem really eager.¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. So please.¡±

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t tell you.¡±

    This girl is ying around to the end!

    As Lucy giggled, Jacal seethed with rage inside.

    Lucy raised her lips even higher and continued.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be more fun to see it with your own eyes. Won¡¯t it, Auntie?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying to take me? I knew you¡¯d say that, so I prepared in advance.¡±

    As a voice came from behind, a handnded on Jacal''s shoulder, and the surrounding scenery shifted.

    In a dark room.

    To the scene of a za.

    ¡°Ugh. How much time have I wasted because of that damned evil god?¡±

    ¡°Ipletely failed my business this year. I can¡¯t see a way out.¡±

    ¡°Hey, guys. At least we survived thanks to the Artistic Order.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you jerk. Just because you profited, you¡¯re acting all rxed?!¡±

    The merchants who always sat in the middle of the za and conversed.

    When the evil god''s apostle was present, they moved only their hands with empty eyes, but now, lively voices flowed from them.

    ¡°Oh my! Sister, aren¡¯t you too skinny?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just as bad! Did you think the evil god would take your body and put you on a diet?!¡±

    ¡°Thanks to that, I¡¯m worried about my tooth when ites out.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, really?!¡±

    Two women, the talkative ones of the city.

    When the evil god''s energy nketed the town, they had never once opened their mouths, but now, with their lively voices, other women gathered around.

    ¡°If anyone has any issues with their health, pleasee to the church!¡±

    ¡°Hey, priest! This friend¡¯s face still doesn¡¯t look healed.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Are you serious?!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. What¡¯s determined from birth is under the jurisdiction of the god Armaadi.¡±

    ¡°Priest?!¡±

    When Jacal was dreaming dumb dreams, two men who existed like the background of a bar were now happily chatting with the priests of the Artistic Order.

    As Jacal quietly observed them, he suddenly lifted his head to look at the sky.

    A blue sky. Clouds flowing by.

    And the sun, guarding right in the middle.

    There was no darkness present.

    ¡°Ha.¡±

    The words of the unknown being were right.

    The sins that could have arisen from his foolish actions had dissipated.

    Originally, countless lives that should have been lost could nowugh and live their daily lives.

    Though his sins remained sins, they did not hold a ce in reality.

    ¡°Jacal.¡±

    At the sound of a hard and heavy voice that pierced his ears, Jacal turned his head.

    His father.

    The head of the Burrow family was there.

    ¡°Jacal Burrow.¡±

    Jacal couldn¡¯t reply to the Duke of Burrow.

    He couldn¡¯t bear to look into his father¡¯s eyes.

    He felt guilty about the foolish actions he was about tomit.

    And he feared that all this guilt would erupt from his father¡¯s mouth.

    That those deste eyes would push him away, perhaps even throw him into hell.

    Jacal pressed his lips shut and took a step back.

    However, that step could not move far.

    Before he could flee, the Duke of Burrow swiftly approached and grabbed him by the nape of his neck.

    ¡°Wee back.¡±

    ¡°...Ah... Father? I...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve returned well.¡±

    As Jacal tried to say something, for the first time since his brother¡¯s death, he felt his father¡¯s warmth and simply shut his mouth.

    The foolish wish of a young child had traveled a long, long road and was finally fulfilled under the warmth of the sun.

 Chapter 287

    ¡°Jacal! Oh, my God! Thank you so much!¡±

    ¡°Mother, just a moment!...¡±

    ¡°A moment? What do you mean a moment!¡±

    The Duke of Burrow, listening to the loud voicesing from outside, turned his head with a pleased smile.

    There sat the benefactor who had brought Jacal this far.

    ¡°Karia. Once again, I must express my gratitude.¡±

    ¡°How many times do I have to say it? All I did was bring him here, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Haha. But you¡¯re the only one I can thank, so what can I do?¡±

    Though Karia¡¯s attitude was inappropriate for dealing with a duke, the Duke of Burrow didn¡¯t mind at all.

    What sat before him was a formerrade from the same front lines, someone who had once held the power to face a duke.

    ¡°It¡¯s truly remarkable. The apostle of the evil god attempting to consume this territory. That we were saved from that crisis. And that my son, whom I thought I might lose again, has returned alive. And the savior is you, whom I thought was dead.¡±

    Karia, the shadow of the kingdom. Once led a direct agency under the former king.

    Despite her identity being somewhat revealed, she was a monster who maintained thorough secrecy.

    ¡°Why? Does my returning bother you?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. Not that it doesn¡¯t bother me. Your existence is quite an annoyance.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As you can see, I¡¯ve be a useless old man. I can¡¯t move as actively as before.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re getting old, too?¡±

    The moment the topic of age came up, one of Karia¡¯s eyebrows shot up, and the duke couldn¡¯t suppress a chuckle.

    ¡°Ha ha ha! It seems you¡¯re still a woman after all! Sensitive about your age, I see!¡±

    ¡°...Lately, someone keeps teasing me about that, so it¡¯s a bit troubling. Could you not do that, Duke?¡±

    ¡°The more you try to brush it off, the more you shouldugh it off. You used to say that all the time, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°If you keep this up, I¡¯ll start calling you an old man?!¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s not entirely wrong.¡±

    The Duke of Burrowughed it off as if it were nothing but then carefully adjusted the ne around his neck.

    ¡°It¡¯s normal for an aging warrior to be weak enough to fall for the tricks of the evil god¡¯s apostle. Being treated like an old man who should be holed up in a room is fitting.¡±

    This incident left a significant shock to the Duke of Burrow.

    He thought he was growing weaker with age, but to think he could fall for the evil god¡¯s trickery without realizing it.

    His ipetence had led the entire territory into crisis. If it weren¡¯t for someone else¡¯s salvation, the territory would have been dedicated to the evil god.

    ¡°Are you thinking of stepping down?¡±

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll need some time before my son can rise to prominence, so I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°I need to reim what I¡¯ve lost.¡±

    Over ten years ago.

    Seeing the death of his first son, the Duke of Burrow fell into despair and let everything go.

    He was so deeply wounded by the loss of his beloved son that he removed everything that reminded him of that face.

    He threw away all of his son¡¯s belongings.

    Instead of holding the spear he had clung to for life, he took up a sword.

    Afraid of losing again what he cherished, he kept his remaining son at a distance.

    He had lived like that ever since his eldest son died.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of taking up the spear again.¡±

    The thought changed due to someone he met in a ce where he couldn¡¯t tell if it was a dream or reality.

    Someone who held warmth like the sun.

    Someone with beauty that seemed as if crafted directly by the divine.

    A holy being with a clear and beautiful voice.

    The reprimand she gave him still lingered in the duke¡¯s heart.

    ¡°When I recall the words of the one who handed me this ne, I feel a passion welling up in my heart. It made me think that I needed to change.¡±

    ¡°...Oh. That¡¯s great news.¡±

    As Karia looked at the duke speaking with emotion while gazing at the ne, she suddenly felt her mouth go dry.

    The one who had given him that ne must surely be their employer. If it was their employer¡¯s words, they must have been something trivial, something lowly.

    How could it be twisted into something moving in his mind?!

    ¡°If I could meet that person, I would bow my head as many times as necessary.¡±

    Let¡¯s not reveal the truth.

    Let¡¯s not let him know that the one who brought him such emotion is their employer.

    There are times when a fantasy should remain a fantasy for it to be beautiful.

    ¡°Karia. I have a few things I want to ask.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Do you happen to know anything about the person who gave you this ne?¡±

    There might be things I could use while a fantasy is still a fantasy.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. The one who saved the prince was our employer.¡±

    ¡°Is he from the Artistic Order?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask if you already know he isn¡¯t. You know what kind of person I am, right?¡±

    It was well known that Karia could gauge a person¡¯s inner feelings through their gestures, gazes, and tones.

    It was because of that ability that she always apanied the king during discussions.

    ¡°Has that ability weakened? You¡¯ve be more bothersome.¡±

    ¡°Haha. What can I do? This is my talent.¡±

    ¡°Sigh. I know. Right now, the Artistic Order is treated as a savior in this territory, but it¡¯s likely that the true savior of this territory is one of those who serves the god. It¡¯s possible to make guesses from the scent of divinity.¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    ¡°The fact that he credited the Artistic Order is likely because he finds the current god¡¯s church bothersome.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also correct.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to cooperate with the god¡¯s church.¡±

    ¡°Dukes like you are quick to the point.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who made it fast, almost by force?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s forget the trivial matters. That¡¯s an old story, right?¡±

    The duke chuckled at Karia¡¯s shrugging shoulders. She used to be more inhuman than this, but now she had be a bit more human.

    ¡°That person is your current master, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Employer. It¡¯s a bit different from a master.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, isn¡¯t it the same that you work for that person? Please convey my thanks to him. And also tell him that this pathetic old man can stake everything to repay him.¡±

    He saved the lives of the territory¡¯s citizens. He saved the family. He saved those the duke cherished. He even brought enlightenment to the duke.

    Though he couldn¡¯t sacrifice his life as there were still things he needed to protect, he should at least do everything possible to touch a fraction of that grace.

    ¡°I understand, Duke. I will pass it on to my employer.¡±

    As Karia spoke that, she rose from her seat.

    ¡°Are you leaving already?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t interfere with this family reunion any longer.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Well then, take care.¡±

    As Karia received the duke¡¯s send-off and stood at the door, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

    ¡°Oh, right. Duke.¡±

    And when she turned her head, Karia¡¯s expression had changed from earlier. It now resembled that of a suitably cute and endearing youngdy one would see in the countryside.

    ¡°...What is it?¡±

    ¡°I might borrow the prince for a bitter.¡±

    ¡°...What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Our employer said they wanted to raise the prince.¡±

    Until just a moment ago, the duke had seemed like he would do anything for her, but upon hearing the prince¡¯s name, a vague smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°If it¡¯s what he desires, I¡¯d be willing to allow it.¡±

    ¡°So you mean it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s what the prince himself wants?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I need. Thank you for the good answer, Duke.¡±

    After Karia slipped out, the duke leaned back against his chair, letting out a long sigh while looking at the ceiling.

    He had only grown softerpared to before, but his old nature remained unchanged.

    There was no need to warn that she might be watching from anywhere at any time in that way.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do anything that could harm that person.¡±

    Is this also proof that she has changed as a person?

    After sending Jacal back to the territory, the first thing I did was alter my school uniform.

    Though it was my old uniform and I could technically wear it, there were several ufortable parts when moving around in it.

    So, I asked Alsetin and visited the best tailor shop for academy uniforms. I intended to leave it today ande back tomorrow morning to pick it up.

    ¡°Are you asking for it to be tailored to fit you now?¡±

    But now, I slightly regretted that choice.

    Being scrutinized by the tailor shop owner¡¯s gaze as she looked at me was quite a mental burden.@@novelbin@@

    It felt like I was being pressured by three clerks clinging to me when I went to the clothing store.

    <Did you do something terrible here too?>

    ¡®Never!...I mean, probably.¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t assert anything since I had no idea how much trouble the past Lucy had caused.

    Could this person be a victim of the past Lucy? Is that why she¡¯s ring at me with resentment!?

    ¡°I understand, my Lady. Pleasee back tomorrow.¡±

    ¡®Umm, about the measurements...¡¯

    ¡°Old hag, I get that it¡¯s old-fashioned, but shouldn¡¯t you at least use a measuring tape?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I can see it with my eyes.¡±

    ...Oh. Is that trustworthy?

    Since Alsetin introduced her, her skills should be solid. If anything goes wrong, I can just tell Karia and have her torment Alsetin.

    After a brief hesitation, I handed over the school uniform I brought, and the elderlydy spoke firmly.

    ¡°Please also give me what you¡¯re currently wearing.¡±

    ¡°Pardon? No, if I do that...¡±

    ¡°Then what am I supposed to wear? Can¡¯t you even think of that?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t take long to do one thing.¡±

    The elderlydy said that as she handed me something to wear temporarily.

    Hmm. Since she¡¯s so confident, should I wait a bit?

    I might as well see how well she does.

    As I observed the process of the elderlydy altering the clothing from the side, I felt enchanted.

    Watching the needle move made me feel like I could be mesmerized.

    It seemed like nothing special, but every time her hands moved, the clothing transformed!

    This is no longer human skill!

    It¡¯s magic! Magic!

    ¡°Could you try it on for me? There might be things to fix.¡±

    While I was admiring the elderlydy¡¯s skills, the alterations were quickly finished.

    Wow, amazing.

    Just by ncing at it, how is it that it fits perfectly?!

    Is there some program in her eyes that checks human measurements!?

    ¡°Looks good. I¡¯ll have everything ready by the time youe back tomorrow.¡±

    ¡®Yes! I¡¯m counting on you!¡¯

    ¡°Hmph. You¡¯re not just full of wrinkles after all. Make sure to do well for cute me.¡±

    Excited from meeting someone whose existence I couldn¡¯t even fathom in the game, I walked the academy streets with light steps.

    I had been through helltely.

    Today, I thought I might as well take a break and do some sightseeing.

    Wandering around the academy streets, I would reminisce about old memories.

    Yeah. That sounds good...

    Huh? Is that Joy sitting outside that shop over there?

    That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Joy, Arthur, and even Frey.

    Seeing Arthur let out a sigh, it seems like Frey caused some trouble again.

    As curiosity piqued, I approached them with quick steps.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Hey, losers. Wasting time here again?¡±

    I greeted them as usual, but my friends¡¯ reactions were not the same as usual.

    Normally, they would have greeted me back with smiles, but now they were staring at my face, mouths agape.

    ¡®...What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    ¡°Why do you look even more stupid than usual?¡±

    Only after I spoke again did Frey finally respond.

    ¡°...Lucy?¡±

    ¡®Yes. That¡¯s right.¡¯

    ¡°Is your brain so full of information that you can¡¯t even remember who I am, idiot detective? You should know just by looking.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Lucy. I¡¯m surprised how much you¡¯ve changed.¡±

    ¡°Really? Did something happen over the weekend? My Lady has be so beautiful that I almost didn¡¯t recognize her.¡±

    ¡®Is that so?¡¯

    ¡°Isn¡¯t our idiot just saying he couldn¡¯t recognize because he¡¯s so ipetent?!¡±

    ¡°My eyesight is perfectly fine!¡±

    Even as Frey and Joy regained their senses and filled the table with noise, Arthur was still frozen, staring at my face.

    What¡¯s up with him? Is he sick?

    ¡®Arthur?¡¯

    ¡°Poor prince? Have you forgotten how to speak?¡±

    I tilted my head and asked, and suddenly Arthur jumped up.

    ¡°...Ah. Uh. What is it? Lucy Alrn.¡±

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I... I just remembered I have something to do, so I¡¯ll be leaving for a bit.¡±

    What is he really doing? Why is he acting so strangely?

    ...Could it be?

    While I was preparing to face Tariki, did he not properly fulfill his assigned task because I let my guard down?!

    He¡¯s running away now because he¡¯s afraid of being found out!

    Arthur, even so, you¡¯re in the palm of my hand.

    I¡¯ll check one by one if you¡¯ve been cking off or not! Just wait!

 Chapter 288

    A table created for rxation near the training grounds of Soul Academy.

    Sitting there were Arthur, the third prince of the Sdin Kingdom, and Frey, the eldest daughter of the renowned Kent family.

    Up until the time they enrolled in Soul Academy, the two had only faced each other in a few tournaments, without any deeper acquaintance. However, now, as their first year was nearing its end, seeing the two of them together was not awkward at all.

    This was because there was amon denominator between them: Lucy Alrn.

    One side was someone who rolled over and over in a desperate attempt to defeat Lucy someday.

    The other was someone who believed that only Lucy could fill her deficiencies and thus became obsessed with her.

    Although their purposes were different, they both gathered around Lucy, which made Arthur and Frey feel quitefortable with each other.

    In particr, this sense offort was strongly apparent in Frey.

    ¡°Useless.¡±

    No one other than her, aside from Lucy, could say such a thing to Arthur, even if he was the prince of the royal bloodline, distanced from the throne.

    ¡°...Hey, Frey Kent.¡±

    ¡°You useless coward who couldn¡¯t even speak properly and ran away.¡±

    ¡°Stop it while you can.¡±

    Though it was a rude and almost irreverent tease, Arthur could not muster a rebuttal.

    His recent actions were, by his own admission, deserving of the term disgrace.

    ...No, this is not just my fault. Lucy Alrn bears some responsibility as well.

    What in the world happened over the weekend that could change a person so drastically!

    What could she have experienced in that short time that transformed someone who used to appear as a doll crafted by a master into someone radiating such irresistible beauty?

    ¡°Haah.¡±

    For some reason, Arthur¡¯s face turned red, and he brushed his face while letting out a long sigh.

    No matter how much nonsense he muttered inside, it wouldn¡¯t erase what he had done yesterday.

    Usually, at this point, he would be mindful of the person in front of him, but Frey didn¡¯t seem to do so.

    Having no understanding of her own emotions, how could she care about the feelings of others?

    ¡°A little girl who¡¯s two heads shorter than you is enough to scare you off and make you run away.¡±

    ¡°...Who said I ran away because I was scared! That¡¯s not it!¡±

    ¡°Then what is it?¡±

    ¡°I just¡ªLucy Alrn...¡±

    ¡°Admit it, you were scared.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Just how many times do I have to tell you to stop?!¡±

    As the thread holding Arthur''s sanity together snapped, veins popped out on his neck.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Do you have that much pent-up frustration? Was it that upsetting when I told you to follow my orders in the dungeon?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t thatrgely your fault! If you had just followed my orders properly!¡±

    ¡°But Prince, your orders were so useless that they were boring.¡±

    ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re annoyingly confident!¡±

    Arthur realized he couldn¡¯t win when he couldn¡¯t even make himself understood. He had just learned that truth. Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his hair, seemingly trying to get his thoughts together, and opened his mouth.

    ¡°You¡¯re just as useless!¡±

    ¡°I am?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who ran away after being humiliated by Lucy Alrn!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Just a moment ago, Frey had been brimming with confidence, but even she had her limits. The instant Arthur touched on her sore spot, she mmed up.

    ¡°Yet here you are, scolding her for possibly not wanting to acknowledge you as a rival! How absurd!¡±

    ¡°...I didn¡¯t whine.¡±

    ¡°Ha! I asked if something was wrong because you looked unusually dazed.¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    ¡°The one who trembled while speaking wasn¡¯t whining?! Now that makes sense!¡±

    ¡°Stop it. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll hit you.¡±

    Even though they red at each other with veins in their eyes,

    ¡°Frey Kent.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    That confrontation softened as Arthur stepped back.

    Perhaps having drained himself with all the yelling, Arthur leaned back against his chair, staring nkly into the air as he muttered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go back to yesterday¡¯s topic.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the day the prince ran away?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to start it again?¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, back then, weren¡¯t we discussing your concerns?¡±

    The studies they had to do at Soul Academy. The various quotas Lucy personally assigned. And, on top of that, the dungeon raids.

    Arthur had been busy fulfilling all these responsibilities, and that was why he had taken the weekend off to go out with Joy and Frey.

    To help Frey with her worries. Since she had been feeling dazed a lottely because of her recent incident with Lucy, he had set aside time during the weekend to assist her.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°After I left, you didn¡¯t talk about anything rted, did you?¡±

    ¡°No. I just wandered around the academy streets with Lucy.¡±

    ¡°Anything noteworthy?¡±

    ¡°All the restaurants we visited back then were delicious.¡±

    ¡°...That sounds just like you.¡±

    ¡°Really? Thanks.¡±

    ¡°The praise... Ugh. So, in the end, you didn¡¯t make any progress from our conversation yesterday?¡±

    Arthur, having tidied up his messy hair using wind magic, looked at Frey again.

    ¡°To convey what I couldn¡¯t finish saying yesterday, I don¡¯t think Lucy Alrn will abandon you. While it¡¯s true that she has a rough tongue, she doesn¡¯t have a bad temper. She considers you a friend, so she will likely stay with you.¡±

    ¡°Me? A friend? Of Lucy¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯re always together, what else would you call it?¡±

    ¡°A friend.¡±

    As Frey chuckled, Arthur let out a wearyugh.

    In the past, when they met at various tournaments, he had wondered if he should even call her human, but seeing her now, she seemed all too human.

    Could this change also be brought about by Lucy Alrn?

    ¡°Thus, my conclusion is that you shouldn¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Regardless of anything, we¡¯ve known each other for a long time, so let¡¯s talk a bit more.¡±

    Arthur thought this change was a good one, knowing the Frey from before.

    If one were to ask who seemed more endearing between the cold, distant Frey of the past and the current Frey, the answer was undoubtedly thetter.

    So, let¡¯s elerate this change a bit more. Since she is following Lucy, they would need to keep close for a long time.

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t know emotions before meeting Lucy Alrn. Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°And you also said you felt anger for the first time after meeting Lucy Alrn.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Well then. Until now, has anger been the only emotion you¡¯ve felt?¡±

    At Arthur¡¯s question, Frey tilted her head.

    She didn¡¯t understand the meaning of the question. How could he exin it in a way that was easier toprehend?

    Ah. This should work.

    ¡°You expressed anger as redness. I¡¯m asking if there has ever been another color to fill your heart.¡±

    ¡°There has.¡±

    Frey nodded easily without much thought.

    For her, the colors of her heart had been so rare that remembering the times they filled her wasn¡¯t difficult.

    ¡°When Lucy called me an idiot. When I was found out for wanting to be teased. And.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Frey. Which of those colors would you like to encounter more?¡±

    ¡°Color?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There must be a hierarchy among colors. Just as you hold Lucy Alrn¡¯s matters in high regard.¡±

    Hearing Arthur¡¯s question, Frey opened and closed her mouth repeatedly.

    She couldn¡¯t find an answer easily.

    Having thought that anything that filled her heart was fine, she had never considered the high and low aspects.

    As she frowned in deep thought, a sound of footsteps approached from beside them.

    ¡°Are you both well?¡±

    That presence had a status high enough to intrude into a conversation shared between a prince and the eldest daughter of a noble count.

    It was Joy Partan.

    The daughter of the Partan Duke greeted the two with a perfectly polished bow.

    ¡°I¡¯mte. Did I sleep too long because of the curtains blocking out the sun?¡±

    ¡°I met Alrn Young Lady on the way here. The shy little prince fell in love with her the moment he saw her.¡±

    ¡°Who fell in love with whom?!¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Seeing Joy casually speaking as if her eyes were filled with confusion about Arthur¡¯s face, Arthur gritted his teeth.

    Because of Lucy Alrn¡¯s relentless teasing, this person was getting more and more brazen.

    Noticing that her twin braids were the same as before, it seems she was just as clueless as ever.

    Normally, he would have scolded her, but today, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

    She had to pay the price for teasing him.

    ¡°I brought some news that I think you two might find interesting. Alrn Young Lady and Professor Kal are going to have a duel!¡±

    ¡°Those two?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It seems Alrn Young Lady was the one who requested it. She wants to test her strength.¡±

    ¡°A duel with a knight of the Alrn family.¡±

    It wasmon knowledge that Kal was a knight of the Alrn family.

    Both Lucy and Kal didn¡¯t seem to hide this fact, so anyone paying a little attention would know.

    If one were to ask who the strongest knight brigade on the continent was, the Alrn family¡¯s knights would always be mentioned.

    If Lucy Alrn were to duel with them, even if she possessed extraordinary martial skills, it would be impossible for her to win without going all out.

    This could be a chance to see her full strength. This is definitely valuable news.

    ¡°Interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s news worth waiting for. Thank you.¡±

    As Arthur expressed his gratitude to Joy, he turned his attention back to Frey, who was still lost in thought.

    ¡°Frey Kent.¡±

    ¡°...Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Follow me. That scene will help you find your answer.¡±

    ¡°What scene?¡±

    ¡°Did you not hear?¡±

    As they walked, Arthur said he would exin. Frey stood up and followed him.

    ¡°Useless ones. Aren¡¯t you too slow?¡±

    The ce they headed toward under Joy¡¯s guidance was the training room rented by the academy.

    In that space, where only those who had applied could enter, Lucy and Kal stood facing each other, but what caught Arthur¡¯s eye was only Lucy.

    Arthur still didn¡¯t know exactly how Lucy had changed.

    What was certain was that she had gained the power to capture attention.

    Whether it was her charm or jealousy over her beauty,

    Once one¡¯s eyes were on Lucy, they would inevitably be unable to look away for quite a while.

    ¡°...Hmm? Lucy Alrn. The condition of your armor is not good. What happened?¡±

    As Arthur observed Lucy quietly, he noticed her armor was in such a state that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if it broke at any moment.

    It seemed like she had done some repairs, but the armor itself had reached its limits. Any skilled cksmith would suggest a new suit of armor.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gone through something so awful that even the poor prince wouldn¡¯t be able to wear it. You¡¯ll be very surprised if you hear about it.¡±

    ¡°What exactly did you go through?¡±

    ¡°Are you curious? Shall I tell you?¡±

    ¡°Please do.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ve changed my mind. I¡¯ll keep it a secret.¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    Seeing Arthur raise his eyebrows, Lucy let out a giggle.

    ¡°Ha ha ha. Did you think I would tell you? Were you expecting that? But it¡¯s a secret. It¡¯s too early for a little thing like you, poor prince.¡±

    In the past, Arthur would have responded by saying something here, but he couldn¡¯t do that today.

    Even with gestures that were no different than usual, Arthur¡¯s face turned red, and he was silenced.

    ¡°Useless.¡±

    As she looked at him, Frey¡¯s voice seemed to say that she would repay him for the times she was scolded in the dungeon, and Joy, standing beside her, hurriedly turned her head, desperately trying to suppress herughter.

    As Arthur¡¯s face grew even hotter at the reactions of the two, Lucy had already taken her interest away from him.

    ¡°Hey, useless.¡±

    ¡°Are you ready, Lady?¡±

    ¡°Come at me. I¡¯ll make you crawl on the floor like a dog.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it!¡±

    As Kal, with a yful tone, stepped forward, Arthur¡¯s sight of him vanished.

    ...What is this?

    Even though I wasn¡¯t focusing, this is...

    ng!@@novelbin@@

    Arthur only managed to catch up with Kal¡¯s movement after a sh had already passed.

    ¡°Your sword is slow, isn¡¯t it? It seems the old dog¡¯s recovery is slow!¡±

    ¡°Haha. Lady! If I¡¯m an old dog, then what are the other knights?!¡±

    Kal¡¯s sword, blocked by Lucy¡¯s shield, searched for its next strike in midair.

 Chapter 289

    I knew that Kal was strong.

    He was someone I had faced countless times before in duels. While staying at the Alrn family, I often watched him train with other knights.

    However, directly facing that strength was apletely different story.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    As I blocked Kal¡¯s swung sword, my body was pushed back, widening the distance I had just narrowed.

    Damn it. I can block the strikes, but being pushed back is such a nuisance.

    Why is that guy so strong despite not having a bulky build!? Is he some kind of hybrid between exterior and interior muscles?!

    ¡°You blocked that too! Your skills have surely improved after going through actual battles. Truly impressive, my Lady.¡±

    Kal, standing a few steps away, expressed sincere admiration, but to me, it felt like nothing more than taunting.

    He was the one who had been torturing me while holding the initiative until now, and even if he had grown stronger, all it did was irritate me!

    ¡°Are you pretending topliment me because you¡¯re embarrassed you can¡¯t pierce through my shield?? Your sword skills are just in pathetic!?¡±

    ¡°Haha! What¡¯s there to be ashamed of? It¡¯s your shield after all!¡±

    What was more annoying was that Kal was not easily provoked by my taunts.

    Usually, at this point, he would feel frustrated, but he remainedposed.

    Had he built up resistance from hearing insults so frequently?

    Here ites again. The strike beginning from above on my right.

    That attack seemed like a powerful strike aimed to deal damage, but at the same time, it was a feint.

    If I don¡¯t respond, he will swing it down for real, but if I do respond, he¡¯ll turn that into a feint and aim for the next strike.

    Since he is calm about facing me, he can easily afford to y around, aiming to pierce my shield.

    From the perspective of the one being attacked, this is nothing short of frustrating.

    If I don¡¯t want to fall for that, I know I need to move my feet and attack, but I didn¡¯t do that.

    It wasn¡¯t a situation that demanded I take such a gamble.

    ¡°Wow.¡±

    After easily dealing with two strikes, Kal¡¯s eyes widened in genuine surprise. He didn¡¯t expect his strategy to be countered so easily.

    Honestly, I was surprised too.

    While my proficiency with the shield had surely increased, before that, my body felt unusually light.

    ¡°Is this all you can do with such a pathetic sword?? I doubt you could even fix my hair!?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea since I¡¯ve never tried! Would you like to give it a go?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass!? How can I trust a pervert like you??¡±

    The back-and-forth continued.

    Kal swung his sword to break through my defense, and I desperately blocked his strikes.

    To an outsider, it might have looked like an intense battle of wits, but I knew better.

    Kal still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

    His ferocity during our training with Poseil,

    His best effort when dueling Duke Burrow,

    None of those were at this level.

    ¡°You managed to block that too!¡±

    How long had we been stuck in this stalemate? The change brought on by the elevation of the divine began to be felt in my body.

    It felt incrediblyfortable to channel divinity within my flesh.

    I didn¡¯t have to think about it; it was as natural as breathing, and the divine filled my bodypletely.

    Not only that, I could feel that my physical abilities had increased overall.@@novelbin@@

    I could see things I hadn¡¯t seen before.

    I could block things that I couldn¡¯t have previously.

    I could react to things I shouldn¡¯t have been able to.

    It was clear.

    Strength. Agility. Reaction speed. Dynamic vision.

    All of them had be a level higher.

    Is this what it means for divine power to ascend?

    I couldn¡¯t perceive it when looking in the mirror, but facing a strong opponent made me feel that change naturally.

    Armaadi! I¡¯m sorry forbeling you as a mere pervert without any reason! How am I supposed to know my body has improved without a status window?!

    So please, give me a status window! A status window! Just give me something to help me understand my condition!

    ¡°You useless mutt? Can you really do no better than this??¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure! Want to give it a shot?!¡±

    ¡°Please!? I can¡¯t trust a pervert like you!?¡±

    The exchange continued.

    As Kal swung his sword to break through my defense, I desperately blocked.

    It may have seemed like a fierce battle of skill from the side, but I knew.

    Kal wasn¡¯t even trying his hardest yet.

    As we continued our exchange, I realized he had hidden many things.

    ¡°Kal, you¡¯re a mere dog of the goddess, aren¡¯t you??¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    While I was getting used to the changes within me, one conviction began to form.

    If Kal continued to fight like this, I was certain I could seize victory someday.

    By taking advantage of his kindness, I could surelynd a proper blow.

    Not just a hit that leaves a bruise, but one that could knock him out entirely.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just a loyal mutt??¡±

    ¡°Thanks for thepliment!¡±

    I chuckled back at Kal, who smiled at the insult.

    While I was sure he was grasping my weaknesses, I was also doing the same to him.

    I understood not only the shorings of his swordy but also what he did not want to hear.

    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate? I¡¯m not looking for a cute puppy like you!?¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    For the first time, I saw a change in Kal¡¯s face, revealing his emotions.

    Taking advantage of the gap created by that moment, I aimed to strike him with my shield.

    However, Kal was still Kal.

    The instant he noticed my movement, he quickly moved his sword to block my attack.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a terrifying dog with sharp fangs!?¡±

    ¡°You sure about that??¡±

    ¡°Ah, maybe you actually went all out?? Ha ha!? It turns out you¡¯re just a castrated dog!? Poor you!?¡±

    ¡°...Understood. I¡¯ll speed up a bit.¡±

    Kal¡¯s sword was charged with magical energy.

    Aura.

    Ha ha. Yes! How much better would it have been if you had done this from the start?

    I know you¡¯re deeply loyal, but you shouldn¡¯t just blindly cater to your master; you should think about what your master truly intends. You useless mutt.

    Do I need to put in this much effort?

    While observing the gradually intensifying aura, I infused my shield with divinity.

    At that moment, a smile reflected in the back of the shield.

    It was a smile not intended to tease my opponent but one that genuinely expressed my joy at this situation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you just how sharp the fangs of a loyal dog can be.¡±

    ¡°Really?? You shouldn¡¯t overdo it? It would be too embarrassing if all your remaining teeth fell out?¡±

    The immediate goal is...

    To color that pure magic aura.

 Chapter 290

    Kal still remembered the first time he dueled with Lucy.

    It was the day he almostmitted an irredeemable sin because he couldn¡¯t control his emotions.

    Had it not been for the Lady''s mercy, he would have lost his dream that day.

    Back then, Lucy was so frail that it was hard to believe she was the daughter of Benedikt Alrn.

    She couldn¡¯t even run long without copsing.

    She struggled under the weight of her shield and mace.

    While she managed to handle the shield somewhat decently, her attempts to swing the mace were pathetic.

    At that time, Kal didn¡¯t think Lucy would grow significantly.

    Talent often shows itself from a young age. To think her transformation would be steep was more a blind faith than a hopeful prediction.

    Kal was not the only one who thought this way.

    Anyone who knew about Lucy Alrn, who lived in the Alrn territory, would think the same.

    And now, a yearter, Lucy had demonstrated her value as a human through her own abilities, not by anything else.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your attack a bit pathetic?? If you want me to throw you away, just say so!?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure your lips aren''t a bit too stiff for someone pretending to be rxed?!¡±

    As Kal forcibly calmed his heated head, he frowned.

    He never thought he would find himself genuinely finding it difficult due to how demanding the Lady could be.@@novelbin@@

    Lucy was showcasing many strengths right now.

    The first thing that stood out was her remarkably sturdy shield.

    Even though Kal swung his auraden strikes at it, there wasn¡¯t even a scratch on her shield, which made the opponent struggle to breathe.

    But it wasn¡¯t just the shield that was strong.

    No.

    The mace Lucy firmly held contained enough power that even Kal felt threatened by it.

    At the moment he showed a gap, her mace would surely prate and shatter a bone somewhere.

    What made this situation even moreplex was that Lucy understood these two facts very well.

    She would hide behind her shield to make the opponent anxious. When they tried to break through, she would threaten them with her mace, pushing them back.

    If her opponent made a mistake in that process, she would swing her mace to smash them.

    If one tried tobine these tactics awkwardly, they would only be half-hearted in both defense and attack, but with Lucy, there was no need to worry about that.

    Having umted countless experiences, Lucy was not the type to make such blunders.

    Herbat style knew her strengths and maximized them.

    While it might sound trivial when spoken of, how many people fail to maintain such a basic principle?

    In just a year, she had established herbat style from the ground up.

    It would be no surprise to call her a knight now.

    To counter this, one must know how to handle the situation when the opponent seeks to maintain their strengths.

    You must force them to abandon those strengths, leading them out of their territory into yours.

    An experienced knight like Kal certainly knew this and possessed the skill to execute it, yet he could not escape Lucy¡¯s domain.

    ¡°Where shall I give this mutt?? I wonder if there¡¯s a ce willing to take in a pathetic old dog like you, but I¡¯ll check!?¡±

    ¡°Though I may seem like this, I have many ces that would take me!¡±

    With every word Lucy uttered, Kal felt a warmth fill his head.

    His rationality slowly started to slip away.

    No matter how hard he tried to stay focused, his sword would sometimes lurch forward.

    Thus, Kal had no choice but to dance in Lucy¡¯s territory.

    Good grief. Truly, it¡¯s quite a challenge to have her as an opponent.

    If it¡¯s not about pressing down with skill and strength, she¡¯s an opponent you simply cannot defeat.

    If someone was at a simr level or weaker than her, could they truly break free from her territory?

    For sure, they would be toyed with and eventually lose their mind, bing prey for her mace.

    One day, I might end up like that.

    But not yet. I cannot afford to lose to her now.

    If I do, I¡¯ll end up as that pathetic abandoned dog she was just talking about.

    It would be fitting if I were branded as a failure circting in some bard''s tales instead of being a knight esteemed for my deeds beside the Lady.

    So let me show her.

    This knight.

    Your dog.

    Just how sharp my fangs are.

    As Kal dodged the shield flying towards his face, he stepped back.

    With the distance between them widening, Lucy stood still, watching his movements.

    ¡°Are you already tired, mutt??¡±

    ¡°Not at all! As you know, the knights of the Alrn family can move for about a week without sleep!¡±

    ¡°Then why are you running away?? Are you scared?? Afraid you¡¯ll hurt if you get hit by the mace??¡±

    ¡°I need to maintain some space so you can see what I¡¯m trying to show!¡±

    While saying this, Kal chuckled and infused his aura with color.

    Just like when he faced Duke Burrow earlier, a white aura resembling snowkes enveloped his sword.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you the sword of the knights of the Alrn family.¡±

    The starting point and goal of the Alrn family¡¯s swordsmanship: a strike of nearly ultimate power.

    Lady Lucy, please feel just how sharp the fangs of your knight are.

    The moment Kal raised his sword high, Lucy didn¡¯t say a word.

    She simply kept a smile on her lips as she pushed her shield forward.

    At that moment, the divinity she possessed concentrated upon it.

    Anyone could see that it wasn¡¯t ordinary divinity.

    It was deep, warm, and noble; it looked entirely different from what many knew.

    Yet, no one there would dare say it wasn¡¯t divine.

    On the contrary, it was the opposite. Those who saw the divinity engraved on her shield thought everything they had seen before was false, and that this was the true divinity.

    Lucy¡¯s divinity was that awe-inspiring and reverent.

    ¡°Come at me?, you mutt!? I¡¯ll show you how dull your teeth truly are!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go!¡±

    Kal took a step forward,

    And Lucy stepped forward as well.

    His sword rose high,

    And the divinity gathered on her shield formed a new barrier in front of it.

    He poured all the might he possessed into a strike.

    He reproduced the tale of heroes right before him.

    To summarize the result of my duel with Kal in one word: I lost.

    I seeded in coloring Kal¡¯s aura, as per my original goal, and somehow managed to respond to his attacks.

    However, just blocking with my shield doesn¡¯t mean my body won¡¯t suffer, and I eventually got worn down and lost.

    Considering how Kal maintained hisposure until thest moment, he probably didn¡¯t give it his all.

    That guy is just disgustingly strong.

    <No matter how I think about it, your knight seems to have far surpassed the level of an ordinary knight, right?>

    ¡®I think so too.¡¯

    Even now, I could easily defeat a decent knight, yet I still couldn¡¯t reach Kal.

    When I think it through, Kal is also over-spec.

    Good looks. A decent personality. Skills. And he¡¯s still young, so he has potential.

    If it weren¡¯t for one w, he could truly be called a superhuman.

    The w of having a distorted loyalty that wants to be treated like a dog by his master.

    ...No matter how I look at it, that w is far too big.

    Just adding that one line changes him from an ideal knight to a perverted freak hiding his distorted desires.

    No matter how much one might argue that humans cannot be perfect, is this not too significant a w?

    <Well, still, thanks to that guy¡¯s strength, you were able to see just how far your abilities have developed.>

    ¡®I can definitely feel that my overall abilities have increased.¡¯

    While I have generally be stronger, what stands out the most is my ability to handle divine power.

    I previously struggled to wield the divine.

    I had been steadily improving while practicing with my grandfather, but I was far from the level I desired.

    But not anymore.

    With the elevation of my divine power, my body can now manage the divine as naturally as breathing.

    I felt that change distinctly when I reproduced the tale of heroes against Kal¡¯s aura.

    Previously, I couldn¡¯t perfectly reproduce that shield technique, but now I managed to get quite close to the original, enough to impress my grandfather.

    Considering I still haven¡¯t fully adapted to my altered body, I believe it won¡¯t be long before I can wield shield techniques even better than my grandfather.

    Heh, I¡¯m looking forward to it.

    When that dayes, I¡¯ll pretend to be a pathetic old man due to my mesugaki skills and tease him. It will surely be amusing.

    ¡°Your Highness, are you already tired?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s you who seems tired!¡±

    As Iughed while imagining a future day, I was pulled back into reality by the voices of Arthur and Frey.

    As soon as my duel with Kal ended, the two began their own duel without hesitation, swinging their swords without giving each other an inch.

    From what I heard from Joy, Arthur was fired up after seeing me move.

    I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s a good thing that he felt the desire to be stronger.

    ¡°Yield quietly!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking too much because you think you¡¯ll lose. Pathetic.¡±

    ...So, is it really the desire to be stronger?

    Watching them duel, it just feels like they want to torment each other.

    ¡°Really, you¡¯re still such children.¡±

    Joy let out a hollowugh at the sight of the two.

    You¡¯re right, Joy. Those two really look like kids.

    But you know...

    ¡®The Lady¡¯s words are...¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s not something for an idiot who doesn¡¯t realize that both of you have your hair in the same pigtails!¡±

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    Not realizing her hair was a mess, she blinked in confusion, then conjured a mirror with magic to reflect herself, freezing in ce at the sight.

    ¡°Um...when did this happen?¡±

    ¡®Since the beginning.¡¯

    ¡°When did it start? It¡¯s been like this since you came out of your room, isn¡¯t it? Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡±

    Hearing my response, Joy turned red and quickly excused herself, saying she needed to tidy up before rushing out of the training room.

    Is that really so embarrassing? I thought it was cute.

    ¡°Lady.¡±

    As I was left alone, Kal approached me.

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I remembered a message from the Dungeon Studies professor.¡±

    Dungeon Studies professor? Why would they be looking for me?

    I had no idea why, so I tilted my head, and Kal continued speaking.

    ¡°It¡¯s regarding the final exam. I didn¡¯t hear the details, but it seems they want to assign you the design for the dungeon for the final exam.¡±

 Chapter 292

    After spending a pleasant time with Arthur, I realized something: this guy seems to be quite a bit behind.

    Is that all? He was growing at a pace even steeper than I initially expected.

    He hasn¡¯t even started his second year yet, and he¡¯s already using Aura!

    And not just in a grasping-at-straws way; he¡¯s be proficient enough to use it effectively in real situations!

    No matter how much I taught him the fastest way to grow, isn¡¯t this too fast?

    I knew Arthur was a genius, but I never thought his talent would be this exceptional.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the increase in the level of the divine, I might have suffered a severe defeat.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve worked hard, Your Highness the Third Prince.¡±

    ¡°I never thought the poor prince would be this strong. You must have put in tremendous effort. Heh heh. But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re still patheticpared to a girl who¡¯s two heads shorter than you.¡±

    Arthur, sprawled out on the floor, offered no response to my words.

    There was no reaction. He looked just like a corpse. As I pondered whether I had hit him too hard, Frey approached and patted Arthur''s back.

    ¡°Your Highness the Third Prince did nothing wrong. This is all because Lucy is too strong.¡±

    ¡°Lady Kent is correct. Your Highness, what you disyed was extraordinarily high for your age.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time with pointless constion. Just leave him be. It seems it¡¯ll take some time for the wounds of his heart to heal.¡±

    Ah, so he was just shocked that he had tried everything he could but still lost.

    Thank goodness. I was worried I might have inadvertently turned him into a truly poor prince because I couldn¡¯t control my strength.

    ¡®Both of your words are correct...¡¯

    ¡°Right. The poor prince was quite strong for a pathetic person. It was frightening to see you struggling to mar the cute girl¡¯s face. I almost screamed because it was so ugly!¡±

    ¡°...Lucy Alrn. I think it¡¯s strange for the defeated to say such things. Can you please be quiet?¡±

    At the tremor in Arthur¡¯s voice, I hurriedly shut my mouth. I added a ¡°sorry¡± in the back of my mind, knowing that something horrifying mighte out.

    Hmm. No matter how I look at it, I don¡¯t think staying here any longer will yield anything good.

    Having confirmed that Arthur was training harder than I had instructed, I thought I might slip away quietly.

    But, you know, if Arthur had nothing to prick his conscience about, then why did he run away as soon as he saw my face yesterday? I don¡¯t understand the reason.

    <Are you truly confused about it?> ¡®Well, yes?¡¯ <...You don¡¯t understand the human heart. Isn¡¯t it obvious?> ¡®You can¡¯t be suggesting that Arthur ran away, shocked by my changed appearance? That can¡¯t be! Your Highness the Third Prince isn¡¯t some kind of foolish pervert!¡¯

    Thinking logically, there¡¯s no way he would have strange feelings upon seeing someone as small as me.

    Only those fools like the foolish fox, the apostle of the Artistic Order, and pathetic perverts like the Pedo Deity would think that way.

    The Arthur I know is a person with normal thoughts, different from those perverts.

    ¡®Ah! Could it be that perverts only see other perverts through their eyes?! I thought I could trust that old man!¡¯ <What kind of nder is that! What do you think of yourself!?>

    I tuned out the old man¡¯s raging while pondering the reason Arthur ran away, but I couldn¡¯te up with a reasonable answer.

    It seems like there¡¯s something he wants to hide from me, but I have no idea what it is. Since he seemed fine when we met again today, it doesn¡¯t seem like a big problem. For now, I guess I¡¯ll just let it slide.

    <Are you listening!? Lately, you¡¯ve been showing too little respect for yourself!>

    Could it be that my teasing had built up and finally burst?

    The old man¡¯s nagging continued until I arrived at the Dungeon Studies professor''s location.

    Lately, I have been teasing him often. I can¡¯t deny that fact.

    But,e on. What can I do when his reactions are just too entertaining!

    When I see a normally serious person raising their voice and exploding, I can¡¯t help but smile.

    If he doesn¡¯t want to be teased, then he should just stop showing such interesting reactions!

    I think I understand why Lucy used to tease people in the past...

    No, that¡¯s not right. Her teasing was on a level of tormenting and oppressing others.

    I shouldn¡¯t understand the mindset of the old Lucy.

    <Do you understand? I can ept that you see yourself as friendly, but I would like you to show at least a modicum of respect.> ¡®How could I not respect you, old man? I always think you¡¯re amazing in my heart!¡¯ <...Really?> ¡®Of course! I saw you perform miracles against the Evil Gods! I still remember! The sun rising in that dark cave!¡¯ <Humph. What does that matter? Compared to what you did in your prime, it¡¯s nothing.> ¡®Really!? Truly, old man! You are the legendary pdin Ruelda!¡¯

    <If you butter me up like that, do you really think it will quell my anger?>

    Old man. While you say that, your quivering voice is quite honest, isn¡¯t it?

    It¡¯s such a joy to hear my granddaughter praise me, even if you can¡¯t be honest about it.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t ttery; this is sincere ttery! Old man!¡¯ <ttery is ttery. What do you mean by sincere ttery?> ¡®The respect I have is genuine!¡¯ <...So be it. I cannot win you over with words.>

    Having sessfully calmed the old man¡¯s heart, I thought about maintaining an appropriate bnce between teasing and praise as I entered the Dungeon Studies professor''s room.

    ¡°Lady Alrn.¡±

    Has she been unable to sleep welltely? Dark circles were prominent under her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you. Did you hear from Professor Kal?¡±

    ¡®Yes. About that...¡¯

    ¡°I heard. The pathetic professor acknowledged that with his foolish head, he can¡¯t evaluate me.¡±

    Despite the words tranted with the Mesugaki skill, the professor gritted his teeth, but I didn¡¯t care.

    I had long since given up on trying to win that person¡¯s favor.

    ¡°Uh... So, have you made a decision?¡±

    ¡®Yes. I¡¯m going to try making a dungeon.¡¯

    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll show you what a proper dungeon is, to a professor whose qualifications are suspect. Ha. Really. I¡¯m just too kind-hearted.¡±

    With each word escaping my mouth, the Dungeon Studies professor''s face flushed red.

    Isn¡¯t he going to copse from high blood pressure at this rate?

    I¡¯m scared that under the infamous name of Lucy Alrn, it¡¯ll be added: ¡®Causes high blood pressure and kills people.¡¯

    ¡°...Assistant Professor.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Please exin the details to her.¡±

    The unfortunate graduate student caught between the Dungeon Studies professor and me approached me, sweating profusely, and immediately bowed his waist.

    ¡°Excuse me! Lady Alrn! Would you grant me the honor of exining to you?¡±

    While his overly respectful demeanor was a bit burdensome, I wasn¡¯t overly flustered.

    ¡®...Uh. Um. Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Puhuh. You¡¯ve got the gist. Go ahead and spill it.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t a new situation.

    Last time, when I overturned themoner dorm, I ordered Luca to handle the instigators appropriately.

    I didn¡¯t know what foolish actions those idiots would pull if they kept lingering around.

    Luca executed my order well, but perhaps too well.

    Who would have thought the instigators would disappear from the academy overnight?

    Because of this incident, a bizarre rumor spread throughout the academy that if you angered Lucy Alrn, she would evaporate!

    In reality, we just quietly expelled those who caused the problem, but it¡¯s a well-known fact that sensational rumors spread more quickly.

    Thanks to this, after that incident, I became a figure of terror formon students and staff at the academy.

    Ah. Just thinking about this makes me furious again.@@novelbin@@

    While it¡¯s nice that the troublesome kids have disappeared, it¡¯s a bit much for them to bang their heads on the ground and plead for their lives just from brushing against my clothes!

    Why should I have to be treated as a tormentor when I didn¡¯t do anything!

    Even though I¡¯ve given up on my reputation, this is too much!

    ¡°Uh. Uh. Lady Alrn, was there somethingcking in my exnation?!¡±

    I snapped back to reality at the assistant professor''s terrified voice and bit my lip at her look that seemed about to m her head into the ground.

    ¡®Can you repeat that? Could you exin again?¡¯

    ¡°Can you not speak clearly? I can¡¯t understand you. You pathetic loser. Exin it properly again.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll do my best... hup!¡±

    ¡°Hah. Enough, Assistant Professor. Do your job. I¡¯ll exin.¡±

    Was it because he couldn¡¯t bear to see the assistant professor nearly crying? The Dungeon Studies professor stepped forward, and the assistant professor¡¯s face noticeably brightened.

    How far has my reputation fallen in the academy?!

    What did I do to make them so scared? I haven¡¯t done anything!

    Aaargh! It¡¯s so unfair! Why should I, who thwarted the resurrection of the Evil God twice, be treated like this!

    While I was thinking that it would be less unfair if I had actually tormented someone, the Dungeon Studies professor spoke.

    ¡°First of all, what you need to know is that the dungeon for the final exam is meant to test what you learned during ss. Therefore, the content of the dungeon must include the material covered in the exam scope. I thought I had informed you previously, but...¡±

    ¡®Did you inform me?¡¯

    ¡°Did I? Really? You must have mistaken it, you foolish girl.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m pretty sure I informed you, but did you not hear?¡±

    Ah, that¡¯s right.

    I¡¯m sorry, Professor.

    But I¡¯ll be seeing that dungeon studies ss soon.

    What do I care about what the professor says? Since it¡¯s allmon knowledge, there¡¯s no reason to listen.

    When I nodded confidently, the Dungeon Studies professor¡¯s mouth twitched.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again. The exam scope is gimmick-based dungeons. This involves strategies rted to various dungeons that you cannot surpass without using your head.¡±

    The Dungeon Studies professor struggled to suppress his rising voice as he exined the various gimmicks and their solutions that he had taught during ss.

    Since this is material from the first-year ss, there are hardly any outrageous gimmicks.

    I suppose we have to design the dungeon with those gimmicks in mind.

    ¡°There are several other conditions. The size of the dungeon, difficulty, capacity limits, and...¡±

    The restrictions are quite tight.

    Well, creating a dungeon isn¡¯t free. There are bound to be several realistic limitations.

    While listening to what the professor was saying, I rummaged through the various knowledge in my head.

    To create an ideal dungeon while using the resources given to me as efficiently as possible...

    Hmm...

    While continuing my thoughts with my arms crossed, a good idea suddenly came to mind.

    If I can use this gimmick, that would be best, but I wonder if it will work.

    ¡®Excuse me, Professor...¡¯

    ¡°Hey, are you asking if this pathetic academy has the ability to recreate such a thing?¡±

    That was a question I thought would have a difficult answer, but the professor¡¯s reply waspletely different.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that difficult. How are you nning to use that gimmick?¡±

    ...It¡¯s possible?

    Can I really use this gimmick?!

    Hehehe.

    Heheheheh.

    First-year students at the academy.

    Just wait.

    I¡¯ll show you what a proper dungeon is.

 Chapter 293

    It has been nearly a year since Ruel became involved with Lucy.

    While their first meeting was anything but pleasant, Ruel hase to cherish Lucy like his own blood.

    He feels genuinely saddened that he has no physical body to protect her and must send her into battle.

    As such, Ruel knows Lucy well.

    Despite acting like a damn brat due to the blessings from the deity, her heart is kind.

    She often shows weakness, yet when it¡¯s time to act for others, she endures all pain and remains upright and strong.

    She tends to feel lonely.

    Because she has garnered so much disdain from those around her, she doesn¡¯t even think others could possibly like her.

    Usually, she is incredibly sensible, but sometimes she behaves in ways that are far frommon sense.

    When she starts to immerse herself in something, she bes so absorbed that she forgets her surroundings.

    Having received the paper for dungeon creation from the Dungeon Studies professor, Lucy was holed up in her room, clutching the paper as soon as sses at the academy ended.

    Normally, she would train until sunset and returnte at night after intense training in holy magic, but today, she abandoned her routine and focused solely on creating the dungeon.

    It wasn¡¯t because she was pressed for time. The Dungeon Studies professor had said that as long as shepleted it within three weeks, there would be no problem.

    The reason Lucy was so absorbed in creating the dungeon was simple: the sheer joy of crafting it was overwhelming.

    ¡®Using the gimmick to target weaknesses here is good, but how should I inform the clues? Making it visible would be too obvious, so that¡¯s out. Then...¡¯

    Unaware that her thoughts were flowing from her head, Ruel smiled warmly at the sight of Lucy moving her pen.

    Is it that delightful for her to create a dungeon with her own hands?

    After all, if it¡¯s anything rted to dungeons, her emotions skyrocket, so it would be strange if she weren¡¯t grinning like that.

    Normally, Ruel would have scolded Lucy for skipping meals while fretting over her work, but today was different.

    The sight of Lucy, unable to contain her excitement, was the very image a girl of her age should possess.

    She was a child who had been weighed down by her duties and hadn¡¯t enjoyed any leisure, so it was good to let her indulge in something she liked once in a while.

    ¡®...Why is the capacity already full without having put anything in!? Am I supposed to create a dungeon or not! Damn it. Let¡¯s remove as manyplicated gimmicks as possible. And.¡¯

    Seeing Lucy struggling so much indicated that creating a dungeon was likely far moreplicated than I had imagined.

    As someone who always approached dungeons from the standpoint of challenging them, I never considered that the Evil God¡¯s followers must have had their share of worries.

    Ah, so that¡¯s why mypanions were so furious when they destroyed the dungeon.

    ¡®What?! I can¡¯t use this gimmick yet?! Why not?! This is the basics of dungeon¹¥ÂÔ!¡¯@@novelbin@@

    Seeing her struggle makes me want to offer some guidance, but since Lucy is proud of her ability to create dungeons, I shouldn¡¯t offer advice unless she asks.

    In this situation, I¡¯m not even sure what kind of advice to give, so I should just wait and prepare a good answer for when Lucy asks me something.

    Having made that decision, Ruel began to anticipate the questions Lucy would ask and prepared his answers.

    This was partly because he genuinely wanted to help Lucy, but also because he wanted to hear her say, ¡°Grandfather! You¡¯re amazing!¡±

    The ttery from a girl like a granddaughter was more than enough to melt the heart of the once formidable pdin, Ruel, who was often treated as a difficult person.

    However, unfortunately, Lucy did not ask Ruel any questions. She merely pondered over various trial and error, deriving her own answers without seeking help from others.

    How many times did Ruel repeatedly hope for her to ask, only to be disappointed?

    Before long, time passed from evening to night, and as dawn approached, sunlight began to stream in through the window, but Lucy still moved her pen, her eyes bloodshot.

    ¡°Is she unaware of fatigue?¡±

    Around early evening, Rina, who had fallen asleep and woken up in the morning, approached Ruel while looking at Lucy sitting at her desk.

    ¡°Has she gotten up in between?¡±

    <She did get up. After all, she is still human.>

    ¡°I guess that means she returned to her seat shortly after and grabbed the pen again.¡±

    <Yes.>

    ¡°Seriously, what kind of magical ruin is she trying to create?¡±

    Rina¡¯s words, suggesting that Lucy might instill trauma in first-year students, drew a lightugh from Ruel.

    <Oh, surely not. Having been warned by various people, Lucy will be cautious.>

    ¡°She will be cautious. However, even with caution, the fact that it will be extraordinarily difficult doesn¡¯t change.¡±

    Lucy has a habit of evaluating others based on her own standards, which may stem from having been ignored by others for so long. She doesn¡¯t realize that she has far surpassed the usual benchmarks.

    Just looking at the assignments Lucy hands out to those around her reveals this.

    She thinks they should be manageable at her level, but those tasked with them face endless struggles every day.

    For now, herpanions are all superhumans like Arthur, Joy, Frey, and Feiby, so everyone can keep up.

    If that weren¡¯t the case, wouldn¡¯t someone have dropped dead from overwork by now?

    ¡°It¡¯s clear. That Lucy girl will create a magical ruin that no one in first year can pass, thinking it¡¯ll be easy.¡±

    Ruel couldn¡¯t bring himself to refute Rina¡¯s words.

    ¡°If she puts that out there, she¡¯ll surely be told by the professor to redo it, and Lucy will submit something that, while easier than before, still far exceeds first-year level.¡±

    <...It seems obvious that someone willment that even the Third Prince could manage this.>

    ¡°Ha. That¡¯s certain. That Third Prince is also a monster that is more than worthy of being called a genius at that age.¡±

    And if the Third Prince were to see the dungeon created by Lucy, he would probably respond with, ¡°You think I can¹¥ÂÔ this? Me? What kind of nonsense is that?¡±

    Lucy, especially when ites to dungeons, is someone who doesn¡¯t know moderation.

    ¡°Therefore, let¡¯s filter out what we can before presenting it to the professor. We should avoid unnecessary time waste.¡±

    <Today, you¡¯re particrly meticulous.>

    Usually, Ruel observed Lucy¡¯s experiences from a distance, but today, he wondered why he was so concerned.

    Did the events in the Burrow territory change his mind?

    As Ruel admired Rina, who appeared so mature unless it involved Lucy, she melted with a smile that showed she was akin to a fox.

    ¡°This needs to end quickly so that Lucy can show off her bunny girl outfit.¡±

    <...Yes?>

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. When the Lucy before her level-up donned that bunny outfit, it felt like my sanity was slipping away, but if the current Lucy wore it... and then trampled over me with a disdainful expression. Hah. Just thinking about it sends shivers down my spine.¡±

    As Ruel¡¯s mind froze in horror at the scene of Rina drooling while he said that, he feltpletely at a loss for words.

    Surely, Rina is capable and overflowing with dignity, but why does she turn into a pervert in front of Lucy?

    It¡¯s true that Lucy possesses a striking appearance, noticeable wherever she goes.

    But now, with even more allure, she reached a level that could leave one speechless the moment their eyes met.

    Still, isn¡¯t it too much to react like that towards a mere child?

    If I had still been in my physical form, I would have smashed a mace on their head to teach them some etiquette.

    ¡°Finished!!!¡±

    As Rina¡¯s face melted away, Ruel¡¯s disgust grew when Lucy, with a voice full of delight, rose from her seat.

    ¡®Grandfather! Quickly take a look! I worked super hard on this!¡¯

    ¡°Old man! Please look quickly! I created a dungeon that would make you feel like your brain is turning to stone!¡±

    I wonder how many times I¡¯ll have to tell her to keep those thoughts to herself.

    She seems too excited to care about such things.

    Since Lucy is so happy, I won¡¯t spoil her mood with a scolding.

    ...Hmm. And I should also try to restrain my criticisms as much as possible.

    Lately, she¡¯s pranked me so much that I was nning to tease her yfully again, but I can¡¯t ruin that bright smile.

    If there are things that need to be fixed, I¡¯ll address them as gently as I can.

    With that resolution in mind, Ruel slowly absorbed the sight of the dungeon Lucy had created.

    First, what stood out was the small size of the dungeon. At this rate, Lucy could probablyplete it in under ten minutes.

    While it¡¯s true that this is a test for kids, isn¡¯t this too short?

    Ruel had his doubts but swallowed them as he read through the dungeon¡¯s contents.

    Since it was made by Lucy, there must be a reason for her to make the dungeon so short.

    His spection proved correct.

    The dungeon Lucy created was short but not trivial.

    <Is it a dungeon that infinitely repeats the same location?> ¡®Yes! That¡¯s right! When certain conditions are met, the scenery of the dungeon changes. To move on, another condition must be met!¡¯

    Indeed. This would be perfect for evaluating the ability to¹¥ÂÔ gimmicks.

    <A brilliant idea.> ¡®Right? Right?¡¯

    As Ruel heard Lucyughing at the praise, he continued to read through the dungeon she had written.

    Overall, theposition was good.

    There was nothing overly forced, and the realizations gained previously were effectively used again, which was attractive.

    Haha. I was wondering why she was wracking her brain so hard, but I finally understand.

    To create something like this, you have to think deeply.

    ...Huh? That¡¯s not it?

    Thinking back on previous tendencies, the gimmicks I had previously used should be applicable again, right?

    Ah! So that¡¯s how it was.

    How could I, someone like this, make such a mistake? I must be getting rusty.

    At first, Ruel had been looking for points to improve the dungeon, but at some point, the situation changed.

    Once he crossed a certain point, Ruel found himself returning to the time he¹¥ÂÔd various dungeons with the past hero, seriously attempting to solve the problems presented by Lucy.

    <Ha! Yes! If I¡¯m caught, this level is nothing!>

    How long did thatst?

    Having sessfully defeated the final boss of the dungeon and seen its conclusion, Ruel, filled with a strange sense of aplishment, raised his voice, only to realize Lucy was grinning beside him.

    ¡®Grandfather! Grandfather! I made it super well, right? Isn¡¯t that so?¡¯

    <...I can¡¯t deny it.>

    This dungeon served as a ce for examinations, a space for realization, and a stage for performance.

    If you manage to reach the end, even the most stoic person will find themselves letting out a sound.

    That¡¯s how well made this dungeon was.

    <If I were to praise what you created, it would be endless.>

    ¡®Hehe. Of course. Who made it?!¡¯

    <Then let¡¯s point out just one problem and move on.>

    However, that doesn¡¯t mean there were no issues.

    ¡®A problem? Is there such a thing in this dungeon?¡¯

    <Yes. The problem is that no first-year student will see the end of this dungeon.>

    ¡®...What?¡¯

    <Considering how many dungeons I¡¯ve¹¥ÂÔd, even I had to go through countless struggles in the middle; there¡¯s no way a first-year student could¹¥ÂÔ this in one go!>

    Even when I think about it again, it¡¯s a level that doesn¡¯t make sense.

    How could I even think of presenting this as an exam to kids who have never experienced practicalbat?

    Thank goodness that Lucy is a disciple of the deity. If this brat had created a dungeon under the Evil God, filled with malice...

    Just thinking about it is horrifying.

    That ce would surely have been a terrifying location where even the heroes, including myself from back in the day, would have to prepare for death.

    ¡®What? But the monsters thate out are weak, and there¡¯s nothing particrly dangerous, so if we take our time, it should be fine.¡¯

    <Will that work?>

    Lucy¡¯s face visibly fell at the absolute deration that no one would be able to¹¥ÂÔ it.

    Despair was something rarely seen on the face of someone who always carried a proud expression.

    Seeing her like that made Rina, who was next to her, raise her voice, saying it was attractive in its own right, but both Ruel and Lucy lightly ignored her.

    It wasmon for Rina to say something nonsensical.

    ¡®Ugh. There¡¯s nothing more to take out. If I take out any more gimmicks, the concept of the dungeon will disappear!¡¯

    <I agree with that. Reducing this dungeon isn¡¯t a good choice.>

    ¡®Then what should I do?! Should I scrap it and start all over again?!¡¯

    <There¡¯s no need for that. You have a trick up your sleeve.>

    ¡®...What is it? <If it¡¯s a dungeon that no one can conquer in one go anyway, you can give them multiple chances to conquer it.>

 Chapter 294

    The Dungeon Studies professor, Jesel, made a decision the moment he handed Lucy the various items for dungeon creation.

    No matter what kind of dungeon Lucy brought, even if it was a decent one for someone creating their first dungeon, he would do his utmost to belittle her and repay the humiliation he felt in the past.

    No matter how exceptional Lucy''s abilities were, she was still a student.

    Lacking experience in actually¹¥ÂÔing dungeons and having never conceptualized one before, how good could she possibly make a dungeon?

    There would surely be various ws, and Jesel would enjoy pointing them out one by one as he watched Lucy gradually shrink.

    He was truly looking forward to it. The important thing is that even if there are many points to criticize, he should not criticize everything.

    He should only mention the big, noticeable issues.

    When he points out the problems, she will undoubtedly retort, right?

    Then he would shatter her rebuttals with his knowledge, silencing her.

    After that, he would act generously toward the deted little brat and impart various knowledge to her.

    Eventually, she would revise it again in a few days, and he could point out other problems then.

    Repeating this process until time ran out, he could say that this project was null and void.

    What kind of expression would that filthy brat Lucy Alrn make at that moment?

    Hah. Just imagining it already releases the stress that had built up until now.

    ¡°Um, Professor Jesel. I think it¡¯s best not to provoke Alrn Young Lady...¡±

    Her assistant urged Jesel not to poke at Lucy Alrn, but Jesel paid no heed to those words.

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? That was a justified expulsion procedure!¡±

    This was an incident involving themoners'' foolishness against the nobility.

    It could have easily resulted in several heads rolling if things went poorly.

    Thanks to Lucy Alrn''s leniency, it was resolved quietly; otherwise, the atmosphere at the academy would have turned quite grim.

    ¡°And you know what? It¡¯s actually because of that incident that I can freely act like this now.¡±

    If Lucy had been the horrifying person described in the rumors, would the saint have treasured her?

    ¡°...Oh. That makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    The assistant''s voice, as if realizing something he hadn¡¯t considered, prompted a long sigh from Jesel.

    ¡°Excuse me, Professor. May I ask just one more thing?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Then why has such a rumor spread?¡±

    ¡°Because there are still overflowing people who dislike Alrn Young Lady.¡±

    It¡¯s easy for someone with exceptional abilities to invite jealousy from others, and Lucy not only disys her skills but also doesn¡¯t hesitate to belittle others.

    Having created numerous ill-fated rtionships over time, it¡¯s only natural that malicious rumors about Lucy Alrn spread again within the academy.

    Even Jesel himself is causing a ruckus, thinking of pulling a prank on Lucy.

    ¡°It¡¯s self-inflicted, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t cross the line with Alrn Young Lady, everything will be fine.¡±

    After reassuring his assistant, the next morning, Jesel, who hade to his office early, was checking various things when the door to his office opened, revealing Lucy Alrn.

    ¡°It¡¯s colder in the morning than usual, Professor. If you¡¯re not nning to live your life as an old maid, how about managing yourself a bit? Surely, you¡¯re not in that state because you¡¯re managing yourself?¡±

    ¡°...Thank you for your advice, Young Lady Alrn. So, what brings you here this early in the morning? You haven''tpleted the dungeon already ande to ask something, have you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t evaluate me by your pathetic standards, you durd. For a genius like me, it¡¯s easy toplete a dungeon in a day.¡±

    ¡°Truly impressive, Young Lady.¡±

    Jesel praised Lucy, who imed to have finished her dungeon in just one day, with a sincere smile.

    For someone creating a dungeon for the first time, toplete it in a day...

    It¡¯s obvious what¡¯sing next.

    To fit the specifications, she would have thrown in all sorts of nonsensical elements, but somehow it would work out, right?

    She would boast about it just like a little kid who has just started using magic, drawing a messy magic circle and iming it worked somehow.

    I¡¯m looking forward to it. How absurd of a dungeon could that paper in her hands possibly hold?

    I¡¯ll just need to point out just enough ws to be mildly annoyed at night.

    ¡°May I see it?¡±

    ¡°Are you really going to see something that you, a foolish idiot, cannot even imagine?¡±

    Normally, Jesel would have bitten his lip at Lucy¡¯s arrogant remarks, but today, he did not.

    As long as that dungeon, which is bound to be a mess, was in her hands, any words she spoke now would surelye back to her as retribution.

    The specifications seem fine. It looks like the dungeon is structured well enough not to raise any issues in the simtor.

    I was somewhat hoping for a mistake right from the start, but that¡¯s a letdown.

    Still, there are plenty of things left. Let¡¯s take our time to examine it.

    Instead of beingrge, this dungeon changes its scenery every time you ovee a gimmick.

    This allows for efficient use of resources. Although it¡¯s a method that raises the difficulty of dungeon creation and is not often used.

    Hmm. The first puzzle is something anyone can solve.

    Does this give a hint about how the dungeon will unfold next?

    The same goes for the next part. Even if you¡¯ve only read the textbook once before the exam, it¡¯s easy enough to¹¥ÂÔ.

    Huh? Why is this normal?

    No, it¡¯s not just normal; it¡¯s well-crafted to the point of being wless.

    It adheres closely to what they¡¯ve learned, and the structure of the dungeon is solid. It even meets the standards for evaluating the students.

    Insane. Did a first-timer really create such a perfect dungeon?

    Is this what it means to be a true genius?!

    ...No, wait. We¡¯re still at the beginning.

    What kind of monstrous challenges could lie ahead?

    Yeah. It¡¯smon to put all the effort into the beginning and then getzyter. That must be it.

    How could it be anything else?

    As Jesel narrowed his eyes, trying to find even the smallest w, he suddenly found Lucy¡¯s eyes flow smoothly without stopping for the first time.

    Is this a monster that can only deal damage at specific attack timings?

    Looking at the clues and the enemy¡¯s gimmick, it should definitely be of this type, but is there an error?

    Finally, I have something to work with...

    Ah! Is this it?

    Rather than using the endlessly repeating dungeon as just a simple gimmick, could it be that this itself is a clue?!

    ¡°Crazy.¡±

    When Ruel reached the end of the dungeon, a bewildered voice escaped him as he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.

    Ha. Damn it.

    How is it that I set out to belittle Alrn Young Lady, yet my feelings of jealousy diminish, only to be filled with admiration instead?

    ¡°Alrn Young Lady.¡±

    ¡°Why? Is it too hard?¡±

    ¡°No. I verified what you added at the end. If the opportunities are infinite, the difficulty is no problem.¡±@@novelbin@@

    There may be many trivial issues, but those are for Jesel to address.

    She had already decided that she would present this dungeon as the problem for the final exam by any means necessary.

    ¡°However, there are some enemy patterns and movements I would like to discuss.¡±

    ¡°A discussion?¡±

    ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s about raising the quality of the dungeon further.¡±

    If there¡¯s a small gem that could shine brighter with just a little polishing, there¡¯s no reason not to refine it, right?

    After saying that with a sincere smile, Lucy raised an eyebrow for a moment before she broke into a grin.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to say something so reasonable. I thought you were just a simpleton.¡±

    ¡°Haha. But I¡¯ve spent time on this.¡±

    As Jesel and Lucy¡¯s discussion continued without a care, the assistant, watching from the side, prayed for the first-year students who would be taking that exam.

    And he also prayed for his own fate as he would be grading that filthy exam.

 Chapter 295

    The conversation with the Dungeon Studies professor brought me a lot of insights.

    While it¡¯s true that I have extensive knowledge about dungeons, all of ites from the perspective of a game user, not as someone who creates games.@@novelbin@@

    Because of that, my dungeons had several shorings in terms of detail.

    For instance, when I created dungeons, I roughly included monster patterns.

    I would establish a concept and use abat style that suited it.

    This isn¡¯t a major problem since the movements of the monsters are already specified.

    However, it¡¯s not perfect.

    Monsters that only repeat predetermined movements are no different from puppets. While it may seem fine at first, once the enemies be familiar, it fails to give the feeling of facing a living adversary.

    The solution the Dungeon Studies professor proposed was this:

    ¡°By coborating with the Combat Studies professor to record movements and applying them directly, you can achieve that.¡±

    If I were to write out allbat logic in detail, it would take a lot of time and effort, but the result might not be very good.

    However, by recording the Combat Studies professor¡¯s movements and applying them directly, it bes possible to create monsters that appear to move on their own without much trouble.

    ¡°Normally, professors from Combat Studies are quite busy during this period, so it¡¯s difficult to seek their cooperation. But, you have someone you can make use of, don¡¯t you?¡±

    I promised the Dungeon Studies professor that I would send Luca and Karl.

    I told him he could use them as much as he wanted.

    In addition to this, I learned a lot about various spells used in the dungeon from a detailed perspective.

    ¡°Artificial dungeonsck the unique ominous atmosphere of a dungeon. That¡¯s because it¡¯s not created by the power of an evil deity.¡±

    Heavy magic, suffocating air, sounds that seem unnaturally loud, an ominous feeling as if something is chasing you, etc.

    Those who create dungeons have been pondering the absence of these elements for a long time and have ultimately seeded in recreating the unique atmosphere of dungeons through magic.

    ¡°Originally, the proper method would be to keep resources aside for these elements, but since this is your first time, I¡¯ll ensure that I can add more resources.¡±

    ¡°...Wait a minute. Is it possible to add something like this with the pathetic academy''s technical skills?¡±

    ¡°That sounds good. It should be possible. If it isn¡¯t, we¡¯ll make it happen.¡±

    Additionally, the Dungeon Studies professor provided me with various detailed advice, and based on that advice, I added new gimmicks.

    Ah, of course, it wasn¡¯t just me learning from the Dungeon Studies professor.

    There were several detailed aspects I didn¡¯t know, but regarding the fundamental structure of the dungeon, I had more knowledge.

    So, I shared various things with the Dungeon Studies professor.

    How to create traps that would make you curse from the perspective of someone conquering them.

    About gimmicks that would make you involuntarily exim how awful they are.

    Ways to make it so that even with a ridiculously difficult level, it feels like you can just barely make it through, making it impossible to give up.

    There were so many topics to discuss that the Dungeon Studies professor¡¯s sses ended up being canceled. Although my other sses were suspended in coboration with the Dungeon Studies professor, what does it matter for such trivialities?

    The important thing is that my created dungeon has be even more perfect!

    ...In the process, various things were added, and I exceeded the set capacity by a long way, but since the Dungeon Studies professor said he wouldplete the dungeon even if he had to knock out other professors, it should be fine.

    Probably.

    After finishing all that discussion, I felt a deeper satisfaction than ever as I went to dinner.

    This is why it¡¯s good to have people withmon hobbies.

    Once everything is over, should I be a Dungeon Studies professor?

    It would be quite enjoyable to torment students with the dungeon I created.

    If the kidsin and say they can¡¯t do it, I could provoke them with my Mesugaki skill to make them have no choice but to try.

    ¡°Look at these pathetic little kids who can only lie around? Can¡¯t even handle this much?? Haah? It can¡¯t be helped? Professor~ We¡¯re still pathetic little kids who can¡¯t leave our mother¡¯s embrace~ Please lower the difficulty~ If they cry and beg, I might consider easing it just this once?¡±

    If I said something like that, they would naturally fight back.

    Being a professor would bring a lot of annoying tasks, right?

    That¡¯s fine. I can just pass those on to the teaching assistants.

    Isn¡¯t that what all professors do?

    ...I was joking, but it actually sounds fun. Maybe I¡¯ll try it someday when everything is over.

    ¡°Lucy Alrn.¡±

    While I was humming, waiting for the food to arrive, I heard a voice. Turning my head, I saw Arthur, who I didn¡¯t know when he arrived, looking down at me with a sharp gaze.

    ¡°What is it, Third Prince?¡±

    ¡°Why are you staring at me like that? I understand you want to engrave the cute and pretty me in your memory, but it¡¯s a bit perverted.¡±

    ¡°...I didn¡¯t stare at you with that intention!¡±

    I merely smiled slightly, but Arthur flushed and raised his voice.

    His voice was so loud that the gazes of everyone in the dining hall turned toward us, and Arthur¡¯s face turned red again from the many stares, quickly taking a seat.

    Even now, and when he¡¯s teased by Frey, Arthur falls for provocation too easily. He was a cooler character when in the game.

    Well, from my perspective, this is more entertaining, so it''s fine.

    ¡°Third Prince, did you sneak a drink? Your face is really red.¡±

    As I quietly observed Arthur, who was pouting his lips, Joy, who had been dining with the nobledies, joined us.

    From the worried expressions of the nobledies, it seemed like there was some issue.

    ¡°...Shut up, Joy.¡±

    ¡°Just now, it was more of a Third Prince¡¯s fault.¡±

    ¡°Joy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you, Alrn. I heard you were held up by the Dungeon Studies professor today?¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    ¡°How do I know? Silly nobledy. Are you stalking me? I might like you, but that¡¯s a bit much.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do that. I just asked the professor because you were absent.¡±

    Since she often gets involved in various incidents, Joy seemed to worry about me, and I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    Ha. Really. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help but like Joy.

    ¡°Thank you for worrying.¡±

    ¡°Puhuhuh. A nobledy of the Duke¡¯s family has separation anxiety. I see~ You must have been really troubled not having me~ How should Ifort you? Should I hug you? Or should I give you a pat on the back?¡±

    ¡°...I must have worried you too much!¡±

    As Arthur and Joy¡¯s faces turned equally red, Frey quietly sat down to my left.

    Following him, Faivy appeared and naturally took the seat to my right.

    Once the usual members had gathered, Arthur seemed to regain hisposure and let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the beginning. Lucy Alrn, what I want to ask is what kind of Hellish Dungeon you have created.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    As I tilted my head in confusion, Arthur, regaining hisposure, calmly continued.

    ¡°It¡¯s a simple inference. After finishing that long conversation in the professor¡¯s office, if anyone sees you smiling happily, there can only be one reason. You¡¯ve created a dungeon that satisfies you. And a dungeon that someone like you would be satisfied with must surely be a Hellish Dungeon.¡±

    ...Was my face melting to the point that it was that obvious?

    Arthur¡¯s inference was partly correct. The satisfaction I felt from creating a wonderful dungeon made up most of my happiness right now.

    But there¡¯s one thing that¡¯s wrong!

    ¡°It¡¯s not a Hellish Dungeon! It¡¯s not!¡±

    ¡°A Hellish Dungeon? So, that makes me sound like someone who is desperate to torment other pathetic people. That¡¯s not true at all. I¡¯m just a kind person who made a dungeon anyone can conquer.¡±

    I confidently asserted my innocence, but the suspicious gazes didn¡¯t wane at all.

    No, it¡¯s really unfair!

    There¡¯s no way I, who struggled through all those troll dungeons, would create a monstrous ce!

    Of course, I made it so that any student could conquer it!

    If it were truly such a hellish ce, the Dungeon Studies professor would have rejected it outright! Right?!

    Joy was the one who countered my statement.

    ¡°Alrn, you might not know, but Professor Jesel has been known for having high standards for a long time. In the past, he actually created a dungeon with a¹¥ÂÔ rate of 0%.¡±

    ...

    Was that professor''s problem that difficult?

    Really?

    They had seemed considerate, matching the level of first-year students here and there, and that was hard?!

    Realizing I had underestimated the students¡¯ abilities, I closed my lips, and at that moment, Joy and Arthur both sighed as if they were one person.

    ¡°We¡¯re doomed.¡±

    ¡°At this rate, everyone might fail the Dungeon Studies final exam.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone. There¡¯s this guy right in front of us.¡±

    ¡°...That¡¯s true. As long as I can enter with Alrn!¡±

    ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry, but...¡±

    ¡°Ha. You fools have no pride whatsoever. There¡¯s no way that will work. I¡¯m not taking the exam.¡±

    ¡°Are you just going to create hell and escape on your own?!¡±

    ¡°Truly wicked, Alrn.¡±

    Is this something I should be scolded for?!

    Common sense dictates that the person who created the dungeon cannot take the exam with the party! Of course, it¡¯s not allowed!

    ¡°...Um, Third Prince. Joy. I think you¡¯re being too hard on the nobledy.¡±

    ¡°Saintess, he deserves this much. Otherwise, our final exam will turn into hell.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Faivy. If we don¡¯t lower the difficulty even a little, who knows how many people will fall into despair?¡±

    Though Faivy tried to defend me, she couldn¡¯t argue against Arthur and Joy¡¯s ims, so she quietly withdrew.

    ...Um, I might have set the difficulty a bit too high.

    ¡°Um. There¡¯s that...¡±

    ¡°Puhahhah. You seem desperate to make the dungeon easier. But what can you do? It¡¯s already out of my hands~¡±

    The Dungeon Studies professor had already taken the final version away, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to change it even if I wanted to.

    To be honest, I don¡¯t particrly want to change it. It¡¯s a perfect dungeon with no ws!

    ¡°Have you really finished everything already? In just one day?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t show your genius in such matters! Lucy Alrn!¡±

    ¡°O great Armadish, why have you bestowed such trials upon us?¡±

    Arthur and Joy said that, but seeing Faivy also despairingly bring her hands together made me break out in a cold sweat as I tried to salvage the situation.

    ¡°Um, it¡¯ll be fine!...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I made it so you pathetic people can challenge it as much as you want throughout the final exam.¡±

    ¡°...You can challenge it infinitely? Crazy. So, it¡¯s at a level where we don¡¯t know if we can conquer it even if we challenge it for the entire final exam!¡±

    ¡°Not only that. Third Prince, this is at a difficulty level that makes it meaningless for students to share¹¥ÂÔ methods with each other.¡±

    ¡°...And there¡¯s no need to worry about failing!¡±

    ¡°And, you know. That idiot professor said that he would allow students to earn points even if they fail to conquer it, considering the low level of first-year idiots. Even if the first years are pathetic, not everyone will fail!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you assume that they wouldn¡¯t be able to conquer it till the end in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°...It feels like hell is dancing before my eyes.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve decided. I want to retake the first year.¡±

    Why. Why did it turn out like this?!

    Every time I tried to lighten the mood, why does the atmosphere around the table just get heavier?!

    Even Frey, who usually has no emotions, added ament, and while I was looking around, Faivy subtly raised her hand.

    ¡°Um, nobledy.¡±

    ¡°What is it now?!¡±

    ¡°What is it, pathetic Saintess.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s that difficult, what kind of reward will we get when we reach the end?¡±

    ...Ah.

    Ah! I can¡¯t believe I made such a mistake!

    The final part of the dungeon must obviously have a reward that matches the struggle! If not, it wouldck the motivation to conquer it!

    Both I and the Dungeon Studies professor are people who feel rewarded by conquering dungeons, and I had overlooked that!

    I¡¯m d I realized it even now. I need to discuss it with the Dungeon Studies professor tomorrow.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even think about rewards?¡±

    ¡°Shall we just avoid failing and gather points elsewhere?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay. It would be better to suffer in a meaningless ce.¡±

    ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t do that! I worked so hard to create this, so please don¡¯t pass on it!¡±

    ¡°Wow. Are you so scared that you¡¯re running away? You pathetic little losers!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m scared and can¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°What if you give everything to this and mess up the other exams? You might have to retake the first year. It¡¯s better to give up instead.¡±

    No! If it¡¯s true that I misjudged the dungeon¡¯s difficulty, then no one besides you guys will be able to conquer it!

    So please, don¡¯t give up! Please!

    It¡¯s a ce I worked so hard to create, and if no one can conquer it, it would break my heart!

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you rewards! If you conquer the dungeon all the way to the end, I¡¯ll give you anything you want! So please, conquer it!¡±

    ¡°Is the reward that important? You¡¯re all materialistic. Fine. If you conquer it all the way to the end, I¡¯ll do anything for you. Of course, it¡¯s not like pathetic people like you will reach the end.¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, silence fell over the previously noisy table.

    ¡°...Anything?¡±

    ¡°Anything?¡±

    ¡°Lady. You just said anything.¡±

    ¡°Lucy, you said anything.¡±

    Arthur, Joy, Faivy, Frey.

    These four people, who had beenining just moments ago, now looked at me with hardened faces, ring with intense gazes.

    Realizing that I had just made a slip of the tongue, I understood I couldn¡¯t take back what I had said.

    If I said I was joking, the atmosphere would be as sharp as if I had been stabbed with a knife.

    ¡°Yes. Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Cough. I wonder if those who were just whining can do it.¡±

    Under the pressure of their gazes, I had no choice but to nod my head, and the four of them exchanged nces, then stood up as if they were one.

    As I was left alone, I blinked as I watched their backs.

    ...Um.

    I feel like something big has happened.

    It can¡¯t be, right?

    It should be fine.

    Those four, who consider me their friend, wouldn¡¯t do anything bad.

    It¡¯ll be okay.

    Right?

    <It¡¯ll be fine.> ¡°Just tell me it¡¯ll be fine at times like this!¡±

 Chapter 296

    <strong>Private Room of Soul Academy.</strong>

    In the center of it all was Arthur Sdin, the Third Prince of the Sdin Kingdom and undoubtedly the de facto second-inmand of the current Soul Academy.

    ¡°As you all know, the reason we have gathered here is one: to conquer the dungeon created by Lucy Alrn.¡±

    Joy Parn, the nobledy of the Parn Ducal family, expected to be an excellent grand mage.

    Frey Kent, the eldest daughter of the prestigious Kent family known for swordsmanship, who was once praised as the best talent of her generation before Lucy appeared.

    And Faivy, a saintess of the Divine Church, revered for her overwhelming divine magic skills, whomands respect from priests and bishops alike.

    These were the top students of the first year at Soul Academy, aside from Lucy. They all possessed the skills to easily surpass most dungeons, yet there wasn¡¯t a hint ofcency on their faces.

    Before themy the dungeon created by Lucy Alrn.

    ¡°Given that she seems to have provoked us, Lucy Alrn has undoubtedly put considerable effort into creating that dungeon. Thus, approaching it with a half-hearted mindset will surely prevent us from seeing the end. By making thorough preparations in advance, we will undoubtedly reach the dungeon¡¯s end.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, Third Prince.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    ¡°We have to try everything we can.¡±

    As the four exchanged serious nces, Jeff Parn, the heir of the Parn family, who had been sitting at one end of the table, blinked and timidly spoke up.

    ¡°Um, excuse me, but I haven¡¯t heard anything yet. Could someone tell me why the atmosphere is so solemn?¡±

    Dragged along by Joy while handling a myriad of assignments given by professors who assumed students would only listen to their own subjects, Jeff was utterly bewildered.

    He had dropped everything at the request of his dear younger sister toe here, only to find himself surrounded by heavyweights like the Third Prince, a saintess, and the nobledy of the Kent family.

    Trying to maintainposure amidst his surprise, he found himself speaking about something he hadn¡¯t even heard in a serious tone.

    Even someone as socially adept as Jeff could only smile wryly in this situation.

    ¡°Joy, did you really bring me here without any exnation?¡±

    ¡°...I focused on bringing you here as quickly as possible.¡±

    ¡°Haah. Silly nobledy. If you keep living like this, not only will you not shed the title of silly, but everyone, including Lucy Alrn, will end up calling you silly.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that as if I alwaysmit such rudeness. You¡¯re the silly prince.¡±

    ¡°Who are you calling silly?!¡±

    ¡°With your blushing face and your tendency to run away, how could you not be called silly?¡±

    ¡°Are you not the silly one who didn¡¯t even realize your hair is going in the same direction?!¡±

    ¡°...You knew that and didn¡¯t tell me?!¡±

    As the two raised their voices, forgetting their statuses as prince and nobledy, Jeff smiled wryly at their antics.

    At that moment, Faivy, who had been sitting beside them, spoke up with a gentle smile.

    ¡°I apologize for the disturbance, Lord Jeff.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s entertaining to watch.¡±

    ¡°Well, in that case, let me briefly exin the situation to you until thismotion is over.¡±

    She exined that Lucy had epted a proposal from the Dungeon Studies professor, which led to her creating the dungeon.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing? No matter how capable Lady Alrn is, there¡¯s no way she could create a dungeon perfectly from the start.¡±

    Jeff thought it might be better for Lucy to be involved rather than the notorious Professor Jesel, who was known for creating terrible dungeons, and hisment made Faivy smirk, while Arthur and Joy also stopped their quarrel to shake their heads in disagreement.

    ¡°Jeff, the fact is that Professor Jesel, upon seeing the dungeon created by Lucy Alrn, canceled his own ss and spent nearly half a day discussing it. Would a dungeon like that be easy?¡±

    ¡°...It doesn¡¯t seem likely.¡±

    A dungeon that had driven countless students to despair in various exams was something Professor Jesel would find thrilling enough to spend half a day discussing.

    While its quality would surely be high, for the students who had to conquer it, it would likely be hell.

    ¡°Still, isn¡¯t it better for the prince¡¯s group if it¡¯s difficult? The higher the difficulty, the easier it is to widen the gap.¡±

    ¡°That would normally be the case. But our goal right now is to conquer the dungeonpletely. The grades are merely a secondary concern.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°Because there¡¯s a reason for it.¡±

    The rewards for conquering the dungeon. Lucy Alrn had promised to grant whatever she wished for.

    Upon hearing Lucy¡¯s affirmation, what first popped into Arthur''s mind was the desire to understand the true meaning behind something Lucy had said in the past.

    However, Arthur didn¡¯t take that as his goal. How could he seek the answer he wanted to know in such a manner after defeating Lucy Alrn someday?

    Instead, what Arthur wished for was to see Lucy Alrn kneel before him.

    If she, who always looked down on and mocked everyone, were to stutter and say her carefully crafted dungeon was pathetic, wouldn¡¯t that be quite refreshing?

    Just imagining her vivid, captivating eyes turning teary and dropping tears was enough to make him feel exhrated.

    ¡°Prince?¡±

    Startled by Jeff¡¯s question, Arthur quickly closed his mouth and cleared his throat.

    ¡°...Cough. Don¡¯t ask in detail. I can¡¯t answer that.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    As Jeff tilted his head and turned his gaze to the side, Joy and Faivy looked away, while Frey maintained his usual emotionless facade.

    The other three also shared themon goal of targeting the injury Lucy proposed, but the contents varied among them.

    What Joy dreamed of was to walk around town with Lucy, dressing each other up.

    A day filled withughter and dressing each other up with a close friend.

    It was a wish Joy had held since she was very young, but one she had never realized because shecked someone to share it with.

    If they seeded in conquering the dungeon, Joy intended to take Lucy to the capital during the vacation to fulfill this dream.

    Beside her, Frey¡¯s wish was simpler than Joy¡¯s.

    She merely hoped that Lucy wouldpliment her.

    That she would simply say she did well, pat her on the head, and smile while looking at her.

    Frey wished for Lucy, who rarelyplimented anyone, to sincerely praise her without sarcasm.

    And blushing as she lowered her head, Faivy wished that Lucy would pray for her.

    With that small, soft, and warm hand resting on her head.

    If Lucy could pray in that beautiful and clear voice that her future would be filled with happiness, Faivy felt that only joy woulde to her.

    Though she knew that personal and selfish content should not be included in prayers offered to the divine, Faivy still hoped for it.

    As Jeff observed the three of them, realizing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get a response, he shrugged and moved on to the main topic.

    ¡°So, what do you wish for my assistance with?¡±

    ¡°All types of gimmicks that could appear in a first-year gimmick dungeon. And I¡¯d like to know all the ways to apply those gimmicks.¡±

    Even if Lucy was in charge of the overall conception of the dungeon, the problems would ultimately be confined to what could be tested within the exam scope.

    So, if he memorized all the gimmicks that could appear in a gimmick dungeon and how to apply them, he would be able to conquer the dungeon much more easily.

    ¡°I heard that you researched this after suffering under Professor Jesel in the past. Surely you have that information left?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do. However, it was gathered with considerable difficulty.¡±

    Jeff smiled with a twinkle in his eye, trailing off at the end of his sentence.

    The quality of information he had suffered to gather was quite high. There was no way he would simply offer that information for free in front of these bigshots.

    No matter what, he would at least ask for a few verbal agreements...

    ¡°Brother.¡±

    Upon hearing Joy¡¯s voice, Jeff turned his head and promptly forgot all his thoughts.

    ¡°Brother, could you help me just this once?¡±

    When his cute younger sister looked up at him with a sweet voice, how could he think of anything else?

    ¡°Could you wait a moment? I¡¯ll bring everything I have.¡±

    Despite willingly making himself a pushover, Jeff wore a melting smile of happiness.

    For this crazy siscon, his sister¡¯s charm was worth more than a billion gold.

    A few days had passed since I made my slip of the tongue.

    During that time, Arthur, Joy, Frey, and Faivy had prepared for the dungeon conquest as if possessed.

    Each of them underwent intense personal training, and every evening, they gathered to conquer the academy dungeon together.

    They even scraped together information on gimmick-type dungeons to prepare for them.

    What on earth did they want me to do that they were working so hard?

    I felt uneasy, gued by various ominous thoughts, but by now, I had somewhat resigned myself to it.

    Those four were not silly enough to make strange requests.

    It should be fine. Probably.

    ...Even if it isn¡¯t, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.

    If I say it was a joke now, I feel like I would truly end up in a terrible situation.

    Anyway, I decided to stop worrying about what those four were doing and began to ponder another important issue.

    Specifically, the rewards for clearing the dungeon.

    In my opinion, thepletion of the dungeon ultimately hinges on the reward. If the reward doesn¡¯t match the effort put into conquering the dungeon, the conclusion will undoubtedly be unsatisfactory.@@novelbin@@

    Having realized this fact from Faivy¡¯s earlier question, I immediately went to discuss the rewards with the Dungeon Studies professor.

    The professor agreed with my opinion, but unfortunately, there were limits to what the academy could provide as rewards.

    In the end, the dungeon I created was meant for an exam, so it couldn¡¯t provide rewards on the level of the academy dungeon at its conclusion.

    Unsatisfied with that, I dered that I would refuse the academy''s support and bring rewards myself.

    After leaving the professor''s office, I pondered what an appropriate reward would be, but no matter how much I thought about it, nothing convincing came to mind.

    I couldn¡¯t think of anything that would make all the students¡¯ eyes well up with tears. So, I gave up on my thoughts and sought advice from Karia.

    ¡°I understand the general conditions, Master.¡±

    Karia, upon hearing my question, immediately provided an answer without hesitation.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, jewels are the best. They¡¯re expensive, eye-catching, and everyone wants them.¡±

    ¡°I thought of that too...¡±

    ¡°Hey,dy. Don¡¯t forget that most of the academy is filled with foolish aristocrats with inted egos.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t overlooked the idea of jewels.

    But since most of the academy wasposed of nobility, jewels couldn¡¯t serve as an alternative.

    Why would they go out of their way to conquer a difficult dungeon for something they could buy with their own money?

    ¡°What I¡¯m talking about isn¡¯t the kind of ordinary jewel you¡¯re thinking of, Master.¡±

    ¡°Something different?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by different?¡±

    ¡°Jewels that are processed and guaranteed directly by the Artisans¡¯ Guild. Items that even high-ranking nobles and wealthy merchants can¡¯t buy. If you offer this as a reward, it¡¯ll definitely create a stir.¡±

    The Artisans¡¯ Guild, huh.

    Could it be that repulsive pervert is a member of it?

    ¡°Perfect timing. I hear you¡¯re meeting with them tomorrow. Please ask them then.¡±

    As Karia said this, she handed me a newly tailored bunny girl outfit.

    ¡°Try to act cute. That perverted guy will probably throw in everything he has for you.¡±

 Chapter 297

    I really tried to avoid calling Karia "aunt" or "old maid" as much as possible, you know?

    It''s one thing if it slips out due to the Mesugaki skill trantion, but I was thinking of minimizing it as much as I could.

    However, seeing her smiling while handing me the bunny girl outfit, I just couldn¡¯t hold back.

    ¡®Wrinkled, spiteful, and a disgusting pervert? Have you resolved to live alone for the rest of your life?? Right. After all, even if you struggle, you''ll be alone, so it''s better to ept it? Very wise!?¡¯

    ¡®When did I ever give up! I¡¯m still in my prime! I¡¯m young!¡¯

    ¡®Don¡¯t make that face? Won¡¯t that just make your wrinkles worse?? You''re already old, and if you age more, you¡¯ll be not just an aunt but an old maid!?¡¯

    ¡®Aaaah! Seriously!¡¯

    After a back-and-forth with Karia, who sprang up from her seat, mming her hands on the desk as if wounded, I still couldn¡¯t refuse the bunny girl outfit she presented.

    I didn¡¯t want to wear it, honestly. The moment I saw it, I wanted to rip it apart, but there was no way I could erase the promise I had made in the past.

    In the end, I sighed and put the bunny girl outfit into my inventory, then asked Karia if that jewel was really that valuable.

    I had never heard that jewels made by the Artisans¡¯ Guild were so precious.

    ¡®I''m not joking. That apostle is a perverted creep, but the abilities they possess are real. Jewels crafted by that perverted apostle are so precious they are presented as offerings on the king''s birthday.¡¯

    To confirm this, I went to find Joy and asked if she knew about the jewels made by the Artisans¡¯ Guild apostle, to which she tilted her head as if asking why I would even ask such an obvious question.

    ¡®It''s a rare item that you can¡¯t find easily. If someone were to show up wearing a decoration made by the apostle of the Artisans¡¯ Guild at a social gathering, it would be the talk of the town. I¡¯d even like to wear one just once.¡¯

    ¡®Do you think the students would like it? I think no one would dislike it. There¡¯s no need to mention the nobledies and gentlemen, but even themon students would be very happy if they received it. Even if they weren¡¯t interested in jewels, selling it would fetch a fortune, so they would be eager to get their hands on it, wouldn¡¯t they?¡¯

    Curious about what kind of price Joy was referring to, I asked her, and it turned out it was indeed an astronomical figure.

    That apostle of the Artisans¡¯ Guild. I had thought of him as a disgusting pervert, but it turned out he was quite capable.

    Well, he had simply evolved from a pervert to a skilled pervert.

    Anyway, I decided that if I could obtain the jewels, it would be best to ce them as rewards for the dungeon, so I resolved to make a request to the Artisans¡¯ Guild apostle.

    And the next morning.

    As soon as I arrived at the forest where the silly fox lived, a silly fox in human form appeared.

    ¡°Wee. I''ve been waiting for you.¡±

    With only a slight lift of her lips, she maintained an air of politeness that was beautiful enough to evoke the word elegance, but that admiration didn¡¯tst long.

    As her lips melted into a frown, the elegant woman disappeared, reced by a disgusting and repulsive pervert.

    ¡°Haah. Even though I see your face every day, there¡¯s a different kind of beauty when seen with the eyes of the true form. I wish I could hold you in my arms and never let you go.¡±

    To the silly fox¡¯s question about whether I wouldn¡¯t want her to stay in the forest and grant me all my wishes, my only response could be one.

    ¡°Really?? You¡¯ll do anything I wish for??¡±

    ¡°Of course! If I could be with you, I¡¯d do anything!¡±

    ¡°Then please die? If you disappear, this forest might be a better ce!?¡±

    ¡°Ugh... Ugh... Would you not consider asking me to die once more? Look at me with those eyes that make me feel like a repulsive trash!¡±

    ¡°Go die? Bite your tongue andmit suicide? Apologize for being a disgusting pervert who took over this forest and die a miserable death!?¡±

    ¡°...Hmm. Is this what it feels like to be so happy that I might die? If it weren¡¯t for what awaits meter, I might have truly passed on.¡±

    Seeing her unable to contain her excitement and bleeding from her nose made me wish she would just die already.

    If she weren''t a strong figure, a ruler of the forest, I would have struck her down with my mace.

    Whilementing my weakness while fiddling with the mace, the silly fox wiped her nosebleed with her sleeve and scattered her energy around.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let a precious guest like you stand outside, so let¡¯s head to the mansion for now.¡±

    As soon as she finished speaking, the surrounding scenery changed.

    From the lush entrance of the forest to the interior of the silly fox¡¯s mansion, which I had visitedst time.

    It was a clean transition without any side effects of teleportation, not even a slight feeling of difort.

    Was this one of the powers the ruler of the forest could use?

    ¡°Wait a moment, and that pervert will arrive here too, so let¡¯s have a cup of tea in the meantime.¡±

    ¡®Is the apostle nearby?¡¯

    ¡°Is that perverted apostle in this forest?¡±

    ¡°No. He¡¯s passing through the middle of the forest and is on his way here.¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s inside the forest? Then...¡¯

    ¡°Inside the forest? Then can¡¯t you, silly fox, just go and bring him here?¡±

    Upon hearing my question, the silly fox wore a serious expression that seemed to carry a kind of disgust as she replied.

    ¡°Why should I use my powers for a disgusting man?¡±

    Ah, so it¡¯s a matter of physiological aversion?

    I understood that feeling well. Every time I saw you, that¡¯s what I thought in my head.

    I thought someone like you, who didn¡¯t know self-control, would not understand such feelings, but I guess I was wrong.

    Wow, that¡¯s interesting.

    But why can¡¯t you empathize with my feelings, you perverted brat!

    Feeling a surge of anger at the sight of her exhibiting this species¡¯ aversion, I let out a sigh instead of expressing my rage.

    From my past experiences, I knew that no matter how much I expressed my anger, it would only delight the silly fox.

    ¡°Forget about that idiot and tell me what kind of tea you would like to drink. I¡¯d be willing to provide even the most precious items for you.¡±

    ¡®I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯ll decline.¡¯

    ¡°Not~! How could you, silly fox, put something strange in it? Declining it means you can just drink until you burst and die alone.¡±

    Rejecting the silly fox¡¯s suggestion, I ignored her desperate cry that I shouldn¡¯t do anything and entered a suitable room.

    I locked the door.

    Blocked out sound.

    And, to prevent any nonsense, I set up a holy barrier before taking out the bunny girl outfit from my inventory.

    Seeing the clothes I thought I¡¯d never wear again made me sigh.

    I had thought this before, but this isn¡¯t clothing.

    How can this not fulfill even the basic function of covering my skin?!

    I regretted ever eximing, ¡°Wow, this is clothing and fashion!¡± while gazing at the screen!

    ...Actually, even now, if I weren¡¯t going to wear it, I might still say such things.

    <What can you do? This is a cmity you¡¯ve brought upon yourself.>

    ¡®Ah, right. I still have my grandpa.¡¯

    <Hmm? Is that you, youngdy? Youngdy?!>

    I almost forgot about my grandfather''s presence because of the silly fox.

    Ignoring the grandpa¡¯s shout to wait a moment, I put the mace into my inventory, sighed again, and took off the top I was wearing.

    Maybe if I hit myself in the head with the maceter, I could erase today¡¯s memories.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    At the festival I reluctantly participated in due to the warning that they would cut off support if I didn¡¯t work as an apostle of the guild, Prete came face to face with the miracle known as Lucy Alrn.

    She was a living work of art.

    Her eyes, more beautiful and vivid than any jewel.

    Her skin, whiter and smoother than marble.

    Her hair, like red silk that flowed with every step.

    Her voice, a melody that seeped into the ears like a heavenly song.

    The moment he engraved her existence in his eyes, countless artistic inspirations spread throughout Prete¡¯s mind, and the goddess¡¯s revtion brushed past his ears.

    ¡°O my apostle, praise the beauty of this child who will make the world shine even brighter.¡±

    The instant he heard that voice, Prete replied to the goddess that he would dly fulfill that duty without a moment¡¯s hesitation, and he set it into action.

    As soon as the Parn Festival ended, he departed from the territory, starting with the location of the head of the Artisans¡¯ Guild, spreading songs that announced the beauty of Lucy Alrn to the world.

    Had the goddess not decreed for him to stop the apostle of Tariki, Prete would still be wandering around singing.

    And when he encountered the miracle known as Lucy Alrn once again in the Burrow Territory, he realized that her beauty didn¡¯t merely lie in her appearance.the noble and kind heart that willingly sacrifices herself to save others!

    The moment Prete saw her smiling brightly, despite bearing countless pains, he realized that his songs could not capture everything, and he resolved to spread her beauty once more.

    It didn¡¯t matter that Lucy served the divine.

    The fact that Lucy Alrn, hailed as a miracle created by the goddess, was entirely different from the trash of the Divine Church, who pretended to serve the divine while trying to benefit themselves.

    And shortly thereafter.

    The moment Preteid his eyes upon Lucy, whose charm had intensified even more, he became convinced that sharing Lucy¡¯s beauty with the world was one of his life¡¯s purposes.

    The sight of her, so beautiful that even daring to meet her gaze felt sacrilegious, remained etched in Prete¡¯s mind for days and nights, refusing to fade.

    Even at this moment, as he navigated through the forest to reunite with her, her image lingered before his eyes.

    ¡°O goddess, can I, someone so unworthy, truly capture her beauty on canvas?¡±@@novelbin@@

    However, the smile that adorned his lips was stiff. It was only natural that he would be happy to visit a nobledy resembling a living masterpiece.

    In his heart, he thought he wished to stay by her side for an entire year, appreciating Lucy¡¯s beauty.

    Yet, Prete could not fully rejoice because the burden weighing on his shoulders was far too immense.

    While it was good that he could finally capture the beauty of Lady Alrn on canvas, could he, a mere human...

    Could this foolish person, just a human, perfectly capture the beauty of Lady Alrn, one that could even bepared to a goddess?

    Despite having brought the best equipment he could prepare for this moment, Prete stillcked confidence.

    This doubt lingered until the moment he arrived in front of the mansion where the ruler of the forest resided.

    ¡°Have you arrived?¡±

    The ruler of the forest showed no attempt to hide her displeasure at his presence.

    Prete understood her feelings.

    He was an intruder who had barged in on the moment when she wished to engage solely in the experience of beauty andmunion.

    If their positions had been reversed, Prete would have likely worn a simr expression to the ruler of the forest.

    ¡°Ruler of the forest, Lady Alrn is¡­¡±

    ¡°She is changing in the room. Just wait a moment.¡±

    Creeeak.

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s finished changing¡­¡±

    As he turned his head at the sound of the door opening, Prete felt all the confusion in his heart dissipate.

    Her lips, pressed tightly together as if embarrassed.

    Her eyes darting here and there, filled with hesitation.

    Her cheeks, slightly flushed in pink.

    Her red hair cascading down her white shoulders.

    Her clear corbone.

    Shoulders that were slender, unimaginable from her usual strength.

    Her arm pressing against the fabric of her top, entuating her gently rising chest.

    Her smooth thighs and the toes wriggling at the end.

    Taking all of this in, Prete closed his eyes with an unbeatable sense of satisfaction, his body copsing backward like a domino, lost in spirit.

    ¡°Ahh. O Armadish! How can you monopolize such a cute, pretty, and beautiful girl? I want tough and chatter with that beautiful child too! Won¡¯t you exchange her with me? My child is also equally beautiful in a masculine way¡­¡±

    As his consciousness faded, he thought he heard a voice, but Prete could not listen to it.

    His mind was filled entirely with the image he had just witnessed.

    Ah, at this point, I feel like I could die without any regrets.

 Chapter 298

    ¡®...Child. ...Awake.¡¯

    Despite the beautiful voice filling his mind, Prete''s consciousness remained deeply asleep.

    ¡®My child. You still have things to do. Wake up.¡¯

    It was unclear whether the scene he had engraved in his eyes was too beautiful for him to handle or if he was too busy imprinting that sight in his mind, but one thing was certain: his mind was trapped in a deep mire.

    Even when his goddess called out to him earnestly, he couldn¡¯t awaken.

    ¡®My child... Haah. Wake up! You promised to keep a portrait of the child whom Armadish imed for himself! I was saving my voice to give you guidance, so this is troublesome! Wake up! Wake uuuup!¡¯

    ¡°Gah?!¡±

    Thanks to the goddess¡¯s earnest shout, Prete barely regained his senses and groaned, clutching his throbbing head as he let out a long sigh.

    What on earth had happened?

    Why was he sleeping in a ce he had never seen before, unconscious?

    ...Ah. Right. I had arrived in the forest where Lady Alrn lives to paint her portrait.

    And as soon as I came here, I encountered Lady Alrn wearing revealing clothing, and after taking in her appearance¡­

    I¡­

    ¡°Cough?!¡±

    As he recalled Lucy''s image, Prete almost toppled forward again, but just before losing consciousness, someone struck the back of his head, forcing him to regain his senses.

    ¡°Don¡¯t faint again, you weak perverted fool.¡±

    ¡°...Rina.¡±

    Rina. The ruler of the vast forest, who possesses powers akin to a deity within her domain.

    She red at Prete without hiding her displeasure at his presence.

    ¡°Not only did you interrupt my quiet time with Lucy, but you also fainted and bled all over, wasting our time!¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

    Her anger was so justified that Prete could do nothing but apologize without offering an excuse.

    ¡°However, Rina, Lady Alrn is¡­¡±

    ¡°She is outside training, saying she can¡¯t waste time doing nothing.¡±

    Rina¡¯s words, indicating that Lucy would return shortly afterpleting a quickp around the forest, made Prete chuckle softly.

    Given the size of the forest Rina manages, a singlep would be no small distance.

    She truly possesses an incredible level of physical ability, which is hard to believe for a first-year student.

    ¡°Consider yourself a misfortune that has be a kind of blessing. Thanks to you, Lucy, drenched in sweat, will stomp on this face with her smooth and soft feet. Ah, just imagining it makes me so happy. I can''t help but want to delve between her toes with this tongue.¡±

    Prete smiled wryly at Rina¡¯s melted and disgusting face.

    While he thought he was not entirely sane, Rina was on another level. He felt he could never catch up.

    ¡°Then I should prepare in advance for when Lady Alrn returns.¡±

    He needed to set up everything so he could begin working on the portrait as soon as she got back.

    He didn¡¯t know how long it would take to capture her beauty on canvas.

    As Prete tried to rise from the bed, his intentions were thwarted.

    Just as he attempted to stand, a fog spread, pressing down on his shoulders and forcing him back into his seat.

    ¡°Before that, we have a few matters to discuss, you weak perverted fool.¡±

    ¡°...If it¡¯s something ordinary, I can answer without this.¡±

    ¡°What is your purpose in approaching Lucy?¡±

    As Rina''s gaze sharpened with a wildness akin to a beast, the pressure on Prete''s shoulders intensified.

    Even someone of Prete¡¯s caliber, who was a powerful apostle of the goddess, felt the burden of that pressure.

    Desperately channeling his divinity, Prete barely broke free from the pressure and hurriedly spoke.

    ¡°I only wish to praise the beauty of the nobledy as a follower of beauty and art. I have no ulterior motives beyond that.¡±

    ¡°Is that also true for the goddess you serve?¡±

    ¡°How could this foolish apostle know the will of the noble goddess? However, her intention to spread the beauty of the nobledy is certainly aligned with mine. I don¡¯t think it differs greatly.¡±

    After Prete finished speaking, Rina continued to stare into his eyes for a long time before she cooled her gaze and posed another question.

    ¡°When Lucy is in danger, will you be willing to help her?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I have been granted the grace of having my life saved. How could I just stand by and watch as a miracle vanishes from this world?¡±

    How could he stand idly by if that beauty, which even the goddess praises, were to face a crisis?

    Even if Prete held fear, the goddess would surely push him forward, so he would undoubtedly help Lucy.

    ¡°Lastly, you don¡¯t harbor any sinister intentions toward Lucy, do you?¡±

    ¡°What do you think I am? I am an apostle of the Artisans¡¯ Guild before I am human. How could I defile such a work of art?¡±

    Even under the growing pressure, Prete scoffed.

    He could endure many doubts, but this particr question touched his pride, making it impossible to remain silent.

    ¡°Tch. Being unnecessarily honest is unwise.¡±

    As Rina clicked her tongue, the mist pressing down on Prete dissipated as if it were an illusion.

    ¡°If you have more to ask, please do so quickly. I have many preparations to make.¡±

    ¡°What is the apostle you brought doing now?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s being interrogated by the guild. Those connected to the evil deity often share ties, even if they serve different gods. We are eliminating the remnants of Tariki while trying to uncover traces of other evil deities.¡±

    ¡°Is he in a state suitable for Lucy to see?¡±

    ¡°...Um. No. It¡¯s a bit gruesome to show it to the noble and virtuousdy.¡±

    Prete remembered Lucy¡¯s pale face when she saw a corpse.

    She was noble and steadfast, yet also delicate and fragile.

    Thus, he could not show her something horrifying. He didn¡¯t want to leave any blemishes on the work of art that is Lucy.

    ¡°I¡¯ll convey the information we gathered from him, but it seems I won¡¯t be able to show you his face.¡±

    ¡°That is a wise choice. There¡¯s no need to burden Lucy¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°What else is there?¡±

    ¡°This next question is of a very personal nature. May I ask if you can share a portrait of Lucy?¡±

    ¡°I cannot. I promised to use the portrait for personal collection purposes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for it for free. I¡¯m suggesting a trade for part of my concealed collection.¡±

    ¡°...May I hear the details?¡±

    ¡°This concerns Lucy¡­¡±

    After running along the neatly packed dirt path, running in the forest felt entirely different.

    With no properly cleaned trails, there were many things to watch out for, and dodging the obstacles that appeared along the way was enjoyable.

    The fresh air of the forest was delightful, and spotting small birds and cute animals here and there was a treat.

    Most importantly, after calming down those sudden, jumping tigers with a little tap on the head, I could freely pet them. That was the best part.

    Thanks to that, my mood, which had been weighed down since the morning, had lightened considerably.

    When that perverted apostle had bled and fainted, I had so many thoughts racing through my head, but now I felt relieved that he had copsed.

    Of course, even now, thinking back on that scene makes me feel disgusted.

    Wiping the sweat with a towel I pulled from my inventory, I opened the door to the mansion, expecting the silly fox to pop out and make some strange noise.

    However, the silly fox didn¡¯t reveal herself until I walked inside.

    How strange. Normally, she would be sniffing around, grinning widely, and trying to lick my skin.

    As I pondered whether she was trying to show restraint since the real body was here, a voice echoed from deeper in the hallway.

    The alternating voices of a man and a woman suggested that the perverted apostle and the silly fox were having a conversation.

    What serious matter were they discussing that they didn¡¯t notice my arrival?

    Curiosity piqued, I moved silently toward the source of the voices.

    ¡°Oh. Is this...?¡±

    ¡°Um... so amazing...¡±

    Pride was evident in the silly fox¡¯s voice. Was she showing off some kind of ability?

    ¡°The concentrated aroma is so fragrant.¡±

    ¡°Stop! That¡¯s enough! We¡¯ll finish this deal after we conclude our negotiations!¡±

    A deal? What kind of deal?

    ¡°...Rina. Can I not pay with something else?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about! This cloth, imbued with Lucy¡¯s sweat, can only be exchanged for a portrait of her! If you say such things, I will chase you away!¡±

    ...

    Realizing what was happening inside the room, I smirked and pulled out my mace from my inventory.

    <Ahh. Youngdy! That inventory is way too stifling!>

    ¡®Grandpa, please be quiet for a moment.¡¯

    <...What is it? No. Never mind. I¡¯ll keep quiet. Don¡¯t mind me.>

    Kicking the door open and entering the room, I saw the silly fox, clutching a towel I assumed was the one I had used, and the perverted apostle, holding it as if it were a lifeline.

    ¡°...Oh. Lucy? Uh, when did you arrive? Ah! This is, um!¡±

    ¡°Eek... Lady! For now, let¡¯s put down that mace. Let¡¯s have a conversation. As intellectuals.¡±

    ¡°Die? You worthless, disgusting trash!?¡±

    After stepping into the world of Soul Academy, I oftenmented my own weakness.

    From the moment I chewed on my lips after losing in a sparring match to the time I felt powerless in the face of death.

    I kept repeating to myself that I wished I were a little stronger.

    And even now, I wasmenting my weakness.

    If only I were a bit stronger, I could have sent the two trash right in front of me to the perverted deity!

    No, seriously, thinking back on it makes me shudder.

    When did that silly fox manage to sneak away with the towel I wiped my sweat with?!

    And why the hell was that perverted apostle so desperate to get his hands on it!?

    What¡¯s wrong with this situation?

    Why are there such crazy perverts surrounding me?!

    ¡°Um. Youngdy.¡±

    As I was seriously examining my own karma, the silly fox, who was lying down and serving as my chair, carefully spoke up.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Uh. While it¡¯s nice to receive a reward, can you at least return that towel?¡±

    ¡°Do you not have any shame, you perverted trash?? Shut up? Just hearing your voice makes me feel like throwing up!?¡±

    ¡°Ugh. This is...¡±

    As I raised my head, trying to ignore the trembling silly fox underneath me, I noticed the perverted apostle hastily lowered his head.

    Why is someone who serves as an apostle for a goddess acting like such a lunatic?

    Shouldn¡¯t an apostle have at least a minimum level of reverence?

    What would the goddess think if she saw him like this?

    ...Ah, right. I remember now. The goddess of beauty and art was also not quite normal.

    What could one expect from a goddess known for her insatiable greed for beauty, who was called a nuisance crow despite her dazzling illustrations?

    As I held my forehead and sighed, the perverted apostle nced at me, as if realizing the madness of his actions.

    Ha. Well, let¡¯s think positively.

    If I think about it differently, this gives me a reason to extort jewels from this perverted brat.

    ¡°Hey? Perverted brat?¡±

    ¡°Did you call for me?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a super, super, super~ kind person, so? I¡¯ll offer you a special chance to be forgiven for being the trash you are!?¡±

    ¡°What should I do?! I, Prete! I will do anything in the name of the goddess I serve!¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve heard that people really like the jewels made by someone like you, a disgusting pervert??¡±

    As I propped my chin and brought up the topic of jewels, Prete blinked in surprise.

    ¡°What?? You, a perverted brat who tries to act like an artist, are saying that??¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I mean, giving a piece of jewelry to the nobledy would be a reward for me, and I was wondering how much I should give.¡±

    His words came out so naturally that they momentarily made my dizzy mind focus.

    ¡°Ha? You think I¡¯d ept something made by a perverted brat like you?? You¡¯re dreaming big!? Just understand your ce and stay out of my way!?¡±

    ¡°Really?! Lady! Please change your mind! At the very least, I¡¯ll show you what I made!¡­¡±

    Seeing him begging like a servant in a historical drama made me sigh involuntarily.

    In the future, when I be much stronger than I am now.

    Before heading out to deal with the evil deities, I should take care of the silly fox and the perverted apostle first.

    That seems to be the right choice.

 Chapter 299

    After a frustrating conversation with the perverted apostle, I sessfully obtained a piece of jewelry to use as a reward for the dungeon.

    In exchange, I decided to wear one of the pieces of jewelry he had created.

    In simple terms, I now possessed two pieces of jewelry made by the Artisans'' Guild.

    How is receiving rare and expensive jewelry a cost, you ask?

    I don''t understand it myself, so don¡¯t ask me.

    That guy shouted first, ¡°If you ept my jewelry, I will also give you another piece to pass on to someone else!¡±

    If the creator of the jewelry himself is satisfied with that, I had no reason to argue, right?

    Having achieved one of my initial goals, I immediately changed my clothes and stood before the perverted apostle and the silly fox.

    ¡°What sheer destructive power is this?!¡±

    The perverted apostle staggered again, bleeding from his nose, but this time he did not lose consciousness as before.

    Instead, it seemed he bit his tongue to hold on, judging by the blood seeping from his tightly closed lips.

    ...Strange. The bunny girl outfit is merely a piece of equipment that boosts attractiveness, so why is it causing critical damage only to the perverted apostle?

    Perhaps it has a hidden function that deals damage proportional to attractiveness for breathing perverts.

    A hidden trait I didn''t even know about? Wow~ Reality is amazing~

    As I contemted the scenery of reality, nearly losing my mind, I realized the perverted apostle had finished preparing to paint.

    ¡°Thank you for waiting! Mydy! We can begin now!¡±

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯

    ¡°What do you want me to do? Spill your perverted desires from that disgusting mouth, you trashy perverted apostle.¡±

    ¡°Um... Can you assume a few poses for me?¡±

    How many times has he done this kind of portrait? The perverted apostle stood up as soon as I asked and demonstrated some poses.

    ¡°In a way that captures the unique confidence of thedy¡­¡±

    ¡®Is this the kind of feeling you mean?¡¯

    ¡°Mmm. Our perverted apostle enjoys being looked down upon, huh? You disgusting pervert.¡±

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s wonderful! Just like this!... Um. Would you mind assuming a few more poses?¡±

    What? Does he not want to see just this one pose?

    Is he trying to fulfill various desires under the pretext of art!? Right?!

    The moment I heard the perverted apostle¡¯s words, such doubts arose, but they quickly subsided.

    The seriousness in his eyes, devoid of even a hint of excitement, was undoubtedly that of an artist.

    After following the perverted apostle and posing for a while, he suddenly nodded.

    ¡°I think this pose would be... Huh! Yes, it would be good.¡±

    He had almost said, ¡°You say it would be good,¡± didn¡¯t he?

    Was he repeating what someone else said?

    That¡¯s strange. There¡¯s no one here besides the three of us.

    I hadn¡¯t said anything, and it didn¡¯t seem like the silly fox, who was drooling in the corner, would speak to the perverted apostle either.

    ...Could it be that the goddess of beauty and art is currently giving her apostle guidance through divine revtion?

    The goddess, who is busy taking care of her guild, has focused all her attention on painting a portrait of a girl, abandoning everything else?!

    No way. That¡¯s a bit much.

    Even that nuisance crow, no matter how useless she is, wouldn¡¯t do that. No way.

    The perverted apostle must have lost his mind and just blurted out nonsense.

    ¡®So, is it okay to just stay like this?¡¯

    ¡°So you like this, huh? It¡¯s very fitting for a sex offender who¡¯d benefit the world by dying quickly. Disgusting. I feel like throwing up.¡±

    ¡°...No. I will start right away.¡±

    His hand, gliding over the canvas, moved so fast that even my keen eyes, which are far beyond ordinary humans, struggled to keep up.

    Moreover, the brush that left strokes on the canvas was filled with a clear certainty that this was the correct answer, turning the scene of painting itself into a form of art.

    Before being a perverted brat I¡¯d want to smash in the face, he is indeed the apostle of the Artisans'' Guild, chosen by the goddess. He has enough skill for that.

    While I was so absorbed in watching the perverted apostle move his brush that I momentarily forgot how ufortable his existence was, he suddenly paused and gazed intently at the painting.

    Then, with a gasp of awe from the depths of his heart, he sped his hands in prayer and picked up the brush again.

    ...Could it be that he really was receiving divine guidance? The nuisance crow goddess.

    Seriously, you are hopeless both in the game and in reality.

    I thought the Artisans'' Guild, which had virtually no presence in the game, would have considerable influence in this world, so perhaps the goddess would be different here.

    Ah, I was wrong to expect anything from you.

    Desperate not to reveal I had caught on to the goddess¡¯s presence, I forced down a sigh that was about to escape.

    Given the nature of the crow, if any connection formed, it would cling to me annoyingly.

    The pervert sticking to my side is more than enough.

    I don¡¯t want to entertain more than that. I already have thoughts of wanting to throw this brat away twice a week.

    ¡°Lady! It¡¯s done!¡±

    ¡®Already?¡¯

    ¡°Already?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Because I¡¯m an apostle of the Artisans'' Guild, I can¡¯t be incapable of this much.¡±

    With a confident smile igniting my curiosity, I approached the canvas at a brisk pace.

    What kind of painting has he created?

    A picture distorted by his perverted gaze?

    A twisted painting, characteristic of a fervent artist?

    Even if it were a trivial painting, it would be amusing.

    ¡®...Wow.¡¯

    ¡°Wow~ So this is how I look through the eyes of a disgusting pervert?¡±

    The painting left on the canvas was delicate and realistic, yet it was hard to say it resembled a photograph.

    The emotions of the artist, left in the wake of the brush, added vitality to the painting, allowing one to feel a multitude of emotions within a single piece.

    ...So the bunny girl outfit is an outfit that can convey more than just sexuality.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡±

    The more I looked, the more I felt as if I were being drawn in, and I found myself staring nkly at the painting, reflexively nodding.

    ¡®Yes. It¡¯s really amazing!¡¯

    ¡°Are you pleased? Hehe. I want to take it home and show it to my foolish father, and he¡¯ll probably try to kill whoever painted it!¡±

    ¡°...This painting will be my final work, huh? I may not have lived long, but I have no regrets.¡±

    Mentioning Benedick like that seems too much, doesn¡¯t it?

    With that, it feels like Benedick has be a mafia figure who captures anyone he dislikes.

    While he indeed treasures his daughter, he¡¯s not the kind of person who would get so worked up.

    I tried to defend Benedick with a wry smile, but instead of listening to me, the perverted apostle pulled out a piece of paper and began writing a will.

    Ha. It seems no matter what I say, he won¡¯t listen, so I should just ignore it.

    ¡°Ugh... Hah...¡±

    As I turned my head to the sound of rough breathing, I saw the silly fox staring at the painting with bloodshot eyes.

    She seemed entranced, staring at the canvas, and then, without hesitation, she bowed her head to the ground.

    ¡°Lucy. No, Lady Lucy! Please allow me to share this painting! I will do anything for that!¡±

    ¡®Anything?¡¯

    ¡°Anything?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Huh. So ¡°anything¡± is it? An amusing idea popped into my head, and I squatted down to meet the silly fox''s gaze.

    ¡°Transform into a beast?¡±

    The silly fox dutifully followed mymand.

    The moment my words finished, she transformed into a fox with white fur.

    Surely, she looks better as a fox than in human form.

    ¡°Sit?¡±

    ¡°Um... What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You said you would do anything?? Have you lost your mind?? Can you not remember what you just said??¡±

    Although it was okay for her to cling to me, I would not allow her to approach me first; the silly fox was a finicky animal.

    Because of that, I hadn¡¯t been able to pet her fur freely, nor could I properlymand her.

    But now, she had said with her own mouth that she would do anything, right?

    I couldn¡¯t let this opportunity slip away.

    ¡°Did you ask to be treated like a dog? Now you don¡¯t seem to want it??¡±

    ¡°That... That¡¯s when I¡¯m in human form! In my original form, that... it¡¯s...¡±

    ¡°Mmm? Is that so?? Well, it can¡¯t be helped~? You don¡¯t seem to be that desperate, so this painting will?¡­¡±

    Thud. Just as I shifted my gaze toward the painting, the silly fox¡¯s butt hit the floor.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯ll give up your pride before your desires, huh?? That¡¯s so fitting for a disgusting beast!? Now, let¡¯s go!? Hand?¡±

    ¡°Y-Here it is.¡±

    ¡°Eh?? Why is the dog talking?? Did I mishear??¡±

    ¡°...Woof!¡±

    ¡°Puhaha? Good job! That¡¯s how a pet should be!?¡±

    As I petted the silly fox¡¯s head, I noticed her paws wiggling.

    Seems like she wanted to escape. Well, considering she rarely had such an opportunity, that made sense.

    But I can¡¯t let that happen. I¡¯ve been wronged by this brat too much; I can¡¯t just let it go at this level.

    Grinning while touching the silly fox''s belly, I decided to show her some of the various tricks I had wanted to teach a pet I raised in the past.

    Starting with sit, paw, and down, I moved on to sticking her nose between my fingers and ying dead when I shouted ¡°Bang!¡±

    As I smiled while watching the silly fox pant with her belly up, I teasingly spoke.

    ¡°I wonder what the beasts of the forest will think when they see this?? What kind of expressions will they make when they see a being who should protect the forest acting cute for a human?? I¡¯m really curious!?¡±

    ¡°...Kii.¡±

    Seeing her throwing away her pride like this, it seems she really wants that painting.

    Hehe. This fulfills my desires, and I confirmed how desperate she is.

    Now, is there anything else I can extract from this brat?

    Nope. I¡¯ve already taken everything I can get from her.

    Then where should I use this desperation?

    ...Ah!

    Hehe. Hehe.

    I have a good idea.

    ¡°I see our perverted fox is quite desperate? So I¡¯ll give you a special chance to choose?¡±

    ¡°Woof?¡±

    ¡°Choose between the leash walk and that painting?¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re saying I have to pick one?!¡±

    As I listened to the silly fox¡¯s scream-like voice, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    Puhaha. Ah. I¡¯m a genius.

    Toe up with the idea of presenting two choices she desperately desires and torment her in such a short time!

    Alright, silly fox. This is karma.

    You¡¯ve been tormenting me all this time, so I should be allowed to torment you a bit too, right?

    ¡°Choose the painting. No, wait. No. What significance is there in something that remains as an object but won¡¯t be imprinted on my body? I¡¯d rather choose the walk. No, but I can¡¯t give up my happiness for a moment of joy!¡±

    As I watched the silly fox with her head buried in her paws, someone beside me made a thud sound.

    Turning my head slightly, I saw the perverted apostle¡¯s face covered in blood.

    His face wore a smile of happiness, so it seems he¡¯s having a good time.

    I should just leave him alone since I don¡¯t want to touch anything dirty.

    With that conclusion, I stood up and headed to the room to change my clothes.

    No matter what conclusiones out, it will surely take a long time, so I nned to train until then.

    Just before I changed my clothes, an amusing thought crossed my mind.

    If the perverted deity, who is at the center of all the nuisance crows and other perverted deities, is a pedophile, would he perhaps provide more blessings if I prayed while wearing the bunny girl outfit?

    To verify whether Armadish is indeed an unredeemable pervert, I sped my hands over my chest and began to offer my prayers to the great deity as I had been doing daily.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    And as the daily prayer concluded, I heard the notification chime, just like always.

    [Armadish is moved by your sincere prayer!] [Your power has increased slightly. Your charm increases. Your divinity...]

    Excuse me, Armadish.

    Why has the reward increased so noticeably?

    I prayed while saying it was a trap, so why is there any change?!

    At times like this, shouldn¡¯t you be hiding your perverted nature?!

    ...I really feel like I¡¯m going to fall into corruption.

    Thinking about it, wouldn¡¯t I be able to create dungeons however I want in that ce?

    Should I just switch to the evil deities instead?

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    What is it now, Armadish?

    Even if you try to murmur now, it¡¯s toote.

    Thatst message just made my faith in you turn cold.

    Among the various deities, you should maintain some dignity.

    It¡¯s because of you that those nuisance crows are created.

    I¡¯ll check the message since you sent it, though.

    [A new quest has emerged!] [Your Pride] [The dungeon you created at the academy has be the examination site not just for first-years but for all grades! Prove yourself to those who mutter that it¡¯s a dungeon created by a first-year by ensuring no one can conquer the dungeon!]

    ...Huh?

    What?

 Chapter 300

    Professor Jesel of Dungeon Studies submitted the dungeon created by Lucy on the very day he discussed it with her.

    He never thought it would be rejected.

    While it was true that the other professors were a bunch of old farts who offloaded all their bothersome tasks onto the younger ones, they were also individuals enchanted by dungeons and had be professors of Dungeon Studies for that very reason.

    There was no way they would think to reject the marvelous dungeon created by Lucy. If they did, and insisted on bringing something else, then it would be time to throw all their seniority back at them.

    How could someone who didn''t recognize the greatness of this dungeon teach the subject of Dungeon Studies?

    A few days after submitting the dungeon, the head professor of Dungeon Studies summoned Jesel to his researchb.

    Outwardly, it appeared to be a personal conversation, but Jesel didn''t believe that for a moment.

    How could someone so busy managing their family, their research, and their position as head professor have time to sit down and drink tea leisurely?

    It must be about the dungeon he submitted yesterday.

    Convinced of this, Jesel assumed the worst and packed various materials¡ªanything he might need to push his point, regardless of what came up.

    Even as he arrived in front of the head professor''s researchb, he reminded himself of his resolve to fight for his academic pride, but that resolve shattered the instant theb door opened.

    ¡°Professor Jesel. You''vee?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Was thest time at thest gathering?¡±

    ¡°Oh my. Look at that stiff expression.¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry for making you call me here when you''re busy.¡±

    The head professor¡¯sb was not just upied by him.

    All the professors of Dungeon Studies, who rarely gathered due to their own research, were all there in one ce.

    ¡°...Good evening, professors.¡±

    Recalling the nightmares from past thesis reviews, Jesel broke into a cold sweat and quickly lowered his head.

    ¡°Is there any particr reason for you all to be here?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. Do researchers in the same field need a reason to gather?¡±

    ¡°Wee together when there¡¯s something to discuss, right?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Seeing them continue to speak so naturally as if they had all conspired together, Jesel stammered.

    What reason could there be for this group of people, who avoided going out even when asked by the dean, to gather here?

    What¡¯s going on? Even if the dean begged them to meet, it wouldn¡¯t usually gather this many!

    ¡°Hey! You lot! Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re making Professor Jesel ufortable?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you initiate this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re such a peculiar bunch.¡±

    ¡°Enough! We can''t waste Professor Jesel''s precious time, so let''s get right to the point. The reason we called you here is because of the dungeon you submitted for the final exam.¡±

    The moment the head professor mentioned the final exam dungeon, Jesel became even more confused about the situation.

    If they were simply going to reject the dungeon, the head professor could just wave his hand and it would be done.

    ¡°Professor Jesel, you know there have been quite a few incidents at our academy recently, right?¡±

    ¡°The incident during the entrance exam. The kidnapping of the Third Prince. The apostle of the evil god attacking the streets.¡±

    ¡°And don¡¯t forget. The fact that the Lady Alrn cleared the academy dungeon in just one day. Because of that, all those pesky rumors about how easy the dungeon was have been circting.¡±

    ¡°Professor Margot, maintain your dignity.¡±

    ¡°Am I saying anything false? The head professor here gathered us because he¡¯s displeased with how all these nuisances are talking about us!¡±

    ¡°Margot! Enough! I¡¯m talking with Professor Jesel right now!¡±

    ¡°Oh, my. I apologize.¡±

    As Margot offered a yfulugh and bowed his head, the head professor turned his attention back to Jesel.

    ¡°With so many incidentstely, the reputation of the Dungeon Studies department at Soul Academy has taken a hit. Do you understand this much?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand, but how does that rte to the final exam dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Your dungeon, the one Lady Alrn was in charge of designing, is remarkably high in quality. Anyone with knowledge of dungeons would undoubtedly be in awe.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    The dungeon created by Lucy, which even Jesel had to admit was impressive, so what was there to say about its greatness?

    ¡°The n is to spread the fame of that dungeon in order to restore our lost reputation.¡±

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    ¡°After reviewing the structure of the dungeon, I found manypromises made due to the set resources. So tell the Lady not to worry about restrictions and to fully unleash her talent.¡±

    She can put in whatever gimmicks she wants without any limitations?!

    Remembering all the various gimmicks that had been discarded due to the constraints of reality during his discussions with Lucy, Jesel¡¯s eyes sparkled as the head professor raised one corner of his mouth in a smile.

    ¡°It would also be nice to let her know that all students at the academy will be taking their final exam through that dungeon. We''ll take care of the grades by ss, so don''t worry about that.¡±

    After that, the head professor shared many messages that should be conveyed to Lucy.

    With that many things to say, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to tell her directly? This thought crossed Jesel¡¯s mind, but he kept it to himself.

    It was clear, wasn¡¯t it? He was probably worried about what kind of things he might hear when facing Lucy directly.

    ¡°I think that''s about all I need to say.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and if you have any concerns about the dungeon creation process, be sure to go see Professor Margot.¡±

    ¡°Hey! How dare you say that when you¡¯ve got all those researchers packed into yourb!¡±

    ¡°In a little while, one of them will be graduating and leaving!¡±

    ¡°It would also be nice to let them know that Professor Noruga invited them for tea.¡±

    ¡°Please. Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Isn¡¯t that a futile hope? She¡¯s the only child of the Alrn family, so it¡¯s not like she could be a professor.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring reality into this!¡±

    ¡°What if that strange Lady Alrn is an exception?¡±

    Watching the prominent professors in academia bicker over taking one person under their wing, Jesel let out a sigh as he bowed to the head professor and then fled from that ce.

    <strong>¡°That¡¯s the gist of it.¡±</strong>

    Hearing the full story from the professor of Dungeon Studies, I couldn¡¯t hold back the sigh escaping my lips.

    When I saw the quest given by the perverted deity, I wondered what was going on, but it turned out there had been discussions in my absence.

    Who would have thought the pride of a stagnant pool would be restored in this manner? I truly hadn¡¯t imagined it.

    ¡°...You seem to be feeling unwell. I thought you would be pleased.¡±

    Was this reaction unexpected? The professor of Dungeon Studies cautiously gauged my expression.

    I understood her surprise. If it had been me a few days ago, I would have cheered at the fact that I could create the dungeon I wanted without worrying about resources.

    Political reasons?

    Comints from various students?

    Why should I care?

    What mattered to me was creating a perfect dungeon!

    In the past, I had certainly been pleased by the fact that I could get closer to the ideal I desired, and I would have done my utmost to draft the dungeon.

    But now, I couldn¡¯t do that.

    Even knowing that I could incorporate all kinds of elements, I wasn¡¯t able to rejoice.

    It was all because of the quest given by that thoughtless perverted deity!

    [Your Pride]

    [Create a dungeon that no one at the academy can conquer!]

    To me, a dungeon was onlypleted when someone could conquer it.

    How could a ce that guaranteed failure the moment someone set foot inside be called a dungeon?@@novelbin@@

    A dungeon that could not be conquered should be called a grave instead, I thought, and when I was creating the final exam dungeon, I designed it with the assumption that someone would seed in conquering it.

    Why do you think I asked my friends to please conquer the dungeon in front of them?

    I believed that if no one seeded in conquering it, the dungeon I created would remain unfinished, so I even went so far as to persuade them by saying I would do anything!

    Yet, this damn perverted loser gave me a quest to create a dungeon that no one could conquer!

    How could a being like the deity, who should understand what his apostle wants, give such a quest?!

    Why does he do something that invites scorn?!

    If it¡¯s not an urgent matter like the incident in Menestail or the Burrow territory, then shouldn¡¯t he think a little before giving quests?

    [Reward: Increased Reputation. Unlocking three hidden conditions of the tutorial. Clue about the Seed of the Hero.]

    [If you fail: Something humiliating that will be a dark history.]

    What¡¯s even more frustrating is that there¡¯s no need to seed in this quest.

    The rewards granted upon sess are undoubtedly intriguing, but they aren¡¯t essential to me right now, and the punishment for failure isn¡¯t as extreme as a game over.

    If the rewards for sess were essential to me right now,

    If the condition of losing my life were tied to failure,

    I would have willingly created a dungeon that no one could conquer.

    I would have pushed myself to do so, using the excuse that the perverted deity forced me to do it.

    That wouldn¡¯t be hard at all. With all the various torturous dungeons I had conquered in the past, I could easily make a grave for students by borrowing a few gimmicks.

    But our filthy loser perverted deity didn¡¯t attach such extreme matters like usual.

    Instead, he offered me a quest in which I was given the choice of whether to do it or not, cing mediocre rewards and punishments.

    Should I maintain my pride as a stagnant pool?

    Or abandon my beliefs to avoid punishment and receive rewards?

    He¡¯s presenting me with a despicable dichotomy that makes me want to curse!

    When I pondered why this perverted deity would offer such a quest,

    I figured out what he was aiming for.

    He wanted to induce me into receiving a punishment because I couldn¡¯t abandon the pride of a stagnant pool.

    To present me with ¡®something humiliating that would be a dark history.¡¯

    That punishment would undoubtedly involve something filled with the perverted desires of this twisted deity.

    If the perverted apostle saw it, he would lose himself and head towards the deity he serves.

    And the crow goddess who resides there would also probably be bleeding from her nose and fainting.

    So if I wanted to protect my dignity,

    To prevent the twisted desires of that loser deity from being fulfilled,

    I would have to create a dungeon that no one could conquer,

    But I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it.

    Sigh. I couldn¡¯t deform the first dungeon I ever created into a torturous one.

    Though I didn''t know what that pedophile deity had prepared for me,

    I figured it would probably be on par with, if not worse than, wearing a bunny girl costume.

    While it was true that Aramadi was a perverted idiot more interested in sexual walls than righteousness, he was still a deity.

    There was no way he would make hispetent apostle think about changing sides.

    Unless I was absent, he would surely not do something like that. Right?

    So, regardless of whether the quest seeded or failed, I would just focus on creating the dungeon I wanted.

    Resolving to think positively,

    If someone is moved after seeing the end of the dungeon I created, I would be happy even if I received a punishment.

    And if no one could conquer the dungeon, it would be sad, but I could console myself with the reward.

    Having ended my deliberation, I stood up after receiving the dungeon creation forms from the professor of Dungeon Studies.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, before you leave, I have to ask one thing.¡±

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    ¡°What is it? Make it quick. My time is valuable, unlike yours.¡±

    ¡°Is there a professor among the Dungeon Studies faculty that you would like to meet?¡±

    The moment I heard Jesel¡¯s question, a chill ran down my spine.

    Isn¡¯t this that?

    A proposal for very!

    Is my dungeon so attractive that it has surpassed the reputation of Lucy Alrn?!

    ¡®...No?¡¯

    ¡°Is that a question? Do you think I¡¯d want to meet some old, smelly, decrepit person?¡±

    I appreciate thepliment, but I¡¯ll pass on the offer to be a ve!

    I may have briefly thought about wanting to be a professor, but I don¡¯t want to endure a life of servitude to achieve that!

    ¡°Hmm. If it¡¯s not an old man, then...¡±

    Seeing the light in the head professor¡¯s eyes, I quickly escaped from the professor¡¯sb.

 Chapter 301

    With her eyes closed, Faivy was reciting the incantations of divine magic, surrounded by countless magic circles drawn around her. The perfection of each magic circle enveloping her surpassed that of ordinary clergy handling a single spell.

    There was no need to exin just how monstrous Faivy was for being able to maintain all those.

    As Johan quietly observed the scene, he noticed a tremor at the edges of several magic circles and slowly opened his mouth.

    ¡°Saint. Let¡¯s stop for today.¡±

    ¡°Bishop. I¡¯m not done yet.¡±

    ¡°Continuing beyond this will only hinder tomorrow¡¯s practice.¡±

    At Johan¡¯s firm voice, Faivy let out a long sigh and opened her eyes. The divine energy enveloping her scattered and settled onto the ground with a bright light.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    ¡°No, I hardly did anything.¡±

    Faivy wiped her sweat and expressed humility, but Johan shook his head at her modesty.

    ¡°Excessive humility can be detrimental. The growth you¡¯re showing is significant enough for someone like me, who has seen many, to notice.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Do I look like someone who would joke around?¡±

    Johan had been working at the Church of the Divine for decades since just leaving his family.

    From his perspective, having seen countless clergy, Faivy''s growth was truly astonishing.

    Faivy was not someone who had just stepped onto the path of a priest.

    She was already a clergyman skilled enough to be called a saint.

    It ismon sense that as one¡¯s level rises, it bes harder to go further up, but the growth Faivy was showing was directly contradicting thatmon sense.

    It was astonishing that someone who had reached such a level was disying rapid growth as if they had no foundation at all.

    ¡°Haha. It seems that the training method the youngdy taught you has been a great help.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, the training method she taught was excellent.¡±

    The training method given by the one favored by the Divine was unlike any other methods Johan had known.

    It was a crude approach, like the mindless exercises used by knights to build muscle, a method that no one in the Church of the Divine would use.

    ¡°It was enough to let an old man waiting for death know the joy of growth.¡±

    However, Johan believed in Lucy Alrn more than the Church of the Divine, and as a result, he seeded in achieving much faster growth than before.

    ¡°However, about the saint¡¯s¡­¡±

    Johan, who was unconsciously voicing his thoughts, stopped midway when he saw Faivy tilting her head in confusion.

    What he was about to say was that Faivy''s rapid growth was not simply due to a change in training methods.

    The scope of Faivy¡¯s growth was too great to be attributed only to a change in training.

    It was as if she had gained some enlightenment while reproducing miracles in the Barrow territory.

    He didn¡¯t say it all because Johan roughly suspected the reason for this growth.

    This was something that had to be felt and realized by oneself. Realizing it through someone else¡¯s exnation would only diminish its meaning.

    ¡°Bishop?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I was just wondering why you keep calling Lady Alrn ''youngdy.''¡±

    So Johan shifted the conversation to another topic, hoping that Faivy woulde to realize this fact on her own someday.

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°I was curious why you call Lady Alrn ''youngdy'' while referring to the other youngdies just as ''youngdy.''¡±

    Since it was something he had often wondered about, Johan continued without a hint of hesitation.

    However, one thing Johan did not expect was that every time he spoke, Faivy¡¯s cheeks gradually turned red.

    ¡°Saint?¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s¡­ um¡­¡±

    ¡°Is there a reason you can¡¯t say it?¡±

    ¡°No! It¡¯s not that. Um. When everyone else calls her ''youngdy'' and I alone call her ''youngdy,'' it stands out. You know¡­?¡±

    With her voice growing fainter as she spoke, Johan finally couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter.

    He wondered what the reason could be for her to struggle with her words, and it turned out she wanted to stand out in front of Lady Alrn!

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh! I told you not tough!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that thinking about how much you must have struggled to decide on that title makes me smile.¡±

    ¡°Bishop!¡±

    With her face flushed and at a loss for what to do, Faivy looked at Johan with a teasing smile.

    Thinking back, the reason she had asked for his teachings was also to win against Lady Alrn in a bet.

    She must want to be seen as special by someone she holds dear.

    How refreshing.

    ¡°If Lady Alrn finds out, she¡¯ll surely find it very amusing.¡±

    ¡°¡­You must absolutely not tell her?!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you do in the future, Saint.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. If I had known this would happen, I should have just kept my mouth shut.¡±

    What had happened to the dignity of a saint? With her voice raised and arms waving, Faivy asked Johan to keep her secret as she exited his room.

    If she was acting like this when I asked, I wonder how she would react if Lady Alrn directly asked herter.

    It would be nice if she could ask in a ce where I could see it directly. That would be entertaining.

    ¡°Did you hear that, Karia? The saint is asking us to keep a secret.¡±

    How long had it been since Faivy left? When her footsteps faded, Johan spoke up, and the door opened to reveal Karia.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not the type to be so malicious as to spill something like that.¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s a relief.¡±

    As soon as the door closed, Johan stood up and headed toward the pantry.

    ¡°How about the ring I gave you?¡±

    ¡°I lost it. It seems I dropped it somewhere along the road, but I couldn¡¯t find it.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I see.¡±

    As they exchanged a prearranged code, the rxed expression on Johan¡¯s face vanished, reced by a strict demeanor.

    ¡°You came to hear about the church¡¯s movements, right?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I have a general understanding, but it¡¯s best to cross-verify with you, Bishop.¡±

    ¡°I understand. First of all, I must tell you that the Church of the Divine is still searching for the one who saved the Barrow territory.¡±

    The inquisitor who visited the Barrow territory had engraved the divine essence of the Divine on the entire territory.

    Therefore, even though the apostle of the Arts Academy imed to have saved this ce, they did not trust that story.

    Officially, they praised the achievements of the apostle of the Arts Academy while secretly digging to find out who truly saved the Barrow territory.

    ¡°However, it seems they haven¡¯t obtained any usible clues.¡±

    When the people from the Church of the Divine visited the Barrow territory through official routes, Lucy and herpanions'' traces had already been erased.

    No matter how powerful the authority of the Church was, creating something out of nothing was impossible.

    Even if those affiliated with the Church desperately searched for the savior, they wouldn¡¯t find anything substantial.

    ¡°So it seems they¡¯re looking around based on suspicion, but the results aren¡¯t very promising.¡±

    ¡°Are you and the saint under suspicion?¡±

    ¡°Since we¡¯re staying in the Artea territory due to matters rted to Lady Alrn''s mace, it¡¯s all ounted for. Besides, the Church still doesn¡¯t know what kind of existence Lady Alrn is, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡±

    ¡°It seems it¡¯s not much different from what I¡¯ve gathered. That¡¯s a relief.¡±

    ¡°Should we really consider that a relief? It¡¯s concerning that someone favored by the Divine has to hide their identity.¡±

    While riding in the carriage, Johan felt a bitter taste and pulled out a container filled with sugar cubes from the pantry.

    ¡°Do you like sweets?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll put in two.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that sounds good.¡±

    Faivy¡¯s heated face finally returned to its original pale state when she reached near Soul Academy.

    Haah. I should have just kept my mouth shut. I unconsciously let it slip thinking of the old, stern Bishop Johan.

    ...He wouldn¡¯t speak of it, would he? Surely he wouldn¡¯t tell Lady Alrn, right?

    If Lady Alrn knew about my desire to be regarded as special, I would die from embarrassment!

    ¡°Saint!¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?!¡±

    In the midst of her wandering thoughts, Faivy instinctively answered someone¡¯s question, making a foolish sound.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt when you were thinking about something!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. What is it, then?¡±

    ¡°Did you see the notice that went up in the za?¡±

    ¡°No. I was out because I had something to do today.¡±

    As Faivy shook her head, the girl¡¯s face visibly brightened.

    ¡°They said this dungeon studies exam will be conducted with the same dungeon for all grades!¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes! If you go to the za, you¡¯ll find more details!¡±

    After thanking the girl, Faivy moved towards the za.

    Despite the early winter night approaching, many people had gathered in the za to check the notices.

    If I get caught up in them, it would be troublesome, so let¡¯s enhance my vision to check the contents.

    The notice hung in the middle of the za stated the following:

    The dungeon studies exam wouldst throughout the final exam period. The number of attempts is unlimited.

    The partyposition could be done freely.

    Although the foundation of the dungeon is the same, there will be different aspects depending on the grade.

    Additionally, many other points were written there, but the most striking part was regarding the rewards for conquering the dungeon.

    ¡°¡­An essory personally crafted by the apostle of the Arts Academy?¡±

    Faivy roughly knew how much the essories made and blessed by the Arts Academy were worth.

    Items crafted by bishops would typicallymand a hefty price, so if the item were crafted by the apostle of the Arts Academy¡­

    This is a serious matter.

    The apostle of the Arts Academy, who wouldn¡¯t hand over their essories to anyone unless they recognized them, provided their essory as a reward for the dungeon, which surely means Lady Alrn had requested it.

    Otherwise, the apostle of the Arts Academy wouldn¡¯t have allowed their essories to be tied to something like this.

    This means Lady Alrn judged that the dungeon she created was difficult enough that the reward should be an essory made directly by the apostle.

    The fact that Lady Alrn, who holds different standards from ordinary people, made such a judgment means thepleted dungeon must be of a level that no one could pass.

    ¡­

    I need to go meet the people who decided to conquer the dungeon together.

    I need to discuss this quickly.

    They must be practicing their coordination at the training ground, right?

    Faivy¡¯s guess was correct.

    Arthur, Joy, and Faivy. The three of them were in their usual spot at the training ground.

    However, the one thing that was different from usual was the presence of an uninvited guest there.

    ¡°Brother.¡±

    Cecile Sdine.

    The Second Prince of the Sdine Kingdom was looking down at Arthur.

 Chapter 303

    The moment I stepped into the dungeon for testing, the surrounding scenery transformed.

    It took on the appearance of a quiet mansion.

    The scene unfolded just as I had envisioned.

    The various paintings hanging on the walls,

    the slightly dark, heavy atmosphere naturally formed,

    and the reverberation that spread and echoed with each step I took.@@novelbin@@

    All of it made me smile involuntarily.

    I had said the dungeon studies professor would be surprised, and it really was true.

    The feeling when I stepped into the dungeon created by the academy waspletely different from that of stepping into the one I designed.

    As I walked down the corridor with a racing heart, enjoying the sounds around me, an old man expressed his astonishment with a slightly raised voice.

    <Impressive. How could you create something like this after seeing that awful painting?>

    ¡®Are you referring to the background of the dungeon that I drew?¡¯

    <Why ask the obvious? I¡¯m talking about that picture that looks like it was drawn by a five-year-old on the dirt floor.>

    ¡®A five-year-old can''t draw that kind of thing?!¡¯

    My drawing skills aren¡¯t that great, but I¡¯m better than a kid who just runs around without any thought!

    At the very least, I know about perspective! I understand depth! I can do detailed descriptions!

    Of course, I don¡¯t know the details well enough to put them to use, but still, I¡¯m not to bepared to clueless little kids!

    <I know a kid who mastered shading by himself when he was five.> ¡®...Isn¡¯t that person a crazy genius?¡¯ <That may be true, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re worse than a five-year-old.> ¡®If you set that person as a standard, most people in the world would be worse than a five-year-old?!¡¯

    As I countered the old man¡¯s unreasonable ims, I engraved the scenery of the dungeon in my mind.

    Once the excitement settled, I started noticing the finer details.

    There were slight shorings in the intricate parts.

    Especially the year written beneath this final portrait, which needs to be urate as it will be one of the cluester on.

    I should jot it down in my notepad so I can request correctionster. After walking through the corridor for a few minutes, I reached a dead end.

    I headed toward the empty cradle in front of the wall and picked up a piece of paper contained within it.

    <ul>

    <li>To escape the maze, you must find the exit.</li>

    </ul>

    As soon as I read the phrase that someone would nod along to, saying, "That''s because it''s a maze," the scenery of the mansion crumbled and was reced by something else.

    Where there had been carpet, bricks emerged.

    The scarlet walls scattered, revealing a training ground that could be somewhere nearby.

    Where the portrait had been, numerous soldier faces were engraved.

    The transition of the background was neat. It gave the impression of moving to a new space. A student seeing this for the first time would surely gasp in awe, right?

    Hehe. I¡¯m looking forward to it. I¡¯ll be sure to ask Joy how it waster.

    ¡°Hey! You there! No time to dawdle!¡±

    While I imagined Joy¡¯s flustered appearance, a rough-looking knight from afar raised his voice.

    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re the only one taking the test today?!¡±

    As he called out, a soldier appeared before me.

    He had amanding presence, with muscles that suggested rigorous training.

    Calloused hands gripping a spear.

    An aura of martial prowess exuded from his movements.

    Anyone could sense that this soldier possessed outstanding skills, and as he took his stance, the knight in the distance shouted again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll begin immediately!¡±

    ¡®Excuse me...¡¯

    ¡°Hey, you loud-mouthed idiot knight. What test are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯ve already forgotten what I just told you, it¡¯s better to fall! Figure it out yourself!¡±

    Alright. The tutorial is going just as I imagined.

    It¡¯s amusing that they¡¯re conducting a test without revealing the content.

    That knight will not disclose the details of the test no matter what. Therefore, those who came to conquer the dungeon must discover the test¡¯s contents for themselves.

    While I pondered over the intricate details, the soldier before me smiled.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re ready. Are you prepared?¡±

    ¡®Yes. Of course.¡¯

    ¡°Why would I need to be prepared to deal with someone like you? Come at me. I¡¯m not afraid of a little girl like you.¡±

    As the soldier clicked his tongue and charged at me, I pulled out my shield from my inventory.

    The spear being thrust from afar looked sharp enough to pierce my heart the moment I let my guard down.

    However, the power it should possess to be effective iscking.

    No exceptional skill is needed to block that spear.

    Just extending the shield is enough.

    ng! The tip of the spear struck the shield but failed to prate, bouncing upward.

    With that, a massive opening appeared in the soldier''s defenses.

    Hmm. Even though this is just a tutorial, isn¡¯t the opponent a bit too weak?

    At this rate, who would bother to figure out the conditions of the test? They¡¯d probably just crush the soldier and move on.

    This tutorial, meant to teach that you have to figure out the gimmicks to break through, is going to be troublesome if it continues like this.

    I¡¯ll need to raise the difficulty a bit.

    With that decision made, I dashed toward the bewildered soldier and smashed the wooden panel affixed to his right armor.

    ¡°The first test is over! You¡¯ve passed magnificently!¡±

    The knight, who had initially been shouting haphazardly, announced the end of the test.

    Although I had only entered the beginning of the dungeon, it seemed the overall structure was properly established.

    If I just fix the details a bit, I can recreate the dungeon I envisioned perfectly.

    ¡°Now, we¡¯ll proceed to the next test!¡±

    The following tutorial was not significantly different from the first one.

    The gimmicks were functioning normally, but the soldiers were too weak.

    Even though this was a dungeon meant for first-years to conquer, isn¡¯t this a bit too easy?

    It feels as if the dungeon¡¯s creator is looking down on the first-years.

    ¡®What do you think, old man? Isn¡¯t it too weak?¡¯

    <It is indeed weak. At this level, anyone could break through it with brute force.>

    ¡®Right? My standards aren¡¯t too high, are they?¡¯

    Once the dungeon conquest is over, I¡¯ll have to go see the dungeon studies professor and tell him to raise the tutorial¡¯s difficulty.

    At this rate, the tutorial won¡¯t serve its purpose.

    ¡°...Congrattions. You¡¯ve ovee the trial to be an adventurer.¡±

    The moment I finished the tutorial by crushing the boisterous knight, the surroundings shifted again. This time, it appeared as a dark, gloomy cave.

    The suffocatingly thin air.

    The only light source was the faint glowing from the ceiling.

    I smiled with satisfaction at this ominous scenery, and upon hearing a sound from behind, I turned my head.

    The red eyes sitting in the cave''s darkness were sorge they seemed simr to my hands.

    Threatening fangs that could pierce steel.

    Fur that looked as tough as wire.

    ws scraping against the stone floor as if it were dirt.

    Seeing the scene that anyone would find terrifying brought an involuntary smile to my face.

    Oh, really.

    If it¡¯s made this well, it could be a problem.

    With this, I can¡¯t help but look forward to what lies beyond.

    Originally, I intended to focus on QA rather than conquering the dungeon, but my mind has changed.

    With my heart racing like this, I won¡¯t be able to scrutinize all the details carefully!

    So, for now, I¡¯ll conquer the dungeon!

    Then I¡¯ll take my time to review it again and supplement the details!

    With that resolution, I lifted the corners of my mouth and gripped my mace tightly.

    ¡°Please! Professor! I can¡¯t rewrite that thesis from scratch!...¡±

    Margean, a graduate student from the Dungeon Studies department, woke up from his nightmare and let out a sigh of relief upon realizing it was just a dream.

    It had been truly terrible. The professor had torn apart the thesis I wrote, saying it was not worthy of being called a thesis and ordered me to start over from the beginning.

    If something like that happened in reality, I would have immediately smashed the window and jumped out.

    Wiping the cold sweat off his forehead, Margean stretched and looked around.

    There were people sprawled out like corpses everywhere.

    They had all pulled all-nighters for several days to create the final exam dungeon.

    Just a moment ago, Margean had upied one corner of that pile of corpses, and he recalled how things had ended up like this.

    The beginning of this catastrophe was the dungeon created by Lady Lucy, belonging to the Alrn family.

    The dungeon she had created was so beautiful that anyone majoring in dungeon studies would be left in awe.

    When Margean first saw that dungeon, he became envious of the talent possessed by Lucy Alrn.

    However, the admiration of the other graduate students vanished the moment they heard the words from their supervising professor.

    ¡°Now, you all will create this dungeon yourselves. What do you think? Isn¡¯t it exciting to create this work of art yourself?¡±

    The fact that the dungeon was so beautiful that those walking the path of academia would admire it also meant it was a bizarre and finicky dungeon.

    ¡°Are we really expected to create something like this? And we have to do it two weeks before the final exam?!¡±

    To meet that deadline, it wasn¡¯t just a matter of not going home; it meant sacrificing sleep entirely for the duration of the work!

    Hearing the supervising professor''s words, all the graduate students screamed in their minds, but no one dared to voice theirints to him.

    Having lived as graduate students for a long time, they were already ustomed to being treated like ves.

    How many days had they spent cooped up in theb, only to be scolded for thinking one hour of sleep was too much?

    By yesterday, the graduate students had seeded inpleting the dungeon.

    After handing it over to the professor, they all copsed as if they had fainted.

    Let¡¯s see. Is it around 4 PM now?

    I¡¯ve been out cold for almost half a day.

    But why do I still feel so sleepy?

    Yawn. Since Lady Alrn, who was in charge of the dungeon¡¯s design, said she would personally conquer it to identify parts needing revision, QA will take some time.

    So, it should be fine to sleep a bit longer, right?

    Margean thought he would sleep until tomorrow morning, and as he closed his eyes again,

    ¡°Wake up, you graduate students worse than ves.¡±

    With the sound of the door flinging open, a clear, beautiful, and annoying voice filled Margean¡¯s ears.

    ¡°I checked how poorly you turned the wonderful dungeon I created into garbage.¡±

    ...Already?

    Has the dungeon confirmation already beenpleted?!

    Considering the difficulty of that dungeon, there¡¯s no way they could finish QA at this hour, right?!

    ¡°I must say, you all put in some effort, even if you¡¯re pathetic enough to not even be able to write a proper thesis. But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re pathetic, does it? I¡¯ll tell you the parts that need revision, so engrave it in that tiny brain of yours.¡±

    Seeing Lucy Alrn¡¯s triumphant gaze, Margean couldn¡¯t help but shed tears.

    It seems he would need to struggle for several more days to get a proper sleep.

 Chapter 304

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect His Highness the Second Prince toe find me.¡±

    Jeff Parn, the heir of the Parn Duke family, shrugged his shoulders in feigned surprise as he looked at the Second Prince before him.

    ¡°That goes for me as well. Who would have thought I¡¯d end up seeking out a wizard first?¡±

    Cecile, who had trained alongside various knights in the royal pce his entire life, had a tendency to dismiss the existence of wizards.

    Thus, Cecile didn¡¯t feel the need to approach Jeff, and Jeff thought there was nothing to gain from getting close to the Second Prince, who had almost no chance of inheriting the throne, so he also refrained from approaching him.

    Because of this, despite frequently crossing paths over the past two years, the two were practically strangers.

    ¡°May I ask the purpose of your visit?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you guess? It¡¯s about something rted to dungeons.¡±

    ¡°Are you suggesting we form a party?¡±

    ¡°Correct.¡±

    Despite not liking wizards, Cecile recognized Jeff''s skills.

    If he could team up with him, they would surely be able to conquer the dungeon much more efficiently.

    Having reached that conclusion, Cecile lowered his pride and came to meet Jeff directly.

    ¡°This is unexpected. I didn¡¯t think His Highness the Second Prince would be interested in essories.¡±

    Jeff¡¯s tone carried a hint of sarcasm,ced with criticism towards Cecile, who usually looked down on wizards.

    Cecile, sensitive to the criticism directed at him, quickly grasped his intent but chose to smile instead of getting angry.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. What I¡¯m after is merely the fame of being the first conqueror of the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Jeff pondered while observing Cecile¡¯s expression and demeanor.

    Normally, the Second Prince would have thrown a fit by now.

    Could it be that he was in such a dire and desperate situation?

    Indeed, the Second Prince had be so focused on martial skills that he was clumsy in politics and negotiation.

    If he revealed his weaknesses like this, wouldn¡¯t it be far too easy to pick at them?@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I apologize, Your Highness.¡±

    It seemed certain that entering the Second Prince¡¯s party was a given.

    Regardless of his chances of bing king, he was still a man with the blood of a duke and a king.

    There¡¯s no harm in owing him a favor.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to receive your proposal, but...¡±

    However, I shouldn¡¯t nod my head right away.

    That way, the Second Prince wouldn¡¯t feel as though he owed me something.

    It would be right to bounce back a couple of times to make him anxious before finally nodding.

    ¡°There are already others I¡¯ve agreed to team up with.¡±

    It wouldn¡¯t be bad to gather some rights to the essories while at it.

    essories made by the Apostle of the Arts Academy were renowned for their beauty.

    If I gave one to my younger sister, she would surely be delighted. She might even run up to me, saying, ¡°I love it, big brother!¡±

    Imagining Joy acting all cute like when she was younger made Jeff chuckle inwardly while outwardly letting out a dramatic sigh of disappointment.

    ¡°Please understand.¡±

    Even though Joy was not involved, he was a meticulous person like this.

    The 100th floor of the academy¡¯s second-semester dungeon.

    The moment Arthur confirmed that the boss guarding the ce had crumbled, an exit appeared. He lowered his raised sword.

    ¡°Did I finally seed in conquering the academy dungeon?¡±

    It had truly been a long and arduous journey.

    Specifically, it had been grueling due to one person.

    Frey, who met Arthur¡¯s gaze as he seemed so cold, tilted her head as if to ask why he was making that expression.

    That clueless look of hers was incredibly frustrating.

    How many times had they faced crises because of her sudden actions?

    Thanks to their bet with Lucy Alrn, Frey was obliged to follow orders, or they would still be wandering around the 80th floor.

    ¡°Third Prince. You really do like the small ones.¡±

    ¡°That re is meant as a reprimand! Frey Kent!¡±

    Hearing Frey¡¯s absurdment, Arthur exploded with anger.

    ¡°Reprimand? I did well today, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did well today. However, didn¡¯t you act on your own previously, causing all sorts of incidents?¡±

    ¡°Obsessing over past events is a bad habit.¡±

    ¡°...Sigh. I feel like the dungeon bossmunicated better than you did.¡±

    As Arthur sighed, feeling he had no confidence in winning, Joy chuckled from beside them.

    ¡°Still, it feels like we¡¯re finally in sync now. If we continue like this, conquering the dungeon should go smoothly.¡±

    ¡°Right. At least until we conquer the dungeon created by Lucy Alrn, this beast will cooperate.¡±

    In response to Arthur¡¯s blunt dismissal of Frey, Faivy cautiously raised her voice.

    ¡°Third Prince, no matter what, calling Lady Kent a beast is...¡±

    ¡°Saintess, what else can you call a creature that doesn¡¯tmunicate but has sharp fangs?¡±

    ¡°It is true thatmunication iscking, but...¡±

    Faivy couldn¡¯t bring herself to refute Arthur¡¯s words.

    The incidents that had arisen because of Frey were far from few; it was unavoidable.

    ¡°Very well, I understand the Saintess¡¯s words. It¡¯s not right to call apanion a beast.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for understanding.¡±

    Arthur waved his hand at Faivy, who bowed her head, and she felt it was alright. He sheathed his sword and stretched.

    After resolving to conquer the dungeon, thest few weeks had been a relentless effort on their part.

    And soon, they would find out what the fruits of thatbor would be.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day for now. Starting tomorrow, let¡¯s focus on managing our conditions since finals are just around the corner.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa, we¡¯re in big trouble.¡±

    <Why? Did the Divine One give a revtion again?>

    ¡°No, nothing like that.¡±

    <Then what?>

    ¡°I haven¡¯t studied at all for the finals.¡±

    The issuey in the fact that I had been entirely absorbed in creating the dungeontely.

    Normally, I would have at least pretended to study, but I hadpletely put aside other subjects in my focus on the dungeon creation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know what the scope of the finals is! What should I do? What should I do?!¡±

    <What¡¯s there to do? Just guess like you usually do. With your luck, you should get decent scores even if you randomly choose numbers. Or you could start studying from now on.>

    My brows furrowed at the old man¡¯s words, which showed not a trace of empathy.

    Isn¡¯t this the time to reassure me that he would help me out?

    His thoughtlessness is why he¡¯s been unpopr all his life. He¡¯s just an inconsiderate old man.

    <...It seems you¡¯re thinking something strange.>

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you several times not to read my thoughts.¡±

    <Sorry. But it justes out naturally.>

    With a shrug, the old man¡¯s casual apology made me sigh.

    The strengthened connection between us wasn¡¯t his fault.

    After all, I still dreamed of memories of when Adri was alive. The times when she was happy.

    ¡°Fine. Anyway, if you can give it your all in the environment you¡¯re in, it should be possible to be the first conqueror, right?¡±

    <Yes. Even if I look like this, I¡¯m quite strong!>

    Seeing Adri puff out her chest confidently made Bish chuckle.

    ¡°Show that strength when you be a second-year and conquer an external dungeon.¡±

    <Look forward to it!>

    ¡°Yeah, I will.¡±

    ¡°Bish!¡±

    Not long after I answered Adri, I heard someone calling my name from behind.

    Turning my head to follow the voice, I saw my long-time friends and the girl who had been forced into joining by Lucy standing in the middle of the line.

    ¡°You came out early. You¡¯re pretty close to the front.¡±

    ¡°Belma was waiting in line since dawn.¡±

    ¡°...Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I thought if I didn¡¯t do this, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get into the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to that, it looks like I¡¯ll be able to see the dungeon before taking the final exam.¡±

    ¡°Wow! Thanks, Belma! I¡¯ll buy you something deliciouster!¡±

    ¡°Hehe. It¡¯s nothing special.¡±

    ¡°Is it really nothing if you waited since dawn?¡±

    ¡°Right! Are you saying our Bish iszy?¡±

    ¡°Eh?! No, no!¡±

    ¡°Belma, don¡¯t be flustered. These two with bad tempers just want to insult me.¡±

    As Bish spoke, she affectionately patted Belma¡¯s head, causing the girl, who was at a loss, to nod with an awkward smile.

    ¡°Calling someone with a bad personality!¡±

    ¡°The worst is pretending to be nice after making ate entrance!¡±

    ¡°Wow. Look over there. The dungeon studies assistants areing. I guess it¡¯s about to start.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t change the subject!¡±

    ¡°You''re really dark inside and out!¡±

    ¡°...What do you mean by being dark outside?!¡±

    ¡°Everyone? Calm down! Calm down!¡±

    Regardless of how loud the voices rose between Bish and her friends, the assistants moved as instructed by the professors, and the dungeon for the final exam in dungeon studies was opened to the students.

    Then, after about half a day had passed,

    those desperately rushing for the first conquest of the dungeon realized why this dungeon would be open throughout the finals.

 Chapter 305

    As soon as the dungeon doors opened early in the morning, Arthur, who had entered inside, immediately began to vent his resentment toward Lucy.

    That insane girl!

    How many times had I told her not to set the difficulty based on her own standards? What is the meaning of this!

    The first opponent I encounter upon entering the dungeon is this strong!

    I sensed something was off from the first soldier I faced, but this knight at the end of the room surpassed all limits.

    Isn¡¯t this a monster that has exceeded the level of an active-duty knight?!

    ¡°Third Prince!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡±

    Twisting his body to dodge the sword swung by the knight, Arthur unleashed the fire magic he had prepared earlier right into the knight¡¯s face.

    As the magic struck, a tremendous sound erupted, and gray smoke began to rise.

    Arthur had thought that since he cast the magic with the intention of smashing the knight''s face, it would deal some damage, but his expectations werepletely dashed.

    The knight¡¯s face, rushing through the gray smoke, looked so unharmed it was questionable whether he had even been hit by the magic at all.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    As the knight charged at him, Arthur used wind magic to lighten his body and evaded the knight''s sword.

    From the start, attempting to block was not an option.

    The difference in physical strength between the knight and Arthur was so vast that even a clumsy defense would lead to death.

    As Arthur gritted his teeth while in a defensive position, Frey, who appeared behind the knight, lunged at his neck.

    Having received Faivy¡¯s buff, Frey resembled a beast shaped by the wind. No matter how overwhelming the knight¡¯s specs were, he couldn¡¯tpletely disregard her sword.

    As the knight took a step back to respond to Frey¡¯s attack, Arthur finally found a moment to catch his breath.

    ¡°Joy! Are you almost done?!¡±

    ¡°Almost there!... Casting isplete!¡±

    ¡°Good! Frey!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Frey, having confirmed the call, quickly wrapped her aura around her sword and unleashed her most powerful strike.

    ng! The sudden lethal strike was perplexing even for the knight.

    With his eyes wide open beneath his helmet, the knight hastily raised his sword to block Frey¡¯s attack.

    However, in doing so, he lost the opportunity to respond to what wasing next.

    ¡°Burn!¡±

    A red magic circle inscribed at the knight¡¯s feet erupted in crimson mes, engulfing him.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    From the heat akin to that of a forge melting iron, a pained groan escaped the knight¡¯s lips.

    Had the one inside been an ordinary human, they would have been consumed and perished by the mes by now, but the knight was no ordinary human.

    Before long, as if adapting to the heat of the mes, he gritted his teeth and swung his sword, cutting through the magic circle.

    As the mes dissipated, the knight emerged, breathing heavily.

    ¡°Was that not enough?¡±

    As Arthur frowned and clicked his tongue, the knight grinned beneath his helmet.

    ¡°Excellent. You have passed the test.¡±

    He exined that they needed to exit through the door ahead, and as he sheathed his sword, he vanished like a mirage.

    Following that, all the knights who had filled the training ground disappeared as well.

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m going to die.¡±

    Perhaps feeling assured of their safety, Frey, who had just stood at the front lines, without hesitation,y down on the floor.

    ¡°Frey Kent, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡±

    Perhaps displeased by her posture, Arthur frowned and scolded Frey, but she merely covered her ears, as if not hearing anything, showing no intention of getting up.

    ¡°Hey. Until Joy finishes her checks...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Third Prince. The checks are done! This ce is now safe.¡±

    ¡°See? I told you it was safe, Third Prince.¡±

    ¡°...Tch.¡±

    Clicking his tongue lightly, Arthur sheathed his sword and slumped down with a long sigh.

    ¡°Considering that I can¡¯t tell where to aim, the suggestion to attack the armor as a whole was valid. Well done, Joy.¡±

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t me; it was Faivy who suggested it, Third Prince. All I did was implement that suggestion.¡±

    ¡°No. If it weren¡¯t for your magic, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to implement it.¡±

    ¡°Is... that so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Joy, you yed a big role.¡±

    ¡°Right. The mes were really powerful and hot.¡±

    As the other three sessively praised her, Joy hurriedly covered her mouth with a fan she pulled from her bosom, likely embarrassed to reveal her loose smile.

    However, what she didn¡¯t anticipate was that her smile had also loosened her expression slightly.

    Arthur, watching Joy¡¯s face with fondness, soon chuckled lightly and checked his watch.

    Having just barely ovee the first room, was it already time to take the first test?

    ¡°Lucy Alrn. What on earth was she thinking when she set the difficulty of the dungeon like this?¡±

    Even with the four of them, possessing the highest abilities among the first years of Soul Academy, they had to put in a lot of effort to clear the first room.

    This meant that most students would likely experience failure in this space and be expelled from the dungeon.

    ¡°The same goes for the dungeon studies professors. If Lucy Alrn goes wild, shouldn¡¯t they control her from the back instead of encouraging her, saying she¡¯s doing well?¡±

    If the first room was this tough, how high would the difficulty be as they progressed?

    It wasn¡¯t without reason that the dungeon was opened for conquest throughout finals.

    Without such a time frame, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to attempt a proper conquest. As Arthur grumbled, Faivy, who had been quietly listening, soothed him with her soft voice and a smile.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s not all bad. At this difficulty, the seniors of the academy will also face challenges.¡±

    ¡°...That¡¯s true. If the first-year exam is this difficult, what kind of monsters will the upper grades be facing?¡±

    The knight they faced here had given Frey Kent and himself a hard time even with the support of the Saintess.

    The upper grades must be up against challenges far beyond this, and could ordinary second- or third-years handle it?

    ...An involuntary pity for them began to arise.

    ¡°Third Prince.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Joy?¡±

    ¡°Are we moving on from here, or are we going back?¡±

    ¡°...Hmm.¡±

    Considering the time taken to conquer the first room, it would be impossible to clear the second room before the next exam began.

    ¡°It¡¯s better to progress for now.¡±

    It was still right to move forward. Given that the dungeon''s difficulty was structured this way, the conquest would inevitably turn into a long battle.

    So, even if it meant failing, it would be better to engrave the next room in their minds and seek clues to conquer it.

    ¡°Then it seems we should start moving. If we dy too long, we won¡¯t be able to participate in the other exams.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Frey, get up. It¡¯s time to move.¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    After forcing the struggling Frey to stand, they transitioned to the next room, and ten minutester,

    Arthur, on the verge of being bitten by the fangs of a gigantic wolf, confirmed that his neck was intact and sighed in relief as he bowed his head.

    ¡°...Lucy Alrn!¡±

    And with that, he made a resolve in his heart.

    If he seeded in conquering the dungeon, he would leave an unforgettable, terrible nightmare in Lucy Alrn¡¯s mind.

    Lunchtime on the day of the finals.

    Having finished the Kingdom¡¯s history exam, I walked towards the dungeon studies exam location, humming a tune.

    When the old man had refused to cooperate, I had even considered just guessing everything. After all, this exam didn¡¯t matter whether I failed or passed.

    The penalty for failing the exam would merely mean missing out on the rewards given by the academy, which wasn¡¯t a big deal to me at this point.

    But when I thought about the possibility of failing due to bad luck, I realized I couldn¡¯t just half-heartedly prepare.

    Is Joy going to be all hyped up?

    That¡¯s fine. That¡¯s cute.

    ¡°Good job!¡± I could justugh it off.

    Arthur shrugging his shoulders would be the same.

    That¡¯s a bit annoying, but it¡¯s still within the eptable range for now.

    If it really bothered me, I could just increase the intensity of our training more than now.

    However, I could not forgive Frey calling me pathetic with her expressionless face.

    If she were tough at me as if I were ridiculous, I might seriously swing my mace imbued with divinity at her.

    Having resolved to prepare for the exam for the sake of Frey¡¯s safety rather than my own, I approached Avery, my subservient number two who had a weakness for me, and asked about the scope of various exams.

    I didn¡¯t think our little ve would know all the exam scopes, but I nned tomand her to investigate diligently and offer the information to me.

    But to my surprise, she seemed to know everything about the exam scopes I inquired about.

    Why was she studying so hard while being a personality like a dirty viiness?

    It was really annoying. At this rate, I¡¯d look like the onlyzy, pathetic person.

    ¡®Why are you angry when I answered you properly!... No, I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll apologize.¡¯

    Regardless, based on the exam scopes Avery had informed me about, I didn¡¯t study...

    but I used the log function to attempt legal cheating.

    How can cheating be legal, you ask?

    Of course, it can be legal. If you don¡¯t get caught, it¡¯s legal.

    That¡¯smon sense.

    If you didn¡¯t know, you should learn it from now on.

    Anyway, after sessfully passing the first exam using the log function, I was headed to the location where the dungeon studies exam would take ce to check the reactions to the dungeon I had created.

    Given the praise from the dungeon studies professors and assistants, the students of the academy would surely be in awe, right?

    ¡°Hey, what do you think of a dungeon like this?!¡±

    ¡°Lady Alrn is incredible!¡±

    ¡°I thought she was only good at conquering, but she¡¯s also skilled at creation, huh?¡±

    Expecting such reactions, I stepped into the area where the dungeon entrance was located, but the scenery there waspletely different from my expectations.

    ¡°Just how many times did I die inside that dungeon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve tried more than twenty times, but I couldn¡¯t even clear the first room.¡±

    ¡°Really, what was she thinking when she made such a dungeon?¡±

    It was a sort of hell drawn with despair and resentment.

    ¡°The second room is even worse. Ugh, I¡¯m still shaking.¡±

    ¡°My friend went to change because he wet his pants.¡±

    ¡°Is that your story?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a friend¡¯s story!¡±

    ¡°Sigh. I missed the exam time while trying to conquer the dungeon. I feel like killing myself.¡±

    Amidst the moans of those sitting on the ground, there was no admiration for the dungeon.

    What filled their voices was pure hatred. Just hatred.

    ¡°I really want to kill the bastard who made this dungeon.¡±

    ¡°I heard it was the Lady of the Alrn family.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe that? It¡¯s just someone who got lucky because the professors made it.¡±

    ¡°So then, should we beat up the dungeon studies professors?¡±

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°If I could, I would.¡±

    The atmosphere suggested they would tie up the dungeon creator and burn him at the stake if he showed up. I quietly stepped back.

    It was obvious that if I got involved and said something stupid, I would end up in a worse situation.@@novelbin@@

    ...

    For now, I should refrain from wandering around at night.

 Chapter 306

    It was lunchtime at Seoul Academy.

    Arthur, having been the first to finish his exam, took a seat in the corner of the dining hall, his brow furrowed in frustration. His mind was filled with the memory of the second chamber in the Dungeon Studies exam.

    A dark, maze-like cave with no clear exit, where he had been relentlessly pursued by a massive wolf amidst a cacophony of noise.

    "Was that ce even meant to be passable?"

    The problemy with one thing: the wolf acting as the pursuer was overwhelmingly strong.

    Even the full-force strikes from Frey Kent¡¯s sword couldn¡¯t prate the thick fur of the beast. Joy Parn¡¯s meticulously crafted spells failed to inflict any damage on it either. Even a purification spell from the Saintess herself, an attempt to counter a seemingly untouchable creature, left the wolf unscathed.

    This wasn¡¯t some invincible monster conjured up from a child¡¯s imagination¡ªwhat on earth was this thing?

    He grumbled internally, though he understood Lucy''s intentions all too well.

    She had likely designed it so they couldn¡¯t defeat it outright. After all, even from the beginning, the strategy with the guards in the first room wasn¡¯t to overpower them but to figure out the victory conditions and ovee the trial by other means.

    Looking back, he realized the first room had a clear purpose¡ªto prompt observation, to solve the puzzle, and to cross the trial by identifying conditions rather than brute force.

    "So, this wolf is likely just meant to create a crisis, not an enemy to be defeated."

    Crossing his arms, Arthur reflected on what he¡¯d learned at the academy so far.

    If that¡¯s the case, then the first thing to do is to scour the cave for clues.

    "...But no. Before anything, I need to figure out a way to evade that wolf."

    A creature with such a bulky frame, moving at an unexpectedly rapid speed, and strength that not even the Saintess¡¯s support could counter. Its fangs could tear through solid iron¡ªwithout a way to elude it, exploring the cave would be impossible.

    Until he found a way to shake it off, the only option was to roam about, facing death over and over.

    "Pitiful prince, your face looks pale¡ªyou look like you¡¯ll be a ghost any moment now."

    Hearing a giggle, Arthur looked up to see Lucy Alrn¡¯s mocking gaze. He tensed up, then let out a deep sigh.

    "Do you even know who¡¯s responsible for this?"

    "And who might that be? Isn¡¯t the pitiful prince making himself pitiful?"

    "¡­Isn¡¯t it because of the dungeon you designed?!"

    Lucy, feigning innocence, tilted her head in confusion, causing Arthur to frown. Ordinarily, the anger of a prince, even a Third Prince, would cause people to watch their words. Instead, Lucy onlyughed more.

    "Pfft. Was it really that hard? I had higher hopes for you, pitiful prince. I¡¯m quite disappointed. For someone who acts so high and mighty, you¡¯re just a grumbler, aren¡¯t you?"

    ...Why couldn¡¯t he hold back his anger?

    He knew that no matter what he said, it would lead to nothing but her disregard. Why couldn¡¯t he keep his temper in check around this obnoxious little brat?

    "Pitiful prince, have you forgotten how to speak? Have you be a baby?"

    "Shut up and tell me why you¡¯re here."

    "Hehe. Are you angry? Shaking because a cute girl taunted you?"

    "Lucy Alrn."

    "Alright, alright. I¡¯ll stop now, before you start sniffling."

    Satisfied with Arthur¡¯s flushed face, Lucy stepped back from the table.

    "...So, did you juste here to mock me?"

    "Of course not. Unlike the pitiful prince, I¡¯m not free."

    "Then why?"

    "Isn¡¯t it obvious? I came because I¡¯ve already received the answer to my question."

    "An answer?"

    Arthur, puzzled, asked again. Lucy turned her head, her small, pale hand covering her sneering mouth as she replied.

    "Yes, watching you flounder, pitiful prince, reaffirmed that my dungeon is wless."

    "wless? That monstrosity of a dungeon?"

    "Ahaha! Do you want to deny it? I understand. It must be painful, knowing nothing about dungeons, my dear pitiful prince."

    "Aagh! Come here and sit! I¡¯ll tell you the true definition of perfection¡ª!"@@novelbin@@

    "Eek! He¡¯s angry! Too scary, I¡¯d better run away!"

    Arthur red at Lucy¡¯s retreating figure, veins throbbing on his forehead.

    Fine. I¡¯ll make it to the end of this dungeon and show her just how wed her design truly is.

    She¡¯ll probably have something to say then, but it won¡¯t matter. By that time, she¡¯ll be the defeated one, and I¡¯ll be the victor.

    Biting his lip until it nearly bled, Arthur stood up, feeling any desire to eat disappear.

    "Third Prince? Where are you going?"

    "Good timing, Frey Kent. Come with me. I¡¯m going to dive into the dungeon until I find the answer."

    "Huh? But I need to eat."

    "I¡¯ll feed you until you burstter; juste along. That¡¯s an order from the prince."

    "...Fine. But you owe me good food."

    "Very well. Let¡¯s find Joy and the Saintess first."

    At the same time, Arthur¡¯s party wasn¡¯t the only one struggling with the dungeon.

    Cecile''s group of second-year elites and Rahvi¡¯s third-year team, along with countless other challengers, were repeatedly forced out of the dungeon.

    All of them faced the same nightmare: the wolf in the second room¡ªa creature impervious to physical, magical, and holy attacks, inducing despair among the challengers.

    Many of those initially aiming toplete the dungeon first had given up, iming it was impossible.

    Among the dropouts was Toby, the son of a mercenary captain who entered the academy, like Frey, as amoner with a talent forbat.

    Toby¡¯s friends had initially been excited about the potential rewards, spurred on by dreams of leisurely lives if they could secure the Arts Academy Apostle¡¯s artifact.

    However, reality crushed those dreams when they encountered the wolf in the second chamber, leaving Toby¡¯s friends unwilling to continue despite his attempts to persuade them.

    A shame, really.

    He had some guesses about how to tackle the wolf, but he never got the chance to try them out.

    The assistant had mentioned he could form a new party, but¡­

    "Sorry, I don¡¯t think I can match your level."

    "There¡¯s no ce for amoner in this party. Move along."

    "Ahaha, sorry, I¡¯ll reach out if we have any openingster."

    Even though the first day of the exam hadn¡¯t ended, there weren¡¯t many open spots left.

    Toby had approached everyone he knew, asking if they had space, but no one was willing to let him join.

    Sigh. At this rate, I¡¯ll just have to wait.

    He longed to test his theory as soon as possible.

    Or maybe he should ask the assistant if he could enter solo.

    While he was mulling over his options, Toby spotted Lucy Alrn in the hall.

    Alone again, as usual.

    He¡¯d heard the rumors but still found it remarkable that everyone around her always kept their distance.

    She possessed a beauty that could captivate anyone, male or female, like the allure of a flower in bloom, yet no one dared to approach her.

    Had he not known better, he might have mistaken her for a goddess of sorts.

    Ordinarily, Toby would¡¯ve just looked away, knowing his father¡¯s warnings about nobles. But today was different. Knowing that Lucy was the dungeon¡¯s designer, he couldn¡¯t resist his curiosity.

    "Excuse me, Lady Alrn. May I have a moment?"

    "Hmm? Pfft. What¡¯s this? You look like some dumb golem."

    "My name is Toby. We¡¯ve crossed weapons a few times in sparring ss."

    "Oh? Don¡¯t remember. Guess your stone-head skills weren¡¯t worth remembering."

    Anyone could recognize that as tant disdain, yet Toby¡¯s expression remained steady¡ªhe was used to nobles sneering at him.

    "So, what¡¯s this about? Ah, you¡¯re here to make a move, aren¡¯t you? Hah! You must¡¯ve found me irresistible to forget your ce. Sorry, pervy golem, but I find your kind revolting."

    ¡­Apparently, he¡¯d overestimated his patience.

    His father had warned him of the perils of nobles, and now he understood why people kept their distance from her.

    "Ahem. No, that¡¯s not it."

    "Then what is it? Spit it out. My time¡¯s far more valuable than yours, you know?"

    "I heard you were the one who designed the Dungeon Studies exam, Lady Alrn. I wanted to ask about¡ª"

    "Oh, I see~ You came to beg for answers. For a golem, your head¡¯s awfully high. Can¡¯t you bend your knees?"

    I¡¯m going to lose it.

    How do the Saintess and Parn Lady put up with her?

    His hands shook so badly he had to hide them behind his back.

    Frustrated as he was, he was determined to get an answer from her.

    "It¡¯s about the wolf in the second room. Isn¡¯t it an illusion based on a smaller wolf?"

    "...Hmm."

    For the first time, Lucy¡¯s mocking gaze softened into a sly, crescent-shaped smile.

    And just like that, the ambient noise around them faded, as if they were cut off from the world.

    "Go on. I¡¯m curious to hear what other nonsense you¡¯ll spout, dumb golem."

 Chapter 307

    Toby, who had grown up in a mercenarypany since birth, had a knack for intuition.

    Or rather, he had no choice but to develop such a skill. He had to hone his instincts to survive; otherwise, being beaten by the senior mercenaries would¡¯ve been a daily urrence.

    Feeling the piercing gaze of Lucy assessing him now sent a chill down his spine.

    Something felt wrong.

    He had touched something he shouldn¡¯t have.

    Part of him wanted to turn back immediately, but it was toote. Like a predator that had spotted its prey, Lucy wasn¡¯t going to let go.

    Once he had caught her attention, all he could do was pray that her figurative fangs wouldn¡¯t tear into him.

    "What¡¯s the matter, dumb golem? Did you break your speech function or something?"

    "...May I share my theories about the second chamber?"

    "Pfft. Can¡¯t even remember what I just said? You¡¯re even dumber than I thought, aren¡¯t you?"

    The sound of Lucy¡¯s mockingughter made Toby¡¯s veins bulge, but he forced himself to suppress his anger.

    He had to endure it. Losing his temper here would only lead to disastrous consequences.

    "...There are multiple reasons I concluded that the wolf in the second chamber is an illusion."

    First was the strange sensation he felt when his sword connected. It wasn¡¯t that his sword couldn¡¯t pierce the creature¡ªit was as if his arm itself had been paralyzed, an unnatural sensation.

    From that moment, he began suspecting that the wolf was no ordinary foe.

    "Then there¡¯s the odd experience I noticed when myrade was ejected."

    "Dumb golem, haven¡¯t you ever done a dungeon run before? When you¡¯re in danger here, the system just kicks you out."

    "That¡¯s true if the injuries are critical, yes. But in the second chamber, it was different. My friend was expelled despite suffering a minor injury, something that shouldn¡¯t have triggered an exit."

    In mercenary teams, scouting parties often act as the vanguard.

    They enter dungeons first, ascertain the characteristics, and gauge the difficulty.

    Despite careful preparation, one can never guarantee safety in uncharted dungeons.

    Due to his experience, Toby could distinguish between critical and non-lethal injuries. He was sure his friend¡¯s injuries weren¡¯t life-threatening, but he was ejected simply because he touched the wolf¡¯s fangs.

    "With these clues, I was certain the wolf wasn¡¯t ordinary and tried to uncover its true nature."

    Toby had managed to survive by uncovering various peculiarities within the dungeon, even while his friends had been devoured by the wolf.

    He had found multiple magic circles hidden in the dark corners of the cave.

    There were spots where the wolf, despite running at high speed, left no fur behind.

    The sound of its massive paws was oddly soft for a creature of that size.

    Toby had observed all these details, yet he still failed to clear the dungeon. He was caught by the wolf before he could fully decipher the clues.

    "Still, my efforts weren¡¯t in vain. I found enough clues to reach a conclusionter."

    If that enormous wolf was just an illusion¡­

    If it were simply an illusion amplified from a small wolf, then all these oddities would make sense.

    His inability to move his arm, his friend¡¯s ejection without severe injury, the mismatched traces left by the wolf¡¯s appearance, and the multiple magic circles¡ªall could be exined.

    "Well, it seems like you¡¯ve already convinced yourself that the cunning wolf is an illusion, huh?"

    "That¡¯s correct."@@novelbin@@

    "Then why don¡¯t you just go back in and test it? Or are you scared you¡¯ll wet yourself when you see it again?"

    "My party members refused to reenter the dungeon."

    Toby wanted to confirm his theory firsthand, but he was out of options, which led him to Lucy to at least verify if he was correct.

    "I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll have another chance to try the dungeon again, but I wanted to at least ease my frustration of missing out on such a fascinating challenge."

    "...Fascinating?"

    "Yes. I¡¯ve tackled countless dungeons, but it¡¯s been a long time since I encountered one as thought-provoking as yours. If it were up to me, I¡¯d be in that dungeon right now."

    These words weren¡¯t ttery; they were Toby¡¯s sincere thoughts.

    He had faced various dungeons, both naturally formed and created by professors for academy exams, and even he found Lucy¡¯s dungeon captivating.

    "I see. Alright then, pervy golem. Come to me after the exam ends. I¡¯ll generously arrange a new party for you."

    "...Excuse me? There¡¯s no need for that¡ª"

    "Are you really refusing my kindness? You, a lowly pervy golem?"

    The slight frown on Lucy¡¯s face made Toby realize he had no choice.

    Refusing here would mean offending Lady Alrn, which could make his academy life miserable and earn him a severe beating from his father during vacation.

    He couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    "...No, I¡¯ll gratefully ept."

    "That¡¯s more like it."

    At this moment, Toby thought he had made the best choice in a difficult situation, but that belief would soon be shattered.

    "...You want me to take thismoner with me, Lady Alrn? But I already have my own party members¡­"

    "Oh? Looks like you¡¯ve grown bold enough to refuse me, nobledy? Fine, if you¡¯re going to act as you please, then I will too."

    "N-No! That¡¯s not what I meant! I understand, Lady! I¡¯ll ept him! ...Why do I have to suffer because of this damnedmoner?"

    The sharp re from Lady Rumley at his back felt like a stab through his stomach.

    So now he was on Lady Alrn¡¯s bad side, and Lady Rumley openly despised him.

    With one misstep, he had earned the disfavor of both nobledies. He could already imagine how hard academy life would be.

    But even if he left and went home, he wouldn¡¯t be safe.

    If his father found out he had fallen out of favor with two nobledies, he¡¯d surely¡ª

    ...

    Should he just run away?

    Arthur¡¯s party skipped lunch to challenge the dungeon¡¯s second chamber again, but their attempt ended in failure.

    Although they weren¡¯t as helpless as the first time they faced the wolf, they still couldn¡¯t bypass it.

    However, they had gathered a few clues. They noted that the wolf¡¯s fur wasn¡¯t just tough but appeared imprable by design. There were also magic circles ced throughout the cave.

    "It would¡¯ve been helpful if we could analyze those magic circles."

    Arthur felt that he was slowly uncovering the truth behind the second chamber, but he remained unsatisfied.

    That wolf was merely the barrier of the second room.

    If he struggled this much here, how difficult would the third and fourth chambers be?

    At this rate, he¡¯d be lucky if he wasn¡¯t met with Lucy Alrn¡¯sughter at the end of the finals.

    Tsk. Perhaps it was time to take a gamble and risk analyzing the magic circles.

    "Third Prince."

    While Arthur was nervously chewing his nails, Faivy approached him, sensing his impatience.

    "Don¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯re diligently moving forward, one step at a time."

    "...Yes, but¡ª"

    "Sometimes, going slowly is actually the fastest way."

    Hearing Faivy¡¯s gentle voice, Arthur felt his previously heated mind calm down.

    Indeed, she was the Saintess of the Church. Just hearing her reassuring words restored hisposure.

    Taking a deep breath, Arthur closed his eyes, organizing the scattered thoughts in his mind.

    Their previous failure had provided clues; now, all he had to do was set up hypotheses and verify them.

    If they proceeded carefully, they¡¯d eventually ovee the second chamber.

    Feeling at peace, Arthur opened his eyes and nodded to Faivy.

    "You¡¯re right, Saintess. We still have plenty of time left. There¡¯s no need to rush just yet."

    "I¡¯m d I could help."

    "Let¡¯s rest a little, prepare thoroughly, and then we¡¯ll return to the dungeon¡­"

    Just as Arthur was about to suggest going back in, amotion broke out in the distance.

    Curious, Arthur turned his head and quickly realized the cause.

    The wooden board in the center of the Dungeon Studies exam hall, which disyed the progress of challengers, had updated.

    [Avery Rumley¡¯s Party: Currently on the Third Floor]

    "...What on earth is going on?"

    It wasn¡¯t surprising that the second chamber had been cleared. After all, a dungeon is meant to be conquered eventually.

    But the name of the person who cleared the second chamber left Arthur astonished.

    Avery Rumley.

    The daughter of Count Rumley.

    Apetent noblewoman of moderate skill, certainly capable enough to be called a talented individual, as were herpanions.

    Her party was likelyposed of members who were decent but not exceptional.

    How did such a party manage to surpass the third-year elites and even himself?

    As Arthur was lost in thought, Avery¡¯s party, apparently unable to clear the third floor, appeared outside the dungeon, immediately surrounded by a crowd.

    "Amazing! Lady Rumley!"

    "As expected of Lady Rumley! I believed in you!"

    "How did you manage to defeat the wolf?!"

    "Ohoho! That¡¯s just my skill!"

    While Averyughed amid the praises and questions, Arthur observed her party members.

    Aside from Avery Rumley and the other noblewomen, there was one who stood out¡ªa young man with a stern expression.

    If he remembered correctly, that was Toby, the son of a mercenary captain and a fellow student specializing in martial arts, like Frey.

    Arthur knew Toby¡¯s capabilities, as they had sparred in ss before.

    He had talent, but he wasn¡¯t on par with Frey or Lucy.

    In other words¡­

    "So, brute force isn¡¯t necessary to clear the second chamber."

    Just by observing the party that hadpleted the challenge, Arthur had gathered a crucial clue. He looked at Toby, who seemed deep in thought, and then turned back to his own team.

    While he wanted to rush into the dungeon and exin his new insights, he had just received the Saintess¡¯s advice not to be too hasty.

    It¡¯s fine. This is only the second chamber.

    In the end, victory would go to whoever crossed the finish linest.

    Don¡¯t rush, Arthur Sdine.

    "Everyone, look here. I think I understand the strategy for the second chamber. Let me exin."

 Chapter 310

    Standing before the door to the third chamber, Faivy raised a prayer to the Divine, seeking blessings for all present.

    As the saintess, born and raised to serve the Divine, sped her hands together, a soft, sacred energy radiated from her, filling the dark cave with a warm, holy light. Her presence in that moment was so pure and serene that it was impossible for anyone to doubt her role as a true saintess. Even Arthur, Joy, and the typically restless Frey stood quietly, transfixed by Faivy¡¯s prayer.

    After some time, the warmth from Faivy¡¯s blessing settled into their bodies, bringing aforting, invigorating sensation.

    Arthur¡¯s smile was slightly strained as he felt the transformation. Receiving a blessing from the saintess was nothing new, but each time, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the power.

    When he first received her blessing, the change was so overwhelming that he could barely move. Even now, while he had gotten somewhat used to it, he still couldn¡¯t fully handle the altered state. Unlike geniuses like Frey or Lucy, he was more of an average talent, skilled yet never extraordinary.

    As he watched Frey, who seemed already attuned to her enhanced body, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but think, <em>Now that¡¯s what a real genius looks like.</em>

    At that moment, Faivy opened her eyes.

    ¡°The blessing isplete.¡±

    ¡°Thank you as always, Saintess.¡±

    Arthur expressed his gratitude with a respectful bow before turning to Frey.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m all set.¡±

    ¡°Joy, how about you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been ready for a while now.¡±

    ¡°Great, then let¡¯s do this.¡±

    At his signal, all four of them stepped through the door at once, and the scene around them shifted.

    They found themselves in a vast, barren field.

    There, swarming across thendscape, were demon-shaped golems. Normally, the first priority would be to identify the marked ones among them, but Arthur¡¯s party chose to skip that step.

    It wasn¡¯t because they had a surefire way to identify the marked golems.

    They had simply concluded that it was unnecessary.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ording to their n, Joy began casting a powerful area-wide spell while Faivy prepared a holy barrier for protection, just in case. Meanwhile, Frey sprinted forward, leaving only her shadow behind.

    Perhaps the golems viewed her as prey, as a horde of unmarked golems charged toward her.

    Facing the ten or so that swarmed her, Frey swung her sword with a calm, expressionless face.

    The golems¡¯ legs were severed in a clean sweep, and their bodies toppled forward.

    Arthur observed the scene with a steady gaze.

    <em>If my hypothesis is correct, there shouldn¡¯t be a berserk response from the golems.</em>

    Based on prior observations, the berserk condition triggered only if a golem¡¯s core was damaged. Since Frey had carefully cut through only their legs, there should be no reaction.

    ¡°Perfect.¡±

    Seeing that the golems hadn¡¯t gone berserk, Arthur clenched his fist in triumph.

    Now, they could disable the golems without wasting time identifying them, drastically reducing the time needed to clear the third room.

    Feeling pleased with the sess of his n, Arthur drew his sword to assist Frey.

    ¡°Third Prince, stay back.¡±

    But Frey stopped him.

    ¡°These golems are trickier than you think. You¡¯d be better off watching.¡±

    ¡°True, I mayck your swordsmanship, but I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Look.¡±

    Without further exnation, Frey swung her sword at another golem, aiming for its legs.@@novelbin@@

    Arthur, convinced of her precision, watched intently, expecting the golem to fall as intended.

    But just before her sword struck, the golem twisted its body, positioning its core to take the hit instead of its legs.

    ¡°They¡¯ll do this if you¡¯re not careful.¡±

    As if she had anticipated this, Frey stopped her sword mid-swing. Her quick reaction exploited the golem¡¯s overextension, allowing her to sever its limbs without touching the core.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you should stay put, Third Prince. I can handle this alone.¡±

    Arthur sighed and let go of his sword, acknowledging that Frey was indeed best suited for this task.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be on standby in case of emergencies.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Soon after Arthur stepped back, Joypleted her spell.

    By linking the four magic circles she had drawn around her, she activated one of her most powerful spells.

    ¡°Lady Kent!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    At Joy¡¯s signal, Frey returned to the group¡¯s side. Faivy immediately cast a holy barrier around them.

    ¡°All set! Joy, do it!¡±

    ¡°Understood! Everyone, close your eyes and cover your ears!¡±

    It was as if judgment itself descended upon the field, akin to a thunderstorm striking down from afar, carrying an ominous message.

    The overwhelming light could be felt through closed eyelids, the ground shook beneath the barrier, and the roar of the spell seemed to drown out all other sound.

    When it was over, only a scorched field remained, with no sign of any golems.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be this powerful¡­¡±

    Arthur let out a dryugh, marveling at the scale of Joy¡¯s spell.

    While he had asked her to clear the field, this seemed a bit excessive. Half the power would have been more than enough.

    Turning to say something, Arthur noticed Joy¡¯s face had gone pale, and he quickly realized what had happened.

    ¡°Joy, don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t anticipate this oue.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a difficult spell¡­¡±

    ¡°And on top of that, you exhausted your manapletely? You¡¯re going to be a dead weight for the rest of the day!¡±

    Arthur¡¯s lip twitched in frustration as he realized the impact of Joy¡¯s miscalction.

    Realizing her mistake, Joy shyly nced toward Faivy for help, her eyes pleading like a child in trouble. But Faivy merely gave her a stern look, a rare sight from the saintess.

    ¡°This time, you put all of us in danger, Joy.¡±

    ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve grown stronger, but¡­¡±

    Joy, distressed by the unexpected lecture from Faivy, shifted her gaze back to Arthur, hoping for mercy.

    <em>Are you really turning to the person you just frustrated for help?</em>

    Arthur felt too exasperated to even react.

    ¡°Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Ah, apologies, Third Prince. I got caught up in scolding Joy.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re doing fine. Please continue until she learns her lesson.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Third Prince. I¡¯ll take my time then.¡±

    Faivy¡¯s soft smile made Joy¡¯s face twitch in dismay.

    ¡°Faivy, but I¡¯m¡­pletely drained¡­¡±

    ¡°No worries, Joy. Just rx and listen carefully to what I have to say.¡±

    After Joy was thoroughly scolded by Faivy, Arthur, Faivy, and the somewhat hollow-looking Joy moved on to the next room.

    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this the hallway we passed through at the beginning?¡±

    The fourth chamber looked strikingly simr to the entryway of the dungeon.

    The carpet, the dim lighting, the colors on the walls¡ªit was almost identical.

    The only difference was that all the usual decorations were absent.

    ¡°Joy, can you analyze it? ¡­Ah, never mind. You¡¯ve used up all your mana.¡±

    ¡°¡­I apologize.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s treat this as an opportunity to gather clues.¡±

    The group decided to continue down the hallway until they reached the end. However, the hallway didn¡¯t seem to end.

    They encountered no dangerous enemies, no life-threatening traps, and no branching paths that would lead them astray.

    It just¡­ didn¡¯t end.

    ¡°We¡¯re not making any progress. Let¡¯s stop here and look for clues.¡±

    Realizing there was no point in continuing, they began searching the hallway for any hidden hints.

    They lifted the carpet, examined the walls and floor for any mechanisms, and even attacked the surfaces, but they found nothing.

    Arthur¡¯s frown deepened. He almost wished for something as monstrous as the wolf to appear to break the deadlock.

    <em>Lucy Alrn¡­</em>

    <em>There¡¯s no way she¡¯d create an unsolvable maze.</em>

    Even in the second chamber, she¡¯d left plenty of hints to reveal that the wolf was an illusion. Surely, there must be some clue hidden here as well.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to go back and inspect the initial hallway again. If there¡¯s nothing here, then the clues must be there.¡±

    Looking back, he wondered why he hadn¡¯t thought of this earlier.

    Knowing Lucy, she wouldn¡¯t design that initial hallway without a reason.

    ¡°But to get out of here, I¡¯d have to¡­ injure myself.¡±

    As Arthur debated the need for self-inflicted injury, a piece of paper appeared before him as if in response to his thoughts.

    [If you wish to exit the dungeon, please follow the procedure below.]

    Arthur smirked, realizing Lucy had anticipated such situations and created a safe exit procedure.

    Curious, he turned the paper over, hoping for an unexpected clue left by Lucy.

    [Did you really expect something here?? Feel proud of your ¡°keen observation skills¡±?? Puhaha? You¡¯re so dumb? Of course I wouldn¡¯t put any shortcuts here during the finals? If you love shortcuts so much, you¡¯ll stay a loser forever?]

    Arthur crumpled the paper and incinerated it with a small fire spell, making yet another vow to humble Lucy in return.

 Chapter 311

    The evening of Day 2 of the Academy¡¯s final exams.

    Afterpleting all the exams scheduled for the day, I headed to the Academy¡¯s dining hall to reward myself for all the hard work.

    Today was genuinely exhausting.

    I took three exams, starting from the early morning.

    During the short breaks, I struggled to cram the test material into my log feature, making things even harder.

    I barely had time for lunch, and even then, I had to keep reading.

    Thanks to all that effort, I think my scores will be pretty good, though.

    <¡°If you can manage this much with cramming, why not study steadily from the start?¡±>

    My old master, ever the wise elder, couldn''t resist pointing out the obvious after hearing myints.

    Sure, if I¡¯d studied regrly, I wouldn¡¯t have needed to suffer like this.

    But I had no choice!

    Instead of exam prep, I was stuck dealing with that trashy pervert god and his bizarre quest!

    Because of that scumbag¡¯s decree, I had to focus on designing a dungeon instead of studying!

    So, the reason I used the log feature is all that sleazy god¡¯s fault!

    If I neglected my studies, it¡¯s entirely his doing!

    I¡¯m just a victim of that lust-driven pedo god!

    <¡°In all my years, I¡¯ve never seen an apostle ming their god.¡±>

    ¡°I¡¯m allowed to do this! I¡¯ve been through enough because of him!¡±

    <¡°¡­Hmm. Well, you certainly have endured a lot.¡±>

    ¡°Right? Right?¡±

    Afterining to my old master about my woes with that sleazy god, I noticed my parfait had arrived.

    Oh, here it is! My strawberry parfait!

    I paused my ranting to take in the parfait¡¯s beauty, celebrating its vibrant presentation. Without hesitation, I scooped up a generous bite.

    Vani ice cream, chocte, and strawberries piled on top.

    Such a luxurious sight.

    If I could, I¡¯d capture this image forever in my memory¡ªbut ice cream melts, after all.

    Savoring the blend of vors in a single mouthful, I couldn¡¯t help but gasp.@@novelbin@@

    Sweet!

    So sweet and tangy!

    And I loved it!

    Ovee with excitement, I couldn¡¯t stop scooping up more and more of the parfait.

    <¡°Fine. If this makes you smile, let¡¯s me it on the god for now.¡±>

    Even though the special parfait served during exam periods towered high enough to touch my nose as it sat on the table, finishing it was no problem.

    Considering the calories I burn in those grueling training sessions, this is nothing!

    After demolishing the parfait with a satisfied smile, I stretched and stood up from my seat.

    Time to go see Adri. I need to tell her to take it easy¡­

    Hmm? As I got up, I noticed all the people in the dining hall were staring at me.

    Everyone, regardless of grade or gender, was giving me sharp looks that almost made me take a step back.

    What¡¯s with this?

    People who usually avoid eye contact with me are ring at me today.

    Oh no. Did they release today¡¯s hint?

    If they¡¯re all fired up and ring because of that, this is going to be a big problem.

    If this is how they react to the first hint, it¡¯ll only get worse with the next ones.

    Imagine reading something like, ¡°Oh? You came back for more hints even after getting mockedst time?? Did you awaken to a hidden kink?? Do you like being ridiculed?? Ew~? Gross~?¡± on a hint card. Anyone who¡¯s already angry would just end up resenting me even more.

    Picturing this grim future, I resigned myself to the harsh reality and sat back down.

    And ordered another parfait.

    It doesn¡¯t matter what I do; those stares aren¡¯t going away.

    So I might as well enjoy another delicious treat to relieve some stress.

    After finishing off the extra parfait under the intense gazes, I made my way toward Adri¡¯s estate.

    Recently, Adri has been clinging close to Vishi, but her roots are still bound to her family¡¯s haunted mansion.

    If I send out a pulse of holy energy within the decrepit mansion that could copse at any moment¡­

    ¡ªHey! Are you trying to purify me!?

    Ta-da! And here¡¯s Adri.

    ¡°Hello, Adri.¡±

    ¡°Pffft. Look at you, jumping out in shock. So pitiful.¡±

    ¡ªAre you really going to say that after almost stabbing me with holy energy, you crazy woman!?

    I did adjust it enough not to cause harm, but isn¡¯t she overreacting?

    You¡¯re too powerful a spirit for a little holy energy to purify, Adri.

    As I tilted my head, wondering if I¡¯d done something wrong, Adri clenched her shoulders and let out a frosty sigh.

    ¡ª¡­So, what brings you here?

    ¡°Just wanted to ask you to tone it down a bit.¡±

    ¡°Could you take it easy, old hag? I get that you find your granddaughter adorable, but isn¡¯t this too much?¡±

    I understand wanting to guide Vishi while she¡¯s struggling, but this is excessive. She¡¯s stuck in the fourth chamber just like Arthur¡¯s team!

    Considering Vishi¡¯s party¡¯s capabilities, this is absurd.

    ¡ªAh. So you¡¯re here to talk about the dungeon.

    Seeming to guess the reason, Adri avoided my gaze and rubbed the back of her neck.

    ¡ªIt¡¯s just¡­your dungeon is too hard.

    ¡°Too hard? Really?¡±

    ¡°Hard? That? Haha. So you¡¯re even more clueless than I thought, old hag?¡±

    Come on, Adri, it¡¯s strange to hear you calling it hard.

    If you¡¯re finding a ce built to challenge students difficult, then what are they supposed to do?

    ¡ªI didn¡¯t mean it¡¯s hard for me!

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    ¡°And by the way, old hag, that¡¯s an exam, remember?¡±

    The dungeon is part of the final exam.

    If it¡¯s not challenging, there¡¯s no way to distinguish who¡¯s really capable.

    ¡°Get it now?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not only a nuisance to your invisible granddaughter but to the whole world. I trust you¡¯re not senile enough to miss that?¡±

    ¡ªHah. Fine. I¡¯ll let her handle it on her own.

    That was easier than expected. I thought she¡¯d be more stubborn.

    ¡ªIs that all you came to say?

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Feeling lonely? Want me to keep youpany?¡±

    ¡ªIf you have a moment, there¡¯s something I want to ask.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? Go ahead, I¡¯m listening.¡±

    What could Adri be curious about? She usually avoids conversations with me.

    ¡ªWhat is it about that essory made by an apostle of the Church of Art that has everyone in such a frenzy?

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at Adri¡¯s question, as she wondered why nobles and merchants were risking their lives over a single essory.

    ¡°Would you like to see it?¡±

    ¡°Sure, if you insist.¡±

    ¡ª¡­Fine. Please show me.

    Though I couldn¡¯t show her the reward items since they¡¯d already been handed over to the Academy, I still had the essory that pervy apostle crafted for me.

    While they¡¯re not identical, both were crafted by the same degenerate apostle.

    I took out the essory from my inventory and held it up, and Adri froze, jaw dropped.

    I get it.

    I was just as shocked when I first saw it, barely able to hear the apostle¡¯s enthusiastic exnations.

    ¡ªIs that¡­a hairpin?

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Even an old hag like you can recognize it, huh? Yes.¡±

    The essory that pervy apostle gave me was a hairpin meant to hold twin tails instead of a ribbon.

    It¡¯s not overly shy, but it exudes elegance. It¡¯s not garishly noticeable, yet it doesn¡¯t get lost in my hair. Even I, with my limited taste, could sense its high quality.

    I wondered if it was really okay to receive such a rare item just for wearing a bunny girl outfit once.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t voice that. Giving an inch might lead to that perverted apostle and crow goddess spouting insane nonsense.

    ¡ªThis was made just for you, wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Can you tell just by looking?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±

    ¡ªNaturally. Anyone can see the care that went into crafting it.

    Adri shrugged, mentioning her past as ady from a noble family.

    I didn¡¯t know how to respond. No matter what I said, it¡¯d probably be twisted into an insult by my mesugaki skill.

    ¡ªCould you put it on? Just once?

    I hesitated for a moment. Last time I wore this essory, it caused quite amotion.

    The pervy apostle knelt before me, tearing up with gratitude, and the fawning fox girl beside him transformed into human form,ying her head on the ground with a cor out of nowhere.

    ¡­Thinking back, the problem was probably with those two sleazes.

    Comparing Adri to those two wastes of air would be rude, so I decided to put it on.

    After a year of wearing twin tails, I attached the hairpin with practiced ease and leaned in front of Adri.

    She stared at me with her mouth open.

    What? Knowing Adri, I expected her to make a snidement about the essory outshining me, like calling me a mannequin. Why¡¯s she so silent?

    I raised an eyebrow, waiting, and Adri finally sighed, rubbing her face with both hands.

    ¡ªHey.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡ªIf you can help it, don¡¯t wear that thing.

    I mean, I already knew the value of this essory, so I¡¯d only nned to wear it on important asions.

    But her reaction seemed different from what I was expecting.

    When I took the hairpin off, Adri let out a relieved sigh.

    So, what is it?

    What¡¯s so odd about me wearing this essory?

    ¡ªSince you granted my request, let me offer you a piece of advice.

    ¡°Advice?¡±

    ¡°Advice? From the old hag?¡±

    ¡ªTry toy low until the Academy¡¯s break. More and more people want to ¡°take you down¡± as they struggle with your dungeon exam.

    I chuckled wryly at Adri¡¯s warning, imagining students cursing my name as they tackled the exam, though I didn¡¯t know what the hint said to rile them up.

    It¡¯s great they¡¯re so dedicated to beating my dungeon, but it¡¯s hard to feel happy knowing their motivation is to get back at me.

    Curse this mesugaki skill! Why are you always making things harder for me?

    Could this be part of that sleazy god¡¯s plot?!

    Gathering everyone in the dungeon to teach me a lesson?!

    Hey! You perverted pedo god!

    How could you push your own apostle toward a humiliating downfall?!

    ¡ªWell, no matter how many of those idiots unite, it likely won¡¯t make much difference. But you never know where all that anger might end up.

    ¡°¡­Thank you for the advice.¡±

    ¡°Heh. Worried about me, are you, lonely old hag? Acting all prickly but secretly hoping I stay safe? How cute, trying to hide your concern.¡±

    ¡ª¡­Just you wait. This is thest time I give you any advice!

 Chapter 313

    ¡°Gah!¡±

    With a gasp that held not a trace of princely dignity, Arthur jolted upright. Looking around in a daze, he realized he¡¯d awoken from the dream and swept his hand through his hair.

    Joy. That wretch! How much had she bottled up to use such a horrific spell on me!

    Even if the Academy¡¯s dungeon had safety measures and the Saint was right there, wasn¡¯t that a bit much?

    The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced¡ªshe really had meant to kill him!

    Arthur wiped the cold sweat from his brow and spotted Joy nearby, muttering in her sleep with her eyes closed. He leaned over and tapped her forehead lightly.

    ¡°Ouch?!¡±

    Joy sprang awake, clutching her forehead and ncing around in confusion until her eyesnded on Arthur. Hastily, she pulled a fan from her robe to hide her face.

    ¡°Joy. Do you have anything to say?¡±

    ¡°I trust Your Highness understands that it was necessary for our progress in the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. I understand. I¡¯m sure you endured a tearing heart as you turned on us for the sake of the mission.¡±

    ¡°Haha. As expected of Your Highness. Well, then¡­¡±

    ¡°So, I shall also restrain my tearing heart¡­ just once.¡±

    ¡°...Pardon?¡±@@novelbin@@

    Arthur took a step toward her, prompting Joy to back away in haste.

    ¡°Who knows? This might still be a dream.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just trying to get revenge for earlier!¡±

    ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t insult my noble intentions with such an usation.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Ah! No! Eek!¡±

    After thoroughly pinching her cheeks in yful retaliation, Arthur left the now pouting Joy alone and approached Frey and Faivy, who had just woken up.

    ¡°Would either of you like to avenge yourselves on her? I¡¯ll grant permission as your prince.¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re fine. It was unavoidable, after all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Unlike you, we¡¯re not so petty.¡±

    With their refusals, Arthur found himself suddenly cast as the viin, and he did his best to ignore Joy¡¯s sharp re from behind him, clearing his throat awkwardly.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s put that behind us and get back to the dungeon. Judging by our surroundings, it seems Joy¡¯s theory was correct.¡±

    The area where they now stood had the same structure as the room they¡¯d been in before.

    There were a few differences.

    The walls had deteriorated over the years, with holes in various ces.

    The carpet was so worn it was barely recognizable.

    The decorations had decayed, casting a gloomy atmosphere.

    Aside from these differences, the room was an exact match for the one they¡¯d been in within the dream.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope this doesn¡¯t turn into another endless hallway,¡± Arthur muttered, stepping forward, praying that Lucy wouldn¡¯t be so cruel.

    After the forced rest they¡¯d had in the fourth room, the group¡¯s steps felt light.

    Having been locked inbat from dawn to dusk daily, half a day of merely wandering the halls had left them full of energy.

    Rather than restraining Frey, who was itching to run ahead, they matched her pace, reaching the end of the corridor quickly.

    ¡°So, we¡¯re supposed to go in here?¡±

    Where the cradle had been in the first corridor, there was now a door.

    Frey immediately drew her sword and was about to cut down the door to enter, but Arthur grabbed her by the back of her neck, stopping her charge.

    ¡°Hold on. Let¡¯s check what¡¯s on the other side¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh-ho. It looks like we have guests atst. I was beginning to think I¡¯d die of boredom waiting.¡±

    They had no time to inspect whaty beyond.

    Before Arthur could say anything to Joy and Faivy, the door opened, and someone appeared on the other side.

    It was a man with a scruffy appearance, dressed in rags.

    A stench like that of rotting flesh.

    Oily hair hanging in matted strands.

    The crazed glint of a derelict¡¯s eyes, barely visible from under his unkempt hair.

    The man looked over the group, then smirked and opened his mouth to speak.

    ¡°Hello¡­¡±

    But as soon as he opened his mouth, a divine orb exploded in front of his eyes, cutting him off.

    Ordinarily, the sh would have left anyone reeling, but the man simply closed his eyes, avoiding the blinding light.

    ¡°Oops. I was going to wee you, but instead, I got a wee gift.¡±

    Frey, finally freed from Arthur¡¯s grip, surged forward with her sword glowing with aura, aiming to cleave him in half with a single blow.

    But the man casually twisted his body to evade her attack, his voice calm as he continued.

    ¡°Calm down. I may be a fallen noble, but I wouldn¡¯t harm my long-awaited guests.¡±

    He effortlessly dodged Frey¡¯s attacks as he spoke, eventually grabbing her by the neck and tossing her aside before dusting his hands off.

    Freynded gracefully beside Arthur, frowning slightly.

    ¡°I can¡¯t reach him with my sword.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s like the wolves, maybe?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ more like when I faced Professor Carl.¡±

    An overwhelming difference in skill, pressing down upon her.

    Arthur bit his lip as he nced at the man standing with his hands behind his back.

    This guy didn¡¯t seem like someone they could defeat through normal means.

    ¡­Wait. Judging by the decayed surroundings and the man¡¯s ghastly appearance, could he be a spirit?

    If he¡¯s someone who defied death, then perhaps Faivy could purify him.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible, Your Highness.¡±

    As if reading his thoughts, Faivy shook her head.

    ¡°This man is alive. And he holds divine energy within him.¡±

    So no shortcuts.

    Tch. You¡¯re thorough to a maddening degree, Lucy Alrn.

    ¡°Well, we can¡¯t have our guests standing around forever. Please,e in.¡±

    The man gestured, holding the door open for them, his demeanor highly suspicious.

    So suspicious, in fact, that it almost made Arthur doubt there was any hidden intent.

    Frankly, Arthur had no desire to follow the invitation.

    Handing control to an unknown figure felt deeply unsettling.

    But the problem was that they had no other option.

    If they didn¡¯t go through the door, they¡¯d be stuck endlessly searching the corridor like before.

    It was better to risk the trap knowingly and search for clues inside than to wander aimlessly again.

    At worst, they¡¯d be expelled from the dungeon upon entering the room.

    The room looked like a typical office, though run-down. There didn¡¯t appear to be any magical traps, and the Saint hadn¡¯t sensed anything malevolent, either.

    Even in the worst case, they might find at least a hint of something useful.

    The moment Arthur made his decision, he felt the gazes of Joy, Faivy, and Frey on him.

    They all trusted his judgment, and while he found that responsibility a bit heavy, he maintained a calm,posed expression.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s see what Lucy Alrn has in store.¡±

    Arthur stepped forward, and the others followed him into the room.

    As they entered, they were immediately met with the musty, sour smell typical of an old, filthy house.

    The man standing outside the door spoke up in a grim tone as he closed it behind them.

    ¡°Wee to the mansion, everyone. I hope you enjoy yourselves.¡±

    What was he going on about now?

    Arthur barely had time to process the strangeness of his words before the man shut the door with a heavy thud.

    A crack spread across the floor, and before they could react, the ground gave way, and they began to fall.

    ¡°Damn! Joy! Take care of the Saint!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Arthur saw Joy quickly cast several wind spells to slow her descent as she held onto Faivy. Reassured, he then focused on locating Frey.

    Damn it. Where is she?

    If they hit the ground, even Frey might note out unscathed!

    Looking around in panic, Arthur spotted Frey not below him but above.

    ¡°Looks like I worried for nothing.¡±

    Frey was leaping from one falling piece of debris to the next, somehow managing to stay suspended in mid-air.

    How she was doing that, he couldn¡¯t say.

    But at least she wouldn¡¯t be hurt from the fall.

    Shaking his head at the strange sight, Arthur finished casting his own spell just before he reached the ground.

    Landing safely, Arthur dusted off bits of debris from his hair and looked around.

    Is this the mansion¡¯s entrance?

    That scruffy guy said to enjoy our time here, so we¡¯ll probably need to explore this ce for clues.

    Sighing, he decided to do a quick survey today and return for a thorough exploration tomorrow.

    ¡°...Wait.¡±

    Arthur froze as he noticed something in the center of the mansion¡¯s entrance.

    It was an object all too familiar to him and his party.

    To anyone who had ever attempted to clear the Academy¡¯s dungeon.

    ¡°A recording device¡­ here?¡±

    A recording device.

    A unique fixture of the Academy¡¯s dungeon, recing the typical safe zones in other dungeons.

    A mechanism allowing challengers to avoid starting from the first floor each time.

    Why was it here?

    Why was this device, absent from the previous rooms, suddenly present?

    As Arthur pondered, the mansion¡¯s entrance opened, revealing a staircase descending into darkness.

    Seeing the seemingly endless staircase, Arthur checked the recording device with an urgent sense of foreboding.

    ¡°Floor 0.¡±

    The number engraved on it was clear in its meaning.

    All the rooms they had cleared so far were nothing but a dream.

    A tutorial meant to familiarize challengers with the gimmicks.

    And now, starting from the mansion entrance¡­

    The real dungeon begins.

    ¡°¡­This is going to be insane.¡±

    Grasping the situation, Arthur red at the ¡°Floor 0¡± engraving and let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°What kind of gimmick is that?! One mistake and you die?!¡±

    Having been forcibly expelled from the dungeon after failing the first-floor boss, Arthur stormed out, ruffling his hair in frustration.

    A room where mistiming your attacks was a death sentence¡ªno room for error!

    Who makes a dungeon like this?!

    ¡°Haha. Poor prince. Trying to win sympathy with your disheveled look? If you wanted to look like a beggar, there are much better ways, you know?¡±

    At the sound of a familiar, high-pitched, mocking voice, Arthur didn¡¯t even need to turn to know who it was.

    ¡°Lucy Alrn. Why are you here?¡±

    Lucy Alrn.

    The girl who¡¯d designed the very dungeon he¡¯d just been cursing was watching him with an amused look.

    ¡°I was waiting to see the face of the defeated.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Pfft. Hah. It was worth waiting to see the pitiful prince trembling. So, how was it? A glorious dungeon you¡¯ll never clear no matter how many years you try, right? Am I right?¡±

    ¡­This damn kid.

    As if making him suffer in that hellish dungeon wasn¡¯t enough, she was here to mock him too.

    ¡°Why so silent? Was my dungeon so extraordinary that your pathetic vocabry can¡¯t even describe it?¡±

    ¡°You want an answer?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to give me one?¡±

    ¡°I could, but I have one condition.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Let me smack you just once.¡±

    I can¡¯t hold back my irritation any longer, watching you smirk.

    So give me your head. I don¡¯t know if my punch will do any damage, but at least I¡¯ll feel better after hitting you.

    ¡°Pfft. Oh my. Are you angry? Do you want to hit this tiny, cute little girl? How disgusting of you, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Fine, forget it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t mean it that seriously. I just wanted to show my annoyance. If you¡¯re not going to let me¡­

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say no, did I?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Caught off guard, Arthur froze as Lucy trotted up to him, offering her head.

    ¡­Wait. So, she really wants me to hit her?

    To actually punch this tiny head?

    Sure, I know she¡¯s sturdy, but¡­

    Even so¡­

    ¡°Pah. Truly pathetic. Given the chance, you¡¯re too scared to take it. No wonder I¡¯ll keep calling you a pitiful prince.¡±

    With a teasingugh, Lucy stepped back, giggling under the moonlight as she taunted him.

    But just as quickly as the moment began, it ended. As soon as Joy appeared, Lucy darted over to her side, abandoning him without a second thought.

    Left alone, Arthur covered his now-bright red face with his hands and resolved once more.

    When I clear that dungeon, I¡¯ll make sure to at least give her a proper smack.

 Chapter 314

    The sight of the "Floor 0"bel had clearly struck a nerve.

    Arthur was grumbling about wanting to give me a smack, Joy wasining if it was really necessary, and Frey pouted, calling it "just in evil."

    As for Faivy¡­well, she didn¡¯t have much reaction.

    Not surprising, really. Faivy tends to believe that anything I do has a purpose, so why would she be upset over a slightly extended dungeon?

    She¡¯d probably say something like, ¡°I¡¯m grateful for the chance to explore the dungeon longer, Lady Alrn,¡± and it wouldn¡¯t even be surprising.

    By now, it¡¯s probably obvious to everyone thatbeling it "Floor 0" was apletely intentional choice.

    I could have easily used "Floor 5" or "Room 5" since they¡¯d already cleared the previous four rooms, but calling it "Floor 0" had a purpose.

    Of course, the purpose was to annoy them.

    When anyone realizes that all their efforts so far seem meaningless, it¡¯s bound to make them angry.

    And when theyter discover that all their struggles weren¡¯t actually in vain, they¡¯ll feel just as much joy as they did frustration.

    Hmph. Just imagining their reactions brings a smile to my face.

    It¡¯s almost disappointing that I won¡¯t get to witness that moment myself.

    <Child.>

    As I was heading back to the dorms, pleased that my n wasing together, my old master suddenly called out to me.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    <Were you seriously going to let him smack you?>

    ¡°You mean the Third Prince? Yes, I was.¡±

    After all, even if Arthur were to hit me with all his strength, it wouldn¡¯t hurt that much.

    If that¡¯s the price for hearing his impressions, I can bear it.

    Though, in the end, Arthur chickened out, and I missed the chance to get that smack.

    I¡¯m not exactly the type to seek revenge over something so small.

    But I wonder, just how vicious am I in Arthur¡¯s mind?

    <Haaah.>

    When I tilted my head, puzzled, my old master let out a deep, exasperated sigh.

    <Child, you need to make it a habit to consider the consequences of your actions before you act.>

    ¡°...Excuse me? What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡±

    Did I do something wrong?

    As far as I could recall, I hadn¡¯t done anything that should cause trouble.

    Or could it be that?

    ¡°Grandfather, even if Arthur hits me, it won¡¯t hurt me.¡±

    He may have gotten stronger, but he¡¯s not at the level where he can actually injure me.

    Even if he envelops his fist in aura, I can block it with divine energy, so I¡¯d be fine.

    I¡¯d probably be more worried about Arthur hurting his own hand.

    <That¡¯s not the point!... Never mind. It¡¯s not really your fault. If we¡¯re assigning me, it¡¯s probably Benedict¡¯s.>

    Benedict¡¯s fault? For what?

    I tilted my head,pletely lost, but my old master didn¡¯t offer any further exnation.

    ¡°Grandfather! It really annoys me when you treat me like a little kid!¡±

    That whole "you don¡¯t need to know" attitude is seriously irritating from my perspective!

    I tried to make my frustration clear, but he merely chuckled.

    <I¡¯m treating you like a kid because you are one.>

    ¡°Huh? What part of me seems like a kid to you?!¡±

    <Inside and out, you¡¯re young, child. If you¡¯re not a kid, then what are you?>

    Out¡­ okay, fine, I look like a kid on the outside. But not on the inside! You¡¯d better correct yourself while I¡¯m being polite!

    Otherwise, I won¡¯t just sit back!

    <And this quickness to get riled up is exactly why you¡¯re a kid.>

    The next day, after Ruel, the lovestruck fox, was punished by being ignored for his earlier taunts toward Lucy, Arthur¡¯s party clearing the fourth room served as a catalyst.

    Soon, the other leading groups began clearing the fourth room in their own ways.

    Of all the methods, the most absurd was the party of the second son of the Ruvi family. They¡¯d failed to control their strength and ended up team-killing each other, identally clearing the fourth room that way.

    Watching this, Professor Jesel of the Dungeon Studies Department seriously questioned whether they should even be allowed to graduate, though this wasn¡¯t exactly important information.

    Upon descending the stairs to the basement after clearing the fourth room, challengers found that theyout and nature of the dungeon on the first floor werepletely different.

    The previous rooms were less about dungeon crawling and more about testing one¡¯s skill at deciphering gimmicks, but the dungeon itself was different.

    It required the ability to navigate its corridors.

    The skill to face the many monsters lurking within.

    And, on top of that, the capacity to handle the countless traps strewn throughout.

    The mansion¡¯s basement dungeon was a ce that tested not only one¡¯s ability to discern gimmicks but also their aptitude for true dungeon exploration.

    Ordinarily, this shift would give an advantage to upperssmen¡¯s parties.

    Higher grades usually have more basic experience with dungeons, after all.

    But that wasn¡¯t the case with this final exam.

    With each passing grade, the difficulty of the dungeon increased dramatically, so both underssmen and upperssmen wereining about the hellish difficulty.

    Rumors circted among the exam participants, questioning whether the penalties by grade were too severe.

    Arthur¡¯s team clearing the first floor added fuel to this discussion.

    People began to question if it was fair for first-years to set records, surpassing the many notable names in the leading groups.

    ¡°The Second Prince and the second son of Ruvi¡¯s family are both struggling on the first floor, yet first-years cleared it?¡±

    ¡°No matter how skilled they are, this seems off.¡±

    ¡°But Lady Alrn is a first-year too, right? That probably gives them an edge.¡±

    ¡°So is the oue practically predetermined, then?¡±

    As voices grew louder with frustration over failing the first floor, it was Cecile¡¯s party that quieted them.

    Cecile¡¯s team quickly caught up with Arthur¡¯s and imed the lead by being the first to clear the second floor.

    ¡°Ridiculous. Don¡¯t me the dungeon for yourck of skill.¡±

    Cecile¡¯s blunt words silenced much of the talk about grade-based unfairness.

    Additionally, most of the front-runners were second- or third-years, which quelled the controversy further.

    The only two first-year teams in the race were Arthur¡¯s and Avery¡¯s.

    Few other first-years had even reached Floor 0.

    ¡°They¡¯re just exceptional people.¡±

    This opinion became the general consensus, and those who continued to cry about grade discrimination were dismissed as fools, quelling the forced controversy.

    Among the Dungeon Studies participants, another incident began brewing.

    ¡°Aaargh! Seriously!¡±

    ¡°I really want to punch her! Or give her a lecture!¡±

    ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want to look at the hints!¡±

    ¡°Lucy Allen!¡±

    The second hint had enraged more students, and they began to unite with a single purpose: to get back at Lucy.

    Ignoring exam scores or cements, they pooled their knowledge and strategies, determined to clear the dungeon just to teach Lucy a lesson.

    Theirbined rage was evident as more students were disqualified for cheating, unwilling to stop despite the consequences.

    As the final exam entered Day 4, many dropped out of thepetition.@@novelbin@@

    Most sumbed to exhaustion.

    They had spent three days grinding through the dungeon while preparing for other final exams.

    What they thought would be a one- or two-day ordeal dragged on, and the physical toll forced some to withdraw.

    Among those who dropped out was Avery¡¯s party.

    Though they¡¯d made waves among the upperssmen, Avery¡¯s team was ultimately relying too much on Tobi¡¯s talent.

    Unable to keep up with the other leading teams, Avery finally dered she¡¯d had enough and took a break, effectively dropping from the race.

    By the end of Day 4, it was widely epted that the first clear woulde from one of three parties:

    The top parties of each grade.

    The first-year Arthur¡¯s party.

    The second-year Cecile¡¯s party.

    The third-year Kurten¡¯s party.

    Even as others gave up, these three groups continued their fiercepetition, surpassing one another as they broke through to the fourth floor by the end of Day 4, dashing the hopes of most challengers.

    As Day 5 of the Academy¡¯s final exams dawned, with only three days left, attitudes toward the Dungeon Studies exam divided into three camps:

    ¡°Let¡¯s just pass without failing, since we won¡¯t make it to the end anyway.¡±

    ¡°I have other exams to worry about; I can¡¯t waste more time here.¡±

    ¡°Forget this; I¡¯m quitting.¡±

    These were the students who avoided the dungeon, aiming to either barely pass or earn a reasonable grade.

    ¡°I¡¯vee this far; I should see it through.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let Lucy mock me.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how far I need to go to make it into the top ranks.¡±

    Some couldn¡¯t stand the thought of wasted effort or wanted to best Lucy, or they aimed for a high score and were determined to finish the dungeon.

    And then there were thest group¡ªthe bitter failures.

    ¡°Lucy Allen. Has she even tried clearing this dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Probably not. She probably made it hard just to torment people andugh at us.¡±

    ¡°She probably didn¡¯t even design it.¡±

    ¡°Hah. She was just an obnoxious brat a year ago.¡±

    ¡°God, I hate her.¡±

    ¡°Why should I fail just because of her?¡±

    ¡°These hints are as insufferable as she is.¡±

    These were the students who¡¯d given up everything for the Dungeon Studies exam, only to be beaten out of thepetition.

    They¡¯d failed both the final exam and their chance at the first clear rewards.

    Anyone else might tell them that it was their own foolish choices that brought them here, but with this group, there was no room for self-awareness.

    And it didn¡¯t stop there.

    Combined with their mutual stupidity, these sore losers devised an even more idiotic n, one thatcked any semnce of caution.

    ¡°Hey, how about we humiliate Lucy Allen instead?¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Since she designed this dungeon, let¡¯s challenge her to clear it herself.¡±

    ¡°...Isn¡¯t she good at dungeon crawling, though?¡±

    ¡°Idiot. Don¡¯t you get it? Those top three parties have been stuck on Floor 5 all day. She never intended for anyone to clear it.¡±

    ¡°True. If the top teams haven¡¯t cleared it yet, that¡¯s suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she didn¡¯t even prepare a reward?¡±

    ¡°That would make her an absolute monster.¡±

    ¡°Whatever. We¡¯re just confirming it. As long as we do it by the book, it shouldn¡¯t backfire on us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If she clears it, fine. But if she can¡¯t, then we win.¡±

    The idiots, convinced that Lucy Allen was out to ruin them, devised a n to humiliate her.

    Ironically, it was a n Lucy Allen herself would likely find the most delightful.

 Chapter 315

    Around midday on the sixth day of final exams.

    By now, I¡¯d gotten used to the asional res from others and was sitting in my usual corner in the dining hall, waiting for my food.

    When I first started noticing all these tant stares, I was a bit nervous, honestly.

    It¡¯s not like I was a stranger to being disliked, but rarely did people look at me so openly. Usually, they avoided me, wary of getting on my bad side.

    But I realized soon enough that there was nothing to worry about.

    In the end, they were just staring. They weren¡¯t confronting me, hurling insults, or, like the peasants a while back, trying to pull some nasty prank.

    It was like being watched as if I were some animal in a zoo. There wasn¡¯t any reason to care.

    So I thought, let them look. Who knows? I¡¯m easy on the eyes, after all. Maybe after staring at me long enough, they¡¯d grow fond of me.

    Kind of like that line from a popr mobile game: ¡°So what? I¡¯m pretty, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    Thinking about saying something so conceited made my stomach churn a bit, but when I recalled simr things I¡¯d said to provoke others¡­

    ...Nope, that makes me feel even worse.

    Let¡¯s think about something else. Something nice.

    Like how today marks the end of my final exams at the Academy.

    Academy exams usuallyst a week, and since each student has different subjects to cover, the end varies for each person.

    For me, it ended with this morning¡¯s history exam.

    My old master was muttering throughout, saying, ¡°This isn¡¯t the history I know,¡± but I ignored all hisments and stuck to what was in the log.

    After what happened at thest festival, I wasn¡¯t about to trust him.

    The exam is based on what¡¯s in history books, not someone¡¯s live recounts, no matter how ¡°authentic¡± they may be!

    <How could that pathetic wretch ever earn the nickname ¡°The Cold King¡±? All he ever did was pass the buck and run!>

    Tuning out the old man¡¯s muttering, I noticed the server approaching from afar.

    Ah, finally. Here ites.

    My order of the Academy¡¯s special cream pasta.

    Even from a distance, it looked delicious.

    Mmm, I can practically taste it already. Twirl the noodles around the fork, take a bite, and let that rich, creamy vor coat my mouth¡ª

    ¡°Pardon me, Lady Allen, may I have a moment?¡±

    As I was savoring the anticipation of my meal, someone stood in front of me, blocking my view.

    Who is it? Who dares to interrupt my delightful imagination?

    I frowned and looked up to see a face I¡¯d never seen before.

    Who¡¯s this guy?

    Judging by the uniform, he¡¯s a second-year Academy student.

    Since I don¡¯t recognize him, he must be one of those extras who didn¡¯t even warrant a mention in the game.

    I cocked my head, noticing a few other students standing behind him, and rested my chin on my hand.

    If people I don¡¯t know are approaching me in a group, there¡¯s only one reason.

    These idiots are here to pick a fight.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°How about thinking before you speak? Do you think someone as insignificant as you has the right to waste the time of someone as noble as me?¡±

    Waving my hand dismissively, I watched as the guy¡¯s face turned red.

    He¡¯s trembling already, and I haven¡¯t even properly provoked him. Whoever he is, he¡¯s clearly not the most impressive specimen if he can¡¯t even keep his emotions in check.

    ¡°Please, just give me a moment. This is an important matter.¡±

    If we didn¡¯t have an audience, I¡¯d just knock him out and be done with it, but too many people were watching.

    Almost everyone in the dining hall had their eyes on us.

    My reputation was already rock-bottom thanks to the dungeon exam, and if I acted out now, who knows what kind of twisted rumor might spread.

    So I¡¯ll let him create an excuse for me¡ªmake him throw the first punch.

    As I folded my arms and leaned back, he must have taken it as permission to speak. He forced a smile and began.

    ¡°Thank you. My name is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on. Do I look like I want to hear a lowlifeckey whine like a mangy dog? Look, if you¡¯re gonna act so pathetic, at least show some respect, alright?¡±

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    ¡°Of course you should apologize! If I weren¡¯t so cute and forgiving, you¡¯d be in big trouble, you know?¡±

    His lips pressed into a hard line as I taunted him, and then, in what must have been aplete misunderstanding, he pulled a chair to sit.

    Did he take ¡°look me in the eyes¡± as an invitation to join?

    ¡°Did I say you could sit?¡±

    ¡°...Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re more animal than human, aren¡¯t you? So why don¡¯t you sit where animals belong?¡±

    I pointed to the floor, and the extra clenched his fist, his face burning red.

    Angry muttering came from his friends, all of them close to boiling over.

    One more little nudge should do it.

    ¡°What, too proud to sit on the floor? Shocking,ing from lowlifes who thought it was okay to gang up on a single girl.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯te here for that.¡±

    ¡°Whatever, loser. Come on, let¡¯s hear it. I¡¯m curious what sound a pathetic little creature like you will make.¡±

    ¡°We wanted to ask about this dungeon exam.¡±

    Ugh. What a waste of my time. So they¡¯re here about the dungeon?

    What, are they here to whine about it being too hard?

    Then just look at the hints. The phrasing might be a bit unconventional, but the information is sound.

    ¡°That dungeon¡­ is it even possible to clear?¡±

    ¡­What?

    ¡°Even the top students have been stuck on the fifth floor all day. You didn¡¯t design it to be cleared, did you? Maybe you just didn¡¯t want to give out the reward, so¡ª¡±

    ¡°Pfft! Hahaha!¡±

    So that¡¯s what he¡¯s suggesting?

    That I made an impossible dungeon just so I wouldn¡¯t have to give out any rewards?

    That it¡¯s all just some twisted exercise in hopelessness?

    Hah. Ridiculous.

    I¡¯d nned to scare them off, but these idiots aren¡¯t worth the effort.

    They¡¯ve insulted a hardcore gamer¡¯s pride.

    ¡°Lady Allen? Are you listening?¡±

    ¡°Shut up. Your voice is making me nauseous.¡±

    Rising slowly, I took a step toward the trash.

    Being short is such a hassle. No matter who I stand in front of, I always have to look up.

    If I want to meet their gaze, I have to force them to their knees.

    ¡°¡­Lady Allen?¡±

    With a sweet smile, I responded by kicking the extra¡¯s ankle, sending him to the ground where he belonged.

    Ah, yes. Garbage belongs on the floor.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°We were just¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Shut up. Didn¡¯t I say I didn¡¯t want to hear pigs squealing?¡±

    I¡¯d spoken clearly, so why couldn¡¯t they understand?

    Should I ask that lovesick fox to teach them how animals sound?

    While I cocked my head in genuine wonder, the trash on the floor staggered to his feet, clutching his injured leg.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to act this way, we¡ª¡±

    ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°I said, go ahead.¡±

    Come on. Show me what makes you think you¡¯re qualified to call my dungeon a troll dungeon.

    Staring down at the leader, I waited for him to make a move, but all they did was nce at each other nervously.

    These second-years¡ªtoo scared to go up against a first-year girl barely taller than their waists.

    And the worst part? That these idiots dared to question my dungeon.

    If it had been the top contenders, at least they¡¯d have the right to ask. I¡¯d have happily answered them.

    But for these nobodies, who probably haven¡¯t even reached the rankings, to me my dungeon for their ipetence?!

    ¡°Scared little cowards trembling before a tiny girl. Puny losers afraid of a fight, who ran to their mama when they were scared of their professors and came to bother someone they thought was weaker.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? You mad? So what are you going to do about it? Can you hit me? No? You¡¯re just taking it, huh? Pathetic.¡±

    ¡°Enough.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I get it now. You actually wanted me to insult you, right? You sick freaks are getting off on this? Please, do us all a favor and get lost before I catch whatever¡¯s wrong with you.¡±

    Finally, one of the idiots clenched his teeth and raised his fist, veins bulging as he put everything he had into that punch.

    But what good is all that effort if you¡¯re this slow?

    I caught his wrist and twisted his arm.

    The trash tried to resist, but the difference in strength was so great his struggle was pointless.

    ¡°Aaargh!¡±

    I didn¡¯t even twist that hard, yet he¡¯s whining this much?

    Calling him weak feels generous.

    Tired of his shrieking, I gave his nose a quick jab to shut him up and knocked down the next one in line before turning to the third.

    This one was charging at me, hoping to wrestle me down with his weight.

    Not the worst idea, I guess.

    But who¡¯d fall for something that obvious?

    I silenced him with a kick to the chin and nced around.

    Pathetic cowards.

    What made them think they had a chance against me?

    Didn¡¯t they know I¡¯d been practically raised by monsters, constantly battling to survive?

    And here they were, a bunch of nobodies who hadn¡¯t even ranked, thinking they could intimidate me.

    Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I nced around the dining hall. Everyone was staring, but no one made a move to help.

    Not that I¡¯d expected anyone to.

    This was the Academy, after all. If you couldn¡¯t fend for yourself, you were just a stepping stone for others.

    I brushed the dust off my uniform and took onest look at the idiots sprawled on the floor.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t handle the dungeon, just admit you¡¯re weak and drop out quietly. Don¡¯t go whining and dragging down others because you can¡¯t measure up.¡±

    Leaving them to stew in their embarrassment, I turned back to my table.@@novelbin@@

    The cream pasta had finally arrived, and I wasn¡¯t about to let anything else ruin it.

    I settled into my seat, lifted my fork, and, without a second thought, dug in, savoring the rich, creamy taste that spread through my mouth with each bite.

    They could re all they wanted. Today was the end of my exams, and I was going to enjoy this meal in peace.

 Chapter 317

    Watching Arthur and his team struggle through the dungeon, it dawned on me why they weren¡¯t even considering the dungeon¡¯s gimmicks.

    ¡°Joy!¡± ¡°Tch! I¡¯ll seal its movements with sheer force!¡± ¡°We have no choice! It¡¯s better than letting it copse!¡±

    The reason was simple¡ªthey thought they could just muscle through it without bothering to strategize.

    When I designed the fifth-floor boss, I specifically made it so it couldn¡¯t be ovee by brute force. The point of this Dungeon Studies exam was to test their ability to analyze and conquer gimmicks.

    This final boss was supposed to be the culmination of those principles. Like some dungeons in the world of Soul Academy, this one required challengers to gather clues scattered throughout to discover the boss¡¯s weaknesses, each found only after suffering a crushing defeat or two.

    But the real problem was that I¡¯d adjusted the boss¡¯s difficulty to make it beatable by all students in the academy.

    I didn¡¯t want them breaking apart at the end, so I set limits to keep it from being overwhelmingly difficult. Yet, that cap just happened to fall within reach for a party like Arthur¡¯s, who are far beyond the average academy freshman in capability.

    ¡°Frey!¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯ll back off.¡±

    On top of that, the boss was using the various gimmicks embedded throughout the dungeon.

    It would sometimes regenerate instead of taking damage, require intense focus to immobilize, or demand attacks to specific areas to weaken it.

    This boss, a culmination of all the dungeon¡¯s gimmicks, met the purpose of the exam by requiring a methodical approach to exploiting its quirks.

    ¡°I¡¯m deploying a barrier! Gather here!¡±

    Watching Arthur¡¯s group, all working together under hismand to bring down the boss, I felt a headacheing on and pressed my fingers to my temples.

    If they were bound to fail, I would have been fine with this approach.

    Whether they ultimately figured it out or kept failing repeatedly was all the same to me. If they did manage to clear it, then great; if they failed repeatedly, at least they wouldn¡¯t be cursing me to the heavens.

    But here they were, trying to brute-force their way through my dungeon! In a way that absolutely shouldn¡¯t work!

    <em>Gyaaah!</em> Is this what dungeon creators feel when someone tries to brute-force through their work?!

    No, no, I don¡¯t regret the way I used to st through dungeons back then! Those creators deserved all the criticism they got!

    As I muttered incoherently at the scene unfolding before me, I suddenly realized something.

    Wait a second. Every leading group is stuck on the fifth floor.

    Could it be?

    ¡°Your guess is correct. Both Prince Cecile¡¯s and Marquis Kurten¡¯s parties are attempting to beat the final boss by force rather than figuring out the gimmicks.¡±

    Since they¡¯re second and third years, their version of the boss is even stronger than the one Arthur¡¯s party is facing, yet they¡¯re not backing down either, the professor sighed.

    No way!

    I get that Kurten¡¯s all muscle-brained, but Cecile?! I thought he¡¯d changed, but turns out he¡¯s just as muscle-brained as the rest!

    And Jeff! What are you even doing there?! You¡¯re supposed to be the brain of the party¡ªwhy are you charging in recklessly?!

    Are you really a perfect guy apart from your siscon tendencies?!

    I took a deep breath, cooling down from my heated thoughts, and leaned back against my chair.

    Honestly, it¡¯d be nice if they all just failed to clear it.

    Then I could mock the academy¡¯s idiotic students while demonstrating the correct strategy myself.

    ¡°Damn it. Another failure,¡± Arthur muttered, disappointed.

    Watching his expression, I let out a heavy sigh.

    Haaah.

    If I¡¯d known this would happen, I should have made the freshman boss even harder.

    Joyy sprawled on the ground after being ejected from the dungeon, staring nkly at the ceiling.

    Nearly a full day had passed since they¡¯d reached the fifth floor of the academy dungeon, yet the boss showed no signs of falling.

    ¡°Is it even possible to defeat it?¡± she wondered aloud, feeling the fatigue settle deep into her bones.

    As she thought about getting up, her eyes drifted closed, and images of the dungeon she¡¯d been tackling shed before her.

    The dungeon Lady Allen had designed was remarkable, without a doubt. It was so impressive that she fully understood why Lady Allen took such pride in her creation.

    Her appreciation for the dungeon started on the first floor, when they finally understood how to clear the boss.

    They¡¯d been fuming when they¡¯d reached Floor 0, feeling like all their previous efforts had been for nothing. Prince Arthur had even muttered about giving Lady Allen a good thump on the head, and Faivy hadn¡¯t been able to stop him from venting.

    But that changed the next day when they discovered the strategy for the first-floor boss.

    To defeat the knight guarding the floor¡¯s final section, they had to target its weak points one by one, breaking down its defenses little by little. It was a clever twist, reusing the first room¡¯s gimmick.

    ¡°This knight has the same weaknesses as the soldiers we faced earlier!¡± Lady Kent had pointed out.

    ¡°What? No way¡­ Wait, it does match up. Ha! Ha ha ha! So we knew the strategy from the beginning?!¡±

    That gimmick, which felt like a nod of acknowledgment to their earlier struggles, had melted away their anger.

    And as they explored, they encountered simr elements throughout the dungeon.

    The small wolf on the second floor, which ran at the sight of them.

    The hidden passage they found by discerning an illusion.

    Ghostly apparitions that were difficult to tell apart from reality.

    The boss on the second floor, who alternated between false and true attacks.

    By the time they cleared the second floor, Joy felt like this dungeon was teaching them the mechanics of illusions, encouraging them to utilize their newfound knowledge.

    The third floor continued in much the same way.

    Enemies that seemed endless but would vanish if their leader was defeated.

    Rooms with only one correct door among dozens.

    A demon who knelt and pretended to show them the truth.

    And a boss surrounded by countless magic circles, with only a few that needed to be destroyed.

    On the fourth floor, they faced challenges where they had to distinguish dreams from reality every time they opened a door.

    Lady Kent grumbled about the hassle, but Joy found it fun. In dreams, she could use magic without worrying about resources, though she¡¯d overexerted herself once, earning a scolding from Prince Arthur.

    Finally, they reached the fifth floor.

    Confronted by the figure who had previously sent them to Floor 0, they encountered a true wall.

    Its innate abilities were beyond logic.

    As if to dere its mastery over the dungeon, it utilized all the gimmicks they¡¯d faced thus far.

    And it was so tough that despite their relentless attacks, they doubted it could even be harmed.@@novelbin@@

    In the face of this overwhelming challenge, Faivy¡ªthe saintess of the Church of the Main God, who had endured countless hardships¡ªrefused to despair.

    ¡°Everyone, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to give up after all we¡¯ve gone through?¡±

    ¡°If you think about it, Lady Allen has never given us an impossible task.¡±

    ¡°In other words, Lady Allen believes we can ovee thisst enemy.¡±

    ¡°As people who¡¯ve received Lady Allen¡¯s guidance, we can¡¯t betray her trust, can we?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try again. Let¡¯s get up and keep going. All the way to the end.¡±

    Even in a hellish scene, Faivy¡¯s voice sowed the seeds of hope, dispelling their despair.

    So they kept trying.

    Over and over.

    ¡°His foundation is all the gimmicks present in the dungeon! So the strategy should be simr!¡±

    They kept trying.

    ¡°When his sword glows red, it¡¯s a deadly attack. I¡¯ll block it with a barrier.¡±

    And kept trying.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to read his swordsmanship. It¡¯s simr to Professor Karl¡¯s.¡±

    Relentlessly.

    Even now, as they approached victory.

    Joy felt they¡¯d already mastered nearly every aspect of the boss.

    Only one thing remained.

    Oveing the boss¡¯s final desperate move, where it spread crimson mana throughout the room.

    What could it be?

    How could they counter that gimmick?

    Lady Allen wouldn¡¯t have designed something impossible to clear.

    She must have left a clue in the gimmick itself.

    Haaah.

    I really have no idea.

    Think it through once more.

    What was the pattern of that magic circle?

    As Joy visualized the magic circle¡¯s shape, an idea came to her.

    ...What if.

    Just what if.

    What if they stopped the magic circle from forming in the first ce?

    If she mixed her own mana in when the magic circle was being etched, she could halt its activation.

    The moment this thought clicked, Joy¡¯s eyes shot open, and she jumped to her feet.

    ¡°Joy, are you awake? You should take a short rest since the schedule¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    ¡°I know how to bring down the final boss, Prince!¡±

 Chapter 318

    The final floor of the end-of-term exam dungeon.

    Using their knowledge from previous dungeon records, Arthur and his party finally arrived before the boss room. They¡¯d done this countless times by now, each member preparing for the battle ahead.

    At first, they¡¯d adjusted their strategies with every attempt, experimenting to find the optimal approach. But now, there was no need for further discussion; they knew exactly what to do.

    In the midst of preparations, Arthur recalled what Joy had said before they entered the dungeon.

    ¡°If we can¡¯t handle that final spell, then we¡¯ll just have to make sure it can¡¯t be cast at all!¡±

    When she¡¯d excitedly proposed this idea, Arthur had doubted whether it was even possible. Interfering with someone else¡¯s magic circle was a monumental feat on its own, but to disrupt the spell of a being far more powerful than them? It sounded like madness.

    Arthur, with his knowledge from Magic Studies, knew just how oundish her suggestion was.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯ve memorized that magic circle after seeing it so many times. I¡¯ve internalized its structure, so interfering with it should be entirely possible,¡± Joy had assured him with confidence.

    But her unwavering confidence only made Arthur more anxious. Typically, whenever Joy got this self-assured, it ended with a disastrous blunder.

    Drawing from past experiences, Arthur had tried to dissuade her.

    ¡°But even if failure is inevitable, it¡¯s no reason not to try, right?¡±

    Thatment had shut him up. She was right.

    As long as they had unlimited opportunities, a foreseeable failure wasn¡¯t a reason to avoid attempting the impossible. It was more unnatural <em>not</em> to try. Lucy Allen herself had shown them through this dungeon that clues and solutions were found at the end of daring attempts.

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s give it a shot.¡± ¡°¡­One request for the challenge, though. Could you drive the fifth-floor boss to itsst stand without me?¡±

    Arthur remembered her words and couldn¡¯t help but smirk.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can actually do it.¡±

    He¡¯d agreed to her request, but now he wasn¡¯t sure they could really pull it off. The fifth-floor boss was no pushover.

    Arthur was massaging his neck, deep in thought, when Frey tugged at his sleeve, catching his attention.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°This time, I¡¯ll act as I see fit.¡± ¡°¡­Since when have you ever listened to me?¡±

    She was always rushing in and causing trouble whenever she could, so why was she announcing that now?

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been acting on my own,¡± she replied, tilting her head as if the question was obvious.

    Arthur froze. She hadn¡¯t been acting on her own? And now she was going to let loose even more?

    ¡°You do realize we¡¯ll be fighting without Joy¡¯s help, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m saying this.¡±

    Arthur met her determined gaze and, after a moment¡¯s thought, sighed and nodded. He didn¡¯t particrly like Frey¡¯s unteral actions, but he respected her talent. If it weren¡¯t for Lucy Allen¡¯s influence, Frey would still be considered an unrivaled genius. If she thought there was a way forward, he¡¯d trust her.

    If her n failed¡­ Well, he¡¯d have words for herter.

    ¡°Just checking, but do you have anything to add, Saintess?¡±

    Arthur turned to Faivy, who nodded with her usual gentle smile.

    ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Rx.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°When Joy is with us, you can step back and oversee the strategy. But she¡¯s not here now.¡±

    Arthur would need to take up the coordination that Joy had managed. Rather than micromanaging every move, he had to trust each person to handle their part and focus on his own.

    ¡°Lady Kent, myself¡ªwe¡¯re all capable of doing our part no matter what. There¡¯s no need for you to carry everything alone.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re right.¡±

    Arthur realized what he¡¯d been missing. He¡¯d been trying to orchestrate everything, believing it was the most effective approach¡ªlike Lucy Allen had shown him.

    But right now, that approach was unnecessary.

    Everyone knew their roles; there was no need for Arthur to control every step.

    ¡°Trust us,¡± Faivy said, meeting his gaze.

    ¡°I will,¡± Arthur responded, nodding back.

    With that, they were ready.

    There was only one task left for Arthur and his team.

    Defeat the fifth-floor boss.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±

    Arthur pushed open the door, and a chilling voice oozed from within, like something rising from the depths.

    ¡°What did you think of my mansion? Of my memories? Were they enjoyable? Entertaining?¡±

    The creature within, arms spread wide, projected an aura of malice that seemed to smother the air itself. Yet Arthur and his party faced it withposure.

    The first time they¡¯d encountered that voice, they¡¯d frozen in fear. Now, after hearing it over a hundred times, it was just an annoyance.

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s the final act. I hope even the ending suits your tastes.¡±

    Instinctively, Arthur opened his mouth to issuemands, but before he could, Frey had already dashed past him.

    Enveloped in an aura, she charged forward, aiming to decapitate the creature before it even unsheathed its de.

    But the creature, unfazed by the ferocious assault, merely grinned, catching Frey¡¯s strike with a hand covered in aura.

    ¡°Hasty. Shouldn¡¯t you allow the lead actor to deliver their lines?¡± it sneered.

    ¡°Not particrly.¡±

    Without a hint of emotion, Frey responded, her expression nk as sheunched into an intense assault that left no room for breath.

    ¡°So sorrowful. So tragic.¡±

    In that instant, Frey abruptly retreated.

    The creature¡¯s line, the blue hue of its eyes, and the opening it presented were all gimmicks she¡¯d learned to avoid.

    Was she handling this on her own?

    Arthurughed quietly to himself.

    In the past, as soon as that pattern appeared, he would shout out her name in desperation, fearing she¡¯d get absorbed in her attack and miss the clue.

    But none of that had been necessary.

    Frey knew how to handle this gimmick herself.

    She could¡¯ve told me she had it covered sooner.

    Arthur chuckled inwardly, drawing several magic circles around himself.

    You¡¯ve shown you can handle your task.

    Now I¡¯ll show I can handle mine.

    Arthur wasn¡¯t as skilled in magic as Joy, but he was far from ordinary. Having long surpassed the standard of a first-year student, Arthur¡¯s skills were more than enough to tackle the boss¡¯s gimmicks.

    ¡°Let¡¯s change the stage colors!¡±

    With a shout, the creature¡¯s body began to pulse with a red aura, spreading out across the room.

    This was one of the boss¡¯s main gimmicks on the fifth floor.

    They had to strike every red spot on its body within a certain time limit. If they failed, a lethal spell would target them instantly.

    But this time, that threat would be nullified.

    Arthur unleashed his prepared spell, casting a hail of mana bolts from his central magic circle, striking every red spot and immobilizing the creature.

    ¡°Nice work, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Save the chatter, Frey. Focus on your job.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re as unbearable as ever.¡± ¡°Not as bad as you.¡±

    Exchanging yful banter, the two fell silent and focused as the creature steadied itself and drew its sword.

    Even without Joy, they moved seamlessly, each performing their role.

    When the creature spread its curses, Faivy purified them immediately.

    When it charged with its de, Frey intercepted and defended.

    While they held the line, Arthur unleashed magic from his circles, forcing the creature back.

    When Frey sustained injuries, Faivy healed her while Arthur moved forward to buy them time.

    Despite the absence of a central coordinator like Joy, they worked in a natural rhythm. Though some rough edges showed without a central guide, Arthur and his team held strong.

    Their makeshift bridge may have seemed ready to copse, but with each member¡¯s efforts, they continued pushing forward toward victory.

    ¡°Hahaha! Yes, splendid! Let¡¯s see this through to the end!¡±

    How long had they been fighting?

    At some point, the creatureughed, scattering a crimson energy around itself.

    The final pattern of the fifth-floor boss.

    The gimmick that had stymied Arthur¡¯s team countless times.

    The catastrophe with no apparent solution.

    Seeing it form, Arthur exhaled roughly and turned back.

    ¡°Joy!¡±

    It¡¯s your turn.

    We¡¯ve gotten this far for you. Don¡¯t let all our efforts go to waste!

    Meeting Arthur¡¯s gaze, Joy grabbed the red gemstone hanging around her neck¡ªa gift Lucy had given her not long ago. It had steadily absorbed mana over time, bing her trump card.

    Taking a deep breath, she channeled her mana into the gemstone and closed her eyes.

    In this moment, she didn¡¯t need physical sight.

    What she needed was the vision of a mage, her honed sense from training since childhood as a noble of the Partran family.

    I see it. My mana.

    I see it. The crimson aura of that creature¡¯s mana.

    I see it. The spell it¡¯s crafting.

    The magic circle I¡¯ve seen so many times, engraved in my mind until now.

    A perfect match for what I remember!

    A grin tugged at her lips as she unleashed the gemstone¡¯s mana, opening her eyes.@@novelbin@@

    The sapphire blue of her irises sparkled with the flicker of crimson, and her mana spread outwards, pushing back the creature¡¯s crimson energy.

    Joy¡¯s and the creature¡¯s mana shed, grinding against each other like sharpened teeth, each trying to im its ground.

    ¡°Futile! Do you think a half-wit like you can stop me?¡± the creature jeered.

    ¡°Not a word I¡¯d care to hear from azy slob who can¡¯t even take care of himself!¡± Joy shot back.

    The situation was on a razor¡¯s edge; one misstep could mean disaster. But Joy¡¯s grin only grew sharper.

    Sorry, but I won¡¯t lose!

    The others created a miracle to get me here, so failure isn¡¯t an option!

    If I mess this up, Prince, Faivy, and Lady Kent will never let me live it down!

    So please, offer yourself as the sacrifice for my sess!

    You worthlessyabout of a noble!

 Chapter 319

    The skills required to interfere with an opponent¡¯s magic circle are numerous.

    The most essential is the ability to counter the opponent¡¯s mana.

    If one cannot manage this, any attempt to interfere with the magic circle will result in their own mana being overpowered by the opponent''s, leaving them unable to make an attempt at all. Under normal circumstances, Joy would not be able to counter the creature¡¯s mana.

    It¡¯s true that Joy possessed remarkable skill and was rapidly improving through hard work, never growingcent. But she was still only a first-year at the Academy.

    Although Joy had honed her abilities to a fine edge, she still had much to learn before she could challenge the creature directly.

    So Joy unveiled her trump card.

    It was the gemstone Lucy had given her in the past, filled with stored mana. By releasing this stored mana, she could forcibly bring herself up to par.

    Combining her mana with the mana within the gemstone allowed Joy¡¯s energy to meet the creature¡¯s, but this bnce could notst long.

    The mana she was manipting now far exceeded her usual limits.

    A searing pain coursed through her as the circuits within her body began to tear.

    Her blood felt as if it were boiling, heating her veins.

    Clenching her teeth, Joy endured the pain as she moved her mana.

    The second condition for disrupting a magic circle: knowing the structure of the magic circle the opponent was attempting to form.

    Once a magic circle wasplete, with mana firmly locked together, breaking it apart became extremely difficult¡ªnearly impossible unless one had overwhelming power.

    However, if one intervened before the circle wasplete, the story changed.

    By inserting her own mana between the links attempting to bind together, she could disrupt the formation before it solidified. Even if there was a disparity in power, she could still scatter the spell.

    Having faced this creature¡¯s magic circle in dozens, even hundreds of attempts, Joy had memorized every part of it.

    How the lines were drawn.

    Where the focal pointsy.

    Which areas had weaker connections.

    How it adapted to unexpected changes.

    She knew it all.

    Despite the excruciating pain, Joy managed to grin.

    I know exactly what I have to do.

    All that¡¯s left is to move my mana.

    As she flicked her staff, her mana dispersed around her, moving precisely into position as if each fragment possessed its own will.

    This was her talent¡ªone that blossomed with Lucy¡¯s guidance.

    Her multi-mana maniption, praised to the point of tears by her Mana Theory professor, was now being used to its fullest. Thanks to her prowess, the creature¡¯s magic circle halted mid-formation.

    ¡°Incredible, child.¡±

    An event that had never happened before.

    Not even the creature, skilled in magic as he was, could have anticipated this.

    It should have left him shaken, yet he remainedposed.

    ¡°The talent you hold is truly extraordinary.¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course. For the nobledy of the Partran family¡­ this is hardly anything remarkable!¡±

    Joy raised her voice, pressing down on the pain as the creature¡¯s lips curled into a dark smile.

    ¡°But it isn¡¯t over! Do you think this is all it takes to stop me?¡±

    In sync with his shout, the creature¡¯s mana surged once more.

    As if he¡¯d been toying with her until now, pretending to humor her efforts, his mana thickened, pushing Joy¡¯s mana to its limits.

    That wasn¡¯t his full power?!

    He hadn¡¯t been desperate¡ªhe¡¯d been holding back?!

    This can¡¯t be!

    Joy tried desperately to push his mana back, but the gap between them was too vast.

    If his mana was a raging storm, hers was merely a gentle spring breeze.

    No matter how hard she fought, the result was inevitable: the breeze would be swallowed up by the storm, leaving not a trace.

    What do I do?!

    How can I possibly stop this?

    What can I do in this situation?

    ¡°Thus spoke the Great Lord,¡±

    In the midst of her panic, her gaze unfocused, a calm voice sounded beside her.

    It was warm, unwavering, even in the face of despair.

    ¡°To those who do not surrender, a miracle shall be granted.¡±

    Turning, Joy found Faivy standing beside her, the saint¡¯s face full of determination.

    The face of a priestess spreading hope through the will of the divine.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°We shall never retreat.¡±

    As Faivy finished her prayer, a wave of strength washed over Joy¡¯s body, scattering her pain and recing her doubt and confusion with resolve.

    This blessing, crafted for those who fought against evil, empowered Joy¡¯s spirit.

    Smiling gently at the bewildered Joy, Faivy gathered her divine power, then turned to face forward once more.

    ¡°Now, everyone, let¡¯s show them we¡¯re not so easily defeated.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to say it, Saintess!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    With a firm shout from Arthur and a quiet affirmation from Frey, they dashed forward, sweeping past Joy and charging straight at the creature.

    The creature attempted to impede their charge by manipting the red mana filling the room, but the mana was sluggish, its movement disjointed.

    His mana was still restrained by Joy¡¯s own.

    ¡°You call that power? It¡¯s nothing special!¡±

    ¡°Pathetic.¡±

    Arthur and Frey, who had grown ustomed to this foe, had pushed past his best efforts and reached this point. No halfhearted interference was going to stop them now.

    They dodged each attempt with ease and closed in on the creature.

    ¡°So you try to resist?¡±

    ¡°Feeling strained now, are you?¡±

    ¡°A reversal, how shameful.¡±

    Their weapons red with aura.

    With no thought of holding back, they poured everything into their attacks.

    The creature, seeing the zing aura, frantically swung his sword, but his strike failed to repel them.

    Instead, Arthur¡¯s single blow parried it, leaving him exposed.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Normally, the creature would have remained calm even against theirbined assault.

    His overwhelming skill, sturdy body, and mana were more than enough to challenge both Arthur and Frey.

    But not now.

    After countless attempts that had broken down much of his arsenal,

    After expelling all his mana to cast this final spell,

    The creature could only defend against their onught with all his might.

    ¡°Just like I said, you¡¯re useless without your magic!¡±

    ¡°You really are nothing without it!¡±

    ¡°You wretched little¡­!¡±

    Joy watched, transfixed by the sparks flying from the shing auras, until a weight settled on her shoulder, snapping her out of her daze.

    ¡°Joy. Now¡¯s not the time to stare.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got an opening. Keep gawking, and I¡¯ll have to start calling you ¡®Dim Lady Joy,¡¯ too.¡±

    ¡°What?! I¡­ Oh.¡±

    Understanding Faivy¡¯s words, Joy¡¯s gaze sharpened.

    The creature¡¯s red mana was starting to waver.

    With Arthur and Frey¡¯s relentless attack, the creature¡¯s control was weakening, causing his mana to fall out of sync.

    ¡°You can handle it, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course.¡±

    Intercepting out-of-control mana was as easy as manipting natural mana.

    At least, for the Joy of now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, Joy.¡±

    Joy didn¡¯t need to question Faivy¡¯s offer.

    Knowing her friend¡¯s abilities, Joy responded with a trusting smile, then flicked her staff again.

    Her mana flowed into the creature¡¯s own, creating pathways that Faivy¡¯s divine energy traveled through, elerating the mana¡¯s dissipation.

    ¡°Stop! I won¡¯t end like this!¡±

    Sensing the disruption, the creature let out a desperate shout, trying to resist.

    ¡°Going somewhere?¡±

    ¡°Address your opponents in order. You¡¯re not getting past us.¡±

    ¡°Out of my way!¡±

    Lost in desperation, the creature couldn¡¯t hope to break through Arthur, heir to the prestigious Sdine bloodline, and Frey, blessed with unmatched skill.

    ¡°No.¡±

    The red mana that had once led to their countless deaths scattered.

    ¡°No!¡±

    The ominous air filling the room dissipated as Faivy¡¯s divine energy purified it.

    ¡°I refuse to fall!¡±

    In the moment the spell¡¯s source copsed,

    ¡°No¡­ guh! Cough, cough!¡±

    The creature let out a garbled scream, blood spewing from his mouth.

    With his spell undone, the bacsh surged through him, a fatal consequence for any magic-wielder.

    Frey saw this opening and rushed to deliver a finishing blow, only to be stopped by Arthur.

    ¡°¡­Why stop me? Pity?¡±

    ¡°The one we¡¯re dealing with is Lucy Allen. There might be a trap set for the end.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Got it.¡±

    As Frey stepped back, the creature¡¯s body began to crumble, his armor rusting and turning to dust.

    His youthful skin wrinkled at an rming rate, his flesh decaying along the lines of age, and his brittle bones snapped under their own weight as he copsed.

    Finally, struggling to stand only to fall again, he looked down at his crumbling form and let out a hollowugh.

    ¡°So this is the fate of those who choose the wrong path.¡±

    As if the god of time itself was taking away the remaining moments he had.

    ¡°Yes¡­ this must be the way things were meant to end.¡±

    With regretful eyes, the creature looked around the room onest time, focusing on the party that had bested him.

    ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯ve done the impossible, ovee this mansion. I hope you cherish the miracle you¡¯ve created.¡±

    Muttering as if to himself, he let out a softugh that quickly died away.

    Hisughter stopped as all remaining time was drained from him.

    And with that, the foe who had driven Arthur and his party through hundreds of failures vanished into ashes, leaving only a cold, beautiful bracelet where he had stood¡ªa reminder of what had once been.

    ¡°¡­Joy, I¡¯m no expert on artifacts, but is that what I think it is?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness! Isn¡¯t it obvious?! The intricate gemstones, the colors within! And that signature¡ªit¡¯s unmistakably from the master artisan, Preti!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. This piece is undoubtedly crafted by a Saint of the Artisans¡¯ Sect.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯re the first to clear this dungeon!¡±

    Clenching his fist in triumph, Arthur shouted,

    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±

    And with that, Joy, who had poured all her strength into the battle, finally let out a whimper,ughing whileining about how exhausted she was.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    Faivy moved to Joy¡¯s side and began healing her with her magic.

    ¡°Thatst part was boring.¡±

    Without realizing the small smile gracing her lips, Frey, masking her satisfaction, sheathed her sword.

    The journey of six days, beginning with the Academy¡¯s end-of-term exam and offering no rest, had finally ended in Arthur and his party¡¯s victory.

    <em>Ding!</em>

    <strong>[The End-of-Term Dungeon has been cleared!]</strong>

    <strong>[Penalty imposed due to quest failure!]</strong>

 Chapter 320

    The dungeon had been cleared, and the notification message proimed that the quest had failed, resulting in a penalty.

    Seeing this, I didn¡¯t feel despair or disappointment.

    Since the moment I had decided to protect my pride overpleting the quest from the god, I had expected this oue.

    I hadn¡¯t anticipated that they¡¯d clear the dungeon by brute force rather than following the intended strategy.

    It¡¯s¡­ aplicated feeling.

    On one hand, I¡¯m genuinely proud of how strong my friends have be through their efforts.

    Frey, who has grown enough to stand toe-to-toe with the sword-based boss without backing down even an inch.

    Arthur, who demonstrated the versatility of a magic swordsman, effortlessly moving between the front and rear lines.

    Faivy, who elevated her divine magic by integrating knowledge from other branches of magic, reaching an even higher level.

    And Joy, who proved her determination by dismantling a spell I¡¯d designed to be nearly impossible to survive.

    Seeing these abilities, which had grown stronger than I ever imagined, carved a sense of pride into my heart.

    If only they hadn¡¯t shattered my dungeon with that power, I could¡¯ve been smiling right now with peace of mind¡­

    ¡­Sigh.

    I wonder what kind of penalty awaits.

    Something humiliating, like the times I¡¯d failed in my challenges before?

    Or will I be forced to relive the nightmare of being a bunny-girl?

    Or, maybe, I¡¯ll have to parade around in one of my old dresses from years back?

    Thinking about the past, I suddenly remembered all the humiliating ideas this perverted god might have in mind for me.

    Is this creature really a god if it gets this much enjoyment out of watching its own disciple suffer?

    The future of this world looks bleak.

    Ah! Seriously!

    Just give me whatever punishment you¡¯re nning already!

    Waiting like this is the worst part!

    The suspense of not knowing is filling my head with all sorts of terrible possibilities!

    Are you doing this just to make me squirm?!

    Are you watching andughing as I fret over this?!

    Honestly, it scares me because it seems exactly like what this depraved god would do!

    ¡°Lady Allen.¡±

    While I was silently cursing the perverted god in my mind, the Dungeon Studies professor looked up from the screen and spoke.

    ¡°Did you ount for this method of clearing the dungeon? The dialogue doesn¡¯t match the intended ending.¡±

    ¡®Of course I did.¡¯

    ¡°Of course I did. Why are you even asking something so obvious? Tsk. Professors can be so clueless.¡±

    Naturally, I preferred they cleared the dungeon through the intended mechanics, but I also included scenarios for cases where they bypassed those mechanics.

    I¡¯m the same person who used to make life difficult for dungeon creators in every possible way.

    Knowing how challengers could go to extraordinary lengths, I didn¡¯t expect things to always go ording to n.

    I anticipated variations, and I even designed scenarios for what would happen if they took different paths.

    After all, nothing detes a sense of achievement faster than getting blocked by some ¡°incorrect¡± method after you¡¯ve worked hard to clear something.

    I couldn¡¯t let that happen in my perfect dungeon.

    ¡°You¡¯re meticulous.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s nothing.¡¯

    ¡°Calling that ¡®meticulous¡¯¡ªseriously, how dense are you? Completely clueless!¡±

    ¡°Haha, well, my role is to evaluate. Hidden paths make it difficult to give fair scores, you see.¡±

    The Dungeon Studies professor gave a strained smile and exined how they¡¯d grade Arthur¡¯s group.

    The points for every floor except the fifth one would be awarded normally since they¡¯dpleted those floors as intended, but not the fifth floor.

    Ignoring the mechanics of a floor meant to test one¡¯s puzzle-solving skills meant that, technically, the fifth-floorpletion wouldn¡¯t be recognized.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we usually design dungeons so that non-standard methods result in a dead end. This way, students can realize they¡¯re off track and start again.¡±

    ¡­Wait. So, ording to the professor¡¯s words, they didn¡¯t realize they were off track because I¡¯d created an alternate ending?

    ¡°Just to rify, please don¡¯t inform them about this. It would count as a breach.¡±

    ¡®O-Of course.¡¯

    ¡°Such a mean-spirited professor¡ªno wonder you¡¯re so wrinkled.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not that old yet.¡±

    The professor¡¯s lips twitched at myment, while I nced at Arthur and his group celebrating their victory on the final screen, their faces lit with joy.

    They¡¯ll be fine, right?

    Even with the deduction, they¡¯ll still have the top score in the Dungeon Studies exam.

    After all, who among the first years could beat them?

    So, in the end, the result hasn¡¯t changed.

    And I¡¯ve done nothing wrong.

    <em>Ding!</em>

    What now, pathetic god?

    Have you finally decided on my punishment?

    Just what are you nning to make me do to satisfy your twisted tastes?

    Think carefully. If you make me do something truly ridiculous, I¡¯ll just switch gods altogether!

    <strong>[As a penalty for failing the quest, you must grant the first clearers of the dungeon any wish they desire. (Anything)]</strong>

    The first clearers¡­ that¡¯s them, isn¡¯t it?

    Arthur, Joy, Faivy, and Frey, those four.

    Hah! Whatever you were nning, you miscalcted this time.

    I have a bet with them already, so I¡¯m bound to grant whatever they ask, penalty or not.

    This punishment is basically a non-penalty.

    Considering how much this god loves tormenting me, I expected something far more twisted. But just this?

    Have I called you pathetic so often that you¡¯ve truly be pathetic, pathetic god?

    Smirking at the penalty, I noticed thest part¡ª<strong>(Anything)</strong>¡ªand my smile faded.

    Hold on.

    Let¡¯s think about this again.

    Is it possible the pathetic god didn¡¯t know about my bet with them?

    Of course not!

    This god is an absolute creep, probably stalking me at all times!

    I wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if this twisted creep has been watching me in the shower, gasping with heavy breaths!

    If he gave this penalty knowing full well about the bet, then there must be something behind it.

    Anything.

    Whatever they want.

    Forced by the penalty.

    ¡­This penalty is incredibly dangerous.

    Think about it!

    What if, by some nightmare, that privilege ended up in the hands of that perverted fox?

    Imagining her licking her lips made me wrap my arms around myself instinctively.

    I know. I know my friends wouldn¡¯t make strange requests like some lovesick fox.

    But things don¡¯t always go as you expect, right?

    Just look at the dungeon I designed!

    A dungeon that could only be cleared through its mechanics¡­ was brute-forced into submission!

    What seems impossible only holds until someone shatters that notion!

    All it takes is for someone to make a crazy joke, and I¡¯m finished!

    Using my friends to destroy my dignity¡­ is this what it means to be a god?

    Is this the ideal representative of the gods?

    Hey! Are you gods really okay with this pervert representing you?!

    While shuddering at the pathetic god¡¯s cruelty, I heard the voices of Arthur¡¯s group from the screen.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve rested enough. Let¡¯s head out and announce our victory to Lucy Allen.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Hehe. I can finally achieve one of my dreams!¡±

    ¡°Dream? Joy, what on earth do you want from Lucy Allen?¡±

    I¡¯m curious too, Joy!

    What exactly do you n to ask me that would fulfill a dream of yours?

    And why are you blushing and hesitating like that?!

    You¡¯re not turning into a lovesick fox or a perverted disciple, are you?

    Please tell me that¡¯s not it!

    ¡®Shouldn¡¯t Prince Arthur go first if you¡¯re asking that question?¡¯

    ¡®Me? Nothing much, just that I n to have Lucy Allen on her knees, begging for forgiveness.¡¯

    When Arthur finally listed out his demands, which he clearly kept pent up, the four of us stared at him, unimpressed.

    This guy. Pretending to be all high and mighty, but secretly nursing every single grievance.

    He¡¯s utterly petty.

    A prince with the heart of a miser.

    ¡®What? After everything I¡¯ve suffered at her hands, am I not entitled to this at least?¡¯

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡¯

    ¡®Yes, exactly, Prince Arthur. You¡¯re entitled to an apology.¡¯

    ¡®¡­I respect that, Your Highness.¡¯

    ¡®Stop looking at me like that! Don¡¯t look at me like I¡¯m pathetic!¡¯

    It seemed he realized he was losing ground in the conversation, so Arthur pointed at Joy, raising his voice.

    ¡®Joy! What¡¯s your request? Considering how you¡¯re looking at me, it must be something respectable!¡¯

    ¡®Huh? M-me?!¡¯

    ¡®Yes! I confessed mine first, so tell us yours! Quickly!¡¯

    ¡®Uh¡­ I¡­ I wanted to ask Lady Allen to spend the day with me in the capital¡­¡¯

    Under Arthur¡¯s relentless questioning, Joy stumbled over her words, yet Arthur¡¯s eyes still held suspicion.

    ¡®That¡¯s it? Just that? Tell the truth!¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s true! I just¡­¡¯

    ¡®Joy Partran!¡¯

    Cornered and too flustered to even cover her red cheeks, Joy dropped her head, practically whispering.

    ¡®I¡­ I wanted to ask Lady Allen if I could dress her up however I like and have her style me, too. It¡¯s been a dream of mine¡­¡¯

    That¡¯s all?

    Seeing her unable to lift her head afterward makes me think she¡¯s being sincere.

    Ah. She¡¯s cute.

    That¡¯s a request I¡¯d grant even without the penalty¡­

    Wait. Hold on.

    Joy is picking out clothes for me?

    Not with anyone¡¯s help but by herself?

    The sweet, girlish Joy styling me?

    A horrendous scene shed through my mind but evaporated as Arthur recovered hisposure and continued.

    ¡®That¡¯s your dream?¡¯

    ¡®Yes¡­ Most nobledies avoid me because I make them ufortable. Knowing how tough it¡¯d be for them, I¡¯ve never dared to ask.¡¯

    ¡®R-right, I suppose.¡¯

    Arthur, who¡¯d tried to find someone else as petty as himself, instead unearthed pure innocence and was left fumbling, unsure of what to say.

    ¡®Well, uh¡­ Frey! What do you want?!¡¯

    So he decided to change the subject awkwardly.

    Strange. I thought Arthur was supposed to be a dashing type in the game, but he¡¯s turned into aic relief character. Is this my fault?

    ¡®Me?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, you!¡¯

    ¡®Hmm. I want you topliment me. Tell me I did well. Tell me I¡¯m amazing and a genius. I¡¯d feel really happy if you did that.¡¯

    As Frey admitted she¡¯d be overjoyed to hear such words from me while I stroked her hair, I couldn¡¯t help but hide my face in my hands.

    So pure, Frey!

    Since when did you be such a sweet child with such a content smile?!

    It seems the sheer purity of Frey¡¯s wish struck everyone in the dungeon as well.

    Arthur, who had intended to interrogate her, stood frozen in ce.

    ¡®Everyone?¡¯

    In the silence, Faivy, who¡¯d been observing, finally spoke up gently.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go. There must be people waiting for us outside.¡¯

    ¡®Oh. R-right. After all, this dungeon was a popr event. They must be eagerly waiting for the first clearers.¡¯

    Just as Faivy¡¯s soothing voice began to wrap things up, Joy suddenly lifted her head.

    Her face, which had been blushing moments before, was now filled with a fierce, almost viinous expression that even made Frey take a step back.

    ¡®And where do you think you¡¯re going, Faivy?¡¯

    ¡®Huh? N-no, I was just¡ª¡¯

    ¡®Tell us what you¡¯re nning to ask of Lady Allen.¡¯

    Joy¡¯s slow approach turned Faivy¡¯s face pale as she nced around for help, but Arthur and Frey had already taken a few steps back.

    ¡®Let¡¯s not get involved, Frey.¡¯

    ¡®¡­Yeah, she seems scary.¡¯

    Left alone, Faivy tried to retreat, but her escape ended as her back hit the wall.

    ¡®Strange. The Faivy I know wouldn¡¯t try to escape alone like this.¡¯

    ¡®Joy? No, really, I was only suggesting that people might be waiting outside¡ª¡¯

    ¡®Then why don¡¯t you hurry up and tell us what you want?¡¯

    ¡®That¡¯s¡­?!¡¯

    Clearly reluctant to speak, Faivy had no choice.

    Joy, having just confessed her own wish, was too far gone to show restraint.

    ¡®It¡¯s, um, I¡­¡¯

    ¡®Go on, tell us.¡¯

    ¡®What I wanted to ask was¡­ for Lady Allen to pray for me¡­¡¯

    Backed into a corner, Faivy finally admitted it, on the verge of tears, and Joy smiled contentedly.

    ¡®See? It¡¯s always better to just tell the truth.¡¯

    Joy, maybe take it easy on her.

    She¡¯s so genuinely terrified that it¡¯s actually scary.

 Chapter 321

    Jeff smiled as he watched Joy surrounded by countless admirers, celebrating her achievement as the dungeon¡¯s first conqueror.

    Hiding her mouth behind a fan, Joy shrugged it off, saying it was nothing and that, as an heir of the Patran family, this was only natural. She disyed the grace expected of a duchess¡¯s daughter, but Jeff, who had known Joy since she was very young, could guess what her face looked like behind that fan.

    Being praised by those around her must make her extremely happy.

    Despite everything, she was a child who lovedpliments.

    Though she might find the admiring gazes ufortable, she was likely holding back a pleased smile.

    Watching her fondly, Jeff felt pleased with his decision to feign ignorance of the gimmicks.

    If I had foolishly informed the Second Prince about the dungeon¡¯s gimmicks, taking away Joy''s title as the first conqueror¡­

    She would have surely resented me.

    Imagining Joy shouting, ¡°Brother! I really hate you!¡± Jeff clutched his chest, feeling a pang, and praised his choice once more.

    ¡°That kid.¡±

    Hearing a voice beside him, Jeff turned to find Cecile, his half-brother, looking at Joy with aplex expression.

    The most evident emotions on Cecile¡¯s face were jealousy and envy.

    But unlike the Second Prince of the past, who would poison those around him in fits of temper, there was now an air of acknowledgment hidden beneath his gaze.

    Had it been the old Second Prince, he would have raised his voice in disbelief, yet now he seemed to control his emotions.

    The man I thought would never change¡ªwhat triggered this transformation?

    Perhaps I should reconsider my assessment of the Second Prince. I once thought he was not worth approaching, but he might have some value for use now.

    Though he still seems unlikely to ever grasp the throne, leaving a minimal connection with him won¡¯t hurt.

    ¡°Your Highness, Second Prince.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Shall we return to the dungeon?¡±

    Let¡¯s begin slowly acting as though we¡¯ve figured out the gimmicks.

    ¡°Though we¡¯ve lost the title of first conqueror for the entire ss, there¡¯s still glory to im.¡±

    By offering clues one by one, I can make myself appear a useful tool while fostering a sense of indebtedness.

    ¡°No need for you to say it; I intend to keep challenging it. I¡¯ve invested too much to quit now.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I apologize for the unnecessary words.¡±

    It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t continue to watch Joy unting her sess, but work calls.

    Besides, soon enough, she¡¯lle running to boast that she beat me, and that adorable sight of hers will be worth the wait¡­ though it¡¯s never quite enough.

    Watching her cute antics can never get old!

    Ah, damn it. Should I suggest we take a little more time to rest, maybe stall under the pretense of finding clues?

    ¡°No more apologies; let¡¯s move. If I can¡¯t be the first, I should at least be the second.¡±

    Unfortunately, Jeff didn¡¯t have time to idle.

    Before he could say more, Cecile rose, leaving Jeff with no choice but to follow, muttering under his breath about the prince¡¯s newfound diligence.

    ¡°Lady Patran is truly remarkable. She aplishes what we can only dream of as if it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but Lady Rumley, you almost kept pace with Lady Patran, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, until halfway through, I could hardly tell what would happen next!¡±

    ¡°Oh hoho, it was merely luck, I assure you.¡±@@novelbin@@

    In the middle of a garden, a gathering of nobledies exchanged superficialpliments with artificialughter.

    Several steps behind, Toby watched, hesitating to step forward, letting out a sigh.

    To re-enter the dungeon, he had to face Lady Rumley and persuade her.

    But hecked the courage to step into that circle and face those judgmental gazes just to speak with Lady Rumley!

    Should I wait for another chance?

    Maybe catch her aler¡­

    No, that won¡¯t work.

    With only a short time left until the exams are over, every second counts. If I want to confirm my thoughts about the dungeon, I need to persuade her now!

    Torn between self-preservation and his desire to clear the dungeon, Toby finally steeled himself and took a step forward.

    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I remember now. Themoner who entered the dungeon with Lady Rumley, right?¡±

    ¡°Why is he here, piggybacking on thedy¡¯s abilities?¡±

    Ignoring the muttered remarks, Toby kept moving until he reached Lady Avery.

    ¡°What is it, Toby?¡±

    ¡°Lady Rumley, I have something I must say. May I have a moment of your time?¡±

    ¡°Is this about the dungeon? I believe I already made my intentions clear.¡±

    Indeed, Avery had already informed Toby that she had no intention of delving further into the dungeon.

    Her exact words were not what one would expect from a nobledy: ¡°I¡¯m too exhausted to keep doing this.¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long, but you¡¯ve forgotten already?¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±

    ¡°Then you must know my answer remains the same.¡±

    Just as I thought. Toby, recalling Avery¡¯s past exasperation, had anticipated her rejection.

    And naturally, he had prepared a way to turn that rejection into eptance.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll have no choice but to seek help from her again.¡±

    ¡°¡­Her?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you know who I mean.¡±

    Toby, who had entered the academy as a special admit from a mercenary background, had no connections among the nobility.

    Though it might be different if his father were involved, he personally knew no noble willing to assist him.

    So if he confidently dered he would seek help, there could only be one person he meant.

    Lucy Allen.

    The eldest daughter of the Marquess of the Frontier and top freshman at Soul Academy.

    A known figure within the academy and the one person Avery inexplicably couldn¡¯t confront.

    ¡°Hah. Fine, let¡¯s talk for a bit.¡±

    Avery, catching his meaning, shrugged reluctantly, but her hand trembled under the table.

    After the other nobledies shot Toby sharp nces and departed, Avery, left alone with him, reached the point where she was certain her father would punish her over break.

    Avery, who had cast off her nobleposure, leaned her chin on her hand and gazed at Toby with cold eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re here to ask me to enter the dungeon with you?¡±

    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s something I must confirm.¡±

    ¡°What curiosity you have.¡±

    With a sarcastic tone, Avery sighed and added,

    ¡°I do appreciate your help, you know. Though we were forced together because of Lady Allen, it¡¯s true that we reached a high point in the dungeon thanks to you.¡±

    If not for Toby, Avery¡¯s party wouldn¡¯t havee close to the top, let alone reached the entry level.

    With no real battle experience, Avery and her group of nobledies could hardly have reached such heights.

    Avery genuinely felt gratitude on that front.

    ¡°But this is our limit. We don¡¯t have the strength of the Third Prince¡¯s party to go any further.¡±

    Though sheltered nobledies, they still had ambition.

    The praise from others, the admiring gazes, the glory ofpeting with prominent figures.

    Avery had convinced her party to dive into the dungeon, driven by the future tales of glory they would recount in society.

    But despite their efforts, they had reached their limit.

    Even with Toby¡¯s knowledge, their abilities still fell shortpared to other front-runners.

    While others advanced, Avery¡¯s party had been stalled at a wall until they finally abandoned their attempt to clear the dungeon.

    ¡°You, more than anyone, must understand. Going back in won¡¯t change anything.¡±

    Out of respect for Toby and his connection to Lucy, Avery had tried to persuade him to leave on friendly terms, but Toby shook his head resolutely.

    ¡°No, it will change. If I¡¯m right, brute strength won¡¯t be necessary to conquer this dungeon.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Allow me to exin. Once you hear me out, you can decide if you want to enter the dungeon or not.¡±

    Initially prepared to dismiss his words as nonsense, Avery¡¯s interest piqued as Toby exined further.

    By the time he finished, she was eager to head back into the dungeon immediately.

    The following day, on the final morning of the academy exams, Avery¡¯s party became the second freshmen and the third group overall, following Cecile¡¯s, to clear the dungeon.

    Seeing Arthur¡¯s group emerge from the dungeon, I quickly went to meet them.

    Punishments are scariest before they¡¯re delivered; once they¡¯re over, they¡¯re nothing, right?

    I wanted to get it over with and rx, but unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go my way.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after the final exams.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s best to discuss it when you¡¯re free.¡±

    ¡°I apologize, Lady. Please wait a bit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with doing it now. Oh? I get it, you want me to wait. Sure, I¡¯ll be quiet.¡±

    And so, I found myself waiting for the punishment that woulde after the exams.

    I just hope they don¡¯t change their minds by then and demand something outrageous.

    As a day passed with these worries, noon struck on the day the academy finals ended. I went with the dungeon studies professor to the exam site.

    Perhaps because the exam had just concluded, the area was chaotic.

    Students clinging to assistants, begging for another chance, iming they finally understood the mechanics.

    Some were near tears, convinced they¡¯d failed.

    Others were tearing at their hair, frustrated at the thought of not being able to argue their results.

    Still others gazed longingly at the dungeon entrance.

    The noise created by all the academy students expressing their emotions was so great that no one even noticed when I arrived.

    ¡°What a mess.¡±

    The dungeon studies professor gave a bitter smile and moved to use amplification magic to calm everyone, but I stopped him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle this.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t interfere, you self-proimed professor with no tact.¡±

    From this moment, this stage is mine.

    I have some stress to relieve by mocking these clueless fools who couldn¡¯t even decipher the dungeon¡¯s gimmicks, so don¡¯t take my spotlight.

    ¡°Very well, do as you wish.¡±

    Confirming that the professor had taken a step back, I gathered my divine power to my throat.

    A skillful application of body strengthening. I never thought I¡¯d use this technique for taunting.

    ¡°Look here!? You idiots!?¡±

    From now on, I¡¯ll be exining how to clear this dungeon step by step.

    Everyone, prepare to listen attentively.

 Chapter 322

    Upon hearing that Lucy Allen was demonstrating how to clear the dungeon, Toby dashed out, abandoning the expensive meal Avery had bought him.

    Lady Allen herself was going to show how to conquer her dungeon! There was bound to be much to learn!

    No way he could miss such a rare opportunity!

    <em>¡°Doesn¡¯t it disgust you the way he always puffs up his shoulders?? Like a beast trying to make himself look bigger, even though he¡¯s just a pathetic weakling inside?¡±</em>

    By the time Toby arrived at the exam hall, breathless from his sprint, the image of Lucy Allen hovered in the middle of the hall, spouting insults as she strolled down the corridor.

    Hernguage was shockingly lowbrow for a high-ranking noble, and Toby, feeling bewildered by the scene, turned to amoner acquaintance to ask what was going on.

    ¡°...She¡¯s proving the video is live by insulting the guy who challenged her earlier,¡± his friend exined.

    Hearing that she was insulting the person from earlier to show this wasn¡¯t a recording, Toby found himself speechless.

    Could the esteemed Lady Allen of the renowned Allen family really act like this toward another noble?

    As he blinked in disbelief at this iprehensible scene, Avery appeared behind him, her voice calm.

    ¡°This is actually much tamer than what she used to do in society.¡±

    ¡°L-Lady Rumley?!¡±

    Toby¡¯s friend, seeing Avery fixing her disheveled hair, looked horrified.

    The prospect of being addressed by a noble infamous for her prickly personality was terrifying.

    ¡°Why are you here?!¡±

    ¡°Ask that ¡®dungeon fool¡¯ next to you. I was about to buy him a meal thatmoners rarely get to see, but the second he heard about a dungeon, he bolted,¡± she replied dryly.

    ¡°Well, dungeons are more important to me than food.¡±

    What?! Has Toby gone mad?! He isn¡¯t afraid of Lady Rumley?!

    Toby¡¯s friend¡¯s eyes widened at Toby¡¯s casual remarks, but Avery merely shook her head, expressing mild exasperation rather than anger.

    Since she hade to respect Toby¡¯s abilities through their time spent navigating the dungeon together, she didn¡¯t take offense to this level of discourtesy.

    And, of course, Toby knew this well.

    Having been raised in a mercenary guild, Toby had a natural instinct for these things. He wouldn¡¯t have acted this way if Avery had shown even a hint of strictness.

    ¡°By the way, Lady Rumley, what do you mean when you say Lady Allen is tamer than before?¡±

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    Avery sighed at Toby¡¯s nonchnt question, shrugged, and looked toward the screen showing Lucy.

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. When she was active in society, Lady Allen was much worse than this.¡±

    Setting aside Lucy¡¯s wild behavior, she had all the qualities to be the center of social circles. As the only daughter of the kingdom¡¯s hero, Benedict Allen, and possessing an enviable beauty, Lucy Allen had, at her first ball, dominated the scene, capturing more attention than even the royal family.

    Yet, it took less than a year for her to be universally disliked.

    The thorns on the flower that was Lucy Allen weren¡¯t simply prickly; they were outright lethal to anyone who approached her.

    ¡°If you had seen Lady Allen back then, you¡¯d understand why so many nobles shudder at her name.¡±

    Had her personality back then been like it is now, Lucy would have be a powerful figure in society, perhaps even a rival to Joy. Her status as the hero¡¯s daughter and her doll-like appearance were huge advantages, enough to overshadow any shorings.

    But Lucy¡¯s personality at that time was so vicious that it was impossible topare.

    ¡°She once told a countess, ¡®Why are you hosting a ball in a pigsty? Oh, right, because a pig lives here.¡¯ She used a baron of being sterile, wondering aloud why he had no children. And one time, she shattered a vase over ady¡¯s head for crossing her.¡±

    Avery, having witnessed countless of Lucy¡¯s misdeeds firsthand and even suffered from some of them, couldn¡¯t believe Lucy Allen¡¯s head was still attached to her shoulders.

    ¡°If all she¡¯s doing now is mocking people, that¡¯s a mercy.¡±

    Hearing stories that far exceeded his expectations, Toby finally understood why nobles kept their distance from Lucy.

    Even hearing about it secondhand was dizzying¡ªhow much worse would it be for those who had seen it in person?

    ¡°She¡¯s reached the first room,¡± Avery murmured to herself, disappointed that she hadn¡¯t been able to finish her tales.

    Turning his attention back to the screen, Toby saw Lucy standing unarmed before a soldier.

    The soldier suggested she arm herself, but Lucy¡¯s response was to taunt him, suggesting he only wanted her armed so he¡¯d have an excuse if he lost.

    Did the soldier get angry at her mocking? Veins bulged on his hand as he raised his spear to strike at Lucy.

    Fast. He¡¯s much stronger than the soldiers we faced.

    Is this dungeon designed for upperssmen?

    As abat specialty student, Toby followed the soldier¡¯s spear easily and noted how Lucy had already dodged the attack even before it was fully executed.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t dodge after seeing that, did she?¡± Avery muttered, and Toby nodded.

    Lucy hadn¡¯t reacted to the attack itself; she had already positioned herself where she knew it wouldn¡¯t hit.

    ¡°The soldier¡¯s first ten attacks always follow a set sequence. Lady Allen, the dungeon¡¯s creator, would surely know that.¡±

    The enemies in the first room always used the same attacks up to the tenth move, meaning anyone who memorized their movements could ovee them.

    <em>¡®Surely even a tiny girl like me can do it¡ªunless you¡¯re all dumber than I thought??¡¯</em>

    Lady Allen¡¯s intentions were clear, but her tone was so taunting that most took her words as mockery, responding with helplessughter.

    Even so, Lucy continued to helpfully exin how to clear the dungeon in her own way.

    <em>¡®Pfft? Look how desperate he is to protect his weak spot? Isn¡¯t it pathetic??¡¯</em>

    The soldier prioritized guarding his weak point, meaning his movements could reveal his vulnerability.

    <em>¡®Acting tough, thinking the illusions are real¡ªwho¡¯d fall for such ame trick??¡¯</em>

    The wolves in the second room had odd features that, if noticed, revealed them to be hallucinations.

    <em>¡®Ugh? I know I¡¯m cute, but wanting to be trampled on is¡­ nauseating? I wouldn¡¯t touch them with a ten-foot pole?¡¯</em>

    In the third room, you had to target only specific golems, ensuring not to overkill them, which would neutralize them.

    <em>¡®With this many clues, surely no one missed them, right?? But if there¡¯s anyone that clueless, I suggest they go make friends with a dog? Oh, wait, would even a dog run away from them??¡¯</em>

    The fourth room had numerous clues hinting it was a dream. Though Lucy¡¯s manner of exnation was anything but pleasant, each piece of information she shared was undeniably helpful.

    Even Toby, who hadpleted the dungeon, realized he hadn¡¯t considered some of her insights.

    As Lucy strolled through the dungeon, casually revealing each solution, the mood in the exam hall shifted.

    Watching her effortlessly explore and exin her own creation, the students began to view her as an authoritative figure rather than someone to prove wrong. Many grew eager to learn from her rather than challenge her.

    <em>¡®And that concludes the tutorial that I, sweet and kind, prepared for you? Surely no one here failed this?? If there¡¯s any brainless idiot who did, I suggest you spend an extra year at this pathetic academy reflecting on how you got this dumb?¡¯</em>

    ¡°What the hell?! I¡¯m going to fail?!¡±

    ¡°I was set to join a mercenary guild right after graduation!¡±

    ¡°Noooo!¡±

    Screams of despair echoed throughout the hall, but Lucy ignored them, pressing on through the dungeon.

    Arriving at the dungeon boss¡¯sir, Lucy dropped down without slowing her descent.

    It was a move no ordinary person would even consider, but Lucy, unfazed, simply dusted off her uniform and spoke calmly.

    <em>¡®Attention, all you academy failures!? Listen closely!? I¡¯m about to exin just how dumb you all are?¡¯</em>

    Lucy ignored the door leading down and instead headed toward the mansion.

    <em>¡®Look at this decrepit mansion that even ghosts flee from? Surely even fools can see something odd about this ce?¡¯</em>@@novelbin@@

    Pointing her delicate-looking finger, Lucy gestured toward a window.

    The window, which showed nothing of the outside world.

    Then, she pointed to the ceiling.

    The ceiling, which looked perfectly intact, as if it hadn¡¯t just copsed.

    Lucy¡¯s finger continued pointing out more.

    A clock that had broken and now always showed the same time.

    An old portrait with a blurry face.

    The bizarre date written underneath it.

    A door that could not be opened by any means.

    Some students hadn¡¯t noticed these details, others had dismissed them as poorly designed, and still others had observed them without finding any real meaning.

    Finally, Lucy arrived in front of a crystal orb marked with the number zero.

    <em>¡®Thest and most important hint!? Why did this crystal suddenly appear?? Hmm?? By now, even the densest of you should feel something¡¯s off?¡¯</em>

    ¡­So many clues.

    Even Toby, who had found the answer, hadn¡¯t noticed every clue Lucy pointed out.

    He only needed a few of them to arrive at the solution.

    She was more considerate than I thought. Far more than I realized.

    <em>¡®And for those still clueless dummies, here¡¯s onest hint? What are the functions of this crystal?? One is to save your position, but the other?¡¯</em>

    ¡°...To move to another ce¡­¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Lucy¡¯s disembodied voice chuckled.

    The solutiony in triggering the crystal¡¯s transport function, amand Lucy cheerfully demonstrated.

    And as she effortlessly passed through the entire dungeon using this method, the final blow hit her captive audience in the exam hall.

    Without missing a beat, Lucy turned back to the audience, shing a wicked grin.

    <em>¡®And that, everyone, is why you¡¯re all so pathetic?¡¯</em>

    The academy students who had fought through the dungeon felt an undeniable sting.

 Chapter 323

    When news spread that Lucy Allen would demonstrate how to clear the dungeon herself, Toby dashed from the dining hall, abandoning the expensive meal Avery had bought him.

    <em>Lady Allen herself is exining her own dungeon! There must be so much to learn!</em>

    Such a precious opportunity couldn¡¯t be missed!

    <em>¡°Don¡¯t you find it disgusting how he always tries to puff up his shoulders?? Like a beast trying to look bigger, when he¡¯s just a pathetic loser inside?¡±</em>

    By the time Toby arrived at the exam hall, breathless from his sprint, Lucy Allen¡¯s image hovered at the center of the hall, striding through a corridor, hurling insults at someone.

    It was shockingly vulgarnguage for a noble of high standing.

    While the onlookers remained frozen in confusion, Toby, perplexed, turned to amoner he knew and asked what was going on.

    ¡°...She¡¯s proving that this is a live video, not a recording, by insulting the guy who confronted her a moment ago,¡± his friend exined.

    Hearing that Lady Allen was proving the video¡¯s authenticity by personally mocking someone, Toby was speechless.

    Could the esteemed Lady Allen of the renowned Allen family really behave this way toward another noble?

    While he blinked in bewilderment at this surreal scene, Avery appeared behind him, her voice calm andposed.

    ¡°She¡¯s actually being gentler than she used to be in society.¡±

    ¡°L-Lady Rumley?!¡±

    Toby¡¯s friend was horrified to see Avery, known for her prickly personality, fixing her disheveled hair and addressing them.

    ¡°Why are you here?!¡±

    ¡°Ask the ¡®dungeon fool¡¯ beside you. I was about to buy him a mealmoners rarely get to see, but the second he heard the word ¡®dungeon,¡¯ he dashed off,¡± she replied dryly.

    ¡°Well, dungeons are more important to me than food.¡±

    What?! Has Toby lost his mind?! He¡¯s not even afraid of Lady Rumley?!

    Toby¡¯s friend stared in shock at Toby¡¯s casual response, but Avery merely shook her head, disying mild exasperation rather than anger.

    After exploring the dungeon with Toby, Avery hade to respect his abilities, so she didn¡¯t mind this level of discourtesy.

    And naturally, Toby was aware of this.

    Having grown up in a mercenary guild, he had an instinctive sense for such matters. If Avery had shown any sign of strictness, he would never have dared to act this way.

    ¡°By the way, Lady Rumley, what do you mean by ¡®gentler than before¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    Avery sighed at Toby¡¯s nonchnt question, shrugged, and looked toward the screen showing Lucy.

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly as I said. Back when Lady Allen was active in high society, she was even worse than this.¡±

    Aside from her outrageous behavior, Lucy had all the qualities to be the center of social circles. As the only daughter of the kingdom¡¯s hero, Benedict Allen, her status alone was enough to attract people. And with her beauty, envied by many in society, she captivated all eyes upon her debut.

    Yet it took less than a year for her to be universally disliked.

    The thorns on the flower that was Lucy Allen weren¡¯t just prickly; they were lethal to anyone who dared approach.

    ¡°If you¡¯d seen Lady Allen back then, you¡¯d understand why so many nobles recoil at her name.¡±

    If Lucy¡¯s personality back then had been simr to her current self, she would have been a powerful figure in society, perhaps even rivaling Joy. Her status as the hero¡¯s daughter and her doll-like appearance were such significant advantages that they could have masked any minor ws.

    But Lucy¡¯s personality back then was far more vicious.

    ¡°She once told a countess, ¡®Why host a party in a pigsty? Oh, right, because a pig lives here.¡¯ She asked a baron if he was sterile when she noticed he had no children. And she even smashed a vase over ady¡¯s head for crossing her.¡±

    Having witnessed many of Lucy¡¯s scandals firsthand and even suffered from some herself, Avery thought it miraculous that Lucy¡¯s head was still attached to her shoulders.

    ¡°If all she¡¯s doing now is mocking people, then this is child¡¯s y.¡±

    Hearing stories that far exceeded his expectations, Toby finally understood why nobles kept their distance from Lucy.

    Just hearing about it was dizzying¡ªhow much worse would it be for those who experienced it firsthand?

    ¡°She¡¯s reached the first room,¡± Avery murmured to herself, disappointed that she couldn¡¯t finish sharing more stories.

    Turning back to the screen, Toby saw Lucy standing unarmed before a soldier.

    The soldier suggested she arm herself, but Lucy¡¯s response was a sneer, taunting him that he only wanted her armed so he¡¯d have an excuse if he lost.

    Did the soldier get angry at her mockery? Veins bulged on his hand as he raised his spear to strike at Lucy.

    <em>Fast. He¡¯s much stronger than the soldiers we faced. Is this dungeon designed for upperssmen?</em>

    As abat specialty student, Toby easily followed the soldier¡¯s spear movements and noted how Lucy had already dodged the attack even before it was fully executed.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t dodge after seeing that, did she?¡± Avery muttered, and Toby nodded.

    Lucy hadn¡¯t reacted to the attack itself; she¡¯d already positioned herself in a spot where it wouldn¡¯t hit.

    ¡°The soldiers¡¯ attacks in the first room always follow the same sequence up to the tenth move. Lady Allen, the dungeon¡¯s creator, would surely know that.¡±@@novelbin@@

    The enemies in the first room always used the same sequence up to the tenth move, meaning anyone who memorized their movements could ovee them.

    <em>¡®Surely even a tiny girl like me can do it¡ªunless you¡¯re all dumber than I thought??¡¯</em>

    Lady Allen¡¯s intentions were clear, but her tone was so taunting that most took her words as mockery, responding with helplessughter.

    Even so, Lucy continued to helpfully exin how to clear the dungeon in her own way.

    <em>¡®Pfft? Look how desperate he is to protect his weak spot? Isn¡¯t it pathetic??¡¯</em>

    The soldier prioritized guarding his weak point, meaning his movements could reveal his vulnerability.

    <em>¡®Acting tough, thinking the illusions are real¡ªwho¡¯d fall for such ame trick??¡¯</em>

    The wolves in the second room had odd features that, if noticed, revealed them to be hallucinations.

    <em>¡®Ugh? I know I¡¯m cute, but wanting to be trampled on is¡­ nauseating? I wouldn¡¯t touch them with a ten-foot pole?¡¯</em>

    In the third room, you had to target only specific golems, ensuring not to overkill them, which would neutralize them.

    <em>¡®With this many clues, surely no one missed them, right?? But if there¡¯s anyone that clueless, I suggest they go make friends with a dog? Oh, wait, would even a dog run away from them??¡¯</em>

    The fourth room contained numerous clues indicating it was a dream. Though Lucy¡¯s manner of exnation was anything but pleasant, each piece of information she shared was undeniably helpful.

    Even Toby, who hadpleted the dungeon, realized he hadn¡¯t considered some of her insights.

    As Lucy strolled through the dungeon, casually revealing each solution, the mood in the exam hall shifted.

    Watching her effortlessly explore and exin her own creation, the students began to view her as an authoritative figure rather than someone to prove wrong. Many grew eager to learn from her rather than challenge her.

    <em>¡®And that concludes the tutorial that I, sweet and kind, prepared for you? Surely no one here failed this?? If there¡¯s any brainless idiot who did, I suggest you spend an extra year at this pathetic academy reflecting on how you got this dumb?¡¯</em>

    ¡°What the hell?! I¡¯m going to fail?!¡±

    ¡°I was set to join a mercenary guild right after graduation!¡±

    ¡°Noooo!¡±

    Screams of despair echoed throughout the hall, but Lucy ignored them, pressing on through the dungeon.

    Arriving at the dungeon boss¡¯sir, Lucy dropped down without slowing her descent.

    It was a move no ordinary person would even consider, but Lucy, unfazed, simply dusted off her uniform and spoke calmly.

    <em>¡®Attention, all you academy failures!? Listen closely!? I¡¯m about to exin just how dumb you all are?¡¯</em>

    Lucy ignored the door leading down and instead headed toward the mansion.

    <em>¡®Look at this decrepit mansion that even ghosts flee from? Surely even fools can see something odd about this ce?¡¯</em>

    Pointing her delicate-looking finger, Lucy gestured toward a window.

    The window, which showed nothing of the outside world.

    Then, she pointed to the ceiling.

    The ceiling, which looked perfectly intact, as if it hadn¡¯t just copsed.

    Lucy¡¯s finger continued pointing out more.

    A clock that had broken and now always showed the same time.

    An old portrait with a blurry face.

    The bizarre date written underneath it.

    A door that could not be opened by any means.

    Some students hadn¡¯t noticed these details, others had dismissed them as poorly designed, and still others had observed them without finding any real meaning.

    Finally, Lucy arrived in front of a crystal orb marked with the number zero.

    <em>¡®Thest and most important hint!? Why did this crystal suddenly appear?? Hmm?? By now, even the densest of you should feel something¡¯s off?¡¯</em>

    ¡­So many clues.

    Even Toby, who had found the answer, hadn¡¯t noticed every clue Lucy pointed out.

    He only needed a few of them to arrive at the solution.

    <em>¡®And for those still clueless dummies, here¡¯s onest hint? What are the functions of this crystal?? One is to save your position, but the other?¡¯</em>

    ¡°...To move to another ce¡­¡±

    Toby turned his head, hearing someone murmur the answer. There stood the Third Prince, Arthur, his face showing unmistakable shock.

    Why does he look like that? He already conquered the dungeon, understanding all the mechanics, didn¡¯t he?

    While Toby wondered about Arthur¡¯s reaction, Lucy¡¯s mocking voice echoed again from the screen.

    <em>¡®Time¡¯s up~? For those still clueless, you¡¯ll just have to listen to my cute voice while you reflect on how dumb you were?¡¯</em>

    As Lucy¡¯s words ended, she ced her hand on the crystal orb, and the screen¡¯s view shifted.

    The initial corridor.

    The ce all students faced at the start of the final dungeon exam.

    Where there should have been a wall, there now appeared a staircase leading downwards.

 Chapter 324

    As Arthur stared at the corridor he encountered at the start of the final dungeon exam, a bitterugh escaped him.

    What on earth was I doing inside that dungeon?

    How distracted was I to have missed all those clues right in front of me?

    Without concern for the stares around him, Arthur covered his face with his hand, mentally retracing each clue Lucy had pointed out just moments before.

    An intact ceiling.

    Windows with no view outside.

    A faded portrait with an impossible date below it.

    A broken clock.

    Each of the countless hints Lucy had indicated was meticulously detailed in the Dungeon Studies textbook.

    At the end of the section exining gimmicks, there¡¯s a note under "Exceptions." In high-difficulty dungeons, methods are provided for distinguishing between reality and illusion.

    Arthur, who had memorized every word of the textbook, now recalled this and clutched his forehead, as if trying to rip out his hair.

    I was being toyed with by the dungeon¡¯s boss.

    That wretch used illusions based on previous rooms, and I mistook it all for a new dungeon.

    But that¡¯s not what it was at all. The path we were following was simply a repeat of areas we¡¯d already traversed.

    Come to think of it, that makes sense.

    Everything we encountered from the ground floor onward was just a repetition of trials we¡¯d already passed!

    Back then, we thought the resemnce was because our past experiences were helping us through, but that wasn¡¯t it at all!

    We were re-clearing obstacles we¡¯d already ovee, so naturally, everything felt familiar!

    The more Arthur pondered it, the more he realized how foolish he had been. He then recalled the things he had confidently told Lucy the previous day.

    He¡¯d boasted about conquering such a difficult dungeon.

    Argh!

    How must Lucy Allen have felt listening to him unt his supposed aplishment?

    How pitifully must she have viewed this oblivious fool, oblivious to the design she¡¯d crafted.

    No wonder her gaze was so odd when she came to meet us after we cleared it!

    She wasn¡¯t disappointed because she¡¯d lost the bet¡ªshe was merely looking down on us in disgust!

    With his face now flushed red in mortification, Arthur lowered his hands.

    It terrifies me to think what she¡¯ll say the next time I face her.

    The thought that he might have to silently endure her rebukes, knowing he¡¯d lost the bet, filled Arthur with dread.

    Just as he began considering whether he could negotiate a trade between the bet¡¯s prize and this shameful encounter, he saw Lucy Allen stepping onto the stairs that led underground.

    <em>¡°I¡¯m tired of exining how stupid you all are? So just sit back and savor how worthless you were? Pathetic losers?¡±</em>

    With those final words, Lucy Allen descended the stairs, and the scene she encountered below was a training ground.

    A horde of soldiers stood before those challenging the dungeon, weapons swinging.

    Lucy Allen casually observed the scene, casting a brief nce at a boy lying sprawled on the stone floor as a girl scolded him, before exiting the training ground.

    The next area was a cave. At its end, a party stood where a giant wolf once dominated.

    In the center was a man resembling the boy who had just copsed, staring in terror at an average-sized wolf. He looked up and offered hispanions an awkward smile.

    As before, Lucy merely observed the scene briefly and moved on.

    What unfolded next was a vast in.

    The area, once filled with demonic golems, nowy strewn with real demon corpses and the bodies of several people, seemingly victims of the demons.

    And there, alone in the middle, stood a man covered in blood, staring nkly into space without moving.

    Lucy, with a detached gaze, briefly looked at him before slowly making her way to the fourth room.

    Arriving there, she found herself in a hallway¡ªnot the original one, but a decrepit corridor encountered on the fourth floor.

    Lucy deliberately filled the hallway with the sound of her footsteps as she made her way to its end.

    <em>¡°You¡¯ve arrived.¡±</em>

    The formidable being who once guarded the end of the dungeon was no longer there.

    Leaning against a closed door, he was no longer the menacing figure who¡¯d driven Arthur¡¯s party to countless deaths. Now, he was merely a weary man, too worn down by time to fight.

    The creator outside the stage had be a pitiful figure.

    <em>¡°I put a lot of effort into preparing this stage, yet you chose to disregard it all. It¡¯s truly disheartening.¡±</em>

    Detaching himself from the door, the man drew a sword from his waist.

    <em>¡°Even so, since a guest hase all the way here, it¡¯s only right to respond as the master of this stage.¡±</em>

    But unlike the terrifying crimson aura Arthur¡¯s party had faced, a faint gray aura now emanated from the sword.

    <em>¡°Come forth.¡±</em>

    At that moment, Lucy pulled out her own weapons for the first time.

    In her right hand, she held her signature white mace; in her left, a brilliant white shield that seemed to hold the light of the sun.

    Filling the room with divine energy, her appearance was so serene and holy that even those who knew her true nature couldn¡¯t help but be awestruck.

    As Lucy Allen and the man prepared to sh, everyone in the exam hall was certain of Lucy Allen¡¯s victory.

    When I designed the academy¡¯s dungeon, I focused on two main points.

    First, every student at the academy should be able to clear the dungeon.

    I had heard that, since a student¡¯s individual ability also factors into clearing a dungeon, it wouldn¡¯t matter if I designed a dungeon that lower-ranked students couldn¡¯tplete.

    In the original game, most academy dungeons were only essible once you¡¯d reached a certain level anyway, so the real world wouldn¡¯t be much different.

    Still, I went out of my way to ensure that anyone couldplete it.

    I wanted my dungeon to benefit the academy¡¯s students.

    Back in the world behind the monitor, academy students were usually just extras. Except for a few illustrated characters, they weren¡¯t even worth remembering.

    But now, it¡¯s different.

    Every student at this academy has their own life.

    They¡¯re people living and breathing beside me, writing their own stories.

    It didn¡¯t matter to me whether they showed me kindness or not.

    I hoped that, through the dungeon I created, at least one person could learn something that would help them survive other dungeons in the world.

    I wanted them to turn the dungeon into their prey, not be its sacrifice.

    That¡¯s why I made every effort to design the dungeon so that all students could clear it.

    Of course, my reasons weren¡¯t entirely selfless.

    There was also a personal desire involved.

    I wanted everyone to enjoy my first dungeon, my masterpiece, crafted with all the ideas I¡¯d umted as an academy veteran.

    I wanted everyone to reach the end of the dungeon and be amazed by what they found.

    In pursuit of this, I abandoned anypromise and nearly cracked my head open designing the real dungeon.

    I¡¯d never even opened the textbook since entering the academy, yet I flipped through it over ten times that night.

    I wanted any student who had properly studied Dungeon Studies to notice something strange as they looked around the dungeon.

    And I wanted them to realize that their knowledge could be applied in such a setting.

    But¡­ all my efforts went unrewarded.

    The academy students¡¯ dungeon-solving skills were far below my expectations.

    True, I had intentionally made it challenging to notice the gimmicks, but still¡­@@novelbin@@

    Only two parties across the entire academy managed to figure out the dungeon¡¯s gimmicks! Isn¡¯t that absurd?!

    Actually, it wasn¡¯t even two parties!

    It was just two people!

    Toby and Jeff.

    Aside from these two, not a single person seriously considered the dungeon¡¯s mechanics! How is that even possible?!

    I knew not everyone would notice the gimmicks, but this is beyond ridiculous!

    If I¡¯d known they were such amateurs, I would¡¯ve made a simpler dungeon.

    If I¡¯d known they were so clueless, I would have finished the design in an hour and gone to bed!

    <em><I was wondering why every word you spoke was filled with venom. Turns out you were just angry.></em>

    <em>¡°Isn¡¯t it strange not to be angry?! I worked really hard on that dungeon!¡±</em>

    How much effort did I put in for these academy students?

    Instead of appreciation, all I heard wereints, asking if the dungeon was even beatable!

    Not being angry would be unnatural!

    <em><I understand you worked hard, but perhaps the students, with theirck of experience, also have a point.></em>

    <em>¡°What point?!¡±</em>

    <em><Dungeons where you have to question everything aren¡¯tmon.></em>

    <em>¡°...That¡¯s true, but still.¡±</em>

    Dungeons that require you to doubt every detail aren¡¯tmon.

    To be precise, they can¡¯t bemon.

    Most dungeons on earth stem from the power of Agra, the Dark God.

    In other words, every time a dungeon is created, Agra¡¯s power is used.

    Therefore, high-level dungeons can never be too numerous.

    Creating a high-difficulty dungeon requires Agra to use that much more power.

    <em>¡°If students don¡¯t know that dungeons like this exist, they could die in the worst case.¡±</em>

    This isn¡¯t a game.

    There¡¯s no such thing as ¡°failing this time but trying againter.¡±

    Not knowing means dying¡ªnot as a joke, but as someone¡¯sst words.

    The students, who surely understand this danger, didn¡¯t prepare for a high-level dungeon at all!

    And these are the ones iming that clearing dungeons is a noble¡¯s duty!

    <em><Haha. Well, thanks to your efforts, the academy students now know that such dungeons exist and have learned how to tackle them. You¡¯ve done a good job.></em>

    <em>¡°If you¡¯re changing your tune now, it just looks like you¡¯re afraid of retaliation.¡±</em>

    <em><To twist my goodwill in such a way¡ªit pains this old man¡¯s heart.></em>

    Hearing the elder¡¯s jest, I chuckled and looked around the room where all the battles had ended.

    Instead of stepping toward the door to exit the dungeon, I ced my hand on the crystal orb installed next to it.

    <em><Youngdy, what are you nning?></em>

    <em>¡°Vent my frustration.¡±</em>

    What I¡¯d shown so far was the proper way to clear the dungeon.

    There were faster, easier ways and a host of tricks created during the dungeon¡¯s development, yet I¡¯d ignored them all and chosen the orthodox route.

    I¡¯d held back from my usual methods, creating a tutorial video for those amateurs. Now, I deserve some fun myself, don¡¯t I?!

    <em><Wait. Youngdy! Showing your usual dungeon-clearing methods to others will only harm them...></em>

    <em>¡°Like I care? Those idiots need to know how pathetic they truly are.¡±</em>

    The tutorial for noobs is over.

    The new lecture I¡¯m about to start is the ¡°pro gamer¡¯s speedrun tutorial.¡±

    I¡¯ll show everyone exactly how it¡¯s done.

    Catch up if you can.

    You miserable fools.

 Chapter 325

    As Vishy watched Lucy clear the dungeon, she finally understood why Adri had imed the dungeon was easy and Lucy was "kind."

    Following in Lucy''s footsteps, she saw countless things she¡¯d missed during her own attempt to clear the dungeon. The clues now seemed impossibly clear.

    <em>"Right? I was right, wasn¡¯t I?"</em> Adri chirped beside her, clearly delighted that Lucy¡¯s actions had proven her point.@@novelbin@@

    Normally, Vishy would have told Adri to cut it out, but this time, she left her be.

    <em>"Anyone would be frustrated watching people flounder around when the answer is so obvious."</em>

    Sigh.

    Why hadn¡¯t I noticed any of this?

    It was all right in front of me, in as day.

    The feeling was all too familiar¡ªthat helpless frustration of realizing the answer was something you¡¯d known all along. Vishy could only watch with a defeated expression as Lucy dispatched the dungeon boss with ease and stood before the final door.

    And she wasn¡¯t the only one feeling this way.

    Arthur Sdine, the dungeon¡¯s first clear, bit his thumbnail, silently cursing his own stupidity. Kurten and his party, who had failed to ovee thest boss, faced their own shorings. And the young noble who¡¯d questioned Lucy reddened in shame, realizing he had been the fool all along.

    All around the exam hall, students who had put everything into conquering the dungeon fell silent, each of theming to terms with the parts they¡¯d missed.

    The hall grew so quiet that even the softest breaths felt loud.

    Then, Lucy Allen, catching her breath after defeating the boss, moved once again.

    Most students, expecting her to emerge from the dungeon and openly berate them, anticipated her stepping out to sneer down at them from her petite height, scolding them for their ineptitude.

    But Lucy didn¡¯t exit.

    Instead, she ced her hand on the crystal orb and returned to the very beginning.

    The starting hallway.

    Not the initial corridor that had shocked the audience, but the area they¡¯d first encountered upon entering the dungeon, blocked by a wall.

    <em>¡°...Lady Allen? What in the world¡­¡±</em> Professor Jesel muttered, confusion evident.

    This wasn¡¯t part of the n.

    Lucy had only mentioned that she¡¯d demonstrate the proper way to clear the dungeon. She¡¯d never suggested anything beyond that.

    <em>Lady Allen, what are you up to? What are you nning?</em>

    <em>"Hey, fake professor, you¡¯re watching, right?"</em>

    Just as Jesel blinked in surprise, trying to decipher Lucy¡¯s intentions, her voice rang out, distinctly different from the one she¡¯d used during the demonstration. There was an edge, a barely-contained fervor in her tone.

    <em>"Start timing me from the moment I take my first step. Even an idiot like you should be able to handle that, right?"</em>

    Timing her¡­

    No, surely not¡­

    Jesel¡¯s mind shed back to the day Lucy had utterly dismantled the academy¡¯s second-semester dungeon. The dungeon, which should have taken at least a month or two to clear, had been obliterated by her in a single day.

    After that, Jesel had scrambled to prove that the dungeon wasn¡¯t defective, that it was Lucy Allen who was extraordinary.

    <em>Lady Allen, isn¡¯t it enough to break someone else¡¯s dungeon? Must you also bring ruin to your own creation?</em>

    <em>If you¡¯re determined to bring this castle down, do you intend to end it in a ze of glory yourself?</em>

    One of the assistants, recovering from the initial shock, turned to Jesel.

    <em>"Professor, what should we do?"</em>

    Jesel¡¯s lips curled into a faint smile as he recovered from his astonishment.

    <em>"What else? Keep the video going."</em>

    <em>"Uh¡­ are you sure?"</em>

    <em>"Yes. Is there a shortage of mana? If so, I¡¯ll lend a hand."</em>

    <em>"No, that¡¯s fine. Actually, we have a surplus since Lady Allen cleared the dungeon so quickly."</em>

    <em>"Hmm, fair enough."</em>

    They¡¯d anticipated that, even knowing the gimmicks, it would take her about two hours toplete the dungeon, but she¡¯d done it in one.

    Considering the mana crystals they¡¯d prepared, there should be enough energy left to keep it running for another two hours.

    <em>"Then I¡¯ll be going back."</em>

    <em>"Thank you for your help."</em>

    ¡­Wait.

    Lucy had managed to clear the dungeon in an hour, even while exining each step.

    So, what would happen if she cleared it at full power?

    Jesel¡¯s face went pale as he recalled Lucy¡¯s earlier ¡°achievements¡± in demolishing dungeons, but it was already toote.

    Lucy had begun moving.

    Though just a first-year student, Lucy¡¯s physical prowess was at a knight¡¯s level, and in an instant, she reached the end of the hallway.

    A normal person would slow down upon seeing a wall approaching, fearing they might crash.

    But not Lucy. Instead of decelerating, she elerated, snatching the note from the cradle as sheunched herself into the air.

    Keeping the momentum she¡¯d built up, she ran along the wall, kicking off with a force that shot her forward like a bullet fired from a magic circle.

    Lucy¡¯s movement left everyone in the exam hall, even Jesel, baffled. All eyes were glued to the screen, puzzled by her intentions¡ªuntil, in a single, precise move, she struck the weak point of the knight guarding the end of the first room.

    <em>"Kahaha! Splendid! You are¡­!"</em>

    Before the knight could finish, Lucy had already moved on to the second room.

    A pitch-dark cave designed to instill fear in challengers.

    Standing in its midst, Lucy raised her mace high and, without hesitation, swung it at thin air.

    Something incredible happened¡ªjust as her mace came down, a wolf appeared from the shadows, only to be struck down by the weapon before it could fully materialize.

    <em>"¡­What the¡ª?"</em>

    <em>"How is that even¡ª?"</em>

    <em>"What¡¯s going on here?"</em>

    Murmurs of astonishment spread throughout the exam hall as Lucy left the whimpering, crumpled wolf behind and headed straight into the third room.

    It was the wastnd.

    The area teeming with golems shaped like demons.

    Here¡­

    There¡¯s no way she can get through like that.

    It¡¯s not designed to be possible.

    Watching in a state of shock, Jesel clung to the hope that the demons would serve their intended role, but Lucy was far beyond her expectations.

    <em>"Come on, you pathetic demons? Scared of little ol¡¯ me??"</em>

    Lucy leaped into the center of the demon horde, her tone dripping with mockery.

    By design, the marked demons were supposed to flee, while the unmarked ones attacked.

    But, for some unknown reason, all the demons charged toward Lucy, regardless of markings.

    The moment they clustered around her, she swung her mace downwards, releasing a shockwave from the holy energy she¡¯d gathered since entering the room.

    The weak demons, barely clinging to life, couldn¡¯t withstand the impact and were thrown to the ground.

    Though her method was baffling and unconventional, she managed to fulfill the requirement of defeating only the marked demons.

    Most of the onlookers in the hall were left gaping in confusion, but Ruhvi Kurten nodded with an air of admiration.

    <em>"Ah, I see. When you can¡¯t solve it with strength alone, you just use even more strength."</em>

    <em>"¡­That¡¯s not quite right."</em>

    <em>"How could youe to that conclusion after watching this?"</em>

    <em>"Think about it. If Lady Allen can do it, then surely I, Ruhvi Kurten, can do the same."</em>

    It was true that Lucy¡¯s physical abilities were unusual for her age, but so were Ruhvi¡¯s. Blessed by the god of power and destruction, he possessed a strength unmatched by his peers.

    Surely, he could replicate whatever Lady Allen was doing.

    <em>"If only I¡¯d had confidence in my strength, I might have thought of such a strategy myself. It seems I¡¯ve learned something new."</em>

    While his friends looked horrified at his vow to train even harder, Lucy had already passed through the fourth room and reached the decrepit hallway.

    Her movements were as confident as ever, with an aura of unstoppable force as if she intended to destroy anything that blocked her path.

    Arriving before the room where the Warden awaited, she watched as he casually opened the door and stepped out.

    <em>"Ah, a hasty visitor..."</em>

    The Warden began his customary, exaggerated greeting, but he didn¡¯t get to finish.

    Lucy¡¯s mace shot toward his head before he could evenplete his sentence.

    <em>"...Do you have no sense of decorum?!"</em> he spluttered.

    <em>"Then maybe you should wash up? It¡¯s hard not to rush when you reek so badly?"</em>

    The Warden tried to regain hisposure, attempting to lure her into his domain, but Lucy showed no interest in his words, raining attacks on him relentlessly.

    <em>"Fine! If you so wish to die, I shall grant your wish!"</em>

    <em>"Pfft? Look at him, face turning red in anger from losing to a girl?"</em>

    <em>"...I¡¯ll shut that mouth of yours!"</em>

    Before the gimmick activating the path to the ground floor even triggered, the Warden, losing patience, drew his sword, initiating the boss fight.

    <em>"¡­That¡¯s¡­ possible?"</em>

    Having rushed to the exam hall upon hearing Lucy¡¯s name, Lucaughed in disbelief at the sight on the screen.

    The Warden Lucy was fighting hadn¡¯t been weakened by the gimmick.

    Even Kurten, who had failed to beat the Warden, had imed the encounter was hopeless. Yet here was Lucy, not only fighting him but toying with him.

    <em>"I see now. Her true strength lies elsewhere."</em>

    Lucy was indeed extraordinary for her age, possessing physical prowess that could rival seasoned knights. She was a contender for the title of the kingdom¡¯s next hero, following in the footsteps of Benedict Allen.

    But she wasn¡¯t yet at the pinnacle.

    As a mere sapling beginning to sprout, she had rivals in the academy, even among the third years.

    And yet here she was, making a mockery of the Warden, who had thwarted even the strongest students.

    Some might dismiss her advantage as unfair, iming that she knew the dungeon¡¯s design.

    And they¡¯d be partially correct.

    As the dungeon¡¯s creator, she knew precisely what moves the Warden would make.

    Lady Allen could afford to smile even in overwhelming adversity because of her insider knowledge.

    But¡­

    Could this level of y truly be achieved by simply knowing the enemy¡¯s moves?

    Could anyone else move as if seeing several steps ahead, nullifying every action of their opponent?

    Impossible!

    Only Lucy Allen could aplish this!

    Only Lucy Allen, with her unique ability to read her opponent¡¯s actions, to control the flow of battle to her advantage, could transform her knowledge into such mastery!

    Realizing the true brilliance of Lucy Allen, Luca watched with keen eyes as the corridor around her filled with a crimson aura.

    Now, this is the final test.

    How will you surpass the desperate assault of the very boss you created?

    What trick will you use to ovee the spells you designed to kill intruders?

    But despite Luca¡¯s anticipation, Lucy did none of what he expected.

    She didn¡¯t grit her teeth and raise her shield.

    She didn¡¯t move to crush the boss before the spell could activate.

    And she didn¡¯t pull anything from her spatial pouch.

    Instead, Lucy walked past the Warden, stepped through the wide-open door, and shut it behind her.

    <em>"...What?"</em>

    With the activation of the gimmick, the floor crumbled beneath her. But Lucy, clutching her mace embedded in the wall, remained in the room.

    <em>"An interesting idea, but ultimately futile. Even if she hides inside, the spell will¡­ huh?"</em>

    Why wasn¡¯t the spell firing?

 Chapter 326

    "I... I just can''t understand it! What on earth is going on here?"

    Luca, utterly bewildered by the scene on the screen, approached Jesel. Given her involvement in the dungeon''s design, Luca thought Jesel might know something. Yet, Jesel was equally perplexed.

    "Well, who knows?" Jesel muttered. She herself had no idea why such a phenomenon was urring.

    After all, the Academy¡¯s artificial dungeon was a human-made construct. No matter how meticulously crafted, it was bound to have ws. This phenomenon could very well be an error arising from the construction process. But... why would such an error ur?

    While Jesel rummaged through her mental blueprint of the dungeon, the red mana swirling outside the door gradually dissipated. The lunatic''s final desperate attack spell, aimed at killing everyone in its vicinity, started losing its potency. Despite the high specs set for the lunatic, there was no way he could sustain such a powerful spell indefinitely. Magic that had lost its target had no choice but to disperse without causing destruction.

    As the surroundings fell silent, Lucy Allen, who had been clinging to her mace, kicked the door open, revealing the lunatic sprawled on the ground, drained of all energy. Hey there, ring at Lucy with blood-red eyes, fueled by rage and hatred.

    "You... damn wench!"

    "Why so angry?? You''re the one who didn¡¯t use your magic, right?? You¡¯re the coward who stopped because you were afraid your precious stage would break, so why are you ming me??"

    Ah... So that¡¯s what it was.

    Hearing Lucy¡¯s words, Jesel finally understood the situation. The door at the end of the corridor was a passage leading to the lunatic''s created stage. Destroying that door would be akin to destroying his own stage. Since the lunatic could only unleash his full power on his own stage, he would never be able to break that door himself.

    Lucy¡¯s tactic could only be pulled off by someone who knew the dungeon inside and out. She really was using every trick in the book to clear the dungeon in record time.

    Jesel smirked as she watched the lunatic turn to ash and disappear, then checked the time.

    "Five minutes and forty-eight seconds."

    "Excuse me?"

    "That¡¯s the time Lady Allen took to clear the dungeon."

    To think she¡¯d managed to conquer a dungeon that most of the Academy students hadn¡¯t even cleared after a week of effort, all in less than six minutes... Lady Allen was truly beyond the bounds ofmon sense.

    "Remarkable."

    "Indeed," Jesel agreed with the warmth in Luca''s voice.

    What a shame.

    If she weren¡¯t the only heir of the Allen family, Jesel would have tried everything in her power to have her pursue an academic path.

    "Your Highness, the Third Prince," Luca said, acknowledging Joy and the Saintess.

    "The reason Lady Allen is showing us this... must be that."

    "Of course. What other reason could there be?"

    "Heh... Really. It''s hard to believe she¡¯s the same person who used to turn high society on its head."

    Five minutes and forty-eight seconds, huh?

    Hearing the time, I pouted. My time had increased because I¡¯d chosen the safe route. Especially the method I used to get through the boss''s final attack... If I¡¯d opted to block it with a shield instead of skipping the pattern by entering the room, I could have shaved off several seconds.

    Thinking of alternatives, I realized that, with some build improvements and a few more tries, I could probably bring it down to four minutes. I couldn''t be satisfied with this time¡ªmy pride as a seasoned yer wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    Let¡¯s rerun it.

    I¡¯ll keep trying until I set a record.

    <"Take it easy, will you? You made others¡¯ week-long efforts seem pointless in under six minutes.">

    "Five minutes and forty-eight seconds, to be exact. Let¡¯s be urate about it; it¡¯s a sensitive issue."

    <"...Sigh. Right. Isn¡¯t it enough that you nullified everyone else¡¯s efforts in five minutes and forty-eight seconds? What more do you want?">

    Speedrunning is a personal battle. Once you reach first ce, you spend countless hours trying to shave off even 0.01 seconds. How can I just ignore a chance to reduce my time by nearly a minute?

    Remembering my days of grinding to beat the Soul Academy speedrun record, I raised my voice, but Grandpa didn¡¯t seem to understand my determination.

    <"Just stop here. There are plenty of people waiting for you toe out.">

    The moment I reluctantly exited the dungeon after Grandpa¡¯s lecture, I felt the gaze of everyone in the examination hall on me.

    Hm. They¡¯re all looking at me with something like disdain.

    Where are the words of admiration or recognition, like "amazing" or "as expected of Lady Allen"?

    Even on the forums, where jealousy and envy reign, my speedrun videos get tons of praise. How can people in real life be colder than those online?

    <I told you. You made their week-long struggles look like a joke.>

    "So it looked like I was mocking them?"

    So they think I¡¯m questioning why they struggled with such an easy dungeon?

    Well, I can¡¯t deny it. I¡¯ll have to ept the consequences of my actions.

    As I was contemting, Luca appeared with the Dungeon Studies professor.

    "That was truly impressive, Lady Allen. Everyone is speechless because of what you showed them."

    "Indeed, mydy. I never would¡¯ve imagined you¡¯d get through the final attack in such a way."

    Heh. Right? It was impressive, wasn¡¯t it?

    As I straightened my shoulders, basking in the praise, a loud voice echoed from the crowd of students.

    "I agree! Mydy, I was deeply impressed by what you demonstrated!"

    Startled by Ruhvi Kurten¡¯sughter and praise, I barely managed to stop myself from blurting out a retort.@@novelbin@@

    Stay calm! If I answer now, I might identally say, "Of course, someone with as much muscle in their head as you would find it impressive."

    I already have enough enemies¡ªI don¡¯t want to add more here!

    As I bit my lip, trying not to give the crowd any fuel, Kurten turned his body to the back.

    "What do you all think? Wasn¡¯t Lady Allen¡¯s dungeon truly remarkable?"

    Wha...?

    Excuse me? Do you not see the mood here? Everyone seems irritated!

    The students¡¯ reactions were just as I expected¡ªthey remained silent. They didn¡¯t like me, but they couldn¡¯t openly disagree with the scion of the Kurten family. So they simply chose to stay quiet.

    Judging by Kurten¡¯s blinking confusion, he really didn¡¯t get the atmosphere here.

    Is his head as muscle-filled as his body?

    As Kurten stood there, bewildered, a path formed among the students, and Arthur, Joy, and Faivy emerged from it.

    Why are you all suddenly stepping forward? Do you have something to say...

    Wait... Are you going to make me do something here, in front of all these people?

    No way, right? You wouldn¡¯t...

    You wouldn¡¯t dare pull something a degenerate voyeuristic sadistic creep like the Pathetic God woulde up with, would you?

    I haven''t done anything to deserve this... Well, not entirely, but I believe in you!

    I believe in your character!

    "Lucy Allen."

    "Yes!" I answered brightly.

    "Why, Prince Pitiful? Do you have something to say?"

    "There was no need for you to demonstrate your way of clearing the dungeon as if it were the only solution."

    ...What?

    What are you talking about, Arthur?

    I just wanted to show those clueless idiots that if they can''t clear my dungeon faster than me, they should keep their mouths shut.

    "Yes, mydy. It was our failure to recognize the proper strategy; there was no need for you to defend us."

    Joy? Why are you saying this?

    I didn¡¯t put that much thought into it, honestly!

    Think about it¡ªdo I look like someone who would care that deeply?!

 Chapter 329

    The Kent family had a long and storied history.

    It was a family founded by an unnamed man who, during an era of chaos when an evil god attempted to bring ruin to thisnd, rose to prominence through his sword skills. Over the centuries, the Kent family had trained in swordsmanship, earning their reputation as masters of the de.

    Their territory was steeped in the culture of the sword¡ªdojos where swordsmanship was taught, forges where swords were crafted, and shops catering to those dedicated to training. This ce, iconic for anyone involved in swordsmanship, looked almost identical to how I remembered it from the game. This meant that likely, every setting and story element here would match the game as well.

    ¡°¡­I hate teleportation,¡± Frey mumbled as she stumbled out of the portal beside me.

    Usually indifferent, even Frey seemed to struggle with the nausea. ¡®A little rest might¡ª¡¯

    ¡°Having trouble already, Frey Sister? You really are weak. What¡¯ll you do? I could let you rest if you asked me nicely.¡±

    ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Though swaying slightly, Frey pressed on, leading me through the streets.

    ¡®Hey, Frey Sister¡­¡¯

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t heard what you n to make me do. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re too dumb to remember what you wanted?¡±

    So, what¡¯s she nning to do with me at the Kent estate?

    If it were anyone else, I¡¯d try to predict it based on the game¡¯s settings, but Frey¡¯s a wildcard. Even a veteran like me has no idea what¡¯s going on in her head.

    ¡°Sparring.¡±

    ¡®¡­Sorry?¡¯

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to spar.¡±

    Spar? She dragged me all the way to her home to spar? Couldn¡¯t we have done that at the Academy training grounds?

    I tilted my head, unsure if she was joking, when suddenly the gates of the Kent estate came into view.

    ¡°Miss, who¡¯s this by your side?¡±

    The guard at the gate nced at me nervously.

    I shrugged, used to people being wary of me. Anything I said would only worsen things.

    ¡°This is Lucy, my friend.¡±

    ¡°Your¡­ friend?¡±

    ¡°Yes, friend. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡®Yes, Frey Sister.¡¯

    ¡°If being ¡®friends¡¯ means she¡¯s clinging onto me one-sidedly, then sure, I guess we¡¯re friends.¡±

    ¡°Unbelievable! To think our young miss brought a friend to the estate, and willingly no less!¡±

    His reaction wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d expected.

    So, he wasn¡¯t afraid of me after all? Just shocked because Frey was the one who dragged me here?

    ¡­Weird. Who hasn¡¯t heard of the infamous Lucy?

    ¡°Please, wait right here! I¡¯ll go report this heartwarming news to the master!¡±

    The guard, dabbing at his eyes, ran off, and Frey lightly tapped my shoulder, snapping me out of my daze.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±

    ¡®Didn¡¯t he just tell us to wait? You didn¡¯t understand that, Frey Sister?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no problem.¡±

    Despite my doubts, I couldn¡¯t refuse her orders and allowed Frey to guide me inside.

    ¡°Oh, mydy! What brings you here? And this youngdy beside you¡ªwait, a friend? A friend?!¡±

    ¡°The master¡¯s efforts have finally paid off! The youngdy has brought a friend to the estate!¡±

    ¡°Lady Allen, please take care of our young miss!¡±

    ¡°Oh, how can we express our gratitude!¡±

    The servants of the Kent family had an almost bizarre cheerfulness. Even when they heard my name, they didn¡¯t cower but instead thanked me for changing their youngdy.

    Seeing this, I suddenly understood why Frey¡¯s little sister had been so boisterous when I met her at the Pathran Festival. Growing up here, that behavior would seem normal.

    ¡°Frey Sister! When did you arrive? You should¡¯ve told me you wereing! And who¡¯s this¡­¡±

    Oh, no. Somehow, the estate¡¯s loudest voice had sensed my presence.

    Parna Kent.

    Frey¡¯s younger sister.@@novelbin@@

    Unlike the stoic and silent Frey, Parna was a bubbly whirlwind, so loud that her lines in the game seemed to jump off the screen.

    And now, in real life, she was even noisier, since I could hear her actual voice.

    ¡°¡­Are you Lady Allen?!¡±

    ¡®Yes, that¡¯s me.¡¯

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? She¡¯s on a whole other level from you simpletons.¡±

    ¡°Woooow! She was already super gorgeous before, but now she¡¯s even¡­ even¡­¡±

    Wow, she really has impressive lung capacity. Must be from her martial training.

    ¡°¡­Even more gorgeous! You¡¯re like an angel from heaven! The goddess of beauty must be jealous of you!¡±

    ¡®Thank you.¡¯

    ¡°Is that something you need to yell about? A nobledy should show a bit more decorum. How pathetic.¡±

    ¡°Haha! People tell me that all the time, but I just can¡¯t seem to change!¡±

    She didn¡¯t even flinch at the insult. It¡¯s like she didn¡¯t realize it was an insult.

    ¡­Wait, did she really not understand?

    ¡°Move aside. I¡¯m busy.¡±

    As I mused on it, Frey stepped in between me and Parna.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I have something to do with my friend.¡±

    ¡°A friend! I can¡¯t believe you said ¡®friend¡¯! I¡¯m so moved!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Parna, I feel the same way!¡±

    Adding to the chaos, another loud voice rang out as Countess Kent, Frey¡¯s mother, appeared behind Parna.

    The countess, a woman who perfectly embodied the term ¡°matronly,¡± stomped over and enveloped Frey in a bear hug with her muscr arms.

    ¡°Our dear Frey brought a friend home! Oh, I¡¯m so happy I could cry!¡±

    ¡°Um, Mom? I¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, how you¡¯ve changed, my dear girl! I¡¯m so proud of you!¡±

    ¡°But, um¡­ I can¡¯t breathe¡­¡±

    Watching Frey¡¯s face turn blue, I gave up on trying to make sense of the situation.

    Anything I said would be drowned out by the uproar anyway.

    <This reminds me of old Parun. What a dramatic fellow he was.>

    ¡®That¡¯s probably the Kent family founder.¡¯

    <Oh, really? The strength of blood is remarkable. To think his personality has endured for centuries.>

    ¡®Then why haven¡¯t I grown taller? Considering my father¡¯s build, I should be much taller.¡¯

    <¡­Who knows? That might be a mystery only the gods know.>

    I almost blurted out that it was probably because the Pathetic God was a depraved freak but managed to hold back. It wouldn¡¯t do to speak ill of the gods in front of a devout elder.

    The noise from Parna and the Countess only grew. After noticing that Frey had nearly passed out, they tearfully apologized, then turned their sights on me, almost suffocating me in gratitude for ¡°changing¡± Frey.

    The moment they heard me call her ¡°Frey Sister,¡± they squealed with delight:

    ¡°Does that mean I can call you ¡®Sister Lucy¡¯? Or maybe even ¡®Our Beautiful Sister Lucy¡¯?¡±

    ¡°So that means my adorable and charming daughter is practically yours! Please, won¡¯t you call me ¡®Mama¡¯?!¡±

    I tried to interrupt them with the Mesugaki Skill¡¯s biting insults, but the two of them seemedpletely unaffected, twisting every harsh word into apliment. In the end, Frey and I were finally freed when the Count Kent appeared.

    It must not have been the first time this happened because he handled the situation swiftly and effectively. After sternly reprimanding both Parna and the Countess, he escorted them back inside, then turned to me with a bow.

    ¡°My sincerest apologies, Lady Allen! Though they mean no harm, their rudeness is inexcusable. I apologize once more.¡±

    Watching the count apologize for his family¡¯s behavior made me think of Benedict. I wondered if he¡¯d had to do the same whenever Lucy caused trouble.

    ¡®It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¯

    ¡°Right, there¡¯s no need to mind. A sloppy leader for a sloppy family, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much for your understanding!¡±

    How much chaos must his family have caused for this master swordsman to have such polished social skills?

    ¡­I should introduce him to Benedict sometime. I have a feeling they¡¯d get along very well.

    ¡°Lady Allen, may I ask the purpose of your visit?¡±

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s¡­¡¯

    ¡°Dragged along by Frey Sister here, so I don¡¯t actually know myself, Sloppy Count.¡±

    At my answer, the count¡¯s eyes lingered on my face, then he slowly turned to Frey.

    ¡°¡­Frey? Is this true?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I brought Lucy here.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to watch you and Lucy spar.¡±

    ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    ¡®¡­What?¡¯

    Even though the count and I both stammered in shock, Frey remained unfazed.

    ¡°If I see you two spar, I think I¡¯ll understand something. So, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Uh, Frey? This isn¡¯t a simple request.¡±

    The count tried his best to dissuade her.

    He exined that the difference in skill between him and me was too vast, that if I got hurt, it could cause serious problems, and that it might be better for him to spar with someone else while she watched.

    ¡®I don¡¯t mind.¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Sloppy Count? Are you afraid you¡¯ll lose to me? I¡¯m fine with it.¡±

    Despite his concerns, I didn¡¯t find Frey¡¯s suggestion all that ufortable.

    Thinking about it carefully, this was an opportunity I couldn¡¯t turn down.

    Though he showed a softer side with his family, the count was apletely different person with a sword in his hand. Even the Sword Saint couldn¡¯t confidently im superiority over him. He was a genius who¡¯d refined the Kent family¡¯s swordsmanship into a style of his own¡ªa legendary swordsman known throughout the continent.

    After facing Duke Burrowst time, I¡¯d realized how much I still had to learn.

    Why would I turn down a chance to face a true master?

    ¡°Lady Allen, even if you¡¯re willing, I am not. If you were to be injured, I¡¯d be a dead man when Benedict hears of it.¡±

    The fear in the count¡¯s voice as he mentioned Benedict was palpable.

    This was a man known for his pride in his strength, and yet he was still wary of Benedict¡¯s wrath. Just what kind of man had Benedict been on the battlefield?

    While this only reinforced my respect for Benedict, it didn¡¯t change my desire to spar with the count.

    Besides, even if things went poorly, the count would be the one to take the fall, not me.

    I don¡¯t have to clean up the mess, so why should I worry about someone else¡¯s problems?

    ¡°Oh, is the count such a coward that he can¡¯t handle a little girl?? Are you just a third-rate swordsman afraid you might lose control??¡±

    ¡°¡­Lady Allen?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine? I get it? It¡¯s not your fault if you¡¯re just a scaredy-cat who doesn¡¯t trust his own sword?¡±

    ¡°¡­There are some things even the Lady Allen should not say.¡±

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s on you if you¡¯re a pathetic father who can¡¯t fulfill his own daughter¡¯s request? Puhaha? Poor Frey, stuck with such a weakling for a father?¡±

    Watching his expression as I sneered, I felt certain that he would not back down.

    Barely containing his rage, the count¡¯s face was fierce enough to make a lesser person cry.

    ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s spar.¡±

    I knew it.

    Seeing his lips pressed tightly together, I leisurely drew upon the divine energy within me.

    Alright.

    Let¡¯s see just how far I can push myself.

    Let¡¯s give him a taste.

    Against a swordsman so much stronger than me.

 Chapter 330

    Frey¡¯s eyes fixed on the sh of metal and wood before her.

    She watched as the gleaming white shield, imbued with divine energy, was pushed back by the wooden training sword.

    Never once had she managed to topple Lucy¡¯s shield, even when giving it her all.

    It wasn¡¯t just her¡ªArthur, whom she acknowledged for his skill, was helpless against Lucy¡¯s shield. Even Cecile, with his overwhelming physical strength, couldn¡¯t breach it.

    Lucy¡¯s shield had be a fortress among their peers at the Academy, an unbreakable wall. But that was only within the Academy. Before Count Kent, that mighty shield was merely an ordinary barrier.

    ¡°Struggling already? Where did that initial confidence go?¡± the count taunted.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell by looking?? I¡¯m clearly just humoring you? Can¡¯t even pick up on that, huh?? Pathetic?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then let¡¯s pick up the pace.¡±

    Lucy¡¯s shield, for once, was being put to the test, and Count Kent¡ªthe famed swordsman¡ªwas taking her seriously. He obstructed her movements, delivered strikes that bypassed her defenses, and forced her to hesitate with precise, targeted blows. He wasn¡¯t merely humoring his daughter¡¯s friend; he was meeting Lucy with the intensity her skill demanded.

    Frey had anticipated this from the moment she brought Lucy here. She¡¯d known her father would give his all, showing Lucy the limits of her defense. This would be her chance to learn from one of the few swordsmen she respected, one who could offer insight on how to surpass Lucy¡¯s shield.

    ¡°Your lips are trembling. Are you sure you want to continue?¡± Count Kent asked.

    ¡°Oh, has the old count already tired himself out?? Struggling to hold in myughter is the only reason I¡¯m shaking, really?¡±

    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s continue.¡±

    Frey¡¯s judgment had been correct. Watching Lucy tumble across the ground again and again, she noted each weakness in her friend¡¯s defense. The information she gathered was vital for achieving victory over Lucy one day.

    It might seem dishonorable, she knew that. If it had been the Frey of a few days ago, she might have balked at such tactics. But now, she didn¡¯t regret her choice¡ªnot when it meant she could stay by Lucy¡¯s side.

    ¡°Do you still want to keep going?¡±

    ¡°What, are you exhausted already?? And here I thought you were supposed to be a great swordsman.?¡±

    ¡°Yes, understood. Let¡¯s continue.¡±

    To Frey, Lucy Allen was nothing short of a miracle. Lucy had brought color into her world, a world that had been nothing but gray. She¡¯d introduced her to so many new emotions and feelings, and above all, made Frey aware of her own pride as a swordswoman.

    The Frey who had roamed around recklessly, oblivious to fear, was now a Frey who understood herself and pursued what she truly wanted. The difference was night and day.

    ¡°...So, you¡¯ve been holding back all this time? Impressive,¡± Count Kent remarked.

    ¡°Oh, the count¡¯s just getting old? If it¡¯s tiring, you can admit it? It¡¯s not a crime to age, you know?¡±

    Frey¡¯s gaze never left Lucy as the two fought, a determined smile tugging at her lips. She knew what it would mean if Lucy were to vanish from her life. Her world would be gray once more.

    Lucy wasn¡¯t one to stand still. Every day, she moved forward without resting, relentlessly improving herself. Frey knew she couldn¡¯t hold her back; the only way to keep Lucy in her life was to run alongside her.

    ¡°...So, this is what they call ambition,¡± Frey murmured, recalling a word she¡¯d once read in a dictionary, a smile forming on her lips.

    Thanks to Lucy, she¡¯d discovered yet another shade of color in her life.

    She pondered how she could return this joy to Lucy.

    While Frey was lost in thought, her skin warmed, and she looked up to see Lucy¡¯s glowing mace, radiant like a small sun, in her hands.

    ¡°You can handle this much, right?!?¡±

    ¡°Tch! Every one of you Allen family members is a monster!¡±

    The duel was nearing its end.

    After pouring everyst ounce of energy into the fight, I copsed, staring at the too-clear sky above.

    It was a total defeat.

    The difference in skill between Count Kent and me was so vast that no amount of strategizing could bridge it. The only reason I¡¯d held out as long as I had was because he¡¯d been holding back.

    When was thest time I¡¯d been beaten this badly? Probably back when I¡¯d just arrived in this world and had been ttened by Karl.

    Ah, it¡¯s almost infuriating.

    Back in the game, I¡¯d even taken on challenges to defeat Count Kent with my bare hands. But now, I can¡¯t even think ofying a finger on him.

    I guess I¡¯m not as strong as I thought.

    At this rate, I¡¯m going to have to worry not just about seeing Soul Academy¡¯s conclusion but about making it through the Academy alive.

    Sure, I¡¯d taken down Nakrad, but this world was still overflowing with enemies who wanted to bring ruin. And as long as I was a disciple of the Pathetic God, they would inevitably target me.

    If I want to survive, I have to grow stronger.

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful to Frey for suggesting this match.

    If I hadn¡¯t fought Count Kent today, my confidence might have slowly turned into arrogance.

    And there was something else I appreciated.

    Thanks to Count Kent¡¯s relentless attacks, I¡¯de to realize many of my own weaknesses. He¡¯d exposed every gap, and now, I knew the path I needed to take.

    ¡®First, I need to improve my physical capabilities.¡¯

    There were many areas where I wascking, but increasing my physical strength was the first step. My abilities might be impressive for my age, but my real opponents would be the monstrous forces my mentor once faced.

    I needed to at least be able to withstand an opponent like Count Kent.

    <Your thoughts aren¡¯t wrong, child, but pushing yourself any harder would be detrimental.>

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not nning to take that route.¡¯

    It wouldn¡¯t help to increase my training intensity. There were limits to what I could achieve through that alone.

    So, how am I going to enhance my physical abilities?

    As any veteran yer of Soul Academy would know, there¡¯s only one answer:

    Grinding.

    Leveling up had been on the back burner thanks to all the recent chaos. But during the break, I¡¯d focus on itpletely immerse myself in dungeons.

    This break, I¡¯d be holed up in dungeon after dungeon, living like a true shut-in.

    ¡­Heh.

    Sounds like a st.

    As I plotted out my training ns for the break, Frey¡¯s face suddenly appeared in my line of sight.

    Her sparkling eyes looked a bit¡­worrying.

    Don¡¯t tell me she wants to spar now. I¡¯d used up every ounce of strength against the count. I¡¯mpletely drained. No matter how much stamina I have, even I have limits.

    ¡°Lucy.¡±

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Frey Sister?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the mansion. They¡¯re throwing a party since I brought a friend home.¡±

    ¡­Canceled.

    Cancel everything!

    Frey! How about we just spar instead?

    Even if it means passing out from exhaustion, I¡¯d rather fight than endure another round of the Kent family¡¯s endlesspliments!

    Please!

    Unfortunately, Frey didn¡¯t have much say in the Kent household.

    Dragged back to the mansion, I was once again showered with endless expressions of gratitude, served food until I felt I was about to burst, and trained with the equally loud knights of the Kent family. I sparred with several people, including Frey and Parna, until I finally found myself getting ready for bed in one of the mansion¡¯s guest rooms.

    How did ite to this?

    I hadn¡¯t nned to stay overnight.

    Lying in a modest bed in the simple guest room, reflecting on the hectic day, I heard a knock on the door.

    ¡°Lucy, may Ie in?¡±

    ¡®Sure, go ahead.¡¯

    ¡°Do as you please, Frey Sister.¡±

    Dressed in something resembling adventurer¡¯s gear as her pajamas, Frey wandered over to my bedside.

    ¡®What¡¯s up?¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Frey Sister? You¡¯re not here because you¡¯re lonely and want me to stay, are you?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing like that. I just wanted to ask you for onest favor before the day ends.¡±

    Thinking about it, the only things Frey had requested today were to be called ¡°Sister¡± and for me to spar with the count. After that, we hadn¡¯t had any time to ourselves.

    Fine, I¡¯ve decided.

    Frey, I gained a lot because of you, so I¡¯ll do my best to fulfill whatever this request is.

    ¡®Go ahead.¡¯

    ¡°Go on. I¡¯m curious what silly idea you¡¯ve got in mind, Frey Sister.¡±

    Frey, uncharacteristically hesitant, leaned in closer and mumbled her request.

    ¡°Pat me on the head.¡±

    ¡®¡­What?¡¯

    ¡°...What?¡±

    ¡°Tell me I did a good job with the dungeon. Praise me for mastering my aura control.¡±

    Oh, that¡¯s all?

    Even under the dim glow of themp, I could see Frey¡¯s ears turning bright red. Chuckling, I ced my hand on top of her head.

    For once, I wasn¡¯t worried about fumbling my words.

    Right now, I could express my feelings perfectly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve mastered your aura control already? Frey Sister, you really are a genius.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I am a genius.¡±

    ¡°It was incredible seeing you charge that dungeon boss. I was really impressed.¡±

    ¡°Mm. What else?¡±

    ¡°When you cooperated with everyone in the dungeon, I was surprised. Frey Sister, who usually does as she pleases, actually listened to others!¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that really apliment?¡±

    ¡°Of course it is. It¡¯s like a wild animal finally learned to behave.¡±

    ¡°¡­The more I think about it, the less that sounds like praise.¡±

    ¡°Pfft! Caught on, huh? Pretty perceptive, Frey Sister, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Lucy¡­¡±

    Listening to Frey¡¯s grumbling as Iughed, I continued to pass along all the things I¡¯d been wanting to say.

    Hey, Almighty Armadi.

    If you nned all this, I¡¯ll offer you a heartfelt prayer of thanks. I¡¯m genuinely happy to be able to speak freely to my friend.

    Though,e to think of it, I can only talk like this because of Armadi¡¯s twisted ¡°blessing.¡± He¡¯s just temporarily returning what he took.

    Is this what gaslighting feels like?

    The Pathetic God truly is conniving.

    ...@@novelbin@@

    Still.

    I am grateful.

    So, I¡¯ll offer my thanks, Armadi, even if it¡¯s only to avoid any petty retribution you might think up next.

 Chapter 331

    The Next Morning.

    Having slept more peacefully than ever, I found myself uncharacteristically lost in slumber until the sun had fully risen. If Parna hadn¡¯te to wake me, I might have stayed asleep until well past noon.

    Sitting at the breakfast table, listening to the countess passionately directing the staff, I looked around and asked about Frey¡¯s whereabouts, curious to know if the penalty was still in effect or if it had concluded the previous night.

    ¡°She left for the Academy early this morning,¡± came the reply.

    <em>What? Frey?</em>

    ¡°What? That blockheaded swordswoman?¡±

    I let out a dryugh as I was told that she had left hastily, ignoring even the countess¡¯s attempt to stop her, as if fleeing in embarrassment. She was probably mortified by what she¡¯d donest night. Frey has this surprisingly girlish side, after all.

    As I returned to the Academy, I correctly guessed that meeting her would be difficult. Even though I intentionally looked around for her, I couldn¡¯t find Frey until lunchtime.

    Instead, as the sun reached its peak, Arthur came looking for me, carrying a message from Frey that she wouldn¡¯t be able to see me today.

    ¡°It¡¯s not unusual for her to be restless, but today she seemed especially agitated.¡±

    Before I could ask what nonsense he was spouting, he went on about how she practically ran off, and I couldn¡¯t help butugh, imagining the look on Frey¡¯s face at that moment.

    <em>Business¡­</em>

    ¡°Is that all you wanted to say? In that case, please let me enjoy my meal in peace. Seeing the ¡®pathetic prince¡¯s¡¯ face ruins my appetite.¡±

    ¡°Regrettably for you, I¡¯m not done. We need to discuss your tasks for tomorrow.¡±

    At the mention of tomorrow¡¯s ¡°tasks,¡± my appetite vanished entirely. What could he possibly want me to do that requires advance discussion? I¡¯vemitted so many sins against him that I can¡¯t even guess! This is the same guy who, not long ago in the dungeon, loudly dered he¡¯d ¡°discipline¡± me¡ªand I threw fuel onto that fire!

    ¡°If you prefer to finish your meal first, I¡¯ll dly wait.¡±

    <em>Would the prince be able to eat in this situation?!</em>

    ¡°Do you have no empathy at all, pathetic prince? Who could eat after hearing they have some ¡®big task¡¯ ahead? Oh, you probably just want to see me sulking while eating, right? Pfft. You¡¯re such a pervert!¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯ll take that as a yes to discussing matters now.¡±

    Arthur clenched his lips, suppressing his irritation, and led me to a private room at the Academy.

    Does this mean he has something he can¡¯t discuss in public? Now I¡¯m even more anxious.

    ¡°Rx. It¡¯s not bad news for you.¡±

    Arthur shrugged casually, leaning back, which only heightened my unease. Whenever someone says ¡°it¡¯s not bad news,¡± it always is.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point. I¡¯ll give you two options. You¡¯ll choose one, which will be your punishment.¡±

    I knew it!

    Not bad news? Yeah, right!

    This guy is downright malicious! He¡¯s enjoying giving me choices only to savor watching me carry them out¡ªand if Iin, he¡¯ll say, ¡°Well, it was your choice.¡±

    Maybe my anger was showing, as Arthur raised his hands to cate me.

    ¡°Calm down. You can decide after hearing your options.¡±

    True. If his options are actually reasonable, then there¡¯s no need to get upset.

    I crossed my arms, signaling him to continue, and Arthur let out a sardonic smile.

    <em>Even a third prince is still a prince.</em>

    <em>¡°Enough. Just say it.¡±</em>

    ¡°How long are you nning to drag this out? Indulging your perverted preferences has be exhausting.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Understood. One option is for you to serve as my maid for the day.¡±

    ¡°...Pardon?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll simply dress as a maid and serve me politely. I won¡¯t ask you to do anything beyond a maid¡¯s duties, so it shouldn¡¯t be difficult.¡±

    After hearing his first option, I promptly restored my mace to its full size and ced it on the desk so Arthur could clearly see its glistening end.

    ¡°Pathetic prince, it seems you¡¯ve forgotten that the punishmentsts only one day. If you forget, tomorrow this mace might find its way into your skull, giving your brain a taste of fresh air.¡±

    I said this with a pleasant smile, loaded with intent, watching beads of sweat form on Arthur¡¯s brow.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you overreacting?! Think about it! How could I force you to do something you truly don¡¯t want to?¡±

    Arthur muttered some feeble excuse about not meaning to push me too far, but I wasn¡¯t buying it. I¡¯d learned justst night about the power of penalties. Even my Mesugaki Skill couldn¡¯t counter them, so forcing me to y maid now? Who knows what he¡¯d ask me to do?

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll tell you the second option! If you dislike the first, just choose this one!¡±

    I silently gripped the mace¡¯s handle, prompting Arthur to go pale as he quickly continued.

    ¡°The second option is simple. Instead of a day¡¯s worth of punishment, you just have to teach me how to clear the dungeon.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Huh?

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Pathetic prince, could you repeat that? Your voice was so grating I identally ignored it.¡±

    ¡°I said, teach me your dungeon-clearing techniques!¡±

    ¡­

    Arthur, you idiot!

    If that¡¯s what you wanted, you should have said so sooner!

    Where should I start? What should I teach first?

    I¡¯m so excited that my mind¡¯s going into overdrive with ideas!

    Right, let¡¯s begin with the various dungeon mechanics.

    ¡°I mean, you may not want to share your knowledge¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you babbling about?¡±

    ¡°Oh, pathetic prince, you¡¯re hrious.¡±

    When a novice volunteers to be coached, there¡¯s no way an expert would refuse!

    If an expert says no, they¡¯re not a real expert!

    True experts are the ones who bombard others with research until they¡¯re thoroughly exhausted.

    ¡°Just tell me what the brief punishment is!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to waste any more time, so let¡¯s get to the brief punishment.¡±

    If coaching a clueless newbiees with a cost, I¡¯ll dly pay it!

    What are you nning to make me do?

    Say it!

    Do you want me to kneel and apologize?

    Or wear a maid outfit and do a moe-moe pose?

    ¡°My intention was to get a sincere apology from you, followed by a light smack on the head to wrap things up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Puhaha! Is that all? Pathetic prince, you have such a petty mind.¡±

    Normally, I¡¯d never agree to something like this, thanks to the Mesugaki Skill, but right now, I¡¯m free to bow my head as many times as necessary! This is what it means to be an adult!

    ¡°Then, is that your choice?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Since¡­.¡±

    ¡°So, this is how you want to be apologized to? You really know how to make yourself look pitiable.¡±

    ¡°...You have quite the attitude for someone who¡¯s about to apologize.¡±

    Arthur sighed, probably realizing this was dragging on, and gestured for me to get on with it.

    This was a proposal I was more than happy to ept. Better to get it over with now than to spend all day worrying about him changing his mind.

    I got up and stood in front of him.

    Alright, here goes.

    Admit defeat, apologize for my usual behavior, and take a smack on the head. Simple!

    Let¡¯s get this over with so I can grab lunch.

    Just as I was about to go through the motions of apologizing, a message appeared before my eyes.

    [You will convey ¡®sincerity¡¯ during the apology.]

    <em>Sincerity</em>?

    Pathetic god, what¡¯s this about?

    I get that Arthur requested a ¡°sincere¡± apology, but isn¡¯t that just a figure of speech?

    ¡°Hurry up, Lucy Allen. Didn¡¯t you say it was no big deal? Get it done, so I can smack you.¡±

    Arthur raised his fist impatiently, prompting yet another message to appear, detailing the penalties if I didn¡¯tply.

    Fine! I get it! I don¡¯t fully understand, but I¡¯ll apologize anyway!

    When I think about it, I¡¯ve got a lot to apologize for.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for always being rude.¡±

    Even if he¡¯s not close to the throne, Arthur still carries royal blood. He¡¯s overlooked my many transgressions, but I¡¯ve undoubtedly leaned on his leniency.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for not thanking you more often for your help.¡±

    Our first encounter may not have been ideal, but ever since then, Arthur¡¯s alwayse to my aid whenever I was in trouble.

    Even if the Mesugaki Skill was partly to me, I definitely owed him thanks.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for constantly calling you pathetic.¡±

    It¡¯s clear from his efforts alone that Arthur isn¡¯t pathetic. Training in both swordsmanship and magic without falling behind in either makes him worthy of being called a genius.

    And yet, all I ever did was insult his efforts.

    ¡°And¡­sniff¡­I¡¯m sorry for calling you ¡®pathetic,¡¯ knowing how much it hurts you.¡±

    I know full well how much pain that word brings Arthur.

    As I reflected on all this, my emotions overwhelmed me, and my vision blurred with tears.

    Damn it. So <em>this</em> is what ¡°sincerity¡± means!

    Once emotions took hold, I couldn¡¯t stop myself.

    I was barely able to speak through my tears when the door burst open.

    ¡°Third Prince! We heard you took thedy¡­¡±

    ¡°Prince Arthur, even if you made a bet¡­¡±

    Joy and Faivy, of all people.

    They picked the perfect moment for a misunderstanding.

    I wanted to exin, but I couldn¡¯t stop sobbing enough to form coherent words.

    Damn it, when will this penalty end?!

    ¡°...What is the meaning of this, Third Prince¡­Arthur?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like, Joy! Whatever you¡¯re thinking, it¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡±

    ¡°Would you kindly rify? I, as a holy knight, shall judge this in the name of the goddess.¡±

    ¡°Lady Saint?! Wait! Calm down and hear me out!¡±

    With a loud m, the door closed, and soon, Arthur¡¯s voice filled the room with indignant screams.

    Watching everything unfold, I finally understood something I¡¯d once heard: when a normally kind person gets angry, it¡¯s truly terrifying.

    ¡­Maybe I should tone down my teasing from now on.

 Chapter 332

    After the storm named Joy and Faivy had swirled around Lucy Allen and departed, Arthur was left alone in the now-chaotic private room, sprawled across the floor before he staggered up.

    Honestly, it was one of the most horrifying moments of his life.

    Joy, who would usually blush but never truly get angry, and the saintess, whom he¡¯d thought incapable of such a severe emotion, had both looked dead serious at the same time.

    Arthur prided himself on having faced all manner of adversity, but theirbined fury had rendered all that experience meaningless. To think that even he, of all people, couldn¡¯t even attempt to exin himself before receiving their punishment.

    He recalled the scene of Joy and the saintess approaching him, recalling the pain from where he¡¯d been hit. Arthur sighed deeply.

    Joy¡ªshe had fired lightning at him with genuine intent to fry him alive.

    The saintess had been no different. She¡¯d tried to scorch him to death with holy mes. Even now, the spots that had been touched by that heat still stung.

    If Lucy Allen had dyed her exnation even a moment longer, he probably would¡¯ve suffered real burns.

    ¡°Lucy Allen.¡±

    As her name crossed his mind, Arthur ran his hand through his hair, sighing. He hadn¡¯t truly expected a sincere apology from her.

    When she¡¯d first used the nickname ¡°Pathetic Prince,¡± he had been genuinely offended. It was also true that he sometimes found her countless instances of disrespect unpleasant.

    But Lucy had also done more than enough to bnce out those moments. She had saved his life, risking her own. She had agreed without hesitation to his shameless request for guidance. She had always helped him reach greater heights.

    Having spent the past few months with her, Arthur was certain that, despite her rough exterior, Lucy had a good heart. Because of this, he hadn¡¯t taken her impoliteness too seriously.

    In recent times, he had grown so used to her remarks that he couldugh them off. So what reason would he have to demand a sincere apology from her?

    He had brought up the apology solely as an excuse to learn her dungeon strategies.

    ¡°Your Highness¡¯s methods resemble those of Lady Allen,¡± Joy had said during the final exam dungeon. When Arthur heard that, he had initially bitten his lip in frustration, realizing he was just following in her footsteps. But soon after, that frustration transformed into something else.

    Being told he was following Lucy Allen¡¯s path also meant she already knew the road he wanted to walk.

    If he asked her to show him the way, perhaps he¡¯d eventually be able to imitate her peculiar tactics.

    Maybe he¡¯d even surpass her one day.

    Pride? He¡¯d tossed that aside a long time ago.

    If doing something humiliating could help him beat her, he was willing to do whatever it took.

    This was why he had presented her with two choices. By offering an option that Lucy Allen would never choose, he¡¯d made it inevitable that she¡¯d have to teach him her dungeon strategies.

    The moment she nodded in agreement, his goal was already achieved.

    Afterward, whatever kind of apology she gave, Arthur had nned to simplyugh it off.

    After all, the Lucy he knew would never sincerely apologize.

    <em>¡°I¡¯m sorry for being rude all the time.¡±</em>

    So, Arthur was genuinely taken aback when she politely bowed her head.

    <em>¡°I¡¯m sorry for never thanking you for helping me.¡±</em>

    He hadn¡¯t anticipated this oue in the slightest.

    <em>¡°I¡¯m sorry for constantly calling you ¡®pathetic.¡¯¡±</em>

    Even as her eyes reddened.

    <em>¡°And¡­sniff¡­I¡¯m sorry for teasing you with something I know you hate.¡±</em>

    His mind went nk, and he was left speechless.

    <em>¡°Sniff. And¡­hic¡­¡±</em>

    Arthur remained frozen, watching Lucy struggle to continue speaking through her tears, unable to think offorting or consoling her.

    Looking back, he¡¯d felt a sense of relief when Joy and the saintess had burst into the room. He hadn¡¯t even considered how pitiful he might look, only that they could soothe Lucy.

    But instead of salvation, what came next was pure disaster.@@novelbin@@

    The truly infuriating thing was that while Lucy Allen was the one who had thrust him into that disaster, she was also the one who had saved him from it.

    After sobbing for a while, she calmed down, sniffling as she approached, pushing past the wrathful Joy and Faivy to stand in front of him and press her head against his fist.

    With a sniffle and a smirk, she said with a little sigh:

    <em>¡°Well. Sniff. That¡¯s everything, right, pathetic prince?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°As if I was actually crying. You fools are so pathetic, falling for it. Of course, it was all an act.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Sniff. But¡­ it really does look like the pathetic prince is a jerk who made a girl cry, doesn¡¯t it?¡±</em>

    Wiping her tear-stained cheeks, Lucy continued her mocking remarks, then led Joy and Faivy out of the room.

    ¡°How dumb does she think I am?¡±

    She cried her eyes out and then tries to pretend it was just an act. Who could believe that?

    After hearing her heartfelt apology, how could he ever dismiss it as a performance?

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    If she truly felt so sorry, she could simply avoid acting that way in the future.

    If she carried all that guilt around, why did she keep saying things that hurt others and herself?

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. I just don¡¯t.¡±

    Arthur clutched his head in frustration, eventually slumping over his desk with a long sigh.

    ¡°Lucy Allen. I truly can¡¯t understand what kind of person you are.¡±

    Are you truly this way because you want to be?

    The next day, as the newbie prince called Arthur awaited his dungeon lesson, I awoke early,pensating for my two days of oversleep. After getting ready, I offered a prayer to the pathetic god as usual.

    Although my faith in him had dipped after yesterday¡¯s tear-jerking penalty, I still needed to pray to get my daily quest reward.

    Ugh. Just thinking about it again irritates me.

    That perverted, pedophile god probably wanted to see me cry. What other reason could there be for forcing sincerity into the penalty?

    As I fumed over this and made ns to add a new page to the Grimoire of Grudges, I sensed a holy presence approaching and prepared to head out.

    Today, Faivy would be spending the day with me. Since she¡¯s a kind-hearted soul, she wouldn¡¯t ask for anything too weird.

    Maybe it¡¯d be something like changing how I address her, switching outfits, or offering a prayer for her.

    ¡­Hmm? That¡¯s odd.

    I had reached the door, but why wasn¡¯t she knocking?

    Wondering why Faivy was just standing there, I purposefully stepped over the flirtatious fox lying in her path and opened the door myself.

    ¡°Oh. Um. Ah.¡±

    Faivy, who had been frozen in the act of knocking, blushed upon meeting my gaze.

    ¡°G-Good morning, mydy.¡±

    <em>¡°Good morning, Faivy.¡±</em>

    ¡°Good morning, holy clutz. You don¡¯t exactly have the face of a saint today.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ mydy appears especially noble today.¡±

    Listening to Faivy¡¯s hesitant response, I realized I was still wearing the essory from that perverted apostle. I¡¯d kept it on since the pathetic god gives more rewards when I pray while wearing it, but I nearly went outside with it on.

    After removing it and stashing it in my inventory, Faivy let out a sigh of relief.

    To think even Faivy, who¡¯s normally soposed, could be this flustered. That perverted apostle may be aplete trash, but his skills are certainly effective.

    But seriously, having power this intense is a problem. I can¡¯t even use it for anything but praying to the perverted god!

    As I grumbled and swapped out my essory, I invited Faivy inside, not wanting to leave her standing there any longer.

    ¡°Eek!¡±

    ¡°S-Sorry.¡±

    Ignoring the grumbling flirtatious fox who muttered she hadn¡¯t intended to be trampled, I tied my hair back.

    Honestly, I don¡¯t see much of a difference between wearing the perverted apostle¡¯s essory and not. So what exactly do people see that causes such a fuss?

    Finishing up, I nced back at Faivy, who was still muttering. I picked up the fox, gave her a good head pat until she was quiet, and then turned to Faivy.

    <em>¡°Today¡­¡±</em>

    ¡°So, holy clutz, what perverted favor do you n on asking me today,ing over so early?¡±

    ¡°P-Perversion? No, nothing like that. I simply wished for you to pray¡­f-for me¡­¡±

    As her voice dwindled, I couldn¡¯t help butugh. Was this the same Faivy who¡¯d so fiercely condemned Arthur yesterday?

    When she had punished him, she had been genuinely terrifying. But now, she was just adorable.

    <em>¡°Would you like me to do it right now?¡±</em>

    ¡°Pfft. You¡¯re that eager? Should I do it now?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, no. I¡¯d prefer to receive your prayer after everything else is settled.¡±

    Watching her fiddle with her fingers, I understood why she was here so early.

    Today wasn¡¯t just Faivy¡¯s day to ask me a favor; it was also the day we would hear what Yohan and Karia had discovered about the corruption within the church.

    While she knew the church was corrupt, Faivy had never known the full extent of it.

    Of course, she¡¯d be anxious about what she¡¯d hear today.

    Realizing she¡¯de to me seeking a bit offort, I knelt down in front of Faivy, who had her head lowered, and looked up into her eyes.

    <em>¡°Are you sure¡­¡±</em>

    ¡°Holy clutz, are you sure praying is all you need? Isn¡¯t this a bit much?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? How could I ask for anything more from the apostle of the god? Given everything you¡¯ve done for me, how could someone ascking as I am¡­¡±

    ¡°Hah! You¡¯re such a saint that even your lies are convincing? Looks like you¡¯ll need a night of penance?¡±

    Speechless at my taunt, Faivy¡¯s face went bright red, and she finally hid her face behind her hands.

    ¡°P-Please, call me Faivy.¡±

    <em>¡°Of course, Faivy.¡±</em>

    ¡°Pfft. You¡¯re such a shy one, Faivy. Truly adorable.¡±

    I decided on today¡¯s n.

    Before meeting Yohan and Karia, I¡¯d take Faivy out for a fun day.

 Chapter 333

    From a very young age, Faivy had led a life far removed from the concept of y.

    Early in the morning, she would offer prayers for herself and the other clergy members. Afterward, she¡¯d study the sacred texts and divine magic, spend her afternoons assisting people in various regions, and in the evening, she¡¯d receive confessions or study further. Before sleep, she prepared for the next day¡¯s prayers. This monotonous, unrelenting cycle left no room for rest¡ªa harsh routine for a child. But Faivy endured it, believing it was the burden she alone had to carry. Chosen by the great god, she felt she had to prove she was worthy of his selection, grinding her way through each day.

    But.

    But.

    Everything that had once supported her was a lie.

    On nights when she prayed for dawn not toe, memories of her orphanageforted her¡ªyet they never existed. The orphanage she longed for had been a ce of blood and screams. The serene scenes she once believed in were, in reality, a chilling hell of cold cynicism, lifeless bodies, and dried tears.

    Her title as the saintess was also a fabrication. The great god had never chosen anyone as his saintess. The title was a fictional role created by the corrupt members of the church. The burden she bore was not for the god but for those who were steeped in corruption.

    Months had passed since learning the truth, but Faivy still let out a bitterugh each time she thought of it.

    To think a person¡¯s entire life could be fabricated so easily and denied just as readily.

    Even someone as upright as Faivy found it hard to ept that her life had been nothing but a puppet show orchestrated by others.

    What would have be of me if I¡¯d had no one to hold onto then?

    If it hadn¡¯t been for herdy¡­

    If the god¡¯s beloved apostle, with her fierce demeanor and warm-hearted core¡ªpossessing a will so great it seemed to transcend her small frame¡ªhadn¡¯t been by my side, could I beughing as I am now?

    ¡°Puhaha! You¡¯re really dumb, Lady Dimwit! You got this wrong?¡±

    ¡°Unfair! You tricked me by changing just one letter!¡±

    ¡°Sure~ it¡¯s unfair. It¡¯s not like Dimwit wanted to be dimwitted, right~?¡±

    ¡°Ugh! Ughhh!¡±

    Watching Lucyugh without restraint and Joy clench her fists in indignation, Faivy shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

    What good is imagining things that didn¡¯t happen? It¡¯s far better to focus on the present.

    ¡°Joy. Do you really think that¡¯s correct?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Faivy?¡±

    ¡°Faivy, don¡¯t give her any hints! Dimwit¡¯s at her cutest when she¡¯s being dimwitted.¡±

    ¡°Cute¡­ No! Mydy! At least add ¡®Lady¡¯ to the end! Or call me by my name, like you do with Faivy!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it if you ever beat my score. Not that a dimwitted dimwit like you has any chance of doing so.¡±

    ¡°Hngh! Seriously!¡±

    Seeing Joy momentarily forget her usualposure as she protested, Faivy couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    Spending time with friends like this¡­ it¡¯s truly a joy.

    Had Lady Allen not pulled me out of my room, I never would have experienced this.

    If I had stayed in that room, I would¡¯ve fallen deeper into prayer to soothe my growing anxiety until it engulfed me.

    Earlier this morning.@@novelbin@@

    Awakened by anxiety, Faivy bit her lip, dreading the cruel truths she¡¯d hear today. She thought she was prepared, but, in truth, she wasn¡¯t prepared at all. She had prayed repeatedly, asking for protection from her insufficiencies, yet the anxiety remained, so she headed to Lucy¡¯s room. She moved toward the warmth of her divine presence, thinking it might ease her fears.

    But upon reaching Lucy¡¯s door, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to knock. Thoughts she hadn¡¯t considered held her back.

    Would it be rude to visit at such an early hour?

    Would she be annoyed if I woke her?

    What if I disturbed her morning prayer?

    The worries chained together, keeping her from knocking.

    Somehow, Lucy had sensed her presence, opening the door and weing her with unmatched grace.

    Lady Allen would never know.

    She¡¯d never know how her mere presence had swept away Faivy¡¯s fears.

    Nor would she know how much Faivy had pondered when she¡¯d asked what her wish was.

    Or how much joy it had brought Faivy to hear her own name spoken by Lady Allen.

    And she¡¯d likely never know how bewildered Faivy felt when she was whisked outside, Lady Allen iming her reputation alone wouldn¡¯t suffice.

    Lady Allen didn¡¯t know how hard Faivy struggled to hold in herughter as Lucy dragged a barely-awake Joy along.

    And she¡¯d never realize just how happy Faivy felt today, her first real day spent ying with friends.

    If I asked whether she came out to ease my anxiety, I¡¯m certain Lady Allen would deny it.

    She¡¯s so used to giving to others but doesn¡¯t know how to ept kindness.

    So, I won¡¯t ask.

    Instead, I¡¯ll carry the memory of today in my heart.

    I¡¯ll strive to be someone worthy of standing beside her.

    And I¡¯ll wait for the day when I can finally repay her.

    ¡°Mydy! Just watch! I¡¯ll win next time!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been losing all day, so what difference will ¡®next time¡¯ make? As long as Dimwit remains dimwitted, that¡¯ll never happen.¡±

    ¡°I-I haven¡¯t lost every time! Faivy won a few rounds too!¡±

    ¡°True, but losing to Lady Allen is still a fact.¡±

    ¡°Faivy, that applies to you as well!¡±

    ¡°Oho~ so Dimwit finds joy in beating someone who¡¯s only just started ying board games? How very noble~¡±

    ¡°Argh! Why doesn¡¯t anyone take my side?!¡±

    After Joy, her face red as a sunset, huffed and stormed off, Lucy turned to Faivy with a mischievous smile.

    ¡°Faivy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mydy?¡±

    ¡°Are you ready? I¡¯m worried that shy Faivy might lock herself up.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Truly.¡±

    No matter what I hear, as long as you¡¯re with me, I¡¯ll be able to smile.

    ¡°Acting all confident for a dimwit.¡±

    Lucy led Faivy to a small restaurant in the academy district. The moment they arrived, a server greeted Lucy with a mechanical smile, directing them to an upstairs room.

    ¡°Ah, finally. Come in. There¡¯s a mountain of things we need to discuss.¡±

    Inside waited Yohan, a bishop of the church, and Karia, Lucy¡¯s informant.

    After the server closed the door, Karia cast a few spells for privacy and scrutinized Faivy¡¯s face with a smirk.

    ¡°How much does our saintess know?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, no need to answer. Just listen. The church¡¯s corruption? You know a bit? That you¡¯re a fabricated saintess? Oh, you know that too? And your own dark past? Oh my, you¡¯re aware of that as well? Impressive.¡±

    The rapid-fire questions left Faivy feeling suffocated. Karia¡¯s cunning gaze, sharp tone, and subtle gestures¡ªwhenbined, they unsettled even Faivy, who was used to political maneuvering.

    ¡°Enough,dy. Jealousy over youth and beauty is a bad look for you.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t jealous¡­ Whatever. Sorry about that, saintess. Hard life and all; I tend to gauge people.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Really?¡±

    Karia¡¯s smirk lingered as she surveyed Faivy with a calcting gaze.

    ¡°Today, I¡¯m only here to confirm what you already know, saintess. Any further revtions are either still under investigation or too sensitive to share.¡±

    Faivy quickly understood the implications of the word ¡°sensitive.¡±

    This likely refers to the corrupt individuals within the church.

    Knowing who they were would inevitably betray her true feelings, no matter how well she feigned calm.

    ¡°Please understand, saintess. We¡¯ll reveal everything when the time is right,¡± Yohan added in a firm tone, making Faivy force a smile.

    There¡¯s no other way. I still have more gaps than strengths.

    ¡°Saintess, are you ready to hear what we have to say?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°Then ce your hand on this crystal orb. It will take you back to where it all began.¡±

    Where it all began¡­

    Could it be?

    Startled by the unexpected words, Faivy nced at Lucy, who, noticing her gaze, gave a silent nod.

    Could they have truly found it?

    That hellish ce?

    As she stared at the crystal orb, her pulse racing, she felt the warmth emanating from Lucy beside her and took a deep breath.

    It¡¯s okay.

    With herdy by her side, she could face anything.

    All she was doing was facing something she¡¯d have to confront sooner orter.

    You¡¯ll be fine, Faivy.

    Reassured, she ced her hand on the crystal orb. The moment she touched it, her vision twisted and spun.

    As the effects of the teleportation wore off, Faivy found herself kneeling on a deserted field.

    This ce¡­

    Staggering to her feet, she took in the sight of the building ahead. It was isted, far enough that even moonlight barely touched it. Despite its seemingly well-maintained appearance, it was empty inside.

    The orphanage.

    It hadn¡¯t changed from her memories.

    As her legs gave way, she slumped to the ground, staring at the building with a vacant gaze.

    The open field she¡¯d once thought of as a yground with friends was, in reality, used only for burying the dead.

    The dining hall she¡¯d thought was sufficient, despite itsck of abundance, had rarely provided even a single slice of bread.

    The bedroom where she and her friends whispered in hushed tones out of fear, lest they be beaten within an inch of their lives.

    The prayer room where she thought hymns once filled the air was, in reality, a ce where children¡¯s screams echoed.

    Caught between her false memories and true nightmares, Faivy¡¯s mind grew hazy asughter and screams echoed alternately in her ears.

    <em>¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll be good! Please, don¡¯t hit me!¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°No, not the prayer room. I don¡¯t want to pray. I don¡¯t believe in God¡­¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Why are you unharmed?! Why only you¡­¡±</em>

    ¡°Faivy.¡±

    Pulled back by the gentle voice, Faivy looked up, drawn by the warmth surrounding her.

    In the darkness, Lucy¡¯s crimson hair glowed. Her eyes sparkled like jewels. She smiled in that reliable way of hers, her shoulders looking broader than ever.

    With the moon behind her, Lucy¡¯s face felt like a shield against Faivy¡¯s nightmares.

    ¡°Did you forget how to stand? Or have you gained so much weight you can¡¯t get up?¡±

    ¡°Heh¡­ no, of course not.¡±

    Using the ground for support, Faivy rose to her feet and clutched the cross around her neck.

    <em>Great god, please grant this unworthy soul the courage to face the truth.</em>

    <em>Give me the strength to move forward, even in the face of harsh realities.</em>

 Chapter 334

    The reason I¡¯d originally requested the investigation into the church¡¯s corruption was because of Faivy.

    At the time, she seemed on the verge of crumbling, so I thought gradually revealing the truth would soften the blow. But my n waspletely wrecked thanks to Nakrad¡¯s meddling. He basically poured the ¡°red pill¡± straight down Faivy¡¯s throat.

    The fortunate part was that Faivy didn¡¯t break after learning everything. She stood strong despite knowing the entire truth, proving herself fully worthy of the title of saintess.

    Even after my concerns about Faivy faded, I continued asking Alsetine to gather information on the church¡¯s corruption. By now, I¡¯de to realize that merely knowing about the church¡¯s wrongdoings meant nothing without concrete evidence.

    As Armandi¡¯s apostle¡ªand Faivy¡¯s friend¡ªit¡¯s inevitable that I¡¯ll end up opposing the church one day. But shouting about the church¡¯s sins without proof would be meaningless.

    An usation without evidence is nothing but a conspiracy theory.

    So I kept urging Alsetine to persist with the investigation.

    Once Karia, Alsetine¡¯s mentor and a former shadow of the kingdom who had spun webs across every corner of the continent, joined us after the incident in Menesteil, the pace of our investigation increased dramatically. As someone who had once stood beside Benedict, she disyed her extraordinary skills to the fullest.

    This web of hers eventually led all the way back to the orphanage where Faivy had grown up.

    <em>¡°It wasn¡¯t difficult. One of the nobles who cooperated on that front was practically itching to boast about their role.¡±</em>

    The noble, intoxicated with pride over ¡°creating¡± the saintess, was unable to keep this supposed secret to themselves, and they soon became tangled in Karia¡¯s web.

    <em>¡°I was nning to use him to slowly draw out more information about the church, but the people at the Church of the Great God are sharp. The moment they sensed something off, they silenced him.¡±</em>

    But there wasn¡¯t much to gain from that noble.

    Before we could dig any deeper, the parasites infesting him killed the host and fled.

    Still, Karia assured me that we had already gathered enough to make it worth pursuing further and then made a suggestion.

    <em>¡°I know this might not sit well with you, but could we test the saintess¡¯s resolve?¡±</em>

    She was wary of Faivy, the manufactured saintess.

    <em>¡°Since she was created by the higher-ups in the church, her loyalty could be an issue at a crucial moment.¡±</em>

    Knowing firsthand Faivy¡¯s unwavering resolve and sincerity, I found the idea offensive. Yet Karia remained steadfast, insisting she needed to see it with her own eyes.

    <em>¡°I¡¯m only forcing her to confront something she¡¯d eventually face anyway.¡±</em>

    In the end, I relented.

    Karia¡¯s unyielding determination, despite all my objections, proved too difficult to counter. Even the old man, who might have helped me in any other scenario, agreed with her.

    <em>¡°Don¡¯t assume everyone possesses the same resilience you do. Ordinary humans are fragile.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°But Faivy is hardly weaker than I am.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°Then she should manage just fine when facing her own nightmares.¡±</em>

    And so, after days of nning, the scheme to take Faivy back to the orphanage of her past was set into motion.

    Now, watching Faivy stagger to her feet, her face ghostly pale even in the dead of night, I felt anything but triumphant.

    This woman, who had risen time and again despite countless trials, who had fought against the corrupt church, and who, instead of seeking punishment, had forgiven those who manufactured lies¡ªFaivy, often judged as na?ve but admired for her boundless kindness.

    How could someone so noble be a target of suspicion?

    Perhaps it was understandable, given that no one else knew Faivy as we¡¯d seen her in the game.

    But I, as the god¡¯s apostle, vouch for her.

    Why couldn¡¯t they trust in my judgment as the god¡¯s apostle?

    This is beyond unfair!

    ¡°Mydy.¡±

    I turned quickly, snapping out of my silent rant aimed at the old man and the quietly observing Karia, when I heard Faivy¡¯s trembling voice.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s shameless, but I have one request.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d seen Faivy shaken. She¡¯d stumbled several times while confronting the truth before. But now, unable even to contain her trembling, her vulnerability struck a different chord within me.

    ¡­Once this is all over, Karia and the old man are in for it.

    ¡°Will youe inside with me?¡±

    Telling me she was too weak to take the first step on her own, Faivy waited for my answer. Instead of replying, I pushed open the orphanage door for her.

    I didn¡¯t want to say a word that could further upset her right now.

    Taking my silent gesture in, Faivy widened her eyes slightly before approaching with an awkward smile.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be a pleasant ce.¡±

    As soon as we entered, the stench of blood hit us.

    It wasn¡¯t the simple metallic tang of fresh blood; it was a deeply embedded, cloying odor that had umted over time¡ªa scent that told the story of the horrors oncemitted here.

    ¡°¡­I suppose I should save my prayers forter.¡±

    Feigning nonchnce despite the smell, Faivy led me through the ce, giving quiet exnations of each area.

    ¡°This is the dining hall. We always had to recite borate prayers at the adults¡¯mand before we could eat. The meals were always scarce, and the children¡¯s stomachs were constantly growling.¡±

    ¡°This was where we studied the holy texts. We were forced to stay here all day, doing everything we could to keep from falling asleep. Whenever we heard screams nearby, staying awake was the only option.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ was one of the adults¡¯ rooms. The facilities here were much better than the ones we had. Many children hoped they could someday live in a ce like this.¡±

    ¡°This was our bedroom. Dozens of us were crammed into this tiny space to sleep. Back then, I thought it was normal. Looking back now, I see that it wasn¡¯t.¡±

    With each step deeper into the orphanage, Faivy¡¯sposure wavered.

    Her mouth, which had forced itself into a smile, soon couldn¡¯t manage even that. Her hands trembled more visibly, and her steps grew slower and slower.

    It was clear to anyone that Faivy was on the verge of copse.

    ¡°And this¡­¡±

    Eventually, she stopped, halting before a set of stairs leading to the basement.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Faivy didn¡¯t need to exin. I already knew what had happened in that basement.@@novelbin@@

    Probably better than she did.

    So I gently took her hand, feeling her trembling as she tried to continue speaking.

    <em>¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±</em>

    ¡°If you can¡¯t say it, don¡¯t. For someone as fragile as you, this is normal.¡±

    Faivy stared at our sped hands before taking a deep breath and speaking again.

    ¡°¡­No, I¡¯ll be fine, mydy. I just needed a moment to collect myself.¡±

    The further we descended, the stronger the scent of blood grew, confirming that this basement was the source of the orphanage¡¯s pervasive stench.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s locked. Just a moment, I think I have the key.¡±

    <em>¡°That¡¯s unnecessary.¡±</em>

    ¡°No need for a key to open this flimsy door.¡±

    I don¡¯t even need my mace to destroy a door like this.

    I stepped in front of Faivy, gathering divine power into my fist. As my control over divine power increased, channeling it became effortless.

    After concentrating it into my fist, I struck the door. The enchantments embedded in the metal shattered instantly, and the door followed suit, crashing down the corridor beyond.

    With a loud crash, I turned to see Faivy staring in a daze. I stepped to her side and took her hand once more.

    Her gaze refocused as she looked down at our hands, then up at me with a soft, strained smile.

    ¡°This was the prayer room, as the adults called it. We were required toe here every evening, though everyone dreaded this ce. Once inside, each of us would be taken to different rooms for torture.¡±

    In a voice that strove for neutrality, Faivy exined the scene she recalled.

    How friends were forced to torture each other while others had to heal them.

    How unidentified substances were injected into them, causing unquenchable thirst.

    How children were made to cry out to a god amid unbearable pain.

    ¡°The children here envied the friends who found eternal rest rather than mourn their deaths. That was the kind of ce this was.¡±

    Her expression, as she looked at the room still bearing traces of torture, held emotions that I, of all people, could never fully grasp.

    What must she be thinking right now?

    Did she harbor hatred for the adults who inflicted this pain on her?

    Did she resent the god who never answered her prayers?

    Or was she mourning the friends who had died so painfully?

    ¡°Mydy, I have a request.¡±

    I waited quietly for her next words.

    Right now, I could grant her any wish.

    If she wanted revenge against the adults from the orphanage, I¡¯d dly make it happen.

    If she wanted to question why the god granted these monsters divine powers without offering aid, I¡¯d tell her all the truth.

    If she wished to resent the god, I¡¯d silently listen to all her grievances.

    I was free from the influence of the Mesugaki Skill, after all.

    As long as it was her wish, I¡¯dply.

    ¡°While I pray here, please stay by my side. Listen to my prayer.¡±

    But Faivy bore no resentment.

    No hatred.

    She only thought of those who had passed, engulfed in sorrow.

    She had yet to be a true saintess.

    She didn¡¯t even understand the god¡¯s intentions.

    And yet, Faivy, you still chose the same answer.

    Ha, really¡­

    No matter what you may think of yourself, to me, you are already a saintess.

    A person so noble, it almost seems a waste to entrust you to a god as pathetic as this.

    Matching Faivy¡¯s gentle smile, I brought her hands together, covering them with my own, and closed my eyes.

    Soon, Faivy¡¯s voice began, soft and heavy with emotion.

    ¡°Great God above¡­¡±

    Soon, her voice carried a warmth that didn¡¯t belong in the darkness of this basement.

    ¡°Let your eyes witness the ce where your apostle now stands¡­¡±

    From Faivy, a radiant warmth spread, dispelling the foul stench of blood.

    ¡°Listen to the voice of this unworthy child, who has unknowingly brought shame upon you.¡±

    At some point, the frigid basement became as warm as morning light.

    ¡°Look upon the ce where those who sought your salvation were abandoned to perish.¡±

    This was.

    ¡°Embrace the grievances of those poor souls who never found your care.¡±

    Surely.

    ¡°Grant salvation to their weary spirits.¡±

    This was a true saintess¡¯s prayer.

 Chapter 335

    As the sun yielded to thend of dusk and the moon took its ce, Karia sensed the warmth emanating from the orphanage and let out a faint chuckle.

    <em>So the employer was right after all.</em>

    Regardless of how the saintess was created by the corrupt elements of the church, Faivy indeed possessed the qualities deserving of the title.

    But honestly, hadn¡¯t those two forgotten theirst close call?

    After nearly getting interrogated by the church''s inquisitors for invoking a miracle, they were at it again, pulling a spectacle on this scale. What would they have done if I hadn¡¯t prepared for this?

    ¡°Alsetine.¡±

    ¡°Since the moment they arrived, I set up a barrier. Whatever happens here will be nothing more than a private daydream for us.¡±

    At her pupil¡¯s shrug, Karia narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°¡­Did you expect it woulde to this?¡±

    ¡°Who was it that instructed me to prepare everything? Who else but you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you used to be a bit more endearing.¡±

    Despite her huff, Karia couldn¡¯t deny Alsetine¡¯s words. Sarcastic and prickly as she was, Lucy was almost never dishonest. And Lucy truly believed Faivy to be a genuine saintess.

    Seeing Lucy¡¯s unwavering faith, Karia had predicted things would unfold this way.

    Nevertheless, she¡¯d pressed on because she needed assurance.

    She had to be certain that when Lucy eventually shed with the church, Faivy would remain by her side.

    Given how far the church had strayed from its former piety, it was only a matter of time before the god¡¯s chosen apostle would stand on the opposite side.

    But when that time came, if Faivy were to leave Lucy¡¯s side, the facade of indifference Lucy might project would hardly mask the deep hurt she would feel.

    For the Lucy she knew was as resilient as she was fragile.

    So, Karia had pushed forward, considering the worst-case scenario, aware that she would incur Lucy¡¯s wrath.

    ¡°Do you regret it, Master?¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thedy will undoubtedly have words for you.¡±

    ¡°And so what if she does?¡±

    From her days working in the shadows of the kingdom, Karia had always nned for the worst case. Even the king who had trusted her had often begged her to temper her caution.

    Compared to all the criticism she¡¯d faced, Lucy¡¯sints would be nothing but a minor quibble.

    ¡°Thedy should realize how much you worry for her, Master.¡±

    ¡°Enough chatter. Off to work.¡±

    ¡°Very well, Master.¡±

    After Alsetine left to check on the scene, Karia¡¯s gaze fell on Yohan, deep in prayer.

    ¡°Bishop.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you crying?¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Apologies. Seeing that sight made me realize how blind I¡¯ve been.¡±

    Watching the old man, usually so impassive, wipe away tears with his sleeve, Karia bit her lip.

    Has he gone senile?

    ¡­Well, he is certainly at that age.

    ¡°Karia.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    Just as she began to wonder if this coboration was a lost cause, Yohan¡¯s voice broke her train of thought.

    ¡°You understand, don¡¯t you, that divine grace does not discriminate between good and evil?¡±

    ¡°I do. It shocked me back when I first investigated that.¡±

    Contrary to popr belief, divine grace does not exclusively dwell within the righteous.

    The grace permeating the world only cares about how fervently someone seeks it, indifferent to their moral character.

    This is why even the corrupt in the church can wield holy magic.

    Grace disregards an individual¡¯s background and is equally bestowed upon all.

    Back when Karia was investigating the church¡¯s high-ranking members, she had first learned this surprising truth and dismissed it as nonsense.

    How could the divine, which the god in the heavens grants,ck moral discernment?

    Initially, she took it as a trap and pursued other sources, yet all the evidence she gathered only supported the truth of her original information.

    In the end, she had to ept it.

    ¡°Once this fact became known, it sparked much debate among the church¡¯s upper ranks.¡±

    Why does the god bestow his grace even upon the wicked?

    The clergy offered various interpretations as they faced this disconcerting reality.

    The mainstream view, in line with scripture, was that the god treats all humans equally. But there were other views, too¡ªsome saw it as the god¡¯s way of inviting repentance, while others argued the god simply didn¡¯t care about earthly matters.

    Every priest tried to interpret it as best as they could, and Yohan was no exception.

    ¡°I disliked the mainstream view. To me, it seemed like indifference masquerading as equality.¡±

    If the god treats good and evil alike, what reason is there to pursue goodness?

    To receive punishment someday?

    What does that matter?

    When countless people are suffering right now, what meaning does eventual punishment hold?

    That¡¯s not equality; it¡¯s indifference.

    If the god were truly benevolent, he wouldn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t stand for that.

    ¡°Though I once received the god¡¯s word, I struggled to make sense of this phenomenon.¡±

    Despite his efforts to stay devout, a sliver of doubt had always lingered in Yohan¡¯s heart.

    ¡°I even wondered if all I¡¯d heard were delusions and that perhaps the god didn¡¯t exist at all.¡±

    Maybe that¡¯s why he clung so tightly to his pious exterior.

    For Yohan feared that even the slightest crack would expose his doubt.

    ¡°But then¡­ then came an exception no theory could exin.¡±

    Lucy Allen.

    A girl whose survival would have been in question had she not been the daughter of the Allen family. A girl considered so irreverent that people openly said her life was spared only by her family¡¯s status.

    Now, she was proof that the god was present and actively watching over this world.

    Witnessing the miracles she performed filled Yohan¡¯s heart with hope.

    He felt reassured that his faith hadn¡¯t been in vain.

    ¡°And now, before my eyes, I see yet another exception.¡±

    A soul born from human malice.@@novelbin@@

    A being whose very existence was almost an affront to the god.

    A poor child who, while possessing a faith more devout than any in the church, believed she was unworthy of the god¡¯s love.

    The god had not rejected her.

    He hadn¡¯t turned his back on her.

    Instead, he had epted her entirely, knowing everything about her.

    ¡°Karia, the world is changing.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, Bishop.¡±

    ¡°Whether or not there will be a ce for an old man like me in this new world, I don¡¯t know. But I am certain of what I must do.¡±

    Seeing the divine light fading, Yohanposed his face.

    ¡°When my timees to stand before the god, I cannot be ashamed.¡±

    In the midst of the warmth now filling the basement, Faivy felt a new heat growing within her.

    This sensation was different from the divine grace she was used to; it was a warmth all its own.

    And she knew exactly what it was.

    It was the same warmth that radiated from Lucy, whose hand was gently holding hers.

    <em>Great God above,</em>

    <em>Are you listening to the prayer of this unworthy child?</em>

    <em>If so, then there is something I must tell you.</em>

    <em>This child, who embodies disgrace, has carried these words in her heart for so long.</em>

    <em>Since recalling my past, I have always wanted to convey these words to you.</em>

    <em>This wretched child does not believe in your omniscience.</em>

    <em>If you truly knew everything happening in this world, there is no way you would not have heard our screams.</em>

    <em>This wretched child does not believe in your omnipotence.</em>

    <em>If you could do anything, you wouldn¡¯t have simply watched countless deaths in silence.</em>

    <em>But¡­ I do believe in your goodness.</em>

    <em>I believe you did your best to confront evil in this world.</em>

    <em>I believe that you must feel sorrow each time you witness despair.</em>

    <em>For I have seen your apostle carry out your will.</em>

    <em>For she risked her own life without hesitation to save another.</em>

    <em>For she hasforted and protected this wretched soul without fail.</em>

    <em>And so, I wish to believe that your will is not different from your apostle¡¯s.</em>

    <em>Thus, I ask you to speak.</em>

    <em>Make your shorings known to those who trust in you, and ask for their aid.</em>

    <em>In doing so, may goodness spread throughout this world.</em>

    <em>Let no more sorrow arise in ces where it has already taken root.</em>

    <em>Let your presence be a reminder, inspiring hearts to seek repentance.</em>

    <em>If you must remain silent to this unworthy child¡¯s plea, that is eptable.</em>

    <em>Even if you do not reward my faith, I will continue to follow the path of good.</em>

    <em>I will strive to bring goodness to this world, with or without your guidance.</em>

    <em>Just as your apostle does now, just as your champions did in the past, I too will uphold my beliefs.</em>

    <em>If you choose to stay silent, then merely watch.</em>

    <em>Do not turn away from the efforts of those who strive for goodness.</em>

    <em>¡­I forgive you.</em>

    At the end of her prayer, a voice unlike any other brushed softly against her ears.

    It was neither high nor low, both feminine and masculine, holding both severity and gentleness.

    Although she had never heard the god¡¯s voice before, the moment she heard it, she knew exactly who it belonged to.

    It was the god¡¯s voice.

    <em>¡­I am truly sorry.</em>

    The voice she had trusted and sought to believe in was apologizing.

    Understanding this, Faivy let herself be immersed in the countless words cascading into her mind like a gentle rain from above.

    And within that downpour, she found the words she needed to say.

    <em>Great God above.</em>

    <em>You have forgiven this wretched child, so I shall forgive your sins as well.</em>

    <em>But remember that this forgiveness is mine alone.</em>

    <em>And remember that there are countless souls in this world who cannot forgive you.</em>

    <em>¡­Yes. I will remember them all.</em>

    And with that response, the voice, as soft as a spring breeze, faded, leaving behind only its intention.

    When the prayer ended, Faivy opened her eyes, met with Lucy¡¯s red gaze watching her, attempting a smile only to feel tears well up again.

    ¡°My¡­ mydy¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? Crybaby Faivy?¡±

    ¡°Will you hold me?¡±

    Before she even finished speaking, Lucy¡¯s arms wrapped around her neck, pulling her close.

    ¡°And¡­ will youfort me?¡±

    ¡°What else?¡±

    ¡°Praise me. Tell me I did well.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Finally, the pretentious Faivy is showing a little honesty.¡±

    Feeling Lucy¡¯s hands gently patting her back, Faivy let the long-restrained tears flow in her embrace.

    Vowing that after today, she wouldn¡¯t cry again until everything was truly over.

 Chapter 336

    Feibi, who had been leaning on my shoulder and crying, eventually fell asleep.

    She looked visibly exhausted, likely from not getting any proper rest the previous night, and after facing so much today, it¡¯s no surprise she copsed from fatigue.

    I gentlyid her head on my thigh, spreading divine energy around her to let her rest peacefully in a warm embrace.

    There''s no rush, anyway. I¡¯ll wait a bit, and if she doesn¡¯t wake up, I¡¯ll just carry her back myself.

    With that thought in mind, I inspected the divine power embedded within Feibi.

    With my own level of divine power increasing, I''ve be more skilled at handling it.

    And now, I can sense the divine power in others with ease.

    The divine energy within Feibi resembled closely that of the Pathetic God I held within me.

    So Aramadi acknowledged Feibi¡¯s purity?

    Hah, well, it makes sense.

    Feibi is far too precious for the likes of that worthless god.

    In fact, it''s arrogant that the god hadn¡¯t recognized her until now.

    Who does he think he is to decide whether or not Feibi is worthy? He¡¯s nothing without me, a useless god who can¡¯t manage a thing on his own.

    While I was lost in these thoughts, I noticed Feibi murmuring in her sleep, so I gently patted her head.

    ¡°Grandfather.¡±

    <Why do you call me?>

    ¡°You know, don¡¯t you?¡±

    It¡¯d be troublesome if you pretended not to know now, with how perceptive you usually are. I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t forgotten, especially since you were once hailed as a hero, right?

    <Yes, you¡¯re right. This child indeed has the qualities to bear the name of Saintess.>

    ¡°See? You were wrong, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    Honestly, I think it was too much that you doubted me of all people.

    After all the things I¡¯ve shown you, you still felt the need to test Feibi?

    ¡°What kind of virtuous holy knight can¡¯t even trust people?¡±

    <...I have nothing to say. I apologize. It¡¯s a fault of mine.>

    ¡°Well, either way, you¡¯ll have to pay for your distrust, Grandfather.¡±

    <And what exactly is this price?>

    ¡°Since yourck of faith hurt me, you¡¯ll have to suffer too.¡±

    Oh, I¡¯ve already decided what kind of suffering to inflict.

    I was nning to visit the ce where Grandfather¡¯s doll resides during this break anyway.

    I¡¯ll make him exin the meaning behind every single one of the doll¡¯s actions and lines.

    Haha, just thinking of him having to recount his cringe-worthy past makes it hard to hold back myughter.

    <I acknowledge my fault in this matter and won¡¯t avoid punishment.>

    ¡°Oh? Really?¡±

    How unexpected. I thought he¡¯d make excuses, saying it was for my sake or something.

    <However, I am not solely to me here!>

    ...Forget what I said about being surprised.

    It would have been better if he¡¯d just made excuses.

    I never thought he¡¯d drag someone else into this to share the me.

    Is this really the legendary holy knight?

    Maybe the stories got a bit exaggerated over time.

    As I half-listened to Grandfather¡¯s grumbling, I noticed Feibi¡¯s eyelids twitching.

    ¡°...Miss Feibi?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re up already? Too bad~ You were mumbling like a little baby, and it was so adorable.¡±

    Before I even finished speaking, Feibi sprang up, darting her gaze around to avoid looking at me.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to be a burden to you, Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Sure, don¡¯t worry about it. You just bawled your eyes out until you soaked my uniform, then used myp as a pillow, and even babbled in your sleep. No big deal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡±

    Feibi¡¯s cheeks flushed bright red as she repeatedly bowed to apologize for her supposed rudeness.

    I didn¡¯t think it was a bother at all¡ªin fact, I found it cute.

    But if I said that aloud, it¡¯d probably get weirdly interpreted and only make Feibi even more embarrassed, so I just waited for her to calm down.

    ¡°...To think that I couldn¡¯t control my emotions.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over now, Feibi.¡±

    ¡°Feibi. You don¡¯t think that constantly harping on it makes it an even bigger nuisance? Did you cry so much that your intelligence leaked out too?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°So, how does it feel to be blessed with the divine energy of the Pathetic God?¡±

    Feibi, who had believed in Aramadi since she was young, had always dreamed of hearing his voice and receiving his blessing.

    Now that her dream hade true, she should have been overjoyed, yet there was a subtle expression on her face as she looked at her own divine power.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re not happy? Is this not enough for you? For someone who always acts pure, you¡¯re actually pretty greedy, huh?¡±

    ¡°No! That¡¯s not it at all. It¡¯s certainly a joyous thing that the god has acknowledged me.¡±

    Feibi exined passionately just how long she had yearned for this moment, then fell silent for a few seconds before continuing with a ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°But, there¡¯s just so much wrong with this world to celebrate freely.¡±

    Hearing her say that as someone who had taken on the will of the god, unable to revel like a child, I told her to kneel down and meet my gaze.

    Though it was a strange and unexpected request, Feibiplied without hesitation.

    As our eyes met, I gave her a yful flick on her smooth forehead.

    ¡°Eep?!¡±

    Didn¡¯t see thating, did you? Covering her forehead with both hands, Feibi looked at me, baffled.

    ¡°Silly Feibi? Are you saying that showing my joy openly makes me an immature brat??¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª?! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you thought of me that way all along, huh, Feibi?? I¡¯m so disappointed~?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really not true, Lady Allen!¡±

    Watching her il her arms wildly, trying to exin herself, I couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing.@@novelbin@@

    Ah, seriously. Pretending to be some kind of savior even though you haven¡¯t even graduated yet.

    ...Or maybe it¡¯s precisely because she hasn¡¯t graduated that she feels the need to act like one?

    Considering Feibi¡¯s age, it¡¯s not all that surprising she might be going through a phase.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?!¡±

    As Feibi whined, I gave her another flick on the forehead, this time leaving her on the verge of tears.

    ¡°To a newly blessed amateur unting her godliness, it¡¯s only natural to look down on her a bit?¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha? I can¡¯t wait to tell Joy all about this? How ridiculous you looked, basking in self-glory?¡±

    Feigning her exaggerated expressions, I elicited a high-pitched, embarrassed squeal from Feibi.

    ¡°Lady Allen!¡±

    You know, I like Feibi¡ªthe noble saintess from the game¡ªbut I never wanted her to be that way in real life.

    Respected icons seem impressive from afar, but up close, it¡¯s just painful.

    Feibi.

    Like in the game, you don¡¯t need to bear everything yourself. Everything will work out regardless.

    So I hope you¡¯ll just stay as you are now.

    Concealing myplex feelings behindughter courtesy of my Mesugaki Skill, I led Feibi out of the basement, as she pleaded for me not to tell Joy about this.

    Two days passed since the day Feibi received the god¡¯s blessing.

    As for some of the things that happened during that time¡­

    Oh, I should start with this.

    When I left the orphanage, I immediately stopped Karia, who wanted to head back right away.

    To make him pay for doubting me.

    Karia, as if he had expected my defiance, shrugged and told me to do as I pleased.

    So, I did as I pleased.

    ¡°This is something my silly father told me¡­ Apparently, you used to be a lone wolf who couldn¡¯t evenmunicate.¡±

    ¡°The master said that?¡±

    ¡°He believed that people were untrustworthy ani¡ª¡±

    ¡°Aaagh! Stop! Please, stop! My employer, I was wrong!¡±

    Even Karia, as perceptive as he is, hadn¡¯t anticipated that I¡¯d spill his embarrassing past right in front of his pupil. He desperately tried to cover my mouth.

    But with his power mostly diminished, he had no chance of overpowering me.

    ¡°And then¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough already!¡±

    As Karia shrieked, Iunched into the next tale.

    Though Karia doesn¡¯t appear in the game, he had plenty of stories that could make him scream, the kind you''d expect from a former shadow of the kingdom.

    I had no shortage of ways to make Karia squirm.

    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t go through all of them.

    After two tales, the look on Karia¡¯s face became downright vicious.

    That death re of his made it clear he¡¯d kill me and himself if I kept going.

    <...If that¡¯s Karia¡¯s punishment, I fear for what mine will be.>

    Someone, having watched it all, seemed to realize their grim fate, but let¡¯s just gloss over that for now.

    Oh, I should mention this too.

    After teasing Feibi all the way back to the dormitory on the day she received the god¡¯s blessing, it seems my efforts had an effect.

    The next morning, Feibi didn¡¯t bring up anything about her ¡°mission¡± or ¡°burden.¡±

    She even admitted, blushing, that she must have been spouting nonsense due to overwhelming emotions.

    The Mesugaki therapy was aplete sess.

    However, I wasn¡¯t ready to rx just yet.

    I¡¯d lived through a time I never wanted to revisit, so I knew how tenacious the seeds of that phase could be.

    So, after confirming that she was better, I conducted a ¡°procedure¡± to prevent any recurrence of Feibi¡¯s symptoms.

    What do I mean by that?

    ¡°The world is too¡­¡±

    ¡°Mm. Mmhm.¡±

    ¡°Lady Allen! Didn¡¯t I beg you not to!¡±

    ¡°Mnrgh hrrgh drrmph~¡±

    ¡°Haha! Feibi! Why not use that line in your next sermon?¡±

    ¡°Aaaargh!¡±

    Ignoring Feibi¡¯s pleas, I told Joy all about it.

    After all, I¡¯d only promised to hold back for one day.

    Once that day was over, nobody could restrain this Mesugaki!

    Of course, I left out the more serious details when telling Joy.

    If I had shared everything that happened, it wouldn¡¯t have been as fun to tease her.

    Anyway, thanks to my and Joy¡¯sbined efforts, Feibi¡¯s phase was safely buried underground.

    Though there was a minor side effect where Feibi actually got genuinely upset with me.

    Butpared to the damage if that phase had fully bloomed, this was nothing. Yep.

    There were a few other things¡ªlike my dungeon getting high praise in the Academy newsletter, or Frey, who hadn¡¯t shown up in the training ground for days, bolting the moment she saw me.

    Or Arthur shrieking with joy when I handed him my dungeon gimmick manual and told him to memorize it before the break ended.

    Yes, it was a peaceful, joyful few days.

    ¡­

    If only I had known it was the calm before the storm.

    ¡°Joy, what about this outfit? Wouldn¡¯t it look perfect on Lady Allen, like a doll?¡±

    ¡°It looks nice, but¡­ let¡¯s try it on and see. We still have plenty of time.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Joy¡­¡±

    ¡°Joy? Do you have vision issues? Don¡¯t you see the pile of clothes in her hands?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just trying everything, Lady Allen.¡±

    Joy ignored my words, handing yet another piece of clothing to Carl, who hade along as our pack mule.

    Wow. The stack of clothes on Carl¡¯s arms was almost reaching his shoulders.

    How many hours would it take to try all of these on?

    ¡°Feibi, how about this one?¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have suited the old Lady Allen, but now¡­ I think it would look wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    ...Do they see me as a living dress-up doll rather than a person?

 Chapter 337

    I already knew what Joy wanted me to do.

    Not only had she told me directly, but it was also one of the Joy-rted events in the game.

    We¡¯d go out, pick clothes for each other, and spend the day wearing them together.

    On the surface, this wish didn¡¯t seem like much, but for Joy, it was a deeply cherished dream.

    Joy might be a bit of an airhead, but she¡¯s no fool.

    She¡¯s well aware of her position as the daughter of a duke.

    She understands how her status affects how others see her and is conscious of how her every word maye across to other nobledies.

    Despite her viinous looks, she has the soul of a timid high school girl, someone who wouldn¡¯t push her wishes on others if it meant making them ufortable.

    Her dream, which she¡¯d held onto ever since she read about it in a book, had to remain just that¡ªa dream¡ªfor nearly ten years.

    That is, until she met the yer, or rather, me.

    Knowing her background, I decided to make her wishe true.

    What wouldn¡¯t I do to bring a smile to the girl who, despite being surrounded by people, couldn¡¯t help but feel alone?

    ¡°Alright, Lady Allen! Today, you must call me by my name!¡±

    Seeing her approach me early in the morning with a yful smile only strengthened my resolve.

    Watching Joy cover her smirk with her fan, I suddenly remembered why I¡¯d chosen her as my favorite character.

    ¡°Is just calling you by name enough, Joy?¡±

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re satisfied with just that, Joy? Really?¡±

    ¡°Of course! What more could I want?¡±

    ¡°Then why¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s strange, though. Weren¡¯t you full of desire just a little while ago? Is my memory wrong?¡±

    ¡°I was still half-asleep back then.¡±

    ¡°Joy-sis.¡±

    ¡°Joy-sis.¡±

    ¡°...Could you say that one more time?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t need it before. Why are you changing your tune now? Huh? I¡¯m really curious.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s... um¡­¡±

    After teasing Joy, who was hiding her flushed face behind her fan, I turned to Feibi.

    ¡°Hey, Feibi, just now¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, useless saintess, just now, Joy got all flustered when I called her ¡®Joy-sis.¡¯ Isn¡¯t she too pure for someone who looks like that?¡±

    ¡°Lady Allen must be so cute that Joy can¡¯t help but wish for a little sister like you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡±

    ¡°Joy, Feibi thinks so. What about you? Did you want a cute little sister like me? Is that it?¡±

    ¡°...Please, stop.¡±

    After joining Feibi and yfully teasing Joy about what had just happened, we made our way to the teleportation circle to head to the city.

    ¡°Oh, right. Lady Allen, could you bring Professor Carl with us? We need someone to carry our clothes.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t understand why Joy would suggest such a thing.

    We¡¯re far stronger than ordinary people, so why would we need someone to carry clothes?

    And even if we bought an overwhelming amount of clothes, we could just store them in an inventory bag.

    When I voiced my confusion, Joy and Feibi exchanged nces and then looked at me with indulgent smiles.

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand when we get there, Lady Allen.¡±

    The first shop we visited upon arriving in the city was arge clothing store Joy frequented.

    ¡°Oh my! Lady Partran! Wee!¡±

    The store owner¡¯s enthusiastic greeting showed that Joy¡¯s im of being a regr wasn¡¯t an exaggeration.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Saintess. And¡­ Lady Allen?¡±

    However, the moment her gaze fell on me, her bright expression turned icy.

    ¡­Just how much havoc did Lucy cause in the past to earn such tant hostility?

    Used to such hateful stares, I just shrugged, but the other two weren¡¯t so epting.

    ¡°Madam, I hope you¡¯re not making that face because you find my friend bothersome?¡±

    Joy¡¯s expression turned cold.

    It wasn¡¯t her usual viiness face but rather a genuinely sharp re, aimed at exerting pressure.

    The store owner broke into a nervous sweat, shaking her head.

    ¡°No! Of course not! It¡¯s just that, well, Lady Allen¡­ in the past¡­¡±

    ¡°Madam.¡±

    The store owner¡¯s attempt to exin was interrupted by Feibi.

    With her usual gentle gaze and a voice unexpectedly firm, she made the store owner stumble over her words.

    ¡°I may not know what Lady Allen was like in the past, but I assure you, the person before us now is not like that. I vouch for her.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same, Madam.¡±

    With the opinions of both the duke¡¯s daughter and the saintess from the Church of the Lord, the shopkeeper could only nod weakly, looking pale.

    ¡°Now, back to the main topic, Madam. We¡¯d like to get a gift for Lady Allen. Do you have anything that would suit her?¡±

    ¡°O-Of course! Lady Partran! What clothes wouldn¡¯t suit someone as cute and lovely as this youngdy!¡±

    With a near-scream, the shopkeeper hurriedly whisked Carl off to the back of the shop.

    ¡°How disappointing, to judge Lady Allen based on her past.¡±

    ¡°It is a pity. Regardless of one¡¯s past sins, people can change.¡±

    Uh¡­

    I appreciate you both standing up for me, but¡­

    In this situation, isn¡¯t the store owner more of the victim here?

    The looks of contempt you¡¯re giving her are terrifying, so I won¡¯t say anything, but this feels like an abuse of power.

    If rumors start spreading about the saintess acting tyrannical, it¡¯s not my fault.

    When the shopkeeper finally returned with Carl, I let out a gasp before I could stop myself.

    The clothes piled in Carl¡¯s arms were so tall they nearly reached over his head.

    Oh, so that¡¯s why they needed someone to carry the clothes.

    A strong attendant would indeede in handy for this kind of situation.

    ¡°Madam, is this everything?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no! Not even close! This is just a fraction of what we have!¡±

    ¡­Huh?

    There¡¯s more than this?!

    Even for three people, this much seems like overkill!

    Despite her ditziness, the duke¡¯s daughter lives up to her title.

    She operates on a different scale.

    ¡°d to hear it. Then please send more attendants to assist us. For now, we¡¯ll have Lady Allen try on these first.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lady Partran.¡±

    ¡­Wait, what?

    Did I just hear something strange?

    They¡¯re going to have me try on <em>all</em> of those clothes?

    Not split between the three of us?

    ¡°Uh, Joy¡­¡±

    ¡°Joy, you¡¯re not really going to make me try on all those clothes, are you? You must have misspoken.¡±

    ¡°What joke are you making, Lady Allen? You, who used to hoard clothes, can¡¯t handle this¡­ Oh, do you mean we won¡¯t be trying anything on ourselves? Don¡¯t worry; that¡¯lleter.¡±

    No! That¡¯s not what I meant!

    Stop twisting my words, Joy!

    Are you seriously going to make me try on all these clothes?!

    Just getting changed will take all day!

    ¡°Joy, wait a moment.¡±

    Yes, Feibi!

    Say something as a saintess to cut down on this extravagant nonsense!

    ¡°Surely you¡¯re not just nning to browse this store, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Visiting multiple clothing stores topare designs is mon sense,¡¯ isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Watching the two chat andugh, I realized that something was very wrong here.

    What?! Aren¡¯t we just supposed to try on a few outfits and pick one to buy?!

    Was this what those vague game descriptions actually meant?!

    I remember now. When this event began in the morning, it ended in the evening.

    I had thought it was just a description of them spending the day together, but they really meant the <em>entire</em> day shopping.

    I see¡­ So this is what¡¯s considered normal among nobles.

    Dragged into a room by Joy and Feibi, I found myself face-to-face with dozens of female attendants and stared lifelessly at the chandelier on the ceiling.

    ¡­This is hell.

    ¡°Every outfit suits you so well. You truly are exceptional, Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡°I knew you were beautiful, Lady Allen, but this¡­ I¡¯m almost envious.¡±

    One hour passed.

    ¡°Joy, what do we do? Lady Allen looks so good in all of them that it¡¯s impossible to choose just one!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Feibi. When that happens, you just buy them all!¡±

    Three hourster.

    ¡°This store doesn¡¯t quite meet my standards. Let¡¯s just take these and move on.¡±

    ¡°Joy, there¡¯s a shop we passed by earlier that caught my eye¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, that one? Alright, let¡¯s go there next.¡±

    Five hourster.

    ¡°It was a satisfying day.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll never forget today.¡±

    It was only when the sun began to set that I was finally released from my role as a living dress-up doll.

    How many outfits did I try on in just one day?

    Even a fashion model with a ve contract wouldn¡¯t endure a schedule this intense.

    As I tried to replenish my sugar levels with snacks, dreading the exhaustion that awaited me back at the dormitory, a thought popped into my head.

    ¡°Joy, one thing¡­¡±

    ¡°Airheaded Joy, didn¡¯t you forget something?¡±

    ¡°Me? I couldn¡¯t have¡­ Oh! Right! I forgot to ask you to pick out clothes for me!¡±

    Joy, who had been so caught up in dressing me up that she¡¯dpletely forgotten, knit her brows, looking troubled, then suddenly straightened up.

    Wait, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re nning to hit another store now?

    I¡¯m genuinely exhausted!

    Any more of this, and I might just copse!

    ¡°Lady Allen, you agreed to grant me any request today, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°But why?¡±

    ¡°Promise me! You¡¯ll pick out a dress for Feibi and me! And if you break this promise, you¡¯ll have to join us for another shopping spree!¡±

    ¡­This cunning noblewoman.

    To think she¡¯d pull such a stunt with a nk contract.

    You impudent girl! Do you not fear the revolution my mace will bring?

    Once today is over, I¡¯ll start an uprising!

    ¡°It¡¯s an order! Nod your head!¡±

    ¨C Ding.

    Fine!

    I¡¯ll promise!

    You noble stooge!

    And you call yourself the saintess?!

    Just wait until the revolutiones!

    ¡­Ah. I guess my head would be the first to roll.

    I¡¯m a shameless noble, after all.

    Reluctantly nodding under the threat of penalties, I red at Joy as she beamed with satisfaction.

    Ugh. So this is what it feels like to be powerless.

    ¡°Joy, where¡­¡±

    ¡°Joy, useless saintess, tell me where you¡¯ll wear the clothes I picked out for you.¡±@@novelbin@@

    I¡¯ll keep my promise, of course.

    It¡¯s been a while since Ist tried my hand at outfit selection, so I¡¯m not sure how well I¡¯ll do.

    I recall that the best look for Joy would be something from the eastern region¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll wear it to the academy¡¯s end-of-term party, naturally. And I¡¯ll make sure everyone knows it was chosen by Lady Allen.¡±

    Ah, that event? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯ll be easy. Just go with something that stands out the most.

    ¡°Oh, and you also promised to wear the outfit I chose for you, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Sure, that¡¯s no big deal.

    Though I got tired of all the changing, the designs themselves were all pretty decent.

    ¡­But, Joy, you bought so many outfits; which one am I supposed to wear?

    Did you decide on one? I started zoning out halfway through, so I don¡¯t remember.

    ¡°You forgot?! That¡¯s so unfair! I put so much thought into it, knowing that the top student of the first year would be standing on stage!¡±

    Wait¡­

    ¡­

    What?!

    Stage?

    What do you mean by that, Joy?!

    In our first year, the speech always went to Arthur¡­

    Oh. Right. I beat him!

 Chapter 338

    For the noblemen of the continent, dungeon conquest skill is a matter of pride.

    Who conquered more dungeons? Who cleared the most challenging dungeons? Who obtained the most remarkable items from these dungeons?

    Originally, it started as a noble¡¯s duty, but thispetition soon evolved into a way for nobles to showcase their greatness. However, there was one fundamental issue with this rivalry.

    It was rare for the dungeons they conquered to be the same.@@novelbin@@

    While dungeons across the continent shared somemon features, their details often varied. This made it hard to settle any argument over who had achieved more.

    ¡°I conquered a wider dungeon.¡± ¡°The monsters in mine were more dangerous.¡± ¡°Mine had more levels.¡± ¡°The boss was ridiculous.¡±

    These endless debates often resulted in the person with higher status iming victory.

    Powerful nobles would feel a lingering suspicion that the other person had conceded to them out of obligation, while the lower-ranking nobles harbored bitterness over their unjust loss.

    Then, one noble came up with an intriguing idea.

    Why not create artificial dungeons for fairpetition?

    Thus, the system for artificial dungeons still used today was developed, and nobles took turns creating dungeons, showcasing their superiority by conquering each other''s creations.

    This form ofpetition has evolved over the years, with thetest trend among dungeon-obsessed nobles being the <em>Dungeon Studies Journal</em>.

    This journal, published by schrs of Dungeon Studies, featured a selection of dungeons worth attempting each week. The quality of these dungeons was so high that nobles stopped taking turns creating them and instead focused on clearing the dungeons featured in the journal, boasting of their achievements afterward.

    As a result, when noblemen gathered, the question of whether one had cleared that week¡¯s dungeon inevitably came up.

    Anyone who frequently met other nobles had to clear the journal¡¯s dungeon every week.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Even the first prince of the Sdine Kingdom, Ren¨¦ Sdine, clutched a copy of the <em>Dungeon Studies Journal</em> for this very reason.

    Ren¨¦ had established impressive records in countless artificial dungeons, not to mention his sessful track record in real battles. However, his position required him to do more than simply prove his skills.

    As the kingdom¡¯s first prince and a strong contender for the throne, Ren¨¦ constantly faced scrutiny, so he needed to clear the journal¡¯s dungeon each week to show he was improving.

    However, Ren¨¦ didn¡¯t particrly enjoy these journal dungeons.

    No matter how much effort went into them, dungeons created by people inevitably shared some simrities.

    Wouldn¡¯t anyone tire of clearing dozens or even hundreds of dungeons that all seemed alike?

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    But today was different.

    As Ren¨¦ examined this week¡¯s dungeon in the journal, his eyes gleamed with genuine interest.

    The dungeon¡¯s gimmicks were cleverly crafted.

    One wrong move, and the challenger would be caught in their own trap.

    But was it just sadistic?

    Not at all. The dungeon designer was incredibly considerate.

    If you looked around instead of fixating on what was in front of you, you¡¯d find countless hints.

    A dungeon that weed those who deciphered its tricks but punished those who rushed forward blindly.

    It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve encountered a dungeon I truly liked.

    If dungeons like this were published in the journal every time, Ren¨¦ would open each issue with an eager heart.

    After clearing the dungeon, Ren¨¦ checked the designer¡¯s name.

    If this person created another dungeon, he wanted to be sure to tackle it as well.

    ¡°¡­Lucy Allen?¡±

    Surprised by the name he found, Ren¨¦¡¯s eyes widened slightly before he let out a shortugh.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not surprising that she¡¯d create something like this.¡±

    Thinking back on her antics during the recent Partran festival, it made sense.

    To pull off such crazy moves during a dungeon conquest would require an extensive understanding of dungeons. It wasn¡¯t strange at all that she had crafted such a fascinating dungeon.

    Nodding to himself, Ren¨¦ flipped to the solution section at the back.

    He was curious to see how someone as entric as Lucy Allen would exin this dungeon.

    Surprisingly, the solution in the journal was perfectly normal.

    There¡¯s no way that cheeky person would write something this ordinary.

    Ah, I see. The Soul Academy must have reviewed and edited it.

    Makes sense. The academy¡¯s graduate students must¡¯ve had a rough time.

    And¡­

    Hmm.

    ording to thest line, if he visited before Soul Academy¡¯s term-end, he¡¯d be able to challenge the dungeon himself.

    Ren¨¦ pondered this as he sipped his tea.

    He had a reasonable excuse.

    With Arthur and Cecil enrolled at the academy, he could justify checking in on Soul Academy, the kingdom¡¯s representative institution.

    And perhaps, in passing, he could meet with that Lucy Allen.

    ¡°Ren¨¦, what are you up to?¡±

    A woman¡¯s voice from behind prompted Ren¨¦ to stand immediately.

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±

    The first queen of the Sdine Kingdom and the real power in the royal pce, as the king was currently ill.

    She was Ren¨¦ Sdine¡¯s mother.

    Kavati Sdine chuckled as she watched her son¡¯s stiffly formal greeting.

    ¡°Ren¨¦, I¡¯ve told you before¡ªthere¡¯s no need to be so formal when no one¡¯s watching.¡±

    ¡°No, Your Majesty. This is how I feel mostfortable.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Very well, sit down.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡±

    ¡°You were reading the <em>Dungeon Studies Journal</em>. Was this week¡¯s dungeon any good?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the best one I¡¯ve seen this year.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my! If you say so, I¡¯m curious to see it myself.¡±

    Taking the journal from Ren¨¦, Kavati¡¯s eyes lit up with a crescent smile as she examined the dungeon details.

    Even as the first queen, it would take her time to figure out that dungeon, so Ren¨¦ decided to make tea while she was upied.

    When she finally spoke again, the aroma of tea filled the room.

    ¡°Ren¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°When is the Soul Academy¡¯s term-end party?¡±

    Why is she asking that?

    Ren¨¦ was puzzled but answered promptly.

    ¡°December 1st.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s soon. I¡¯ll have to keep busy until then.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you nning to attend?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Even though we¡¯re not rted by blood, Cecil and Arthur are still my sons.¡±

    I should see what kind of lives they¡¯re leading, shouldn¡¯t I?

    She smiled warmly, but Ren¨¦ didn¡¯t believe her one bit.

    The first queen he knew was not the type to show such affection.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be on my way. Make sure to clear your schedule for that day, Ren¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    After Kavati left, Ren¨¦ sat alone, staring at his now-cold tea, and let out a sigh.

    ¡°I refuse, Lucy Allen.¡±

    Arthur looked at me, barely concealing his contempt.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a minor difference, but a crushing defeat I suffered. How would others view me if I represented the first years?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Why? You¡¯re already widely known as the ¡®Pitiful Prince.¡¯ Will being looked down on a bit more really matter?¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you honestly not understand, or are you just asking? Tsk. You¡¯re really insufferable. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m starting to sympathize with that rascal, Jackal.¡±

    His mocking tone almost made me want to snap back, but I bit my lip, remembering that I was asking for a favor.

    ¡°Think about it, Lucy Allen. I was born with many rumors shadowing me. Imagine how people would gossip if I epted such humiliation.¡±

    Well¡­ When he puts it like that, I¡¯m at a loss for words.

    ¡°Even if I ignore the rumors, I still have my pride. Do you know how painful it is to receive pity from the victor?¡±

    Arthur¡¯s argument about why he declined the speech at the entrance ceremony was unassable.

    It was so reasonable that anything I said would just sound like an excuse.

    Ugh.

    I should¡¯ve intentionally missed a few questions on the finals.

    Could¡¯ve lowered my score a bit!

    Why did I forget about this event?

    Is Joy¡¯s airheadedness contagious?! Have I be an airheaded Mesugaki?!

    As I wallowed in my own stupidity, Arthur propped his chin on his hand and spoke.

    ¡°Why are you so reluctant to give the speech? Looking down on others is your specialty.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Just speak like you did in the Dungeon Studies test demonstration. What¡¯s the issue? Your reputation can¡¯t get any worse, anyway.¡±

    Listening to him dryly list these facts, my patience finally ran out, and I stood up.

    ¡°Huh? What¡­ What¡¯s this about, Lucy Allen?¡±

    ¡°Follow me, Pitiful Prince. Let me show you what your sharp tongue can bring upon you.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying¡ªno, never mind. I apologize. I was being insensitive. Now, please, put away that mace¡ªgah!¡±

    Even after being turned down by Arthur, I didn¡¯t give up.

    ¡°No way! I want to see Lady Allen on stage wearing the outfit I picked for her!¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I just can¡¯t bring myself to stand on stage in ce of other noblemen.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ um, I¡¯m sorry! Please, forgive me!¡±

    But all my attempts only led to refusals in the end.

    They were all too overwhelmed by the idea of standing on stage over Arthur or Joy.

    Argh!

    If Jackal were here, I could just force him into it!

    Why does he have to re-enroll as a first-year next year?!

    <Give it up, girl. If there¡¯s no solution, why waste your time?>

    ¡°But¡­!¡±

    <Instead, why don¡¯t you focus on delivering the best speech possible? I¡¯ll help you with it, so let¡¯s think it through.>

    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±

    Realizing there was no escape, I began nning with Grandpa to get through the speech as smoothly as possible.

    But this really felt impossible.

    Even if I said something, it¡¯d get mistranted by my Mesugaki Skill, turning into somethingpletely different.

    I was even half-tempted to just wing it and run away afterward.

    ¡°You know, I have an idea.¡±

    While I was wracking my brain, Lovesick Fox spoke up.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Wear a bunny girl costume with essories and stun everyone to the point where they can¡¯t hear what you¡¯re saying!¡±

    Watching the lovesick fox drool made it clear how pathetic he was.

    You just want to see me dressed as a bunny girl, don¡¯t you?

    Ugh. It was foolish of me to expect any decent ideas from this pervert.

    None of my friends are as hopeless as the lovesick fox or perverted apostle, so¡­

    Actually¡­

    This could work, couldn¡¯t it?

    At least enough to keep people entranced until I finished and left the stage.

    Realizing the potential, I turned swiftly toward the lovesick fox.

    ¡°¡­Uh? What¡¯s with that look?¡±

    Before he could escape, I grabbed him around the waist and pulled him close.

    ¡°Eek?! W-Wait. Why are you suddenly¡ªeh?!¡±

    Lovesick Fox!

    You¡¯re actually useful sometimes!

    This must be the wisdom of the forest¡¯s guardian!

    Alright! Time to test this idea on my friends!

 Chapter 339

    Thest time I received some essories from the Perverted Apostle, he also gave me a crystal orb to contact him whenever necessary.

    He said I could reach out to him at any time, given the favor I had granted him, but I just let those words slide out of my head.

    It¡¯s hard enough keeping my sanity with the Lovesick Fox around; did he really expect me to handle the Perverted Apostle too?

    So, I almost threw the crystal orb into the trash but decided at thest second to just shove it into my inventory instead.

    Despite his questionable personality, his abilities were useful. I figured there mighte a time when I¡¯d need his help.

    In hindsight, that decision was wise.

    It didn¡¯t even take a month before I found myself in need of him.

    The n is simple: enhance my charm to the maximum to mesmerize the crowd, finishing my speech before they snap out of it.

    This ridiculous n, born from the Lovesick Fox¡¯s nonsense, would require the Perverted Apostle¡¯s abilities to be a reality.

    Think about it. Just appearing and leaving people in a daze isn¡¯t exactly easy.

    If everyone were like the Lovesick Fox or the Perverted Apostle, then maybe. But to truly overwhelm the senses of ordinary, sane people, I¡¯d need to elevate my charm to its absolute peak.

    And when ites to maximizing charm, there¡¯s no one better than the Perverted Apostle.

    Regardless of his rotten personality, the guy has an artistic ir¡ªso much so that he was chosen by the Apostle of Beauty and Art.

    With his help, I could not only get a fabulous outfit but maybe even receive blessings from the Perverted Crow Goddess herself.

    Plus, I have a few other things to ask him while I¡¯m at it.

    The moment I used the crystal orb to contact him, the Perverted Apostle¡¯s face appeared, eyes alight with anticipation, and I was immediately filled with regret.

    What the hell was he doing that he picked up my call in less than a second?

    Don¡¯t tell me he was waiting for my call all this time?

    ¡°Seeing your icy gaze makes my heart race, Lady Allen! Could you look at me with even sharper eyes?!¡±

    ¡­Maybe I should just pretend this was a mistake and end the call.

    <Hold on, child! Just bear with it a little longer!>

    I feel like my mrs are about to shatter if I keep this up.

    ¡­Damn. If he weren¡¯t such a one-of-a-kind asset, I¡¯d drop him in an instant!

    Clenching my fist and resisting the urge to hurl insults, I noticed the Perverted Apostle sh an awkward smile.

    ¡°Oh! My apologies! I got carried away. So, what can I help you with today?¡±

    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing¡­¡±

    ¡°Listen carefully, you creepy Apostle. I¡¯m granting you the privilege to style me.¡±

    ¡°...Could you borate?¡±

    Without going into details, I simply exined that I¡¯d be giving a speech at the academy¡¯s term-end party and wanted to look my absolute best. The Apostle¡¯s face lit up with pure joy.

    ¡°Thank you so much! I¡¯lle to see you tomorrow!¡±

    ¡­Huh?

    The party isn¡¯t for quite some time. Whye tomorrow?

    There¡¯s really no need for such urgency.

    You¡¯re going to make it awkward if you start fussing over this too soon. Just show up a day or two before, and that¡¯ll be¡ª

    ¡°Apostle! What exactly do you mean by that?!¡±

    As I blinked at the Apostle¡¯s overexcitement, a loud voice erupted from behind him.

    ¡°Do you realize how much work has piled up while you¡¯ve been away?!¡±

    ¡°Priest Kesh, this is more important than my own life.¡±

    ¡°Please! Apostle! Remember that you¡¯re the only Apostle of the Church of Art! You¡¯re not in a position to ck off like this!¡±

    ¡°Kesh, Kesh? Could you take a moment?¡±

    ¡°Just a moment? A moment after all the sleepless nights you¡¯ve put me through because of you?¡±

    ¡°Calm down and look at this crystal orb for a second.¡±

    ¡°If this isn¡¯t something important, I swear¡­¡±

    As I faced the scowling woman on the other side, a pang of dread surged through me.

    Um¡­ I¡¯m truly sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to cause trouble. This pervert justtched onto me, so if you¡¯re going to be mad, please aim that fury at him.

    ¡°...Is this youngdy¡­?¡±

    As I mentally rambled an apology, the woman¡¯s expression shifted.

    Gone was the anger, reced with pure admiration as she looked at me. It was an expression that eerily reminded me of the Perverted Apostle.

    ¡°The Lady of House Allen. I¡¯ve mentioned her often, haven¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­ wow, I didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d look like this.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ thank you?¡±

    ¡°Hmph. You should thank me. After all, I¡¯m cleansing your eyes from all the nonsense you¡¯ve probably had to look at in the mirror.¡±

    ¡°And her voice is just as beautiful!¡±

    I¡¯m starting to hate myself for ever thinking this woman was normal.

    How could I forget that anyone under the Perverted Crow would be far from ordinary?

    I let out an exaggerated sigh, but the two continued chatting, oblivious to my reaction.

    ¡°She¡¯s entrusted me with her entire look.¡±

    ¡°...Apostle, I just had a sh of inspiration. I¡¯ll go!¡±

    ¡°Priest Kesh, even you can¡¯t be allowed to do that. This is a task entrusted to me by the Goddess.¡±

    ¡°Hah! If the Goddess herself saw my vision, she¡¯d change her mind!¡±

    From the sounds of it, their bickering could be heard throughout the Church of Art, drawing even more people to the scene.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on this time? Oh! Is that¡­!¡±

    ¡°Please! Apostle! Just let me¡ª¡±

    After a few more people joined the fight over seeing my face, I silently turned off the crystal orb and tossed it in the trash.

    ¡®I am <em>never</em> going anywhere near the Church of Art.¡¯

    <¡­Yes, child. I think that¡¯s a wise decision.>

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s made great progress, but in the end, no one can surpass me, the Apostle chosen by the Goddess.¡±

    Seeing the Perverted Apostle¡¯s smug face stirred countless words within me, but I held them back.

    Saying anything would just make this pervert even happier, so why waste my breath?

    ¡°You said you¡¯d already picked out a dress. Could you show me?¡±

    ¡°Here it is.¡±

    ¡°Here, disgusting pervert, take a look with your filthy eyes.¡±

    I ced the dress Joy had chosen on the table, and the Apostle¡¯s eyebrows raised slightly.

    ¡°The design is decent. I¡¯ll need to adjust it to fit you perfectly, but it¡¯ll work as is.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wearing my essories, so I¡¯ll match the makeup ordingly.¡±

    ¡°Borrowing the Goddess¡¯s powers, I¡¯ll grant a few blessings as well. Given the immense divine power within you¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, this isn¡¯t enough! Just imagining it in my head doesn¡¯t do it justice! Mydy, may I have the honor of seeing you in the dress? Seeing you dressed up would surely inspire me further!¡±

    As the Apostle¡¯s desperate gaze met mine, a mischievous thought crossed my mind.

    Given how badly he wants this, wouldn¡¯t it be fair to charge him a fee for the privilege?@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Uh, Apostle¡­¡±

    ¡°Perverted Apostle, we haven¡¯t discussed the important part yet.¡±

    ¡°The important part?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving you the chance to dress me with those disgusting hands of yours, to witness my beauty in person. Surely, you¡¯re not expecting this to be free?¡±

    ¡°¡­Of course. My apologies, Lady Allen. I was being presumptuous.¡±

    Asking what I desired, he said he¡¯d do anything within his power. His sincerity nearly made meugh.

    I expected this, but seeing it in reality is still dizzying.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing too major¡­¡±

    ¡°The request is simple. I want you to make outfits for my friends.¡±

    Two nights ago.

    Half delirious over this speech issue, I¡¯d given up on sleep and sat at my desk, trying to recall my past experiences in character customization.

    I didn¡¯t think it would be too hard.

    I may not have the best fashion sense, but I remember all those customization fanatics arguing over designs in arenas.

    Thinking back on those debates, I started sketching ideas for Joy and Feibi¡¯s outfits but quickly ran into a wall.

    <...Child, this isn¡¯t a human, is it?>

    ¡®¡­It is. Sort of.¡¯

    My hands simply couldn¡¯t bring to life the amazing designs I had in my head.

    What good is having a fantastic concept if I can¡¯t get it down on paper?

    After pulling an all-nighter and listening to Grandpa berate me for plotting revenge on my friends, I finally gave up on designing the outfits myself.

    Instead, I jotted down the main features that would suit Joy and Feibi and decided to ask the Perverted Apostle for help.

    Yes, he may be a depraved, disgusting pervert, but his aesthetic sense is incredible.

    With my notes as a base, he should be able toe up with something that would satisfy them both.

    Originally, I nned topensate him for the work, but¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. If I get to style you, I¡¯d be more than happy to do this.¡±

    Thanks to this pervert¡¯s extreme enthusiasm, I got it for free.

    ¡­This is a win for me, right?

    I¡¯m not losing out on anything, so why does seeing his cheerful smile make me feel uneasy?

    ¡°May I meet the friends I¡¯ll be creating outfits for? I¡¯d like to see them in person to assess the designs.¡±

    ¡°Of course, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, but don¡¯t spout anything revolting, alright? If you show even a hint of your perversions, I¡¯ll bash your head in.¡±

    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve served as the Church¡¯s Apostle for years. I know how to behave.¡±

    Watching him smile politely, I almost snapped at him, asking why he couldn¡¯t act this way with me, but I held my tongue, already guessing what his response would be.

    Listening to this degenerate is only going to drain my sanity. Better to just ignore him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get my friends¡­¡±

    ¡°Get ready to work those filthy hands.¡±

    ¡°Will you be showcasing the look in front of your friends?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t trust the opinion of a revolting pervert.¡±

    Their reactions will give me an idea of whether this n is feasible.

    I just hope it works out.

    Otherwise, all the time I¡¯ve endured this pervert¡¯s nonsense will be wasted.

    ¡°How sad. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no one more objective than me when ites to beauty.¡±

    Ignoring the Apostle¡¯s ramblings, I left the room, sighing as I held my forehead.

    Ugh, I¡¯m exhausted. So drained.

    If dealing with one Perverted Apostle is this bad, what kind of hell must the Church of Art be, filled with people like him?

    Never.

    No matter what happens.

    I am <em>never</em> setting foot in that ce.

    Getting surrounded by those devotees of the Perverted Crow Goddess would be the death of my sanity.

 Chapter 340

    Around noon, Lucy returned to the training grounds, looking thoroughly irritated. Her face was so sour that even Frey, who rarely paid attention to others'' moods, noticed and cautiously observed her. The other three couldn''t help but wonder if something unpleasant had happened, but Lucy¡¯s next words were far from an emergency.

    "The Perverted Apostle wants to see you all for a moment, soe with me."

    Perverted Apostle? Joy tilted her head in confusion at the term but chose not to say anything. Usually, it was Arthur¡¯s role to question Lucy, but today he only furrowed his brows slightly, clearly holding back.

    Looks like he¡¯s being cautious after what happenedst time. Ugh, I guess that means I¡¯ll have to ask.

    "Um, Lady Allen, I apologize, but¡­ who is the Perverted Apostle?" Joy ventured hesitantly.

    "He''s an utterly repulsive pervert, a disgusting creep," Lucy replied, her tone dripping with disdain.

    ¡­That¡¯s not what I was asking!

    Joy was mentally screaming, but unexpectedly, someone else provided the answer.

    "You mean the Apostle of the Church of Art, right?" asked Feibi.

    "Yes, that perverted bastard," Lucy confirmed.

    An Apostle of the Church of Art¡­ a pervert?

    Watching Lucy¡¯s disgusted expression, Joy couldn''t help but tilt her head in confusion. The Apostle of Art she knew¡ªPrete¡ªwasn¡¯t like that at all.

    Prete was someone who had roamed the continent, gaining fame well before Joy was even born. Known for suppressing the actions of those who followed evil gods and elevating the reputation of the Church of Art, he was a revered figure and a trendsetting artist across the continent. If he was truly strange, there was no way he could¡¯ve participated in the Patran Festival, which Joy had seen him attend multiple times. Joy had seen noblewomen sing praises of him enough times to be genuinely puzzled by why Lucy would call him a pervert.

    ¡°Joy?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re thinking, but you¡¯ll understand once you see him,¡± Feibi said, offering no further exnation.

    If both Lady Allen and Feibi spoke about him this way, there was clearly something I wasn¡¯t aware of, Joy reasoned.

    ¡°Any more questions?¡±

    ¡°Actually¡­ yes, there is.¡±

    ¡°What? Spit it out. Don¡¯t waste my precious time.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t meet the Apostle of the Church of Art looking like this.¡±

    After an intense morning of training, her hair was a mess, her clothes were drenched in sweat, and her face was smudged with dirt. There was no way she could meet Prete in such a state!

    "Huh? You¡¯re really into that pervert, aren¡¯t you?¡± Lucy asked with a sly grin.

    ¡°What nonsense are you saying?!¡±

    Yes, Prete was still an impressive figure, but Joy wasn''t so crazy that she''d be interested in someone over twenty years older!

    "Then what? You¡¯re not going to stop being the clumsy Joy just because you put on a little makeup.¡±

    ¡°You know how much influence the Apostle of the Church of Art has in high society!¡±

    Every word he spoke could shape the reputation of a noble family. If he mentioned somewhere that the Lady of House Patran appeared unkempt¡­

    Imagining the rumors that would spread, Joy raised her voice, even with Lucy¡¯s unimpressed gaze on her.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll go wash up!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare myself too, Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be off as well. We can¡¯t meet an Apostle looking like this.¡±

    Once the three of them had gone, Lucy sighed and turned to Frey, who was still lingering awkwardly.

    ¡°Dumb swordsman.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Go wash up too.¡±

    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll make you spar with me all day until you understand your ce.¡±

    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll go now.¡±

    Standing in front of the door where the Apostle was waiting, Joy inspected her appearance once again.

    ¡°Third Prince, do I look alright?¡±

    ¡°Joy, that¡¯s the fourth time you¡¯ve asked me,¡± Arthur replied with a sigh.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°My answer is the same as before. Stop fussing. The Apostle of the Church of Art isn¡¯t some idiot who¡¯d talk badly about the Lady of House Patran.¡±

    With that, Joy finally fell silent, realizing that her anxiety might be a bit excessive. Once the fuss had died down, Arthur sighed and opened the door.

    ¡°Wee. I¡¯ve been expecting you,¡± Prete greeted them, rising politely from his seat.

    He gave Arthur a respectful greeting, mentioning the Patran Festival to Joy with a friendly tone, and expressed pure admiration to Feibi, telling her how splendid she had be.

    Of course, Prete also gave Frey apliment, but she didn¡¯t even flinch, seemingly indifferent to praise. Sensing this, Prete shrugged and turned his attention back to Joy and Feibi.

    ¡°Lady Patran, and Lady Saint of the Church of the Goddess, I¡¯ve been tasked with creating outfits for both of you. Is there anything in particr that you¡¯d like?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Didn¡¯t you hear? I assumed Lady Allen had already informed you.¡±

    Joy looked over her shoulder at Lucy, her face full of surprise.

    Lady Allen?! What is going on?! Yes, I asked her to help me pick a dress, but this is beyond anything I imagined!

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t want it? I wouldn¡¯t me you. I¡¯d be disgusted too if I had to wear something made by this revolting pervert.¡±

    ¡°No! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want it, it¡¯s just¡­ this is¡­ a bit overwhelming,¡± Joy stammered.

    Wearing essories crafted by him alone could make someone the center of attention at any social event. But a dress crafted by Prete himself? This was¡­ too much.

    It was a lot of pressure!

    I never asked for anything this grand!

    ¡°Pfft, Clueless Lady, you¡¯re making meugh. What¡¯s so great about something made by this pervert?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡±

    Prete is an Apostle of the Church of Art, who only provides essories to those he deems worthy. And here he is, offering to create personalized dresses! Doesn¡¯t she realize how incredible that is? You¡¯re joking, right?!

    ¡°Joy, is it really so hard to understand? Lucy Allen doesn¡¯t appreciate the Apostle¡¯s true value at all,¡± Arthurmented with a shake of his head.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°Lady Patran, please, calm yourself. Lady Allen¡¯s perspective isn¡¯t entirely wrong,¡± Prete said, gently stopping Joy from continuing.

    ¡°Now then, is there anything you¡¯d like to request?¡±

    Refusing at this point would only be rude.

    Doing her best to appear calm, Joy shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, Apostle.¡±

    ¡°The same goes for me. Please, do as you see fit, Apostle.¡±

    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll take some time to think on it.¡±

    No matter how Lady Allen views it, this is an enormous debt.

    This isn¡¯t something that can be casually exchanged as a gift between friends.

    What would I even need to do to repay this?

    As Joy was fretting over this, Prete stood up and approached Lucy.

    ¡°In the meantime, everyone, please wait here. I¡¯m going to prepare Lady Allen, and I¡¯d appreciate it if you could provide your honest feedback afterward.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t trust this pervert¡¯s judgment, so I¡¯m relying on you. Even if your taste is awful, it has to be better than this disgusting creep¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Haha. As you can see, Lady Allen doesn¡¯t trust me much. Please wait here; it won¡¯t take long.¡±

    As they left, Arthur let out an exasperatedugh.

    ¡°Lucy Allen¡­ What¡¯s her connection with Prete?¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Joy murmured.

    The Apostle of the Church of Art, who even the king¡¯s requests couldn¡¯t sway, was willingly crafting dresses for her and Feibi.

    What kind of rtionship could they possibly have?

    ¡°Oh, Feibi, do you know something?¡± Joy asked.

    Feibi seemed to understand Lucy¡¯s use of ¡°Perverted Apostle¡± without hesitation, suggesting she knew something about their connection.

    Under the curious gazes of Arthur and Joy, Feibi offered a nervous smile.

    ¡°¡­I do know a bit, but¡­ it¡¯s not something I can really exin.¡±

    Joy¡¯s eyes widened.

    For someone asposed as Feibi to hesitate¡­

    What kind of connection could they possibly have?@@novelbin@@

    ¡­Wait, could it be?!

    ¡°Are Lady Allen and Prete¡­ close?¡±

    ¡°Joy! That¡¯s a huge insult to both of them!¡± Feibi scolded, raising her voice.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Feibi,¡± Joy stammered.

    So that¡¯s not it?

    Then what is it?

    What could Feibi know that makes her unwilling to exin?

    While Joy was mulling over various possibilities, a sudden sound of the door opening caught her attention. She looked up, and all thoughts vanished, leaving her mind nk.

    The first word that came to mind as she took in the scene was <em>noble</em>.

    Those piercing red eyes, seemingly indifferent to the world.

    The tightly closed lips, the smooth hair cascading past a partially exposed corbone.

    The white dress, pristine as freshly fallen snow, matched her radiant skin with an almost divine rity.

    Everything about her was so noble, so pure, that Joy saw a vision of wings spreading behind her.

    W-What is this?

    Am I dreaming?

    That has to be it.

    Otherwise, how could an angel appear before me?

    ¡­Wait, why is this angel walking toward me?

    Did I do something wrong? Did I mess something up again?!

    ¡°¡­Can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Huh?!¡±

    <em>Sigh</em> ¡°Seriously. You keep acting like this, which is why I call you Clueless. You¡¯re such a clueless, clueless girl.¡±

    ¡°Lady¡­ Allen?¡± Joy stammered.

    ¡°You an idiot? Like there could be two people in this world who look this pretty and adorable.¡±

    ¡­Right. The only one who¡¯d talk to me like this is Lady Allen.

    Oh, now that I look at it, this dress does seem familiar.

    Did I choose it?

    But it didn¡¯t look like this before.

    Yet, this design is definitely the one I picked.

    ¡°W-Wait, what?!¡±

    Is it really Lady Allen?!

    Is this what she looks like when she¡¯s properly dressed up?!

    ¡°Enough with your silly noises. How does it look through those clueless eyes of yours?¡±

    ¡°You look truly noble¡­¡±

    ¡°Pfft. Aren¡¯t youcking in vocabry for a duchess, Clueless Lady?¡±

    Lucy, clearly pleased, let out augh before heading toward the others, who were still in shock.

    Wow¡­ I¡¯m honestly at a loss for words.

    Every time I look at her, I lose my vocabry, and all I can think of is <em>noble.</em>

    Judging by everyone else¡¯s reactions, I¡¯m not the only one.

    The Third Prince looks like he¡¯s about to explode, unable to say anything.

    Feibi can¡¯t even bring herself to look at her directly, just sneaking nces.

    And Lady Kent has lost her voice, unable to tear her eyes away from Lady Allen.

    So this is what happens when Apostle Prete dresses up the already beautiful Lady Allen.

    ¡­Maybe I should ask him to do the same for me.

    Even if he declines, it¡¯d be worth trying.

    ¡°Lady Allen?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What is it, Clueless?¡±

    ¡°Where is Prete?¡±

    ¡°Why do you care about that pervert?¡±

    ¡°I have a question I¡¯d like to ask him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in the next room, but you won¡¯t be able to talk to him. That filthy pervert has abandoned all semnce of humanity.¡±

    ¡­Abandoned humanity? What does that even mean?

    What could he possibly look like to make Lady Allen sound so disgusted?

    Driven by curiosity, Joy slowly rose and slipped into the next room.

    The moment she saw Prete¡¯s state, Joy understood Lucy¡¯s disdain.

    Blood streaming from his nose.

    A face filled with bliss, as if he had no regrets left.

    A grotesque smile on his lips.

    ¡°Oh, Goddess¡­ I have met another goddess here today. I¡¯ve been blessed with a kick to the face, a divine mercy. I wish I could live the rest of my life without ever washing¡­¡±

    And his sickening voice, spewing disturbing words.

    There was no Apostle of the Church of Art in that room.

    All that remained was a perverted bastard who belonged in a cell.

    Unable to bear the sight any longer, Joy quietly closed the door and returned to the room, embracing Lucy.

    ¡°Clueless, why are you suddenly¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been through so much, Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°You really, really have. Thank you for everything, Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡°Oh, um, sure.¡±

    ¡­Now I finally understand how Feibi feels.

    How could anyone exin that the Apostle of the Church of Art is such a lunatic pervert? I couldn¡¯t have either.

 Chapter 341

    It had been three days since Joy came to understand what kind of person the Apostle Prete of the Church of Art truly was.

    When she faced him again, her expression was so grim that anyone could read it inly.

    When she stayed silent, she looked angry, and even when she smiled, she appeared as if she was nning to end someone¡ªthis was Joy. The look of genuine disgust on her face was so fierce that even Prete, who had met countless people as an Apostle of the Church of Art, was breaking out in a cold sweat.

    "Um¡­ Lady Patran?"

    "Why are you calling me?"

    "Your expression is quite¡­ unfavorable."

    "...Are you not aware of why I¡¯m like this?"

    As Prete posed the question, Joy¡¯s expression soured further. The fact that he seemed oblivious to his own perversion only angered her more.

    He was a man old enough and experienced enough to know better, yet he felt no shame in lusting after a young girl, nor did he seem to realize it was wrong. If he weren¡¯t an Apostle of the Church of Art, she would have had him thrown into the deepest cell of a dungeon, leveraging her duchy¡¯s power to do so.

    "I have a hunch. Perhaps you witnessed the moment when I was captivated by Lady Allen¡¯s beauty."

    "Yes. You seem well aware."

    "If that¡¯s what you saw, it would be easy to misunderstand. However, might you grant me a chance to exin?"

    He thinks he has an exnation after disying that disgraceful behavior?

    Hah. Let¡¯s hear what he has to say, then.

    Curious to see how far an Apostle of the Church of Art could degrade himself, Joy nodded without a word. Prete¡¯s face brightened as he continued.

    "First of all, I bear not the slightest unclean thought towards Lady Allen."

    ¡­Does he think that statement even makes sense?

    After showing that kind of face, does he believe he can prove his innocence?

    And this man is supposed to be an Apostle of the Church of Art?

    I should tell Father about this next time.

    "Standing before a beauty acknowledged by the goddess herself, how could I harbor such vain desires!"

    "...Pardon?"

    "The purity and dignity of her appearance cleanse any dark thoughts, transforming them into reverence! I stake my honor as an Apostle¡ªthere is no impropriety in the way I look upon her!"

    "Um, excuse me."

    "Now that the opportunity has arisen, allow me to exin everything! I must start with those eyes! They¡¯re darker and more radiant than any jewel..."

    As Joy observed Prete, who was drifting into an unhinged excitement, she couldn¡¯t help but make a face simr to Lucy¡¯s.

    Is it alright to just leave him like this? Shouldn¡¯t I find a way to restrain him?

    "Prete."

    Just as Joy felt a chill in the face of madness for the first time in her life, Faivy¡¯s voice intervened, recing her usual softness with the sternness of one reprimanding a sinner.

    "That voice¡­ oh? Yes?"

    "The god has said that excess is a means of concealing one¡¯s insecurities. Do you believe Lady Allen¡¯s nobility requires a hundred words to be described?"

    "...I see. My apologies. I feel my own inadequacy."

    When she does this, Faivy is admirably mature. I should aspire to be like her as ady of the duchy.

    "Now, Prete. Shall we return to the main topic?"

    "Yes. Let¡¯s start by looking at the dress."

    "Already finished?"@@novelbin@@

    "Not exactly ¡®already.¡¯ It took me a few days."

    ...For something hepleted in only a few days, without even finalizing the design, "a few days" sounds hardly fitting. This isn¡¯t some cheap leather patchwork worn bymoners¡ªit¡¯s a noble¡¯s dress, for goodness¡¯ sake.

    "This one is for Lady Saintess, and this one is for you, Lady Patran."

    The moment he ced the dress on the table, Joy covered her mouth with both hands.

    The dress Prete pulled from his spatial pocket was so stunning that even Joy, who had seen all kinds of dresses, couldn¡¯t help but be impressed.

    It wasn¡¯t merely luxurious or beautiful.

    The ck dress presented to her perfectly matched the tastes she struggled to achieve as ady of the duke.

    It was as if someone had reached into her mind and pulled out her desires.

    So this is the Apostle of the Church of Art. Whatever Prete¡¯s character, his skill is genuine.

    Almost a full minuteter, Joy finallyposed herself and nced at Faivy, gauging her reaction.

    And she was sure. Faivy¡¯s feelings weren¡¯t much different from her own.

    The smile on her face spoke of undeniable happiness.

    "You seem pleased, so would it be alright if I exined further? The silk was sourced from Barit. Since it was ast-minute request, I had to work with what was avable."

    Silk from Barit¡ªmeaning silk spun from cocoons in the mid-level of the Barit Dungeon.

    Isn¡¯t that extremely high-end? Even most nobles wouldn¡¯t dare use such a material.

    "However, I¡¯ve blessed it with the goddess¡¯s power, so I ask for your understanding."

    "What kind of blessing?"

    "It¡¯s nothing grand. The dress adjusts to your body automatically and stays in pristine condition without special care."

    That is quite grand¡­

    Even clothing blessed by an ordinary priest fetches a high price. But if it¡¯s blessed directly by an Apostle¡­

    ¡­Am I really allowed to ept this? The more I think about it, the heavier this gift feels.

    "I based the design on suggestions Lady Allen gave me."

    "Lady Allen?"

    "Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t simply follow her request; after much thought, I concluded her ideas were fitting. It¡¯s clear she has observed both of you closely."

    "I see¡­ Lady Allen¡­"

    Joy murmured softly, clutching the ne Lucy had gifted her long ago.

    Although Lucy usually acted disinterested, that wasn¡¯t the case.

    She always noticed the desires of those around her and made theme true.

    Wasn¡¯t Lucy the one who had supported her, lifting her out of her nightmares and guiding her into the dungeons?

    Surely, this dress also carries Lucy¡¯s deep consideration.

    "Thank you very much. I will treasure it."

    Lost in thought, Joy bowed her head.

    How could she refuse such a precious gift?

    Ugh. As if my debt to Lady Allen wasn¡¯t heavy enough, now it¡¯s increased even more.

    At this rate, I¡¯ll be unable toin even if she calls me a fool.

    "Thank you as well, Prete, for creating such a splendid dress."

    "Haha, if you¡¯re grateful, direct it to Lady Allen. I only followed her request."

    "But¡­"

    "If you really wish to express gratitude, could you pass these on to the Third Prince of Sdine and Lady Kent?"

    Prete pulled another set of clothes from his spatial pocket.

    A light brown suit for a man and a soft blue dress for a woman, each as magnificent as those already on the table.

    "And these are¡­?"

    "I felt what I gave in return for Lady Allen¡¯s request wascking, so I made an extra set for your other two friends."

    Realizing that Lucy would feel burdened if she received them directly, Prete asked her to deliver them, and Joy blinked in response.

    "...Just what kind of payment did Lady Allen offer you?"

    "She gave me something worth staking my life on."

    For the Apostle of the Church of Art, who could have anything he wanted¡ªand for this dreadful pervert to feel satisfied¡­

    "She allowed me to personally adorn her!"

    Channeling her teenage fantasies, Joy concentrated her magic, but then froze at Prete¡¯s blissful expression.

    "Haaah. Even now, just thinking about it fills me with such joy I could die. To add to Lady Allen¡¯s beauty with my own hands!"

    Had he forgotten Faivy¡¯s warning just now?

    As Prete described his happiness with heated words, Joy rubbed her forehead.

    "Faivy, can I ask you something? Are all Apostles like this?"

    "Joy! Of course not! Apostles chosen by the gods¡­ ahem. This one is¡­ rather, um, unique."

    "Thank goodness. For a moment, I was beginning to question all Apostles¡¯ character."

    The morning of the academy¡¯s end-of-term party, the streets of the Soul Academy were more bustling than usual.

    The end-of-term party, alongside the entrance ceremony, was the academy¡¯s busiest event, drawing merchants in droves and serving as a grand spectacle for tourists.

    Though a crowded festival atmosphere was expected at this time of year, this year¡¯s crowd exceeded expectations.

    "The real dungeon looks even more intimidating than it did in the journal."

    "Do students really tackle that? Soul Academy¡¯s standards must be sky-high."

    "Wasn¡¯t it even designed by a student? They really are one of the continent¡¯s top institutions."

    In addition to the usual crowd, those eager to experience the academy¡¯s dungeon swelled the numbers.

    With widespread praise dering it the year¡¯s best dungeon, many dungeon enthusiasts flocked to tackle it.

    Some arrived out of admiration, others out of curiosity, some to have a story to boast of, and others simply for a distraction, crowding the academy¡¯s streets.

    However, not all areas were equally packed.

    For instance, near the fountain at the center of the academy¡¯s street, it was as if a great wizard had cast a spell, leaving it deserted.

    Not because of ack of passersby; just meters from the fountain, people were packed so densely they could barely move.

    But near the fountain stood Lucy Allen.

    And with her eyebrows furrowed visibly, an empty space formed around her.

    This phenomenon naturally resulted from Lucy Allen¡¯s growing notoriety. Yet, there was a distinct difference from the past: instead of fleeing, curious onlookers were gazing at her from a distance, exchanging whispers.

    "Is that Lucy Allen?"

    "No wonder the Church of Art¡¯s bard would praise her. She¡¯s so beautiful."

    "...Wow. I nearly forgot her reputation for a second there."

    "Don¡¯t be crazy¡ªdon¡¯t go near her. It won¡¯t end well."

    "You think I don¡¯t know that? Number two prince¡­ Oh, oops. Loose lips."

    "They say she created the academy¡¯s final dungeon?"

    "Amazing. She still looks quite young."

    "And I hear she¡¯s top-ranked in both strength and intelligence at the academy."

    "That¡¯s a fact. She¡¯s never lost her number one position."

    "Such a shame. If only her temperament was a bit better."

    "It seems the great god is fair, after all."

    "Come to think of it, I heard a rumor..."

    As their talk shifted from admiration to gossip, a loud, heartyugh resounded from a distance.

    "Hahaha! Thank you all for speaking so well of my dear daughter! As her father, I¡¯m so delighted I hardly know what to do!"

    Benedict Allen.

    Respected by warriors across the continent.

    For those who remembered him on the battlefield, he was someone who instilled terror.

    And now, he was a hero whom even royalty could not easily approach.

    "You foolish father, you¡¯re so¡­"

    "Oooooh! Lucy! Luuuuucy!"

    Closing the distance in a single leap, Benedictnded with a great shout, immediately pulling his daughter into a fierce embrace.

    "I¡¯ve told you so many times, even through the crystal, but I¡¯m endlessly proud of you! I¡¯m overjoyed by all the praise about you I hear everywhere!"

    "Um¡­"

    "And how beautiful you¡¯ve be! Even when I saw you through the crystal, I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes, but seeing you in person, it¡¯s as if the angels are showing me a vision!"

    "Wait a moment¡­"

    "But at the same time, I can¡¯t help worrying! You¡¯re so beautiful and talented! What if some unworthy scoundrel tries to approach you? My heart pounds with dread¡ª"

    "I-diot-fath-er!"

    "...Uh, Lucy?"

    "Please close that stinking mouth of yours and release me from these brutish arms?!? The more you act like this, the more I despise you?!?"

    "Such words! I¡¯m sorry, Lucy! Please, at least take back those words of hatred!"

    Seeing the terrifying man practically spitting blood at his daughter¡¯s words, the bystanders chewed their lips in amusement.

    What a sight indeed.

    But if they told others about this scene, who would believe them?

 Chapter 342

    As always, Benedict is way too over-the-top.

    We¡¯ve been talking through the crystal almost three times a week. It''s hardly been that long since west spoke, so why does hee running over, sniffling, the moment he sees my face?

    And don¡¯t even get me started on his strength.

    The way he hugged me just now¡­ it was physically suffocating. I tried using all the strength I¡¯ve built up to push him away, but his arms didn¡¯t even budge.

    Is he even human?

    Maybe he¡¯s just a different breed altogether?

    ¡­Well, if you look at it that way, I guess I¡¯m not entirely human either.

    <If you consider the people gossiping about you a moment ago, they''d probably agree you¡¯re a different breed as well.>

    Normally, I¡¯d deny it, but after listening to the chatter while waiting for Benedict, I couldn¡¯t shake my head.

    They said things like, <em>She¡¯ll continue the glory of the Allen family,</em> or, <em>She¡¯ll raise the kingdom¡¯s reputation,</em> or even, <em>She might be a monster who surpasses Benedict Allen.</em>

    Hearing all that, I started to realize how people perceive me.

    Looking back, I¡¯ve done plenty of things that could be considered¡­ extreme.

    To me, it all just seemed necessary to deal with the rot in Soul Academy, but without that context, it¡¯s no wonder others see it differently.

    <It was gratifying to hear. To think that the child once despised by everyone now inspires awe in others.>

    Gramps sounded so proud, as if it were his own aplishment, but I, the one at the center of it, couldn¡¯t feel at ease.

    They say the gods blessed me with everything except character?!

    I refuse to ept that!

    You mean to tell me that <em>that miserable, pathetic, perverted god</em> gave me this character?

    Every other skill I possess was earned through my own blood, sweat, and tears!

    I managed to ignore most of the nonsense they were spouting, but when I heard that, I had to bite my tongue to keep fromshing out.

    If Benedict hadn¡¯te barreling over from a distance, I probably would have grabbed someone by the cor.

    ¡°Lucy, Lucy, are you listening to your papa?¡±

    ¡­Oh, damn. I got caught zoning out while he was talking. I thought if I just nodded asionally, he wouldn¡¯t notice.

    You think I don¡¯t know it¡¯s rude? I do! But what can I do? Listening to Benedict¡¯s theatrics gives me goosebumps!

    ¡®Yes, I¡¯m listening.¡¯

    ¡°Rest assured, dear. Your papa¡¯s coarse voice is annoyingly clear, so it¡¯s impossible to miss a single word.¡±

    ¡°Haha! d to hear it!¡±

    Even after I expressed all my irritation, Benedict¡¯s fussing didn¡¯t let up.

    He was so busy bragging about me that he hadn¡¯t even touched his te at Tierre Mas, the most prestigious restaurant in Soul Academy.

    It¡¯s such a waste to let that delicious food go cold.

    If I¡¯d known this would happen, I would¡¯ve juste with my airheaded friend instead.

    At least then, I could¡¯ve seen her happy smile.

    ¡°Lately, your papa has been struggling to resist going out to public ces. Everywhere I go, I hear people singing my daughter¡¯s praises!¡±

    That¡¯s just because they¡¯re scared of you and don¡¯t dare say anything else!

    Lucy¡¯s done enough that praise would hardly be the only thing they¡¯re saying about her.

    ¡­Though to be honest, right now, it¡¯s hard to criticize her when so much of her reputation includes my own actions.

    ¡°Even the bard from the Church of Art! The song heposed to extol your beauty is so exquisite. Every time a bard visits, I¡¯m tempted to go outside and hear it, only to get scolded by the head butler.¡±

    Ugh. A song by that pervert, good enough to be sung by bards across cities?

    Usually, I¡¯d write this off as one of Benedict¡¯s exaggerations, but knowing that pervert Apostle¡¯s skill with art, it¡¯s probably true.

    I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s about, and I don¡¯t want to find out.

    Knowing what kind of song is spreading would only lead to mortifying regret.

    ¡°And I¡¯ve been obsessively checking the Dungeonology Journaltely. It¡¯s full of praise for the dungeon you created, and I can¡¯t help but smile proudly every time I read it!¡±

    Oh, so he¡¯s seen it.

    Well, it makes sense. Checking the Dungeonology Journal is practically routine among the noblemen, so it¡¯s no wonder he¡¯de across it.

    As he went on about the endless des my dungeon has received, I found myself wondering if Benedict had actually managed to conquer it himself.

    Considering his appearance¡ªlike he¡¯s got muscles for brains¡ªI couldn¡¯t imagine him navigating the dungeon¡¯s intricate gimmicks on his own.

    ¡°Why would you even ask, dear? Your papa would never pass up the chance to clear a dungeon made by his beloved daughter!¡±

    Benedict answered with such confidence, but I found it hard to believe.

    Someone with such absurd physical abilities would naturally struggle with gimmick-based dungeons.

    With his powerful body, why would he bother thinking? Just smashing his way through would probably make the dungeon submit.

    ¡°My favorite part was the section that made you feel like you¡¯d escaped from a dream. You¡¯ve got a knack for reading people¡¯s psychology.¡±

    Listening to Benedict describe his experience, I actually started to believe he might have really cleared it.

    His remarks were too insightful toe from just skimming a guide.

    So he¡¯s got superhuman physical abilities and a brain to boot¡ªwhat kind of overpowered character is this? It¡¯s practically game-breaking!

    <As I mentioned, the same could be said about you.>

    ¡®I¡¯m not that smart!¡¯

    If I were, I wouldn¡¯t be praying to the Dice God before every test!

    <...Truly, there¡¯s no need to be this knightly.>

    ¡®What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡¯

    Not quite understanding his sarcasm, I was about to snap at Gramps when Benedict threw a curveball.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Lucy. There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask of you.¡±

    ¡®An¡­ ask?¡¯

    ¡°You mean a request, from my fool of a father?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I hear that if one heads to the academy, they can try out the dungeon you designed. Could your papa have a go at it?¡±

    Even after the final exams had ended long ago, the Dungeon Studies exam venue was still bustling.

    The difference now was that the crowd was no longer made up of students.

    Instead, people who hade to experience my dungeon were filling the space.

    As a result, the teaching assistants¡¯ workload hadn¡¯t lessened at all.

    Actually, their workload might¡¯ve even increased.

    Now, instead of dealing with academy students, they were dealing with people who wielded power in every sense of the word.

    In a medieval fantasy world, anyone who could immediately act on a whim was hardly ordinary.

    If they mishandled anyone here, their heads could roll¡ªboth metaphorically and literally.

    So, naturally, the faces of the teaching assistants looked quite worn.

    Not long ago, they were crying tears of relief over the end of exams. Poor things.

    But what else can you do?

    This is the graduate school you chose!

    If you¡¯re going to be a ve, put your lifespan on the line!

    ¡°Count Allen! Long time no see!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Viscount Mold! It¡¯s been a while. Are you here to conquer the dungeon my daughter designed?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Just reading about it in the journal got my heart racing¡ªI couldn¡¯t resist!¡±

    ¡°Ha ha! I¡¯m d to hear it. Oh? Count Lurby! I heard you¡¯ve been resting in your territory since the end of the war.¡±

    ¡°Of course, and what better way to rest than by visiting here?¡±

    While I was pitying the assistants, Benedict was cheerfully greeting the nobles at the exam venue.

    Unlike the serious atmosphere at the Patran Festival, he looked as if he were meeting old friends, so these must be acquaintances of his.

    The nobles who gathered around Benedict also began greeting me.

    They said things like ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± ¡°She¡¯s gifted,¡± or ¡°We hear rumors of her talent,¡± smiling as theyplimented me. But when I responded with thinly veiled barbs, their expressions faltered.

    Of course, none of them dared to show anger in front of Benedict.

    ¡°Are you here to try the dungeon as well, Count Allen?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Yes. Since my daughter created it, I thought I¡¯d give it a go myself.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d imagine the count could certainly set a new record.¡±

    ¡°To break the Allen¡¯s record with another Allen¡ªhow poetic.¡±

    ¡°Record?¡±

    ¡°Yes, look over there.¡±

    One of the nobles pointed toward the dungeon¡¯s speedrun record.

    ¡°Ever since the dungeon was opened to outsiders, many have attempted to beat Lady Allen¡¯s record, but no one has managed to surpass it.¡±

    As he mentioned, the nobles attempting the academy¡¯s dungeon all sought to break my record.

    They insisted that it made no sense for a young girl¡¯s record to stand unchallenged.

    But soon enough, they learned how high the record¡¯s bar was set.

    Despite numerous attempts, the record remained unbroken.

    Even now, the second-best time is still a full minute behind mine. So, I won¡¯t even bother describing how the initial record looked.

    In the process, some people even questioned if the record was real, but they were quickly silenced by footage of me speedrunning the dungeon.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to even think about matching it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a record only Lady Allen could set.¡±

    ¡°I keep trying, but each time, I¡¯m just more and more impressed.¡±

    The nobles surrounding Benedict voiced their admiration, but I couldn¡¯t rte at all.

    They¡¯re all physically superior to me, so why can¡¯t they replicate it?

    I¡¯m genuinely baffled.

    I showed them the exact way to speedrun it, so why can¡¯t they follow?

    If they just mimic it, they should be able to finish much faster than I did.

    <Youngdy, the average person doesn¡¯t consider dungeon variables down to tenths of a second.>

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s the problem! To set a record, you need that level ofmitment!¡¯

    Speedrunning isn¡¯t a joke!

    If you¡¯re not putting in that kind of effort, then don¡¯t bother with the ¡°amazing¡±pliments¡ªI¡¯m not impressed at all!

    In fact, these self-proimed experts are just grating on my nerves! Holding back a flood of insults, I bit my lip, while Benedict chuckled.

    ¡°Hmm. Looks like I¡¯ll have to step up my game to be a proud father.¡±

    With that, Benedict entered the dungeon, and I escaped the nobles¡¯ stares, running over to one of the assistants.

    I had to get a crystal orb to watch Benedict¡¯s dungeon run.

    I was curious, after all. How would someone as overwhelmingly powerful as Benedict tackle my dungeon?

    Snatching the crystal orb from the assistant, I blinked as I saw Benedict standing in the training room.

    ¡­Huh?

    Why is he already in the first room?

    He just went in, but somehow, he¡¯s already past the hallway?

    Blinking in surprise at his faster-than-expected progress, I watched as Benedict drew his arm back.

    ¡®Time for a bit of a dirty trick!¡¯

    The moment he thrust his fist forward, all the soldiers and knights in the training room copsed.

    Naturally, the door to the next room opened.

    ¡®Excuse me, Gramps.¡¯

    <Yes?>

    ¡®After watching this, can you still say ¡°you and your father¡±?¡¯

    How could he be the same species as me?! This is ridiculous!

 Chapter 343

    Alsetine, disguised as a nobleman who could blend in anywhere in the city, weaved through the bustling crowds, making his way urgently toward Soul Academy. He had vital information to deliver immediately to Lucy Allen, his master¡¯s most important client.

    Why on earth would the First Queen of Sdin Kingdom be attending the academy¡¯s end-of-term party?

    The queen, who never left the capital due to her duties running the kingdom in ce of the ailing king, had neither time nor reason to visit here. Even Alsetine, who constantly gathered and processed countless pieces of intelligence, hadn¡¯t foreseen this turn of events.

    During Prince Rene Sdin¡¯s academy years, the First Queen had never attended the end-of-term celebrations, citing her duties. For her to suddenly use the excuse of her sons to appear now was entirely unexpected.

    Alsetine¡¯s entirework was thrown into chaos by the abrupt schedule change of one of the kingdom¡¯s most critical figures.

    Not to mention, if Lucy Allen, their principal client, happened to cross paths with the First Queen, the disaster that might unfold was beyond anyone¡¯s prediction.

    <em>¡°My apprentice, remember, our employer once called His Majesty an ¡®old, sick pig.¡¯ Do you really think she¡¯ll restrain herself when ites to the First Queen?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°...We¡¯re about to witness quite the spectacle.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°I¡¯d be curious to see how much it¡¯ll agitate Benedict¡¯s stomach lining, but I can¡¯t even imagine how that madwoman will react to our employer¡¯s rudeness. It¡¯s too risky to test.¡±</em>

    Receiving orders from his master to fetch Lucy and Benedict, Alsetine quickened his steps, hoping no incident would ur before he got there.

    Following the traces left by the Allen family pair, Alsetine soon spotted Lucy Allen at the academy¡¯s dungeon experience center.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult; Lucy was the type to stand out no matter where she was.

    ¡°Greetings, Lady Allen.¡±

    Feigning noble decorum, Alsetine bowed his head, and Lucy scowled, reluctantly ncing up from the crystal orb.

    Her face unmistakably showed her irritation at his presence, prompting Alsetine to quickly execute the pre-agreed signal between them.

    Only after confirming this did Lucy ease the tension in one eyebrow¡ªthough her other eyebrow remained knit in annoyance.

    ¡°Are you blind? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m busy?¡±

    ¡°Lady, it¡¯s urgent. Just a moment of your time.¡±

    ¡°Just wait a few minutes. I¡¯ll even praise you for doing a good job afterward.¡±

    The urge to object bubbled up within him, but Alsetine suppressed it with extraordinary patience. Drawing attention in an already conspicuous situation wasn¡¯t an option.

    What in the world was she watching so intently in that crystal orb?

    His gaze drifted toward the screen, and he was stunned to see Benedict sprinting down a lengthy corridor in under a second.

    So, Sir Benedict was tackling the dungeon.

    Having attempted the dungeon Lucy designed at his master¡¯s urging, Alsetine recognized exactly where Benedict was.

    The hallway just before reaching the ground floor, right after waking from the dream.

    At this rate, he¡¯d reach the boss in no time.

    <em>¡°P-pardon¡­¡±</em>

    <em>BAM!</em>

    As the door swung open, Benedict¡¯s fistnded squarely on the boss¡¯s face.

    With speed that even a fully prepared boss couldn¡¯t counter and impact unimaginable for a human punch, the boss¡¯s body was flung into the air, mmed against the wall, and then dropped to the floor.

    <em>¡°Sorry! I¡¯m in a bit of a hurry!¡±</em>

    Offering a brief apology to the boss, who was choking on blood and couldn¡¯t even respond, Benedict swung his arm again.

    Another loud impact sounded through the crystal orb.

    Though the boss¡¯s techniques were straightforward, its stats were overwhelming. Yet, witnessing it being pummeled one-sidedly, Alsetine was left speechless.

    He had heard tales of Sir Benedict¡¯s incredible strength many times before.

    And he knew that those who had fought alongside him held him in both awe and terror.

    But seeing the reality, Alsetine realized just how limited his own imagination had been.

    ording to his master, this was Benedict in a much-weakened state. Just how powerful had he been at his peak?

    ¡­Perhaps that story of him splitting a dragon¡¯s head in two was true after all.

    <em>¡°Damn you! Dieee!¡±</em>

    Not even a minute after their encounter, the boss scattered his crimson magic in ast-ditch effort.

    The final desperate strike¡ªthe most difficult obstacle for anyone trying to break the dungeon¡¯s record.

    Facing the deathly magic meant to kill him, Benedict casually rolled his shoulders and infused his fist with mana.

    <em>¡°You¡¯ve done well. Rest in peace.¡±</em>

    And with that, it was over.

    Benedict¡¯s punch shattered the boss¡¯s crimson magic, and the exit door soon appeared.

    From entry to defeating the boss, Benedict had taken only 2 minutes and 32 seconds.

    It was an overwhelming time, cutting several minutes off Lucy Allen¡¯s previously unchallenged record.

    If he¡¯d achieved that without even drawing his weapon, just how powerful would he be with the greatsword Alsetine had seen him wield in Menestail?

    ¡°¡­But no. This won¡¯t do.¡±

    Hmm? What did Lady Allen mean by ¡°won¡¯t do¡±?

    ¡°Why is this rotting meatbag so annoyingly tough? Tch. Can¡¯t decayed flesh be a bit easier to rip apart?¡±

    Alsetine, hearing Lucy¡¯s muttering, realized what she was getting at.

    Was she already nning a way to break Sir Benedict¡¯s record?

    A record that looked insurmountable?

    What astonished Alsetine most was that her muttering wasn¡¯t some vague whim¡ªshe was seriously plotting a way to beat Benedict¡¯s record.

    Despite the physical gap between them, she was determined to bridge it with her own skill.

    Hah. Like father, like daughter, it seems.

    No wonder people say only monsters are born in the Allen bloodline.

    As Alsetine mused over thoughts that would likely horrify Lucy, he heard the rapid approach of heavy footsteps from a distance.

    There was no need to guess who it was.

    There was only one person in the world with such a bold, loud voice.

    ¡°Luuuucy! Did you see your papa¡¯s amazing feat?! Isn¡¯t papa incredible? Right?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Papa?¡±

    ¡°Eh?!¡±

    ¡°Bragging to your own daughter after going all out is just so embarrassing. It¡¯s enough to make me ashamed to call you my papa?¡±

    ¡°Th-that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Stay back? It¡¯s disgusting?¡±

    ¡°Luuuucy¡­¡±

    Watching this man, who had just disyed overwhelming strength, now begging for forgiveness from his daughter, Alsetine found himself once again at a loss for words.

    It probably shouldn¡¯t be said, but perhaps Lady Allen¡¯s twisted nature had something to do with Sir Benedict.

    ¡°¡­Hmm? And who might you be?¡±

    After pleading with his daughter for a while, Benedict finally turned his attention to Alsetine.

    The warm gaze he¡¯d directed at his daughter turned into a cold, intimidating aura.

    Having dealt with all kinds of people as an informant, Alsetine was still struck by the oppressive aura Benedict exuded.

    ¡°Judging by your physique, you don¡¯t appear to be a student at the academy.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s one of my loyal dogs.¡±

    ¡°¡­A dog?¡±

    The moment Lucy spoke, mana red up around Benedict.

    Under the pressure that felt as if it might crush him, Alsetine barely managed to speak.

    ¡°Count Allen, I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°A misunderstanding, you say? How amusing.¡±

    Benedict¡¯s massive hand brushed past Alsetine¡¯s ear andnded on his shoulder with a weight that felt as though it could easily crush a man¡¯s skull.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hear this exnation, then.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ you see¡­¡±

    That familiar sense of impending death he¡¯d felt upon meeting his master in Menestail.

    He couldn¡¯t breathe. Sweat poured down his face. His mind went nk.

    Damn it. I can¡¯t seem to pull myself togeth¡ª

    ¡°Papa!?¡±

    Thankfully, Lucy¡¯s sharp voice rang out just before Alsetine¡¯s legs could buckle.

    ¡°What are you doing?? Do you really think I¡¯d associate with someone this worthless?? Seriously??¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, Lucy. It¡¯s just that, well¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already annoying enough that you¡¯re ordering my dog around, but to think you¡¯d equate a noble, beautiful youngdy like me with this trash!?¡±

    ¡°I was only worried about you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯mpletely disappointed? I¡¯m leaving? Don¡¯t follow me, annoying papa?¡±

    ¡°Luuuucy! I was wrongggg!¡±

    Watching the same man who had just threatened him now kneeling and begging his daughter for forgiveness, Alsetine was once again at a loss for words.

    As he nkly observed the scene, feeling the curious eyes of onlookers, he quickly stepped between Lucy and Benedict.

    Fortunately, the signal his master had taught him worked even on Benedict.

    After parting ways with Alsetine and taking Benedict to the designated meeting ce, Karia greeted them.

    ¡°Hello, it¡¯s been so long... uh, boss, what¡¯s wrong with him?¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t ask.¡¯

    ¡°How should I know? My fool of a father is acting like a fool again.¡±

    <em>Sniff.</em>

    Hearing the sound of a man three times her size sniffling, Lucy couldn¡¯t help but sigh.

    She¡¯d scolded him sharply in front of Alsetine to stop him from escting things, but she hadn¡¯t expected the aftermath to drag on this long.

    <Why are you leaving out the part about your pride being scratched over the dungeon record?>

    Ignoring her master¡¯s teasing, Lucy stepped up in front of Benedict, who was sneaking frequent nces her way.

    If she left things like this, they¡¯d never get anything done.

    ¡®Father.¡¯

    ¡°Foolish father.¡±

    <em>Sniff.</em>

    ¡­Is he pretending he didn¡¯t hear me?

    Is he sulking?

    Argh! Fine! I get it!

    I¡¯ll call you what you want to hear!

    ¡°Papa?¡±

 Chapter 344

    The word <em>crazy</em> shifts its meaning depending on how it¡¯s used. It can imply praise, admiration, frustration, anger, or insult. In nearly any context, <em>crazy</em> fits without feeling out of ce, yet at its core, it means an abnormal state of mind. And if there¡¯s anyone who embodies the true, original sense of <em>crazy,</em> it¡¯s the First Queen, Kabati Sdin.@@novelbin@@

    Her devotion to her country is such that she would willingly sacrifice her life for it. She holds a conviction so unshakable that she never questions the righteousness of her actions. With the power to carry out whatever she conceives, Kabati is a true fanatic who would never abandon her beliefs, even in her final moments.

    As she takes herst breath, her sole regret would not be for the wrongs shemitted, but rather that she couldn¡¯t find a better method to achieve her goals. She would die smiling, satisfied that someone more capable would lead Sdin in her ce.

    Honestly, a lovesick fox or a perverted apostle might be <em>crazy</em> in ways that make them at least somewhat rtable. But this <em>medieval Trump</em> is on such a different wavelength that I can¡¯t find anymon ground.

    Some people in themunity call her a viin with principles, admiring her. But I couldn¡¯t agree less. How could you possibly like someone who barely even seems human?

    Regardless of personal preferences, everyone agreed that Kabati Sdin would do anything to make Sdin great, thus earning her the nickname <em>Medieval Trump,</em> or <em>Make Sdin Great Again Queen.</em>

    Since Arthur¡¯s my friend and I¡¯m a noble in Sdin, I always knew I¡¯d have to meet this crazy woman eventually, but this is way too soon! I don¡¯t have nearly enough power to face her yet!

    Ugh.

    If I end up meeting this medieval Trump, I wonder what kind of things my <em>Mesugaki Skill</em> will spit out.

    Given my previous encounters, <em>crazy</em> is bound to make an appearance.

    If I hurl insults like that at the First Queen...

    ...Or wait, maybe it¡¯d be fine, given howpletely unhinged she is?

    A woman so utterly obsessed with Sdin¡¯s prosperity, one who cares nothing for her own reputation or power, might actually brush off any insult she hears. Of course, if it came from someone irrelevant, she¡¯d crush them. But if she thinks I could benefit Sdin¡¯s future¡­?

    Yes. She may be a maniac I¡¯d rather avoid, but she¡¯s better off fully deranged than half-sane.

    Unlike the Second Queen, who may or may not repay kindness but will always crush her enemies, at least with Kabati, I might survive throwing around terms like <em>old fossil</em>...

    <em>Sinere Sdin.</em>

    Wait.

    Why is that fossil¡¯s name listed right below the First Queen¡¯s?

    Could this be a hallucination from just thinking of her?

    Maybe if I wipe my eyes and look again¡­

    <em>Sinere Sdin.</em>

    Gahhhh?!

    Why is she here, too?!

    ¡°...Karia. Unless my eyes deceive me, I¡¯m seeing both queens¡¯ names at the top.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. They both confirmed their attendance.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Good question, Benedict!

    Why would a woman who doesn¡¯t have a shred of affection for her son show up to an end-of-term party?!

    I yed the entire <em>Soul Academy</em> game and never once saw her set foot here!

    ¡°The First Queen is attending.¡±

    Karia remained calm even as Benedict and I stared at her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact details, but I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the reason. The Second Queen ims she doesn¡¯t care about the First Queen, but she keeps a close eye on her.¡±

    Hearing this, I was reminded that Karia once served as the kingdom¡¯s shadow.

    She led the intelligence division back when the two queens first rose to power, so she knew them well.

    In fact, she probably knows more about most royal figures than I do since I barely paid attention to lesser NPCs in the game.

    ¡°Anyway, with both of them nning to attend, this end-of-term party haspletely derailed from its original purpose. Nobles from both factions are scrambling to make their presence known.¡±

    Reading the list of attendees while listening to Karia¡¯s exnation, I felt dizzy.

    I expected Dukes Patran and Kurten to be there since their children are attending.

    But why are the heads of the other ducal familiesing?!

    Aside from Duke Burrow, who¡¯s still recuperating, all of them will be present!

    And why are there so many influential names below them?

    Nobles who appeared prominently at least once in the <em>Soul Academy</em> storyline are on this list!

    Seeing all these familiar names made me excited, but the thought of giving a speech in front of them and mingling at the party made me despair.

    ¡­If it were like the Patran Festival, it¡¯d be manageable.

    Back then, aside from a few odd people and my friends, no one paid me much attention.

    But now? No way! There¡¯s no chance the Second Queen, who has been trying to recruit me, won¡¯t approach me!

    Then, the nobles from her faction will naturally follow.

    And then the First Queen¡¯s supporters will join in.

    Before I know it, I¡¯ll be the center of attention, surrounded by a graveyard of reputations, with gossip and insults flying.

    And right next to me, I¡¯ll need to bury Benedict¡¯s tattered stomach.

    It seemed Benedict shared my thoughts because his face, once smiling, grew increasingly grim with each page he turned.

    ¡°...Karia. Could you knock me out? That way, Lucy and I could slip away naturally.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense. What poison could work on you? If you¡¯re serious, ask your employer.¡±

    ¡°No! I could never do that to Lucy!¡±

    ¡°Then what do you suggest?¡±

    ¡°Damn it! I¡¯ll just have to demolish the building where the party is happening!¡±

    ¡°Calm down.¡±

    ¡°If I just destroy half of it¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Employer, could you shut this idiot up? It seems my words aren¡¯t getting through.¡±

    ¡°Papa?? Could you zip it?? Your words reek, and it¡¯s honestly quite gross?¡±

    ¡°Do¡­ do I smell? I see¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Ignoring Benedict¡¯s dejected slump, I turned to Karia, who sighed.

    ¡°Back to the main point. For our employer, attending that party is a disaster. Hide somewhere until the opening speech, then disappear with Benedict afterward. No one in the kingdom will question him if he says he just wanted to spend time with his daughter. They¡¯ll understand.¡±

    Though it felt a bit reckless to act so casually in front of both queens and their factions, I trusted Karia¡¯s judgment.

    In that case, I just need to figure out how to get through my speech.

    <em>Knock, knock.</em> At the sound of a knock, I looked up to hear Alsetine¡¯s voice.

    ¡°My Lady, the Apostle of the Church of Art has arrived.¡±

    He¡¯ster than I expected. I figured that pervert would be here bright and early, ready to spout nonsense just to annoy me.

    ¡°You go on ahead, boss. I need to talk with this big guy, so I¡¯ll send him your wayter.¡±

    Karia answered the question I hadn¡¯t even asked.

    I¡¯ll never get used to her reading my mind like this.

    Sometimes, the way she reads my thoughts so casually sends a chill down my spine.

    As I stood up, I noticed Benedict sulking beside me.

    ¡°Papa?¡±

    I meant to tap his shoulder, but since my arm couldn¡¯t quite reach, I poked his back instead.

    Benedict turned his head.

    Look at him, all silent.

    Is he sulking over the <em>smelly</em>ment?

    ¡°<em>Pfft? Did that upset you?? What did I say that made you so down??</em>¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that¡­¡±

    <em>Hmph? If you¡¯re this grumpy over one joke, I¡¯m not sure I like this sensitive papa of mine~?</em>

    ¡°¡­Was¡­ was it really a joke?! Truly?!¡±

    Watching Benedict¡¯s face light up at my words, I left with a faint smile. Sticking my head back in the door, I gave him onest look.

    <em>¡°Secret~?¡±</em>

    With that, I closed the door.

    Let¡¯s hope that perverted apostle brings his infamous perversity in full force.

    That way, I might just survive the speech.

    ¡°¡­My daughter is so adorable. She¡¯s the best.¡±

    Watching Benedict tremble with happiness, Karia¡¯s gaze was openly filled with pity.

    How did a man who once instilled terror on the battlefield end up like this?

    These days, he¡¯d fit right in standing next to a corpse.

    Back then, he¡¯d been the total opposite of Mira, who openly disyed her emotions, yet here he was now, with everythingid bare.

    She must have put in a lot of effort while I was gone.

    ¡­Though Mira, maybe you went a bit too far?

    To reduce the kingdom¡¯s fang to this state¡­ if only you were alive, I¡¯d ask you for tips.

    Thinking back on Benedict¡¯ste wife, who had died under the influence of an evil god, Karia sighed, closing her eyes before fixing her gaze on him again.

    ¡°Benedict.¡±

    Her voice was cold.

    It wasn¡¯t the yful tone she used with Lucy or her apprentice, but the chilling voice she¡¯d once wielded as the kingdom¡¯s shadow, striking fear into many.

    Hearing it, Benedict took a deep breath, shaking off his joviality to prepare himself.

    ¡°Speak.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t let that crazy queen near your daughter.¡±

 Chapter 345

    Rene felt a twinge of guilt watching the dean break into a cold sweat.

    Though he held the title of First Prince and was the kingdom''s leading sessor, Rene himself had once been a student at Soul Academy, indebted to the dean in many ways. It was hard to find joy in causing him trouble now.

    But even so, Rene couldn¡¯t resolve this predicament.

    After all, the person behind this situation wasn¡¯t him but his mother.

    Earlier that morning, as Rene was trying to finish his daily tasks before heading to the academy¡¯s end-of-term party, he was caught off guard by Kavady¡¯s sudden arrival.

    He¡¯d assumed that she would only depart by the afternoon, considering the party was set to start around evening.

    "First Queen, I understand the guards and other attendants aren¡¯t ready yet," he mentioned.

    "Yes, that¡¯s true. But it¡¯s not a problem. We¡¯re going to move separately," she responded.

    "...Excuse me?"

    Kavady didn¡¯t answer Rene¡¯s question. Instead, she pped her hands.

    At that cue, people from the intelligence division entered the room, carrying disguises.

    "We can¡¯t exactly move openly¡ªit would disrupt those who are here to enjoy the festival. We¡¯ll go in secret."

    Her statement, spoken withplete confidence, led Rene to ask a question, much like the dean had just done out of sheermon sense.

    ¡°First Queen, I mean no disrespect, but for someone of your stature, walking around without guards is¡­¡±

    ¡°Dean, what are you worried about? With Rene and me together, how many people do you think could actually threaten us?¡±

    Unless Sir Benedict himself went berserk, there weren¡¯t likely many who could cause trouble, as even the dean and Rene could hardly refute her logic.

    Who, indeed, could harm the kingdom¡¯s First Queen, one of the capital¡¯s elite knights before ascending to her current position?

    ¡°Would I even need to resort to force? I believe in Soul Academy¡¯s capabilities.¡±

    At her tactful hint¡ªimplying they had better prevent any mishaps in advance¡ªthe dean had no choice but to assure her to enjoy herself.

    Even though he was one of the high-ranking nobles and a renowned schr chosen to lead Soul Academy, he was still a subordinate in front of one of the kingdom¡¯s most influential powers.

    ¡°It¡¯s been decades since I was enrolled here, but nothing¡¯s changed,¡± she observed.

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That building over there. That statue, too. And even the prison for schrs.¡±

    Kavady borated on how this ce should be esteemed, watching with interest as a young girl crossed the square. Her gaze lingered on the girl, fascinated.

    With each step, her red hair scattered in the breeze.

    Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

    Her pale skin shone even in the sunlight.

    Her small frame exuded femininity from every angle.

    The girl¡¯s beauty was striking enough to draw attention anywhere, but Kavady¡¯s interesty elsewhere.

    It wasn¡¯t her outward appearance but her inner qualities.

    With a body trained to a degree that seemed unusual for an academy student and an aura of divine power nearly unmatched, Kavady couldn¡¯t help but take notice.

    "That girl¡ªshe¡¯s from the Allen family, isn¡¯t she?"

    "...Huh? Ah, yes, I believe so."

    Rene responded hesitantly, uncertain.

    The Lucy Allen he encountered during the recent festival looked strikingly simr yet distinctly different.

    What on earth had happened to her in just a few months?

    While he¡¯d heard she¡¯d changed, he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this drastic.

    How did a mere doll-like beauty gain such vitality?

    ¡­So that¡¯s why even the Apostle of the Arts couldn¡¯t help but sing her praises andpose songs about her.

    "Seeing her now is astonishing. It¡¯s hard to believe that this is the same girl who used to insult me to my face."

    ¡°Likely a true heir to the Allen bloodline,¡± he replied.

    ¡°For a first-year student to be at that level¡­¡±

    Creating a crescent moon with her eyes, Kavady watched Lucy disappear from sight before moving with a slightly lighter step towards the training grounds.

    The dungeon training grounds were still bustling with people.

    Everyone from thoseworking to build connections to those who rarely left their own territories had gathered here.

    While Rene observed them, nodding at the impressive turnout for the dungeon, Kavady¡¯s smile only grew broader.

    A littleter, Rene and Kavady entered the dungeon and proceeded leisurely.

    They shared remarks about what was enjoyable in certain areas and what stood out elsewhere.

    The conversation between Rene, regarded as a fitting candidate for session, and Kavady, who had traversed countless dungeons, was a high-level discussion that would have brought tears of awe to Lucy¡¯s eyes.

    The two made their way without any hindrance, stopping only when they reached the hallway leading to the zero-level room.

    The moment they entered the fourth chamber, Rene¡¯s head was lopped off by Kavady¡¯s sudden strike, and he rose, rubbing his neck with a frown.

    A sound barrier spell, huh? Seems it¡¯s not part of the dungeon¡¯s original setup¡ªmust be the Queen¡¯s handiwork.

    ¡°Rene.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°What do you think of being engaged to Lady Allen?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡±

    Rene couldn¡¯t outright dismiss it as a joke.

    Apart from her personality, Lucy Allen had no real disqualifying traits.

    Except that her personality was a very significant issue.

    While Rene mulled over how to respond if the First Queen insisted, Kavady chuckled.

    ¡°Judging by your expression, you really hate the idea. I was joking. Lady Allen has far too many issues to make a suitable queen.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°But she¡¯s still a talent worth keeping close.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s also someone we should be cautious of.¡±

    Helping Rene back to his feet, she adjusted her magic and continued calmly.

    ¡°Looks like I have more work on my hands. More to investigate, more to prepare, and a lot to think about.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is there anything I can help you with?¡±

    ¡°No, just go about your usual business. This is something I need to handle myself.¡±

    With that, Kavady released her magic and continued down the hall alone.

    Her steps were slightly slower than when she first entered the dungeon.

    <em>Ding.</em>

    ¡°Lady Allen, have I perhaps done something wrong?¡±

    Startled by the sudden notification sound, I flinched, and the pervert Apostle stroking my hair cautiously asked.

    ¡®No, you¡¯re fine.¡¯

    ¡°Just that your disgusting hand movements give me chills. Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s not like you¡¯re nauseating only today.¡±

    ¡°Haha, well. I¡¯ll try to be more careful.¡±

    After making sure the pervert Apostle continued with his odd gestures, I turned my attention to the notification.

    Nothing happened when my penalty period ended, so why is it giving me a pop-up now?

    I was beginning to think it was a vacation alert or something.

    Waite to think of it, isn¡¯t the half-assed deity only this random with quests when something urgent happens?

    It was the same with Adri, and with Favy.

    Is something happening again?!

    [New Quest Issued.] [So What. I¡¯m Gorgeous.] [Demonstrate to everyone just how noble a person you truly are!] [Reward: A Clue About the Soul of the Hero]

    I read the quest message, noticed the reflection of my narrowed eyes in the mirror, and sighed.

    So it¡¯s just a chance for the god to show off.

    Is this just about saying, ¡°Look, our Apostle is adorable and beautiful!¡±

    Couldn¡¯t you have a little divine dignity?

    Would it kill you to carry yourself in a way that makes being an Apostle worthwhile?

    Look at the pervert Apostle behind me. He never doubts his god for a second.

    Want to know why?

    Because the perverted Raven may be vile even by human standards, but it at least puts on a dignified show for its believers!

    What are you doing, being less impressive than your own Apostle?

    And seriously, the quest requirements are vague as hell.

    Demonstrate nobility? Exactly how am I supposed to do that?

    At this rate, it sounds like you could just judge I failed and impose a penalty right away¡­

    Wait¡ªwhy isn¡¯t there a penalty listed?

    Is there a bug or something?

    Nope, the quest window and logs confirm there¡¯s no penalty.

    What is this? The half-assed deity has never done this before.

    Any time it¡¯s been either a dangerous or trivial quest, there¡¯s always been a penalty.

    I could just dismiss this as a rare act of generosity, but I can¡¯t.

    The half-assed deity embedded in my memory isn¡¯t the kind to offer favors without expecting something in return.@@novelbin@@

    At best, I¡¯d guess it¡¯s something ridiculous like ¡°No one could possibly think my Apostle isn¡¯t noble!¡±

    Or perhaps there¡¯s a trap ready for a post-failure ambush.

    Judging by thest penalty, I doubt the half-assed deity is just messing with me, though.

    Ugh, I don¡¯t know.

    Whatever. I¡¯ll deal with it somehow. For now, let¡¯s just see what this reward is.

    A clue about the Soul of the Hero, right?

    It¡¯s the new feature, isn¡¯t it?

    I got it as a reward but had no idea what it was, so I left it aside. Now it¡¯s promising a clue?

    Should I be grateful they¡¯re finally giving me an answer, even if it¡¯s thiste?

    If I were as pious as Favy, I¡¯d choose gratitude¡ªbut I¡¯m not.

    ¡°Lady.¡±

    The pervert Apostle¡¯s excited voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I nced at him to show I was listening.

    ¡°I would like to bestow one final blessing of the goddess. May I?¡±

    A blessing from the Raven Goddess, usually tied to charm stats? That¡¯s not something to refuse. The higher my charm stat, the better for me right now.

    ¡®Sure, please go ahead.¡¯

    ¡°Do as you wish. I doubt that crow could make me any prettier than I already am.¡±

    Ack. I may have called the half-assed deity a deity, but I wasn¡¯t even giving the Raven Goddess the title of goddess?!

    Inadvertently insulting his god in front of him, I checked the pervert Apostle¡¯s reaction in the mirror.

    Frozen solid. Looks like even he couldn¡¯t handle that one.

    ¡°¡­V-very well, then. I shall proceed immediately.¡±

    Was that remark too sacrilegious for him to even acknowledge?

    Is that okay?

    Won¡¯t your goddess get mad at you for allowing such sphemy?

    The perverted crow is notorious for having a short fuse, after all.

    I began to feel uneasy about epting this blessing, half-convinced it might actually be some form of heavenly retribution.

    But before I could stop him, the pervert Apostle had already started his prayer.

    Sigh. It¡¯ll be fine. Probably.

    No matter how temperamental, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d mess with their own Apostle, right?

    ¡°Oh, goddess¡­¡±

    As divine energy began radiating from the pervert Apostle, I noted its quality.

    Unlike the warm sunlight of my own divine power or Favy¡¯s, this had a refreshing sense of spring, gently tickling my skin.

    Perhaps due to my familiarity with manipting divine power, I could immediately sense its intent.

    It¡¯s asking to enter, huh?

    Don¡¯t try anything funny.

    Try it, and I¡¯ll burn you.

    Allowing an entry point in my body¡¯s divine energy, the Raven Goddess¡¯s divine power flowed in.

    I closed my eyes, feeling it spread through me with a cool, soothing sensation.

    ¡ªA crow! How adorable! Thanks for the nickname! I¡¯ll remember it forever, you ridiculously cute child!

    Before long, a voice sounded in my mind just as the divinity within me took form.

    This¡­

    No way.

    The lively, unmistakably cheery voice was easy to identify.

    There was only one I had ever called a ¡°crow.¡±

    ¡­Lady Armadi.

    Forget what I said about setting an example.

    Just stay as you are.

    You¡¯re better than that perverted crow¡­

    Aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re better, right?

    You should be.

    Yeah.

    You have to be.

    Hearing a loud thud, I opened my eyes to see the pervert Apostle blissfully fainted on the floor.

    We¡¯ve met plenty of times by now.

    Shouldn¡¯t he have developed some immunity? It¡¯s not like I look any different.

    All he¡¯s seeing is¡­me.

    ¡®Gramps, do I look any different?¡¯

    But getting no response from him either, I sighed.

    Great. Now I have no one to give me an objective opinion.

    Knock, knock.

    ¡°Lucy Allen, may Ie in? I have something to discuss before the party.¡±

    Oh, Arthur. Perfect timing.

    I needed someone to assess my looks anyway.

    ¡®Come in.¡¯

    ¡°Feel free to enter, but brace yourself. A pathetic prince like you might not be able to handle it.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you¡­¡±

    Arthur opened the door only to freeze in ce like a statue.

    So much for asking him for feedback.

    Why are all the men here so hopelessly useless?

 Chapter 346

    Arthur finally snapped back to reality when he felt a weight like a boulder on his shoulder.

    The overwhelming, thick pressure that couldn¡¯t possibly belong to a human made him slowly turn his head, only to find himself staring up at Benedict, who seemed like he stood several heads taller, with a stern expression that made Arthur instinctively take a step back.

    "Good evening, Your Highness, Third Prince. What brings you here?"

    "Oh, um, I¡­ I received a precious gift from Lady Allen, so I came to express my gratitude."

    "Your eyes suggest otherwise."

    "Idiot father! Don¡¯t you remember what I told you the other day?!"

    "No, Lucy! It¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking!"

    "Not what I¡¯m thinking? Do you take me for a blind fool, father?"

    Even as she knelt, Lucy towered over her father in spirit, relentlessly nagging him. The once intimidating figure now slumped his shoulders, mumbling excuses, looking smaller than ever. Arthur couldn¡¯t help butugh at himself for his earlier thoughts, feeling ridiculous.

    For a moment, he had thought Lucy Allen looked so stunning that he wondered if that could truly be her.

    "Has idiot father turned into a gaping goldfish? How could you forget what we talked about just yesterday?"

    "...I¡¯m sorry."

    "I think you¡¯ve already apologized for this once today, haven¡¯t you? Or is it that, as the daughter of an idiot father, I¡¯m bing an idiot too?"

    Yes, it had to be her. Only she could speak to Benedict that way.

    When Benedict¡¯s eyes began to redden from Lucy¡¯s scolding, she sighed, telling him to do better next time, and reached up to pat him on the head.

    Benedict,ughing through his tears, hesitated before speaking cautiously.

    "Thank you, Lucy. I¡­ I just wanted to ask you one thing."

    "What is it? Go on."@@novelbin@@

    "Are you going up on stage in this outfit? Isn¡¯t it a bit¡­ eye-catching?"

    "Are you really as much of an idiot as you say, father? Why else do you think I brought that perverted apostle?"

    "...Perverted apostle?"

    "It¡¯s been a while, Sir Benedict."

    Wiping a nosebleed from his face with a bright smile, the Apostle Frete gave a cheerful greeting. Benedict¡¯s face turned grim once again.

    Unlike with Arthur, however, this time, Lucy made no move to restrain her father.

    "Apostle of the Arts."

    "...Yes?"

    "I believe we should have a serious conversation."

    "Sir Benedict, in the Allen family, does a conversation begin with a raised fist?"

    "This is how fathers with daughters converse."

    "I see. Understood. Just allow me the chance to exin myself once everything¡¯s over, please."

    "I told myself I¡¯d nevere to this loathsome ce again."

    "...Your Majesty, the Second Queen, there are people around."

    "I know. That¡¯s why I cast a sound barrier."

    Sinere Sdin, the Second Queen, entered the party venue, responding to the greetings of nobles from her faction with a warm smile, all the while muttering with thorns in her words.

    "All this trouble because of that insane woman."

    The contempt Sinere felt for Queen Kavady Sdin was clear, despite her calm gaze.

    How could she have warm feelings for someone who had been a constant obstacle, from her childhood to the present day?

    "Please bear with it, Your Majesty. It¡¯s only one evening."

    "I know. I¡¯m just venting because I can¡¯t stand it otherwise."

    It had been several years since she set her mind on making her son king. Her goal had driven her to engage in countless social gatherings, carefully navigating her alliances and objectives.

    But her mere return to the academy filled her with annoyance. Still, it wasn¡¯t all bad.

    "At least Cecile has finally started acting like a prince."

    Her son, who had never once met her expectations, had recently shown a hint of nobility after his defeat by Lucy Allen. Since then, Cecile seemed to have matured, impressing even the high-ranking nobles who once disapproved of him.

    "Thanks to that, I can finally do my job instead of constantly appeasing those old men."

    Sinere nced around the hall, her eyes settling on Lady Patran, who stood among a group of nobledies, her expression restrained but courteous.

    A powerful background and the striking, noble appearance that could silence even the most confident opponent. Combined with her inborn magical talent, Lady Patran had be a central figure among nobledies at the academy.

    I¡¯ll hold off on talking to her until the party heats up a bit. Approaching now would make my intentions too obvious.

    She¡¯s wearing such a beautiful dress. Where did she get it?

    Not even the artisans I know could make something like that. I¡¯ll have to ask herter.

    With her gaze shifting, Sinere set her sights on the saint of the Main Temple.

    Although the Temple hadn¡¯t sent an official delegation, the saint was surrounded by admirers expressing endless gratitude for her past deeds: saving territories, rescuing lives, and easing the grudges of the unjustly dead.

    That¡¯s a minefield even more treacherous than the nobles around Cecile.

    Oh? She¡¯s wearing something more borate than usual. It looks simr to what Lady Patran is wearing. Is it a gift from a friend?

    I¡¯ll set my curiosity aside for now.

    Where¡¯s that Kent girl? Born into a renowned family of swordsmanship, she¡¯s a monstrous talent, pressing down on her entire generation with her skills. Even now, though overshadowed by Lucy Allen, her swordsmanship remains unparalleled.

    Sinere looked away from the girl devouring food in the corner. She knew all too well that approaching her would only lead to frustration.

    That leaves only Arthur. Where is he? The party¡¯s about to start, yet he¡¯s nowhere to be seen.

    While considering speaking with some nobles, the lights dimmed.

    It¡¯s starting. Finally, I¡¯ll get to see Lucy Allen.

    The apostle of the Arts supposedly praised her beauty. Let¡¯s see for myself.

    But the moment the figure, glowing alone in the darkness, appeared on stage, Sinere¡¯s thoughts evaporated.

    As the Second Queen of the kingdom, Sinere had always dismissed beauty with the simple word ¡°beautiful,¡± perhaps with an added emphasis now and then, but she¡¯d never thought to explore beyond that.

    In the past, she¡¯d admired herself for her efficiency. But not now.

    How could she describe this scene before her? How could she exin the sight of Lucy Allen, so radiant in the darkness that it made her mind go nk?

    To capture such beauty with words seemed impossible.

    Should she borate, or perhaps use poetic metaphors?

    Glowing? Brighter than stars? Like a warm sun descending into the hall? An angel sent by the heavens?

    No, I have no words.

    This figure,manding silence with every move, making everyone focus on each gesture, each nce, was beyond description.

    How could she, with only the word ¡°beautiful¡± at her disposal, possibly convey what she saw?

    "Aah¡­"

    As the angelic figure stood center stage, her voice suspended the hall in time. Silence lingered, unwavering, as if it wouldst until she left.

    And then¡­

    "Pfft. Hello, you pathetic lot. How creepy to see you ogling me like perverts. After staring at your own reflections all day, I bet it feels like a dream to see someone this gorgeous. Oh no, what will you do? Afraid to look in the mirror again?"

    "...What?"

    "...What did she just say?"

    "...Did I hear that right?"

    The one who shattered the silence was none other than the girl herself, the very one who had created it.

    At the heart of the stunned crowd, Lucy Allen chuckled, looking down upon the hall with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

 Chapter 347

    When Lucy first appeared on the stage, Joy couldn¡¯t help but gaze at her in pure admiration.

    The experience was so mesmerizing that all the flowery words Joy had learned as a nobledy felt pointless, leaving only the simple praise of "beautiful." She found herself in awe, forgetting her surroundings, entranced by Lucy¡¯s every move.

    Even though I¡¯ve seen her perform before, I¡¯m left speechless¡­ I can only imagine how others must feel. Hehe, I¡¯m thrilled to see everyone captivated by the dress I chose for her. It was worth the time spent trying on countless outfits to find the perfect one.

    However, Joy¡¯s happiness was short-lived. The moment Lucy, standing at the center of the stage, opened her mouth, Joy realized this evening would be memorable for a very different reason.

    Lady Allen! What on earth are you doing? This isn¡¯t the ce to speak like that!

    This is a gathering of nobles, the most powerful ones at that!

    Even with Lord Benedict¡¯s backing, there are limits!

    The old Lucy Allen might have been forgiven, but the current Lucy should know better!

    "Why the shocked faces? It¡¯s not like I lied. Or is it that the truth hurts a little too much? Ah, how terribly sorry I am~."

    "I heard she¡¯s changed, but clearly not."

    "Lucy Allen is still Lucy Allen."

    "Is that the future heir of the Allen family?"

    Watching her friend¡¯s reputation plummet in real-time, Joy screamed internally.

    No! The old Lucy might¡¯ve been that way, but the Lucy Allen of today is a good person! She¡¯s someone who would risk her life for others!

    Yes, she¡¯s yful, but she knows how to be considerate. She shrugs off insults aimed at herself with grace!

    How can you judge her like that, only seeing one side of her?

    Even as she thought this, Joy knew she couldn¡¯t deny their judgment entirely. In the world of noble society, even a single misstep at a sudden meeting could be disastrous, so the disaster Lucy had just created in front of the entire nobility was more than enough material to define her.

    "Is there something wrong with what I¡¯m saying? Hahaha. But, you see, it¡¯s these ipetent academy losers who put me on this stage. What can I do if they¡¯re so weak and dumb that I can¡¯t even lose to them?"

    "That¡­ damned."

    "Look around."

    "If it weren¡¯t for all these people¡­"

    Seeing the harsh expressions on the faces of thedies around her, Joy bit her lip behind her fan.

    The situation was dire. Every time Lucy spoke, people recalled the old Lucy Allen.

    If this continues, no one will believe that Lucy has changed.

    People will think: No one ever truly changes.

    No matter how skilled a scoundrel may be, they remain a scoundrel.

    "The shame of the Allen family."

    The words whispered into her ear made Joy¡¯s head snap around, and she saw a youngdy stifling her voice with a pale face. Joy clenched her teeth.

    Joy knew.

    Now that things had escted to this point, there was no way to undo it.

    The disaster had already happened; there was no returning to how things were.

    Joy understood.

    Stepping forward now would only make herself a target of scorn.

    The criticism simmering beneath the surface would only grow stronger.

    This would be the starting point for future whispers whenever she encountered other factions in noble society.

    Joy knew.

    In terms of noblemon sense, staying silent in this situation was the right thing to do.

    Acting without a legitimate reason would aplish nothing.

    "Pfft."

    Then Joy¡¯s eyes met Lucy¡¯s as sheughed on stage.

    In the midst of the growing discontent and criticism, Joy stared nkly at her friend.

    And then she lowered the fan covering her face.

    Joy, Lady of the Patran family, had long worked tirelessly to live up to the title of a duchess¡¯s daughter.

    No one had forced her.

    With a firstborn brother to inherit the family, her parents had told her to follow her desires. So, her choice to strive for the image of a true nobledy was entirely her own.@@novelbin@@

    "Truly, you are a truedy of the Patran family."

    She hadn¡¯t wanted to disappoint those who had expectations for her.

    "How elegant you are."

    She was afraid of the disdain in people¡¯s eyes if she failed.

    "Such a reliable youngdy."

    She feared bing an outcast if she didn¡¯t live up to everyone¡¯s expectations.

    Joy had lived her life trying to embody the ideal duchess¡¯s daughter.

    She hid her love for sweet treats.

    She erased her dreams of close friendships she read about in novels.

    She suppressed her emotions like any nobledy should.

    She believed it was the right way to live.

    But that changed after she met Lucy.

    Lucy, who called her "Dizzy Joy,"ughed with her as no one else dared.

    She didn¡¯t treat her as "the daughter of a duke" but as a true friend.

    She showed her that she didn¡¯t need to hide herself to avoid being an outcast.

    Who cares about the noble society?

    Why should I care about how the other nobledies see me?

    Why should I worry about what other nobles think of me?

    No matter what happens, I¡¯m Joy Patran.

    The daughter of the Patran family¡¯s duke.

    The one who annoys all the other nobledies.

    The girl who her close friends jokingly call "Dizzy."

    A mage with talents so remarkable that even academy professors praise her.

    And Lucy¡¯s friend.

    "Lady Patran?"

    The moment Joy took a step forward, ady from a count¡¯s family beside her called her name.

    "What are you trying to do?"

    "Surely you¡¯re not going to side with Lady Allen again?"

    "Please don¡¯t, mydy."

    "Lady Patran, remember you are the center of our faction."

    "Mydy, please."

    Despite the flurry of remarks from the nobledies around her, Joy didn¡¯t hear a single one.

    Instead, she revealed the fierce smile usually hidden behind her fan and spoke to them.

    "Silence."

    Words Joy would never have spoken normally.

    Words that were undeniably an insult to anyone who heard them.

    Words that would have made any nobledy¡¯s face turn red.

    But not a single noble dared to speak against her.

    The air around Joy was so cold that it felt as if one might freeze if they dared approach her.

    Shaking off the hand that tried to hold her back, Joy walked forward along the path that naturally opened for her.

    ¡­What am I doing!?

    In a rush of emotion, she acted without thinking, but now what!?

    Of course, I don¡¯t regret what I did! I feel relieved, and I¡¯d answer anyone who tries to chastise me with ¡°So what?¡±

    But I have no idea how to fix this situation!

    Ah! Stupid me!

    Why can¡¯t I think things through before I act!?

    This is why they call me "Dizzy Joy," whether I¡¯m with Lady Allen or the Third Prince!

    "Joy."

    Still marching toward the stage, screaming inside her head, Joy was startled by the sight of her older brother Jeff, who had somehow appeared.

    "Brother."

    "Did you n all this?"

    Joy bit her lip, unable to answer.

    "I thought as much."

    "Brother¡­ what do I do?"

    "Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve already done your part."

    "...What?"

    "You¡¯ve shown your will to our family head. That¡¯s enough."

    It didn¡¯t take long for Joy to understand the meaning behind her brother¡¯s words, that now she could step back.

    A deepugh filled the hall, drawing everyone¡¯s attention.

    The master of the Patran family, one of the six great ducal families, and one of the kingdom¡¯s most powerful figures.

    He was among the few who could speak boldly even in a room filled with nobles.

    The Duke of Patran continuedughing as he spoke.

    "I apologize, everyone. I was simply delighted to see such a bold disy from ourdy."

    Murmurs spread through the crowd, for Lucy¡¯s behavior seemed more insolent than bold.

    But neither the Duke of Patran nor Lucy paid attention to the whispers.

    "Lady Allen?"

    "What is it, Lord Clumsy?"

    "Pfft. You still call me that even here? Thank you."

    The nobles around the hall gasped at the sight of Lucy casually insulting the Duke of Patran and himughing it off as if it were nothing.

    "Allow me to offer one piece of advice. I understand your frustration with those weaker than you, but showing that too openly is unwise."

    "Is it wrong to call weaklings weak?"

    "Technically, the graduation speech is directed at students, so it¡¯s not a problem. But remember, there are more than just students here. Look around; countless stars yet beyond your reach are here."

    The Duke used his magic to step behind Lucy, gesturing to those present.

    "First, there¡¯s the First Queen. One of the mightiest knights in Sdin¡¯s history and a figure who brought peace to the kingdom. When she was chosen as queen, the capital knights famously mourned for months."

    The First Queen shot a sidelong nce at the Duke, smiling.

    "Months is an exaggeration. It was barely a month."

    "In front of Your Majesty, of course. Elsewhere, the grumbling never stopped."

    "Oh my. Sir Sikel, is that true?"

    "Indeed, Your Majesty. Even the vice-captain still toasts to your skill at every gathering."

    "Really? I had no idea."

    The Duke continued, following the Queen¡¯sughter.

    "And then there¡¯s the Second Queen. Once, her skills struck fear into the hearts of academy students."

    "Duke, are you sure that¡¯s apliment?"

    "Haha! I¡¯m honored to know the strength of the Bedfer family banner! How could it be anything else?"

    The Second Queen let out a small chuckle, easing the hall¡¯s tension.

    "Then there¡¯s Count Kent, pride of Sdin¡¯s swordsmanship. Of all people, only he could withstand a sh against your father at his peak."

    "I¡¯d say ¡®withstand¡¯ is a bit generous. It was more like he clung on desperately."

    "Ha! Humble as ever! Ah! We can¡¯t forget Duke Luchten! When he smashed that boulder thrown by a giant with his hammer, I was speechless!"

    "How long ago was that?"

    "The time you got hit by rubble and rolled down the castle wall!"

    "How many times have I told you not to bring that up!"

    The Duke regaled the guests with tales of the nobles present, sharing remarkable feats, amusing incidents, and stories that sparked wonder andughter in the crowd.

    By the time his stories ended, the Duke turned back to Lucy and spoke.

    "Lady Allen, your talent, like your father¡¯s, is extraordinary. One day, you¡¯ll likely be considered the continent¡¯s best. But that day hasn¡¯te yet. Right now, you¡¯re still young and fragile."

    "Are you incapable of being direct? I don¡¯t like pointless, roundabout stories, Lord Clumsy."

    "Show humility, future of Sdin. Make others aspire to your talent rather than envy it, as your father did."

    Lucy quietly looked at the Duke, then left the stage without a word.

    It was a tant act of disrespect, but the Duke only chuckled, so no one dared to call her out.

    "Your Majesty, the First Queen, would you care to offer a toast on behalf of Sdin¡¯s future?"

    "It can¡¯t be helped. Everyone, raise your sses! To Sdin¡¯s future!"

    "To Sdin¡¯s future!"

    The party, which had nearly been filled with tension and resentment, was now infused with the pride of the nobility.

 Chapter 348

    When I first stepped onto the stage, I thought my n was working perfectly.

    The dazed expressions in the crowd were exactly what I¡¯d hoped for. I thought I¡¯d deliver my lines quickly and step down, and that would be it.

    But the moment I opened my mouth, standing in the center of the stage, I realized how wed my n was.

    The eyes filled with confusion, irritation, and surprise clearly belonged to people ensnared by the provocation of my Masochistic Brat skill.

    Even a beauty capable of inspiring awe was meaningless in the face of the skill¡¯s overwhelming effect.

    The entire premise of my n was shattered, and from that moment, anything I said would only worsen the situation.

    Whatever I uttered got twisted in trantion, piercing everyone¡¯s attention like sharp needles. There was nothing I could do.

    This was entirely my fault.

    Ignoring the overpowering provocation that even the gods couldn¡¯t resist¡ªthat was my mistake.

    And not anticipating how badly things could go wrong¡ªthat was my mistake too.

    If I¡¯d handled things better, maybe Joy wouldn¡¯t have looked at me that way.

    In the midst of this hopeless situation, the sound of Duke Patran¡¯sughter reached me like a lifeline.

    Amidst the disgruntled atmosphere, hisughter tookmand of the room, radiating the presence of a true grand noble.

    His skill was so impressive that even the stubborn old men were taken aback, and soon all eyes shifted from me to the Duke.

    Watching him, I felt a wave of gratitude rise within me.

    I¡¯m sorry for calling you the "Lord Clumsy" until now!

    From now on, I¡¯ll call you "Not-at-all-Clumsy Duke"!

    I¡¯ll make sure everyone knows you¡¯re a man of true noble grandeur!

    I don¡¯t know how it¡¯ll trante with my Masochistic Brat skill, but still!

    ¡®Lady Allen.¡¯

    Just before wrapping things up, Duke Patran¡¯s words were strict on the surface, but through telepathy, he sent a different message.

    ¡®I only stepped in to help because it was my daughter¡¯s wish. If you want to express gratitude, do so to her.¡¯

    I simply smiled in response, silently conveying that he had nothing to worry about. I would cherish Joy dearly.

    Before I¡¯m even a fan of hers, Joy is my closest friend.

    For her sake, I¡¯d be willing to risk my life.

    Leaving the hall, I stepped out of the nearly empty academy building, breathing a sigh of relief under a tree.

    ¡®I am <em>never</em> stepping onto a stage again.¡¯

    If I ever find myself in that situation again, I¡¯ll just destroy the stage altogether. No way am I ever standing in front of a crowd like that again. Once was enough.

    <Indeed. This time, it was rather harrowing, even for me. You were in a situation that couldn¡¯t be fixed with your abilities.> ¡®I know.¡¯

    If Duke Patran hadn¡¯t intervened, who knows how much worse things might¡¯ve gotten.

    I shudder just thinking about it.

    <What will you do now?> ¡®I¡¯ll wait for my father.¡¯

    Considering the mess I caused, Benedict won¡¯t be able to slip away easily.

    It¡¯ll take him some time to handle things.

    So until then, I¡¯ll just take a break.

    Benedict will find my trail soon enough.

    <You¡¯re not heading to the dormitory?> ¡®Grandpa, what do you think would happen if that ditzy fox saw me looking like this?¡¯ <¡­Unpleasant, indeed.> ¡®Exactly.¡¯ <So where will you go?> ¡®The ce with the most beautiful night view in Soul Academy.¡¯

    Instead of the dormitory, I chose the academy¡¯s central clock tower.

    It¡¯s typically off-limits, but there¡¯s always a way in.

    After all, there must be pathways for maintenance and repairs.

    In the game, this ce unlocks afterpleting a quest from a far-off region, but this isn¡¯t the game.

    If I remember correctly, pressing here and here should¡­

    Thunk! With a heavy sound, the lock released, and a staircase leading upward was revealed.

    Dust filled the narrow passage, but I didn¡¯t hesitate.

    With the Raven Goddess¡¯s blessing, I didn¡¯t have to worry about dust sticking to me or my outfit getting messed up.

    Relieved to be out of that hellish hall, I climbed the stairs three steps at a time, reaching the top of the clock tower in no time.

    Night falls quickly in this world.

    While magic serves as a substitute for science here, it remains a privilege of the upper ss.

    Ordinary folk don¡¯t have ess to such things.

    As night settles, a long dreamlike silence takes hold of the world.

    Under the tranquil sky, stars and the moon dance, clouds drift by, sometimes veiling the spectacle.

    A sleepless bird chirps praises to the moon and stars.

    Sitting on the railing, swinging my legs, I reminisced about what had just happened.

    The people in that hall who saw things differently amidst the negativity.

    Joy, who shook off other nobles¡¯ hands to reach me.

    Frey, ring around with his silverware still on the table.

    Fayvi, praying with her eyes closed.

    Benedict, holding his ground with a clenched hand.@@novelbin@@

    Carl, his hand resting on the hiltless scabbard.

    Visi, giving me a disgusted look as if to say, "Here she goes again."

    Avery, trembling with uncertain eyes.

    Professors bickering among themselves in the back.

    And many others who, instead of being angry, looked at me with concern.

    Their faces made me feel that my time in this world hadn¡¯t been in vain.

    And so, even though I knew my reputation as the "skilled witch" would only solidify, I was able tough it off.

    Why should I care how people I barely know see me? As long as the people around me think well of me, that¡¯s enough.

    <em>Ding.</em>

    Well, that was fast, you useless god.

    How long has it been since the speech ended, and now you¡¯re sending me a notification?

    [Quest Cleared!]

    ¡­Quest cleared? Why?

    After creating that disaster, how did the quest get cleared?

    Ah. I guess showing off his "beautiful apostle" was enough to satisfy him.

    Should I be happy about this or disgusted that <em>this</em> is my patron god?

    Whatever. Toozy to think; let¡¯s just check the reward.

    [Soul of the Hero] [1. The one bearing the Hero¡¯s Soul enables others to move forward.] [2. ???]

    ¡­

    Oh,e on. Seriously, useless god, how many times do I have to tell you to provide clear exnations like a game tooltip?

    When your apostle asks for rity, maybe <em>listen</em> once in a while! Huh?!

    You may pull random stunts all the time, but could you at least <em>try</em> to meet me halfway after everything I¡¯ve done?

    <Child.> ¡®What? I¡¯m...¡¯

    <Someone ising this way.>

    What?

    At his words, I sharpened my senses and heard someone ascending the stairs.

    Did I leave the door open on my way up?

    ...Yep. In my excitement, I forgot to close it.

    What should I do? Am I bing as ditzy as Joy by spending so much time with her?

    Hmm.

    Well, it should be fine.

    It¡¯s still early, and the party won¡¯t be over for a while.

    Whoever it is, it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.

    "...Lady Allen?"

    The moment I locked eyes with the woman who had climbed the stairs, I regretted not immediately leaping down as soon as I sensed her presence.

    Standing there in surprise was the Second Queen of the Sdin Kingdom.

    Senare Sdin.

    That damned Patran. To bring up my academy days and mess with me.

    ming it on the alcohol, Senare had slipped out of the party hall and cursed under her breath as she walked through the empty za.

    She considered her academy days an embarrassing memory.

    A time when she was still young, unused to hiding her emotions and acting noble.

    The days when she was suffocated by her family¡¯s pressure to live like the daughter of a duke were anything but pleasant.

    ¡®Senare. Another loss? Hah. How did we end up with a child like this?¡¯

    "Damn it."

    ¡®Oh, Lady Bedfer. What a pity. If only you¡¯d tried a bit harder, you would have won.¡¯

    "Damn it."

    ¡®This approach will only hurt your body. You are capable of so much more¡­¡¯

    "Damn it."

    ¡®Senare, causing trouble is fine, but don¡¯t inconvenience me. Because of you¡­¡¯

    "Damn it all."

    "Bang!" She struck the wall hard, bowing her head as she caught her breath.

    I know. I know it¡¯s all in the past.

    That bastard Duke Patran probably brought it up yfully, thinking it was funny!

    But how am I supposed to stop the nightmares, even knowing that?

    No one now dares to treat me the way they used to.

    The old men of the Bedfer family watch what they say around me.

    Those obnoxious brats who used to look down on me sweat when they stand before me now.

    Even that cursed sister of mine calls me "Your Majesty" to my face.

    The nightmares of the academy should have ended by now.

    I should be free from their hold.

    So why can¡¯t I break free?

    As she wandered aimlessly in her anger, Senare found herself in front of the academy¡¯s central clock tower.

    Like a stray dog returning home, here she was again.

    As she nced at the clock tower¡¯s open entrance, she blinked.

    ¡­Why is the door open?

    All the professors should be at the party.

    Could it be?

    Driven by an impulse she didn¡¯t fully understand, Senare stepped inside.

    She didn¡¯t care about the dust coating the stairs.

    Enchanted by some invisible force, she just wanted to meet whoever was at the top of those stairs.

    Her slow, measured steps became quicker, almost frantic, until she arrived at the top.

    Raising her gaze, she spotted a girl sitting on the railing, swinging her legs.

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    But it wasn¡¯t the person she was looking for.

    The one she sought wasn¡¯t this beautiful.

    She wasn¡¯t this delicate, almost fragile.

    She didn¡¯t wear such a yful smile.

    She didn¡¯t know why Lucy Allen was here, but she decided this was an opportunity.

    An opportunity to talk to that insolent girl alone.

    "Greetings, Lady Allen."

    Donning her queenly mask, Senare bit her lip as she watched Lucy stare at her without even a slight bow.

    Keep calm.

    Keep calm.

    This insolent girl is an essential piece in my faction.

    If I want my foolish son topete against Rene Sdin, I need this brat.

    "...Greetings, vile and decrepit Queen. You wear the dust quite well."

    ¡­This little¡­

 Chapter 349

    I''m on it¡ªlet''s continue the trantion from where we left off:

    Damn it. I''mpletely screwed.

    Look at that smile twisting on her face.

    <em>Sigh.</em> This is exactly why I didn¡¯t want to run into the Second Queen.

    Why is she here, instead of staying at the party talking with her faction?

    It doesn¡¯t make any sense.

    ¡®Grandfather, what should I do now?¡¯

    No matter what I say, it¡¯ll only make things worse, like during my speech earlier.

    How am I supposed to navigate this?

    I need the wise counsel of Sir Luel, the noble knight.

    <Just do as you please.> ¡®¡­Are you only saying that because it doesn¡¯t concern you directly?¡¯ <Didn¡¯t I tell you before? She needs you, but you don¡¯t need her. So it¡¯s fine to treat her however you like.>

    My grandfather insisted that titles like Queen or Duke weren¡¯t all that important in this situation, but I couldn¡¯t entirely agree.

    Politically, he was probably right¡ªif the Second Prince wants topete with the First Prince, he¡¯ll need me, so she won¡¯t be able to push too hard, no matter what I do.

    But here¡¯s the thing: people don¡¯t always act based on reason.

    History is full of cases where people made ruinous decisions that defied logic.

    What guarantee do I have that the Second Queen won¡¯t join their ranks?

    And on top of that, I have my Masochistic Brat skill.

    Can the Second Queen really maintain her reason in the face of this destructive provocation, capable of obliterating even a saint¡¯s patience?

    ¡°Really, Duke Patran wasn¡¯t wrong. You are incredibly arrogant.¡±

    Wow. So she didn¡¯t be queen of this kingdom for nothing.

    How did she manage to rephrase that insult so smoothly?

    As I marveled at the Second Queen¡¯sposure, she brushed back her disheveled hair and continued speaking.

    ¡°Well, fine. You have the talent to back up your arrogance. I¡¯ll let this offense slide just this once.¡±

    Excuse me, but I don¡¯t think this offense is going to end with "just this once."

    Now that I¡¯ve dubbed you "Vile, Decrepit Queen," I¡¯m going to keep calling you that unless something drastic happens.

    ¡°Why are you mming up now? Do you think I¡¯m not even worth a response?¡±

    No, no! This silence is the best courtesy I can offer!

    I¡¯m biting my lip because who knows what disaster mighte out if I start talking!

    ¡°So, ''Vile, Decrepit Queen'' is the only thing you can say to me?¡±

    Argh!

    No, that¡¯s not it! It¡¯s a misunderstanding!

    Please, with your queenly insight, read my expression like Karia does! Understand my true feelings!

    <Child.> ¡®What is it now?!¡¯ <You¡¯ve been smirking and provoking the Queen since earlier.> ¡®¡­Seriously?¡¯

    I touched the corners of my mouth, realizing that one side was indeed raised in a smirk.

    It¡¯s true.

    Yes, it¡¯s true.

    ¡­

    Damn this <em>freaking Masochistic Brat skill</em>!

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    Hearing her exasperatedugh, I seriously considered leaping off the clock tower to escape.

    Wouldn¡¯t it be better to make a swift exit than to keep facing her here?

    Sure, that would be a huge insult too, but it might be less insulting than continuing this conversation.

    Yes, let¡¯s do that. Besides, I¡¯m not someone who¡¯d get hurt from this height.

    It should be fine.

    ¡°Like mother, like daughter¡ªequally insolent. I wonder how long the Allen family¡¯s glory will¡­¡±

    The moment I heard the word ¡°mother,¡± my cluttered thoughts disappeared, leaving a cold calmness in their ce.

    It wasn¡¯t the calm born of reason but rather the frigid rity that rises amid swelling fury.

    I wasn¡¯t sure why.

    After all, the Second Queen had every right toin. It wasn¡¯t even much of an insult¡ªif Lucy¡¯s mother did something in the past, her resentment might be justified.

    And I hardly knew Lucy¡¯s mother, only that she genuinely loved her daughter.

    But the rational part of me had no reason to be angry at the Second Queen.

    Yet my heart, my emotions, my seething head, ignored reason¡¯s proposal.

    And all they shouted was one thing:

    Pay her back.

    Avenge her.

    Make this wretched woman cry with frustration until she can¡¯t hold back her tears.

    If Fayvi were standing here, maybe I¡¯d hold back and listen to reason.

    But I¡¯m not.

    Ah, damn it. Who cares? I¡¯ll figure something out.

    My grandfather just told me a moment ago that it¡¯s fine to act recklessly.

    He¡¯s experienced the noble and lesiastic worlds alike¡ªif he says it¡¯s okay, then what¡¯s the problem?

    ¡°Pfft.?¡±

    I let a giggle escape and narrowed my eyes.

    The Second Queen, who¡¯d been mutteringints, furrowed her brow, clearly waiting for a response.

    As if daring me to say something.

    Her posture, her attitude, was nothing if not confident. She believed that no matter what I said, it would be meaningless.

    ¡°Why are you so angry?? Is it already menopause?? Considering the Prince¡¯s age, it must have been a ratherte birth. That must have been tough on you.?¡±

    One line was all it took to shatter her calm.

    ¡°...Lady Allen, what nonsense are you spouting?¡±

    Watching Senare¡¯s forced smile vanish, I raised my smirk even higher.

    Come now, it¡¯s too soon to get serious. I¡¯ve only just started.

    ¡°Nonsense?? What nonsense?? I¡¯ve only spoken the truth, haven¡¯t I??¡±

    I tilted my head innocently, and I heard the grind of her teeth.

    Senare had no idea.

    She didn¡¯t realize how many weaknesses she was revealing in her anger.

    How many openings she was giving me.

    In her mind, she probably thought she was maintaining her queenlyposure.

    But that¡¯s not how I see it.

    Not in terms of vulnerabilities.

    ¡°Truly,? there¡¯s probably no one worse at lying than me. Vile, Decrepit Queen, isn¡¯t that so??¡± ¡°...There are limits to what offenses I¡¯ll tolerate.¡± ¡°Why do you hate this shabby academy so much??¡±

    I could see it now.

    The distaste in her eyes every time she nced at the academy buildings.

    For whatever reason, she disliked Soul Academy.

    ¡°What kind of things did you do as a student here?? I suppose, being the mother of the Prince, you must have been just as bad if not worse.?¡± ¡°Enough.¡±

    So, she¡¯s even dropped the formal tone.

    But I¡¯m not done yet.

    Not when this fire inside me is still burning strong.

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯re so cold to the Prince?? Is it self-hatred, seeing a child who¡¯s just like you??¡± ¡°Hah. And what about you? For someone raised by such a hypocrite of a mother, you¡¯re awfully straightforward. What, you didn¡¯t want to follow her example?¡±

    Seeing my fist clench, Senare sneered.

    Fine. Got it. Let¡¯s see this through to the end.

    ¡°Calling kindness hypocrisy reveals a lot about the character of the Vile, Decrepit Queen.? There¡¯s a reason you couldn¡¯t be the First Queen, isn¡¯t there??¡± ¡°Haha, yes, you¡¯re right. Just as there¡¯s a reason why someone like you, who looks so decent on the outside, can¡¯t secure a single marriage proposal. It¡¯s your personality.¡±

    ¡°Oh my,? you think it¡¯s because I <em>can¡¯t</em>?? Pfft.? I think I¡¯m starting to get a picture of what your school days were like.?¡± ¡°Well, good luck with those empty hopes. I hope you¡¯ll keep up that optimistic thinking when you¡¯re old and alone.¡±

    My brain worked faster than ever as I focused on bringing her down.

    I didn¡¯t know if it was the influence of the Masochistic Brat skill or just who I am as a person, but now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about that.

    What mattered more was shutting that damn woman up.

    I recalled the details from when the Second Queen had arrived at the clock tower.

    The rushed tter of high heels on the stairs.

    The dust-covered state she was in.

    The disappointed expression she¡¯d shown when she saw me.

    And the words of a female adventurer I¡¯d met in the game who¡¯d told me about this clock tower before I became part of this world.

    ¡®I used to sneak out of the dorms to watch the night sky with a friend. But due to the difference in our status, we couldn¡¯t stay together for long.¡¯

    A strange certainty filled my mind.

    A certainty that this line would leave her speechless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.? Unlike certain others, I¡¯d never betray my friends for the sake of sess.? I¡¯ll never end up alone.?¡±

    And my certainty was confirmed by Senare¡¯s shocked face.

    ¡°...How do you¡­¡± ¡°Oh,e on,? Vile, Decrepit Queen, try thinking for yourself once in a while.? How could you get so high up and still be so clueless??¡± ¡°Answer me! How do you know about that?¡±

    ¡°Are you that curious?? Really want to hear it?? For someone that desperate, your neck seems awfully stiff~?¡± ¡°This is an order from Second Queen Senare Sdin! Tell me!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pathetic how you cling to power the moment things get rough.? But well,? I¡¯m just a weak, fragile nobledy, so I suppose I shouldply.?¡±

    Seeing the veins pulsing on Senare¡¯s forehead, I sorted through my thoughts and chose the option I thought she¡¯d hate the most.

    ¡°How do you think I learned how to open the door?? How do you think I know about the past of someone I couldn¡¯t care less about??¡± ¡°...Did you meet¡­ her?¡± ¡°Correct!? I happened to meet that dear, lowly adventurer, and she even left a message for me to pass on when I next saw you~? So, are you interested?? Want to know??¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You remember what I just said, right?? If you want to hear it, what should you do~??¡±

    I stepped right up to her, openly taunting her, and she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

    ¡°...Fine.¡± ¡°Pardon?? I couldn¡¯t hear you over the sound of your petty pride.?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°¡­Tell me! If you do, I¡¯ll forgive all offenses and give you anything you want! Please!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? You do seem desperate.? But what a shame~? It¡¯s such an old memory now, I can barely recall.? My apologies~? Pfft.?¡±

    As she stared at me in disbelief, a grey, ashen light began to gather in her hands, shifting into the shape of an axe.

    With twin axes that looked far from fitting for a noblewoman, Senare seemed to find calm within her fury.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t kill you. I still have things to hear.¡±

    ¡°Taking up weapons when words fail you.? So barbaric.? It suits the Vile, Decrepit Queen perfectly.?¡±

    Drawing a shield and mace from my inventory, I spoke provocatively, though I felt cold sweat trickling down.

    She¡¯s strong. Incredibly strong.

    Not on the level of Benedict or Count Kent, but strong enough to crush me in my current state.

    How long can I hold out?

    Hopefully, someone from the party will notice something strange at the clock tower before I go down.

    <¡­Child, can¡¯t you just tell her?> ¡®I refuse.¡¯ <This is different from before! Now, your life could genuinely be in danger!> ¡®Still refusing. Backing down now would feel like losing.¡¯

    Unless she¡¯s the one to kneel first, I¡¯m not about to bow my head to someone who insulted my mother.

    <Lucy! For heaven¡¯s sake, listen to me!> ¡°Are you just going to stand there looking pretty??¡±

    Ignoring my grandfather¡¯s voice, I let out augh, and Senare returned it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep that smile.¡±

    Under the moonlight, her axe gleamed with a deadly edge as it swung straight for my neck.

 Chapter 350

    Within less than a minute of Senare''s axe flying toward me, I finally understood why Duke Patran had mentioned the Bedfer family¡¯s banner.

    This woman, Senare, isn¡¯t some nobledy sheltered from violence.

    She¡¯s someone who¡¯s trampled over countless battlefields, soaking her weapons in endless blood.

    <em>Crash!</em> I gritted my teeth against the impact as her axe struck my shield.

    Normally, I would have a moment to catch my breath here, but not with Senare.

    She was the type who could press her assault with one axe in hand while threatening me with the other.

    Even now, her second axe was aimed at my arm. I quickly dodged back to evade it, then rolled to the side as she swung at my head.

    ¡°You¡¯re good at running. Just like the honorless little brat you are.¡± ¡°Oh? And is it an honorable thing to attack a girl much younger than you?? When ites to disgrace, I¡¯d say you¡¯re on a whole other level, Vile, Decrepit Queen.?¡±

    <em>Crash!</em> I was forced back by another blow to my shield, watching small stones tumble down the cliffside with a bitterugh.

    Even if I fall, I won¡¯t get hurt, but my pride will shatter.

    And I can¡¯t have that. Even if she¡¯s a difficult opponent, I won¡¯t be satisfied until Ind at least one hit.

    Gripping my shield tightly, I looked forward to see Senare, wielding her axes with the ease of a jester performing a dance.

    ¡°You look more like a butcher than a queen.? You¡¯ve hidden that savage nature quite well, haven¡¯t you??¡± ¡°That¡¯s the world of nobility, kid. If you live as openly as you do, your head will be gone before you know it.¡±

    The moment I deflected her axe, she moved her feet.

    Is she trying to draw my attention for an attack?

    As I adjusted my shield to block her descending axe, a sharp vibration spread through my body.

    I¡¯d managed to parry her blow, giving me a chance to counter, but the moment I saw the axe in Senare¡¯s supposedly empty hand, I had to urgently raise my shield again.

    <em>Crash!</em> The force transmitted through the shield made me clench my teeth.

    She created a new axe out of mana?!

    So, the throw wasn¡¯t a distraction¡ªit was meant to lower my guard!

    ¡°It¡¯s cute, watching you desperately scramble with that shield.¡± ¡°And the Vile, Decrepit Queen is just as despicable for attacking a young girl!?¡±

    Pinned against the cliff edge, I barely had a moment to breathe as I withstood her relentless strikes.

    Senare¡¯s attacks weren¡¯tpletely overwhelming.

    Compared to facing Count Kent¡¯s sword or the Duke of Burrow¡¯s de, this was manageable.

    Yet, I was still on the defensive, and that was because of the vast difference in ourbat experience.

    Senare knew how to fight humans.

    She knew how to cloud her opponent¡¯s judgment.

    She knew how to circumvent even the most unbreakable defenses.

    She knew how to elicit curses from her enemies.

    Having fought on countless battlefields,

    Having severed the necks of numerous foes,

    Having stained her banner with blood on victorious fields,

    Her experience weighed down on me, a mere academy student.

    ¡°Oh dear. Are you alright? If you can¡¯t break away, you¡¯ll fall right off.¡±

    But it wasn¡¯t enough to bring me down.

    My dress, chosen by Joy, was torn in ces, and my once-fair skin was painted with red wounds.

    Pain radiated from various parts of my body, but still, I stood on both legs.

    Even in the midst of this intense battle, I managed a dark smile.

    ¡°Do you even have the strength to make me fall??¡±

    I spread divine energy through my body, healing my wounds.

    Though pain surged as my body rapidly mended itself, the grin on my face didn¡¯t waver.

    Compared to everything I¡¯d been through, this pain was nothing.

    ¡°With all that extra weight you¡¯ve put on from your cushy queen¡¯s life, there¡¯s no way you can pull it off.?¡±

    I smiled slyly, watching Senare through my shield.

    During the barrage of attacks, I observed many things.

    I took in every detail of Senare, analyzing and mapping out a path to victory.

    Mybat style, honed after meeting a false yet heroic skeleton, was solidified further by the experience I gained from real battles.

    That knowledge spoke clearly to me now:@@novelbin@@

    As long as I haven¡¯t been forced to speak, Senare has already lost.

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m out of practice, it¡¯s easy to shatter a puny kid like you.¡± ¡°Really?? Because I look far too intact for that to be true.? Maybe what you and I consider ¡®easy¡¯ is just very different??¡±

    If Senare and I were to meet on a bare field, shing without regard for status or allegiance,

    I would lose. The realistic gap between us is just too vast.

    But today¡¯s circumstances are different.

    ¡°You wretched girl!¡±

    The problem with Senare¡¯s attacks was the nature of their strength.

    Her axe was formidable but not powerful enough to shatter my defenses.

    Not because Senare was weak.

    But because no human could break the shield blessed by the gods, a shield that had held its form even against the evil god Agra.

    ¡°Damn it!¡±

    If she couldn¡¯t destroy my shield, then she had to target me behind it.

    But herey her limitation.

    She couldn¡¯t kill me.

    Nor could she inflict a grievous wound.

    If she tried that, Benedict Allen, the monstrous man who woulde after her, would bring disaster to her doorstep. So, despite aiming for my neck, she had to pull back her axe.

    ¡°Damn it all!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t afford a prolonged battle of attrition either.

    Time was not on her side; it was on mine.

    Before the party ended and nobles poured out,

    Before Benedict Allen, the monster, was freed from his own social obligations,

    Before our private duel atop the clock tower was revealed to everyone,

    Senare needed to make me talk.

    Otherwise, she¡¯d lose her political leverage, and drawing her axes would have been in vain.

    She wouldn¡¯t get the answers she wanted.

    ¡°Damn it all!¡±

    Her attacks grew faster, more intense, and the wounds on my body multiplied, but I ignored the pain.

    The superficial cuts on my skin meant nothing.

    As long as I held onto my shield,

    As long as I didn¡¯t allow a fatal opening,

    She couldn¡¯t break me.

    <Lucy! Pull back!...>

    My assessment crumbled when I noticed the smile etched on Senare¡¯s face¡ªthe face I thought was growing desperate.

    Without hesitation, she threw both of her axes and raised her hands.

    In her grip appeared a massive double-headed axe, one that could probably cleave trees centuries old.

    Desperately, I summoned a miracle on my shield, but it wasn¡¯t enough topletely absorb the axe¡¯s power.

    My stance broke, and Senare¡¯s hands were once again free.

    A newly conjured hand axe mmed into the side of my shield, shattering my defensepletely.

    With my shield now out of the way, Senare¡¯s cold eyes looked down on me.

    It was toote to reset my guard.

    All I could do was swing my mace to create an opening¡ª

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    But before I could, the shaft of her axe smashed into my abdomen.

    As the pain coursed through my organs, I staggered, only for the back of her axe to strike me in the head.

    The world shed before me, and before I knew it, I was sprawled on the cold stone floor.

    My shield teetered dangerously on the cliff''s edge, and the mace in my hand was being crushed under Senare¡¯s high heel, delivering nothing but agony.

    ¡°You¡¯re really stubborn, aren¡¯t you? How is a kid who hasn¡¯t evenpleted her second year at the academy this skilled?¡±

    Just as I was gathering divine energy to escape, an axe whizzed past my ear, embedding itself in the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯ve figured out exactly how much I can injure you. Don¡¯t move if you don¡¯t want things to get ugly.¡±

    With her words, I understood my mistake.

    Just as I had been observing her, Senare had been watching me.

    In her repeated strikes against my shield, she had studied my defense.

    In the process of inflicting minor wounds, she¡¯d gauged how far I could heal.

    Once she was sure of her assessment, she faked a disadvantage to make me drop my guard, then overturned the situation in one fell swoop.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you answer a few questions, nothing else will happen.¡±

    An undeniable, crushing defeat.

    ¡°You know what I¡¯m going to ask, don¡¯t you?¡±

    I looked at Senare¡¯s forced smile and thought.

    If I gave her everything she wanted here, she¡¯d be satisfied.

    She might resent me, but she wouldn¡¯t push further, knowing I could join the First Prince¡¯s faction. Maybe I could even use this to pressure herter.

    ¡°Of course.? How could I not know, with such a foolish expression showing exactly what¡¯s on your mind, Vile, Decrepit Queen??¡± ¡°Then answer me.¡± ¡°Already losing your memory?? I already answered, didn¡¯t I?? I told you, it¡¯s such an old story I can hardly remember.?¡±

    But I didn¡¯t want to tell her what she wanted.

    No matter what my grandfather said, no matter what logic demanded, I refused to watch her gloat over me insulting my mother.

    ¡°Haha. You really are a cursed little brat.¡±

    With a swift kick to my wrist, Senare knocked my mace from my hand, pressing her heel lightly onto my sr plexus as she smiled.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can keep that attitude.¡±

    ¡°Gahhh!¡±

    Her heel, enhanced with mana, broke through my divine shield and dug into my skin.

    Bit by bit,

    like a tool drilling into the earth,

    her heel created a hole in my flesh,

    as if aiming to expose my organs to the open air.

    The endless pain¡ª

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡ªsuddenly stopped.

    Barely able to stay conscious, I turned my head toward a familiar pair of shoulders.

    Those massive shoulders, so enormous they seemed beyond human, rumored to carry the blood of giants.

    ¡°Second Queen.¡±

    Benedict Allen.

    A name that alwayses up in discussions of the continent¡¯s greatest warriors¡ªa knight whose very presence inspires fear on the battlefield.

    ¡°No, Senare.¡±

    The voice that came from his lips was so chilling, I could hardly believe it was the same voice that usually carried a foolishly affectionate tone.

    ¡°You¡¯d better have a damn good reason for hurting my daughter. Otherwise, you have no idea what I¡¯m capable of doing.¡±

 Chapter 351

    When Benedict was young, the word promise¡± had no ce in his life.

    Even before entering the academy, Benedict had already made a name for himself, single-handedly defeating every knight in the Allen family¡¯s order. Back then, full of naive strength, Benedict believed that whatever he wished for could be achieved.

    This conviction only strengthened when he entered the academy. At first, he struggled with studies he¡¯d never encountered before, but his determination not to lose to anyone drove him to sess.

    After graduation, his life changed little. Loved by the people of hisnd, he won victory after victory in the kingdom¡¯s wars and saw no reason to curb his arrogance.

    But Benedict faced his first failure when he experienced love. He, who had always dered that he had no time to waste on women, fell for someone.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    For the first time in his life, he failed to achieve what he wanted. But Benedict didn¡¯t give up.

    Not one to be discouraged, he ignored the numerous marriage proposals presented by family elders and pursued his unwavering devotion.

    ¡°You¡¯re such a fool.¡±

    That hard-won marriage became the happiest time of his life.

    Even now, Benedict could not forget the feeling of holding his daughter for the first time. Afraid that a single wrong move might hurt her, he broke into a cold sweat, while his wifeughed at his awkwardness.

    And he would never forget the moment when the little girl gazed at him, giggling as she grasped his finger.

    Raising a child was no easy task. Before she could speak, he struggled to understand her needs. When she started talking, her quirky ways became a new source of worry.

    Where had she picked up suchnguage? Calling him things like ¡°fool¡± or ¡°useless.¡± Benedict often wondered where he might have gone wrong.

    ¡°Mira, have we spoiled her too much? Should we be stricter, like others say?¡± ¡°Benedict, could you even be strict with Lucy?¡± ¡°¡­Oh¡­ uh¡­¡± ¡°There you go. You can¡¯t, can you? Don¡¯t worry about what others say. We have our own way.¡±

    After his wife, whose health had always been frail, passed away, Lucy¡¯s quirks only intensified. But Benedict was too consumed by his grief to pay her much attention.

    Only when he remembered his beloved¡¯sst words did he finallye to his senses.

    ¡°Benedict, please take care of Lucy.¡±

    By then, too many things had gone astray, beyond what even the hero ¡°Benedict Allen¡± could restore.

    Thus, he learned the meaning ofpromise.

    He mastered the art of bowing his head to secure the best oue for his daughter amid the worst situations.

    He became skilled at suppressing his anger and putting on a foolish smile.

    That¡¯s why Senare Sdin could stand unharmed before him now.

    Though he¡¯d love nothing more than to crush that face, he knew doing so would bind the Allen family in countless chains, and those chains would extend to his daughter.

    Benedict wanted his daughter to live in peace, not in turmoil.

    So, with bloodshot eyes, he held back his fist.

    ¡°Sir Benedict¡­ I mean, this¡­¡±

    ¡°First, take that foot off my daughter.¡±

    The oppressive aura that could unnerve even a dragon radiated from him, causing Senare to stumble backward, tripping and falling to the floor.

    But Benedict didn¡¯t spare her a nce, instead going to his daughter¡¯s side.

    Though Lucy had been crying out in pain moments before, by the time Benedict reached her, she wore her usual bright smile.

    ¡°Foolish Father, it seems a bit early to be sneaking out of the party, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Benedict tried to smile back at her angelic expression, but he failed.

    Just how much pain has she endured in my absence, to smile like this?

    To smile as if her wounds mean nothing?

    The girl who once shed tears over the smallest cut¡­

    ¡°I never intended for things to go this far!¡±

    Hearing Senare¡¯s outcry, Benedict gently patted Lucy¡¯s head and then stood up.

    ¡°I know, Senare. I know my daughter¡¯s temperament better than anyone.¡±

    Senare was sharp enough to be the second queen; she wouldn¡¯t have done something so reckless if Lucy hadn¡¯t instigated it.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Then¡­ if that¡¯s the case¡­¡±

    ¡°But, Senare, there are limits.¡±

    Today, Benedict understood the meaning ofpromise.

    He knew that those who mocked and criticized his daughter had their reasons, and raising his voice in anger wouldn¡¯t solve anything.

    But even he had limits.

    ¡°Let me say this once more, Senare. I hope there is a justified reason for you to have trampled over my daughter.¡±

    Because if not, I cannot promise what I might do.

    As he took a step forward, Senare instinctively backed away, not out of conscious thought but from a primal instinct warning her to flee.

    But her retreat was short-lived. The clock tower¡¯s confined space wasn¡¯t generous to those who tried to escape. The sound of falling stones signaled her cornered position.

    He¡¯sing.

    The monster ising.

    The harbinger of death is approaching.

    Despair in human form was advancing.

    Senare, a veteran of the battlefield, understood the terror that this despair represented.

    A cmity capable of single-handedly turning the tide of war was beyond human capability.

    It wasn¡¯t something that people could hope to stop.

    Should I just fall?

    No, even if I did, that monster would still pursue me.

    Should I scream?

    But what difference would that make?

    Who could possibly stop that monster?

    Fear.

    Fear.

    In the midst of overwhelming terror, the endless wave of despair was broken by a voice, high and cheerful, utterly out of ce in the night.

    ¡°Papa?¡±

    Tap.

    A small hand reached out to block the giant¡¯s path.

    It would¡¯ve been easy to brush it aside, but the giant didn¡¯t. He only waited patiently for the words of the child he loved.

    ¡°It¡¯s only natural for an old hag to throw a tantrum?¡±

    ¡°¡­Lucy.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m tired? Is Papa really going to leave me because of that old nag?¡±

    As Lucy held out her arms in a request for a hug, Benedict¡¯s stern face softened into a gentle smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for neglecting you.¡±

    With one arm, he effortlessly lifted her onto his shoulder and, expression hardening once more, red at the trembling Senare.

    ¡°I hope there will be no repeat of today¡¯s events.¡±

    And with that, it was over.

    With a single step, Benedict shook the clock tower as he left the academy grounds.

    Left alone, Senare took deep breaths to calm her trembling hands and lingering fear.

    I wish those fools back at court, who think Benedict Allen has grown old and weak, could have seen that.

    How is that ¡°aging¡±?

    A monster remains a monster! Forgetting herposure as a queen, Senare pounded the stone floor in frustration and then ran her hands over her face.

    ¡°Nabil. Come out.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    Her escort emerged from the shadows of the clock tower wall and bowed respectfully.

    ¡°I apologize for not intervening earlier in the tense situation.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know it would¡¯ve only escted if you¡¯d stepped in.¡±

    From the moment she had drawn her weapon, there had been no turning back.

    No matter what, she should never have drawn her weapon in front of Lucy Allen, especially when that girl was so vital to her goals.

    ¡°Foolish woman. Letting the past cloud her present.¡±

    I swore to live for the future, and this is what I¡¯ve be.

    Cursing her own foolishness, Senare frowned.

    Wait.

    Why did my reasonpletely vanish?

    It wasn¡¯t just anger. At some point, my rationality simply disappeared.

    Yes, right after I insulted Lucy Allen¡¯s mother, and that child¡¯s smile darkened.

    Pressing her lips together, Senare recalled the sight of Lucy shielding her father and let out a long sigh.

    Family¡­

    In noble society, there¡¯s no such thing as family.

    Yet today, I was oddly reminded of Cecil¡¯s grown-up face.

    Closing her eyes tightly, Senare finally spoke.

    ¡°Nabil, send a messenger to the Allen family. Tell them I intend to apologize in person.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    Earning the resentment of Benedict Allen was something I couldn¡¯t avoid.

    But it shouldn¡¯t escte into outright hostility.

    That monster alone could tip the scales of power.

    If that fails, I may have to win over the girl who can control him.

    ¡°Damn it.¡±

    How am I supposed to mend things after that incident?

    It¡¯d be more realistic if that monster ordered my execution instead.

    ¡°Your Majesty, if I may make a suggestion.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Lady Allen appeared to be sensitive to anything rted to her mother. Perhaps an apology addressing that would be appropriate.¡±

    ¡°¡­Not bad.¡±

    She had once given me a simple bracelet, in enough that I¡¯d kept it stored away. Now, it might actually be useful.

    ¡°Prepare other items rted to dungeons or armor as well.¡±

    Meeting Lucy Allen won¡¯t just be for apologies.

    ¡°Understood, Your Majesty. Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, that should be enough.¡±

    After shaking her head, Senare straightened her posture and made her way back to the party.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    After hearing everything, Benedict looked out the window with aplicated expression rather than saying anything to me.

    Not wanting to disrupt his thoughts, I waited quietly for him to gather himself.

    To look at him now, he didn¡¯t seem any different than usual.

    But a moment ago, when he¡¯d been so serious, he was terrifying.

    The intensity was so overwhelming that even though it wasn¡¯t directed at me, I found myself frozen.

    If that power had been aimed at me, I would have been bowing my head, muttering apologies.

    Thinking back on the clock tower incident, I pouted as I remembered Senare¡¯s trickery.

    ¡®Grandfather, how do you ovee ack of experience?¡¯

    The reason I¡¯d been so thoroughly beaten by Senare was clear: a difference in experience.

    I¡¯d never truly fought against a superior warrior in earnest.

    Those like Posell and Karl, who were stronger than me, usually held back to teach rather than truly challenge me.

    Against people like Adria or Nakrad, I won more through clever strategies than pure skill.

    Even my fight with the Duke of Burrow, while he was possessed, had been a victory through sheer luck.

    The thought that Senare could read and counter my moves had never crossed my mind, and it was due to thisck of experience.

    <There¡¯s only one way: fight more often and with more intensity.>

    ¡®I suppose so.¡¯

    I¡¯d already thought about it before. I need to engage in seriousbat with stronger opponents.

    To grow stronger, it¡¯s something I must do.

    While mentally listing things to aplish during this vacation, I remembered I had a favor to ask of Benedict.

    ¡°Father.¡±

    ¡°Foolish Father.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What is it, Lucy?¡±

    ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡±

    ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to ask, and if you agree, I might just think you¡¯re the best foolish father ever.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you want, just say the word! Your papa will do anything within his power!¡±

    ¡°Well, you see¡­¡±

    ¡°I want my weak friends to train with our family¡¯s foolish knights.¡±

 Chapter 352

    "Of course, you can! Why on earth would I refuse if Lucy wants to bring a friend over to the estate?"

    Benedict raised his voice excitedly, barely letting me finish my sentence.

    Uh... I didn¡¯t expect him to agree so easily.

    Is it even alright to have someone else join the Knight Order¡¯s training? Couldn¡¯t that cause issues if internal methods are leaked? Shouldn¡¯t he at least check with the Knight Order if this is even possible?

    "Haha! What are you worrying about? That rascal Posell would wee any friend of yours, Lucy!"

    That doesn¡¯t sound like a n at all.

    Benedict, as the head of the house, you really shouldn¡¯t be so irresponsible.

    "And Lucy, do you think anyone from another family could take our training methods and manage to follow them? If they could, they¡¯d have joined our Knight Order already."

    I tilted my head at his overly confident tone, full of pride for the Allen Knight Order.

    Is Allen''s Knight Order training really that tough?

    Well, sure, it¡¯s incredibly grueling, but any decent knight should be able to manage, right?

    People say I¡¯m already on par with an ordinary knight, and I¡¯ve been keeping up with the training so far.

    <¡­Girl, that¡¯s because you¡¯re a bit of an exception.> ¡®Really?¡¯ <Yes. Even by wartime standards, the Allen family¡¯s training is extreme.>

    As I listened to the exnation that an average knight might drop dead halfway through, I realized I hadpletely underestimated it.

    No, I was just nning to give them a taste of grueling training, not actually send them through hell.

    "Sniff! Our daughter, who was always by herself, finally has a friend!"

    But there was no taking back what I¡¯d already said.

    How could I tell a doting father, moved to tears by the thought of his daughter bringing a friend, that I was only kidding?

    Well, I¡¯m not too sure, but Posell will probably handle it. He¡¯s taught others countless times; he¡¯ll definitely adjust it to their level.

    <Here¡¯s a suggestion: prepare an apology gift for your friends in advance.> ¡®...I¡¯ll think about it.¡¯

    ¡°Training at the Allen Knight Order? Seriously?!¡±

    Arthur shot to his feet, his eyes sparkling and lips stretching into a wide grin.

    The unrestrained smile on his face made it clear that, despite his usual maturity, he was just a teenage boy after all.

    ¡®Yes. I got permission.¡¯

    ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to say I was kidding just to see the poor, naive prince pout, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s true. I really got permission.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, Lucy Allen! The Allen Knight Order¡¯s training¡ªunbelievable!¡±

    Unable to sit still, Arthur began pacing the room, trying to contain his excitement, while Joy tilted her head.

    "Is training with the Allen Knight Order really that big of a deal?"

    I wanted to ask that too.

    Isn¡¯t it just brutal physical drills where you¡¯re put through the wringer? Why is he so excited about it?

    I don¡¯t get it at all.

    ¡°Joy, as a mage, you wouldn¡¯t understand! You have no idea what the Allen Knight Order means to those who train in martial arts!¡±

    Arthur mmed his fist on the table for emphasis andunched into a series of stories.

    He spoke of the legendary feats of the Allen Knight Order, starting with the founder who, alone, conquered a dungeon known for its high-level threat and was awarded a title.

    Then there was the story of how, during the war decades ago, Allen single-handedly held the frontline and turned the tide of battle.

    Arthur, without pause, suddenly turned to me and raised his voice.

    ¡°Do you understand, Lucy Allen? The Knight Order you¡¯ll one day lead carries a legacy this deep! Take pride in your name and write new history!¡±

    This scene reminded me of something I¡¯d seen before.

    Ah, yes.

    An otaku.

    The way they¡¯d get when talking about their favorite idols or anime characters. Arthur is a knight otaku.

    ...I knew he admired knights, but I didn¡¯t expect his admiration to reach such fanboy levels.

    It¡¯s a bit much.

    "What? What are those faces for? It¡¯s natural for a man to admire knights!"

    Hey, look, I¡¯m technically a guy too, you know?

    I mean, I think knights in armor are cool too, but you¡¯re a bit too into it.

    Most people aren¡¯t this passionate about it.

    ¡°Listen! The reason I admire knights so much is¡ª¡± ¡°Third Prince, please stop. The longer you go on, the more entric you¡¯ll sound.¡±

    Joy gestured toward me as she spoke, causing Arthur to cough and quickly mp his mouth shut.

    ¡°Instead, Lady Allen, what exactly is the Knight Order¡¯s training like?¡±

    ¡®Do you really want to know?¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s this, Miss Dimwit? Are you curious? Dying to know?¡±

    ¡°I want to join the training alongside you, so I¡¯d like to know in advance.¡±

    Thinking back to my time in the Allen Knight Order, I tried to recall the training sessions.

    Hmm. The content varied depending on the day, so it¡¯s hard to say anything definitive.

    If I had to pick one thing inmon¡­

    ¡®Giving up on sleep would be best.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s easier if you just don¡¯t expect to sleep. Posell might be a smelly old man, but when ites to training, he¡¯s ruthless.¡±

    ¡°...Giving up sleep?¡±

    ¡®Yes. Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡¯ ¡°Right. Don¡¯t all knights¡¯ training involve sleep deprivation?¡±

    The disbelieving stares that had been directed at Arthur just moments ago now turned to me.

    Wait, don¡¯t they? Isn¡¯t that how it works for everyone?

    Once I gained some endurance, that¡¯s just how I always trained!

    As I looked around in confusion, Joy sighed, pressing her fingers to her temple.

    ¡°Ahh. I understand now why your training suggestions are so disconnected frommon sense, Lady Allen. The entire Allen family is like this, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    She continued, her expression turning icy.

    ¡°Mydy, most knight orders teach methods to maximize efficient sleep rather than to eliminate it. Humans can¡¯t forgo sleep indefinitely.¡±

    What?! Really?!

    They actually sleep during training?!

    They don¡¯t train nonstop, day and night, for a whole week?!

    ¡°Our church¡¯s Knight Order is the same, mydy. Depriving oneself of sleep does more harm than good.¡± ¡°Same for us. Sleep is essential.¡± ¡°The Holy Knight Order agrees. After a major incident years ago where Tabol tried to eliminate sleep and failed miserably, it¡¯s epted that sleep deprivation isn¡¯t viable.¡±

    It became clear which method was considered normal as the three confirmed Joy¡¯s words.

    In most knight orders, they allow sleep.

    <Isn¡¯t that obvious?> ¡®How was I supposed to know that!?¡¯

    I thought all fantasy knights trained that way!

    That¡¯s why I admired them so much!

    ¡°Lady Allen? I can see you¡¯re surprised, but could you exin some other aspects of your training?¡±

    Fearing more revtions about what I thought wasmon sense, I still couldn¡¯t ignore the expectant looks from the others, so I reluctantly exined themon training practices of the Allen Knight Order.

    ¡°Marching at the same speed as a horse? For the entire duration?¡± ¡°That¡¯s insane. No person should do that.¡± ¡°Sounds boring.¡± ¡°...Apologies, mydy, but I find that quite strange too.¡±

    Wait, they don¡¯t do that?!

    Posell always emphasized that mobility is a knight¡¯s lifeline!

    ¡°Forcing them to drink potions to keep going after they copse from exhaustion?¡± ¡°That¡¯s practically torture.¡± ¡°Absolutely no fun.¡± ¡°...My apologies, Lady Allen.¡±

    It¡¯s notmon to push through fatigue by sheer force, iming that a knight should always be ready for anything?

    I thought all knights did this!

    ¡°Fighting with the intent to kill each other? That actually sounds kind of fun.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not fun! There¡¯s no way that could be fun!¡± ¡°The Allen Knight Order is really starting to scare me.¡± ¡°...My apologies.¡±

    With each word I uttered, my friends¡¯ faces grew paler, highlighting just how unusual the environment I grew up in really was.

    ...Now that I think about it, even Grandfather seemed horrified by the Allen Knight Order¡¯s training.

    <He wasn¡¯t just horrified; he questioned whether they were even human.> ¡®Then why didn¡¯t you say anything sooner?!¡¯ <I figured that was just how knights trained these days. I was in the dungeon for a long time, remember.>

    As I adjusted my sense of what¡¯s normal, the four at the table exchanged uneasy nces.

    ¡°I now understand why Lucy Allen is so strong. And why the Allen family members are all so exceptional.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been training like this, so they¡¯d be prepared for any situation, wouldn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I¡¯d heard rumors from a Holy Knight before, but the reality is even more intense.¡±

    Though their words varied, they all carried a simr meaning.

    ¡°...Third Prince, are you really going to go through with it?¡± ¡°Why ask me first?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the most excited about training, obviously!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Allen Knight Order was this... unhinged!¡±

    Unhinged? That¡¯s a bit much.

    Sure, they¡¯re entric, but they¡¯re still kind and fun people.

    Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have trained alongside a weirdo like me.

    ¡°And you! Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d dly join training if it meant spending time with Lucy Allen?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know this was what their training was like! It¡¯s clearly not suited for a mage!¡±

    It is suited for a mage, though!

    Don¡¯t mages get tired or face life-threatening situations? Don¡¯t they need to fight to survive extreme conditions?

    The Knight Order¡¯s training is essential for everyone.

    The one who interrupted their grumbling was Frey, who had been resting her chin on her hand, watching us all with an indifferent gaze.

    ¡°It may not be fun, but I think I could get stronger. I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°...Are you serious?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother, Prince. I¡¯ll crush you when I¡¯m stronger and call you weak.¡±

    Arthur clenched his lips as Frey¡¯s smirk hinted at an imagined victory.

    ¡°Damn it! Fine! I¡¯ll do it! How hard could it be? I¡¯m not going to die from it, right?¡±

    Oh, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s absolutely brutal, but it won¡¯t kill you. I can vouch for that, having survived it multiple times.

    ¡°Um, I¡¯ve alreadymitted to magical training with my father, so¡­¡± ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, Joy! By themand of the Third Prince, you¡¯re joining us too!¡± ¡°No way! I¡¯m a mage, not a knight!¡±

    ¡°Hmph? I thought we were friends, but I guess not? Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d abandon me so easily? So disappointed? Guess I¡¯ll start addressing you formally again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll join! I¡¯ll join, okay?! I really want to join!¡±@@novelbin@@

    Ha. Nice try, Joy. There¡¯s no escaping me.

    I¡¯ve already nned special training just for you.

    Once you¡¯re in my grasp, there¡¯s no getting away.

    ¡°Ahh. Who¡¯d have thought I¡¯d willingly walk into hell.¡± ¡°If surviving hell means getting stronger, it¡¯s like something out of myth.¡± ¡°Why are we even considering death as a possibility here?¡± ¡°If everything Lucy Allen says is true, it wouldn¡¯t be a surprise if we didn¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°...I hate how I can¡¯t deny that.¡±

    While the three who decided to join me in the Knight Order training grumbled to themselves, I turned my gaze to thest person.

    Fayvi, who always wanted to be wherever I was, lowered her head upon meeting my gaze and nervously fiddled with her hands under the table.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, mydy. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to join.¡±

    ¡°Fayvi! Are you leaving us behind?!¡± ¡°Saintess! That¡¯s not fair!¡±

    Usually, Fayvi wouldugh off such teasing from the others.

    But today was different.

    Instead of brushing it off, she suddenly stood up and defended herself.

    ¡°Do you think I want to be away from mydy?! If it weren¡¯t for church duties, I would be¡­ ah.¡±

    Though she hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands, the words had already escaped.

 Chapter 353

    The moment I heard Fayvi mention her duties at the church, I resigned myself to the fact that I couldn¡¯t take her along.

    Come to think of it, the church must be especially busy around this time of year. With the New Year approaching, December is a crucial month for the Church of the Divine, full of significant events one after another. As the face of the Church, Fayvi must remain in the holy city and make her presence known at these gatherings.

    Back in the summer break, there weren¡¯t any major events, so she had more freedom. But now, that¡¯s simply not possible.

    Considering this, I quietly examined the divinity residing within Fayvi.

    Recently, she had received the blessing of the Divine¡¯s power and had swiftly adapted to it. Fayvi, who had already shown exceptional talent in handling divinity, managed to grasp the ways of wielding the Divine¡¯s power within just a few days, thanks to her natural talent, hard work, and Johann¡¯s support.

    On the surface, nothing seemed different about Fayvi. While I, as an apostle of the Divine, could feel the warmth of the Divine¡¯s grace, those around her, like Joy and Arthur, remained unaware of her change.

    Few people would likely notice her transformation even if she returned to the holy city.

    The problemy in that handful of individuals who might.

    After carefully considering these variables, I concluded that there was no need to worry. Those unworthy types certainly wouldn¡¯t suspect any changes in Fayvi.

    Besides, Fayvi had grown significantly, and Johann would be there to support her.

    More importantly, the Pope, who holds absolute authority in the Church, clearly favors Fayvi. With him looking after her, nothing could possibly go wrong.

    ...Still, a little safeguard wouldn¡¯t hurt.

    Rising from my seat, I handed a ring to Fayvi, who was blushing and looking uncertain.

    She stared nkly at the ring on my palm before slowly lifting her head.

    ¡°Um, mydy, what is this?¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s a gift. Don¡¯t you like it?¡¯ ¡°What, you don¡¯t want the gift I¡¯m giving you? Fine, I¡¯ll take it back.¡±

    As I pretended to retract the ring, Fayvi hastily grasped it in her hands.

    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it! I was just curious about what this ring is!¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s amunication ring. Just in case, I thought you might need it.¡¯ ¡°The ipetent saintess can be as airheaded as her friends, so I thought I¡¯d better give her a way to contact me if she gets into trouble.¡±

    It¡¯s one of the trinkets I bought at an auction a while back.

    While it was just amon item in the game, I figured it would be quite useful in reality, so I kept it on hand.

    The magic circle inside isn¡¯trge enough for crystal-ball-style conversations, but it should work fine for contacting me in case of emergencies.

    ¡°Mydy is worried about me¡­¡±

    Clutching the ring I¡¯d given her with both hands, Fayvi lowered her head and then raised it, wearing the brightest smile I¡¯d ever seen.

    ¡°Thank you so much! I¡¯ll cherish it!¡±

    There¡¯s really no need to treasure it. It¡¯s not even an expensive item.

    ¡°Lucy. Lucy.¡±

    While I was feeling slightly overwhelmed by Fayvi¡¯s joyous expression, Frey suddenly tugged at my sleeve, having sidled up next to me.

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    ¡­You? What about you?

    ¡°I¡¯m a fool. I cause a lot of trouble. You should worry about me.¡±

    So, you¡¯re jealous that I gave a gift only to Fayvi, huh?

    Hmm. I do have a gift stored in my inventory that I was nning to give Frey on her birthday.

    There are also a few items in there that I think she¡¯d like.

    I could give her something nice, and she¡¯d probably smile happily, but where¡¯s the fun in just giving it to her?

    ¡®Do you want a gift that badly?¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s this, silly swordswoman? You want a gift that much? Haha, hmm. I wonder what I should do.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I really want it.¡±

    ¡®No way. I¡¯m not giving it to you.¡¯ ¡°But I really, really want it. There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±

    ¡°No gift? Really?¡±

    ¡­Wait, why do her eyes look misty?

    No.

    No, no. Hold on.

    I didn¡¯t mean to make her cry.

    I was just teasing a little.

    ¡°Sniff.¡±

    Ack! Hang on a second!

    Here, Frey. Here¡¯s your gift.

    It¡¯s an ornament you can attach to the handle of your sword.

    Posell even assured me that it wouldn¡¯t interfere when you swing it, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.

    ¡°...A gift.¡±

    With a bright smile that made it seem as if her earlier tears were an act, Frey quickly took the gift from my hand, attached it to her sword, and grinned as she admired it.

    Sigh. I meant to tease Frey, but it feels like I¡¯m the one who got yed.

    Oh well, if she¡¯s happy, then I guess it¡¯s fine.

    ¡°Joy, why are you so quiet? I thought you¡¯d be jumping in.¡±

    ¡°I already received my gift a while ago. The perks of being the first friend, you see.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well. Isn¡¯t that something.¡±

    <strong>Allen Territory</strong>

    The bordends of Sdin Kingdom, and one of the areas adjacent to the haughty Teresha Empire, which arrogantly calls itself an empire.

    Thisnd, which bore the scars of years of war after Teresha Empire dered invasion decades ago, had since recovered to the point that few signs of the conflict remained.

    Arriving in the city of the Allen family at Lucy¡¯s invitation, Arthur observed the lively, smiling faces of the people and felt renewed respect for Benedict Allen.

    Despite the memories of war, people couldugh without a hint of worry, undoubtedly because Benedict Allen resided here.

    The people could forget their concerns because the knight among knights, the man who once single-handedly altered the tide of war, was here.

    What a remarkable honor it is to be able to train with his family.

    Since the day I first witnessed that knight¡¯s back facing down a dragon, I¡¯ve never wavered in my admiration for him.

    The first time I held a sword, it was to follow in his footsteps. As long as he wields a sword, my respect will not wane.

    ...Of course, one could say his behavior when he¡¯s around Lucy Allen is rather, well, undignified.

    But in a generous interpretation, that¡¯s just another of his human charms.

    Recalling Benedict¡¯s expressions of pure affection, from cheerfulughter to near tears as he clung to his daughter¡¯s feet, Arthur shook his head, trying to erase those somewhat undignified memories.

    ¡°Ugh. The day has finallye.¡±

    Meanwhile, Joy, standing beside him, muttered incessantints.

    Ever since getting caught up in Lucy¡¯s scheme to join the Allen Knight Order¡¯s training, she hadn¡¯t stopped grumbling.

    Arthur had triedforting her at first, but her relentlessints were starting to wear thin. He raised an eyebrow as he nced at Joy¡¯s slumped shoulders.

    ¡°At this point, you should just ept it and brace yourself. You already received permission from the Duke of Patran, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Even so, I don¡¯t want to do it.¡±

    The three who decided to train with the Allen Knight Order had to obtain permission for an extended absence.

    Arthur, being little more than a nominal prince, coulde and go as he pleased, but Joy and Frey were esteemed members of their respective families.

    For them, disappearing for nearly a month was no small matter.

    Joy, clinging to onest hope, had appealed to her father.

    She had hoped he would say, ¡°I¡¯d love to, but my father won¡¯t allow it.¡±

    But unfortunately, Duke Patran merely expressed admiration for her eagerness to train with the Allen Knight Order, not the opposition she had counted on.

    ¡°To experience that hell¡­ my daughter has trulye of age.¡±@@novelbin@@

    The single word, ¡°hell,¡± uttered with dread by Duke Patran, confirmed that Lucy¡¯s earlier stories had been no exaggeration.

    ¡°I¡¯m not like some people who idolize knights.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lady Patran. The hardship will make you stronger.¡±

    ¡°Lady Kent, as I said before, I have no interest in bing that strong.¡±

    ¡°It could help Lucy, too.¡±

    ¡°...Ugh.¡±

    Just as Frey deftly dismissed Joy¡¯sint, the Allen estate came into view.

    The mansion of the renowned border count had a humble air. The first to greet the three at the estate was a man who introduced himself as the captain of the Allen Knight Order.

    ¡°I am Posell. I owe my position to Lord Benedict¡¯s grace, so I am a lucky man indeed.¡±

    ¡°...The famous Sir Posell? The one who charged alone and tore through the enemy lines during the war?!¡±

    ¡°That was only possible because of the opponent¡¯s weakness. The stories are terribly exaggerated and quite embarrassing.¡±

    Arthur, clearly delighted, continued peppering Posell with questions, despite the faintly horrified looks from the other two. Once he finally calmed down, the three followed Posell to meet Benedict.

    Sitting behind a desk that seemed almost too small for hisrge frame, Benedict looked up at them with bright eyes the moment they entered.

    ¡°Wee! Lady Patran! Lady Kent! And the Third Prince!¡±

    The terrifying figure once known as the kingdom¡¯s fangs was nowhere to be seen in the teary-eyed man who now delighted at the thought of his daughter having friends.

    Yet, Arthur could tell that Benedict had not lost his edge.

    A lifetime of training and experience had honed him to an overwhelming strength that defied reason. That this man was considered to have weakened only highlighted the ignorance of those within the court.

    While Arthur was lost in admiration, Benedict treated him with surprising coldness, disying warmth to Joy and Frey while subtly distancing himself from Arthur.

    Arthur, perceptive as he was, could guess why.

    He probably suspects that I have some interest in Lucy Allen.

    I¡¯d love to clear up that misunderstanding, but with how soft Lord Benedict is for his daughter, he¡¯d likely respond with, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with liking my daughter?¡± and then drill me for an answer. Better to just y dumb for now.

    Mentioning it would only bring more trouble.

    ¡°I hope this training proves valuable for all of you.¡±

    With those words, the three left his office and were shown to their rooms to change before heading to the Allen Knight Order¡¯s training ground.

    ¡°The training ground is quiet.¡±

    Not a knight or even a single soldier in sight. Did they clear out in anticipation of our arrival?

    Arthur¡¯s question was answered by Posell, who approached while pulling a cart.

    ¡°The knights are out doing endurance training around the territory. They¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°...Wait. Did you mean the entire bordend territory?¡±

    ¡°Haha, of course not.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°That would take days of non-stop running, which would be too intense for a warm-up. For now, they¡¯re just doing a fewps around this area.¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    Arthur froze, realizing that Posell¡¯s tone implied it was entirely possible to run the entire territory if necessary.

    While Arthur struggled to process this bizarre idea, Frey and Joy joined them, having changed into training attire.

    ¡°Sir Posell, where is Lady Allen?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s training with the other knights. She¡¯ll be here soon. Ah, there she is, toward the rear.¡±

    Following Posell¡¯s gaze, Arthur spotted the line of knights and muttered to himself.

    ¡°Why does the ground tremble with each step they take?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re using weight-enhancing artifacts. Imagine each of them carrying a horse on their shoulders.¡±

    ¡°...At that speed?¡±

    ¡°Haha, they¡¯re actually slower than usual since they¡¯re tired.¡±

    Reminded once more of the surreal nature of this ce, Arthur suddenly noticed the gear strapped to the knights¡¯ limbs looked very simr to the items loaded onto Posell¡¯s cart.

    ¡°Sir Posell, just out of curiosity, those items in the cart¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, exactly. They¡¯re for your warm-up before the real training. Go ahead, take one.¡±

    ¡°¡­Ugh?!¡±

    As soon as Arthur took the artifact Posell handed him, he nearly staggered under a weight far greater than he had expected.

 Chapter 354

    The only relief for Arthur and hispanions was that Posell wasn¡¯t entirely without sense.

    Having taught countless students during his time as the Knight Commander, Posell could gauge their individual levels and adjusted the weights of the magical artifacts ordingly.

    The moment they shouldered the weights, a groan escaped them, but it wasn¡¯t so heavy as to make running impossible.

    ¡°As it¡¯s your first time training with the Allen Knight Order, you¡¯ll need to start by letting your bodies adapt. Let¡¯s start with some stretches to loosen up your muscles.¡±

    ¡°¡­With the weights on?¡±

    ¡°Yes, with the weights on.¡±

    The stretches Posell led them through weren¡¯t that different from their usual routines, but each of the three was already groaning with effort.

    Is this really effective?

    Rather than loosening their muscles, it felt as if they were only adding more strain.

    ¡°Haha! Look at you! You¡¯re already like this, and we¡¯ve only just begun!¡±

    Drenched in sweat as if she¡¯d just finished running, Lucy clutched her stomach inughter as she watched the three struggle.

    She taunted them, saying they¡¯d only just stepped foot into training, wondering aloud if they¡¯d make it to the end.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t handle it, just say so. I¡¯ll give you the chance to admit you¡¯re pathetic and worthless right now.¡±

    Hearing her mocking, Arthur was certain there was no escape from this hell.

    Imagine running away because it¡¯s too hard. What kind of ridicule would he face from Lucy Allen then?

    Better to die here than give her that satisfaction.

    Arthur¡¯s resolve only hardened as the running continued.

    ¡°What? Are you already exhausted? We haven¡¯t even finished onep yet. I knew you¡¯d be weak, but this is pathetic.¡±

    Despite having just run herself, Lucy joined them instead of taking a break, constantly throwing out jabs.

    ¡°Quiet.¡±

    At the start of the run, Arthur still had the energy to snap back at her.

    Even though his body felt heavier, his muscles, honed through relentless training, allowed him to keep pace at first.

    But it didn¡¯t take long for him to realize his mistake.

    With his body weighed down far more than usual, fatigue set in quickly.

    ¡°Poor prince, where did that confidence go? Are you ready to admit you¡¯re weak?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ugh!¡±

    Damn it. Why is Lucy Allen so full of energy?

    She had just finished running with the knights, yet here she was, acting as if it were nothing.

    Is it possible that her artifact isn¡¯t even activated?

    Is that why she¡¯s so rxed?

    ¡°Your thoughts are so transparent, poor prince with your low stamina.¡±

    Lucy casually removed her artifact and held it out to Arthur.

    ¡°If you think you can handle the real weight, go ahead and try it. Not that I expect you to have the guts.¡±

    Sumbing to her taunt, Arthur took the artifact and immediately stumbled forward under its weight.

    This artifact was real.

    Not only that, it was even heavier than what we¡¯re wearing.

    She¡¯s been running with something like this on and still lookspletely at ease?

    As he struggled to stand, Lucy took back the artifact, smirking down at him.

    Just what kind of person is Lucy Allen?

    ¡°Hey, Posell! The poor prince here says the weight is too light and he¡¯s bored!¡±

    ¡°Haha, having the desire to push oneself is admirable.¡±

    By the end of the run, Arthur found himself too exhausted to move his legs.

    The other two weren¡¯t much different.

    Frey, who had to carry a weight as heavy as the knights due to her physical abilities, was left gasping for air, unable to speak.

    Even Joy, who had carried aparatively lighter weight, was too drained to move her arms and legs.

    Out of everyone who had run, only two were unaffected.

    Those two were Posell and Lucy, who were used to this level of training.

    ¡°You must be quite talented to make it through the first day. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how you fare in the real training after lunch.¡±

    ¡°...This isn¡¯t it?¡±

    At the mention of ¡°real training,¡± Joy bolted upright, her voice panicked. Lucy¡¯s mouth curved into a sly grin.

    ¡°Dimwit, could you be any more clueless? Didn¡¯t I already tell you? This was just the warm-up.¡±

    ¡°This is a warm-up?¡±

    Half-dragging themselves to the dining hall, they found an unexpected face awaiting them there.

    ¡°Jackal.¡±

    Jackal Burrow, the second son and now the sole heir of the Burrow family, was seated among the knights.

    With his head bowed as he shoveled food into his mouth for sustenance, Jackal slowly raised his head at the sound of Arthur¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Third Prince.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡±

    While Joy and Frey, who weren¡¯t well-acquainted with Jackal, left with Lucy, Arthur took a seat across from him.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you serving the Duke of Burrow?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s regained his health. In fact, he¡¯s stronger than ever now, even more than before his illness.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear. So, why are you here?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I can¡¯t go into details, but¡­ I¡¯m here to get stronger.¡±

    To get stronger.

    Arthur noticed a change in Jackal¡¯s expression as he spoke.

    Only a few months ago, Jackal¡¯s gaze held a bitterness, a frustrated ambition that pushed him to climb higher by any means, all the while exuding a venomous aura.

    But now, something had shifted. Whatever he had gone through, Jackal seemed to have shed his resentment, returning to his previous, more serene self.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    Though curious, Arthur refrained from pressing further and picked up his spoon instead.

    ¡°So, Third Prince, what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°For the same reason as you. To get stronger.¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯vee to the right ce. There¡¯s no better hell to surpass human limits than here.¡±

    Jackal¡¯s words, tinged with dark amusement, made Arthur raise an eyebrow.

    ¡°Jackal, how long have you been here?¡±

    ¡°The longest week of my life.¡±

    ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand soon enough. Here, a single day can feel like an eternity.¡±

    It took only an hour that afternoon to realize Jackal was right.

    Unlike the morning, Arthur now trained directly alongside the knights. Lucy handed him a grueling training regimen, all while maintaining a false sense of ¡°consideration.¡±

    Perhaps living in such an environment had twisted her understanding of what that word even meant.

    ng!

    ¡°Damn it! Can I get a moment to breathe?¡±

    ¡°Haha! But I¡¯m already giving you plenty of breaks!¡±

    ¡°Then give me more!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to refuse! Without discipline, there¡¯s no training! Look, Lady Kent and Lord Burrow are doing just fine, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°How can you call that ¡®doing fine¡¯? They¡¯re on the verge of death!¡±

    Arthur¡¯s pleas were futile.

    Posell, his sparring partner, only pushed him harder, iming that as long as he could speak, he wasn¡¯t truly struggling.

    Pulling Joy aside before she joined the others for training, I stood in front of her, fully equipped except for my mace.

    ¡°Lady Allen, what sort of training is this?¡±

    ¡®It¡¯sbat training. Joy¡­¡¯

    ¡°Combat training. You, Dimwit, tend to make mistakes when you¡¯re under pressure, don¡¯t you? I don¡¯t want to see you doing something foolish and getting yourself killed in a critical moment, so I¡¯m taking it upon myself to toughen you up first.¡±

    I try to avoid throwing my friends or anyone else into dangerous situations if I can help it.

    If others have to suffer, I¡¯d rather take on that burden alone. It¡¯s easier for me to handle the risk if it¡¯s only me involved.

    But just because that¡¯s my wish doesn¡¯t mean my friends will always be safe.

    Joy is no exception.

    As long as she attends Soul Academy,

    as long as she remains a noble of this country,

    and as long as this world grows increasingly chaotic,

    Joy will inevitably face peril one day.

    If, in that moment, I or another reliable person are there to help, it¡¯ll be fine. But we can¡¯t always count on luck.

    I think back to when I first encountered Nakrad.

    If things had gone slightly differently, Joy, who was right beside me, could have met a swift, helpless end.

    To prevent that, Joy needs realbat experience.

    She has to be able to fend for herself, to hold out until help arrives if necessary.

    ¡°Hey, Dimwit?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ming at you seriously now? Let¡¯s see if you can stand your ground?¡±

    After my encounter with the skeleton mimicking a hero, mybat style has leaned toward endurance.

    My main tactics are shield techniques, holy magic,

    and taunts using my Masochistic Brat Skill, which naturallyplements this style.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know how to attack.

    Endurance is just a desperate struggle to survive when facing opponents on my level or stronger.

    For someone like Joy, with her guard wide open and clinging to her staff, I have no need to hold back.

    ¡°If you can, that is?¡±

    With those words, I sprang forward.

    In a world filled with superhuman beings, there¡¯s no such thing as a ¡°safe distance.¡±

    The moment you assume you have some breathing room, that¡¯s when a de flies straight for your neck.

    Having always stood behind others, Joy didn¡¯t realize this.

    Because of that, she was caught off guard by my sudden approach.

    She couldn¡¯t even cast a spell as she stared, wide-eyed, at my fist that was inches from her face.

    Only when the wind from my swing brushed past her, blowing her hair back, did she snap to her senses and stumble backward in shock.

    ¡°How disappointing? Way below expectations? You¡¯re so pathetic, it¡¯s not even funny?¡±

    Watching her trembling eyes, I continued to taunt her.

    She knew it too.

    She understood she could have died just now.

    Had I not pulled my punch, she would¡¯ve been crushed on the spot.

    ¡°Are you scared?? Trembling?? Haha? Without someone in front of you, you¡¯repletely useless, aren¡¯t you? Pathetic?¡±

    Despite knowing she was shaken, I didn¡¯t hold back the taunts.

    I was certain that the current Joy would grit her teeth and rise instead of giving in to despair, so I intensified my provocations.

    ¡°If you n to hide behind someone forever, then stay that way? You¡¯re a noble; I¡¯m sure someone will always be there to protect you?¡±

    Then, biting her lip, Joy staggered to her feet.

    ¡°Enough. I don¡¯t want to hear that from a useless noble who causes trouble upfront and can¡¯t even clean up her own messes.¡±

    Seeing her eyes harden with a viiness-like sharpness, Iughed, pleased that I had been right.

    ¡°Bring it on. I¡¯ll give you a real roasting.¡±

    ¡°Haha? Are you sure?? You might eat those words if you get trounced?¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯ll be pleased when the Dimwit you mocked makes you eat dirt, won¡¯t you?¡±

    As Joy smirked defiantly, I grinned and charged toward her.

    Until I have to leave the estate for my nned mission, I¡¯ll drill into her the way a mage should fight.

 Chapter 355

    As befitting someone of the Patran family, Joy was born with an astonishingly high amount of magical power and an extraordinary affinity for magic. Her talents blossomed at an early age¡ªif a family mage taught her a new spell, she would have grasped the concept within a day and mastered it within a week.

    The Duke and Duchess of Patran, who already adored their children, became even more protective of Joy upon realizing her talent. Even on simpler dungeon expeditions, they would assign skilled knights to apany her.

    Because of this, Joy quickly learned the responsibilities of a party mage through various real-world experiences. However, she never learned how to handle things alone as a mage without support. This tendency did not change significantly when she entered the academy. Meeting Lucy helped her rapidly advance her magical skills, but Joy still did not practice the methods required for a frontline mage.

    Typically, Lucy, Arthur, or Frey would hold the line in front of her, allowing Joy to focus on supporting her allies.

    Thus, her experience in real battle was strictly limited to that of a party mage. She had never faced a situation alone, nor had she felt the need to. Why would she, when there was always someone else to shield her? Instead, she chose to hone skills that would help her support her allies better.

    Now, though, Joy realized that her once ¡°reasonable¡± decision had actually been born ofcency.

    Yes. Lady Allen is right. It¡¯s childish to assume there will always be someone to protect me.

    As a noble, entering dungeons is an inevitable part of life.

    In an unknown environment like a dungeon, who knows what might happen? How can I always expect someone to be by my side?

    But need aside, Lady Allen¡¯s training is seriously exhausting.

    My mana has long since run dry, and I¡¯m at my physical limit.

    Though I want to copse onto the dirt, the Lady¡¯s intense stare forces me to get up.

    As she struggled to rise, frowning from fatigue, a sudden wave of dizziness nearly toppled her forward.

    ¡°Shall we call it a day, hmm? Useless little dimwit?¡±

    Fortunately, Lucy caught her before she could facent into the dirt.

    As Joy looked up at her with dazed eyes, Lucy chuckled softly and gently set her down.

    ¡°You¡¯re an even more pathetic little dimwit when you¡¯re at your limit. We already know the oue? Don¡¯t you agree, dimwit??¡±

    Though Joy pouted at Lucy¡¯s taunts, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to argue. From midday until sunset, Joy hadn¡¯t managed to block a single one of Lucy¡¯s charges.

    It wasn¡¯t as if she hadn¡¯t tried to fight back.

    ¡°Did you make me a yground?? Thanks, sweetheart!?¡±

    Joy tried tearing up the ground to stop Lucy¡¯s approach, but Lucy simply advanced without touching the ground.

    ¡°Heheh? Isn¡¯t it a bit too early for ice games??¡±

    When Joy created an ice wall, Lucy simply smashed through it with brute force.

    ¡°Feels cozy? Perfect as a heater?¡±

    Even drawing a line of fire around her didn¡¯t stop Lucy, who strode through as if she felt no heat at all.

    Though Joy had tried everything she could think of, all her efforts proved futile against Lucy.

    Come to think of it, this feels unfair.

    Isn¡¯t Lady Allen just ridiculously overpowered?

    If she¡¯d been facing any ordinary foe, they wouldn¡¯t have dared to approach! Seriously, when I started firing actual sts at her mid-training, she just blocked them effortlessly with her shield and kept charging. What am I supposed to do against that?

    As shey on her bed, utterly drained, Joy realized that changing her opponent in her imagination wouldn¡¯t make any difference. As long as her opponent was Lucy Allen, there was no point in imagining anyone else.

    What should I do? As she stared nkly at the darkening ceiling, Joy reflected on her past lessons.

    It wasn¡¯t as though she didn¡¯t know what to do when a mage faces a knight alone.

    She¡¯d learned from family mages, and she¡¯d heard simr advice repeatedly at the academy.

    ¡°The best strategy is to avoid situations where you¡¯re alone against a knight or monster.¡±

    ¡°But if you can¡¯t avoid it, your priority should be stopping their approach.¡±

    ¡°No matter how trained you are, a mage cannot beat a knight in closebat. Your goal should be to destroy them before they can close in.¡±

    But those strategies were useless. She¡¯d already tried all of them against Lady Allen, only to face utter defeat.

    I couldn¡¯t keep Lady Allen from closing in on me, no matter what.

    And even if I try other strategies, they¡¯re mostly the same.

    Then there¡¯s¡ª

    ¡°You really think a dimwit like you can stop me with one little spell?? Pfft? Or is it because you can only cast one spell?? Is that it??¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Recalling Lucy¡¯s mockingughter, Joy vented her frustration on her pillow, smacking it furiously.

    What am I supposed to do?!

    Lady Allen, you don¡¯t even give me enough time to finish one spell!

    And if I cast a half-baked spell, you charge at me, calling it pathetic!

    What am I supposed to¡ª!

    ¡°Joy, listen closely. When facing a true opponent, the magic that will save you isn¡¯t necessarily your strongest. Often, it¡¯s the basics, the things you take for granted, that prove most vital.¡±

    ¡­Yes, her father had told her that once.

    He¡¯d said that dealing damage and stalling an opponent were two entirely different things.

    And Lady Allen¡¯s words had implied the same idea.

    If that¡¯s the case¡­

    Clutching onto this lead, Joy sat up quickly and began to gather mana in front of her.

    ¡°Joy? Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Dimwit, you alive? Want me to bury you in the ground so you can rest?¡±

    ¡°¡­Gasp?! Ah, I¡­ I¡¯m okay! Not entirely fine, but I can manage!¡±

    Leaning on her staff, Joy startled awake from her dozing state and shook her head to prove she was still conscious.

    You¡¯d think she¡¯d copse onto her pillow the moment her head touched it, given yesterday¡¯s grueling day. Maybe I was going too easy on her?

    Hmm. Considering how Arthur and Frey groaned about the early morning, maybe I was. Good, then. From today on, we¡¯ll add some extra stamina training after sparring.

    With Joy¡¯s protests ringing in her ears, Lucy chuckled and dashed forward without warning.

    Several magic circles appeared around Joy.

    Unlike yesterday¡¯s single, massive spell, these circles contained basic spells that any mage could use.

    Already figuring out that hindering movement is more effective than raw power against knights?

    I thought it would take her at least a few more days to realize that. She really is clever.

    But still, she¡¯s not there yet.

    There¡¯s no way thatbination can stop me.

    The first spell that activated was an ice spell.

    Aiming to freeze her feet to the ground, the icetched onto her foot, but she easily shattered it with a bit of force.

    Next came an earth spell.

    As the earth attempted to trap her feet during her brief pause, Lucy moved too quickly for it to ensnare her, rendering the earth magic ineffective.

    Seeing Lucy charge straight at her, Joy frantically activated three more spells in rapid session.

    So, she ns to obscure my sight with fire and wind and then stop my charge with a rock to the gut?

    Not a bad n, but¡­

    Does she really think that would work on me?

    With a smirk, Lucy raised her shield and, instead of evading, charged straight into the spells.

    After minor impacts nced off her shield, Lucy lowered it to reveal Joy nearby, surrounded by nine magic circles.

    Did she replenish her magic so quickly? Her talent as a mage is undeniable.

    So, what¡¯s she nning this time? Knock me back with an explosion? Stop my approach with electricity?

    Deliberately slowing her pace to give Joy time to cast, Lucy grinned as a spell blossomed, unleashing mes.

    The explosion created by several ovepping spells was powerful but still insufficient to halt her charge.

    Enduring the st¡¯s impact, Lucy surged forward, smashing through Joy¡¯s barrier with her shield and stopping just inches from her.

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    ¡°Not bad for a little dimwit. For a dimwit, that is.¡±

    She made it seem like she was only aiming to keep me at bay, then unleashed all her power at close range.

    And she came up with this in one night? Her growth is impressive.

    I can¡¯t wait to see what she¡¯s capable of after a few more days.

    As Lucy¡¯s grin widened, the tremor in Joy¡¯s eyes grew stronger.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go again.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t serious just now, right? No way you¡¯d be this pathetic with that much confidence, right? Let¡¯s go again. Do it right this time, okay?¡±

    ¡°...Um, can I rest a bit? I think I¡¯m really going to copse.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I already healed you up! You¡¯re fine, aren¡¯t you?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Totally fine now, aren¡¯t you? Not hurting anymore? I can push you even more, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be fine if you didn¡¯t heal me! Please, let me rest! Just for a moment?!¡±

    ¡°Here Ie.¡±

    ¡°Do your best, dimwit!¡±

    ¡°Would you please just listen to meeee?!¡±

    After that, I didn¡¯t hold back on training Joy right up until we left Allen¡¯snds.

    Every day, her progress was rapid, and seeing her improve made it impossible for me to stop.

    Every passing day left her looking more haggard, but her skills advanced just as much. I¡¯m sure Joy found it enjoyable too. Absolutely.

    And so, a week after my friends arrived at the Allen Knight Order for training, just as the serious drills were about to begin¡ª

    Instead of heading to the training ground like usual, I made my way to Benedict¡¯s office.

    ¡°Father¡­¡±

    ¡°Foolish Father, are you ready to leave?¡±

    ¡°Of course! How could this papa refuse when his beloved Lucy wants to go together? The Empire¡¯s Colosseum, you say! I¡¯m sure my Lucy will have no trouble iming victory!¡±

    In order to address what I currentlyck the most.

 Chapter 356

    The biggest shoring I felt during my second semester at Soul Academy was myck of realbat experience.

    You might wonder how I could feel inexperienced after facing several battles.

    But I¡¯ve never actually encountered an opponent who was truly my equal.

    Before enrolling at the academy, I was always surrounded by people much stronger than me.

    The monstrous knights, who I couldn¡¯t possibly beat even now, didn¡¯t focus on beating me in our spars; instead, they aimed to teach me.

    Their lessons were invaluable in solidifying mybat logic, but they didn¡¯t help me develop the ability to strategize in real-lifebat situations.

    After entering the academy, it was the opposite¡ªI was surrounded by people weaker than me.

    At least Frey gave me the impression of a real fight, but it was never enough to actually feel threatened.

    asionally, there were events like Nakrad and Adrie, but they were far too powerfulpared to my level.

    They were so strong that it was impossible to face them directly. When survival itself was a struggle, there was no room for calcted strategies.

    Back then, I was desperate to survive, barely scraping by using my in-game knowledge to secure victory. It wasn¡¯t the kind ofbat experience that truly counted.

    Other battles followed a simr pattern.

    For me,bat always fell into one of three categories: someone stronger sparring with me to teach, crushing someone weaker, or scraping by with every trick I knew to pull off a miraculous win.

    I had more than enough experience in striking at an opponent¡¯s weakness, but I barely had any experience in being struck myself.

    "If I¡¯d taken thisck of experience more seriously when I faced that skeleton imitating Garad, I wouldn¡¯t have lost to the Second Queen."

    I realized myck of experience again when I fought the skeleton beneath the old academy hall and got outyed by it.

    But I ignored it, thinking there were more urgent matters to attend to.

    It wasn¡¯t that I ignored it intentionally.

    Fighting evil gods, being chased by church inquisitors, dungeon crafting¡ªone thing after another kept me busy, and I just pushed it back and forgot about it.

    As a result, the Second Queen thoroughly crushed me.

    Even now, I find it hard to believe. I was so confident in my victory, and then, everything turned around in a single moment.

    <If only you¡¯d had a few more months, the oue would¡¯ve been different.> ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±

    Realizing my deficiency once again, I started to wonder what I could do to ovee myck of experience.

    If it were a matter ofcking skill proficiency, poor stats, or low level, I could find a solution using my game knowledge. Butbat experience¡­ that¡¯s not something I could just solve with game knowledge.

    <This is something you have to gradually build through real battles.> ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me the way to do it? Like, some special method the hero¡¯s party used?¡± <I can tell you to focus on this and that, but in the heat of battle, when everything happens in the blink of an eye, it¡¯s you who has to make the decision. If you can¡¯t grow through experience, no advice will matter.>

    After many discussions with my old mentor, I concluded that I had no choice but to go through countless battles.

    I needed to face opponents who were either my equals or slightly stronger, learning to engage in a tactical back-and-forth with them.

    With this in mind, I decided to head to the Teresia Empire¡¯s coliseum during the uing break.

    That ce, where countless warriors gather and fight desperately, was the perfect environment for gaining realbat experience.

    The Teresia Empire.

    This arid, desert-burdened nation grew through countless wars.

    The empire, with so little habitablend and even less farnd, sustained itself by raiding neighboring countries for grain and livestock. Even after securing fertilend through endless wars, it continued its invasions as though war was its destiny.

    With such a long history of warfare, the Teresia Empire reveres martial prowess more than any other country, linking individual power directly to status and honor.

    The best ce to feel this intense warrior-worship is the empire¡¯s coliseum.

    Normally, a coliseum is wheremoners or ves fight for the amusement of the nobles.

    But that¡¯s not the case in this empire.

    In the empire, noblesmonly say, ¡°How dare a meremoner fight in the coliseum to show off strength?¡±

    Denied the opportunity,moners watch the nobles show off their might, vowing to stand in that honorable ring one day themselves.

    In this war-crazed nation, coliseum participants do whatever it takes to win, as long as it¡¯s not dishonorable. They¡¯ll use any means necessary for victory.

    That¡¯s exactly why I chose the Teresia Empire¡¯s coliseum as my training ground.

    There¡¯s no better ce to build practicalbat experience.

    ¡­And if I win a certain number of times, the rewards aren¡¯t too shabby.

    It¡¯s not like I need them right now, but as an experienced yer, I can¡¯t resist maximizing efficiency.

    ¡°Nooo! I absolutely won¡¯t allow it this time! The Teresia Empire¡¯s coliseum? I can¡¯t let you go to that den of lunatics!¡±

    Of course, getting permission to go wasn¡¯t smooth.@@novelbin@@

    They were adamant about not throwing me in among the empire¡¯s maniacs.

    At first, I thought they¡¯d eventually give in if I pouted like before, but not this time.

    Benedict¡­

    ¡°No, I hate you, Papa! ?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll nevere to this stinky room again ? I won¡¯t even contact you through crystal! ?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never talk to you ever again, just like you wanted, Papa ?¡±

    Even after facing this continuous barrage ofints, Benedict stood firm in his decision.

    His unyielding stance had me wondering if I¡¯d have to abandon efficiency and consider other options, but my core nature, steeped in optimizing everything, couldn¡¯t ept that.

    How could I turn away from the optimal choice and settle for something less?

    I could never do that!

    Even if I have to sneak out, I¡¯m going to the coliseum!

    After making up my mind, I tried every way I could think of to convince Benedict, and then I had a sh of inspiration.

    After all, the traveler¡¯s cloak was removed by the sun, not the cold wind.

    Benedict is resisting because all he¡¯s seen from me is the cold side.

    If I show warmth instead, he¡¯ll surely melt.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m disappointed ? I wanted to go on a trip with Papa, but if Papa doesn¡¯t want to, then I¡¯ll listen to him ? I¡¯m a good daughter, so I¡¯ll do as he says ?¡± ¡°¡­A trip? With me?¡± ¡°Oh, how disappointing ? I wanted to show Papa how I can win ? But since he doesn¡¯t want that, I¡¯ll just lock myself in my room and hold a grudge ?¡± ¡°Wait¡­ wait a moment, Lucy.¡±

    My prediction was spot on.

    Benedict, ever the doting father, couldn¡¯t resist the idea of a trip with his daughter and finally agreed to the coliseum n.

    ¡°...Lucy. Just when did you get involved with the Newman family?¡±

    After we arrived in the Teresia Empire using the Newman family¡¯s teleportation circle, Benedict looked over at the Newman family representatives bowing politely behind us, then turned to me.

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a se~cret. It¡¯s a private matter your silly father doesn¡¯t need to know.¡±

    Exining that I saved the Newman family¡¯s sick son and became their benefactor? Way too tedious.

    And he¡¯d probably scold me a ton, so I¡¯ll just keep it a secret.

    Seeing Benedict turn his head in resignation, I cut him off before he could speak again.

    ¡°And if¡­¡± ¡°And if silly Papa tries to get any information from Karl, I¡¯ll never forgive him.¡±

    ¡°...Lucy.¡±

    ¡°Karl, too.¡± ¡°Karl, you¡¯re in the same boat. The moment you b, I¡¯ll cut you off. Understand?¡±

    ¡°I swear to protect the secret with my life.¡±

    With our secrecy secure, I took a slightly dejected Benedict, a tight-lipped Karl, and our bald knight escort, Erin, and headed to the coliseum.

    Walking through the streets, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the frequent nces people were throwing at Benedict.

    If they were looking at me, I¡¯d just assume my charm stat was acting up again. But all the attention was on Benedict.

    ¡°It''s due to the lord''s reputation.¡±

    Noticing my curiosity, the bald knight replied proudly.

    ¡°In the Teresia Empire, which reveres strength, it¡¯s only natural that people admire the lord, who is always mentioned when discussing the continent¡¯s greatest.¡±

    Considering Benedict¡¯s overwhelming strength, it makes sense he¡¯d be popr here.

    It must be like suddenly seeing a famous celebrity up close.

    ¡°Can you believe it? Seeing Lord Allen himself.¡± ¡°...Should I go up and say hello?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to take a hit from those calloused fists, just once.¡± ¡°Hold off, or it might be the end of you.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s he here? Could he be entering the coliseum?¡± ¡°...I can kiss my chances in this coliseum goodbye.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll still give it a try! You never know¡ªa miracle might happen, and I could cross fists with him!¡±

    Themotion around Benedict grew louder as we moved along.

    Even I, used to people¡¯s stares, felt a bit pricked by their attention.

    ¡­If I knew this would happen, I¡¯d have just escaped ande here alone. I¡¯m here forbat experience, not to be some spectacle.

    Fortunately, before the crowd became too chaotic, the local noble overseeing the area made his appearance, dispersing the crowd with his guards. Then, with a cheerful smile, he approached Benedict.

    ¡°My goodness! Lord Allen! I never thought you¡¯d actuallye out of your territory and visit us here!¡±

    ¡°Baron Bardronel. I apologize for causing you trouble.¡±

    ¡°Haha! No trouble at all! If anything, it¡¯s my fault for not preparing properly after receiving advance notice!¡±

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough of that! More importantly, please introduce me to the beautiful youngdy beside you!¡±

    ¡°This is my daughter, Lucy Allen. I imagine you might have heard of her.¡±

    ¡°Of course! The talk of a new prodigy, following Lady Kent from the Kent family, spreading our kingdom¡¯s fame! How could I not know her name!¡±

    Turning his head with a bright smile, Baron Bardronel greeted me warmly.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Lady Allen! I am Bardronel Ad, the lord of this territory!¡±

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Lucy Allen.¡± ¡°Hello, adorable puppy-like baron. I¡¯m Lucy Allen. Such a groveling attitude really suits you.¡±

    As soon as my greeting, tranted through my <em>Masochistic Brat Skill</em>, ended, a flicker of murderous intent shed in Bardronel¡¯s eyes.

    <em>Sigh.</em> So it¡¯s going to be like this, huh?

 Chapter 357

    As Bardronel''s hostility spread, the expressions of those following him grew grim, though those guarding me only looked resigned rather than surprised.

    <It''s not like this is the first time you''ve done this. You¡¯d think they''d be used to it by now.>

    "...I don¡¯t do it because I want to, you know."

    <Did anyone say you did? I¡¯m just stating the facts.>

    While I bickered with my mentor, Benedict bowed to Bardronel.

    "Apologies. My daughter has an unusually... distinctive nature."

    "...Just as the rumors say."

    Though he sent clear hostility my way, Bardronel couldn¡¯t bring himself to show the same in front of the powerful knight Benedict, so he coughed andposed himself.

    "Now, may I ask what brings you to this city? Are you perhaps considering participating in the coliseum, Sir Benedict?"

    "Haha, as much as I¡¯d love to, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m too old to burn with such passion."

    "That''s a pity."

    "Instead, my daughter will be participating in the coliseum."

    "Lady Allen?"

    Bardronel gave me a once-over, then shrugged with a sly smile.

    "How unfortunate. I was looking forward to seeing Lady Allen''s famed prowess myself, but the spots in this round of the coliseum are fully upied."

    "Oh? Is there really no way?"

    "Since you, Lord Allen, are asking, I¡¯d certainly like to help, but as you know, the coliseum holds great significance here in the Empire."

    Even after hearing that participation might be impossible, I remained calm. I¡¯d anticipated this.

    It¡¯s not like there would be any openings with all the powerful people vying to enter the coliseum.

    In the game, it was nearly impossible to enter the coliseum through conventional means.

    "As a substitute, I can arrange seating for you in the audience, at least."

    Until now, Bardronel hadn¡¯t even nced my way, but when he mentioned the spectator seats, he looked right at me.

    His meaning was clear: trash like me belongs in the audience.

    Ha. His hostility is so tant it¡¯s almost amusing.

    Even someone as oblivious as I could catch on to his unsubtle attitude. Benedict couldn¡¯t possibly miss it either.

    Yet he simply forced a smile and shook his head.

    "I appreciate your consideration, but we¡¯ll pass. We¡¯ll visit again if another opportunity arises."

    "Apologies for failing to provide proper hospitality to such esteemed guests."

    Watching Benedict suppress his anger stirred something in me.

    It wasn¡¯t about personal offense¡ªit was a burning sense of anger at someone attacking my family.

    It was simr to how I¡¯d felt hearing those slurs about Lucy¡¯s mother.

    Was there a change in me as a result of being swept up in those emotions?

    With that in mind, I set a goal.

    Bardronel¡¯s son will be participating in the coliseum, right?

    Perfect timing.

    I might not be strong enough to crush Bardronel¡¯s head just yet, but I can certainly humiliate his son.@@novelbin@@

    Let him watch his son wet himself from the spectator seats.

    <em>Ding.</em>

    [King of the Coliseum]

    [Defeat all participants in the coliseum and prove your strength.]

    What? Since when did that lousy god start giving real quests?

    Did he finally develop some awareness?

    Did all my frustrated shouting finally get through to him?

    Hmm, but the requirements are pretty demanding.

    Beating Bardronel¡¯s son would be easy, but winning the entire coliseum is a different matter.

    I may be strong, but I¡¯m still just a student who hasn¡¯t graduated from the academy.

    Winning against all the skilled fighters in the coliseum... Well, I¡¯ll do my best, but I¡¯m not sure I can pull it off.

    [Reward: One-time ess to Status Window]

    Huh?

    Are my eyes ying tricks on me?

    Something odd just caught my attention.

    I blinked and read the message again, my eyes widening.

    A status window?

    I can finally check my stats?

    I¡¯ll be able to see all the skills I¡¯ve learned and their proficiencies?

    Unbelievable. This is too good to pass up. I absolutely have to seed.

    As I mulled over various strategies, I became curious about the penalty for failure.

    With a reward this good, the risk of failure must be high.

    What now? What kind of embarrassing stunt do they want me to do if I fail?

    [Penalty: Pray while in full makeup]

    Pfft. Haha. I have to hand it to you for being so straightforward about your desires.

    Full makeup, huh?

    The kind I wore for that speech?

    If that¡¯s the case, then it¡¯s no big deal.

    You know what, even if I seed, I¡¯ll still take the penalty. Getting a look at my status window is worth it.

    Prepare yourself, old pervy god¡ªget ready to drool.

    ¡°Huh, this is quite the predicament.¡±

    Snapping out of my thoughts at the sound of Benedict¡¯s voice, I nced over and saw his awkward smile.

    "I didn¡¯t expect the coliseum¡¯s participant slots to be full. What should we do?"

    "Don''t worry...

    ¡°No need to fret, foolish Papa. Unlike you, who¡¯s only good at fighting, yourpetent daughter has a n."

    "Do you really?"

    ¡°Yes¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, are you doubting me, Papa? That¡¯s so sad, I might just cry.¡±

    "No, I didn¡¯t mean to doubt you. It¡¯s just, well¡­ Anyway! So, what¡¯s this n of yours?"

    Realizing he was only digging himself deeper, Benedict hastily changed the subject.

    I could¡¯ve teased him a little more, but I¡¯ll stop here. There¡¯s too much to do.

    "I¡¯ll transfer someone¡¯s spot."

    ¡°I¡¯m going to snatch the participation rights from some nobody.¡±

    The coliseum in the Empire allows participation rights to be transferred.

    The reason is simple: it has to be transferrable for nobles to join the fights.

    Since nobles make the rules, it¡¯s only natural for them to craft rules that favor themselves.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m no expert, but isn¡¯t that easier said than done?¡±

    As Benedict implied, transferring participation rights isn¡¯t easy.

    As I mentioned earlier, participating in the coliseum is a huge honor in the Empire, so participants are rarely willing to give up their spot.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s no way around it. If non-nobles hold the tickets, it puts the nobles in a bind.

    The Empire¡¯s nobles anticipated this situation and added an extra rule.

    A rule that makes it easy for them to snatch the tickets from others.

    I n to use that rule just like in the game.

    ¡°Just watch.¡±

    ¡°Watch and learn, foolish Papa. I¡¯ll handle this.¡±

    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, I walked into a tavern tucked away in a corner of Bardronel¡¯s estate.

    The stale smell that hit me as I entered made it clear this wasn¡¯t a ce any nobledy would visit.

    ¡°Lucy. Are you sure this is the right ce?¡±

    I answered Benedict¡¯s uncertain question by stepping inside, drawing the eyes of the rough-looking patrons. I walked over to arge man who was upying two chairs by himself.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Hey, stinky trash.¡±

    ¡°And who the hell are you, picking a fight?¡±

    ¡°Coliseum ticket. You have one, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The man scowled, ncing over my shoulder at mypanions.

    That reaction confirmed it¡ªhe had the ticket.

    Thank goodness.

    I was worried things might be different from the game.

    "I¡¯m doing you a favor by offering to take your ticket ? It¡¯d be better off in my hands¡ªa cute, strong girl¡ªthan with someone who¡¯ll just lose and cry in the first round, don¡¯t you think? ?"

    With every word, his expression twisted more, but he still didn¡¯t get up from his seat.

    "...Crazy little... psycho."

    Wow. He actually held himself back from throwing a fit over my rude remarks.

    Despite his brutish appearance, he¡¯s surprisinglyposed.

    But I had no intention of stopping here.

    If I wanted that coliseum ticket, I¡¯d have to fight him.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? ? Scared of a little girl? ? Haha ? You look like a perverted creep, but deep down, are you just a big softie? ? You¡¯re so disgustingly cute it¡¯s making me sick ?¡±

    I pretended to gag, and that finally set him off¡ªhe grabbed a bottle and threw it at me.

    Of course, it didn¡¯t hit me. A barrier of divine power had already appeared in front of me.

    ¡°Hit a nerve? ? Angry that I exposed your shameful side? ? Sorry~? I guess I was just too blunt ? But what can I do? It¡¯s so disgusting I felt like I¡¯d throw up if I didn¡¯t say it ?¡±

    ¡°You little...!¡±

    The man shot up, swinging his fist at my face.

    Maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s a resident of a fantasy world, but his punch was surprisingly quick and forceful.

    But that¡¯s all it had going for it.

    His movement was sloppy, his fist was loose, and he hadn¡¯t even thought about what would happen if he missed.

    I tilted my head to dodge his punch, then struck his chin, sending him reeling forward as I kicked him in the gut, mming him into the table.

    With his eyes rolled back, it was clear he was out cold.

    How disappointing. I was hoping he¡¯dst long enough to vent some of my frustration.

    Just as I was about to approach him again, Benedict grabbed my shoulder.

    ¡°Yes, Lucy?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What is it, foolish Papa?¡±

    ¡°¡­Can I ask what exactly you¡¯re doing right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of getting a ticket.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m taking an undeserved ticket from this weakling.¡±

    ¡°¡­Lucy.¡±

    After a deep sigh, Benedict took my wrist in his hands, looking at me sternly.

    "I know you want to participate in the coliseum, but you shouldn¡¯t resort to intimidation to take it from others. That¡¯s dishonorable."

    Only then did I realize Benedict had misunderstood me.

    Does he think I was just trying to take the ticket by force?!

    That¡¯s not it! It¡¯s actually one of the coliseum¡¯s official rules!

    If both parties agree or the ticket holder attacks first, the winner can im the ticket.

    I was just following the rules!

    It¡¯s amon urrence during the coliseum season!

    ¡°Lucy, it¡¯s different now. You have strength.¡±

    But Benedict didn¡¯t believe a word of my exnation.

    This is so unfair! For once, I¡¯m actually not doing anything wrong!

    Maybe it was a bit underhanded, but it wasn¡¯t entirely wrong!

    What¡¯s even more annoying is that I can understand Benedict¡¯s disbelief.

    I have quite the track record, after all!

    But that was the old Lucy! I don¡¯t cause trouble¡­ well, not as much.

    I mean, I don¡¯t go around tormenting innocent people anymore!

    If I were really up to no good, would I have brought you along? I¡¯d have done it solo!

    ¡°Excuse me, Lord Allen.¡±

    Interrupting Benedict¡¯s scolding, a man in the tavern spoke up.

    Nervously sweating, he met Benedict¡¯s and my gaze, but forced himself to continue.

    ¡°The youngdy is right. She hasn¡¯t done anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Ask anyone living in Bardronel¡¯s estate, and they¡¯ll say the same. The one who couldn¡¯t control his temper and threw the first punch is at fault.¡±

    Blinking in surprise, Benedict slowly looked around the tavern, where the patrons nodded in agreement.

    ¡°This man is correct, Lord Allen. If he wasn¡¯t confident, he should¡¯ve held back.¡±

    ¡°The ticket was too much for that guy anyway.¡±

    ¡°The youngdy¡¯s right. All that guy would do is lose and bawl in the coliseum.¡±

    ¡°The only fault she has is understanding the Empire¡¯s customs too well.¡±

    ¡°Heh, and you¡ªget up. How long are you nning to stay down?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Wh-what happened?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t remember? You threw the first punch and lost.¡±

    "Damn it, really?! Damn it. I thought I¡¯d finally get to enter the coliseum!"

    With even the big guy ming himself more than anyone else, my innocence was fully proven.

    Releasing his grip, Benedict forced a smile as he withdrew his hand.

    "So, Lucy¡­ as you know, I¡¯m not well-versed in these matters."

    ¡°Hmph ?¡±

    ¡°And, well, let¡¯s say you didn¡¯t exin things very clearly. Like you often say, Papa¡¯s a fool who wouldn¡¯t understand without a full exnation.¡±

    ¡°Hmph? ?¡±

    ¡°So, could you forgive me just this once?¡±

    Meeting Benedict¡¯s pleading gaze, I beamed back at him with the brightest smile.

    "I hate you, Papa ?"

 Chapter 359

    When I decided to use the coliseum to gain experience, I set a personal rule: unless I was in a truly desperate situation, I wouldn¡¯t use the taunting ability of my <em>Masochistic Brat Skill</em>.

    The taunt in <em>Masochistic Brat Skill</em> was absurdly powerful¡ªenough to break game bnce. It could provoke not only opponents at my level but also those far stronger than me, even including demonic gods.

    And when someone fell under its influence...well, let¡¯s just say it turned them into NPC-like puppets, driven solely by the urge to ¡°teach a lesson¡± to the obnoxious brat before them.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t without limitations. No matter how broken a skill is, it¡¯s still a kind of status effect, and people could resist it with enough willpower. The Second Queen, despite her anger, had kept herposure, which meant only someone at her level could maintain their rationality in such a state.

    Though seriously, doesn¡¯t King Sdin have a weird taste in partners?

    The First Queen was a powerhouse in the game, and Benedict once mentioned that if the Second Queen hadn¡¯t be royalty, she would¡¯ve likely led her family¡¯s knight order.

    Strong women. A bit of a twisted taste in power dynamics.

    ¡­Could it be that¡¯s why King Sdin couldugh off Lucy¡¯s taunts?

    <em>Ahem.</em> Back on topic. Using such a powerful skill recklessly in the coliseum would be counterproductive. I wanted to get used to the back-and-forth nature of realbat, not just show off as a power yer.

    So, unless it was urgent, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

    <Just look at his flushed face. He¡¯s already lost his cool.>

    ¡®¡­Maybe he¡¯s just a bit annoyed?¡¯

    "I hope your arrogance is backed by skill."

    <Do you call that ¡®a bit¡¯? After hearing that voiceced with resentment?>

    I couldn¡¯t argue with my mentor¡¯s observation. The grip on Baut¡¯s axe was taut with rage¡ªit was no small matter.

    <em>Sigh.</em> Maybe I should just skip the pleasantries and stay silent. Anything else seems to just make things worse.

    <Oh, this is going to be entertaining.>

    ¡®Watching my reputation get torn to shreds in real-time?¡¯

    Look at the audience¡ªthey¡¯re ring at me as if I¡¯m some disgrace that needs to be purged.

    <I¡¯m curious what you think of yourself. That¡¯s not it at all.>

    ¡®Then what is it?¡¯

    <Didn¡¯t you just exin? The people here worship the strong.>

    ¡®And that means?¡¯

    <It means if you break that shiny bald head, they¡¯ll change their tune all on their own. Just imagine their reactions¡ªit¡¯ll be quite the show.>

    The mischievousugh from my mentor quickly spread to me. He was right. Imagining their faces as they scrambled to justify their shock would be rather satisfying.

    "Are both sides ready?"

    "Ready."

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? Or is that ss eye you¡¯re wearing just for show?¡±

    "...Then let the match begin."

    As soon as the referee announced the start of the match, Baut lunged at me with an aggressive charge.

    A straightforward, overconfident attack, as if convinced he could simply crush me with his strength.

    Watching his painfully predictable move, I smiled and channeled divine power into my shield.

    The downward strike from his massive axe was brutal, as if intending to split me like firewood.

    A weaker opponent might shut their eyes, anticipating the gruesome oue.

    But not me.

    I knew that attack wouldn¡¯t leave even a scratch on my shield.

    <em>ng!</em>

    The sound of metal against metal rang out, and the audience gasped.

    Not at a gruesome sight, but in astonishment at the oue a small girl had produced.

    Seeing the shock in Baut¡¯s eyes as his axe bounced off my shield, I almost felt the urge to taunt him again, but I held back.

    Another word, and this bald giant mightpletely lose it.

    Ah, I keep calling him Baldy in my head.

    But it¡¯s hard not to¡ªhis gleaming scalp just catches the sunlight so annoyingly well.

    Even as I mused to myself, my body acted instinctively.

    With his axe knocked back, Baldy¡¯s torso was wide open, and my mace mmed into his side with a sickening crunch.

    ¡°Ggh!¡±

    He bit down on his lip, trying to endure the pain, but his body betrayed him. With his ribs shattered, he stumbled, struggling to hold the weight of his weapon.

    Without missing a beat, I raised my mace again.

    First, I struck his knee, bringing him down. As he knelt, I swung my mace toward his face.

    Sensing imminent doom, Baldy squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself, but his expectations were off.

    Just before impact, I stopped the mace right at his nose.

    ¡°Heh.¡±

    The sight of a supposedly fearsome brute trembling with his eyes shut was too much to resist¡ªI let out a stifledugh.

    Using the mace¡¯s end to nudge him over, I turned to the referee.

    The referee, snapping back to attention, quickly raised his voice.

    "The victor! Lucy Allen!"

    Odd. Why is the crowd so silent? They cheered the other winners, yet now it¡¯s quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

    "That¡¯s my girl! Well done, Lucy!"

    ...

    <em>Snicker.</em>

    One shout from Benedict fills the whole coliseum. With his enthusiasm, I hardly need anyone else¡¯s praise.

    On the second day of the coliseum matches, Baron Bardronel sat in the VIP box, watching the fighters sh below with a rather sour expression.

    It wasn¡¯t because anything had gone wrong.

    If anything, this tournament was proceeding more smoothly than ever. Fighters, aware of Benedict Allen¡¯s presence, sought to perform honorably before a living legend. The coliseum staff wore smiles as the matches proceeded without incident.

    The event was far from failing; every seat was filled, with people even crowded on the stairs¡ªa testament to the tournament¡¯s poprity.

    "Is that Lord Allen¡¯s daughter?"

    "She¡¯s beautiful."

    "Is she really that strong? She doesn¡¯t look it."

    "Just watch. You¡¯ll see soon enough."

    The source of Baron Bardronel¡¯s displeasure was none other than Lucy Allen, the girl who effortlesslymanded the audience¡¯s attention.

    When she¡¯d entered the coliseum, he hadn¡¯t believed she¡¯d make it far. While she was rumored to have exceptional talent for her age, she was, after all, just a child who hadn¡¯t even graduated from the academy.

    Surely she wouldn¡¯t survive long among the Teresia Empire¡¯s seasoned warriors.

    If she couldst until facing his son, all the better. But even if she lost before that, it would be entertaining enough.

    However, his expectations were shattered on the very first day.

    Baut, who¡¯d consistently ced well in past tournaments, was defeated without evennding a solid hit on Lucy.

    Those who hadn¡¯t seen the match might dismiss it as luck, but having witnessed it firsthand, Baron Bardronel couldn¡¯t deceive himself.

    He had seen her shield effortlessly repel Baut¡¯s full-strength blows.

    He had watched her seize openings andnd decisive strikes with her mace.

    He had found himself gasping in admiration as she executed a wless sequence of attacks.

    Baron Bardronel acknowledged that the rumors about Lucy¡¯s prowess weren¡¯t exaggerated¡ªin fact, they might have been understatements.

    Regardless of his personal feelings, Lucy Allen¡¯s skill was undeniable.

    After that, she continued her winning streak.

    Dyal, who used spirits to annoy his opponents and was notorious for his hit-and-run tactics, was left powerless against Lucy¡¯s shield.@@novelbin@@

    Hanan, a noble scion who¡¯d honed his swordsmanship through years of wandering, managed tond a meaningful hit but ultimately couldn¡¯t ovee her defenses.

    Even Gav, famed as a martial artist, tried to break through her shield with a flurry of blows but was worn down by Lucy¡¯s relentless healing and resilience.

    By the end of the first day¡¯s matches, Baron Bardronel realized he¡¯d underestimated the Allen family.

    "Ah, finally, Bardronel¡¯s son and Lucy are facing off," someone remarked nearby.

    "...Yes, it seems so."

    Baron Bardronel, watching his son enter the arena, forced a smile, but his heart was filled with unease.

    After observing Lucy Allen throughout the previous day, he had to admit she possessed extraordinary talent worthy of the Allen name.

    Her petite frame concealed knight-level physical strength.

    Her skill with the shield had frustrated numerous opponents.

    And her mace struck with pinpoint uracy whenever an opportunity presented itself.

    Yet, above all, it was her unshakableposure that posed the greatest threat.

    Her arrogant tone, the look in her eyes that belittled her foes, and that taunting smile¡ªthese masked her true nature. But having watched her battles, Baron Bardronel knew herposure was her greatest weapon.

    No matter her opponent, she never rushed.

    She never charged blindly.

    Her calm, calcting approach behind her shield resembled a seasoned knight more than a young girl. And so, Baron Bardronel couldn¡¯t be certain of his son¡¯s victory.

    Surely, his son was physically stronger.

    Surely, he had far morebat experience.

    So, in theory, he held the advantage. But why couldn¡¯t Baron Bardronel imagine his son winning?

    ¡°Damn it! That cursed shield!¡±

    ¡°Heh. You¡¯re looking pretty desperate. But does swinging like that do anything? Think you can even scratch my shield ying knight like a little kid?¡±

    After just a few minutes into the match, Baron Bardronel lowered his head, unable to watch his son¡¯s humiliation any longer.

    The oue was obvious. As long as Lucy Allen manipted the match with her skillful tactics, every advantage his son held would be rendered meaningless. He would exhaust himself, hammering away at her shield, only to lose.

    "Keep trying. Maybe if you¡¯re dedicated enough, I¡¯ll let you win. Who knows?"

    "Shut up! My sword isn¡¯t finished yet!"

    "Does my voice annoy you? Then silence me, if you can. Can¡¯t do it? Then just listen quietly. Like a good loser."

    As the one-sided nature of the fight became apparent, Benedict, initially cheering Lucy on, began to nce nervously at Baron Bardronel.

    "Uh, Baron Bardronel¡­ My daughter means no disrespect, she just gets a little, uh, worked up in the heat of battle."

    Benedict¡¯s attempt to console him only deepened Baron Bardronel¡¯s frustration, but he forced a smile.

    After all, Benedict Allen was worthy of respect.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Lord Allen. There¡¯s no need to apologize.¡±

    "...But¡ª"

    ¡°My soncks, while your daughter excels; whatfort could I possibly need?¡±

    As Baron Bardronel tried to mask his discontent, the match concluded. The victor was Lucy Allen, and his eldest sony defeated on the ground.

    "...Well, now I can only hope your daughter wins the entire tournament."

    And he truly meant it. Her victory would at least lessen the humiliation his family would face.

    ¡°I¡¯d hope so too, but that might be difficult. My daughter¡¯s certainly a genius, but she still has much to learn.¡±

    ¡°No need to be modest, Lord Allen.¡±

    ¡°No, no, Baron Bardronel. This isn¡¯t modesty; it¡¯s simply the truth.¡±

    Normally, Benedict would have proudly boasted to the point of exhaustion, but not today.

    Instead, he examined the roster with a cold, calcting gaze, different from how he usually looked at his daughter.

    On the list, he spotted the name of a former opponent.

 Chapter 360

    Watching my opponent¡ªone who used poison¡ªtwitch on the floor, I walked back into the coliseum amidst the cheers of the crowd.

    It wasn¡¯t that he was particrly weak. Poison users are never easy to handle; the threat of what even a small cut can do is terrifying on its own. Plus, unlike most fighters, poison users don¡¯t aim to simply defeat you; they strategize to inject their venom. You have to handle them differently.

    But my opponent was unfortunate. Mypatibility against him was just too strong.

    For one, as a servant of the Holy Lord, I have immunity to most poisons. Without any conscious effort on my part, the holy power within me naturally expels impurities. Poisons lethal to most wouldn¡¯t work on me unless there was a significant volume or potency capable of surpassing my divine protection.

    And even if he managed to bypass my shield and inflict some meaningful poison damage, I have the ability to purify it. Holy magic is packed with cleansing spells, and I even possess the cheat skill <em>Armadi¡¯s Mercy</em>.

    Unless he wielded powers granted by an evil god of poison, poisoning me was practically impossible.

    ¡®Well, luck is part of skill.¡¯

    <Hmph. True as that may be, hearing it from you is irritating.>

    I chuckled at my mentor¡¯s grumbling.

    He was right; I had no business saying that.

    Someone like my opponent, who was knocked out by sheer bad luck, can say things like that. Those words would be a fairinting from him.

    But for someone like me, who has only fought opponents I knew I could handle while gaining experience, it would be deceitful. It would be nothing short of arrogance.

    I learned this lesson firsthand on the Soul Academy forums after being banned multiple times for stirring up trouble with victory brags.

    So why did I make such a remark to my mentor?

    ¡®But Grandpa, if you think about it, don¡¯t I deserve to say it this time?¡¯

    I¡¯m about to fail soon, anyway.@@novelbin@@

    <That¡¯s true.>

    On my way back to the waiting room, I checked the bracket again and recalled Benedict¡¯s story, shaking my head with a wry smile.

    ¡°This was back when your Papa was still green, dear. He was so eager to prove his strength he¡¯d face anyone he could. He took down everyone in his knight order, conquered every dungeon, and still wasn¡¯t satisfied. He abandoned his duties and roamed the continent, battling every strong opponent he could find.

    ¡°That¡¯s when he met a woman named Lasha. She was also roaming thends, taking down powerful people, and came looking for me. We crossed swords. She was quite a formidable opponent. I don¡¯t say this lightly, but even then, few could match my strength. Lasha was one of those rare exceptions. If she¡¯d had more refined technique, things might¡¯ve been different.

    ¡°Even if we fought again, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d lose, though it¡¯d certainly be tougher. I¡¯ve grown weaker over time, and she hasn¡¯t.¡±

    Lasha. A fighter Benedict himself acknowledged.

    One of the continent¡¯s top-ranked warriors.

    And her name had risen to the top of the brackets, having defeated all the other opponents I considered challenging.

    Chances of victory?

    None.

    I¡¯m not exaggerating. I watched her fight from the participant section and concluded there¡¯s zero chance I could beat her.

    I mean, how am I supposed to survive against a fanatical servant of a god of strife? If we were back at the keyboard and mouse, maybe. But here, facing this monster directly?

    <Is this Lasha really a servant of the god of strife?>

    ¡®I wish she weren¡¯t, but she is. I¡¯m certain.¡¯

    When I first saw her fight, I just thought she was absurdly powerful; I didn¡¯t immediately link her to a god of strife.

    After all, the Lasha I watched from my screen looked different and went by another name.

    But as I kept watching her demolish other opponents, a nagging familiarity grew stronger.

    The way she swung her fists, the mannerisms she showed while advancing, even the phrases she uttered during fights¡ªall of it started to feel familiar.

    The final clue was the fierce energy surrounding her when she nced at Benedict.

    To most, including Benedict, it might have just seemed like intense determination. But I knew better.

    As a Soul Academy veteran and Armadi¡¯s disciple, I could tell that aura was undoubtedly from an evil god.

    <Yet she seems quite sane, all things considered.>

    ¡®On the outside, sure.¡¯

    Anyone who worships an evil god in this world risks wiping out their entire bloodline if they¡¯re exposed, so those who do are usuallyplete maniacs.

    Lasha is no exception¡ªshe might lookposed, but she¡¯s an utter lunatic inside. The kind of unhinged personality you¡¯d never want around.

    ¡®Even if I were mistaken, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that I stand no chance against her.¡¯

    The power gap is too vast. Even if I expended all the divine energy within me, I¡¯d only be able to endure a few attacks at best.

    There¡¯s no way to defeat her. Since a loss is certain, it¡¯s better to go down quietly rather than reveal my identity to an evil god¡¯s servant and risk exposing myself.

    The stat screen reward is out of reach, leaving that pervy fox god and the lecherous sage thrilled with the situation, but what choice do I have? There¡¯s no way out.

    <em>Sigh.</em> This is so unfair.

    Why does an overpowered boss-level character have to appear here, just when my reputation is peaking?

    Why does she have to block my path?

    ¡°Oh, Benedict¡¯s daughter.¡±

    Lost in thoughts of my cursed fate, I suddenly heard a chuckling voice beside me.

    Turning, I was met with the sight of muscles so absurdly bulky that they¡¯d make even the most seasoned knight seem scrawny byparison.

    The sheer bulk of the muscles before me made me question if we were the same species.

    ¡°You¡¯re tiny. How did someone like youe from that huge guy?¡±

    The woman, Lasha, looked down at me from her towering height with a curious gleam in her eyes.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Lasha. I fought your father back in the day.¡±

    Herugh was filled with warmth, but my mind was racing. As a disciple of the Holy Lord, and with her as a servant of Nir, the god of strife, I knew the smile would turn the moment my true identity came to light.

    ¡°Want some candy? It¡¯s sweet and tasty.¡±

    ¡®¡­No, thank you, Lasha.¡¯

    ¡°Who¡¯s the child here? Unlike you, I¡¯m mature. You musclehead.¡±

    Watching her eyes narrow slightly, I mentally prepared to draw my mace and shield at a moment¡¯s notice.

    ¡°Haha! ¡®Musclehead,¡¯ huh? You¡¯ve got some spirit, just like Benedict¡¯s daughter should.¡±

    Luckily, my worst fears didn¡¯te to pass. Lasha¡¯s heartyughter filled the corridor, and she didn¡¯t seem offended in the slightest.

    Looks like she doesn¡¯t know my true identity. She¡¯s just seeing me as Benedict¡¯s daughter. As long as I lose gracefully, I should be safe¡ª

    ¡°Or are you giving me that attitude because you¡¯re a servant of the Holy Lord?¡±

    The words came out so casually, but they sent a chill down my spine.

    She figured out I¡¯m a disciple of the Holy Lord? How? I¡¯m masking my divine power perfectly!

    ¡°Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice? Haha, Benedict¡¯s daughter, you¡¯re certainly skilled for your age, but you¡¯re still young. You¡¯recking too much to deceive me.¡±

    As Lasha took a step forward, I quickly moved back, summoning my shield and mace.

    It¡¯s fine. Benedict is nearby. If I can just survive until he arrives, he¡¯ll take care of everything.

    The problem is whether I canst that long.

    I have to.

    If I don¡¯t, I¡¯m dead.

    Bracing myself with divine power, I prepared for the worst. Lasha let out another boomingugh, loud enough that it brought people from the waiting room out to the corridor.

    Why is she drawing so much attention to us? This isn¡¯t going to end well for her.

    Before I could make sense of her actions, Lasha surrounded us with a soundproof barrier, isting our conversation from the outside.

    ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m not nning to hurt you¡­yet.¡±

    ¡®You expect me to believe that?¡¯

    ¡°Oh? So you think my muscles are so big they¡¯ve clogged up my brain?¡±

    ¡°Why would I kill a young warrior with so much potential?¡±

    Seeing her shrug, I recalled her backstory.

    ¡°For the record, I didn¡¯t be a servant of Nir out of devotion. I epted because causing trouble gives me ess to more strong fighters.¡±

    Servant of the god of strife.

    ¡°Heck, Nir¡¯s muttering something to me now, but why should I care? What I want is to sh with those like your father, maybe even those stronger. And someday, that might be you. Why would I kill you now, when I could fight you at your peak?¡±

    A lunatic who values fighting strong opponents over everything else.

    ¡°Sure, I could crush you now, and Benedict would likelye after me with everything he¡¯s got. That¡¯d be fun too. But I can do that anytime, even after you¡¯ve matured.¡±

    With a grin that was as menacing as it was amused, Lasha gave augh, and my mentor let out a dry chuckle.

    <You were right. She¡¯s truly insane, treating an evil god as a mere tool.>

    ¡®At least she¡¯s crazy in a way that works to my advantage.¡¯

    A lunatic who¡¯s willing to wait for a fight is better than one who¡¯d attack me right now.

    ¡°Is there an issue, contestants?¡±

    At the sound of an official¡¯s voice knocking on the barrier, Lasha dispelled her magic, resuming her easygoing grin.

    ¡°Sorry, I got carried away meeting such raw potential. I guess I might¡¯ve scared her a bit.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s all it was.¡±

    ¡°We talked it out, so no need to worry. Right, Benedict¡¯s daughter?¡±

    Lasha gave me a pointed look, and I nodded, dismissing my weapons.

    It wouldn¡¯t be just my life at risk if I created a scene here.

    Satisfied, the official left with a reminder to keep things calm. Lasha waved me off with a cheery farewell.

    ¡°Oh, and Benedict¡¯s daughter. Even if you can¡¯t win, do your best. Otherwise, I might get¡­very upset.¡±

    ¡­Is that a death threat?

 Chapter 361

    The doors to the arena swung open, revealing a small girl stepping into view.

    When she first appeared in the arena, the audience had looked at her with skepticism. They all seemed to think, <em>How strong could such a tiny girl possibly be?</em>

    But Lucy Allen had shattered that doubt, proving her strength. With countless victories, she demonstrated that she was someone worthy of respect.

    Now, as the crowd watched Lucy, their gaze was filled with admiration for her martial prowess. They believed she wouldn¡¯t easily fall, even against a formidable opponent.

    "Go get ¡®em, foul-mouthed angel! Show that Hunter what you¡¯re made of!" "Nothing, not even a beast, could break your shield!" "Angel! I¡¯m betting it all on you! Show us something amazing!" "Fight on! You can do it!"

    Among the cheers filling the arena, however, Benedict¡¯s expression was as grim as ever.

    Anyone who knew him might find this strange. Benedict, who never held back in showing his fatherly affection to the point of making others cringe, was now frowning as he watched Lucy rather than cheering her on.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to cheer for her this time, Sir Allen?¡± asked Count Bardronel, noticing Benedict¡¯s unusual expression. Benedict forced an awkward smile.

    ¡°Of course. How could I not cheer for my adorable daughter?¡±

    ¡°I understand, but your face just didn¡¯t look all that... enthused.¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s just that I¡¯m worried, is all.¡±

    Benedict didn¡¯t doubt Lucy¡¯s talent.

    Even without his fatherly bias, she was undeniably a prodigy. Otherwise, a girl who once struggled to climb the stairs wouldn¡¯t have gained a reputation as one of the kingdom¡¯s top talents in little over a year.

    At the same time, Benedict trusted in her skill.

    Lucy had be so skilled that, even without her name, she could easily pass the entry tests for the Allen Knight Order. Benedict¡¯s usual fussing was only due to his concern as her loving father, not ack of faith in her abilities as a warrior.

    But this time, the opponent was different.

    Lasha.

    The madwoman who roamed the continent, challenging renowned strongmen to fight, surviving battle after battle.

    Among the many powerful fighters Benedict had faced, she was one who left asting impression.

    She hadn¡¯t weakened with time¡ªin fact, she¡¯d grown stronger. She was simply beyond what Lucy could handle right now.

    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry, Sir Allen. You¡¯ve seen it yourself: Lady Lasha knows her limits. She wouldn¡¯t leave a permanent scar on your daughter.¡±

    Benedict could not bring himself to nod in agreement at Count Bardronel¡¯s reassurances.

    He knew it, too. He had shed fists with Lasha in the past; he knew her nature well.

    Lasha wasn¡¯t one who enjoyed shedding blood for its own sake; she simply loved fighting. But conversely, if it meant a good fight, she would spill as much blood as necessary.

    This knowledge only deepened Benedict¡¯s worries.

    <em>Lasha would hurt Lucy just to drag me into a fight.</em>

    <em>If she pulls any sudden moves, will I be able to stop her in time? Can I stop Lasha before Lucy is put in danger?</em>

    Just as these worries weighed heavily on him, Lucy¡¯s opponent stepped into the arena.

    Lasha.

    Many words could be used to describe her.

    ¡°The Weakness Maker!¡±

    She earned this nickname by defeating anyone acknowledged as strong, turning them into a rtive weakling.

    ¡°The Festival Crusher!¡±

    Unconcerned with the situation around her, she would charge headfirst at the strong, often creating utter chaos¡ªthus her infamous title.

    ¡°The Humility Bringer!¡± ¡°The Fight Junkie!¡± ¡°The Crazy Woman!¡± ¡°Hey, thatst one¡¯s just an insult!¡±

    Amidst the endless chants, Lasha raised her voice, andughter erupted throughout the crowd.

    Then, when someone finally shouted out the title that best defined her, the atmosphere shifted.

    ¡°The Hunter of the Strong!¡±

    This phrase encapsted her very existence and her philosophy of life.

    ¡°The Hunter of the Strong!¡± ¡°The Hunter of the Strong!¡± ¡°The Hunter of the Strong!¡±

    Walking to the center of the arena amid the audience¡¯s chants, Lasha met Lucy¡¯s piercing gaze and let out a grin, lifting one leg high.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    As she stomped down, the ground groaned in agony, unable to withstand the impact.

    ¡°Weaklings, shut uuuup!¡±

    Her roar drowned out every voice in the arena, silencing the crowd one by one.

    Once a deep silence had settled, Lasha shed a grin and turned her gaze toward Benedict.

    ¡°Hey, Benedict! I¡¯ve got a proposal!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to yell so loud; I can hear you perfectly well if you just speak normally.¡±

    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing¡ªI was thinking about thisst night!¡±

    Completely ignoring his irritation, Lasha continued as if only her words mattered.

    ¡°Your daughter and I fighting is just going to end up one-sided! Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡±

    ¡°One minute! If your daughter can hold out against me for one minute, she wins! But if she loses, then you¡¯ll have to fight me!¡±

    A bold proposal, one she could only make with full confidence in her overwhelming strength.

    Though Benedict frowned at his daughter being underestimated, part of him found this offer appealing.

    Not only did it give Lucy a glimmer of hope where she¡¯d otherwise have none, but it also reassured him that Lasha wouldn¡¯t harm Lucy just to lure him out.

    So, logically, he had no reason to refuse.

    ¡°You won¡¯t harm Lucy, then?¡±

    ¡°Nah, what¡¯s the point of that? I don¡¯t make a habit of stomping out sprouts.¡±

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t have any objections.¡±

    In the end, it was Lucy¡¯s choice whether or not to ept this proposal¡ªshe was the one at stake here.

    Seeing Benedict¡¯s silence, Lasha beamed and turned her gaze toward Lucy.

    ¡°Hey, Benedict¡¯s daughter! What do you say? This is better than having no options at all, right?¡±

    Lasha was sure Lucy wouldn¡¯t refuse.

    Despite her fierce appearance, Lucy Allen was highly calcting.

    The eyes of a predator who watches from behind a shield, studying her opponent, weren¡¯t those of a brute acting on impulse.

    Just look at her now. Rather than answering right away, she was coldly weighing the pros and cons.

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t think you canst a minute? I thought you were gutsy, but maybe you¡¯re just a coward after all?¡±

    At this, a glint of defiance sparked in Lucy¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll take your stupid offer, you muscle-headed pig?.¡±

    Yes, that¡¯s the spirit. The young should have this level of fire in them.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t go crying when you lose?¡ªthat would be embarrassing, don¡¯t you think??¡±

    ¡°Haha! You sound confident. Do you think you can actually beat me?¡±

    ¡°Why ask something so obvious?? I¡¯m not dumb enough to get bitten by a mindless beast?. Though I get that thinking isn¡¯t your strong suit, seeing as even your brain¡¯s packed with muscle, Muscle Pig?.¡±

    Lasha held back herughter, suppressing the rising exhration.

    She¡¯d heard rumors of Lucy¡¯s filthy mouth, but this was something else entirely.

    Each word she spat seemed crafted to ignite anger, practically a curse in itself.

    She must have some gift for ying with people¡¯s emotions.

    Interesting. Very interesting.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if your skills match that smug voice of yours.¡±

    Let¡¯s see just how threatening this kid¡ªwhom even my cursed god insists must be killed¡ªtruly is, and what potential she might hold.

    <...Youngdy, don¡¯t you think provoking her was a bit risky?>

    The old man let out a chuckle, noting the heightened ferocity in Lasha¡¯s gaze.

    <em>It is risky, I know.</em>

    If Lasha snapped and tried to kill me, that would be a big problem.

    <em>But if I want to win, I have to take some risks, right?</em>

    The reason I provoked her, despite the danger, was that I trusted her.

    Lasha had told me I was someone with great potential, a talent yet to fully bloom, and that she didn¡¯t intend to crush me before I¡¯d grown.

    She¡¯d promised Benedict not to harm me.

    I trusted that this madwoman, this insane warrior who treated her god as a mere tool, wouldn¡¯t strike to kill. That any hesitation, however small, would buy me a few crucial seconds in that one-minute timer.

    Of course, that wasn¡¯t my only reason, but it wasn¡¯t something the old man would understand even if I exined.

    <You really are determined to win. Is it...a must-win situation?>

    <em>No, not really.</em>@@novelbin@@

    It¡¯s true that there¡¯s a quest, but it¡¯s not like I have to clear it.

    Even if I fail, I can always pray to the pathetic god who assigned it. I might miss having the status screen, but it¡¯s not essential.

    <Then why go so far?>

    <em>Because it¡¯s the best option I have.</em>

    To increase my chances, I have to get under my opponent¡¯s skin. That¡¯s the decision I made, and that¡¯s why I provoked her.

    The old man sighed, his voice tinged with resignation.

    <So, you¡¯re not much different from the rest of the crazies, are you.>

    <em>What? Where did thate from?</em>

    Isn¡¯t it better to go all out and fight with everything I have, rather than losing passively? I¡¯m just doing my best¡ªwhy does that make me crazy?

    <Forget it. What¡¯ll you do if she really loses it?>

    <em>Oh, that¡¯s simple. My dad will handle it.</em>

    I shrugged, feeling assured. With Benedict¡¯s watchful gaze fixed on the arena, there was no way I¡¯d die here, right? The old man sighed again, deliberately for me to hear.

    <You really have no n, do you?>

    <em>Of course I have a n.</em>

    <Oh, please. Just do as you please. I must be at fault for this...>

    Ignoring the old man¡¯s grumbling, I focused on casting several buffs. Anything else would only make himin more.

    Once I was fully prepared, Lasha stretched with a satisfied grin.

    ¡°Ready yet, kid?¡±

    ¡°You can see that for yourself?¡ªor are your optic nerves full of muscle too??¡±

    ¡°Haha, I guess I¡¯ll have to shut that mouth of yours first.¡±

    As Lasha waved her arms and I raised my shield, I felt her intensity.

    Driven, ready to enjoy the fight but with a tendency to open strong.

    Based on everything I knew, her first attack would be one I recognized all too well.

    ¡°Here Ie. Try to withstand it.¡±

    As expected.

    Smiling slightly at having predicted her move, I moved my shield in sync with the instincts engraved in my soul.

    Hoping the Lasha beyond this screen would stay strong for a long time.

 Chapter 362

    <strong>Lasha.</strong>

    <strong>The Hunter of the Strong.</strong>

    To the warriors of the continent, her name was like a myth.

    The very fact that she challenged someone to a fight was proof that they¡¯d ascended to the ranks of the continent¡¯s elite. Those who wielded weapons couldn¡¯t help but tense up, hoping¡ªand dreading¡ªthat she mighte seeking them.

    Her fame spanned the entire continent, and as such, her fighting style was well-known to many.

    For example, it was known that Lasha, the Hunter of the Strong, would start every fight with a powerful first strike to test her opponent.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    Lasha¡¯s punch collided with Lucy¡¯s shield, sending a shockwave through the arena floor, kicking up a cloud of dust.

    In the thick dust that obscured vision and caused many to cough, most spectators assumed the oue had already been decided.

    It was true that Lucy Allen had shown considerable skill thus far. She¡¯d reached a level where she could handle realbat without issue.

    Lucy¡¯s shield technique, in particr, was so exceptional that even the arena¡¯s seasoned fighters considered it tough to break through. Her shield wouldn¡¯t easily fall to just any opponent.

    But this time, her opponent didn¡¯t fall under the category of ¡°just any opponent.¡±

    Lasha¡¯s punch had silenced countless warriors who considered themselves strong.

    It was an overwhelming attack, one that often left audiences hoping for a fierce battle with an empty sense of disappointment.

    As a collective sense of Lucy¡¯s impending defeat settled over the arena, a chilled silence swept through the stands.

    Some regretted betting their money on her. Othersughed, saying the champion of this match was already decided. Still others murmured in excitement, eager to see Benedict fight Lasha.

    But as the dust settled, it revealed Lucy, standing firm with her shield still raised against Lasha¡¯s fist, a smirk curling at her lips.

    ¡°You blocked that?¡±

    ¡°With how obviously you charged at me, how could I not??¡±

    What happened? Had Lasha held back? Or was Lucy Allen hiding her true strength?

    As murmurs spread through the crowd, Benedict and the other true warriors reyed what had just happened in their minds.

    <em>Lucy didn¡¯t go all out. She didn¡¯t even use her best defensive move.</em>

    Nor had Lasha held back. She¡¯d genuinely aimed to break Lucy.

    Ordinarily, Lucy would have been sent flying, shield and all, crashing into the arena wall. Yet she¡¯d managed to withstand Lasha¡¯s punch due to her shield technique, which had reached an almost miraculous level.

    Lucy¡¯s shield had intercepted Lasha¡¯s punch just before it reached full force, diffusing the impact¡ªa feat that required foreseeing countless possible oues and choosing the best course of action.

    <em>Had I underestimated Lucy¡¯s potential?</em>

    No. Up until her recent training with the knight order, Lucy hadn¡¯t disyed such a level of skill.

    <em>Was it just a stroke of luck? Or maybe a miracle from the god watching over her?</em>

    Whatever it was, one thing was clear: if Lucy could keep this up, surviving a minute wasn¡¯t out of the question.

    ¡°Haha! This might be more fun than I thought!¡±

    While Benedict¡¯s eyes glinted with faint hope, Lasha relentlessly pressed her attack on Lucy.

    Sometimes with devastating power, sometimes with blinding speed, and sometimes with a barrage so intense it felt overwhelming.

    Not a single attack was easy for Lucy to counter, but, as if to prove that her initial block was no fluke, she grit her teeth and managed to hold her ground against Lasha¡¯s assault.

    With each passing second, the atmosphere in the arena shifted.

    Those who¡¯d predicted Lasha¡¯s easy victory fell silent, and those who had bet on Lucy now watched with wide eyes.

    Witnessing the miracle of an underdog holding her own, many raised their voices in support of Lucy.

    As if sensing the change in the crowd, Lasha smirked.

    Her punch finally slipped past Lucy¡¯s shield.

    As her fistnded on Lucy¡¯s side, a sound no human body should ever make echoed through the air.

    Lucy¡¯s body flew up, defying gravity, before crashing into the arena floor, the impact shaking the building.

    Once again, silence descended upon the arena.

    As I regained my scattered senses, the first thing that hit me was pain.

    <em>Ugh. Damn, that really hurts.</em>

    My bones were definitely broken, and the blood rising in my throat suggested that some internal organs were damaged as well.

    Not that it was my first time experiencing this kind of thing. Forcing my eyelids open, I cast <em>Armadi¡¯s Mercy</em> to restore my shattered body.

    ¡°Urgh!¡±

    As my broken body started mending, the pain carved into my flesh forced a scream out of me.

    <em>Grandpa, how long has it been?</em>

    <23 seconds.>

    <em>Isted quite a while.</em>

    I didn¡¯t expect Lasha to stick to her predictable attack patterns forever.@@novelbin@@

    After all, anyone would find it strange to see their opponent countering every move as if they could see the future.

    Still, I¡¯d survived nearly half the time already. I just had to endure the rest on my own.

    Steadying myself, I gathered every ounce of divine power I¡¯d saved within me.

    Even if I fainted once this fight ended, I had to give it my all¡ªthere was no other way I could hold out.

    ¡°Benedict¡¯s daughter. Have we fought before?¡±

    ¡°As if?. Why would a cute, delicate girl like me bother with a muscle pig like you??¡±

    ¡°Right. So thatst block¡ªthat¡¯s part of your skillset, huh? Interesting. I like it even more.¡±

    ¡°Ugh?, disgusting?. I hate sweaty women who reek through their skin?.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just nder. I keep myself quite clean, you know.¡±

    With a mocking grin, Lasha took a step forward.

    <em>Forget about the in-game knowledge. If I focus on that, Lasha will only toy with me.</em>

    From here on, I had to rely on nothing but my own experience¡ªthe voice of irond survival that had kept me alive all this time.

    <em>Boom!</em> As Lasha¡¯s fist collided with my shield, reinforced by divine energy, the impact resonated through my bones.

    This felt entirely different from when I¡¯d relied on my stale game knowledge to time my parries. Even the slightest miscalction could shatter the bones in my shield arm.

    ¡°Haha! So you can¡¯t actually see the future, huh?¡±

    Confident that I couldn¡¯t pull off my previous feats, Lashaughed ferociously, increasing her momentum.

    Damn. Her attacks are too fast. I can¡¯t keep up with every single punch. While I¡¯m managing to protect the most vulnerable spots, it¡¯s not enough to make much of a difference.

    Lasha¡¯s punches were deadly, no matter where theynded.

    While I could grit my teeth and endure the pain, the umted strain on my muscles and bones was no joke. If this kept up, I wouldn¡¯tst much longer.

    And as if to confirm my fears, my leg finally buckled without warning under the force of her punches.

    My bnce crumbled, and my defense fell apart, as if Lasha had anticipated it. She drew her arm back, charging it with power.

    I hurriedly gathered all my divine energy to form a barrier in front of my shield.

    A half-baked spell would shatter on impact. I needed a miracle to withstand this blow.

    Etching a holy seal with divine power in front of my shield, I prepared to recreate the tale my grandfather had passed down.

    ¡°Now that¡¯s interesting!¡±

    As her fist struck my divine shield, blood trickled from my lips.

    The strain of pushing my limits without proper preparation hade back to bite me.

    But my desperate effort yielded a meaningful result.

    While the holy shield was destroyed, it blocked Lasha¡¯s blow long enough for me to withstand the brunt of her attack. My body flew up, crashed into the ground, and rolled several times, but I still had enough strength to move.

    Wobbling as I got to my feet, I spat out the blood pooling in my mouth and pushed my disheveled hair back from my face.

    I saw Lasha advancing toward me from a distance.

    <Youngdy, since you have a moment, let me ask you one thing.>

    <em>Is this really the time?</em>

    <Why did you abandon your initial analysis of the opponent?>

    <em>What are you talking about?</em>

    <Why didn¡¯t you use your knowledge of her preferred tactics?>

    <em>Because once she saw through my strategy, that knowledge became useless.</em>

    The moment I clung to that stale knowledge, she would¡¯ve started toying with me.

    I¡¯d learned that lesson the hard way, even in my previous arena fights, when my opponents eventually caught on to something odd. How would any of that work against Lasha?

    Against a strong enough opponent, my game-based knowledge could be an unexpected variable, but it wouldn¡¯t guarantee a win.

    Unless they lost their mind, like Nakrad did.

    <I see.>

    <em>If you have something to say, say it now! I don¡¯t have time for this!</em>

    <Trust me. Follow my instructions and use your knowledge. But don¡¯t rely on it blindly; use it as a guide.>

    <em>Grandpa, that¡¯s¡ª</em>

    <Just do it! Comin all you want afterward!>

    Ugh, fine! How am I supposed to just do that onmand?

    I wanted to argue, but there was no time forints. Lasha was already in front of me.

    ¡°How much longer can you hold out?¡±

    <em>Boom!</em> Steeling my arms against the numbing pain, I recalled Grandpa¡¯s advice.

    He wants me to use my game knowledge?

    But Lasha¡¯s movements have changed precisely to counter that knowledge. How am I supposed to apply it?

    This is why I hate dealing with smart people¡ªthey assume everyone thinks on their level and end up exining things poorly.

    ¡°No time to daydream!¡±

    Lasha¡¯s voice snapped me back, and as her punch came flying toward me, I moved instinctively.

    Following that knowledge engraved in my soul, my only source of pride¡ªthe strategies honed through countless hours.

    Ah, crap. This move was countered ages ago.

    It¡¯s toote to back out now. I need to brace myself for the blow and figure out how to recover afterward.

    <em>Shiiing!</em> A sharp sound rang out as my shield met her fist. It wasn¡¯t merely blocking¡ªit was a sessful <em>just parry.</em>

    Why? Why did it work?

    As I stared at her next punch, the realization dawned on me.

    Lasha¡¯s attacks might not align with the game¡¯s patterns, but they weren¡¯tpletely different. After all, the patterns in the game were based on her most favored attacks.

    Even if her moves had been altered, the core elements remained the same.

    So, that¡¯s it. All those hours spent grinding to beat the Apostle of Strife with bare hands weren¡¯t wasted. I just hadn¡¯t known how to use them properly.

    Realizing this, I lifted my shield with a grin.

    <10 seconds left.>

    And for the first time, I felt certain I wouldn¡¯t lose.

    ¡­Wait. Did I just trigger a defeat g?

 Chapter 363

    I watch my opponent. I watch Lasha. I see her stepping forward, her gaze sharpened like a de. I see her body twisting, readying to throw a punch.

    Her movements are different from the memories etched into my soul. The Lasha I¡¯d watched from behind a monitor, her posture and approach back then, was different. She¡¯d never shown such moves.

    Yet, that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯s be someone entirely different from her game self.

    Just like in the game, she longs to face the strong.

    Just like in the game, she relies on her fists alone, never using weapons.

    Just like in the game, she prefers to toy with her opponent rather than inflict fatal blows right away.

    Lasha is still Lasha. Her name, appearance, and even the world she lives in may have changed, but her core remains untouched.

    And the same goes for the fist charging at me now. Though it seemspletely unfamiliar, Lasha¡¯s punch still shares its roots with what I know. That punch is the culmination of all her umted memories in martial arts.

    Realizing this, I silently curse my own stupidity.

    The answer was simple. But I hadn¡¯t seen it because I was too fixated on my knowledge as a ¡°veteran¡± yer.

    When I was a hardcore gamer, facing bosses was nothing more than jotting down memorized patterns on paper.

    The only difference was that I used a keyboard and mouse instead of a pen. It was like solving a test with a set answer key, and I went through that test thousands, even tens of thousands of times, until I could answer without even looking.

    I¡¯d be a gamer¡¯s gamer, a ¡°stale water¡± gamer who¡¯d spent so much time perfecting answers that I¡¯d forgotten how to solve problems anew. Back then, I didn¡¯t need the process; I only needed the answer.

    So, when I ended up in this world, I carried on in the same way, ignoring the process and chasing only answers. Just like when I was a hardcore gamer.

    I¡¯d treated the people in front of me not as living beings but as unchanging problems on paper.

    So, when that ¡°problem¡± started changing its own variables, I gave up rather than trying something new.

    In the process of bing stagnant, I¡¯d grown ustomed to abandoning attempts when they failed, instinctively choosing to start fresh.

    But now things are different. Now that I know where I went wrong, I won¡¯t keep living that way.

    I focus my eyes, engraving every movement of Lasha into my mind. I recall the days before I was a ¡°stale¡± yer, back when I was just a pure gamer.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    Lasha¡¯s fist and my shield sh once more. But this time, my shield, weakened by the divine power I poured into it earlier, is less sturdy than before.

    Yet, the impact traveling up my arm feels lighter than before. This time, I didn¡¯t simply rely on pure reflexes to counter her; I chose my moves based on the knowledge I knew well.

    ¡°Have you grown already?¡±

    ¡°Unlike a muscle-headed pig who¡¯s got nothing left but old age, I¡¯m young, so growing is only natural?.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I like you more and more.¡±

    Lasha¡¯s grin turns even more feral, and I can feel a smirk creeping up on my own lips.

    No fear. No hesitation. Only exhration.

    Yes, this is why I loved Soul Academy.

    Even seemingly impossible trials could be ovee with repeated effort. My hard work would yield immediate results. My past knowledge wasn¡¯t rendered useless. Each challenge brought new enjoyment, and that¡¯s why I loved Soul Academy.

    Lasha raises her right fist, aiming for a blow to my side that would slip past my shield.

    At first nce, it looks like an easy attack to block, but instead of moving hastily, I continue to observe.

    Lasha is a warrior hardened by countless battles. She wouldn¡¯t throw such a simple punch without an ulterior motive.

    See? Her left fist is poised, waiting to strike the moment I move my shield.

    Blocking with my shield would be a poor choice. Retreating would break my stance.

    In that case, the answer is to move forward.

    Using my shield to cover my body, I surge forward, and Lasha¡¯s punch aimed at my side cuts through empty air.

    Simultaneously, her left fist, prepared to strike me, loses its optimal range and power.

    Ordinarily, I might think this is my chance and swing my mace, but I hold back.

    I¡¯m certain that moving rashly would cause this brief advantage to slip through my fingers.

    And my caution proves right.

    ¡°Hahaha! Good!¡±

    The moment her hands are too tied up to attack, Lasha drives her forehead into my shield.

    To an onlooker, it would look insane, as if she were inviting a concussion, but that concern doesn¡¯t apply to Lasha. Her body, honed into a weapon, delivers a headbutt that feels like a cannonball crashing into my shield.

    <em>Boom!</em> The impact forces me backward, sliding across the dirt and creating space between us.

    ¡°Not much time left. Guess I should pick up the pace a little!¡±

    For the first time, instead of swinging her fist, Lasha lifts her leg.

    Her kick, grounded firmly on her left foot, swings out like a whip.

    Dodging clumsily would only ruin my defense. I have to block it.

    nting my feet, I grip my shield with both hands and focus on the iing blow.

    Against Lasha, you can¡¯t trust your ears. Her attacks are faster than the sound they make.

    I can¡¯t rely on my eyes, either. Her movements have long outpaced my senses.

    In the end, the only thing I can rely on is the instinct ingrained in my body.

    It¡¯s a desperate situation, but for some reason, a grin spreads across my face.

    <em>Boom!</em>

    I feel the familiar impact of a parry but not the exact timing I needed. I failed to fully absorb the shock.

    Ha. She¡¯s insanely strong. If she had been this powerful back when I was behind a monitor, taking her down would have been exhrating.

    As I strain to hold on, the foot I¡¯d anchored to the ground is dislodged, sending me airborne. Bracing for theing impact, I clench my teeth.

    When I regain consciousness, my forehead is pressed into the ground. I must have rolled forward after crashing into the wall.

    Trying to stand up proves a mistake. As soon as I press down on my arm, pain shoots through it, and my head ms back into the dirt.

    <em>Ugh?!</em> My arm is broken just from the force transferred through the shield?

    Damn. If my shield weren¡¯t a legendary piece, it would¡¯ve been split in half.

    I chuckle despite myself, but a cold sweat prickles down my back.

    Fear creeps along my spine, snuffing out the exhration that had built up during the fight, leaving behind a frigid void.

    A tangled mess of thoughts runs through my head¡ªa part of me whining about the pain, a voice urging me to surrender, another warning me to apologize to Lasha.

    But gritting my teeth, I heal myself and push back to my feet.

    The dam hasn¡¯t broken yet. The toad swallowing this rising fear still insists I can hold on. Things may look bad, but it¡¯s not over yet.

    If that¡¯s the case, I can raise my shield again.

    I don¡¯t need to think. I can ignore all those stray thoughts in my head. As long as I have just a few seconds to react on instinct, that¡¯s enough.

    ¡°You¡¯re one tough bastard. Are you even human?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll throw that question right back at you?. Are <em>you</em> human?? You look like an orc or a troll half-breed?.¡±

    ¡°Ha. Can¡¯t keep your mouth shut, can you? You¡¯re the best.¡±

    Her loud, raucousughter fills the entire arena. Then, her expression shifts as she prepares her final, decisive strike.

    Cracks form in the earth. Air rushes toward her fist, drawn in by the mana she gathers. Her red-stained eyes glint with killing intent.@@novelbin@@

    Wow. How am I supposed to block that? Even if I were in perfect condition, it would shatter me; in my exhausted state, I don¡¯t stand a chance.

    Should I surrender? That might at least save my life.

    With that half-crazy thought, I chuckle, but instead of retreating, I raise my shield, praying for a miracle.

    ¡°Good job, Lucy.¡±

    And then, a miracle in human form appears behind me.

    ¡°Stand back for a moment.¡±

    Benedict steps forward with a calm face, assuming a stance to deliver a punch of his own. His gathered mana rivals Lasha¡¯s, if not surpasses it.

    Watching the scene unfold, I realize there¡¯s no ce for me between these two monsters and take a step back.

    ¡°Haha! Benedict! It¡¯s been a while¡ªshall we go for it?¡±

    ¡°For your age, you could stand to act more mature.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s too grown up!¡±

    After this rxed exchange, the two throw their fists at each other.

    From my perspective, it doesn¡¯t look like a sh between two humans¡ªit¡¯s as if two dragons are breathing down on each other.

    The intensity is as visible as it is threatening, and the aftermath is just as fierce.

    The ground cracks and screams under the pressure. Winds whirl around, so powerful that I have to drive my shield into the ground to avoid being swept away. Some spectators even faint from the overwhelming impact.

    But the two who caused this storm remain mostly unscathed.

    Benedict merely swings his arm as if loosening a cramp, and Lasha, showing no sign of fatigue, grins and gathers more mana.

    ¡°Your daughter lost the bet, so you stepped in? Good! Let¡¯s get right to it!¡±

    ¡°What nonsense. Lasha, my daughter won the bet.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense? You interrupted, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s a clear foul!¡±

    ¡°And continuing to attack after the minute was up isn¡¯t a foul?¡±

    ¡°...The minute¡¯s up? Seriously?¡±

    Lasha blinks, looking toward Count Bardronel in the audience, who nods in affirmation.

    ¡°Sir Allen is correct, Lady Lasha.¡±

    ¡°Damn it. I couldn¡¯t knock out that brat within a minute?¡±

    With her voice turning a little more hostile, Bardronel remains silent, while Benedict¡¯s mana res, ready for any trouble Lasha might stir.

    But I don¡¯t need that. Removing my shield from the ground, I step past Benedict and grin mockingly at Lasha.

    ¡°All that tough talk, yet you couldn¡¯t even beat me?. Why don¡¯t you bow your head and ept defeat, like any pathetic loser would??¡±

    Lasha stares at me, dumbfounded, and just as Benedict rushes over in a panic, she bursts intoughter.

    Contrary to Benedict¡¯s worry, sheughs for a long time before running a hand through her hair and approaching me.

    ¡°Fine, kid. I¡¯ll let you have this one.¡±

    ¡°Think there¡¯ll be a next time?? You really are a muscle-headed pig?. You¡¯ll always be the loser who couldn¡¯t beat me?.¡±

    ¡°Heh. Alright. Let¡¯s meet again. I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯m strong enough to go all out next time.¡±

    With that, she waves a hand and strides out of the arena.

    When only Benedict and I remain, the referee, finally regaining his senses, raises his voice.

    ¡°Winner! Lucy Allen!¡±

    Perhaps realizing that everything was over, my forcibly held-together consciousness snaps, and my body tilts forward.

    <em>Ugh. Here we go again.</em>

    After using up all her strength to defeat Lasha, Lucy Allen copses like a¡ª

 Chapter 364

    After the battle between Lucy Allen and Lasha concluded, a short break was announced to repair the half-destroyed arena. During this pause, a church informant hidden among the audience bit his lip, recalling the various miracles Lucy had disyed.

    When the High Priest had instructed him to watch Lucy Allen¡¯s fights in the arena and report back, he had taken the order as a sign of caution.

    Lucy Allen¡¯s hostility toward the church was no secret.

    Starting with the atrocitiesmitted by the church in the Allen territory, and even though she had shown some restraint thanks to the influence of the Holy Maiden¡¯s grace, she still publicly ridiculed the great deity, calling Him worthless. Despite the boundless mercy of the deity, who allowed her to wield divine magic and even gifted her the legendary mace of Saint Ruell, Lucy continued to show nothing but disrespect, earning her thebel of a person beyond the church¡¯s reach.

    Some radicals in the church raised their voices, iming that a disrespectful brat like her was unworthy of Ruell¡¯s mace, and they had even garnered some support.

    But the problemy in the fact that Lucy Allen, aside from her disdain for the church, possessed immense talent.

    Her prowess was so overwhelming that she single-handedly overturned the public¡¯s disdainful opinion of her, known as ¡°the disgrace of Allen.¡±

    The informant had been tasked with gauging her achievements, determining if she could be swayed, or if it would be wiser to eliminate her early on.

    Yet, after witnessing her battle with Lasha, he realized he had greatly underestimated her.

    The divine power Lucy disyed when blocking Lasha¡¯s attacks was unlike anything a mere believer could possess.

    It was warmer and moreforting, closely resembling the divine radiance that past heroes had demonstrated.

    Looking back, it was strange. Would the wise and merciful deity have entrusted the weapon of a hero to a mere unbeliever for the sake of mercy alone?

    Lucy Allen wasn¡¯t just an irreverent person¡ªshe was a person cloaked in irreverence, harboring something else within.

    Perhaps the Holy Maiden had remained close to her because she had sensed this hidden quality.

    But that didn¡¯t matter to him now. Such judgments were for the Cardinals and the Pope to make, not him.

    While the spectators continued to buzz with excitement over the recent spectacle, the church informant quietly slipped out of the arena to report his findings.

    ¡°Hey, schr. Stop right there.¡±

    As he entered an alleyway, a woman¡¯s voice called out from behind, more like an animal¡¯s growl than a human voice.

    Recognizing the voice from earlier, the informant broke out in a cold sweat and turned around cautiously.

    ¡°¡­Stronghunter.¡±

    Lasha. The Stronghunter. A madwoman who would do anything to fight the strong.

    Why was she addressing him?

    Lasha was known to attack church knights and clerics out of sheer interest in theirbat abilities. But he was far weaker than those who had suffered her attacks. There was no reason she should be interested in him.

    Why? Why was Lasha¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re with the church, right? What¡¯s your rank?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know what you mean¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me, idiot. Keep this up, and I¡¯ll make you talk. Don¡¯t waste my time.¡±

    Swallowing nervously, the informant realized that if Lasha decided to kill him, he wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to resist.

    Ordinarily, he would have weed eternal silence, but now he had vital information to report back to the church. For now, he would have to y along and find a way to retreat.

    ¡°Your assumption is correct. By the order of the High Pri¡ª¡±

    The informant¡¯s voice cut off as Lasha¡¯s hand mped around his neck, twisting it without a second thought.

    With no chance to realize his death, his lifeless bodyy sprawled on the ground, and Lasha stretched before lumbering out of the alley.

    "Ah, what a satisfying day."

    She¡¯d met a little brat who would someday bloom into someone even more enjoyable to fight than Benedict. She¡¯d watched that brat surpass her expectations, and she¡¯d even traded blows again with one of the few people who had once bested her¡ªBenedict. Nothing could have been more thrilling.

    It was only the vermin trying to meddle with her prize that put a damper on things.

    Lasha had noticed those types in the audience from the moment she¡¯d stepped into the arena to fight Lucy. Just as she gauged other strong opponents, she¡¯d spotted people evaluating Lucy from the stands.

    They were a mixed bunch: five with the aura of the holy deity, two associated with ck magic, and several others with their own hidden agendas.

    Initially, Lasha hadn¡¯t bothered mentioning it. Given the worth of Benedict¡¯s daughter, she expected people to be interested, and Lucy wasn¡¯t yet someone worth herplete attention.

    But as the fight continued and her evaluation of Lucy rose, Lasha decided to do what Benedict, bound by so many constraints, could not.

    The ordinary riffraff were no concern. They feared Benedict enough to stay within their limits, despite their interest in using Lucy.

    But the vermin from the church and those who dealt in ck magic were another matter entirely.

    The church, corrupted beyond measure, was full of fools who would denounce and persecute the deity¡¯s apostle rather than praise them, and the ck magic practitioners were the vile kind who would sacrifice Benedict¡¯s daughter to further their ambitions.

    Not wanting her chosen sapling to be broken by these scum, Lasha killed the church informants and ck magic practitioners she found after leaving the arena.

    She had no concern for retaliation. If anyone dared toe after her, she¡¯d wee them with augh.

    Humming to herself, she thought of getting a drink after so long, but her expression darkened as a voice whispered in her mind.

    ¡°Enough with the nonsense already. Who breaks branches before the fruit even grows?¡±

    ¡°Keep pushing me, and I¡¯ll make sure to stomp every other piece of trash in your name, got it?¡±

    ¡°Annoyed? Thene at me. If you regain the strength worthy of your name, I¡¯ll wee you anytime. Otherwise, shut up and live as a tool.¡±

    Addressing the empty air with her sharp words, she eventually nodded, satisfied, and headed out of town.

    ¡°They said there¡¯s an interesting one in the archipgo. Guess I¡¯ll head there next.¡±

    After my match with Lasha, I was granted a generous amount of rest time.

    The repairs for the damage from Benedict and Lasha¡¯s sh took ages, giving me ample time to recover my body and replenish my drained divine power.

    Though I wasn¡¯t back to full strength, it didn¡¯t really matter.

    Most of the truly dangerous contestants had already been wiped out by Lasha. And the insights I¡¯d gained from fighting her made it easier to handle the rest.

    My remaining opponents were all ones I¡¯d faced repeatedly during my arena speedruns.

    Their attack patterns were so ingrained in my memory that I could counter them with my eyes closed, making my opponents feel helpless against my familiarity with their moves.

    Thus, I won the tournament without much difficulty.

    ¡­But, just as I was about to celebrate my victory¡ª

    ¡°...I swore I¡¯d never stand on the podium agaaaain!¡±

    Who knew there¡¯d be a demonic requirement for a victory speech?

    <The champion delivers a speech. It¡¯smon knowledge, isn¡¯t it?>

    ¡°I know, but¡­!¡±

    Do you have any idea how much it pains me to go back up there after that disasterst time?

    I¡¯m more nervous now than I was facing my final opponent!

    <It¡¯ll be fine. Didn¡¯t you say this ce respects the strong? As the champion of the arena, no one will mind if you call them trash or losers.>

    ¡°I¡­ guess that¡¯s true?¡±

    <And if anything goes wrong, your father can handle the consequences.>

    ¡­Seriously? He tells me not to rely on anyone, then suddenly encourages me to act like there¡¯s no tomorrow? Is this really the kind of behavior befitting a legendary pdin?

    <I¡¯m merely answering ording to your expectations.>

    ¡°Ugh, maybe that¡¯s why nobody liked you back then.¡±

    <I¡¯ve told you countless times, I wasn¡¯t disliked, I¡­!>

    Listening to Grandpa¡¯s outburst somehow put me at ease.

    Okay. I¡¯ll be fine. Worst case, I can just make a swift exit.

    With that in mind, I stepped onto the podium, where Count Bardronel ced aurel crown on my head and handed me a bronze badge.

    ¡°Your armor took some damage. Use this to visit the forge north of the estate.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t a reward I¡¯d seen in the game. Maybe Count Bardronel made an exception?

    With no reason to refuse, I pocketed the badge, and Bardronel gave a brief speech praising my performance.

    ¡°And now, as the champion, please share a few words with the arena.¡±

    Taking the enchanted microphone, I took a deep breath and cautiously spoke.

    ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Lucy Allen, firstborn of the Allen family.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, weaklings who got pummeled by a little girl. It¡¯s Lucy.¡±

    Seeing the audience freeze, I hurriedly tried to wrap up my speech.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I¡¯m honored to have won. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thrilled I could show you just how pathetic you are. That¡¯s it for now¡ªI¡¯d rather not waste more words on masochistic pigs who get beat down by a little girl.¡±

    Ah. Yep, here we go again.

    Just likest time, I opted to run off stage before anyone could fully process my words.

    [Quest Complete!] [Rewards have been issued!]

 Chapter 366

    I expected my intelligence to be lower than my other stats. After all, I¡¯ve dedicated everything to raising the stats I need on the front line and never really made an effort to increase my intelligence.

    Intelligence58Intelligence 58Intelligence58

    But isn¡¯t this a bit too low?! What¡¯s my level right now, and I only have 58?!

    Stunned by how much lower the number was than I¡¯d anticipated, I identally snapped the pen in my hand, forcing me to dig around my desk for a new one.

    Calm down. Let¡¯s stay calm. Logically, there¡¯s no way my intelligence, the intelligence of a hardcore pro like me, could be this low.

    Yeah. This is just the status window in the game. It¡¯s just Lucy Allen¡¯s stat, nothing more. Lucy¡¯s the dumb one, not me!

    Yeah! That¡¯s it! Thinking that way, I managed to tear my eyes away from the intelligence stat and began noting down my stats from the top of the window.

    Strength105Strength 105Strength105

    <What are you writing down now?> "It¡¯s my physical capabilities." <Strength must refer to muscle power, correct? So what does 105 mean?> "Hmm. Well, an average adventurer is around 50, and a standard knight is about 80. So, it''s a pretty high stat, right?"

    Even by game character standards, this number is quite significant.

    To surpass 100 by the end of the second semester, even if you¡¯re not at the hardcore level, you''d have to be at least skilled.

    And what if you were hardcore? You¡¯d abandon everything else and invest solely in one stat to reach a maximum of 207, or realistically, with bnced development, you could reach around 130. But since this world isn¡¯t the one beyond the monitor, that¡¯s a pointless story.

    After all, in reality, we can¡¯t force ourselves to do the crazy things we make game characters do.

    Agility91Agility 91Agility91

    <It¡¯s lower than your strength.> "That¡¯s because I didn¡¯t focus on training agility."

    Physical abilities are interconnected, so training one tends to strengthen others as well.

    But that growth only follows the primary stat you choose to train; it can never be equal to the main stat.@@novelbin@@

    "Still, isn¡¯t this much enough? I don¡¯t need to be fast."

    The reason I haven¡¯t trained specifically for agility is simply because there¡¯s no need. As the tank who holds the shield in the front line, I just need a certain level of agility, and that¡¯s all.

    <Well, you¡¯re not that far behind, so it¡¯s fine.>

    It seemed that my grandfather shared a simr view, as he didn¡¯t find the lower agility a problem either.

    Endurance121Endurance 121Endurance121

    <You mentioned a difference of 30 between an adventurer and a knight.> "On average, yes." <Then how should I interpret this score, which is 40 points higher than most knights?> "Grandfather, it might be easier if youpare it to the Allen Order knights rather than average knights." <...That does make sense.>

    Although I tried to sound confident to my grandfather, I had to calm my surprised mind.

    I expected my endurance to be high, but I didn¡¯t think it would be this high. All those brutal training sessions with the Allen family are paying off.

    Back during training, I thought I might die from overwork rather than at the hands of some evil god, but now, seeing the numbers, I can¡¯t help butugh.

    Maybe I should try training even harder. And next is intelligence¡­ no, let¡¯s skip that for a moment.

    Magic75Magic 75Magic75

    <Is this because you¡¯re a pdin?> "Yes, probably."

    Since I use divine power to aplish what magic would otherwise do, it¡¯s natural for my magic stat to be low. Besides, I¡¯ve never trained with magic in mind.

    But still, my untouched magic is higher than my intelligence? What¡¯s the problem here?

    No, let¡¯s not dwell on it. It¡¯s just an error, a mistake. It has nothing to do with me.

    Divinity192Divinity 192Divinity192

    <...192? Did you confuse a 9 with a 0?> "Grandfather, I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m the Apostle of the Goddess."

    My divinity stat was unusually high, but it wasn¡¯t surprising.

    After all, I¡¯m the Apostle of the Goddess. My divinity is so strong it¡¯s affected my very body, so it¡¯s only natural for the stat to be this high.

    But looking at such a high number, I can¡¯t help feeling a bit wistful. Once your divinity reaches this level, you can usually go to the Sacred Lands or the Goddess¡¯s church to take on various quests.

    If it weren¡¯t for my need to avoid contact with the Goddess¡¯s church right now, I¡¯d drop everything and head straight to the Sacred Lands.

    Luck???Luck ???Luck???

    <Are they joking now?> "...I think so too." <Then why do you sound like you¡¯re reading someone else¡¯s words?>

    Hey, it¡¯s because this lowly Goddess¡¯s status window decided to disy it this way!

    What¡¯s with the ¡°???¡± I¡¯ve never seen such a stat in any game before!

    What¡¯s going on? Is my luck so high it can¡¯t be quantified?

    Well, I doubt I¡¯ll get an answer by obsessing over it, so let¡¯s just move on.

    Judging by my good grades on randomly guessed test questions, my luck must be high. Probably.

    The moment I stopped, grandfather¡¯s curious voice spoke up.

    <Hmm? Isn¡¯t there supposed to be a stat for intelligence or wisdom? Judging by the format, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to have one.>

    But I ignored hisment. I could already imagine what he¡¯d say if he saw that intelligence score of 58.

    <Child, is there?> "...No, nothing like that." <Oh. Really? Nothing at all?>

    Ignoring the mischievous chuckle that seemed to suggest he¡¯d caught on to something, I looked down and checked my skills.

    There was the Iron Wall, which had protected my life since the day I first entered this world.

    Hero¡¯s Spirit, a skill that gave me the strength to endure brutal training, and which, even under a different name, remains my most cherished skill.

    And Fear Resistance, which helped me avoid getting trampled in the midst of danger.

    The passive skill tab was filled with countless other skills.

    <Do you really have this many blessings?>

    As I wrote each one down on paper, my grandfather¡¯s voice grew sharper with disbelief.

    "Like I said, Grandfather, I¡¯m the Apostle of the Goddess." <Even if you are the one beloved by the Goddess, this is...> "Weren¡¯t you simr, Grandfather? You were part of the Hero¡¯s party, right?"

    Back when both the benevolent and malevolent gods were actively intervening in the world, my grandfather was one of the heroes at the forefront of the war against the dark forces. Naturally, the heroes were granted many skills.

    So if anyone would understand, it would be my grandfather.

    <Even then, this amount... No, is it only possible now?> "What are you talking about?" <Never mind, forget it.>

    Hey, Grandfather! I¡¯ve told you multiple times that I don¡¯t like it when you leave things vague! I openly showed my annoyance, but he didn¡¯t respond.

    Well, I¡¯m not getting an answer this way.

    Fine. If it were really important, he¡¯d tell me.

    Muttering to myself, I kept writing, and as I checked each skill¡¯s proficiency, I frowned.

    Most of my main skills had already reached their growth limit.

    Ugh. Damn it. How long has it been like this? How much proficiency have I lost?

    That¡¯s why you have to level up consistently, but after defeating Nakrad, I got toofortable.

    As soon as I get back to the mansion, I need to start leveling up again. I can¡¯t let this go on.

    As I filled my notebook, I paused in front of one skill. Its constraints forced me to stop.

    MesugakiMesugakiMesugaki

    I couldn¡¯t look at the skill that threw me into this world with anything other than bitterness.

    After all the trouble itspulsion caused me, how could I look at it with a smile?

    But remembering how the Mesugaki skill helped me survive and protect those dear to me, I couldn¡¯t exactly re at it either.

    Is this what they call a love-hate rtionship? As I looked at the skill with mixed feelings, I nced at its proficiency and chuckled dryly.

    ProficiencyA?(CurrentLimit)Proficiency A- (Current Limit)ProficiencyA?(CurrentLimit)

    Yeah, I guess skills naturally umte proficiency, but I don¡¯t know whether to be pleased about this one. It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯ll only bring good things.

    Staring at it wasn¡¯t going to help, so I forced myself to look away from the Mesugaki skill.

    My hand felt free again.

    After a while, as I finished writing in my notebook and thought about the future, I realized that a lot of the game¡¯s storyline I knew had be irrelevant.

    There are just too many variables.

    There¡¯s no telling how the Goddess¡¯s church will react when they find out Faye has been recognized by the Goddess.

    And who knows what the dark forces will do after losing the powers of Light and Darkness in just a year.

    Not to mention people like Kariana, the weird Apostle who never appeared in the game. Who knows what impact they¡¯ll have.

    And there¡¯s the First Prince, who seems somehow different from what I remember, and the Second Prince, who looks changed in many ways.

    The presence of the Allen family, myself included, will affect the world¡¯s power dynamics.

    If I had exceptional political skills, I could probably steer these variables in the direction I want.

    Even if not me, the influence of those around me isn¡¯t something to be taken lightly. It could work.

    But I¡¯m a dumb 58-intelligence fool, so any scheming I try will probably backfire and trip me up.

    With a self-deprecatingugh, I erased the oundish ns forming in my head and looked at my status window.

    I¡¯ll just stick to what I¡¯m good at. If things get urgent, the Goddess will guide me with a quest, and I¡¯ll just build up the strength to ovee any crisis then.

    To do that, the next thing I need to decide is which stat-boosting potion to use.

    Logically, it makes sense to use an agility potion to bring my agility to 100.

    Since I don¡¯t know exactly how much luck I have due to the ¡°???,¡± increasing agility is the safest option.

    But¡­

    I can¡¯t stop thinking about my intelligence.

    Seriously! What¡¯s with 58?! 58!

    A well-built wizard character would have reached 58 before even starting the first semester of freshman year. So how am I still at 58 heading into my second year?

    I can¡¯t ept it! I¡¯m not that dumb!

    How could a fool be a hardcore yer of Soul Academy?

    Yeah. The right choice is to use a potion to increase my intelligence.

    If my luck stat disyed as ¡°???¡± is indeed over 100, then there¡¯s no problem even if I work to get my agility to 100.

    And what¡¯s the harm in getting smarter? Fighting well is ultimately a matter of intelligence, too!

    I wasing up with every reason to drink an intelligence-boosting potion when I opened my inventory, only to realize I only had potions for strength and endurance.

    No wonder my intelligence is 58.

    ¡­Tomorrow, once the sun¡¯s up, I¡¯ll go visit the people from the Newman family again. I need to ask them about potions and find out where to get a good set of armor.

 Chapter 367

    Returning to the Sacred Lands after nearly a year, Faye didn¡¯t have a moment to feel nostalgic.

    During her absence, the Sacred Lands had continued to function, and in the process, tasks that Faye should have handled began to pile up one by one.

    On top of that, the Pope¡¯s temporary absence from the Sacred Lands only added to Faye¡¯s overwhelming workload.

    When the Pope, the symbol of the Sacred Lands, leaves his post, Faye has to take on his responsibilities.

    Thus, while tackling both her own umted tasks and those of the Pope for a week, Faye gradually adjusted to life in the Sacred Lands.

    Even though she had worked untilte at night after the sun had set, she woke up before dawn, gazing nkly out the window before smiling to herself.

    Being away for the first time in so long, I thought it might feel a bit strange to readjust. But it seems that almost ten years of habit don¡¯t disappear so easily.

    She banished her fatigue by drawing upon her divinity, then got up, cleaned herself, and offered a prayer to the Great Goddess.

    Faye, who had conversed with the Goddess back at the orphanage and realized that She wasn¡¯t truly omniscient and omnipotent as the scriptures suggested, hadn¡¯t lost her faith.

    Her belief had simply shed its blind devotion and still remained within her.

    The Goddess may not be perfect, but She is a being of goodness, striving to be kind. And for Faye, that alone was reason enough to value her faith.

    Toward the end of her thirty-minute prayer, a knock sounded at the door.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Saintess, it¡¯s time to prepare for the morning service.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be right out.¡±

    As Faye, now dressed properly, stepped outside, a woman who had assisted her since she was very young bowed her head.

    As she returned the greeting like usual, Faye felt a twinge ofplicated emotions.

    Ever since the Goddess had granted her divinity directly, Faye could now distinguish between those who truly held faith and those who only pretended to.

    This wasn¡¯t a matter of simply possessing a greater or lesser amount of divinity.

    Even those with vast divinity could harbor only coldness, while some, like Faye herself and Lucy, the Goddess¡¯s Apostle, held warmth in theirs.

    The former were those who had taken divinity without faith, while thetter were those who cultivated their divinity with faith.

    The woman standing before Faye, despite her long stay in the Sacred Lands, carried only coldness within her.

    It wasn¡¯t particrly surprising. Faye was a false saint created by human hands, and so, naturally, those around her were also false.

    For an ordinary person, the betrayal would be unbearable, but Faye merely steadied her slightly aching heart and refrained from saying anything further to the woman.

    Instead, she pondered how she could bring this person back onto the right path.

    I wonder how Lady would have handled this.

    Thinking of the one whose faith might have surpassed even that of the Goddess Herself, Faye realized it wasn¡¯t the best thought.

    ¡®Oh, is the ipetent saint relying on me because she can¡¯t handle this? Heh. Maybe you like being called ipetent? Perhaps you¡¯re not just an ipetent saint but a...¡¯

    ¡°No!¡±

    Faye suddenly let out a loud squeak in the middle of the hallway, catching the bewildered stare of her attendant, which made her blush deeply.

    ¡°Ah¡­ uh¡­ would you mind forgetting about that?¡±

    ¡°What would you like me to forget, Saintess? I didn¡¯t hear a thing.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    Despite the minormotion, the morning service, which Faye led, went smoothly.

    This was something she had done every day since she¡¯d taken the title of Saintess at a young age. Having taken only a few months off, her voice remained steady as she stood before the assembly.

    Even if over half the people attending the morning service carried a coldness within them, Faye spoke with her usual gentle voice.

    Upon returning to the church, Faye had quickly understood the reason why Lucy had warned her about the church¡¯s corruption.

    Over sixty percent of the clergy in the Sacred Lands had lost their warmth.

    If this were any ordinary church, it might be understandable, as warmth isn¡¯t something easily gained.

    But this wasn¡¯t just any church. It was the Sacred Lands, the gathering ce of the most devout clergy of the Goddess, spread across the continent.

    The fact that those at the frontlines of spreading the Goddess¡¯s warmth didn¡¯t carry even a speck of it was not something to be lightly overlooked.

    If these clergy members couldn¡¯t even hold warmth in their own hearts, how could they pass on the Goddess¡¯s warmth to others?

    For several days after her return, Faye had be convinced of the corruption within the Church of the Goddess and had pondered how to rectify it, though no answers came easily.

    ¡°Your words today were wonderful, Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Even with His Holiness the Pope away, there¡¯s no sense of an absence at all.¡±

    ¡°We eagerly await the day you return fully to the Church, Saintess.¡±

    Faye forced a smile at the cold pleasantries of those around her, wishing she could have gone to the Allen Order instead of returning to the Sacred Lands.

    Sure, it has its difficulties, but at least I have friends there.

    Like Joy, who, despite her clumsiness, is kind at heart. Arthur, who continues to move forward even with the pain he carries. Frey, so innocent he does the most bizarre things.

    And Lucy. The one who has saved me time and again. The dearest friend of all.

    As Faye¡¯s smile grew, thinking of her friends, a stern voice spoke up from behind the clergy.

    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t trouble the Saintess. Step back.¡±

    The priests, who held their positions with a sense of authority, scowled and turned, but upon seeing the elderly man standing there, they quickly bowed and left the area.

    Cardinal Lazarus, a revered priest who still held warmth, clicked his tongue lightly as he watched them leave.

    However, when he turned to Faye, his expression softened, and the strictness faded, reced by a grandfatherly kindness.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times, Saintess; you don¡¯t have to ept everyone¡¯s words.¡±

    While many in the Church carried only coldness, there were still those who upheld their integrity.

    The bishop of the Academy¡¯s Church, Bishop Johann, who had helped Faye find her path, and now, the cardinal before her, Lazarus¡ªthey all maintained their integrity even amid corruption.

    ¡°People in high positions must sometimes be willing to make tough decisions.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯d truly felt troubled, I would have done so, Cardinal Lazarus.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then perhaps I should test that by troubling you myself, Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t be too harsh.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. That will depend on how you handle it, Saintess.¡±

    Though known for his unyielding nature and receivingints for his strictness, Cardinal Lazarus was nothing but a yful grandfather in front of Faye.

    ¡°If you find yourself free after finishing your work, doe for tea. I have much to discuss with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely make time to visit.¡±

    ¡°Saintess!¡±

    Just then, a priest hurried over to Faye¡¯s side.

    Cardinal Lazarus shot the priest a stern look at hisck of decorum, but the priest, oblivious to this, continued urgently.

    ¡°Do you have a moment, Saintess? It¡¯s urgent.¡±

    ¡°Priest Marple, regardless of the urgency, maintain decorum. What is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Your Eminence, Cardinal Lazarus! This is something you should also be aware of!¡±

    ¡°...Oh?¡±

    ¡°One of our people has been killed in the Bardronel Territory!¡±

    The next morning, after facing my own foolishness, I awoke to Erin humming as she fussed over my hair, which reminded me of something that happened recently.

    After living alone at the Academy and getting used to doing my own hair, I told Erin not toe looking for me so early in the morning, suggesting she use that time to get some extra sleep instead.

    It was meant to be a kindness, but Erin didn¡¯t seem happy about it. Instead, she started to cry.

    ¡°So¡­ you don¡¯t need me anymore?¡±

    In that instant, I nearly became a heartless viin and quickly exined that I¡¯d only meant it as a joke, trying to calm her down.

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re not going to abandon me?¡±

    ¡°Do you think anyone else would take someone as useless as you? I wouldn¡¯t want to feel bad if you died alone in the streets, so no, I¡¯m not abandoning you. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Thank you! Really, thank you!¡±

    Looking back, I still don¡¯t get it. Isn¡¯t it normal to be happy if you get a chance to sleep in a bit longer in the morning?

    At least, if my boss told me I could startter, I¡¯d be shouting, ¡°Thank you!¡± with tears of joy.

    ¡°Miss, is there anything ufortable?¡±

    "No, it¡¯s fine."

    ¡°If there were, would I be sitting still? Honestly, Erin, why don¡¯t you try developing some awareness?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll continue.¡±

    Watching Erin¡¯s determined expression in the mirror, I thought of that annoying Apostle who used to style my hair.

    Unlike Erin, that guy¡¯s touch was unsettling, but his skill was the real deal. Maybe, if I have some spare time during the break, I should have him teach Erin a thing or two.

    Artists are usually stingy with sharing their techniques, but knowing him, he¡¯d probably do it gratefully if I pressed him a bit.

    ¡°All done, Miss.¡±

    With my hair looking far better than when I do it myself, I just smiled at Erin before standing up.

    Let¡¯s eat first and then head over to the Newman Family¡¯s base. I have a few things to check there.

    As I was heading down to the dining hall, I saw the people gathered there and wondered if I was still half-asleep.

    It¡¯s normal for Benedict to be there; he¡¯s beening down earlier than me every morning throughout this trip to wait for me.

    And it¡¯s not so strange for Caria to be there if she had urgent news to deliver.

    But seeing the head of the Newman family, Kurtz Newman, sweating nervously between the two of them was something entirely unexpected.

    What¡¯s he doing there, looking so awkward? As I stared at his face in bewilderment, Caria¡¯s gaze met mine.

    ¡°Oh, Employer, you¡¯re awake. Come here; there¡¯s something to discuss.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Auntie, what¡¯s the deal with that weakling of a family head over there? He looks so pitiful, sweating like that as his hair recedes in real-time.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to him, right, Benedict?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Lucy. Duke Newman has always been intimidated by Caria.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Kurtz, why don¡¯t you exin yourself? Staying silent makes me look like the bad guy here.¡±

    ¡°That¡­ that¡¯s right, Lady Allen. Miss Caria has done nothing to me.¡±

    Though he looked like he was being intimidated.

    Oh,e to think of it, Caria was once the kingdom¡¯s shadow, wasn¡¯t she? She probably knows all the dirt on the Newman family¡¯s shady dealings, not to mention all the weaknesses she can exploit.

    Understanding the situation, I walked down the stairs and took a seat.

    ¡°So¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this about, Auntie?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an important matter, so I brought Kurtz, one of the involved parties.¡±

    Important? What could be so urgent at this point? There shouldn¡¯t be anything major happening during the break.

    As I tilted my head in confusion, Caria shrugged and continued.

    ¡°The Second Queen of Sdin has requested a meeting with you, and the Newman family has been appointed as the intermediary.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    Aquesthasbeenissued!A quest has been issued!Aquesthasbeenissued! SeraneSdin¡¯sRegretSerane Sdin¡¯s RegretSeraneSdin¡¯sRegret

 Chapter 368

    [The Second Queen remains trapped in her past. Erase the regret etched deep within her heart.] [Let the Second Queen meet her old friend.] [Reward: +10 to any desired attribute.]

    While Karia was tormenting Curz Newman, I nced at the quest window and froze in ce when I saw the reward.

    Ten points to any attribute I wanted! That means, with just this reward, I could push four of my stats past 100!

    No, wait, maybe I should think of it as a supplement and focus on getting my Divinity over 200. Reaching 200 in a single stat brings various changes.

    Maybe those changes will be even more intense now that this isn¡¯t just a game.

    Hmm. Now that I think about it, maybe that''s not ideal either. Since I''m an apostle of the Supreme God, raising my Divinity over 200 won¡¯t take that long.

    Instead, I should go for what I need right now, something that¡¯scking. Let''s raise Intelligence.

    What¡¯s the point of going from 58 to 68, you ask?

    Not entirely wrong. Honestly,pared to boosting some other more useful stat, it¡¯s inefficient. It''s the kind of dumb choice I wouldn¡¯t even consider back when I was behind the monitor.

    But I don¡¯t want to admit that I¡¯m a blockhead! Sure, I might be dumber than others, but that doesn¡¯t mean I want to ept being a 58 IQ blockhead!

    ¡°Excuse me, employer. Are you listening?¡±

    My self-deprecating thoughts were interrupted as Karia¡¯s voice snapped me back to reality.

    ¡®Somewhat.¡¯

    ¡°Your shrill voice was hard to listen to, so I was only half-listening.¡±

    ¡°So, you weren¡¯t listening.¡±

    Karia held her forehead and sighed audibly, then continued her exnation.

    Two days after the incident at the end-of-term party, where the Second Queen and I had shed, her side reached out to the Newman family.

    Although she didn¡¯t know my exact rtionship with the Newmans, she guessed I was connected to them and wanted to use Newman as a mediator to apologize to me and propose a deal.

    The Newman family, eager to deal with Seraine¡ªa power yer in the royal court and a duchess¡ªweed the opportunity, nning to facilitate the negotiations and benefit from bringing us together.

    But the Newman family¡¯s ns never came to fruition. Karia intervened before they could proceed.

    ¡°I would have ignored it if it were just a minor diversion, but this idiot went too far.¡±

    ¡°No, no, Karia. Our family may deal in the shadows, but we¡¯re not oblivious to honor. We only took what was needed for mediation¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, Curz. Keep talking, and I¡¯ll tell Benedict everything I know. Think you can handle that?¡±

    ¡°¡­I apologize.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Watching Curz Newman bow his head in submission mid-sentence, I felt aplex blend of emotions. When I first met him months ago, he was the picture of arrogance, secrecy, and cunning, the kind of noble who belonged in the underworld. But with Karia around, he looked like amon thug.

    ¡°Anyway, back to the point. The reason I came to you today is to give advice on what you should gain from this deal with the Second Queen. If you have no pressing needs, I hope you¡¯ll hear me out.¡±

    Seeing the seriousness in Karia¡¯s gaze, I nodded without a word.

    Right now, I¡¯m in a position where I can get most things I want, and since I¡¯m following the path of a pdin, there¡¯s no task requiring the Queen¡¯s authority.

    When I indicated my willingness to follow her suggestion, Karia smirked.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get straight to the point. I hope you¡¯ll ask the Second Queen to monitor the First Queen.¡±

    Karia¡¯s suggestion was to have the First Queen monitored.

    Since they live in the pce together, she could set up a tighter surveincework than anyone else, allowing us to respond quickly if the First Queen made any moves. Karia¡¯s voice wasced with deep-seated hostility toward the First Queen.

    In the game, she was already deceased, so I didn¡¯t know much about her. I couldn¡¯t guess the source of Karia¡¯s hostility, but I agreed with her proposal. It was clear that the First Queen was a dangerous figure.

    ¡®Let¡¯s go with that.¡¯

    ¡°Do as you wish, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m sure your rotten spinster instincts will handle it well.¡±

    ¡°I understand you¡¯re skeptical, but¡­ wait, what?¡±

    Karia¡¯s face flushed as she struggled to brush off my remark, prompting Benedict to quickly ce a hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Let go, Benedict. Do I look like someone who¡¯d get angry over something like this?¡±

    ¡°If you want to say that, maybe remove your hand from the dagger first.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t on the dagger; it¡¯s on the hidden weapon beside it.¡±

    ¡°Same difference.¡±

    As Curz Newman broke into a cold sweat, I noticed the entire street was filled with traces of divine energy and tilted my head.

    Strange. Just yesterday, there weren¡¯t this many clerics in Bardronel¡¯s territory. What happened?

    ¡®Karia, I have a question¡­¡¯

    ¡°Rotten old maid, enough with the sulking. I have a question. Has something happened in this masochistic freak town?¡±

    My offhand remark silenced the table. I suddenly realized that their gathering wasn¡¯t just about discussing a deal.

    ¡®What happened?¡¯

    ¡°Silence wasn¡¯t my request, you know. It¡¯s creepy when people are too self-aware. Spit it out¡ªwhat¡¯s going on?¡±

    Benedict avoided my gaze, Curz mped his mouth shut after ncing at Karia, and Karia herself hesitated, seemingly debating what to say.

    <My dear, if they choose silence, it must be for good reason.>

    Hearing Grandfather¡¯s voice, I let out a dry chuckle. While he meant it for my sake, his words only solidified my suspicion.

    If even Karia and Grandfather are withholding information, there¡¯s only one exnation.

    Someone died, and it was linked to me.

    Both Grandfather and Karia know my mind isn¡¯t fragile. I may grumble when faced with difficult tasks, but I won¡¯t avoid or copse over them.

    But death is different. I¡¯ve shown sensitivity to death on multiple asions.

    Once I had a general outline, piecing it together was simple.

    The divine presence meant clerics were involved. The extensive presence of divinity suggested it wasn¡¯t a simple death, and the spread across the area indicated multiple deaths.

    Among the people in Bardronel¡¯s territory, only one person would have the nerve to kill high-ranking clergy from the Supreme God¡¯s church without hesitation. And that person was connected to me.

    Even with an Intelligence of 58, it was clear what had happened.

    Lasha. She killed church clerics in Bardronel¡¯s territory. And she did it for me.

    If I were to guess, it went something like this:

    A church official witnessed Lasha using divinity to fend off an attack, and, fearing that I¡¯d face trouble with the church, Lasha eliminated them before they could report anything.

    While I¡¯ve been forced to ept her favor, I didn¡¯t feel grateful. I never wanted to preserve my safety at the cost of another¡¯s life.

    Ah, I wonder if Erin felt like this when I told her to rest. An unwanted favor leaves a terrible taste.

    ¡°Lucy, are you alright?¡±

    Noticing my expression, Benedict cautiously asked, but instead of responding, I turned to re at Karia.

    ¡°That brainless muscle-head¡ªwhere¡¯d she go to graze this time??¡±

    ¡°Can you be a bit less¡­ direct, employer?¡±

    Her sigh told me I¡¯d guessed right. Lasha had indeed done something stupid.

    ¡°She may be old, but her hearing is still sharp, right??¡±

    ¡°What are you nning?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer Karia¡¯s question. It wasn¡¯t because I couldn¡¯t tell her, but because I didn¡¯t know myself.

    I wanted tosh out, scold her for meddling, and make her as annoyed as I felt. Yet, when asked exactly what I¡¯d do, I couldn¡¯t say.

    But one thing was certain. I needed to see her.

    ¡°She¡¯s heading toward the archipgo.¡±

    The answer came from an unexpected source. Despite the cold stares of Karia and Benedict, Curz Newman continued, breaking into a sweat.

    ¡°There¡¯s a woman making a name for herself in the archipgo. She probably went to fight her.¡±

    ¡°Curz.¡±

    ¡°Count Newman.¡±

    ¡°As I said, I owe Lady Allen a great debt. It is my duty to fulfill whatever she desires.¡±

    Whether out of resolve or obligation, Curz Newman held his ground before the two, exuding the poise of a noble head.

    She went to hunt a strong opponent? Good. That makes things easier. If I position myself near her target, I¡¯ll meet her eventually.

    The archipgo, huh? Perfect timing. I was already nning to go there for Senar¡¯s request.

    Might as well take some friends along. Some of the mid-level dungeons over there have plenty of interesting creatures. If they clear those, they¡¯ll improve their dungeon-raiding skills.

    Hmm. All that¡¯s left is to annoy Lasha as much as she annoyed me. If so, everything should fall into ce.

    As I crossed my arms in thought, an idea struck me. How do you anger someone who lives to hunt the strong? Simple¡ªprevent them from hunting.

    With this thought, I turned to Curz.

    ¡®Count Newman¡­¡¯

    ¡°Head of the useless n, could you tell me more about that trash gaining fame in the backwater archipgo?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Listening to Curz¡¯s exnation, I felt my grin widen.

    Perfect. Let¡¯s hunt down the opponent Lasha is after first.

    I wonder how frustrated she¡¯ll be when I beat her to the punch.

    Heh. Just imagining it brings me joy.

 Chapter 370

    In <em>Soul Academy</em>, the Archipgo was considered a type of side content.

    Each of the fourteen inds hosted a dungeon, and although these dungeons weren¡¯t tied to the main story, they boasted impressive quality. yers who finished the main dungeons often sought out the Archipgo¡¯s dungeons to keep the adventure going.

    These dungeons were so well-regarded that some yers wished the developers had saved them as DLC and expanded on their scale. I used to joke about that too, saying if the main story was this good, any DLC would have to be even better. But it wasn¡¯t long before I realized just how naive that was.

    Who would¡¯ve thought there¡¯d be no DLC released for years?

    How could I have known that <em>Soul Academy¡¯s</em> developers had burned out in their final effort? I¡¯d assumed that the sess would lead to more investment, not a total abandonment.

    Back then, people spected about the studio¡¯s silence¡ªrumors flew around about the CEO running off with the profits, staff quitting en masse due to overwork, even a fire at thepany. But looking back, now that I¡¯m living in this world, it all feels eerily meaningful.

    This was no ordinary game, which means the creators behind it couldn¡¯t have been ordinary people either.

    They might even exist somewhere in this world. If I ever meet the developers, I¡¯ll demand answers.

    Why didn¡¯t they release any DLC? Why did I have toe up with my own content while waiting for updates that never came?

    ¡°Lady Allen, might I have a moment?¡±

    Snapping out of my imaginary ns to lock a developer in a room and make them create new content fueled solely by steamed buns, I looked up to see Isabel Artea approaching through the ocean breeze.

    As the name implies, the Archipgo isn¡¯t reachable bynd. The soil itself seems to have some strange magic resistance, making teleportation difficult.

    Only a high mage like the Duke of Parnd could manage it. Otherwise, one must reach the Archipgo by boat.

    There were many routes avable, but I opted for the Artea family¡¯s ship.

    Why, you ask? Because it was the only one willing to take us.

    After all, who in their right mind would willingly take on the notorious Lady Allen, the daughter of the Duke of Parnd, the kingdom¡¯s third prince, and the daughter of the Count of Kent all at once? One mistake, and not only their head but their entire family line would be at risk.

    Only someone like Isabel, whom I could persuade with promises of a blessing, would take the job.

    ¡°I wished to request a blessing from you before departure, Lady Allen, if it wouldn¡¯t be too much trouble.¡±

    ¡®A blessing on this ship¡­¡¯

    ¡°You want a blessing on this old, creaky ship that looks ready to sink any minute? It seems pointless, but sure, why not.¡±

    Maybe because I¡¯d gotten used to praying to the ¡°low-tier god,¡± I no longer felt any reluctance.

    Standing at the bow, I sped my hands together and closed my eyes as the crew watched with eager anticipation. Divine power began to radiate naturally from within me.

    ¡®O great god¡­¡¯

    ¡°Oh, blessed voyeuristic trash god.¡±@@novelbin@@

    A murmur rippled through the crowd at my first words, but I just chuckled, brushing it off.

    Exining would only lead to more misunderstandings, thanks to my <em>Mesugaki Skill</em>. Besides, once the prayer ended, they¡¯d know the blessing had worked, so why bother?

    ¡®May peace follow us on this journey ahead.¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t let the cowardly passengers wet themselves on this shy but useless ship, and keep this worn-out vessel safe from the pathetic crew¡¯s ipetence.¡±

    ...Hmm. Maybe I should have prayed in the captain¡¯s quarters instead. As the murmuring around me grew louder, I paused and took a deep breath, hoping that by the end of the prayer, the atmosphere might have shifted.

    Lucy Allen¡¯s proposal to visit the Archipgo came the day after she returned to the family.

    There was no need for additional preparations; aside from the gear we¡¯d brought, Lucy had arranged everything in advance.

    For the first time in two weeks, they had slept more than three hours, rising early to apany Lucy to the Artea estate.

    Arthur had assumed that Lucy must¡¯ve simply secured a decent ship from the coastal estate of the Artea family, renowned for its skilled sailors.

    So when Isabel Artea herself came out to personally wee Lucy, Arthur was genuinely shocked.

    Her demeanor was one of reverence, not mere acquaintance. It was far from an ordinary friendship.

    What could¡¯ve happened for the head of the Artea family to show such deference to Lucy Allen?

    Turning to Joy, who he figured might know something about noble politics, Arthur hoped she could shed some light.

    ¡°Huh? Uh? Wh-what?¡±

    Seeing Joy so utterly bewildered, Arthur shook his head. If even Joy didn¡¯t know, then something must¡¯ve happened recently.

    Not that it mattered. If Isabel Artea herself was lending her ship, their journey to the Archipgo would be much smoother.

    Once they arrived, they¡¯d be tackling two medium-sized dungeons per day alongside Lucy, so any extra rest during the voyage would be a blessing.

    As Arthur boarded the Artea family¡¯s ship, he noticed Frey eagerly exploring the vessel, marveling at everything, and smiled at his excitement before ncing sideways.

    There, he saw Joy, looking like she was on the verge of death.

    ¡°Seasick?¡±

    ¡°...Yes. Very badly.¡±

    ¡°Too bad. Once we reach the Archipgo, there won¡¯t be a single moment¡¯s rest.¡±

    ¡°Is Lady Allen really nning to clear all the dungeons in a week?¡±

    ¡°Joy, if anyone knows, it¡¯s you. Lucy Allen doesn¡¯t make impossible ns.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    She¡¯d probably decided on two per day as a concession for us. Lucy Allen¡¯s sense of ¡°reasonable¡± was drastically different from anyone else¡¯s.

    Though Arthur thought this, he kept quiet, fearing Joy might actually start crying if she realized she¡¯d simply escaped one hell for another.

    Arthur was about to suggest Joy sleep in her cabin before the seasickness got worse, but he stopped when he felt a warm sensation radiating from the deck and turned to look.

    This energy¡­ it felt simr to the blessing from a saintess.

    But no, it was different¡ªwarmer, gentler. Arthur stood in a trance, and the others soon followed him onto the deck.

    The scene that awaited them was a crowd of crew members, forgetting their duties, standing entranced, gazing at the bow.

    Rather than scold the crew, the officers joined them, captivated.

    At the bow, on her knees, tears streaming down her face, was Isabel Artea.

    And there, calmly continuing her prayer, receiving everyone¡¯s gaze, was Lucy Allen.

    ¡°...Hah.¡±

    Arthur looked up at her and let out a hollowugh. It wasn¡¯t that he was speechless; he just had too many thoughts to express in one phrase.

    The gentle divinity radiated outwards, her firm yet humble stance, the awe on the face of the Apostle of the Order of Art, her small lips moving in constant motion, her voice as soft as a spring breeze.

    ¡°¡­Please allow these miserable fools on board to keep their pathetic lives.¡±

    Her words, however, didn¡¯t quite match the reverent scene.

    Breaking free from his wonder, Arthur smirked as he looked up at Lucy Allen. Without that damn tone, she might actually seed the saintess as the church¡¯s symbol.

    As he pondered, Lucy Allen fell silent.

    The warmth of her divine power seeped into every part of the ship, imbuing it with her blessing.

    For a sphemous prayer to have such a profound effect¡­ The Supreme God must be merciful enough to tolerate even a brat like her.

    Or maybe He actually preferred it. Laughing to himself at the thought, Arthur suddenly recalled all the countless oddities he¡¯d sensed around Lucy Allen, and froze.

    What if. Just what if¡­ that irreverent tone wasn¡¯t entirely within her control?

    What if the Supreme God knew of this and granted her power despite the disrespect?

    The idea was absurd, but Arthur couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it.

    If her speech was somehow beyond her will, it would exin so much: her irreverent tone regardless of who she addressed, her mischievous actions despite her dignified walk, and many of her strange behaviors could all be exined by this pulsion.¡±

    Still lost in thought, Arthur stared at Lucy as she received the gratitude of Isabel Artea and the crew around her.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    Startled by the voice behind him, Arthur quickly turned around, realizing he hadn¡¯t sensed any approach at all.

    After all those grueling weeks of training with the Allen knights, his senses had sharpened, yet he hadn¡¯t noticed a thing.

    ¡°My apologies, Your Highness the Third Prince.¡±

    The voice belonged to a rough-looking man with a burly frame that screamed ¡°sailor.¡± However, his voice was unexpectedly low and courteous.

    While Arthur grappled with the strange contrast, the man continued respectfully.

    ¡°What you noticed just now¡ªplease keep it to yourself. Thedy has yet to gain a true confidant who understands her.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long. Just until this journey is over.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense¡­¡±

    Arthur began to reply, but his words fell on deaf ears; the sailor¡¯s body slumped as if he had fainted.

    When he came toter, Arthur interrogated him, but the sailor genuinely seemed to know nothing¡ªnot even that Lucy Allen had blessed the ship.

    As the blessed ship sailed toward the Archipgo, Arthur chewed his lip in the rocking cabin.

    It seemed the days on the inds wouldn¡¯t be smooth sailing after all.

 Chapter 373

    "The Second Queen is looking for me?"

    As Karia finished exining, Heyshan lowered her gaze and began fidgeting with her fingers. Unlike Karia, I couldn¡¯t read people¡¯s emotions, but I could guess what she might be feeling. In the game¡¯s side stories, Heyshan had moments where she voiced her true feelings.

    Longing for an old friend. Regret over an inevitable parting. Resignation to the impossibility of oveing real-world barriers.

    Now, having learned more about the Second Queen¡¯s story¡ªsomething absent from the game¡ªthere were likely a few more emotions added to the mix, but the core of it wouldn¡¯t have changed.

    "What will you do? If you want to meet her, I can arrange it."

    "...Do I have a choice?"

    "Does it seem like you do? As someone who graduated from the Academy, you should know better."

    Karia gave her a sunny smile, and Heyshan slumped her shoulders in defeat.

    "Why? Are you reluctant to meet her?"

    "We didn¡¯t part on the best terms. I¡¯m not sure what I would even say if we met again."

    She chewed on her lips, her expression bing conflicted as if imagining the reunion with the Second Queen.

    "Can you give me a moment to prepare myself?"

    ¡®No.¡¯

    "You didn¡¯t seriously think I¡¯d say yes, did you? I expect more sense from a graduate like you."

    Normally, I might have shown some consideration, but not this time. I needed to get Heyshan out of here before Lasha arrived.

    Lasha had disguised her malice as kindness to humiliate me, and in retaliation, I had been plotting how to return the favor.

    As much as I wanted to provoke her, getting into open conflict with Lasha would be problematic. Beyond being half-insane, she possessed a level of power I couldn¡¯t handle right now.

    So, I decided to return her "kindness" with some of my own. Lasha¡¯s target? I had no idea. I was simply fulfilling a noble request from the esteemed Second Queen of Sdin. If this caused Lasha a pointless detour, that wasn¡¯t my concern.

    "Then¡­ do we have to leave immediately?"

    Heyshan asked cautiously, and Karia nced at me for confirmation.@@novelbin@@

    Hmm. To be honest, there was no need to rush. ording to what Karia and Curz Newman had told me, Lasha couldn¡¯t use teleportation magic circles.

    She had caused so much chaos in her hunt for strong opponents that those managing the circles refused to assist her.

    Think about it: if Lasha achieved her goals and left a mess behind, who would deal with the aftermath? Not Lasha herself. She was powerful enough to be acknowledged by Benedict, and most wouldn¡¯t dare challenge her without facing certain death.

    In the past, a few fools had tried to punish her, only to end up as sacrifices creating new rules rather than toppling Lasha.

    Humans learn from failure. After witnessing the carnage, people stopped challenging Lasha directly and began targeting those who helped her instead.

    Despite their protests, the associates¡¯ opinions didn¡¯t matter. What was important was that someone had to take responsibility for the damages caused by Lasha.

    This had happened enough times that people now outright refused to cooperate with her.

    A more brutal individual might have resorted to threats, but Lasha wasn¡¯t like that. She was a lunatic dedicated to hunting the strong, not a mass murderer.

    Deprived of assistance, Lasha resolved to do everything on her own. This time was no different. Leaving the Teresha Empire, she traveled toward the archipgo on foot.

    Even with her absurd physical capabilities, which surpassed a carriage¡¯s speed, it was nothingpared to teleportation. ording to Karia, it would take her at least two weeks to arrive here.

    ¡®I¡¯ll give you about a week.¡¯

    "I find your dumb face amusing, so I¡¯ll graciously grant you a week. Even an idiot should be able to sort things out by then, right?"

    When I said we¡¯d leave after the dungeon explorations, Heyshan gave a weak smile.

    "Could you perhaps grant me just a bit more mercy?"

    ¡®Do you want to leave right now?¡¯

    "Oh, so the stupid, worthless adventurer wants to leave immediately? I¡¯m kind-hearted enough to grant you that wish."

    "I¡¯m sorry. I overstepped."

    Her smile disappeared the moment she saw my sharp grin. What could she do? She was a powerless adventurer with no real backing, and I was the only daughter of the Allen family.

    Unless someone like that jealous lunatic Lasha or someone equally strong intervened, there was no escaping my "tyranny."

    "It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re dragging your feet because you¡¯re avoiding the Second Queen. What are you doing here?"

    Karia, picking up on Heyshan¡¯s hesitation, cut straight to the point.

    Heyshan initially tried to deny it, but any resistance was meaningless before Karia, who could read emotions with just a gesture. What use was lying in front of such a person?

    "Well, while exploring dungeons in other regions, I discovered something hidden in the archipgo."

    "Hidden? Here?"

    "Yes, it¡¯s¡­"

    While Karia listened intently, I leaned on my hand and let her words wash over me. I already knew what Heyshan was looking for, how to find it, and what would happen once it was uncovered.

    Instead of paying attention, my thoughts drifted elsewhere.

    By now, Joy must have delivered the rabbit ears to Arthur. Knowing him, he would have reluctantly put them on, trembling in frustration. He¡¯s oddly rigid about those kinds of things.

    Joy would have struggled to contain herughter at the sight. As for Frey¡­ well, who knows? That kid is unpredictable. It¡¯s a shame I couldn¡¯t watch the scene myself because of this meeting with Heyshan.

    "This is a map I found in a desert dungeon."

    "It doesn¡¯t seem special at first nce."

    "That¡¯s what I thought at first too."

    When I returned to the lodging, Arthur would probably confront me, demanding an exnation. I¡¯d respond by saying, "Did you think the bet was over after one day? There are more punishmentsing daily."

    As I kept pushing him, Joy would eventually protest that I was being too harsh. At that point, I¡¯d propose shared responsibility¡ªteaching dungeon strategy in exchange for her participation in the bet.

    By now, it should be clear: Arthur was just bait. My real target was Joy! I wanted to see her flustered and embarrassed.

    Heheheh. Just imagining it makes me giddy. I guess I can understand what it feels like to be an airheaded fox now...

    "But when divine energy is applied to this map, its true nature is revealed."

    The moment I saw the divine energy emanating from the map, I realized this wasn¡¯t the same as the map from the game.

    After all, there was no such gimmick in the game¡¯s version.

    Had I simply not tried it? Impossible. As someone obsessed with <em>Soul Academy,</em> I had exhausted every possibility to collect every clue.

    This map was unique to this world. A variable.

    Normally, the word "variable" would terrify me. Variables in my life usually aimed to put my neck on the line.

    But this one was different.

    "There¡¯s definitely an incredible treasure hidden in this archipgo."

    New content and rewards not present in the game. I could feel my blood boiling with excitement.

    Taking the map from Heyshan, I frowned at the faint, unclear drawings on it. The problem likely stemmed from the fact that Heyshan, not being a cleric herself, had used some tool to imbue divine energy into the map.

    No matter. We had an Apostle of the Main God here.

    As soon as I infused the map with my own divine energy, the faint drawings became vivid, and an alert rang loudly in my ears.

    <strong>[Find the Treasure of the Archipgo!]</strong>

    <strong>[A hidden opportunity has been revealed to you. Don¡¯t miss this chance¡ªfind the treasure of the archipgo with your own hands!]</strong>

    <strong>[Reward: ???]</strong>

    <strong>[Failure: ???]</strong>

    The quest itself was simr to the one in the game, but since the map¡¯s details had changed, the process¡ªand likely the rewards¡ªwould differ. Who knows? Perhaps the treasure might evene with some bonus gift from the Lazy Main God.

    Laughing with satisfaction at the unexpected bonus, I examined the now-clear map. Then it hit me: interpreting a treasure map with an intelligence stat of 58 was almost impossible.

    Ugh. This does look like a map of the archipgo, but¡­ where are the clues? What are these scribbled markings?

    Feeling my brain spin, I ran a hand over my face and ced the map back in front of the others. Humanity is a cooperative species, after all. When knowledge iscking, you ask for help.

    Both Karia and Heyshan¡¯s eyes sparkled as they studied the now-clear map.

    "This is a proper map now. It was only half-usable before."

    "It took divine energy at my employer¡¯s level to bring out its details. Now I¡¯m intrigued."

    "The most prominent mark here points toward Asara Ind, but¡­"

    "There¡¯s also this symbol here¡­"

    Resting my chin on my hand, I half-listened to the lively discussion between the two. It wasn¡¯t that Icked interest; it was just that their pace was too fast for me to keep up.

    As a proud veteran gamer, I couldn¡¯t help butment. True "old-timers" should make an effort to amodate the noobs, yet these two werepletely disregarding me! This is why new yers rarely join¡ªonly the same old yers stick around.

    Please, exin it so I can understand. I want to know the process, not just the results.

    Oh, right. Grandpa should be able to trante this map for me. He¡¯s smart enough to manage.

    ¡®Grandpa.¡¯

    <...>

    ¡®Grandpa? Are you asleep?¡¯

    <Oh, uh¡­ Yes, child. What is it?>

    ¡®Why do you sound so flustered? What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    Although his usual demeanor was that of an aged, wise elder, his sudden nervousness piqued my curiosity. Yet he didn¡¯t offer an exnation.

    ¡®Grandpa, how many times have I told you not to leave me hanging mid-sentence? It¡¯s so annoying.¡¯

    <No, no. That wasn¡¯t my intention this time. I was simply trying to decide how to phrase my exnation.>

    ¡®What¡¯s soplicated about this map? Is there something on it?¡¯

    <Do you see the writing in the bottom-right corner?>

    ¡®Yes, those squiggly lines that arepletely illegible?¡¯

    <That is the script once used by the followers of the Main God. Even in my time, it was half-forgotten and primarily used as a cipher for those in high-ranking positions.>

    ¡®Can you read it?¡¯

    <Of course. Before bing the Hero¡¯spanion, I served as a captain of the Pdin Order.>

    ¡®So, what does it say?¡¯

    <I can¡¯t be entirely sure of my interpretation, but here¡¯s what it seems to convey:>

    <strong>"A miracle left behind by the Main God. When one who is worthy reaches the trial, that miracle shall once again illuminate the world."</strong>

 Chapter 374

    <Considering that the words inscribed there are in the archaguage used by the Church of the Main God, they wouldn¡¯t have casually invoked the name of the Main God. This must mean that something truly left by the Main God awaits at the end!>

    Grandpa was practically shouting in excitement, but I half-ignored him.

    Why did Ie to the archipgo in the first ce?

    The initial spark might have been my desire to mess with Lasha, but even without that, I¡¯d have ended up here. With the Lazy Main God giving me a quest to resolve the Second Queen¡¯s regret, I had no choice.

    Even the chain of events that led to the Second Queen proposing her deal with me bore the fingerprints of the Lazy Main God. That divine clown wanted me to stand on stage and perform his antics. While much of what happened afterward was my fault, it was still true that the Lazy Main God had meddled.

    ...The Lazy Main God wanted me to see that map. He wanted me to find whatever he¡¯d left behind.

    The quest notification that popped up just confirmed it. The Lazy Main God clearly wanted me to im that treasure.

    But why? What on earth could be waiting in there that he wanted to lure me here?

    The Lazy Main God loves ying pranks on me, but when it really counts, he does act somewhat divine. If he¡¯s gone to this much trouble, whatever hidden piece is waiting there must be significant.

    What could it be? I felt my lips curl into a grin as I waited for Karia and Heyshan¡¯s discussion to end.

    It wasn¡¯t until the adventurers causing a ruckus in the middle of the tavern copsed in drunken stupor that the two finally started consolidating their thoughts. While the staff muttered curses about wishing the drunkards would just drop dead, cleaning up their mess, Karia, after jotting down some notes in her journal, turned to address me.

    "Employer, you were listening to everything we said, right?"

    ¡®No, I wasn¡¯t.¡¯

    "Why would I bother listening to a bunch of olddies gossiping? Of course not."

    Even Karia, who had grown ustomed to my <em>Mesugaki Skill</em> and provocations, couldn¡¯t fully suppress her irritation this time, her face twitching with displeasure.

    But I stood my ground. If they¡¯d wanted me to listen, they should¡¯ve exined things in a way even a newbie could follow instead of muttering iprehensible jargon. Was it my fault for daydreaming while they talked?

    "Then what were you doing instead?"

    This time, I couldn¡¯t answer confidently. How was I supposed to admit that I¡¯d been smirking to myself, thinking about the treasure the Lazy Main God left behind?

    It¡¯s like when a guy daydreams about taking down a bank robber¡ªhe¡¯d never want someone else to catch him in the act. That¡¯s how it felt.@@novelbin@@

    Still, Karia¡¯s growing irritation left me no choice but to point at the scribbled, ancient text in the corner of the map.

    ¡®I deciphered this.¡¯

    "You mean this weird, illegible text?"

    "...You deciphered it? How?"

    It seemed that even Karia didn¡¯t recognize thenguage, which Grandpa had said was already falling into obscurity during his era.

    So, for the first time in ages, I invoked the Lazy Main God¡¯s name. I imed that he¡¯d granted me a revtion to understand the writing.

    The word "revtion" was a cheat excuse that could justify anything, and Karia nodded along as if fully convinced.

    "A miracle left behind by the Main God, huh? Something truly incredible must be waiting."

    With that, I not only hid my foolish musings but also earned some credit for not having wasted my time entirely.

    ¡®So¡­¡¯

    "So, are you going to share the conclusions from your olddy gossip? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s worthless, but I might as well hear it out."

    "Hmm. I¡¯ll exin from the beginning. If you look at this map¡­"

    Karia once again began exining fluently in her ownnguage of iprehensible terms. At this point, I gave up on understanding the process.

    What¡¯s the point? As long as you get the right answer, you pass the test, right?

    "So, it seems we¡¯ll need to start searching this ind."

    That ind, huh? I have a decent idea of the terrain there. In the game, Heyshan¡¯s quest required me to scour the ind thoroughly.

    However, none of the areas I knew of had any ties to the Lazy Main God. While it¡¯s possible that the real world has deviated from the game, that would open up too many variables.

    For now, I¡¯ll trust my in-game knowledge. If we fail on the first ind, we can revise our approach for the next.

    Hmm. Should we start by investigating the inessible areas I couldn¡¯t enter in the game?

    ¡®Karia¡­¡¯

    "Hey, spinster aunt. You¡¯ve got a detailed map of this junk ind, right? Hand it over."

    Taking the map from Karia, I examined it, straining to recall my hazy memories of the game. I didn¡¯t remember the exact paths, but the minimapyout was still faintly imprinted in my mind. If I was correct, there had been something here and here.

    Yeah, that¡¯s right. I remember the frenzy in themunity over this area being DLC bait. It has to be here.

    After marking the locations on the map with a pen, I stood up immediately. There¡¯s no point wasting time. If you have something to do, you might as well get it done quickly. The daytime is busy enough with dungeon runs, so I¡¯ll handle this at night.

    It¡¯s a bit of a shame that I won¡¯t get to see Arthur writhing in humiliation untilter, but that can wait until tomorrow morning.

    "Are we heading out now, Employer?"

    ¡®I n to. Is that a problem?¡¯

    "What, Auntie? Are you tired because you¡¯re old? I hear wrinkles get worse if you skip sleep."

    "Hmph. You must have a lead. Fine, let¡¯s go."

    Seeing the area firsthand jogged my memory. I vaguely recalled theyout. If I was right, we needed to go this way.

    "Lady Allen, have you been to this archipgo before?"

    Heyshan seemed amazed as she watched me instinctively navigate the area under the faint moonlight. She remarked that even adventurers who had stayed here for years couldn¡¯t find their way this easily.

    I didn¡¯t bother exining. It wasn¡¯t as though I could tell her I¡¯d walked this path countless times in the game.

    Instead, my knight, Karl, who was walking beside me, proudly took it upon himself to boast as if my talents were his own.

    "Miss Lucy has always been exceptional at finding her way. Whether it¡¯s navigating the outdoors or finding paths in dungeons."

    "Wow, really?"

    "Indeed. Back in the day, when I had the honor of apanying her¡­"

    As expected of someone who could befriend that temperamental Second Queen, Heyshan didn¡¯t brush off Karl¡¯s exaggerations. Instead, she attentively listened to his tales, even entertaining his inted praises.

    Amused by Karl¡¯s heavily distorted recounting of my so-called "heroics," I walked on, smirking to myself, until the destination finally came into view.

    The entrance to a cave located at the edge of the ind. At first nce, it looked like anyone could enter, but in the game, this was an inessible area.

    "Oh, this ce."

    Heyshan furrowed her brow as if recognizing the location. Karia noticed and urged her to exin.

    "You know this ce?"

    "Of course. When I arrived at the archipgo, I scoured every suspicious spot."

    "So, what¡¯s with this cave? It looks ordinary."

    "It does at first nce."

    Instead of exining, Heyshan demonstrated. She approached the cave entrance, but, as in the game, an invisible force blocked her from entering.

    Karia, curious, tried following Heyshan, only to meet the same resistance. The barrier at the entrance didn¡¯t allow anyone through.

    "What the¡­? I¡¯ve never seen anything like this."

    "I¡¯ve investigated this ce repeatedly, but I haven¡¯t found any answers."

    While the two pondered over the situation, Karl unsheathed his sword.

    "Let¡¯s try breaking through with brute force."

    "...Wait, no! Hey, hold¡ª"

    "Haaaaah!"

    Ignoring Karia¡¯s protests, Karl unleashed a powerful strike imbued with his aura, far stronger than the one he¡¯d used to break my defenses during our sparring match.

    <strong>BOOM!</strong>

    The de crashed against the cave¡¯s entrance with a deafening roar, but the barrier remained intact.

    Unfazed by the impact, the barrier stood firm. Karl bit his lip, visibly frustrated.

    "Sturdy, indeed. It seems I¡¯m not strong enough."

    "If Karl can¡¯t break it, I doubt I¡¯d fare any better. Seriously, this might require your family head to step in."

    "Hey, you two Allen idiots. Instead of ming your family head, why don¡¯t you shut up and stand back?" Karia growled, rubbing her temple in frustration.

    The two knights fell silent and obediently retreated, realizing that brute force wasn¡¯t the answer.

    "It seems to be rted to divine power. Should we bring in someone from the clergy?"

    <Youngdy.>

    ¡®Yes, Grandpa?¡¯

    <You should be able to enter.>

    ¡®Do you recognize this kind of barrier?¡¯

    <Not quite, but¡­ Hmm. Call it the intuition of an old hero.>

    His evasive tone suggested he was hiding something, but I didn¡¯t press him. There was no point in arguing¡ªit would only frustrate me further.

    Passing the others, I stepped up to the cave¡¯s entrance. I raised my hand and touched the spot where the barrier should have been, and my hand passed through effortlessly.

    The same held true for the rest of my body. The barrier that had rejected even Karl¡¯s full-powered strike let me through without resistance.

    While I moved back and forth through the barrier out of curiosity, Karia stared at me, her face nk with disbelief, before finally speaking.

    "Employer, what did you just do?"

    ¡®No idea.¡¯

    "Who knows? Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m cute, unlike you ugly lot."

    "...So you don¡¯t know. Wait a moment. Let¡¯s run a few tests."

    Under Karia¡¯s supervision, we conducted various experiments, but all they confirmed was that I was the only one who could enter the cave.

    This didn¡¯t bother me. If the Lazy Main God had orchestrated this, there was no way the trials inside would be insurmountable for me.

    "I can¡¯t allow this! Mydy, how can I let you go in there alone without knowing what¡¯s inside?"

    "Why are you barking so much when you can¡¯t even pass the barrier?? If you¡¯re useless, just guard the entrance properly, you useless mutt.?"

    "But! But!"

    While Karl looked like he was about to cry from my verbal jabs, Karia approached me with an assortment of items from her dimensional pocket. Potions, protective amulets, and magic-inscribed scrolls¡ªall handed to me as precautionary measures.

    "Employer, I trust you¡¯ll handle yourself, but just in case¡ªif it gets dangerous, pull back. Got it?"

    ¡®Don¡¯t worry.¡¯

    "Pfft. You¡¯re such a busybody. Shouldn¡¯t you be more worried about finding someone to kidnap and marry, old maid?"

    Even without Karia¡¯s warnings, I had no intention of taking unnecessary risks. This wasn¡¯t a game; I only had one life to lose. While I was eager for new content, I wasn¡¯t reckless enough to gamble my life.

    Waving off everyone¡¯s concerns, I used divine magic to conjure a light and stepped into the cave.

    After walking aimlessly through the empty cave for what felt like ages, I finally reached the end of the path. What greeted me was the entrance to a dungeon.

    Unlike the dungeons created by the Evil God, this one exuded no malevolence. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk.

    This format was entirely unfamiliar, even to me as a seasoned yer. Could this be a dungeon crafted directly by the Lazy Main God rather than the Evil God?

    Interesting. What¡¯s waiting for me inside? Excited by the prospect of new content, I opened the dungeon¡¯s door.

    <strong>"Puhahaha!"</strong>

    Uncontrobleughter burst out of me.

    <...Youngdy. What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s the matter?>

    Grandpa¡¯s worried voice echoed in my head, but I couldn¡¯t respond. I was too overwhelmed by what I was seeing.

    <strong>Puhuhuh. Puhahahah.</strong>

    ...

    <strong>Damn it.</strong>

    I¡¯ve been here before.

    Not in the game¡¯s main story, but while clearing the many dungeon modes as part of my antics in <em>Soul Academy.</em>

    Hey.

    Lazy Main God.

    Were you the one behind those cursed modes all along?

 Chapter 375

    Around a year after the release of <em>Soul Academy</em>, yers still hadn''t dared to create mods for the game.

    I had no skill in programming¡ªI''d given up after restarting "Day 1" a hundred times¡ªso I didn¡¯t fully grasp what people were saying back then. But I got the gist from forum posts:

    ¡°Coding is so god-awful that I can¡¯t even begin to touch it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like a monstrosity with arms for legs, legs for arms, and a torso where the head should be, but somehow, it works. Where do you even start modifying that?¡±

    ¡°What the hell were the developers thinking? How did they even manage to program something like this? Did the God of Coding bestow some kind of miracle?¡±

    By the time people started joking that deciphering <em>Soul Academy</em>''s code would result in divine enlightenment, one user posted an announcement: they had discovered how to make mods for <em>Soul Academy</em>.

    As clueless as I was, I couldn¡¯t understand a word of the guide they posted. But it marked a turning point¡ªa revolution, even. People started shouting about the breakthrough, and soon, users began creating the mods they¡¯d always dreamed of.

    Mods ranged from the utterly basic, addressing the game''s minor inconveniences, to the downright primal, serving humanity''s basest instincts. Others added new characters, weapons, abilities, and dungeons, or even ventured into wholly original concepts.

    The ingenuity of one user brought a second golden age to <em>Soul Academy</em>, and I indulged in every mod I could, gorging myself with glee. Little did I know that golden age would be so short-lived.

    Not that I could¡¯ve predicted it. Who could¡¯ve known we¡¯d be starved for DLC and quality mods for years afterward? If I¡¯d known, I would¡¯ve rationed them out, savoring each one.

    Of all the mods, new dungeon mods fascinated me most.

    After a year of wringing every drop of content from the base game, new dungeons were an absolute necessity for me.

    The quality of these user-created dungeons varied wildly, of course.

    As I¡¯ve mentioned before, most were garbage¡ªpranks and trolling wrapped in dungeon format.

    Still, I kept exploring them. With nothing else to do, I had no choice, and every now and then, amidst the trash, I¡¯d find a hidden gem.

    The dungeon I was in now? It was definitely one of those gems.

    <strong><How horrifying. This dungeon reeks of malice, as if it exists solely to kill intruders.></strong>

    When a trapunched a spear at me out of nowhere, I sidestepped effortlessly, and Grandpa gasped in rm.

    The spear wasn''t just a simple trap¡ªit was imbued with magic, capable of not just piercing but detonating upon impact. The sheer malevolence of its creator was unmistakable.

    ¡®Right? The person who made this dungeon was aplete sadist.¡¯

    If I hadn¡¯t dissected this dungeon piece by piece back in the day just to spite the creator, even a veteran yer like me might¡¯ve been in real danger.

    For anyone else? They¡¯d have died four steps in, taken down by the triplebo of traps lying in wait.

    <strong><Ahem.></strong>

    Hearing Grandpa¡¯s cough, I realized I¡¯d been muttering some rather choice insults under my breath, recalling all the times this dungeon had pissed me off.

    Normally, Grandpa would¡¯ve chimed in, agreeing with myints, but he stayed uncharacteristically silent this time.

    ¡®Wait, Grandpa. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Do you think the Main God might¡¯ve created this dungeon?¡¯

    <strong><Ahem-hem.></strong>

    Convincing him otherwise was surprisingly easy.

    ¡®No way! Do you seriously think the noble and benevolent Main God would create such a hellish dungeon? That¡¯s absurd!¡¯

    <strong><...Really?></strong>

    ¡®Of course! A kind god making a dungeon like this? That doesn¡¯t make any sense. And honestly, Grandpa, doubting the Main God like this? That¡¯s kind of sphemous, don¡¯t you think?¡¯

    <strong><...You make a convincing point. Yes, you¡¯re absolutely right. How could I have doubted the Main God like that? They would never create something so filled with malice!></strong>

    His faith restored, Grandpa unleashed a torrent of colorfulmentary about the dungeon¡¯s creator.

    Whoever they were, he said, they must revel in watching people suffer. The traps here were crafted to drive people to despair. Even dungeons created by dark gods wouldn¡¯t be this sadistic.

    He wasn¡¯t wrong, of course, but there was just one little problem: I was certain this dungeon <em>had</em> been created by the Main God.

    As awful as it was, this dungeon was undeniably well-made¡ªone of those rare gems that stood out amidst the garbage.

    It wasn¡¯t just better than other mods. It was on par with the dungeons from the base game, good enough to feel like an official part of it.

    The quirks of <em>Soul Academy¡¯s</em> developers were all over it. I was sure this dungeon¡¯s creator was somehow connected to the original team.

    Back then, I¡¯d just assumed the developers were busy dealing with internal issues¡ªdys, DLC setbacks, the usual nonsense.

    But now?

    If the mod I¡¯d yed back then was replicated perfectly here, in this world, then it could only mean the creator was also here.

    And given how much interest the Main God had shown in me, even going so far as to rope me into their schemes with that absurd Apostle contract...

    It wasn¡¯t hard to connect the dots.

    ¡®Main God, you bastard. If you were going to possess me through a mod, couldn¡¯t you have at least picked a decent one?¡¯@@novelbin@@

    What the hell was up with the <em>Mesugaki Mode</em> anyway? Was that just your personal fetish?!

    Fuming, I powered through the dungeon.

    I knew this ce inside and out, having torn it apart countless times to spite its creator. Even after, I¡¯d revisited it often, nostalgic for its quality.

    So, despite years having passed, I remembered this dungeon better than the one I¡¯d explored earlier today. My pace didn¡¯t falter.

    When the final door came into view, I felt a wave of relief.

    ¡®Let¡¯s just get this over with.¡¯

    <strong><Wait, Lucy. Something¡¯s off.></strong>

    Grandpa¡¯s voice broke through my focus.

    ¡®What now?¡¯

    <strong><There¡¯s no sense of danger beyond that door.></strong>

    ¡®...What?¡¯

    That was impossible. The boss waiting beyond was one of the most challenging in the dungeon¡ªthere was no way it wouldn¡¯t radiate a sense of menace.

    But Grandpa had never been wrong before.

    His instincts were sharp, and they¡¯d saved me countless times. If he said something was off, I had to believe him.

    Still, instead of fear, a grin spread across my face.

    ¡®Good. I was getting bored of running the same dungeon over and over. It¡¯s about time something new showed up.¡¯

    I pushed the door open without hesitation, expecting some kind of surprise.

    What I saw froze me in ce.

    It wasn¡¯t a terrifying new enemy.

    It was a young girl.

    A girl who looked exactly like me.

    How could little Lucy Allen be an enemy?

 Chapter 376

    The sight of a young Lucy wearing a mischievous grin froze my thoughts in ce.@@novelbin@@

    The figure I expected beyond the door was a monster poised to im my life, not a little girl giggling at me as if mocking my existence.

    Uh. Wait. So now I have to deal with young Lucy? How? What am I supposed topete with her in?

    While it¡¯s true that I¡¯m ruthless when ites to dealing with enemies, I¡¯m not cruel enough to crack open the skull of a tiny kid. Even the worthless Main God wouldn¡¯t have tossed young Lucy here just to see her suffer.

    So, what¡¯s the point? What am I supposed to do? Is this supposed to be a <em>Mesugaki</em> showdown? A battle of insults to see who can piss off the other the fastest?

    Ha. Don¡¯t be ridiculous. While it¡¯s true that the Main God is a degenerate, I can¡¯t imagine even he¡¯d create this entire setup just to watch two <em>Mesugaki</em> hurl insults at each other.

    ¡­Right? He wouldn¡¯t go that far, would he? I mean, he¡¯s still supposed to be a god, so there¡¯s no way he¡¯d sink to that level of depravity.

    The young Lucy continued to chuckle silently, and, feeling overwhelmed, I raised my hands in a desperate plea for help.

    <strong>"Grandpa! What do I do?!"</strong>

    But no answer came.

    <strong>"Grandpa? Grandpa!"</strong>

    Only my own hollow voice echoed in my mind. In a panic, I channeled divinity into my mace, hoping to rouse the presence within it. Instead, I realized he had fallen into a deep slumber.

    ...This is definitely the work of that worthless Main God. If he was the one who woke Grandpa, he could just as easily send him back into sleep. But what¡¯s hiding beyond this that warrants such an annoying move?

    <em>Tsk, tsk.</em> I was staring nkly at my mace when I heard the sound of a small foot tapping against the ground. Looking up, I saw young Lucy stomping lightly on the floor, drawing my attention.

    She locked eyes with me, then started walking ahead without a word, asionally ncing back as if checking to see if I¡¯d follow.

    Follow¡­ her? After a moment of hesitation, I began to walk. Young Lucy gave a small nod and proceeded into the cave with light, almost yful steps.

    <strong>"Hey."</strong>

    Huh? My voice came out normally? Confirming that the <em>Mesugaki Skill</em>¡¯s trantion effect wasn¡¯t active, I hurried to catch up with young Lucy and called out to her.

    <strong>"Lucy?"</strong>

    She looked up at me, as if asking <em>Why are you calling me?</em> but didn¡¯t reply. I doubted her temperament would have been this calm even as a child, so maybe she just couldn¡¯t speak?

    Still, it seemed like she could hear me, so I decided to ask her questions and watch her reactions.

    <strong>"Where are we going?"</strong>

    Hearing my question, she tilted her head before using her hand to draw a square and then a triangle above it.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to understand her meaning. <em>Home.</em> Young Lucy was saying that we were heading to her home.

    Not long after, I realized what she meant. The barren cave gave way to a grassy meadow, and the Allen family estate came into view.

    Following young Lucy inside without hesitation, I found that the scenery changed again once we entered the building.

    <strong>"Mira, are you sure I can hold her? What if something goes wrong?"</strong>

    <strong>"What do you think a baby is?"</strong>

    <strong>"A fragile artifact?"</strong>

    <strong>"Haha, Benedict. This child is yours. She¡¯s not that fragile."</strong>

    The woman, Mira, handed over the baby almost dismissively. Benedict, flustered but careful, gingerly cradled the child.

    The baby wriggled in his unfamiliar grasp, then froze upon meeting his stern face.

    <strong>"Uh. Uh. What do I do? She looks like she¡¯s about to cry!"</strong>

    <strong>"What else? Calm her down. Give it a try."</strong>

    <strong>"You¡¯re making it sound too easy!"</strong>

    Startled by his booming voice, the baby scrunched up her face, teetering on the verge of tears. Panicking, Benedict made a ridiculous expression, contorting his features.

    Given his naturally intense face, his attempt looked more like a demon emerging from hell than a clown. Yet, the baby, with her peculiar sense of humor, giggled at his antics.

    <strong>"Mira! She¡¯sughing!"</strong>

    <strong>"See? You¡¯re doing fine. Why were you so nervous?"</strong>

    The scene of their happy, ordinary conversation faded as the scenery shifted again. The baby, who could barely react moments ago, was now toddling around on her own.

    She was undeniably adorable, the kind of child anyone would want to treat kindly. Yet the household staff viewed her with unkind eyes.

    <strong>"Hey, you! Where¡¯s Mama?"</strong>

    The problem was her tone. Nobody knew where she had picked up such aggressive phrasing, but it naturally fostered hostility from those around her. Servants muttered to themselves, questioning how such a child could be born to such virtuous parents.

    But I understood.

    I could hear the truth in the girl¡¯s heart. She didn¡¯t <em>want</em> to speak that way. The same cursed blessing afflicting me was embedded within her as well.

    Against her will, her words inflicted wounds on others, and her spirit was slowly rotting from the inside out.

    <em>Why was I given this curse?</em>

    <em>Why can¡¯t I say a single word of my own choosing?</em>

    <em>Why can¡¯t I say I love you, thank you, or I¡¯m sorry?</em>

    <em>Why am I the only one who has to bear this pain?</em>

    <em>What did I do wrong?</em>

    <em>Huh? Huh? Why me?</em>

    <strong>"Lucy."</strong>

    The only reason she didn¡¯t crumble under the weight of her pain was the unyielding love of her parents.

    Benedict, her father, wouldugh and find her words endearing no matter how sharp they were. Mira, her mother, would gently embrace her, her smile never wavering.

    Naturally, the girl became someone who never wanted to leave their side. The moment she stepped away from her parents, she would face an onught of hostility she wasn¡¯t brave enough to endure.

    While others might see it differently, the girl thought it was enough. If interacting with others meant inevitable hatred, she wanted nothing more than to remain within the safety of the estate forever.

    <em>Tsk, tsk.</em>

    Feeling something tugging at my waist, I turned to see young Lucy smiling mischievously at me.

    And just like that, the world crumbled around me.

    <strong>"Hah?!"</strong>

    Copsing to the ground, I clenched my teeth, fighting against the surge of emotions that flooded my mind.

    The happiness, despair, and rage the child had felt¡ªall these emotions intertwined, forming a torment more intense than any pain I had endured before. Time lost its meaning.

    Only after her memories fully imprinted themselves in my mind could I manage to regain some semnce ofposure.

    With trembling hands, I pulled out a handkerchief to wipe my face, smeared with all sorts of unidentifiable fluids. When was thest time I¡¯d felt such agony? Sure, I¡¯d faced death before, but by then, I was already half-numb.

    <strong><Lucy! Are you back to your senses?!></strong>

    <strong>"Barely."</strong>

    <strong><Thank the heavens! You suddenly copsed after opening the door. I was so worried!></strong>

    At Grandpa¡¯s relieved voice, I looked up and saw the dungeon¡¯s familiar walls. So everything I just saw¡­ was it all an illusion?

    Dragging myself to the nearest wall for support, I leaned against it and let out a hollowugh as the scenes reyed in my mind.

    I¡¯d always thought the rumors about Lucy were absurd. No matter how reckless a child could be, the kind of antics she was used of sounded impossible.

    But if Lucy was another victim of the <em>Mesugaki Skill</em>, it made sense. She must have suffered as much as, if not more than, I did.

    Actually,paring my pain to hers would be insulting. How could someone hardened by experience truly understand the suffering of a child who had no idea why she was in pain?

    At Grandpa¡¯s silence, I staggered to my feet. Whatever the Main God¡¯s intentions were, I¡¯d find the answers at the end of this treasure map. For now, that was enough.

    Emerging from the dungeon, I was greeted by familiar voices.

    <strong>"Lady Lucy!"</strong>

    <strong>"Employer, is everything alright¡ª"</strong>

    Ignoring their concern, I nced back to see the cave vanish as though it had fulfilled its purpose.

    <strong>"Lady Lucy?"</strong>

    At Kal¡¯s worried tone, I forced a smirk and spread my arms.

    <strong>"What¡¯s this, Kal? Did you get separation anxiety after I left you alone for a bit?"</strong>

    But as the words left my mouth, a strange unease crept in. Something about the situation didn¡¯t sit right.

    Kal¡¯s reflection in her eyes revealed it. There was no confident, cheeky Lucy staring back. Only a confused girl, lost in her own thoughts.

 Chapter 378

    The inn¡¯s chef, despite being asked at an ungodly hour, prepared a magnificent meal for us.

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t enthusiastic from the start. It¡¯s only natural to frown when someone wakes you up and demands you cook.

    But sufficientpensation has a miraculous way of transforming displeasure into joy.

    Shouting for us to wait, the chef rushed into the kitchen. After a cacophony of nging pans and utensils, he presented us with a respectable dish.

    Truly, the wisdom of the ancients is never wrong: when someone¡¯s mood seems sour, you should first ask yourself if they¡¯re being paid enough.

    <strong><By that logic, shouldn¡¯t you also heed my words?></strong>

    <strong>¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±</strong>

    <strong><I¡¯m more than worthy of being called one of the ancients myself.></strong>

    Grandpa¡¯s im that some of my friends even worshipped his words as scripture went in one ear and out the other.

    After all, there were far better things to do in this world than entertain Grandpa¡¯s ramblingints.

    Ignoring his grumblings about ¡°the youth these days,¡± I picked up my spoon and took a bite of pasta.

    It was nothing fancy¡ªjust seasoned with oil and salt¡ªbut after everything I¡¯d been through tonight, even this simple dish felt like a feast.

    I was focused on filling my empty stomach when Joy suddenly mmed the table.

    <strong>¡°This can¡¯t go on!¡±</strong>

    What the¡ª? Did the duke¡¯s daughter just cause a ruckus at the dinner table? Is that even allowed?

    Instinctively, sharp words rose to my tongue, but with my mouth full of pasta, I could only re at Joy in reproach.

    <strong>¡°I mean it! Lady Allen is just too cute right now!¡±</strong>

    What? Joy, if you¡¯re going to say something, can you at least make it understandable? I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about.

    <strong>¡°Listen carefully, Lady Allen! Until yesterday, you always had a haughty, scornful expression. It made it hard for others to approach you!¡±</strong>

    Well, that was because the <em>Mesugaki Skill</em> forced me to act that way. It wouldn¡¯t let me do anything it didn¡¯t deem appropriate.

    <strong>¡°But not anymore! Your expressions are so much more vibrant now!¡±</strong>

    She¡¯s right. Though the <em>Mesugaki Skill</em> stillpels me to insult people, it no longer dictates my actions. I canugh, cry, get angry, pout, and even feel sadness as I wish.

    <strong>¡°Joy, what¡¯s the problem with that? Are you jealous because I¡¯ve gotten even cuter? My, how ugly women¡¯s jealousy can be.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°I am <em>not</em> jealous! Do you think I¡¯m that petty?!¡±</strong>

    No, Joy. You¡¯re someone who can genuinely celebrate others¡¯ happiness. If anyone knows that, it¡¯s me.

    I offered her a silent smile, and she groaned, burying her face in her hands with an udylike yell.

    <strong>¡°To put it simply, your current appearance is <em>too</em> overwhelming!¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Oh, poor Joy. The Allen family¡¯s muscle-brains must¡¯ve been too much for you to handle. Still, you weren¡¯t this stupid before.¡±</strong>

    Why am I having such a hard time controlling my emotions today? Did someone curse me while I wasn¡¯t paying attention? Out of curiosity, I tried using divine magic on Joy, but she deflected it with her own mana.

    Impressive. When we first sparred during training with the Allen Knights, her casting speed wasn¡¯t nearly this fast. She¡¯s grown so much in my absence.

    No, I take that back. Joy had been breaking out of the game¡¯s conventional logic and embracing the ingenuity of a yer¡¯s mindset, allowing her to develop at an unnatural pace.

    The Allen Knights¡¯ training only taught her how to wield her newfound power.

    Amused by her progress, I smiled, which made Joy flush and shake her head wildly before shouting.

    <strong>¡°Just listen to me for once! This is important!¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Who said you couldn¡¯t talk? I didn¡¯t stop you, so why are you yelling? Honestly, Joy, you¡¯re so uncultured. How pathetic.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Aaaaagh!¡±</strong>

    Unable to contain her frustration, Joy stomped her feet on the ground before wiping her face. Her anger faded, reced by a calm demeanor. Finally, she looked more like a noble.

    <strong>¡°It¡¯s better to show you than exin it. Lady Allen, look over there.¡±</strong>

    She pointed at Kal, who was lying on the floor with a blissful expression, as if he¡¯d found nirvana.

    <strong>¡°What about him?¡±</strong>

    Kal acting like this wasn¡¯t new. Sure, it was unsettling how he increasingly resonated with the Main God¡¯s insanity, but he was a good guy, so I could tolerate it to some extent.

    <strong>¡°...I suppose using him as an example was a mistake.¡±</strong>

    Understanding Kal¡¯s peculiarities, Joy gave him a cold nce before shaking her head.

    <strong>¡°Dinner is served!¡±</strong>

    At that moment, the chef reappeared, holding a tter of food. The grin on his face showed no trace of the fatigue he should¡¯ve been feeling, clearly delighted by the gold coin he¡¯d received.@@novelbin@@

    <strong>¡°Perfect timing. Chef, please wait a moment.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Pardon?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Lady Allen, could you smile at him for a moment?¡±</strong>

    Though I didn¡¯t understand the request, I obliged, smiling warmly at the chef. It wasn¡¯t difficult; after all, he¡¯d treated us to a wonderful meal. Why not reward him with a smile?

    <strong>¡°I, uh, I still have work to do!¡±</strong>

    Meeting my gaze, the chef¡¯s face turned beet red, and he bolted back into the kitchen. Did he leave something cooking?

    <strong>¡°Do you still not understand?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Understand what?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°¡­I give up. You have no self-awareness at all.¡±</strong>

    Watching Joy clutch her head in frustration, I continued chewing my food until Grandpa¡¯s voice echoed in my mind.

    <strong><Listen to your friend.></strong>

    <strong>¡°Why?¡±</strong>

    <strong><Even if I exined, you wouldn¡¯t understand. Just do it. Have I ever given you bad advice?></strong>

    Well¡­ no.

    <strong><Then follow the wisdom of the ancients.></strong>

    Grandpa¡¯s smug tone was grating, but I decided to take his advice and asked Joy what she wanted to say. She responded with a serious expression.

    <strong>¡°I¡¯m going to teach you how to wear a mask. It¡¯s something you absolutely need.¡±</strong>

    Hearing the word ¡°mask¡± brought back memories of Lucy¡¯s past. The young Lucy I¡¯d seen wasn¡¯t bound by the <em>Mesugaki Skill</em>. Her expressions were pure and genuine, filled with childlike innocence.

    But that innocence, twisted by the skill¡¯s malicious nature, invited hostility. Those who suffered from her unintended cruelty returned it tenfold.

    In the end, young Lucy chose to wear a mask. She built walls, shielding herself from a world that would never ept her sincerity.

    Outside the safety of Benedict and Mira¡¯s presence, she always acted in a way that matched her imposed tone. If she was destined to be hated, she wouldn¡¯t allow herself to hope otherwise.

    <strong>¡°Lady Allen?¡±</strong>

    Joy¡¯s voice pulled me back to reality. I looked at her faltering mask and let out a chuckle.

    <strong>¡°You can¡¯t even manage your own expressions, and you think you can teach me? How delusional.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Teaching and doing are different things!¡±</strong>

    A mask, huh? I suppose it¡¯s necessary. I may not like the <em>Mesugaki Skill</em>, but it¡¯s undeniably useful.

    <strong>¡°Fine, Joy. I¡¯ll see what you¡¯ve got. Teach me.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°¡­Wait, really?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°But I¡¯m so kind-hearted, I don¡¯t like taking without giving. So, I¡¯ll teach <em>you</em> something fun in return.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Something fun? What do you mean?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°How to crush dungeons like a pro. If even that sad excuse for a prince can manage it, you should be able to as well. It¡¯ll be grueling, but that¡¯s not my problem.¡±</strong>

    Joy hesitated, ncing nervously at me.

    <strong>¡°Um, do I have a choice?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Want to beg and cry for mercy? Maybe I¡¯ll reconsider if you put on a good show.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°¡­Just say no next time.¡±</strong>

    Joy¡¯s method of teaching me how to wear a mask was¡­ crude. She instructed me to control every facial muscle individually.

    <strong>¡°In my family, we use mana to control expressions. But since you¡¯re a warrior, you¡¯ll need to rely on your senses.¡±</strong>

    She spoke as if it were no big deal, but it was an absurdlyplex task. Do you know how many muscles are involved in making a single expression? Controlling them one by one is insane!

    Frustrated, I asked for advice, and Joy tilted her head, replying nonchntly:

    <strong>¡°I just did it, and it worked.¡±</strong>

    Fortunately, Karia, who had been smirking at our struggle, chimed in with a more practical suggestion:

    <strong>¡°Don¡¯t raise your lips. Don¡¯t smile brightly. Don¡¯t hum. Just keep a neutral face, like you normally would.¡±</strong>

    Though I grumbled at Karia¡¯s instructions, I couldn¡¯t refuse Joy¡¯s request. After all, she was my friend.

    After a night of effort, I managed some results. When I met Arthur in the morning, he didn¡¯t seem to notice any changes.

    Well, to be fair, he didn¡¯t have time to notice.

    The sight of him stubbornly wearing the rabbit-ear headband was too hrious. I ended up treating him the same as always, bursting intoughter the moment I saw him.

    <strong>¡°Lucy, Lucy.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°What, dumb prince?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Something¡¯s different about you.¡±</strong>

    Freya, however, was quick to notice. Despite thinking I¡¯d mastered the mask, she immediately saw through it.

    <strong>¡°Right?¡±</strong>

    I answered with a smile. Not a bright smile, but the sly grin characteristic of the <em>Mesugaki Skill</em>.

    <strong>¡°Hmph. Just wait.¡±</strong>

    Turning my attention away from Freya¡¯s grumbling, I spotted Arthur in his rabbit ears and a very tired Joy.

    <strong>¡°Wee to hell, Joy.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°¡®Hell¡¯ isn¡¯t the right word. Call it ¡®being pushed off a cliff.¡¯¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°So, how does it feel? Like your head¡¯s going to explode?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°I¡¯d rather take three extra courses in magical theory¡­¡±</strong>

    Arthur¡¯s dumbfounded expression was so amusing that I couldn¡¯t help butugh, though Joy¡¯s sharp re quickly made me straighten up.

    Ugh. It¡¯ll take a while to get used to this.

    <strong>¡°What¡¯s with the serious face, Lucy Allen?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Would you stop staring at me, dumb prince? It¡¯s gross.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°What¡¯s so gross about it?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°And if you¡¯ve got time to gawk, read a book or something. Two dumb people don¡¯t make a winner in a bet.¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Are you betting again today?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°Of course. What kind of dumb question is that? Is your brain goldfish-sized? Or chicken?¡±</strong>

    <strong>¡°¡­What¡¯s the penalty?¡±</strong>

    In response to Arthur¡¯s cautious question, I simply smiled.

    Not the cheerful smile I¡¯d shown Freya earlier, but the infuriating grin only a <em>Mesugaki</em> could pull off.

 Chapter 379

    Perhaps it was because there were now two people learning how to clear dungeons from me instead of just one.

    The dungeon exploration on the archipgo went much more smoothly than the day before. Joy¡¯s quick thinkingid out the broader strategy, while Arthur filled in the gaps she overlooked. Naturally, this boosted their overall efficiency.

    Of course, I had foreseen this improvement and adjusted the time limit for clearing the dungeon to three hours.

    When I announced this, Arthur and Joyined that cutting an hour from the previous limit was unreasonable. But when I threatened to reduce it further to two hours, they quickly nodded in reluctant agreement.

    <strong>"Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know how ipetent and foolish you two are, right? Today, I¡¯ll be <em>extra</em> generous and give you two attempts instead."</strong>

    I offered them an additional chance in exchange for the shorter time limit. If they seeded in just one of today¡¯s two dungeon runs, they would win the bet.

    I had been confident that they wouldn¡¯t manage to seed within the time frame, but by the time the first dungeon was nearingpletion, I found myself regretting my earlier smugness.

    <strong>"Damn it. If only we¡¯d been 20 minutes faster."</strong>

    <strong>"Still, we¡¯ve seen hope. This much is definitely doable."</strong>

    <strong>"Yeah. Let¡¯s fix what went wrong before we tackle the next dungeon."</strong>

    There were several reasons why my predictions had been off.

    First, Joy turned out to be much smarter than I¡¯d anticipated.

    Although she had initially acted reluctant after receiving my dungeon guidest night, she had read through it at an astonishing pace. At a nce, it seemed like she was just skimming, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Joy was speed-reading and memorizing the content as she went.

    Unbelievable, right? That¡¯s exactly what I thought when she told me she had "roughly memorized" it. But the moment she started applying the strategies from the guide as soon as we entered the dungeon, I realized she wasn¡¯t bluffing.

    Sure, I knew Joy had top-tier potential as a mage character, but I hadn¡¯t expected her intelligence to be <em>this</em> high. For a moment, I almost wanted to ask for just half of her brainpower!

    Still, Joy being Joy, she did make asional mistakes.

    But Arthur was there to immediately correct her, amplifying the impact of Joy¡¯s abilities.

    To top it off, Freya was unusually cooperative today. Normally, she¡¯d be running off on her own whims, but for some reason, she actively coborated with Arthur and Joy. The pace they were setting was so fast that I seriously considered sabotaging their progress. I was genuinely worried I might lose the bet at this rate!

    Thankfully, I managed to pull through this time. There was still one attempt left, but that wasn¡¯t a problem. All I had to do was take them to a harder dungeon than originally nned.

    Now that I had a better grasp of their abilities, I could choose a dungeon that couldn¡¯t possibly be cleared within three hours. That way, I¡¯d secure my victory while preserving my dignity.

    <strong>"Damn it!"</strong>

    <strong>"We were so close. Just a little faster, and we could¡¯ve done it."</strong>

    Despite taking them to a dungeon I was certain would ensure my win, the results were shockingly close.

    What¡¯s with these two and their ridiculous growth rate? Are they the top-tierpanions you can recruit in <em>Soul Academy</em> or something?

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh as I imagined how things might have turned out if Freya had joined in earnest. I probably would¡¯ve lost the bet.

    Still, no matter how exceptional they were, the one who ultimately won the bet was me.

    Standing between the two as they reviewed the day¡¯s events near the dungeon exit, I shed a triumphant grin.

    <strong>"Losers, it¡¯s punishment time! Were you looking forward to this? Hearts racing?"</strong>

    Hearing my words, Joy turned pale as she nced at Arthur, who was still wearing the rabbit ears. Meanwhile, Arthur hung his head in resignation, his voice heavy with frustration.

    <strong>"Lucy Allen, just remember this: we still have plenty of chances left."</strong>

    <strong>"Oh, I¡¯m <em>terrified</em>~. What kind of humiliating punishment is the perverted little prince nning to inflict on me?"</strong>

    <strong>"No, that¡¯s not¡ª"</strong>

    <strong>"What should I do, Joy? What if the pathetic prince tries to pounce on me?"</strong>

    <strong>"¡­Oh my. Your Highness."</strong>

    <strong>"A perverted prince, perhaps?"</strong>

    <strong>"I <em>said</em> I wasn¡¯t nning anything like that! I value my life! I don¡¯t want to get killed by the Allen Patriarch!"</strong>

    Under the barrage of usations, Arthur raised his voice in exasperation before letting out a long sigh.

    <strong>"Fine. Do whatever you want. I refuse to be your ything any longer."</strong>

    <strong>"Perfect. Joy, it looks like the prince is ready to take his punishment. Hahaha. He¡¯s trying to act all cool and manly."</strong>@@novelbin@@

    <strong>"What?"</strong>

    <strong>"Huh?!"</strong>

    As Arthur¡¯s faintly hopeful eyes met Joy¡¯s bewildered ones, I couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. The stark contrast between their earlier brilliance and their current foolishness was just too much to handle.

    After a goodugh, I wiped away the tears gathering at the corners of my eyes and smirked.

    <strong>"What¡¯s this, Joy? Were you nning to save yourself? How selfish and cruel of you."</strong>

    <strong>"I-I wasn¡¯t¡ª"</strong>

    <strong>"And Prince Arthur, refusing even the smallest sacrifice? How petty. I understand your true nature perfectly now."</strong>

    <strong>"¡­Damn it. Fooled again."</strong>

    After teasing the two to my heart¡¯s content, I handed out their punishments evenly to ensure they didn¡¯t hold a grudge against each other.

    After returning to the inn from the dungeon, Arthur and Joy dragged Freya into their schemes, plotting how to win future bets against me.

    Their frantic behavior was driven by a single fear: if they continued to lose, the punishments I handed out would only grow more humiliating.

    <strong>"First, it was the rabbit ears. Then it was drawing whiskers. Lucy Allen¡¯s goal is clear¡ªshe wants to turn us into full-on rabbits, head to toe."</strong>

    Joy, who was still wearing her rabbit ears, tried to maintain a serious expression as Arthur continued, but she failed, lowering her head to hide her smile.

    Arthur, noticing the absurdity of his own appearance, flushed red but stubbornly tried to keep hisposure.

    <strong>"Joy, when you think of rabbits, whates to mind?"</strong>

    <strong>"Um¡­ carrots?"</strong>

    <strong>"Never mind. Don¡¯t say it. I believe the next step will involve adding a rabbit nose or tail."</strong>

    Arthur¡¯s reasoning was that the whiskers were a foreshadowing of further rabbit-themed punishments.

    <strong>"The problem is that it likely won¡¯t end there."</strong>

    With five more days of dungeon exploration ahead, the remaining number of potential punishments seemed far too small. Even if they added a rabbit nose, tail, and limbs, there would still be days left.

    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Joy stoppedughing and cautiously spoke.

    <strong>"Your Highness, what do you think the final punishment will be?"</strong>

    <strong>"I¡¯ve heard of an outfit resembling a rabbit. Lucy Allen might be nning that as the ultimate punishment."</strong>

    Joy shuddered as she recalled an outfit Lucy had once worn during a negotiation¡ªa scandalously revealing costume.

    If that was the final punishment¡­

    <strong>"Absolutely not!"</strong>

    The image of herself wearing such an outfit made Joy¡¯s face flush bright red as she shouted.

    <strong>"That¡¯s one thing I can¡¯t wear! This isn¡¯t just about the honor of the Parn family!"</strong>

    <strong>"Do you know something specific about it?"</strong>

    <strong>"¡­Your Highness, have you never seen it yourself?"</strong>

    <strong>"Only heard of it. Could you describe it?"</strong>

    <strong>"Well¡­ it¡¯s, um¡­ you see¡­"</strong>

    Unable to articte her thoughts, Joy eventually trailed off. Freya, casually munching on snacks, nced at Arthur and nonchntlymented.

    <strong>"Your Highness. Pervert."</strong>

    <strong>"What part of that conversation warranted calling me a pervert?!"</strong>

    <strong>"Pervert. Pervert."</strong>

    Later that evening, I left the inn and followed the directions on the map.

    Once again, I was the only one able to pass through the barrier.

    Perhaps because of what had happened the night before, no one¡ªexcept Kal¡ªexpressed much concern about letting me go alone.

    Kal insisted that he couldn¡¯t allow me to be put in danger, but since he couldn¡¯t cross the barrier, his words were meaningless.

    As I entered the restricted area, I was met with a dungeon I had cleared before¡ªa brutally difficult one where a single moment of carelessness could cost you your life.

    But for me, it was nothing.

    By now, you can probably guess whaty at the dungeon¡¯s end. Once again, I was confronted with Lucy¡¯s past memories.

    <strong>"It¡¯s all right, Lucy. This mama isn¡¯t going to die so easily."</strong>

    Mira sat on her bed, her face pale and haggard, a shadow of the vibrant woman she used to be. Illness had taken hold of her.

    Despite Benedict¡¯s desperate efforts to find a cure, reaching out to priests and magicians alike, no one could identify the cause of her ailment.

    <strong>"I¡¯ll be by your side until you¡¯re an old grandmother, Lucy."</strong>

    Though every day was a struggle for her, Mira fought to remain a dependable mother for Lucy. She wanted to be her daughter¡¯s pir of strength.

    But human willpower alone couldn¡¯t ovee fate. Mira passed away shortly before Lucy¡¯s tenth birthday, leaving her all alone.

    By the time I reached the end of the memory, I understood.

    The love and care that once anchored Lucy had been ripped away. She had been left adrift in a sea of resentment and despair, cursed by the world that only seemed to punish her.

    After Mira¡¯s passing, the weight of her absence was unbearable for young Lucy. Benedict, who should have been her support, struggled to deal with his own grief, unable to extendfort to his daughter.

    The household staff showed no sympathy for Lucy. Her tutors, frustrated with her refusal to attend lessons, willingly abandoned their posts. Despite the mansion being filled with people, Lucy was utterly alone.

    She shut herself in her room, sinking further into despair, her fragile spirit slowly rotting away.

    <strong>Why couldn¡¯t I tell my mother I loved her before she died?</strong>

    <strong>Why couldn¡¯t I say anything meaningful to her?</strong>

    <strong>Why must I endure words of scorn instead offort?</strong>

    <strong>What did I do to deserve this?</strong>

    <strong>What sin have Imitted?</strong>

    <strong>Why am I the only one who has to suffer like this?</strong>

    <strong>Why am I the one everyone despises?</strong>

    <strong>Why?</strong>

    <strong>Why?</strong>

    <strong>Why?!</strong>

    Two months after Mira¡¯s death, the young Lucy, who had desperately tried to cling to kindness in ordance with her mother¡¯s wishes, was gone.

    What emerged from the darkness of her room was a broken girl who could no longer suppress her bitterness toward the world. All that remained was a sorrowful child, consumed by resentment,shing out at everything around her.

 Chapter 381

    The following is a direct, precise English trantion of the provided text, staying faithful to the original tone and intent while maintaining the uracy of names and gender references.

    The word <em>Pope</em>. The moment I heard it, my already dizzy mind grew even moreplicated.

    He¡¯s someone I¡¯ll have to face someday. Because I¡¯m Fayvie¡¯s friend, and as long as I¡¯m the Apostle of the Lord, I have to stop whatever the Pope is nning.

    But not yet. It¡¯s too soon. I don¡¯t have nearly enough to confront him now.

    ¡°Why is that senile old maning here?¡±

    ¡°Bishop Johan said it¡¯s to deliver a direct warning to Rasha about the recent incident.¡±

    Nonsense. The Pope has already made some kind of pact with Rasha. It¡¯s been a long time since they agreed to do their own work without interfering with each other. What warning could he possibly have to give?

    More than that, the Pope isn¡¯t the kind of person to feel anger over the deaths of the Church¡¯s people.

    He might put on a show of anger for appearances, but inside, he¡¯s endlessly cold. Someone like that wouldn¡¯t break his own contract.

    Rasha is just an excuse. He has another reason foring here.

    ¡°Auntie.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in disguise right now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve already set up a soundproof barrier, so why the hysterics? No wonder everyone avoids you.¡±

    ¡°And why is that relevant now?¡±

    ¡°Never mind. While I was dealing with that trash dungeon, did you sense any of that lousy god¡¯s creepy aura leaking out?¡±

    ¡°Oh. You didn¡¯t notice? It¡¯s been leaking out little by little ever since you went inside.¡±

    ...Damn it. That lousy god. Why does he keep pointlessly showing off his presence? That¡¯s why moths keep flying to his me.

    Biting my lip, I nced over at my friends. Until just a moment ago, they¡¯d been pointing out each other¡¯s mistakes, but now they were working together to strategize for the next dungeon.

    The timing wasn¡¯t good. If we had just a few more days, we could resolve everything on this archipgo.

    No, not even a few days. If we moved quickly, we could finish everything in two days and leave.

    But who could say what kind of consequences that lingering hope might bring?

    ¡°Auntie, what about that stubborn bishop?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s waiting at the lodging.¡±

    At the lodging, Bishop Johan had not only shed his clerical robes but had also put on a simple disguise.

    Unlike Karia or Alsatin, who transformed themselves into entirely different people, his disguise wasn¡¯t drastic, but it didn¡¯t matter.

    No one would ever think that someone as strict as Johan would bother to disguise himself to hide his identity.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly where His Holiness is right now,¡± Johan said, stroking his beard in apparent difort.

    ¡°He left the moment Lady Fayvie returned, iming he had personal matters to attend to.¡±

    ¡°Is someone as high-ranking as the Pope even allowed to do that?¡±

    Karia frowned as she listened to the conversation. Johan chuckled.

    ¡°Technically, no. But there¡¯s no one in the current Church of the Lord who can restrain His Holiness. If he wants to do something, he can do anything.¡±

    ¡°...Even the Tersha Empire doesn¡¯t have that kind of absolute authority.¡±

    ¡°Haha. Well, back to the point. Since we don¡¯t know where he¡¯s sending his letters from, it¡¯s impossible to guess his current location. He might already be nearby.¡±

    Johan shrugged as he spoke, but he knew as well as I did.

    The Pope hadn¡¯t arrived here yet. Any cleric with a certain level of skill would be able to sense his presence.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we must leave this ind as soon as possible, mydy.¡±

    Even so, his exaggerated story was meant to warn me of the danger.

    While Johan acknowledged the Pope¡¯s utility, he was convinced that the Church needed to destroy him to move in the right direction. And he believed I wasn¡¯t ready to face the Pope yet.

    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Just like I thought. Hearing his warning, I stared nkly at the air without responding.

    More precisely, I looked at the quest window floating in the air.

    <strong>[Find the Treasure of the Archipgo!]</strong>

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to leave this ind yet.

    If nothing else, I wanted to imprint everything that lousy god had arranged here into my mind.

    If I uncovered all of Lucy¡¯s past, I felt like I could understand the rage that had surged within me when I¡¯d heard my parents insulted. I felt like I could understand the feelings that made my heart itch whenever I saw Benedict. Most of all, I wanted to figure out why that lousy god had gone to such trouble here.

    If I were alone, I¡¯d dly take the risk.

    I might even enjoy it, calling it a speedrun. If I were behind a monitor, I¡¯d be cheering about a new event.

    But I wasn¡¯t alone, and I wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d be affected if I got tangled up with the Pope.

    As I stared at the quest window, I finally decided to use the reward I¡¯d been hoarding until now.

    I hadn¡¯t nned to use it unless I was in a truly life-threatening crisis, but still.

    <strong>Ding!</strong>

    The cheerful notification sound cut through my thoughts.

    <strong>[Quest Postponed!]</strong>

    <strong>[Please try againter!]</strong>

    After confirming the message in the blue window several times, I couldn¡¯t suppress theughter that burst out of me.

    Does that mean I cane back toplete the quest anytime? That your arrangements won¡¯t disappear, so it¡¯s fine if I step back for now?

    I don¡¯t know exactly what you¡¯re after, but showing me Lucy¡¯s past must be extremely important to you.

    Noticing Johan and Karia¡¯s puzzled expressions, I wiped away the tears that had gathered at the corners of my eyes and stood up.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this convenient? I¡¯ve been sick of this rundown ce for a while now.¡±

    For now, I¡¯d retreat, but it wouldn¡¯t take long before I returned.

    The second-year students at the academy are granted the right to explore external dungeons and are required to achieve results in several of them.

    ¡°Luckily, I can leave before the stench of this ce clings to me.¡±

    When I return to this ce, I¡¯ll make sure to uncover all of Lucy¡¯s past. I¡¯ll figure out what awaits at the end of it all.

    ¡°...That¡¯s so unfair! I was about to win the bet if we stayed a little longer!¡±

    ¡°This time, the fool¡¯s words are right! Lucy Allen! Are you fleeing because you think you¡¯ll lose?¡±

    ¡°Prince?! Why are you suddenly siding against me too?!¡±

    ¡°Be quiet! Is this the time to be worried about such trivialities?¡±

    When I announced that we were returning to the kingdom, Joy and Arthur scowled. They were probably upset about being forced to leave when they thought they had a chance to win the bet.

    From their perspective, it might look like I was running away because I was about to lose.

    ¡°Absolutely not. We¡¯ve been the victims this entire time.¡±

    But what¡¯s Frey¡¯s deal? Unlike those two, she hasn¡¯t been subjected to anything. Sure, Arthur and Joy had been forced to wear rabbit ears, fake mustaches, and now tails, so their frustration made sense, but Frey had escaped unscathed.

    When I silently red at her, Frey quietly closed her mouth. It seemed like she had just been throwing out randomments to go along with the mood.

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m not going back! If you¡¯re leaving, go alone!¡±

    ¡°Me too! I¡¯ll hire another adventurer if I have to, but I¡¯ll conquer the dungeons here no matter what!¡±

    ¡°Why only one?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Because Lady Kent will being with us too, of course.¡±

    ¡°Why would I? I¡¯m going back with Lucy.¡±

    ¡°What?! Frey Kent! How could you betray us like this?¡±

    As the three bickered noisily, I smirked and snapped my fingers. Immediately, the Allen knights who were guarding us moved in to surround them. More specifically, they targeted only Arthur and Joy, leaving the cooperative Frey alone.

    ¡°Mydy?¡±

    ¡°Lucy Allen, what is the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°You fools. Do I look like someone who would listen to other people¡¯s silly nonsense?¡±

    Normally, I might have entertained their opinions, but not this time. If Rasha ended up on the archipgo alongside the Pope, who knows what might happen? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m leaving these two, who have somehow be important to me, in such a dangerous ce.

    ¡°How dare you! I am Arthur Sdin, third prince of the Sdin Kingdom! Do you think the knights of a mere border count would darey hands on me?¡±

    Arthur, realizing what I was about to do, invoked his authority. But that wasn¡¯t the best idea. The Allen knights were loyal to the kingdom, yes, but first and foremost, they were Allen people.

    ¡°Your Highness, let¡¯s give up. You know how terrifying these knights are.¡±

    ¡°Joy! It¡¯s because ofments like that you can¡¯t ovee your cluelessness! You should be fighting harder right now!¡±

    ¡°And what are you doing, Your Highness, other than yelling?!¡±

    Watching the prince and the youngdy of a duke argue like childhood friends, I caught Karia¡¯s questioning nce and shrugged.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the pitiful prince enjoyed training so much. Well, now I know. I¡¯ll make sure you get the attention you so desperately crave.¡±

    ¡°...What nonsense are you talking about, Lucy Allen?¡±

    ¡°When the trash academy opens, I¡¯ll make sure you get to enjoy yourself among Allen¡¯s idiots. Just as you wished, Your Highness.¡±

    Arthur¡¯s face stiffened at my words. It must have been such a joyful memory for him, the training he¡¯d endured at the hands of the Allen knights. Seeing his reaction made me happy too.

    ¡°Your Highness, see? I told you we shouldn¡¯t resist. Now look what happened.¡±

    ¡°Fool, you¡¯re included too.¡±

    ¡°...Huh? What do you mean? I have responsibilities to my family, the Partan House!¡±

    ¡°Really, Joy? Are you that dense in everything except magic? Don¡¯t you remember me saying, in my sweet voice, that I got approval from your father before we came?¡±

    ¡°Whhaaat?!¡±

    Arthur wasn¡¯t alone in his despair; Joy was equally distraught. Watching them wallow, I couldn¡¯t hold back my genuineughter.

    Two days after Lucy¡¯s group left on the Arthea family¡¯s ship, Rasha emerged from the water and spat out the salty seawater that had made its way into her mouth.

    Damn it. Who would have thought not a single sailor would give me a ride? Sure, I¡¯ve caused my share of trouble, but what I did on the archipgo wouldn¡¯t have directly affected them.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Rasha.¡±

    As she mutteredints and wrung out her drenched shirt, a gruff old voice reached her ears. Without even turning her head, Rasha answered with a voice full of hostility.

    ¡°What do you want, you decrepit old man?¡±

    ¡°I came to give you a warning about what you¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that crap. You would¡¯ve done it even if I hadn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    Hearing the old man¡¯s feigned innocence, Rasha let out a sigh. When he spoke in public, he acted so dignified and grave, but why did he be like this when they were alone?

    ¡°So, what do you want?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to assist me in exploring a dungeon.¡±

    ¡°No. Just being near you feels like it¡¯s shaving years off my life.¡±

    ¡°There seems to be a misunderstanding. You don¡¯t have a choice in this matter.¡±

    ¡°...Damn it.¡±

    <em>Rip!</em> Rasha¡¯s anger must have reached her hands, as the shirt she¡¯d been carefully handling tore in two.

    She stared dumbfounded at the ruined cloth before throwing it at the old man, who, naturally, dodged it with ease.

 Chapter 382

    Here is the continuation of the trantion, remaining faithful to the original text and preserving all details:

    Wherever Rasha went, she was rarely weed, so she had packed her subspace pouch full of various items. After drying herself off, she changed into a new set of clothes.

    She gave up on driving the old man away. Having dealt with him for so long, Rasha knew all too well that he wasn¡¯t the sort to listen just because someone talked to him.

    Rather than wasting her strength on pointless efforts, it was better to fulfill his request quickly and send him on his way. That was her decision, but it didn¡¯t make the humming old man next to her any less irritating.

    ¡°What could be on this ind that¡¯s important enough for someone like you to show up in person?¡±

    Suppressing her difort, she asked the question, and the old man smirked.

    ¡°A miracle personally left behind by the Lord.¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course.¡±

    So even after ascending to the position of Pope, this man hadn¡¯t changed at all. Then again, it was no surprise that someone this unhinged could climb to such a position.

    ¡°But, old man, before we go into the dungeon, can I look around the city for a bit? I¡¯m looking for someone.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s Haysan, the A-rank adventurer you¡¯re searching for, they aren¡¯t here.¡±

    ¡°...Seriously?¡±

    ¡°A noble of the Sdin Kingdom took them. Skilled individuals always find themselves useful, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Ha. Damn it.¡±

    After swimming all the way to this ursed archipgo, not only had she failed to meet the person she wanted, but she¡¯d also ended up with more trouble. She didn¡¯t know who had taken Haysan, but if she found out, she¡¯d crush them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head straight to the dungeon. Once the work is done, I¡¯ll arrange a ship for you.¡±

    Rasha hesitated at the old man¡¯s words. What was worse¡ªsharing a boat with this creepy old man or swimming back to the maind?

    The decision came quickly. No matter how resilient Rasha¡¯s body was, the experience of crossing the sea had been nightmarish.

    ¡°A miracle left in a shabby ce like this?¡±

    Examining the decrepit cave, which looked like it could copse at any moment, Rasha tilted her head. No matter how she looked at it, this didn¡¯t seem like a ce for miracles¡ªor even wild animals¡ªto reside.

    ¡°Just go in and see for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°Just do it. You¡¯ll understand.¡±

    Though skeptical, Rasha begrudgingly followed the old man¡¯s instructions. Soon, she was stopped by something unidentifiable.

    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±

    ¡°One of the miracles from the past. Those without the qualifications can never pass through it.¡±

    Hearing the old man¡¯s proud tone, Rasha let out a derisiveugh.

    ¡°Old man, you can go in, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Are you doubting your own strength now? Are you afraid you can¡¯t break through?¡±

    ¡°No, damn it. Of course I could smash it to pieces. But if I did, wouldn¡¯t the whole cave copse?¡±

    Rasha loved the thrill of battling strong opponents, but she had no intention of making an enemy out of this old man. To invoke his wrath would lead to something far worse than a fight¡ªit would be a hunt.

    Imagining her own gruesome end with no chance of happiness, Rasha shuddered and scratched at her goosebumps.

    ¡°That kind of restraint...¡±

    ¡°Enough. You must have a way to open it, or you wouldn¡¯t have brought me here. Just do it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, such impatience. One should take the time to appreciate the beauty of the miracle before them.¡±

    ¡°Is that something you should say to an apostle of the Evil God?¡±

    ¡°Even an apostle of the Evil God has eyes, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Argh! You¡¯re insufferable!¡±@@novelbin@@

    Rasha shouted in frustration, and the old man chuckled in amusement.

    ¡°All right, all right. I¡¯ll stop teasing you.¡±

    ¡°The idiots in the Church should have seen this,¡± Rasha muttered, watching as the old man approached the barrier and infused it with his divine power.

    What the barrier contained was a miracle lost during the war between the Evil God and the Lord¡ªa structure soplex that no modern cleric could hope toprehend it.

    But the old man was an exception. He was one of the few remaining survivors from the age of myths.

    ¡°Whoa. No matter how many times I see it, it¡¯s disgusting.¡±

    ¡°Disgusting? That technique I just disyed¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t exin.¡±

    ¡°No, I must. It is my duty to convey the wonder of God¡¯s miracles.¡±

    ¡°Please! I¡¯m sorry, okay? I was wrong!¡±

    ¡°Listen carefully. This is...¡±

    Even as Rasha cursed and iled, the old man pressed on with his exnation, proving the adage that only someone crazier could oust a madman.

    Exhausted from the relentless chatter, Rasha snapped to attention when she noticed the barrier shimmering and disappearing.

    ¡°All right! Let¡¯s hurry inside! This is what you came for, isn¡¯t it, old man?¡±

    ¡°Hm? No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯d like to take a moment to...¡±

    ¡°Not listening! Not listening! I¡¯m going in first!¡±

    With a determined stride, Rasha entered the cave. The old man chuckled softly before leisurely following her.

    ¡°What is this? This isn¡¯t an ordinary dungeon.¡±

    As Rasha examined the dungeon¡¯s entrance, she tilted her head in confusion. Most dungeons exuded an ominous aura right from the entrance, as all dungeons were inherently tied to the Evil God.

    But this one was different. The faint divine energy emanating from the entrance was something she had felt before¡ªwhen facing Lucy.

    ¡°Ohhh!¡±

    The old man, who had finally caught up, gazed at the entrance with an expression of pure joy.

    ¡°As I thought! My instincts weren¡¯t wrong! This is indeed a ce prepared by the Lord!¡±

    ¡°Well, it certainly seems that way.¡±

    ¡°Come, Rasha! Let us enter and uncover what lies within!¡±

    ¡°Wait! Hey, old man! You can¡¯t just charge in like that¡ªugh, damn it!¡±

    Though Rasha grumbled andined, she wasn¡¯t genuinely worried.

    With Rasha, one of the continent¡¯s strongest, and the current Pope exploring together, what dungeon could possibly stop them?

    Or so she thought¡ªuntil they had narrowly escaped death ten times within the dungeon.

    ¡°Damn it. Is this really a ce where the Lord left something behind?¡±

    Watching her severed arm regenerate thanks to the old man¡¯s magic, Rasha flexed her hand and spoke with suspicion.

    The old man, who might normally chastise such words as sphemous, couldn¡¯t bring himself to refute her this time.

    Even he couldn¡¯t reconcile the dungeon¡¯s vile hostility with the idea that it was a ce left behind by the Lord.

    ¡°Not even the deep levels of major dungeons are this unforgiving.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°Going any further is suicide. We¡¯d die before seeing what lies at the end.¡±

    The old man responded to Rasha¡¯s words with a bitter smile, silently agreeing.

    They had been inside for barely an hour, yet they had faced countless brushes with death. Despite this, they hadn¡¯t even properly explored the dungeon. Continuing the exploration was impossible.

    ¡°Let¡¯s turn back. I must have overlooked something.¡±

    ¡°Phew. Good. If you¡¯d insisted on going forward, I was seriously going to throw hands.¡±

    ¡°I may be insane, but not enough to throw my life away pointlessly.¡±

    Though the old man cast a lingering nce at the depths of the dungeon, he eventually turned away.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of death, not after all he had lived through. But his life wasn¡¯t so meaningless that he¡¯d squander it in a futile endeavor.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move. We need to board the ship before nightfall.¡±

    As the old man retraced their steps, Rasha stretched and followed. The hellish path that had taken an hour to navigate on the way in took only minutes to traverse on their way out.

    The day after returning from the archipgo to the Allen family, the skies turned gray, and snow began to fall.

    ¡°Damn it. If it¡¯s going to snow, it shoulde down hard enough to cancel training¡ªnot this half-hearted nonsense.¡±

    ¡°...If I were more skilled, I¡¯d have conjured up a storm myself.¡±

    ¡°Prince! Lady Partan! You¡¯ve only had one day of this and you¡¯re alreadyining! While you were rxing, I¡¯ve been stuck in this hell the entire time!¡±

    The one who weed our return the most enthusiastically was Jakal. His eyes were filled with venom after being left behind to endure relentless training with the knights.

    ¡°And do you think the Allen Knights would halt their training just because of a little snowstorm?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s insane. Even harsh training has its limits.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. Severe weather increases the risk of idents.¡±

    Arthur and Joy, spouting entirely reasonable arguments, nced at me nervously as though begging for my agreement.

    Unfortunately for them, I couldn¡¯t side with their logic. After all, the Allen Knights operated on a different set of rules¡ªones wheremon sense didn¡¯t apply.

    ¡°Normally, this inferior prince spouts nothing but nonsense, but for once, he¡¯s right. The Allen Knights don¡¯t know the meaning of the word <em>rest</em>.¡±

    Thinking about it brought back memories of midterms. Training with the knights during a storm had been truly awful. When the wind had swept me off my feet, I genuinely thought I was being reincarnated into another world.

    Seeing my amused smile, the two of them paled as they realized Jakal hadn¡¯t been exaggerating.

    ¡°Joy, can you dispel the snowstorm with magic?¡±

    ¡°If I could do that, I wouldn¡¯t be a student at the academy¡ªI¡¯d already be at the Mage Tower.¡±

    ¡°...Fair enough. Damn it. Are we left with nothing but prayer?¡±

    Ignoring their sudden shift to praying for the storm to subside, I fiddled with my ne.

    In just a few days, it would be the anniversary of Lucy¡¯s mother Mira¡¯s passing.

    Last year, I hadn¡¯t known anything and couldn¡¯t do anything. But this time was different.

    Having seen Mira¡¯s love for Lucy through the fragments of her past, I decided to visit her grave.

    I had my doubts about whether I had the right to visit, but the ache in my heart every time I thought of Mira¡¯s grave made it impossible to ignore her anniversary.

    ¡°Come, Lucy. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. One day, someone who truly understands you wille to your side.¡±

    ¡°They just don¡¯t know how kind you are. It¡¯s not that they hate you on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Lucy, it¡¯s okay. This mother will always be by your side.¡±

    ¡°Lucy, my sweet daughter.¡±

    As memories of sorrow and regret flooded my mind, I felt myself sinking into mncholy. But then I reminded myself¡ªI wasn¡¯t alone anymore.

    Shaking off the gloomy thoughts, I returned to reality.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the weird faces? Are you crying just from imagining training in the snowstorm? Pfft. That¡¯s pathetic. I can¡¯t stopughing. Poor things.¡±

    Even though I forced myself to smile as I had been trained to, my friends¡¯ conflicted gazes didn¡¯t change.

    Feeling ufortable under their stares, I abruptly stood up and left the dining hall.

 Chapter 383

    Here is the continuation of the trantion, keeping faithful to the original tone and ensuring uracy in details:

    Escaping from my friends, I found myself standing in front of a mirror in a hallway, staring at my reflection. And that¡¯s when I realized why everyone in the dining hall had looked at me with suchplicated expressions.

    Anyone would, seeing a girl trying to force a smile while tears streamed down her face.

    Wiping away the tears clinging to my eyes, I blindly made my way back to my room and threw myself onto the bed.

    In the quiet room, the only sound was the cold wind rattling the window. The mncholy deepened, slowly overtaking my rationality.

    <At times like this, moving your body is better than locking yourself up in your room.>

    ¡®Do you think I don¡¯t know that?¡¯

    If I pushed myself to the point where I couldn¡¯t think, the gloom would naturally fade.

    But to do that, I¡¯d have to go to the training grounds. And if I went there, all those people would be staring at me with those sameplicated looks again.

    That would only make things more ufortable for me¡ªand for them. So, I stayed here, in my room.

    <You really are shy, aren¡¯t you?>

    ¡®So what? That¡¯s just who I am.¡¯

    <I wasn¡¯t criticizing, you little rascal.>

    Ignoring the old man¡¯s chuckling voice, I buried my face into my pillow. That¡¯s when a voice I had momentarily forgotten about intruded into my ears.

    ¡°A beautiful woman¡¯s sorrowful expression. That, too, is a delicacy.¡±

    Turning my head toward the disgusting tone, I saw the foolish fox spirit, her lips curled into a grin.

    Normally, she would¡¯ve leapt at me, eager to lick away my tears. But now, she merely wore a perverted expression, too lethargic to move¡ªevidence that the arrival of winter had overtaken her with drowsiness.

    I watched herzily flick her tail before standing up.

    ¡°Hm? I appreciate the teary gaze you¡¯re giving me, but why are youing closer? And why are you wriggling your hands like that? Wait. Stop! Surely you don¡¯t want to touch a beast like me!¡±@@novelbin@@

    Even a mystical creature like her was still a beast at her core. And with winter hibernation dulling her instincts, she couldn¡¯t resist as I easily grabbed her. Ignoring her nonsensical protests, I buried my hands into her thick fur, relishing the warmth.

    ¡°Haaaa...¡±

    Eventually, she stopped resisting, resigning herself to my touch.

    ¡°Since I like you, I¡¯ll offer you a piece of advice.¡±

    I stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. Despite her usual perverted antics, the foolish fox was one of the wisest beings I knew.

    ¡°Emotions don¡¯t disappear just because you ignore them. They only grow stronger. So, confront them and ept them. That¡¯s the only way to move forward.¡±

    Her tone carried the wisdom befitting the ruler of the forest, and I let out a smallugh. How could such a remarkable creature act so beastly most of the time?

    If she stayed like this during winter, perhaps I should leave her sealed away for the entire season.

    ¡°Oh, and one more thing: I¡¯d prefer if you didn¡¯t suppress the revulsion you feel toward me. That look of disgust makes my heart race. Ah, yes, that expression right now. It¡¯s perfect. I feel so happy I could die.¡±

    I take back what I just thought. This creature needs to be sealed away for all eternity.

    Meanwhile, Arthur sat in the dining hall, lost in thought while others prepared for training. His mind lingered on the sight of Lucy earlier¡ªtrying to smile through her tears.

    The usually confident and arrogant Lucy showing such vulnerability brought many thoughts to Arthur¡¯s mind.

    Yes, she undoubtedly had incredible talent. She was someone who seemed utterly unshakable, even in the face of disaster.

    He could clearly imagine her smirking defiantly even in the face of her own death.

    But Lucy was still human. No matter how strong she pretended to be, she was human at the core.

    ¡°Joy.¡±

    Hearing Arthur¡¯s voice, Joy, who had been peeking out from behind a pir, startled and tried to hide. Instead, she slipped and fell t on her face with a loud <em>thud</em> that echoed through the dining hall.

    It must have hurt, but Joy quickly stood, her face bright red, pretending as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everyone else is busy preparing for training.¡±

    ¡°...Couldn¡¯t you just act like you didn¡¯t see me?¡±

    ¡°And have youin about that too? I doubt it.¡±

    ¡°Ugh...¡±

    Grumbling at Arthur¡¯s nonchnt reply, Joy trudged over and plopped down across from him.

    ¡°This is perfect. I had something to ask you.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what Lucy Allen was searching for on the archipgo?¡±

    Hearing Arthur¡¯s question, Joy froze momentarily, but her hesitation was brief. She quicklyposed her expression with the help of magic.

    ¡°Does it have something to do with her regaining her expression?¡±

    But when Arthur followed up with another question, her carefully crafted expression crumbled.

    ¡°...You knew?¡±

    ¡°Of course I did.¡±

    On the archipgo, Arthur had limited his sleep, focusing all his energy on studying to beat Lucy in their wager.

    There was no way Arthur wouldn¡¯t have noticed Lucy¡¯s excursions¡ªor her sudden change in demeanor.

    ¡°How could I not, after all the time I¡¯ve spent with her?¡±

    ¡°Wow. That was a really romantic line you just said.¡±

    ¡°Joy, are you trying to make me curse?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Arthur frowned at Joy¡¯s remark, and she quickly adjusted her tone.

    ¡°But why did you pretend not to know?¡±

    ¡°Because she didn¡¯t tell me.¡±

    For some reason, Lucy Allen hadn¡¯t shared her intentions with him. So, out of respect, he had chosen not to pry. She was both his benefactor and his mentor, after all.

    ¡°Then why ask about it now?¡±

    ¡°For the same reason you came to see me.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t just leave her alone, could you?¡±

    ¡°H-how did you...¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? You act tough, but you¡¯re a softie at heart.¡±

    Arthur smirked at Joy¡¯s flustered reaction, and despite her protests, he couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°We¡¯ve received so much from her. It¡¯s only right to give back when we can.¡±

    ¡°...That was what I was going to say!¡±

    ¡°Haha, fine. That doesn¡¯t matter. Now, tell me what you know.¡±

    Joy sighed before continuing.

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know exactly what Lady Allen was looking for on the ind.¡±

    From what she¡¯d heard from the other knights, Lucy had indeed been searching for hidden dungeons.

    But what she hoped to find within them? That was something only Lucy herself knew, and unless she chose to reveal it, there was no way of knowing.

    ¡°But I do think I know why she¡¯s feeling so down.¡±

    ¡°And why is that?¡±

    ¡°Because the anniversary of Lady Mira Allen¡¯s passing ising up.¡±

    Arthur¡¯s lips pressed tightly together at the mention of that word¡ª<em>loss</em>.

    He, too, had experienced the loss of a loved one. The lingering sorrow that never truly faded was something he understood all too well.

    ¡°This is a tricky situation. It¡¯s not something an outsider should meddle in.¡±

    Arthur, who carried his own scars, was certain of one thing: any attempts to interfere would only deepen Lucy¡¯s mncholy.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been trying toe up with something that might cheer her up, even just a little. But I can¡¯t think of anything suitable.¡±

    Arthur could understand Joy¡¯s dilemma. When the weight of grief was immeasurable, there was little that could bringfort.

    No... there was something.

    Closing his eyes, Arthur fell deep into thought.

    The answer came quickly.

    Now that their business on the archipgo was over, he¡¯d fulfilled his promise to that mysterious entity.

    Even if it had just been a misunderstanding, it didn¡¯t matter. If things went wrong, that entity would intervene on its own.

    Arthur cast a soundproofing spell, a slightly modified version he¡¯d created, and lowered his voice.

    ¡°Joy, listen carefully.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    At the sudden seriousness in his tone, Joy¡¯s gaze grew equally solemn. Whatever Arthur was about to say must be important.

    ¡°This is still just a theory, but I don¡¯t think Lucy Allen acts brashly and speaks harshly by choice.¡±

    Arthur waited for Joy¡¯s reaction, expecting the typical wide-eyed surprise or an exmation of disbelief.

    But Joy¡¯s expression remained neutral. In fact, she even looked a little... exasperated.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    ¡°Prince.¡±

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t believe me? I understand if it¡¯s hard to ept¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then listen¡ªthere¡¯s solid evidence for¡ª¡±

    ¡°Arthur.¡±

    Joy¡¯s tone was unusually direct¡ªsomething Arthur wasn¡¯t used to from her. He blinked in surprise.

    ¡°Arthur, I¡¯ve spent more time with Lady Allen than you have.¡±

    ¡°Well... that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°I was the first one she saved. I was her first friend. I was the first one to train under her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s... also true.¡±

    ¡°So, do you really think I wouldn¡¯t know that?¡±

    Arthur suddenly realized where Joy¡¯s exasperation wasing from.

    That¡¯s right. She might be clumsy, but she wasn¡¯t stupid.

    When it came to rtionships, Joy was even better than he was. She¡¯d worked tirelessly to hide her awkwardness and be a key figure in the social circles of noblewomen.

    If Arthur, who had spent so much time buried in books, had noticed Lucy¡¯s odd behavior, there was no way Joy, who had lived through the cutthroat world of high society, wouldn¡¯t have.

    ¡°But...¡±

    One question lingered in Arthur¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Why did you pretend not to notice?¡±

    ¡°I could say the same to you, Prince.¡±

    ¡°...She didn¡¯t tell us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Lady Allen didn¡¯t tell me, so I just watched her in silence.¡±

    Arthur now understood that there was a version of Lucy Allen he didn¡¯t know¡ªa Lucy Allen that Joy had seen in the midst of noble society.

    Back then, Joy had assumed Lucy¡¯s behavior was just her personality.

    But if that wasn¡¯t the case? If her actions back then had been nothing more than a scream for help?

    If she¡¯d been desperately putting on a mask to endure the countless criticisms thrown her way?

    Was it truly the right thing to tear that mask off?

    When Joy finished speaking, she ran a hand over her face, restoring her usual calm expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to find another way, Prince.¡±

    Until she was sure of her suspicions, Joy would remain silent. She didn¡¯t want to risk hurting Lucy by meddling with something she had long since decided to hide.

    ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡±

    Arthur nodded weakly.

    ¡°And what exactly are we supposed to do?¡±

    Before they could discuss further, a sudden presence startled Arthur. He turned his head sharply.

    Standing nearby was Frey Kent, gazing at them with innocent curiosity.

    ¡°When did you get here?¡±

    ¡°Just now.¡±

    ¡°There was a barrier around us. How did you...?¡±

    ¡°I cut through it. It was flimsy.¡±

    Arthur ground his teeth at Frey¡¯s nonchnt response.

 Chapter 384

    Arthur thought back to the pain of loss¡ªhis own mother¡¯s passing. The funeral. Standing alone by her grave on a rainy day. The disdain he endured in the royal pce once he was left on his own.

    Though he believed he¡¯d ovee it, the scars still lingered. Recalling those wounds, Arthur pushed away the mncholy and spoke.

    ¡°First, we need to establish one thing: if we interfere recklessly, we¡¯ll only make things worse.¡±

    The pain of losing a parent isn¡¯t something outsiders should meddle with lightly. Especially when, even after nearly a decade, the echo of that grief still lingers.

    ¡°Half-hearted pity will only deepen the wound.¡±

    Arthur left unsaid that he was speaking from his own experience. Tapping the table lightly, he continued.

    ¡°The one fortunate thing is that there is someone in this household who can share Lucy¡¯s grief.¡±

    ¡°Benedict Allen, the Marquess.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. I believe that Benedict is the best person to console Lucy.¡±

    ¡°I agree, but¡­¡±

    Joy trailed off, recalling Benedict¡¯s expression the previous day.

    Shortly after they returned from the archipgo, Benedict, upon hearing that Lucy and the others had arrived, immediately abandoned his work to greet her.

    This behavior was typical for the doting father. But when he finally reunited with Lucy, his reaction was strangely subdued.

    Faced with Lucy¡¯s radiant smile and her cheerful call of ¡°Papa!¡± Benedict froze. Then, iming he¡¯d just remembered something urgent, he turned and fled.

    Since then, he¡¯d been noticeably avoiding Lucy¡ªa stark contrast to his usual attempts to stay close to her at all times.

    ¡°Is it because Lucy¡¯s expressions have be more varied?¡±

    ¡°Probably. Benedict used to be utterly captivated by even her arrogant scowls¡ªhow could he possibly handle her radiant smile now?¡±

    Both Arthur and Joy sighed at the thought of how foolishly Benedict, the kingdom¡¯s hero, could act around his daughter.

    ¡°Our course of action is clear,¡± Arthur dered. ¡°We need to inform Benedict of Lucy¡¯s state. That should prompt him to act.¡±

    ¡°True, but we¡¯ll also need to advise him carefully. Benedict might overreact to Lucy¡¯s sorrow in unpredictable ways.¡±

    Arthur and Joy began discussing what they would say to Benedict to ensure he responded appropriately.

    Meanwhile, Frey, who had been quietly listening to their conversation from the side, tilted her head in thought.

    Could someone who always paid so much attention to Lucy really not notice her sorrow? Or was there a reason he was holding back?

    Frey, however, kept her thoughts to herself. She assumed the two people before her, far more intelligent than she was, would handle it just fine.

    Benedict did not like snowy winters.

    The reason was simple: the woman he had loved had passed away on such a day.

    ¡°Mira¡­ Even after all this time, the heavens still seem to mourn your passing,¡± he murmured.

    Unable to focus on work, Benedict idly gazed out the window. Sensing someone approaching outside, he called out before they could knock.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Come in. I was just resting.¡±

    The door opened slowly to reveal Lady Joy of the Partan family. Knowing she was a close friend of Lucy, Benedict¡¯s expression softened.

    ¡°What brings you here? I believe it¡¯s time for training.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you, Marquess.¡±

    ¡°Ask away. As my daughter¡¯s dear friend, I¡¯ll answer to the best of my ability.¡±

    ¡°Are you aware that Lady Lucy is feeling down?¡±

    The directness of her question made Benedict pause. After a moment of contemtion, he sighed and nodded.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware. How could I not, when I make it my business to know everything that happens in this estate?¡±

    Benedict had always kept a close eye on everything within the estate. Initially, it was out of concern¡ªworried that a resentful servant might harm Lucy, or that she might go astray.

    It had be a habit over the years, one he couldn¡¯t shake even now, when it no longer served its original purpose.

    Thanks to this, Benedict had noticed Lucy¡¯s sorrow as the anniversary of Mira¡¯s passing drew near.

    ¡°Then why are you avoiding Lucy?¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have the right tofort her.¡±

    Hearing that Lucy was grieving had pained Benedict deeply. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to console her.

    He believed he had no right.

    Joy wanted to question him further, but Benedict¡¯s expression was so filled with anguish that she hesitated. The hero, once thought unshakable, seemed as if he might crumble with the slightest push.

    Sensing her concern, Benedict forced a faint smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a grand story, but as Lucy¡¯s friend, I believe you deserve to hear it.¡±

    He raised his head and called toward the door.

    ¡°You two cane in as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­You knew?¡±

    ¡°My apologies.¡±

    Arthur and Frey entered, taking seats on either side of Joy. After instructing a servant to prepare refreshments, Benedict sat opposite them.

    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t have the right?¡± Arthur asked.

    ¡°Exactly what I said, Prince. A father who wasn¡¯t there for his daughter during her darkest hour has no right to console her sorrow now.¡±

    If someone asked Benedict when he would go back to if given the chance, he would answer without hesitation: the moment Lucy needed him most.

    Not the days of his youthful vigor, or the time when he was hailed as a hero, or even the happiest days spent with Mira¡ªbut the moment he failed to be there for his daughter.

    ¡°When I lost my wife, I was so consumed by grief that I neglected everything else.¡±

    Waking up in the morning, the person who should have been there wasn¡¯t. The warmth, theughter, the gentle voice¡ªall gone.

    Mealtime was no different. The woman who used to describe each dish with excitement and beam at hispliments was gone.

    Work, walks around the estate, outings in the carriage¡ªevery aspect of life was hollowed out by her absence.

    The loss of the person who had filled his life with joy was the greatest pain Benedict had ever endured.

    And it led him to turn away from Lucy. Her face reminded him of Mira. It brought tears to his eyes and made him want to follow his wife to the grave.

    He simply couldn¡¯t bear to keep Lucy close.

    ¡°By the time I realized how foolish I¡¯d been, it was already toote. Lucy had long since closed off her heart.¡±

    Benedict understood the weight of his sins. That¡¯s why he carried the burden of guilt every day of his life.

    He believed the only thing he could do now was love his daughter and pray for her forgiveness.

    ¡°People are cunning creatures, you see. No matter how determined we are not to forget our guilt, it dulls over time.¡±

    When Lucy, once trapped in her grief, began to heal and take steps forward, Benedict felt nothing but joy.

    He dared to imagine a future where he could share happiness with her again, returning to the life they once had.

    How shameless of him.

    ¡°When my dream came true, the memories of my sins came flooding back alongside it.¡±

    Seeing Lucy smile so genuinely¡ªlike Mira once had¡ªfilled Benedict with overwhelming guilt.

    Her newfound ability to express her emotions reminded him of the moments he had failed her and the excuses he had made for himself.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been avoiding her. If I see her now, I might feel genuine joy. And I don¡¯t deserve to be happy.¡±

    Benedict¡¯s voice was heavy with conviction as he added:

    ¡°I am someone who should never find happiness. I am a man who must carry his guilt and suffering for the rest of his life.¡±

    The room fell silent at his words. Both Arthur and Joy found themselves at a loss, the carefully prepared arguments they¡¯d brought crumbling under the weight of Benedict¡¯s self-reproach.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I must ask all of you¡­¡±

    ¡°Lucy¡¯s dad.¡±

    A single voice broke through the somber atmosphere. Frey, ignoring the frantic signals Arthur and Joy were sending her, spoke up without hesitation.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something Lucy should decide for herself?¡±

    ¡°...Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Bad people don¡¯t get to decide their own punishments. If they could, then Lucy and Prince Arthur would¡¯ve let me off the hook a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Frey! What are you¡ª¡±

    Ignoring Arthur¡¯s outburst, Frey tilted her head thoughtfully.

    ¡°Hmm. Hmm. Hmm¡­¡±

    Without warning, Frey shot up from her seat.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work. I¡¯m too dumb to say anything meaningful!¡±

    ¡°What in the world are you¡ª¡±

    Before anyone could stop her, Frey bolted out of the room, causing amotion as she ran down the hallway.

    The remaining three were left stunned, unable to process what had just happened. Momentster, Frey returned, clutching a crystal orb, which she promptly ced in front of Benedict.

    ¡°Lady Kent, what is this?¡±

    ¡°Amunication orb.¡±

    ¡°And who is it connected to?¡±

    ¡°The most mature person I know.¡±

    With that, Frey poured magic into the orb. It glowed faintly, flickering a few times before stabilizing, and an image began to take shape above it.

    <ul>

    <li>¡°Lady Kent? What¡ªOh my, Marquess Allen.¡±</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Saintess?¡±

    <ul>

    <li>¡°Yes, this is Fayvie. It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±</li>

    </ul>

    The figure within the orb was none other than the saintess of the Church herself, currently engaged in important duties at the holy sanctuary.

 Chapter 385

    ¡°Papa.¡±

    The word escaped my lips naturally, without the interference of the Mesugaki Skill.

    Benedict, who had been kneeling on the snow, slowly raised his head. His eyes, brimming with tears, met mine. The sight made something within me stir¡ªa strange, bittersweet ache I couldn¡¯t fully understand but somehow felt intimately familiar.

    ¡°I forgive you.¡±@@novelbin@@

    The words flowed effortlessly, as if they were not my own, but those of another who had been waiting to speak them for a very long time. They carried a warmth and weight that surprised even me.

    Benedict¡¯s expression twisted, as if the simple phrase had pierced through all the guilt and sorrow he had been carrying. Tears spilled freely from his eyes as he shook his head.

    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t deserve your forgiveness. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shh.¡±

    I raised a finger to my lips and tilted my head with a teasing smile.

    ¡°Papa, you¡¯re such a crybaby. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡±

    His lips quivered as he stared at me, caught between sobbing andughing. His trembling hands reached out, hesitant, as if afraid I might pull away. Instead, I ced my hand firmly over his, holding it with a warmth that was both mine and not mine.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go for a walk, okay? The snow¡¯s already cleared up, and it¡¯s a perfect day for an aimless stroll. Unless, of course, you¡¯re too old to keep up with your daughter?¡±

    Benedict blinked, then let out augh¡ªa genuine, heartfeltugh that seemed to lighten the weight of the moment.

    ¡°Old? You think this father of yours can¡¯t handle a little snow?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    I stood and tugged gently at his hand, guiding him to his feet. The snow crunched under our boots as we began walking together, the biting chill of winter unable to touch the warmth between us.

    Behind us, unseen, the others watched from a distance. Arthur, Joy, and Frey exchanged nces, their earlier concerns melting away as they saw the light return to Benedict¡¯s eyes and the bright smile on Lucy¡¯s face.

    Arthur crossed his arms, sighing in relief. ¡°I suppose that worked out better than expected.¡±

    Joy smiled softly, wiping at her own misty eyes. ¡°It¡¯s good to see them both smiling like that.¡±

    Meanwhile, Frey tilted her head, pondering something aloud. ¡°Does this mean I don¡¯t have to do anything else? Or should I go find that crying orb again?¡±

    Arthur groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Frey, please.¡±

    As the snow continued to fall, father and daughter walked together, their steps creating new tracks in the untouched white.

    For the first time in a long while, both felt the heavy weight of their burdens ease, if only a little.

    And for the first time, the winter air seemed warm.

    Benedict followed closely behind, his steps hesitant at first, but they gradually became steadier. He held onto the warmth of Lucy¡¯s hand, his fingers gripping hers like a lifeline. The snowstorm seemed to part before them, leaving a clear path as if the heavens themselves acknowledged their fragile reconciliation.

    ¡°Papa,¡± Lucy called out, breaking the silence. She turned her head slightly, her cheek catching the glow of the faint sunlight peeking through the clouds.

    ¡°Yes, Lucy?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember everything clearly,¡± she admitted, her voice soft but resolute. ¡°But I remember enough. Enough to know that you¡¯re not the monster you think you are.¡±

    Benedict stopped in his tracks, his body stiffening. The weight of her words pressed down on him, but he remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

    ¡°I hated you for a long time,¡± Lucy admitted bluntly. Her eyes were clear, but there was no malice in her tone. ¡°I hated how you weren¡¯t there. I hated how you turned away. But most of all, I hated how you made me feel like I wasn¡¯t enough.¡±

    The words stabbed deeply, and Benedict¡¯s head lowered in shame. He opened his mouth to speak, but Lucy cut him off.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not the whole story,¡± she said, her grip on his hand tightening. ¡°I also remember the times you tried. The times you smiled, even though it hurt. And the times you fought so hard to protect me, even when you were breaking inside.¡±

    Her voice wavered, but she continued, her words carrying the weight of both past pain and present rity.

    ¡°Papa, I know you think you don¡¯t deserve forgiveness. But forgiveness isn¡¯t something you earn. It¡¯s something I give because I want to. Because I love you.¡±

    Tears streamed down Benedict¡¯s face, his body trembling with the effort to hold back the sobs threatening to escape. Finally, he let go, copsing onto his knees as his emotions overwhelmed him.

    Lucy knelt with him, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulders. ¡°Stop carrying everything alone, Papa. You¡¯re not alone anymore. You have me.¡±

 Chapter 386

    As I looked at Benedict''s face, with tears streaming down, I reached out and wiped them away.

    It wasn¡¯t the kind of thing a <em>mesugaki</em> would do, but my actions weren¡¯t stopped.

    The restriction on my behavior eased somewhat after returning from the archipgo. Or perhaps, this was what Lucy had wanted me to do.

    Watching Benedict¡¯s expression go nk, the emotions rising in my heart gradually became clearer.@@novelbin@@

    And then I understood. I understood what Lucy had thought of Benedict, her father.

    ¡°Lucy.¡±

    The child who had suffered under the curse had med her father. She hated the one who had left her alone in a hellish world. She tried to ce the original sin of not saving her mother onto Benedict.

    But this resentment didn¡¯tst long. Benedict¡¯s devotion made her put that resentment aside.

    ¡°Lucy...¡±

    However, Lucy couldn¡¯t convey these feelings to Benedict. Before she could realize his devotion, she had done so many wrong things that she couldn¡¯t express herself.

    How could a child, whose truth was blocked by the curse, recognize her mistakes and find a way to express her true feelings?

    ¡°Will you forgive this worthless father?¡±

    Having read all these emotions, I was still sure that Lucy was staying inside me.

    You want me to say the things you couldn¡¯t say to Benedict, don¡¯t you, Lucy?

    If that¡¯s your wish, I¡¯ll dly do so.

    ¡°Lucy?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer Benedict¡¯s question. I knew the curse of the <em>mesugaki skill</em> inside me would distort any words of forgiveness, so instead, I stood up, walked over to Benedict, and tried to hug his waist...

    But I failed.

    No! How can I fail at even this?! I tried my best to spread my arms, but it¡¯s not even possible to hug his waist? This man is so unnecessarily big!

    Failing in my original goal, I took a step back and looked at Benedict, kneeling, before finding my next target.

    Hugging his waist was impossible, but maybe there... That should work.

    Still frozen, I jumped up and hung onto Benedict¡¯s neck, and only then did he carefully pull me into an embrace.

    ¡°This is your answer, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Benedictughed through his tears. Understanding my intentions, he cried without end.

    Sitting with me in his arms, he let all the tears he had been holding back pour out.

    His face was sorge that the liquid pouring from him was ufortably excessive, but I couldn¡¯t pull myself away from his embrace.

    I still couldn¡¯t beat Benedict in strength.

    Even amidst his wailing, his arms around me were careful enough not to suffocate me, but still, I couldn¡¯t get away from his embrace because of him.

    After some time, when Benedict regained hisposure, I realized my clothes werepletely soaked, like they had been caught in the rain.

    Breaking free from Benedict¡¯s arms, I didn¡¯t hide my displeasure.

    The word "father¡¯s love" didn¡¯t quite cover how unpleasant it was.

    Noticing my irritation, Benedict, with his swollen face, spoke his apologies in a voice that could scare even an orc into fleeing, but the golden time had long passed.

    If he had noticed, he should have let me go when I startedining.

    ¡°Perverted papa. Do you feel good making your daughter so wet?¡±

    ¡°N-no. That¡¯s not it. Lucy, you know... it wasn¡¯t what I wanted.¡±

    ¡°Are you iming diminished capacity? Got it. Papa, I¡¯ll hear all the details from behind bars.¡±

    ¡°Lucy?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be so fun if rumors spread that the hero who protected the kingdom was actually a pervert who preyed on his own daughter, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°W-wait a moment, Lucy. I know I was wrong, but it¡¯s not something that deserves to have me socially destroyed!¡±

    Desperately waving his arms, Benedict tried to exin, but that defiance was suppressed by my cold re.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. Even if his past sins were forgiven, the fact that Benedict was a daughter fool didn¡¯t change.

    Did I feel any guilt for tormenting this daughter fool?

    But, you know, when I torment Benedict like this, and no feelings arise in my heart, it¡¯s clear Lucy thinks this is right. So, why should I feel guilty?

    Under Lucy¡¯s watchful indifference, I tormented Benedict, and only when he begged me for forgiveness, saying he¡¯d do anything, did I stop my teasing.

    ¡°Really, papa? You said you¡¯d do anything, right? You won¡¯t say, ¡®this is impossible¡¯ or ¡®that¡¯s impossible,¡¯ will you?¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, Lucy, I mean, as long as it¡¯s within reason.¡±

    ¡°If you keep being stingy, I¡¯ll just tell mama¡¯s grave everything papa did wrong.¡±

    ¡°I was wrong! I was wrong! Please, don¡¯t say anything to Mira!¡±

    Benedict, having fallen to my ultimate move, finally promised to do whatever I said, though his anxiety was quite obvious.

    If Benedict, familiar with the old Lucy, had been thinking of something extravagant, he surely wasn¡¯t expecting anything like this.

    Of course, I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything at all. I just said whatever came to mind while tormenting Benedict.

    Was there anything I needed to ask him for right now? I thought about it, but nothing came to mind.

    ...Ah, a good idea just came to me.

    Once we return to the kingdom with Heyshan, and once Karia takes him to the second queen, the quest should bepleted in a few days. Then, stat bonuses will be given.

    That will make it possible for my four stats to exceed 100. With the rise in specs, maybe I could deal Benedict a blow.

    With that image in mind, I grinned and called out to Benedict.

    ¡°Papa.¡±

    ¡°What? What are you nning to ask,ughing like that...?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll smash that stupid papa with my mace.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Did your face turn troll-like and your intelligence follow? Why don¡¯t you understand such an easy thing? Hah. Fine, since I¡¯m nice, I¡¯ll kindly exin to stupid papa. I¡¯m talking about a spar. A. Spar.¡±

    After finishing all the church duties, Fayvie sat alone in her room, staring nkly at a piece of paper before eventually banging her forehead against the desk.

    ¡°What do I do? My head ispletely nk.¡±

    Normally, Fayvie didn¡¯t struggle over the contents of her morning prayer.

    Back when she was still inexperienced in her role as the saintess, she had faced many challenges, but after doing the same tasks for several years, she would usually finish all her preparations in about thirty minutes.

    The reason she was struggling so much now was that the face of one person filled her mind when she should have been thinking about the prayer.

    ¡°If I¡¯d known, I should have finished everything and contacted Lady...¡±

    Fayvie had justmunicated with Lucy via the magic mirror.

    There wasn¡¯t anything particrly special about the conversation, but even after a few minutes had passed, she couldn¡¯t forget the scene of their conversation.

    It was inevitable. The yful, arrogant smile that Lucy always wore, the one that made it seem like she couldn¡¯t express any real emotions. This time, for the first time, she showed a bright, childlike smile.

    The person, who was already beautiful and divine, disyed a sincere smile that had the power to bring down the saintess of the Church of God.

    ¡°Haaa, it¡¯s so unfair. I too¡­ I too want to see Lady smile with my own eyes. I want tough while talking with her.¡±

    In the privacy of her room, with no one watching, Fayvie flung her arms and legs about, pouting, before copsing onto the desk and letting out a long sigh.

    There was still so much to do at the church.

    Once the new year arrived, all the official events would be finished, and she could leave the sanctuary, but realistically, that wasn¡¯t possible. As a saintess, Fayvie had a lot of work left to do.

    Looking at it from her past experiences, she thought that maybe after the academy started, she could meet Lady.

    She knew the warmth of the sun, but she had to face the fact that she couldn¡¯t be beside it. After being discouraged for a while, Fayvie was startled by the sound of a knock on the door.

    ¡°Saintess, may I speak with you for a moment?¡±

    The voiceing from outside the door was endlessly familiar.

    The head of the Church of God, a person no one could easily approach. Even in his old age, he was unwavering, a paragon of strength. He was the one who surely had a role in turning Fayvie into a false saintess. He was the person Fayvie least wanted to meet.

    The Pope.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be out shortly, Your Holiness.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no rush, take your time.¡±

    Fayvie quickly adjusted her attire and looked at herself in the mirror.

    The girl who had been pouting just moments ago was no longer there. The image reflected in the mirror was that of a saintess, neat and graceful.

    Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Fayvie carefully opened the door, and the Pope¡¯s gentle smile greeted her.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Saintess.¡±

    ¡°¡­Indeed, Your Holiness.¡±

    Fayvie bowed respectfully, thinking about what she had just noticed about the Pope.

    Why is there nothing around him? No warmth, no coldness, none of the usual signs?

    The divine power that must dwell within him is enormous, yet how is it...

    ¡°Has your time at the academy brought you enlightenment?¡±

    Fayvie¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by the Pope¡¯s words. He had noticed her change immediately. It seemed impossible to deceive the Pope after all.

    ¡°Yes. Thanks to meeting some good people there.¡±

    ¡°That, too, is the guidance of God. Truly a good thing.¡±

    The Pope¡¯s gaze upon Fayvie was infinitely kind. It was hard to believe he was the one who had chosen her to be a false saintess.

    ¡°Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Holiness?¡±

    ¡°Would you like to take a brief leave?¡±

    ¡°A leave...?¡±

    ¡°After the events of the New Year, of course. Since you¡¯ve worked hard, it¡¯s only right that you should be rewarded.¡±

    Fayvie was frozen, not expecting such a request. The Pope said he would send more details in writing before leaving.

    Left alone, Fayvie stared at the spot where the Pope had been standing, tilting her head.

    What exactly is His Holiness thinking?

    Two days after Benedict cried his eyes out like he was about to create a well, on the morning after the snowstorm had stopped and the sun finally rose, I stood facing Benedict, holding my shield and mace.

    Benedict, standing on the other side, wasn¡¯t armed in any way, but no one dared point it out.

    That¡¯s because Benedict was a monster whose body itself was a weapon.

    ¡°Lucy, are you really going to spar with me?¡±

    Despite the natural aura of intimidation around him, Benedict¡¯s face was full of anxiety. He was worried I might get hurt if he made a mistake.

    ¡°Papa, are you a weakling who can¡¯t control your strength?¡±

    I understood his worries, but I didn¡¯t back down. I wanted to confirm just how strong someone called the strongest in this continent really was.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not it¡­ It¡¯s just...¡±

    ¡°Then, weak papa, just stand still and take it? It¡¯s perfect! ? Big, dumb papa is perfect as a punching bag! ?¡±

    I wanted to show Benedict just how much power I had right now.

    Provoking him sincerely, I smiled when Benedict hesitated.

    I tightened my grip on the mace.

    The goal was simple.

    Tond a blow on Benedict.

 Chapter 387

    "Are you really going to spar with Benedict?"

    The night before my sparring session with Benedict, the old man, who had been discussing various matters with me, suddenly said this.

    ¡®Why? Can''t we spar?¡¯

    <It¡¯s just that I wonder why you¡¯re suddenly considering it. There¡¯s still a huge gap between you and Benedict, so you won¡¯t gain much from it.>

    The old man¡¯s words were valid. Learning through actualbat can only happen when the gap between the two is not too wide.

    When I think about the difference between Benedict and me, all I could gain from our sparring would be a sense of how monstrous Benedict truly is.

    Despite knowing this, I still asked Benedict to spar for two reasons.

    One was to feel firsthand just how high Benedict¡¯s level was. The other was to show Benedict just how strong I had be.

    Once the second year at the Soul Academy starts, the main story will pick up again.

    For now, the forces of the dark gods are quiet because I¡¯ve already defeated the dark gods of Menestale and the Demon God. But this is only temporary. They¡¯re waiting for the right moment. They won¡¯t just give up on the academy.

    There¡¯s something they need hidden within the Soul Academy.

    In trying to stop them, I will throw myself into greater danger. There will certainly be times when Ie very close to death.

    To someone who doesn¡¯t understand, it will look like I¡¯m attempting suicide repeatedly.

    Every time I throw myself into danger, Benedict will be consumed with worry. He¡¯ll thrash about in his concern.

    For him, I am just a fragile daughter who needs protecting.

    So, with this sparring, I intend to change that perception. I want to show him that I¡¯ve grown strong enough to ovee danger on my own, to lessen his worry, even if just a little.

    And, to be honest, I also want to reduce the number of times Benedict desperately tries to stop me.

    <What a dishonest daughter you are.>

    After hearing my thoughts, the old man chuckled, his voice filled with affection.

    ¡®If you understand, then stop talking and continue discussing things. We still don¡¯t have an answer.¡¯

    <Alright, alright.>

    What I asked Benedict for was a simple spar, but given who my opponent was, I didn¡¯t ck off in preparation.

    I thought that if I didn¡¯t fight desperately, I would only increase Benedict¡¯s worries, so I searched for a way tond a hit on him.

    I remembered Benedict¡¯s movements from thest time we fought in Menestale and discussed them with the old man.

    I also sought advice from the knights, including Porsel.

    Through repeated sparring, I worked on improving mybat sense as much as possible.

    But the more I prepared, the more I realized just how high up Benedict really was.

    Right now, I was strong enough to stand toe to toe with the knights of Allen, but even imagining beating them seemed impossible to Benedict. He wouldugh bitterly, saying it was too much of a stretch to even win against them.

    ¡®In the end, the biggest problem is the overwhelmingck of specs.¡¯

    <It can¡¯t be helped. Your father is a monster suited for the age of legends, not the current one.>

    At that moment, as I thought about how I wouldn¡¯t evennd a blow and would end up getting toyed with, a notification rang in my ears.

    [Questpleted!]

    It seemed that Heyshan and the Second Queen had resolved things.

    Well, it wasn¡¯t surprising. Heyshan didn¡¯t seem to view the Second Queen negatively, and it was clear that she wanted to seek forgiveness.

    Once Karia returns, I¡¯ll have to ask how everything unfolded.

    [Rewards are being distributed!]

    [Choose the stat to increase!]

    Seeing the blue window pop up in front of me, I couldn¡¯t help but smile, thinking that the reward came at the perfect time.

    This 10-point stat boost was more than just a slight increase in physical abilities.

    When any of the character¡¯s stats exceed 100, a skill is granted.

    The skill called [Superhuman Body] would provide several beneficial effects to the character.

    An increase in health, a boost to the damage dealt and a reduction in the damage received, among other gains. Whether fast or slow, obtaining this skill was essential, especially since there were rted quests in the game as well.

    I wasn¡¯t sure how it would apply in the real world, but one thing was certain: it would definitely be useful against Benedict.

    So, I knew I had to get this skill and adapt to the changes during the night.

    [Do you really want to increase Agility?]@@novelbin@@

    I couldn¡¯t make up my mind easily.

    Why?

    Because my pathetic intelligence kept bothering me!

    If I didn¡¯t raise my intelligence now, I¡¯d stay stupid forever!

    Grabbing onto the sliver of hope or choosing to be a less stupid idiot? The scales clearly tilted, and after thinking about it, I chose to increase my agility.

    Goodbye, my dumb intelligence. I¡¯ll raise it to a decent level someday! Someday!

    As soon as I chose to boost my agility, the excruciating pain that was far worse than any potion I had ever consumed spread throughout my body.

    Only then did I realize that this reward was no different from drinking a potion. It forcibly increased my stats and changed my body, so pain was to be expected! Stupid me! How did I not think of this!?

    Clutching the desk and enduring the pain, a blue window appeared in front of me.

    [The skill Superhuman Body has been granted!]

    That was thest thing I remembered before I lost consciousness.

    When I woke up hourster, around dawn, I couldn¡¯t tell what had changed.

    There was nothing visibly different, and I didn¡¯t feel any tangible change like when my physical rank increased.

    When I asked the old man and the Lovestruck Fox about what happened while I was unconscious, they just said I had been out cold.

    At this point, to test the skill, I would have to move my body, but by the time I woke up, the time for my spar with Benedict was almost here, so I couldn¡¯t.

    In the end, after finishing some basic warm-up exercises, I found myself standing opposite Benedict.

    ¡°Are you both ready?¡±

    At Porsel¡¯s question, I confidently nodded my head, and Benedict lowered his chin cautiously, watching me.

    ¡°Then, let the sparring begin.¡±

    <Slowly start with a reconnaissance battle. First, figure out what changes have urred to your body...>

    Ignoring the advice, I rushed forward as soon as Porsel stepped back.

    The old man scolded me for ignoring his advice, but I didn¡¯t listen.

    I was annoyed by Benedict¡¯s hesitation. I wasn¡¯t as strong as him, but I wasn¡¯t so weak that I had to be cautious about even extending a hand!

    Benedict watched my charge but didn¡¯t make any moves. He just watched me closely.

    His near indifference irritated me, so I put all my strength into my first attack.

    Holy energy gathered at the tip of my mace, shining like a sun.

    The ultimate enhancement through holy power. The lethal blow my grandfather had taught me through his Holy Art.

    Iunched the attack I had practiced countless times with the old man in my dreams, and I realized how the skill [Superhuman Body] worked in reality.

    The function of this skill was simple. It just made my body more efficient.

    It erased the inefficiency in my movements and guided me toward more efficient actions. It was a skill I was familiar with.

    The Steel Wall¡¯s cries that had helped me until now were simr.

    So, I could immediately apply the skill¡¯s aid in the heat of the moment.

    ¡°Die!?¡±

    Benedict, who had been staring nkly at the strike, finally raised a smile as my mace neared his head.

    He slowly pulled his shoulder back and threw a punch directly at my mace.

    It seemed like a clumsy punch, but the power inside it was entirely different.

    A monster¡¯s punch, transcending humanity, was equal to a human¡¯s ultimate blow.

    BOOOOM!

    The shockwave from Benedict¡¯s punch meeting my lethal blow sent dust flying everywhere.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten stronger, Lucy.¡±

    Amid the swirling dust, I saw blood dripping from Benedict¡¯s fist.

    I saw Benedict¡¯s body, unable to withstand the shock, pushed back.

    I saw my own growth in that one hitnding on Benedict.

    ¡°You¡¯re also an Allen, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    But my joy didn¡¯tst long. Benedict¡¯s face filled with a smile, and his aura shifted drastically.

    ¡°Yeah. Lucy. I admit it. I wasn¡¯t facing you properly.¡±

    ¡°...Papa? Do you realize your eyes are totally beast-like right now? I¡¯m actually scared you¡¯ll pounce on me!?¡±

    ¡°But not anymore. I¡¯ve learned from you and your friends. Now, I must change as well.¡±

    Seeing Benedict summon his body¡¯s magic, I strengthened my body with holy power to survive.

    ¡®Grandfather! Help me! Tell me how to stop this monster!¡¯

    <I don¡¯t want to.>

    ¡®Why?!¡¯

    <No matter what I say, you won¡¯t listen, will you? Just bear it yourself.>

    ¡®Grandfather, you¡¯re so pettyyyy!¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ming, Lucy.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a monster.¡±

    Arthur, who was watching the spar between Benedict and Lucy from the sidelines, chuckled, and Joy, standing next to him, casually asked.

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    ¡°Both.¡±

    Whether it was Benedict, overwhelming the opponent with sheer physical prowess without any armor or weapons, or Lucy, who kept getting knocked down in the series of explosive punches but continued to rise up again¡ªboth were monsters in their own right.

    ¡°Is Lady that amazing? I¡¯m having trouble just keeping up with my eyes, so I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, Joy. If you had been in Lucy Allen¡¯s position, you wouldn¡¯t havested a second. You¡¯d have been crushed instantly.¡±

    ¡°What about you, Prince?¡±

    ¡°Me...¡±

    Arthur couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. How could he express confidence when the wall that was Lucy Allen, which he had never been able to break, was being shattered with every punch?

    ¡°¡­Maybe two seconds.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not much different.¡±

    Joy, who had crushed Arthur¡¯s confidence with one sentence, turned to Frey, who was leaning forward as if ready to run out at any moment.

    ¡°What about Lady Kent? How long do you think she couldst?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Lady Kent?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I¡¯d like to try.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same. Even if I getpletely crushed, I want to face her.¡±

    ¡°Do you think Lucy could set it up?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. It seems possible. The Allen family will never ignore Lucy Allen¡¯s words.¡±

    While Arthur and Frey discussed how to persuade Lucy, Joy stared at them as if she found their thoughts iprehensible.

    How could they even think about wanting to fight after witnessing this?

    She just couldn¡¯t understand it.

 Chapter 388

    Benedict, whom I faced directly, was a monster beyond what I had seen with my eyes.

    Each punch of his had enough power to break through my defenses¡ªdoes that even make sense?

    Even with the [Superhuman Body] skill I gained, which slightly improved my stats, I was still relentlessly pressured by Benedict and eventually copsed onto the ground.

    There was no time to provoke Benedict. How could I even speak when it was hard to catch my breath?

    After I had be so exhausted that I couldn¡¯t even move a finger, Frey and Arthur stepped forward, both wanting to experience Benedict¡¯s power for themselves.

    Seeing this, I couldn¡¯t help but question if the two had lost their minds. They had just watched what happened to me, and yet they were saying things like that? I started to wonder if they had developed some masochistic tendencies after training with the Allen knights.

    Benedict didn¡¯t refuse their request. He said he¡¯d be happy to help those who had enlightened him.

    ¡°Since I can¡¯t show you much by fighting one at a time, how about all three of youe at me together?¡±

    ¡°¡­What? Allen-Bake, I don¡¯t really want to spar.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll give it my best.¡±

    ¡°Even if I can onlynd one hit, I¡¯ll make sure it happens.¡±

    ¡°No, seriously, I don¡¯t want to spar!¡±

    ¡°Haha. Well, let¡¯s see. I hope your spirit stays strong until the end.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?! Can¡¯t you hear me at all?!¡±

    Naturally, all three of them were utterly destroyed by Benedict.

    How could the three of them endure attacks that I couldn¡¯t even withstand?

    Then, Jackal joined in, making it four of them, and after I regained some energy, I joined in as the fifth. But even with five of us, nothing changed. Benedict was overwhelming, and we were all treated like ythings.

    Despite that, we didn¡¯t back down. Even knowing we couldn¡¯t win, we threw ourselves at Benedict, desperately trying tond a hit.

    In the face of physical and mental exhaustion, with the overwhelming strength creating despair, the spar with Benedict had helped us a lot.

    To have someone as strong as the greatest fighter on the continent personally move their body and teach us¡ªthere was immense value in that.

    For several days, I did my physical training in the mornings, sparred with Benedict at lunch, and then trained with the knights until I went to sleep.

    The snow that had been covering the estate gradually weakened, and eventually, the dark clouds cleared, and the sun rose.

    Mira. The woman Benedict loved, would continue to love, and the mother of Lucy, who had passed away. It was a day to honor her memory.

    ¡°Useless Erin. Tie this for me today.¡±

    Waking up early in the morning, I took out the ornament given to me by the perverted apostle from my inventory. Erin stared nkly at the ornament I held in my hand for a while, and then suddenly snapped back to reality.

    ¡°Lady, what is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s something filled with the perverted tastes of that perverted apostle.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Erin blinked in confusion at my exnation, but I didn¡¯t say anything further.

    I knew that no matter how I exined the perverted apostle, it would only add to her confusion.

    Erin, seeing that I had closed my mouth, didn¡¯t ask any further questions. She just handled the precious-looking ornament carefully, as though it was burdensome.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lady. My skills areckingpared to the greatness of this ornament.¡±

    After thinking for a while, Erin had managed to shape her hair, but her expression was dark.

    She exined that she couldn¡¯t fully handle the greatness of the ornament because her skills weren¡¯t up to par.

    I had trouble understanding Erin¡¯s words. To me, the hairstyle created by the perverted apostle and the current one didn¡¯t seem to differ much.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to ask the person who made this ornament for guidance. They must be an incredible artist.¡±

    Watching Erin¡¯s internal struggle from the mirror, I thought about whether I should introduce her to the perverted apostle.

    That guy was a disgusting pervert, but in the field of art, he was an overwhelming figure.

    I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d hesitate to pass on his techniques. If I indulged his perverted tastes just once, he would probably teach her eagerly, smiling widely.

    ¡°As for the outfit, I¡¯ve prepared the dress yourte mother loved the most.¡±

    ¡°¡­Useless Erin. Do you think the dress my mother wore back then will fit me now?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lady. There isn¡¯t much difference.¡±

    Erin¡¯s im that a little tailoring was enough left me frozen.

    It had been years since Mira passed away, and Erin was saying that there wasn¡¯t much difference? Are you telling me Lucy¡¯s body is still like when she was a child?!

    An unspeakable shock filled my mind, but at the same time, I could almost ept it.

    After all, Lucy¡¯s height was on par with that of an elementary school student. If we went to an amusement park, half of the rides would be off-limits for her.

    ...More than that, when I met Lucy, I was struck by the fact that our eyes met at the same level, in a ce the perverted god had arranged. Knowing that fact, how could I deny it?

    The dress Erin brought was simr to the white one I wore at the graduation party. A simple dress that highlighted the wearer¡¯s appearance with minimal decoration.

    ¡®Wow! Lucy! You¡¯re so beautiful!¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll be so worried if they think you¡¯re an angel from heaven and try to take you away!¡¯

    At that moment, the memories of Lucy¡¯s past rushed through my mind.

    Aha. Damn. I understand now why Lucy insisted on wearing such extravagant clothes. It wasn¡¯t because she wanted to, but because if she didn¡¯t, her mother¡¯s face woulde to mind, and she couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡°Lady? Are you alright?¡±

    Hearing Erin¡¯s voice, I snapped out of my thoughts, wiping away the tears that had formed at the corners of my eyes. I was beginning to grow ustomed to these sudden waves of sadness.

    Once I finished preparing, I stepped outside, where Benedict was already waiting for me.

    As always, he tried to greet me with a smile, but when he saw me, he froze for a moment, then bit his lip, hastily turned his head, and after a while, faced me again.

    He forced a smile, but the tears in his eyes betrayed who he was really thinking about.

    ¡°You¡¯re wearing that dress again, huh?¡±

    ¡°Well, doesn¡¯t it make me look even prettier? I hate it when disgusting perverts swarm around.¡±

    ¡°Haha, I suppose so. Even now, there¡¯s talk in society about your beauty.¡±

    Benedict stopped there and extended his hand toward me.

    Even though my hand would be smallpared to his, his hand wasn¡¯t intimidating¡ªjust reliable.

    Without hesitation, I took Benedict¡¯s hand, and we walked together.

    While walking, Benedict spoke about Mira, how they met by chance during the war, his desperate courtship, and the family¡¯s opposition to him marrying amoner, followed by Benedict¡¯s insistence.

    As I listened to his story, I realized that the Benedict in front of me was much gentler than before.

    In the past, he had been reckless, driven by his moods, with the power and ability to do whatever he wanted. Of course, he had a fundamentally kind nature, but he had his differences from Lucy.

    As I paid attention to his words and walked, I noticed the Allen family cemeterying into view.

    It was still early by medieval standards, but many people were gathered near the cemetery.

    What was strange, though, was that while they stayed outside the cemetery, none of them entered. It was as if they were waiting for someone.

    ¡°Everyone, the lord has arrived.¡±

    As soon as one person spoke, the crowd parted, forming a path for Benedict and me.

    It was a path made not from fear but from respect.

    How enviable. Would I ever see such a scene?

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Lord.¡±

    The man in charge of managing the cemetery bowed respectfully to Benedict and then raised an eyebrow when he saw me. Was it really that surprising that I had returned after notingst year?

    ¡°¡­Lady?¡±

    ¡°People grow, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Mira would be happy.¡±

    ¡°She would be.¡±

    ¡°Please go in. I¡¯ll keep watch over the cemetery from here.¡±

    As we walked further into the cemetery, a marble building came into view.

    It seemed to be a ce where the family members of the Allen n were buried, given the family seal on it.

    Benedict led me there and then took a step back.

    ¡°Go on ahead and speak with her. This father doesn¡¯t have much to say, alwaysing and bothering her.¡±

    I didn¡¯t refuse Benedict¡¯s gesture. I knew that the moment I saw Mira¡¯s grave, my heart would crumble.

    ¡°¡­Ugh.¡±@@novelbin@@

    As expected, when I stepped inside and saw the cross with Mira¡¯s name engraved on it, my eyes turned red.

    ¡°¡­Hmph.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the same feeling as when fear surged and my heart shattered. When I was overwhelmed with fear, it felt like the dam would break, but now it felt like the dam¡¯s gate had just opened naturally.

    ¡°Haaa!¡±

    So, I copsed on the ground and cried. I wept for a long time.

    I cried until there were no more tears.

    Over and over.

    Over and over.

    Until my throat became too sore to make a sound.

    Finally, after gathering my wits, I staggered to my feet.

    As I looked at Mira¡¯s name again, it felt like tears would burst from me, but I forced the emotion down. I was afraid that if I cried again, I might faint from exhaustion.

    Suppressing my emotions, I looked at Mira¡¯s name and took out a ne.

    The ne that Lucy had desperately wanted to find.

    Once full of miracles, but now a piece of jewelry drained of its power.

    Unlike what Lucy used to prefer, it was simple, almost in to the eye.

    I ced that ne on the grave, on behalf of Lucy.

    The moment the ne left my hand, holy energy infused into it.

    It wasn¡¯t the typical holy energy used by priests but the warmth of the God of Light himself.

 Chapter 389

    I still didn¡¯t fully understand why Lucy had so desperately wanted that ne. The memories I had of Lucy ended in the midst of despair.

    However, it''s not that I couldn''t guess. The driving force behind Lucy''s actions at that time must have been the memories Mira left behind before her death, so it wasn¡¯t hard to infer why Lucy desired that ne, which looked so simr to the one Mira used to wear.

    I was sure that at that time, Lucy must have seen her mother¡¯s apparition in that ne.

    Knowing this, I ced the ne on Mira¡¯s grave. I took it out to convey the longing and sorrow that Lucy had felt.

    I didn¡¯t think anything was strange about it. Jewelry¡¯s appearance usually follows the trends of the time.

    There are so many simr pieces in the world that it would be odd to make much of a resemnce.

    But now, I knew better. The moment that the perverted god¡¯s holy energy infused this ne, it became clear that the god had arranged this moment.

    Perverted God, you¡¯ve been watching Lucy for a long time, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯ve been watching her suffer in sadness, looking at her as she was crushed by the curse disguised as a blessing.

    If the old Lucy knew this, she would have surely poured out her resentment.

    She would have vented all her anger toward that useless god.

    Even now, I felt no different.

    I still hated the ipetence of that useless god and looked at him with disdain while pretending to be cheerful.

    I didn¡¯t like him for giving a burden to a little girl who wasn¡¯t even an adult yet.

    But, I didn¡¯t hate or despise him.

    I knew his intentions were good.

    I knew he was grieving for the sorrow happening on the surface of the world.

    I knew he was heartbroken over his own ipetence.

    I knew that because I had heard his heartfelt apology to Fayvie. He wasn¡¯t evil, just powerless.

    So, despite my personal feelings, I didn¡¯t curse him. I didn¡¯t know what Lucy¡¯s thoughts would be, but for me, that was true.

    Thinking about the nature of the perverted god, I assumed the ne held his own form of apology.

    Smiling, I looked at the ne through my emotions.

    [Ne of Miracles] [This is a ne containing the perverted god¡¯s miracle. However, due to ack of divine energy within, it is unable to exert its full power.]

    I silently apologized to Mira and picked the ne back up.

    The ipetent, useless god, though he had nned this moment, hadn¡¯t even been able tomunicate it properly¡ªbut that was alright.

    Because the apostle of the god was here.

    It wasn¡¯t because I wanted to serve him, but as the god¡¯s representative, I had to finish what he had left undone.

    Taking a deep breath, I gathered the god¡¯s divine energy and poured it into the ne.

    And then, I realized why miracles are called miracles.

    Damn it. Why did this have to be soplicated? Why did even something as simple as infusing divine energy have to be so difficult?

    ...It¡¯s alright. Stay calm. You¡¯ve already performed a miracle before. Compared to what you did in Menestale, this is nothing.

    <Lucy, do you really think you can do this?>

    ¡®...What?¡¯

    <Can someone like you, who was once the epitome of a beastly knight, truly understand this?>

    ¡®No. Why are you suddenly starting a fight with me?! Do I look like I¡¯m in the mood for jokes?!¡¯

    Why is he suddenly acting like this?! I mean, he jokes around often, but he¡¯s not one to bepletely oblivious to the atmosphere! Has he lost his mind?

    <And isn¡¯t there someone right next to you who¡¯s an expert in this?>

    Hearing the old man¡¯s yful voice, I understood what he meant and let out a chuckle.

    ¡®Couldn¡¯t you just say you¡¯ll help me?¡¯

    <I don¡¯t quite understand. I never asked for help, did I?>

    As I continued talking with the old man, the sadness that had started with Lucy¡¯s sorrow began to ease.

    ¡®Grandfather, you said I wasn¡¯t being honest, but I think the same applies to you.¡¯

    <Heh.>

    ¡®I understand, Grandpa. Please help me. Help me fulfill this miracle.¡¯

    <If you¡¯re asking so nicely, I guess I have no choice. First, you need to spread out the divine domain. It¡¯s important to make using the divine energy easier. And then...>

    As soon as I asked, the old man immediately started telling me what I needed to do. I followed his instructions, gradually infusing the divine energy into the miracle within the ne.

    The process was soplicated that I failed countless times, but the old man didn¡¯t scold me. He simply guided me on what to do next.

    The silver lining was that, as I listened to the old man¡¯s exnations, I became more skilled in handling divine energy.

    At first, I failed over and over just to perform a single step, but gradually, the number of mistakes decreased, and eventually, I was able to move on without failure.

    Though I still made many mistakes, the rate of failure had certainly reduced.

    How long did I keep at it? After persevering, I finally managed to perfectly replicate the miracle that had been embedded in the ne.

    ¡®Grandfather! I did it! I finally did it!¡¯

    <Haha. I know you¡¯re happy, but calm down for a moment. Shouldn¡¯t you see what happens next?>

    ¡®Then I¡¯ll just thank you for helping! Thank you so much, Grandpa!¡¯

    Having expressed my gratitude, I eagerly examined the miracle the perverted god had arranged.

    What had he wanted to convey to Lucy with this ne? What had he left behind, watching the suffering child through sad eyes as she slowly fell apart under the curse called blessing?

    <ul>

    <li>Lucy.</li>

    </ul>

    The many thoughts swirling in my head crumbled with a single phrase that whispered into my ear.

    <ul>

    <li>My beloved daughter.</li>

    </ul>

    As soon as I heard it, the tears started flowing again, and I could no longer continue my thoughts.

    <ul>

    <li>I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t keep my promise and left you all alone.</li>

    </ul>

    Even though holding onto my sanity was a struggle, I suppressed every sound that wanted to escape my mouth.

    Because if I let it all out, Lucy, who still lingered in my heart, would hear it clearly.

    <ul>

    <li>Please understand, Lucy. You don¡¯t need to feel sorry for me. I was already so happy to have you. Every moment I spent with you was such a beautiful memory.</li>

    </ul>

    I knew Lucy would hear the voice she wanted to hear.

    <ul>

    <li>So Lucy, don¡¯t feel sorry for this foolish mother. I have already received so much happiness from you.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°...Mother.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>If you can¡¯t shake off the guilt, please do one thing for this foolish mother.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°...Yes, mother.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Please be happy. Make lots of friends. Do lots of fun things. Eat lots of delicious food.</li>

    </ul>

    As I heard these words, I could see the divine energy fading from the ne. The miracle was nearing its end.

    ¡°...No. No!¡±

    <ul>

    <li>I love you, Lucy.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Is this all?! Is this all you can manage?! Are you gasping with just this?!¡±

    <ul>

    <li>I loved you before, and I will always love you.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Please! Please! Please...!¡±

    As the divine energy of the god faded, the mausoleum returned to its original coldness.

    Desperately, I clutched the ne and tried to pour more divine energy into it.

    I tried, desperately, to make the miracle happen again.

    <Lucy.>

    ¡®Grandfather! Please help me quickly! There¡¯s so much more I need to hear! So many things left to say!¡¯

    <That ne has lost its miracle. No matter how much you try.>

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Help me! Now! I am right now...!¡±

    As I shouted, my mind went nk.

    No.

    No, I can¡¯t give up yet.

    I can¡¯t fall.

    I must...

    When I came to, I was lying in my bed in my room.@@novelbin@@

    Staring nkly at the familiar ceiling, I suddenly realized that my hands felt empty, and I was startled into sitting up, only to get dizzy and copse forward.

    <Calm down. Your body is...>

    ¡®The ne! Where is the ne?! What about the ne?!¡¯

    <...Isn¡¯t it around your neck?>

    Feeling around my chest with my trembling hands, I confirmed the presence of the ne and sighed in relief.

    <You¡¯ve drained your divine energy to the very bottom, so you¡¯re exhausted. Even you, Lucy, will need to rest for a few days.>

    Ah. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t put strength into my body.

    It was like when I finished the task in Menestale.

    I couldn¡¯t stay copsed forever, so I forced myself to rise, only to copse back onto the pillow.

    ¡®...I¡¯m sorry, Grandfather. I...¡¯

    <The one who should apologize is me. I should¡¯ve calmed you down. I was too hasty.>

    The old man¡¯s sincere apology left me speechless. Normally, I would have teased him about being in the wrong, but thinking about what happened in the mausoleum, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do that.

    <Lucy.>

    ¡®...What?¡¯

    <The miracle within that ne.>

    ¡®Ah. That.¡¯

    Though I had been swept up in emotion back in the mausoleum, now, somewhat calm, I understood what the old man meant.

    That miracle was just something borrowed from the perverted god. Since his power had dispersed, the ne was just a regr ne now.

    ¡®It¡¯s alright, Grandpa. It¡¯s disappointing, but...¡¯

    <I¡¯ve remembered how the miracle was structured. If I keep analyzing it, someday, I¡¯ll understand how it works.>

    ¡®...Really?¡¯

    <I¡¯m the legendary pdin, Ruell. I¡¯ve performed countless miracles. This is nothing to me.>

    The old man¡ªno, Ruell, my grandfather¡ªsaid with a reassuring voice.

    <Miracles can be recreated, Lucy.>

    ¡®...¡¯

    <So, until then, keep improving your skills. So that you can perform a miracle with your own hands.>

    ¡®...Yes, Grandpa.¡¯

    Holding the ne tightly, I covered my face with my remaining hand.

    <Do you still have more tears left to shed?>

    ¡®...I guess so. It¡¯s surprising even to me.¡¯

    <Heh. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ll faint again.>

    ¡®By the way, Grandpa.¡¯

    <What is it?>

    ¡®Doesn¡¯t it embarrass you to call yourself a legendary pdin?¡¯

    <...I¡¯ve said too much today. I need to rest for a while.>

    How embarrassing that he said it himself.

    Chuckling to myself, I started coughing as it caught in my throat, and I fell asleep again.

    When I woke up, the annoying blue screen was floating in front of me.

    But what was different this time was...

    [Hidden condition achieved!] [Rewards have been granted!]

 Chapter 390

    <strong>You mean you''re giving me a reward because I found what you had arranged?</strong>

    This reminds me of the games I used to y. There were so many of these hidden conditions, and finding them was a fun challenge.

    Thanks to taking another sigh, I managed to regain some of my energy, got up, and checked the blue screen.

    [The ne that once held a miracle now gains a new function!]

    The ne that once held a miracle¡ªthis must be the one I¡¯m wearing now, right?

    I recalled the miraculous scene where the voice of the dead echoed and took a deep breath to calm myself before focusing on the ne.

    [The Ne with the Trace of a Miracle]

    [A ne that once held a miracle. Now powerless, it still carries the lingering trace of the miracle inside.]

    [Effect: The party¡¯s roster can now include one more member.]

    ...Wait, what? Is my vision failing me? Am I seeing things because I¡¯m not fully recovered yet?

    I sshed some cold water on my face and opened my eyes again, only to be met with the same message. I was startled and tried to get up, only to copse forward.

    Living as a frail noblewoman is really hard. A slight emotional reaction and I immediately get dizzy.

    <...Lucy, what on earth are you doing as soon as you wake up?>

    ¡®Can you just pretend you didn¡¯t see that?¡¯

    <It¡¯s hard to ignore when what you did was so shy. Look at that. Even Lina is awake and watching you with a satisfied smile.>

    Hearing Grandpa''s words, I reluctantly raised my head, only to see the Fox Spirit¡¯s annoying grin. I buried my face in the pillow again as the memory of that smile gave me chills.

    I tried to forget it, but I couldn¡¯t help but think about it. Instead, I focused on something else¡ªthinking about my reward.

    The extra party slot? It¡¯s definitely rted to dungeons.

    Originally, only four people could enter a dungeon, but now one more person can join. That¡¯s crazy. Of all the rewards I¡¯ve gotten so far, this one is definitely over the top.

    This is an absurdly powerful function, even more so than my Mesugaki skill!

    If this existed in the game, speedruns would have broken records left and right! Just thinking about thebinations I could use with this ability makes me excited. So many possibilities, so many strategies!

    Argh, seriously! Why didn¡¯t they add this when I was ying the game?! Why now?

    With my reputation, how could I form thesebinations right away?!

    If only they¡¯d added this as a DLC! I could¡¯ve enjoyed the game so much more!

    I grumbled, kicking my feet, but the smile never left my face.

    There¡¯s still so much I could do with this.

    Even for leveling grind, this feature is going to be super useful. Now, I can bring all my friends into dungeons with me. No need to worry about being left behind!

    It¡¯s a pity that Fayvie, who¡¯s staying in the Holy Land of the God of Light, can¡¯t join me right now, but it¡¯s okay. Once the second year of the Academy starts, there will be plenty of time for dungeon crawling. I¡¯ll bring her in then.

    With a grin, I lowered the blue screen only to find another message.

    [Sessfully followed the miracle!]

    [Holy proficiency greatly increased!]

    [Understanding of the holy greatly increased!]

    The word "greatly" stood out, indicating there was something huge happening, but in my current state, I couldn¡¯t feel the change yet.

    I had recently exhausted my holy power until I copsed, so I was now physically frail. Until I replenished my holy energy and recovered, I wouldn''t be able to test anything...

    Wait, what¡¯s this? Why is my holy energy already this restored? This is way faster than usual.

    Even though I¡¯ve grown a lot, recovering this much in a day doesn¡¯t make sense, does it?

    ¡®Grandpa, can you check my holy energy now?¡¯

    <Your holy energy? It should take a while to recover... what?! No way...>

    The shock in Grandpa¡¯s voice meant I wasn¡¯t imagining things. Could this be a change from the growth of my holy power?

    Feeling the holy energy I had restored, I realized it was moving much more fluidly than before.

    I had always been able to control it to some degree, but it felt clunkier back then, didn¡¯t it?

    Now, it¡¯s different. My holy energy flows like water, responding to my will.

    If the increase in proficiency is this noticeable, then how much more will the increased understanding of the holy affect me?

    With a beating heart, I realized that the best way to verify this was by thinking of something rted to divine magic.

    The most difficult skill I know is Armandi¡¯s Mercy.

    I¡¯ve been using it, but I don¡¯t understand the mechanics behind it.

    I¡¯ve learned a lot about divine magic and be skilled in it, but...

    Could it be different now? With my understanding of the holy greatly increased, will I be able to finally understand it?

    "...Wow."

    As I faced the miracle contained in Armandi¡¯s Mercy, my eyes widened.

    I didn¡¯t understand everything inside it, but one thing was clear¡ªthe miracle Armandi bestows is incredibly beautiful.

    Once I finished my short analysis, I returned to reality and, following my instincts, moved my holy energy.

    And then, something incredible happened.

    I felt vitality return to my body, which had been so sluggish just moments ago. I had finally seeded in removing the state of exhaustion that had been torturing me.

    <Oh... Hmm? Lucy, what did you just do?>

    ¡®I removed my exhaustion.¡¯

    <What? No. Wait. No, that¡¯s not it. What did you just do?>

    ¡®Grandpa, Grandpa!¡¯

    <What?>

    ¡®Is that how you ask for something?''

    <...Fine. Fine, just tell me what you did!>

    ¡®Well, I removed my exhaustion, Grandpa! I did it! I actually did it!¡¯

    <...I see. You¡¯ve really gotten better at this.>

    With augh, I continued exining to Grandpa, feeling a sudden thought pop into my mind.

    If I¡¯ve grown this much now, could Ind a blow on Benedict?

    <strong>The day after Lucy¡¯s mother¡¯s memorial passed.</strong>

    The air in the Alrn mansion was heavy and still.

    The reason was simple. Everyone in the mansion had witnessed Lucy being carried back by Benedict.@@novelbin@@

    The child, who had always acted arrogantly and feigned strength, had copsed, shedding tears of sorrow. Even those who harbored ill feelings toward Lucy couldn¡¯t help but feel pity for her in that moment. Her condition was so pitiful that even those who disliked her couldn¡¯t help but sympathize.

    The feelings of those who usually thought highly of Lucy need no further exnation.

    ¡°...I never thought I¡¯d end up thinking it would have been better if I just rolled away and died.¡±

    Themander of the Knights, Forthsell, had dered a training halt, saying he couldn¡¯t disturb thedy¡¯s sorrow with noise, and as a result, Arthur, who had been fidgeting with some snacks, eventually put them down on the te.

    The image of Lucy breaking down in sorrow kept ying over in his mind, and itpletely ruined his appetite.

    ¡°Yeah. When I think of Lady Lucy, my chest tightens. I think it¡¯d be better to not think at all. It¡¯s even harder when you try.¡±

    It was the same for Joy.

    Lucy, who had copsed in Benedict¡¯s arms, still sobbing, had created a huge ripple in Joy¡¯s heart, a ripple that hadn¡¯t gone away yet.

    Now, all Joy could think about was her concern for Lucy.

    ¡°...Will Lucy be okay?¡±

    Even Frey, who was usually indifferent, couldn¡¯t remain calm this time.

    For her, seeing someone so important to her fall apart like that brought a sense of mncholy that she had never felt before.

    Ever since she had seen Lucy the previous day, Frey had lost her will to do anything and couldn¡¯t bring herself to focus on anything.

    Jackal, who had rtively little connection to Lucypared to the others, wasn¡¯t unaffected, but he kept his silence. He understood their sorrow to some extent and chose not to speak, waiting for them to ovee their mncholy on their own.

    It was during this time that the sound of footsteps on the stairs echoed from afar, and before long, the door swung open with a loud bang.

    ¡°What are you idiots doing here? Were you having a discussion about how pathetic you all are?¡±

    The girl who had cried over losing her mother. The poor girl who couldn¡¯t stop sobbing even after fainting. The strong girl who, despite deep emotional wounds, tried to appear strong.

    Lucy Alrn, seeing the heavy atmosphere in the sitting room, sneered and made a sarcastic remark, but the reactions from everyone were different than usual.

 Chapter 391

    When Lucy, who had woken up from a long slumber, started training with her friends, Benedict thought it was an act to shake off her sorrow.

    It was so overwhelming that whenever he thought about it, the sadness would consume him. The best thing to do when that happens is to prevent any space in his mind for thoughts, to just let it be.

    Having gone through something simr in the past, Benedict understood Lucy¡¯s feelings, and he decided to leave her alone until she could calm her sorrow.

    He made excuses, saying that his intervening might only hurt her feelings.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it that you don¡¯t know how tofort the youngdy, so you¡¯re just fumbling around?¡±

    The butler, who had been observing Benedict¡¯s frustrated actions all day, couldn¡¯t hold back his criticism any longer.

    The sight of the once-improving person regressing to their old state after spending time alone with Lucy was too pitiful.

    ¡°¡­Butler, it hurts when you hit with the truth.¡± ¡°Then you should let it go without needing to advise her.¡± ¡°If it were that easy, would I be in this state?¡±

    Benedict knew what was right. However, whenever he thought of meeting Lucy, the image of her crying alone in the mausoleum woulde to mind, and his feet wouldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Whenever I recall that scene, I wonder if our good daughter only forgave her useless father out of worry for him.¡±

    Benedict, with red eyes, hurriedly reached for a handkerchief. Seeing him, the butler¡¯s gaze grew cold.

    The sight of a man who had once instilled fear across the continent wiping away tears with a handkerchief smaller than his own hand was too pitiful to watch.

    ¡°Do you think the youngdy is someone whoforts others with falsehoods, as you believe?¡± ¡°Well, that¡­¡± ¡°If the youngdy hears this, I¡¯m sure she would be very pleased.¡±

    The butler¡¯s voice now had an edge of mockery, but Benedict couldn¡¯t retort.

    Even he thought that he was disgusting, worse than his daughter, who was trying to ovee her grief without the help of her useless father.

    He clenched the handkerchief soaked with tears tightly.

    ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°You already know the answer, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I believe you will no longer run away to your desk. So please, repay my trust.¡±

    After the butler left with words of unfinished business, Benedict, staring nkly at the papers on his desk, sighed.

    He knew what to do. He knew that if he just treated his daughter the way he had been doing so far, it would be enough. But what should he do when that doesn¡¯t happen as easily as he¡¯d like?

    <em>Knock, knock.</em> At that moment, a knock sounded at the door.

    From the sound of footsteps outside, Benedict knew immediately who it was.

    The small footsteps he had heard when approaching earlier.

    The soft humming, unconsciously slipping out.

    The little hands that knocked on the door, making a tapping sound.

    All these told him who was outside.

    ¡°Come in, Lucy.¡± ¡°¡­How did you know? I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯d know if my daughter ising.¡± ¡°Ugh. That¡¯s really creepy. Makes me want to run away.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, uh.¡±

    Benedict, receiving a disgusted re from Lucy, didn¡¯t know how to respond and blinked like a fool. Hearing his daughter¡¯s words, he realized it might sound strange.

    As his silence stretched, Lucy started to step back with an increasingly hostile look in her eyes.

    ¡°No. Wait! Lucy!¡±

    Seeing her, Benedict quickly stood up from the desk and stopped her.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°That! Anyway, I have no bad intentions! I swear!¡± ¡°Do you expect me to believe that after looking at your creepy eyes, pervy papa?¡±

    My eyes were that creepy?! Benedict, shocked, copsed back into his chair, and the chair, unable to support hisrge frame, broke with a loud crack.

    Even amidst that, Benedict disyed superhuman reflexes and managed to regain his bnce, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about the broken chair underneath him.

    ¡°Pfft. Puhahaha!¡±

    As he stared nkly at the broken chair, he heard Lucy¡¯sughter and turned his head.

    There was Lucy, holding her stomach andughing so hard that she couldn¡¯t stop, like someone who couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore.

    Watching her, a sight he hadn¡¯t seen since before his wife left, he waited until Lucy finally lifted her head, and then quicklyposed his expression.

    ¡°Sigh. Really. Papa is so useless, it¡¯s hard to even tease you. When will you stop being so pathetic?¡± ¡°Were¡­ you not angry?¡± ¡°Do I look like such a bad-tempered person? Was I really that person to you, fool papa?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± ¡°Pfft. You¡¯re overreacting to a joke. Fool. Fool papa.¡±

    Only then did Benedict realize that he was being toyed with by Lucy and slumped his shoulders, letting out a sigh.

    ¡°Lucy. So why did youe to find this foolish papa?¡± ¡°We should do the usual sparring.¡± ¡°Sparring¡­ you say?¡± ¡°Yes. Why? Are you scared I¡¯ll start winning? Are you getting nervous?¡±

    Lucy¡¯s teasing tone made Benedict smile lightly as he swept the papers aside.

    He then approached Lucy and gently patted her head.

    ¡°¡­What are you doing? Your overly kind touch is making me want to puke.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just proud of you.¡± ¡°Proud of what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud that my daughter is so much better than this papa, so I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±

    With a voice full ofughter, Benedict said this and then lifted Lucy¡¯s body, cing it on his shoulder.

    ¡°Are you really confident? This papa never shows mercy to anyone.¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s okay to say, papa? If you do, you¡¯ll lose all your excusester.¡± ¡°Haha. If that happens, I¡¯ll have to admit that this papa is useless. But it¡¯s fine. That won¡¯t happen.¡±

    A few days after the new year had begun, and after receiving the pope¡¯s favor, Feibi, together with Johan, was heading to the Allen estate.@@novelbin@@

    Although Feibi could have immediately reached the estate using the church¡¯s teleportation circle or a spatial mage, she chose to travel by carriage.

    It wasn¡¯t because she wanted to suffer. Nor was it because she didn¡¯t want to trouble the church.

    The reason she traveled by carriage, passing through various towns, was because she wanted to help those who might be struggling along the way.

    There weren¡¯t many skilled doctors or clergy on the continent, but there were plenty of people in need of them, so Feibi chose to travel by carriage to offer her help along the way.

    As she examined the flower ring given to her by a child from a vige they had visited the day before, she remembered the bright smile of the child who had said, ¡°Thank you, pretty sister!¡± and smiled softly.

    She was d she had acted as usual, moving slowly. If she hadn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to see the child¡¯s smile.

    ¡°We should be arriving at Allen Estate soon.¡±

    Feibi looked outside the carriage at Johan¡¯s words. In the distance, the neatly built city walls came into view.

    The Allen Duchy. It was the guardian of the kingdom¡¯s borders and the ce that kept countless nations from daring to invade the kingdom.

    And now, thend where Lucy Allen, the person most precious to Feibi and her strong pir of support, resided.

    ¡°Are you looking forward to meeting your old friends?¡± ¡°Of course, Johan. Just thinking about meeting my friends makes me so happy.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just Lucy who was there.

    Her long-time friend, Joy Parn.

    Arthur Sdin, seemingly polite but often teased.

    Frey Kent, who was reckless but honest.

    She was finally able to spend time with herfortable friends after spending so much time tense at the holynd. How could she not be excited?

    ¡°Ah. Johan. I have a question.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve spent a lot of time at the Allen estate, right? So, have you seen the training of the Allen Knights?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve seen it. Even I, who am often told I¡¯m strict, could never dare ask the church¡¯s pdins to endure the hardships that those knights go through.¡±

    Johan thought back to the first year he arrived at the Allen estate.

    Back then, seeing the harsh training of the knights, he thought they were making him endure it to pressure him.

    However, that was just his misunderstanding. What seemed like mental-breaking training was just daily life for the Allen Knights.

    He had been so shocked when he realized this.

    As he recalled that shock, Johan smiled faintly and turned to Feibi.

    ¡°Why are you suddenly asking about this?¡± ¡°My friends are training in the knights¡¯ order.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I have to join them once I arrive at the Allen estate?¡±

    For a moment, Johan thought he needed to stop her.

    At that moment, he recognized that Feibi was someone worthy of the title of saint.

    She would be essential to the church in the future.

    But could he just watch her walk into hell like this?

    His confusion must have been evident on his face, for Feibi lightly chuckled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Johan. With the youngdy by my side, what is there to fear?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Besides, to be called a saint, don¡¯t I need to endure some hardships first?¡±

    Understanding Feibi¡¯s resolve, Johan refrained from further discouraging her and continued his lectures on divine magic as usual.

    After another day of travel, Feibi and Johan arrived at the Allen estate. After greeting the church, they headed to the Allen mansion.

    From how much Johan was worrying, the Allen Knights¡¯ training must be extremely difficult.

    But Feibi wasn¡¯t worried. She knew that the hardship would only contribute to her growth.

    What she was truly looking forward to was meeting the youngdy. The youngdy who had such an expressive face. Feibi couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she would be able to look at her properly.

    ¡°Johan. And¡­ is she really a saint?¡± ¡°Yes. She is. The Saint of the Church of the Holy Lord, Feibi. I¡¯ve been invited by the youngdy of Allen to visit.¡±

    The guards at the mansion, upon seeing Feibi, widened their eyes in shock. But their surprise didn¡¯tst long.

    They quickly regained theirposure and escorted Johan and Feibi to the knights¡¯ training ground.

    ¡°Hahaha! You all look so much better now!¡±

    What Feibi saw at the training ground were her friends, lying on the floor, and among them, Benedict, smiling without a scratch.

    ¡°Huh? What is going on here?¡±

    Is this some sort of training? But they all look like they¡¯re in terrible shape?

    Feibi, stunned by the sight, was startled when a soft, warm hand grabbed her wrist.

    ¡°Too slow. Lazy, useless saint.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ Youngdy?¡±

    ¡°Come here. Even if you¡¯re a useless saint with too much flesh, your divinity can still be of help. You¡¯ll be useful.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh? Huh?! Wait. Youngdy! Please hear me out! Do you not hear me?!¡±

 Chapter 392

    "Feibi! You¡¯ve finally arrived!"

    As soon as Joy saw Feibi¡¯s face, she broke into a wide grin.

    That smile was a mix of excitement at seeing her friend after so long, but also an eager anticipation of the reactions her friend might show.

    Even Feibi couldn¡¯t be immune to the harsh training of the Allen Knights!

    The thought of hearingints from the saint was too enjoyable.

    Was this how Lucy felt when she invited us here?

    She knew it wasn¡¯t a good attitude, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself from smiling.

    Heh. It looks like it¡¯s starting with a spar against the Allen heir.

    Joy couldn¡¯t help but recall the first time she had faced Benedict.

    She had thought that after consistent training in the knights'' order, she was familiar withbat, but she had been struck by Benedict from an unseen angle, knocked out in a single blow.

    While Feibi might be more familiar with actualbat than she was, even she would have no choice but to struggle against an opponent like Benedict, an exception to the rule.

    Lucy would definitely be flustered.

    With this mischievous thought in mind, Joy watched Feibi, but unfortunately, things did not unfold as she expected.

    Despite being suddenly thrust into the sparring, Feibi performed far beyond just one role.

    She stood at the back, supporting the line as expected. It was natural, considering she was not just a saint, but an exceptional cleric who wouldn¡¯t fail in her duties.

    What truly surprised Joy was how Feibi went above and beyond with ease.

    ¡°Thank you! Saint, you saved me!¡±

    The moment Feibi saw a vulnerable position in the line, she instantly conjured divine magic to protect her allies.

    ¡°Hah! Were you prepared for this?¡± ¡°Joy! The spell!¡± ¡°¡­Yes! Right away!¡±

    Feibi anticipated and responded to Benedict¡¯s ambush even before Joy could react.

    ¡°Useless saint!¡± ¡°Understood!¡±

    Even without Lucy exining the n in detail, Feibi intuitively created a variable using her own magic.

    Throughout the spar, Feibi wasn¡¯t the fragile saint many might expect; instead, she moved like an experienced veteran in the front lines.

    Joy, unable to witness her friend¡¯s struggle, felt both disappointed and, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help but admire Feibi.

    This was why Feibi was so highly respected by other clergy.

    With the addition of the remarkable cleric, the group felt much more stable and secure, but still, the wall that was Benedict was simply too high to ovee.

    Even if they were well-prepared, facing a monster like Benedict, who few across the continent could rival, left themcking.

    ¡°Not even graduated from the academy, and yet this level! The kingdom¡¯s future is bright!¡±

    After Benedict left, leaving the group to catch their breath, those who had stood opposite him began to slump to the floor one by one.

    They had exhausted every bit of their strength in enduring against the monster that was Benedict.

    At this point, Feibi was no different. Leaning against the wall, she too slumped down, struggling to catch her breath.

    ¡°Stupid papa, so childish. The big guy trying his best to defeat his daughter, seriously?¡±

    The only exception was Lucy. With her inherently superior stamina, despite taking on the toughest role in the spar against Benedict, she remained calm andposed.

    ¡°How is that my papa? So annoying.¡±

    Just as Lucy expressed her genuine frustration, a loud thud sounded from afar.

    It was a huge sound, but the only one startled by it was Feibi.

    Those who had recently stayed at the Allen estate could easily guess who the source of the noise was.

    ¡°Useless saint.¡±

    Feibi, startled, immediately turned her head toward Lucy¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Not bad, you¡¯re moving better than I thought. Guess you¡¯re not just full of flesh after all?¡±

    Lucy¡¯s voice, as always, was taunting, but Feibi couldn¡¯t focus on it. Her thoughts werepletely distracted by the bright smile Lucy wore.

    She had admired her through the crystal before, but seeing it in person, the sight was even more awe-inspiring. Even her sweaty appearance somehow looked sacred.

    It was frustrating to realize that until now, she hadn¡¯t been able to see that for herself.

    A hint of jealousy stirred in Feibi, but then she realized that the divine presence within Lucy had changed.

    The warmth of the divine had be softer, and it seemed to have grown more abundant within Lucy. Moreover, it felt so much more natural for the divine energy to flow through Lucy¡¯s body now.

    She must have grown even more in my absence. Truly, like an apostle of the Holy Lord.

    ¡°Useless saint. Have your ears gotten fatter?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah. Sorry, youngdy. I was thinking about something else.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking of something else when someone as cute as me is right in front of you? So arrogant. Just because you¡¯re big doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re all that.¡±

    Even with Lucy pouting, Feibi didn¡¯t get flustered.

    After all, after dealing with the dark forces at the Holy Lord''s Church recently, Lucy¡¯sints felt rather endearing.

    Lucy, seeing that Feibi remained calm, seemed displeased and stared at her for a moment before suddenly pinching her cheeks.

    ¡°You cheeky saint. So arrogant.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Lucy. Let the saint go. Instead,e y with me.¡±

    While Feibi and Lucy were chatting, Frey, now having recovered some strength, waddled over and pushed her cheek up against Lucy¡¯s.

    Lucy, seeing Frey¡¯s action, silently stared at her before yfully tugging Frey¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Ouch! Ouch!¡± ¡°You told me to do it, you perverted inspector.¡± ¡°...Lucy, you¡¯re bad.¡±

    Watching the scene, Feibi couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter.

    Days after Feibi¡¯s return, Benedict finally brought up that he wouldn¡¯t be able to continue sparring.

    ¡°There¡¯s a schedule with the people from Allen and nearby nobles.¡±

    Benedict exined that he didn¡¯t want to go, but Feibi wasn¡¯t bothered by that.

    There had been too many times she had been beaten by Benedict, so this time, she wasn¡¯t going to let it slide.

    Sessfully getting Benedict to retreat by using her sharp wit, she gathered her tired friends.

    Now that they couldn¡¯t spar with Benedict, there was no reason to stay at the Allen estate any longer.

    Everyoneined about losing their rare rest, but when Feibi mentioned the next n, their expressions changed.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to raid a dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Is there a chance to escape this hell again?!¡±

    ¡°Shall we bet again?¡±

    Perhaps because the previous dungeon raid had been rtively easy, the three people who participated with her previously showed excitement at the thought of going again.@@novelbin@@

    They thought that facing real battle was much better than the hellish training of the Allen Knights.

    Feibi silently watched her friends, who were clearly overjoyed.

    This dungeon visit had a very different purpose fromst time. Last time, they went to improve their skills for dungeon raiding, but this time, it was all about manualbor.

    I wonder if their faces will still look that happy after spending twenty hours a day in the dungeon, hunting monsters.

    <Do you realize your expression looks quite wicked right now?>

    ¡®Oh, really? Maybe because I¡¯m thinking wicked thoughts.¡¯

    <...Could you be a little more modest? >

    ¡®Do I have to? We¡¯re rted anyway!¡¯

    After a brief silence, the old man sighed and muttered in a somewhatplex tone.

    <It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m relieved by your insolent tone.>

    ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯

    Thank goodness for the Mesugaki skill! I¡¯ve suffered so much because of this damn skill!

    ¡°Lady Allen. Can I join this time too?¡±

    Just as Feibi was about to question the old man, Jackal quietly interjected from the side.

    It seemed that he hadn¡¯t forgotten how he was left behindst time, and his eyes carried an earnest desperation.

    ¡°You want to join me again?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I don¡¯t want to be left behind in this hell again!¡±

    ¡°You seem really desperate. You look like a stray dog. So pitiful.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ then¡­¡±

    ¡°But what should I do? There¡¯s no room for a second-rate noble like you this time either. Hahaha. Looks like you¡¯ll be alone again. It¡¯s your fate.¡±

    It was unfortunate, but since Feibi had returned, Jackal no longer had a ce.

    He was far down the priority list due to his questionable rtionship and unimpressive performance as a character.

    Seeing Jackal copse again with the news, Feibi seemed concerned, so she carefully spoke up.

    ¡°Umm¡­ youngdy. Couldn¡¯t we go together anyway? Even if the number of people exceeds the limit, we can always rotate.¡±

    ¡°Useless saint. Don¡¯t pity a discarded dog. There¡¯s a reason dogs are abandoned.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that Feibi didn¡¯t feel bad for Jackal. However, the reason she couldn¡¯t take him along wasn¡¯t just efficiency¡ªit was because someone else was already willing to take him.

    Back when they had visited the Burrow family, Karia had already said she would take Jackal with her and make use of him. If he went with her, Jackal could escape this hell.

    What awaited them at the destination might be a worse hell, or perhaps something simr to this one.

    ¡°Employer! Long time no see.¡±

    Coincidentally, the night Feibi decided to visit the dungeon, Karia came to the Allen estate.

    After meeting with Benedict and chatting about various things, she came over to Feibi and told her about an incident between Queen Consort II and Heishan.

    ¡°At first, they were both really awkward with each other. But once they started talking, they quickly became close again.¡±

    Since Queen Consort II had already been willing to lower her head, and Heishan understood Queen Consort II¡¯s position, they didn¡¯t really have to ¡°reconcile¡± and just chatted in a warm atmosphere.

    ¡°Thanks to that, I was able to make a smooth deal with her.¡±

    Karia¡¯s tone, as she spoke about how she had gotten other information besides just the movements of Queen Consort I, sounded slightly ominous.

    Queen Consort II, it seems, has be a fool.

    There was nothing I could do. How could someone be a fool in front of a person who could read emotions and thoughts from mere gestures?

    Truly, I¡¯m lucky that Karia is on my side. If she had been on the opposite side, I can only imagine how badly things would have gone.

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve got some information from the academy professors who are allied with Queen Consort I. They¡¯re moving actively within the academy. I¡¯m not sure about their exact goals, but you should be cautious.¡±

    Karia handed over a note with the names of a few professors, most of whom were already on my radar.

    The names matched people who had cooperated with Queen Consort I in the main storyline.

    Including Luca¡¯s name.

    Seeing that, I chuckled quietly and handed the note back to Karia.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better for you to keep this?¡±

    ¡°Lady. Aren¡¯t you being a bit too reckless? Do I look stupid enough to fall for these kinds of trash?¡±

    The more events like this happen, the more wee they are. They mean more opportunities for me to grow.

    So what I need to focus on now isn¡¯t worrying about the movements of those professors, but growing strong enough to ovee any hardships thate my way.

    ¡°By the way, did you find out about the dungeon I mentioned?¡±

    ¡°I sent my apprentice to handle it. You¡¯ll be free to use it until the end of the break.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°But, employer, what are you going to do there? They say the monsters are abundant, but the rewards are lousy, so people avoid it.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see? The trash monsters swarming there are exactly what I need.¡±

    It¡¯s perfect for manualbor.

 Chapter 393

    I handed Jackal over to Karia and led my friends toward the dungeon I had set my sights on.

    This dungeon was located in the barony of the Sdin Kingdom.

    The barony, with its rtively short history andck of significant power, could not refuse our request to raid a medium-sized dungeon.

    With princes, dukes¡¯ daughters, countesses, and high-ranking church officials all present, any minor noble family could be erased without hesitation the moment they offended us.

    ¡°If you have any requests, please do let us know! We will cooperate to the best of our abilities!¡±

    Baron Rhys, who had visited us for courtesy, was drenched in cold sweat as he looked at us. We hadn¡¯t even made any explicit threats.

    The difference in status really does make a person feel small. Seeing Baron Rhys¡¯s life force seem to drain away in real time, I couldn¡¯t help but pity him, but the old man chuckled and spoke up.

    <Look at you and your friends. Who wouldn¡¯t be scared?>

    ...Well, that¡¯s true.

    There¡¯s no need to mention it, but¡ª@@novelbin@@

    Even Joy looks like a troublesome viiness to strangers.

    Frey, when he¡¯s quiet,es off as a cold-blooded type.

    Arthur can¡¯t show anything other than a stern expression.

    It makes sense why Baron Rhys kept ncing nervously at Feibi.

    So that¡¯s what he was hoping¡ªhe was begging us to spare him.

    I felt like I was about to faint if I continued speaking with Baron Rhys, so I decided to make my departure. At that moment, the baron spoke in a humble tone.

    ¡°Our son will apany you, and if you need anything, please do let him know.¡±

    What? Dude, your son¡¯s being sent here when your position¡¯s already shaky? Are you even a father?

    <That¡¯s actually a choice to help his son. It¡¯s good to build rtionships with the higher-ups in any way possible.>

    ¡®So it wasn¡¯t just passing off work to him?¡¯

    I almost thought he was a bad dad trying to offload the job he didn¡¯t want to do.

    <Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure.>

    ¡®Wait, didn¡¯t you just defend him?¡¯

    <I can¡¯t read his intentions. I¡¯m not Karia.>

    With the old man¡¯s interpretation in mind, I shrugged off my earlier doubts and turned my attention to Rhys¡¯s eldest son, who hade to guide us.

    Huh? I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before.

    Wasn¡¯t he the one I was with during the academy entrance exam?

    His name... I can¡¯t remember.

    All I recall is the nickname ¡°little rascal¡± from my Mesugaki skill.

    It¡¯s been burned into my memory!

    ¡°Rhys Youngsik. We meet again.¡±

    As I hesitated, Joy stepped forward and greeted him.

    ¡°Thank you for remembering me, Parn Young Lady. It¡¯s truly an honor.¡±

    ¡°Too humble! Jacob Rhys, who managed to sessfully advance to the second year with a solid performance, is someone worth remembering.¡±

    Ah! That¡¯s right! Jacob! It was Jacob! As soon as I heard Arthur¡¯s voice, I remembered, and with a bright smile, I stepped forward.

    ¡°Hey~ little rascal~¡±

    ¡°Allen Young Lady.¡±

    Having just heard those praises, maybe that¡¯s why Jacob¡¯s eyes were filled with expectation. I couldn¡¯t help but yfully tease him, seeing that look, thinking he was hoping for my praise too.

    ¡°Why are your eyes so creepy? What do you want to hear from me?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Well¡­¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re honest, I might be honest too.¡±

    Grinning, I looked up at Jacob, who turned bright red and lowered his head quickly.

    His reaction was fun. Most of the people around me were so used to my way of speaking that they didn¡¯t react anymore, but Jacob seemed so unustomed to it that just a little teasing got an immediate response.

    Before I could continue ying with him, Joy¡¯s hand swiftly covered my mouth.

    ¡°Young Lady! Control your expression!¡±

    Why¡¯s she making a fuss now when she never cared back at the mansion? Can¡¯t I y with a fun toy when I find one?

    I expressed my dissatisfaction with a look, but Joy didn¡¯t let go of her hand over my mouth.

    ¡°¡­Haha. Ah. That¡¯s¡­ Well, I¡¯ll take you to the dungeon now!¡±

    After regaining hisposure, Jacob quickly turned and hid his flushed face before leading us forward.

    Watching his back, I frowned in disappointment and then let out a deep sigh into Joy¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Eugh?!¡±

    With a scream that didn¡¯t match her appearance, Joy quickly pulled out a fan and covered her face, trying to hide from the many eyes now on her.

    And over her fan, she red at me, and seeing her look, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°¡­Young Lady!¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡±

    Well, it¡¯s your fault for blocking my mouth and making a fuss.

    This one¡¯s on you, dummy.

    Thanks to Alsetin¡¯s prior arrangements, there was already a well-established lodging near the medium-sized dungeon in Rhys¡¯s territory.

    Not only that, but attendants, guards, and even cooks were already prepared and waiting.

    I felt awkward with such an extravagant reception, but my friends seemedpletely unfazed. They appeared quite used to it, and they immediately started making their demands.

    <Isn¡¯t this natural? With a position like that, it¡¯s normal to be used to being pampered.>

    ¡®I¡¯m not like that.¡¯

    Having lived a life where I was just happy not to be cursed at, this kind of treatment felt odd to me.

    <Well¡­ Hmm. You¡¯ll get used to it eventually. Let me show you how to handle it. What you need to do is¡­>

    After finishing the preparations under the care of the Rhys family, one of the knights from their household came out to give us an exnation about the dungeon.

    ¡°Before you enter the dungeon, let me tell you a bit about it.¡±

    I tried not to say much and focused on listening to the exnation. I didn¡¯t feel like answering the question of how they knew so much about a dungeon they had never been in.

    ¡°This dungeon is made up of eight patterns.¡±

    No, including special variants, it¡¯s actually fourteen.

    ¡°When distinguishing traps, they are marked¡­¡±

    Wrong again. The markings have nothing to do with the traps. You need to look at the floor to identify them.

    ¡°The boss¡¯s patterns¡­¡±

    ...Also wrong. This is all nonsense. Are you even the ones managing this dungeon?

    Ugh, I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯m going to toss this thing aside and fix it myself.

    ¡°Hey, you dumb knight.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±

    ¡°Shut up. Listening to your dumb exnations is making my ears feel like they¡¯re covered in filth.¡±

    Unable to hold back, I stood up, grabbed the knight¡¯s manual, and started correcting the mistakes one by one.

    During this process, I hurled all kinds of insults at him, but I didn¡¯t feel even the slightest bit guilty.

    He deserved it for believing such a foolish guide.

    Finishing up the manual, I thought back to the old teachings of sages.

    If you want the correct answer, don¡¯t ask questions. Instead, annoy the person until they can¡¯t help but speak up.

    Damn it. I was fooled this time, but next time, I won¡¯t be. I¡¯m going to make someone lose their temper with this method for sure!

    Determined, I left the knight behind and led my friends toward the dungeon entrance.

    ¡°Lucy Allen, what are you doing?¡±

    Just as we were about to enter the dungeon, Arthur frowned.

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell just by looking?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t medium-sized dungeons limited to four people?¡±

    Oh, right. I haven¡¯t told them about that yet.

    ...But how am I supposed to convince them that the number limit for dungeons has been increased? Where do I even begin?

    I thought for a moment, but decided it would be better to show them than exin, so I half-forced Arthur, Joy, and Frey into the dungeon, then joined them with Feibi.

    Arthur, who had been nearly thrown in, looked at me in annoyance before freezing upon seeing Feibi beside me.

    ¡°Is my eyesight failing me? How are five people in a medium-sized dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, poor prince. It¡¯s only possible because I¡¯m such a special person. You can just ept it as fact and move on.¡±

    ¡°That... never mind. Whatever.¡±

    Easily convincing my friends, I led them into the dungeon at a quick pace.

    Fighting mobs one by one would just waste time. We had to get to our destination as quickly as possible.

    Like the academy dungeon, I followed the familiar route through the stagnant water, and within ten minutes, we reached the traps on the second floor.

    ¡°Is this the trap the knight mentioned?¡±

    ¡°They said if we step on it, monsters will appear.¡±

    Maybe because of their experience in the knights¡¯ training, Arthur and Joy, despite my quick pace, seemed rtively rxed.

    Frey, who had always been able to keep up with my pace, didn¡¯t need to be mentioned. Even Feibi, though she was a bit out of breath, had no trouble moving.

    After checking on everyone¡¯s status, I immediately stepped onto the trap.

    As soon as I did, the exit was blocked, and several magic circles appeared inside the room.

    The monster wave trap unique to this dungeon had been triggered.

    ¡°Lady?!¡±

    ¡°Lucy Allen!? What are you doing!...¡±

    ¡°If you have the time toin, how about you prepare for battle?¡±

    Raising my shieldzily, I began to draw upon my divine energy, watching the monsters spawn from the magic circles.

    ¡°Damn! I wanted at least a little time to prepare!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ready an area spell! Feibi! Blessing!¡±

    ¡°Preparing! Please wait just a moment!¡±

    ¡°This looks like it¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    I wonder how much my friends can handle now.

    It would be great if we could activate all the dungeon traps the moment we enter.

    That way, we could grind efficiently.

 Chapter 394

    On the day I received the message that my understanding and mastery of divine magic had increased, I immediately tried to apply it in battle, feeling the effects firsthand.

    For me, being able to handle divine power better wasn''t just about improving the effectiveness of divine magic¡ªit meant an overall increase in mybat abilities.

    If I could handle this properly, I thought I couldnd a blow on Benedict. So, I began adapting to these changes, using my friends and the Alrn knights as test subjects.

    Despite my efforts, however, I couldn¡¯t get past the wall that was Benedict.

    Ah, thinking about it again just makes me frustrated.

    Isn¡¯t he being too childish?

    His daughter is doing everything she can to get close to him, but he never even lets her get a hit?

    Even if he¡¯s too proud to let her in, wouldn¡¯t it be nice to let hernd at least one attack out of appreciation for her effort?

    Regardless of how childish Benedict was, training with him had helped me a lot in adapting to the changes in my divine power.

    Trying to survive and giving my best, I naturally started to get used to it.

    It was hard to feel these changes when I repeatedly fought Benedict, but when facing ordinary monsters instead of a freak like him, I could truly feel how much stronger I had be.

    Thud! Watching the monster explode after taking a mace hit, I couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    The monsters in this dungeon weren¡¯t particrly strong. This ce relied more on sheer numbers than the specs of each monster.

    But if they weren¡¯t weak as dirt, that¡¯s not the case either. This ce, often used as a mid-level grinding spot, has at least a minimal amount of strength.

    To put it simply, these monsters are getting destroyed because I¡¯m just too strong.

    Thud! Another one smashed with my shield, and I watched the others. The most notable was, of course, Frey.

    She always loved going solo, and with my permission, she jumped into the monster swarm, stirring things up.

    Her sword, now gleaming with color, decapitated a monster with each swing, significantly reducing the monster density approaching me.

    Arthur¡¯s growth was also noticeable.

    Having undergone intense training with the knights, he now handled his aura freely and could naturally use magic in closebat.

    As I watched him, a piece of the perfect magic swordsman that I had longed for, I was pleased. Then Arthur suddenly shouted.

    ¡°Lucy Alrn! Is this really the time to stand around watching?¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you having trouble doing it alone? If so, why don¡¯t you please let me help¡ª¡±

    ¡°Damn it! Forget it! I¡¯ll handle it myself!¡±

    ...How boring. Annoying.

    Fine. If he wants to do it alone, let him. I won¡¯t help at all.

    Ignoring Arthur¡¯sints, I turned my attention to Joy.

    She had gotten the feel for it after our sparring, and after the Alrn knights¡¯ training, she had mastered the structure. Her realbat magic was so clean that it reminded me of a mage from the monitor world.

    She was neatly dispatching approaching monsters, keeping defensive magic at the ready, and preparing area magic to deal with the dense monsters. Is this the kind of talent praised by academy professors?

    ¡°Ah!?¡±

    After taking a hit from the remnants of a monster she had just killed, Joy hurriedly turned away, and I finally turned my head toward the warm divine power.

    Having absorbed the divine power of the god, Paybi had perfectly embodied it during our time apart.

    Her talent, honed under the teachings of Johan, a respected authority in divine magic, had reached a level that could rival the famous clergy of today.

    Everyone had grown to the point where they wouldn¡¯t fall short whenpared to the characters I knew from the monitor world.

    Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to gather such a group at this point, but I had trained them in a manner suited to a user, so it wasn¡¯t unexpected.@@novelbin@@

    What a troublesome thing. With this, it seems the only oneckingpared to the characters from the monitor world is me.

    ¡°You all! Fall back!¡±

    While I was enjoying a feeling of pride or perhaps disappointment, Joy suddenly raised her voice in urgency.

    Without doubting her, my friends immediately stepped back from the monster swarm, and upon confirming that, Joy immediatelyunched her prepared magic into the monsters.

    Lightning, once thought to be the fury of the gods, struck down and wiped out the monsters.

    Hmm. It¡¯s taken about an hour to break through one trap. Looking at the state of the others, we could probably take down one more trap, but that¡¯s about the limit.

    After that, we need a rest.

    Considering how Agra might interfere at any time, it¡¯s even more urgent.

    ¡°This should be the end... right?¡±

    As I thought about how to manage the grind, I heard Joy¡¯s voice, which made me smile.

    ¡°...Young Lady? Why are you looking at me with that expression?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my cute face? Dumbass?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re giving me a pretty wicked look though...¡±

    Did it show that much? I fiddled with my lips, shrugged, and hinted to Joy that my bad feeling was spot on.

    I was originally nning to take a short break before moving on, but when I heard "Is this the end?" my mischievous side couldn¡¯t resist.

    Isn¡¯t it my job to let her know that saying that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s over?

    Right?

    ¡°I don¡¯t want tooooooo!¡±

    Shouting, Joy found herself carried by me as I nned the next leg of our grind, running toward the next trap.

    It has been a week since we began grinding in the Rizz territory. Despite cutting back on rest and relentlessly continuing the grind, I still haven''t received a single message from Agra.

    In the past, whenever I entered a dungeon, there was always chaos, but why hasn¡¯t he intervened even once now?

    Why, when I¡¯ve finally prepared for all his interference, isn¡¯t he showing up, that sneaky bastard?

    It wouldn¡¯t hurt to give me some experience as a bonus, would it?!

    I started to get a bit worked up andined about Agra, but he hadn¡¯t interfered even once in the dungeon.

    That annoying bastard. As a Dark God, with all his pride and honor, does he only want to show up when he thinks he can win?

    We¡¯ll see. There won¡¯t ever be a time when he wins again, ever.

    Despite Agra revealing himself as the petty, vindictive, weak-minded, and prideful jerk he is, the leveling process went smoothly.

    I was surprised by how much better my friends¡¯ stamina was than I expected.

    Having trained with the Alrn knights, enduring minimum sleep and constant training, they weren¡¯t breaking down, even though they wereining as they continued to endure the hardships.

    Of course, Arthur had asked why we weren¡¯t just training with the Alrn knights, as he thought that would be much more beneficial.

    My response was simple:

    "Is the poor prince too dumb to realize how much he¡¯s growing?"

    Levels don¡¯t show on the surface, but they are definitely a rule of this world.

    By grinding hard, leveling up quickly, they naturally realize their growth.

    After hearing my words, Arthur realized he was getting stronger and didn¡¯tin about my methods anymore.

    The others were the same. Seeing themselves get stronger with each hardship, there was no reason for them toin.

    ¡°Petty, cowardly, weak Agra. Go ahead and stay buried in the ground, whining for the rest of your life. Please.¡±

    As usual, after entering the dungeon, I spat out provocations. When no reaction came, I clicked my tongue.

    Grandpa, having witnessed my antics, said I was the only one who would provoke the Dark God like that, and while he was incredulous, he didn¡¯t stop me.

    Two weeks into the grind.

    The people of the Rizz territory started looking at us with more ambiguous expressions, but I didn¡¯t care.

    What bothered me was that the efficiency of the grind was steadily declining. At this rate, reaching level 90 before the start of the second year would be the limit, wouldn¡¯t it?

    Damn. If Agra had given me a few bonus stages along the way, the growth rate would have been much faster!

    Three weeks and four days into the grind.

    After spending twenty hours a day in the dungeon, I finally reached level 90, but I hit a growth ceiling.

    Despite grinding all day, my level hadn¡¯t increased.

    My friends could still grind here and make progress, but stamina was bing an issue.

    Having done this intense grind for nearly a month, everyone was looking worn out. Even I, who used to believe that perseverance alone would be enough, began worrying about my friends copsing.

    Maybe it¡¯s time to finish the grind. It¡¯s not too early, as the second semester is starting soon.

    As I pondered this, Alsetin came to visit the base next to the dungeon.

    Havingpletely changed his appearance and voice, he walked in and saw my friends¡¯ sorry state and chuckled.

    ¡°I thought Master had been tough on Baron Burrow, but this ce is even worse.¡±

    ¡°Who cares what that weak noble idiot is learning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being taught the basics of being an informant that I learned previously. Master said he ns to use me as an internal informant for the academy.¡±

    Hearing that, I prayed for Jakal¡¯s soul.

    Why did he have to get picked by Karian? That crazy old woman¡¯s toy will have an incredibly tough time ahead of him.

    By now, he might even think the Alrn knights would have been better.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m doing fine.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but why are you here, information seller?¡±

    ¡°I have something to report.¡±

    He handed me a piece of paper, and at the top, it read:

    <strong>¡°n to eradicate Dark God followers led by the Arts Guild.¡±</strong>

    Each word on it felt as ominous as it could be, and I blinked in confusion as Alsetin continued to exin.

    ¡°You caught the Dark God¡¯s Apostlest time, right? Based on the information we got from him, the Arts Guild has been preparing to purge them, but due to the scale of it, they haven¡¯t carried it out yet. They¡¯re currently seeking cooperation from various churches¡­¡±

    When I snapped back to my senses, I looked closely at the writing.

    The n to reduce the Dark God¡¯s influence from the continent, based on the information Nakrad had given.

    As I kept reading, a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu hit me, and I started rereading from the top.

    And then I was sure¡ªthis was the event I recognized.

    ¡°Information seller, where is that perverted Apostle now?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still with the Guild. There¡¯s a lot to discuss.¡±

    ¡°What about that weak, scrawny idiot?¡±

    ¡°Same. Nakrad is also locked up in the Guild¡¯s underground.¡±

    ¡­

    Aaaah! Damn it! I had sworn I would never go near the Arts Guild!

    Now, I have no choice but to go there!

    I can¡¯t just stand by while these fools walk into a trap themselves!

 Chapter 395

    ¡°Are you nning to head to the Arts Guild?¡±

    Perhaps due to the scowl on my face, Alsetin''s words wereced with caution.

    ¡°Yes, I am. I can''t just stand by while those perverts keep doing stupid things.¡±

    ¡°Stupid things...?¡±

    ¡°Yes, stupid things.¡±

    I threw the paper I was holding onto the desk and dered it firmly. Alsetin''s expression became subtly uneasy.

    ¡°Can I ask why?¡±

    ¡°Can you use any other expression other than ''stupid things'' when they¡¯re walking straight into a trap?¡±

    The ce the Arts Guild is heading to is undoubtedly a trap. There are terrible things created by various followers of the Dark Gods there.

    That ce isn¡¯t one you can just push through. It¡¯s a hell filled with malice, where those who fall into the trap will die.

    And they want to walk into it themselves? If that¡¯s not stupid, I don¡¯t know what is.

    ¡°This is a trap?¡±

    Alsetin widened his eyes, as though he couldn¡¯t believe my words.

    ¡°It¡¯s based on the information Nakrad leaked, which we cross-checked with other followers of the Dark Gods, but...¡±

    ¡°Hah. With that low intelligence, why not go hang out with Karian and roll around with Jakal? That seems more fitting for your level.¡±

    I realized once again that people in this world don''t really understand the followers of the Dark Gods.

    If they understood how these maniacs think, they would know that these crazy worshipers of the Dark Gods would never sell out their own factions.

    ¡°Listen well. I don¡¯t want to waste any more time on you, so I¡¯ll exin it clearly.¡±

    In the Soul Academy, the Dark God factions are surprisingly tightly knit.

    Unlike the various churches that fight among themselves to expand their influence, the followers of the Dark Gods have united out of necessity, to survive under persecution.

    While each one may worship different Dark Gods, themon trait they share is that they must live in secrecy.

    That¡¯s what binds them together.

    So, the followers of the Dark Gods would never betray each other.

    The dream of resurrecting the Dark God is what they live for, and they see each other as coborators in that cause.

    They value the dream of the Dark God¡¯s resurrection over any pain they might endure in the mortal world.

    These fanatics, who became followers for their own reasons, would dly give their lives for that dream toe true.

    Nakrad is no different. After his wife¡¯s death, he devoted himself to the Dark God¡¯s cause. The world without his wife doesn¡¯t matter to him.

    What he desires is to meet his wife again after death.

    Do you really think he would betray the Dark Gods for survival? Knowing that if he leaks information, he won¡¯t be able to meet his wife?

    No way. He¡¯d rather die than give up the chance to be with her.

    After listening to my exnation, Alsetin blinked and asked a question.

    ¡°I understand how the followers of the Dark Gods think. But why is it that Nakrad¡¯s story and those of the other followers match?¡±

    ¡°Are you a goldfish? I just exined this! The idiots who follow idiots like Nakrad like to lick each other¡¯s asses and repeat the same lies!¡±

    Before being captured, they were probably already in on the n to spread false information, which is why the stories all match up.

    ¡°¡­Ah! Of course!¡±

    Finally realizing the truth, Alsetin took out his notebook and checked it, then let out a gasp.

    He had realized that something was wrong.

    It¡¯s strange. In the game, Alsetin would have noticed this anomaly right away, but why is it that the real Alsetin couldn¡¯t figure it out? Is it a reaction to Karian returning?

    ¡°I understand now. I¡¯ll send this news directly to the Arts Guild.¡±

    ¡°Information seller, don¡¯t try to act on your own.¡±

    The reason I stopped Alsetin from acting on his own was simple: his credibility wascking.

    How seriously would the Arts Guild take a message from some lowly informant iming their ns were wrong?

    But me? I¡¯m different. If I, favored by the Raven Goddess, personally tell them, they will immediately revise their n.

    ¡°Stop acting cocky and just follow me. Got it?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll get ready to move ahead to the Arts Guild.¡±

    After parting ways with Alsetin, I told my friends to disperse.

    We would go back to our homes to rest and meet again at the Academy.

    Although my friends each had their own reactions, they all agreed that rest was wee. After nearly a month of relentless work, it was the normal thing to do.

    The people of the Rizz territory also weed our departure.

    They had been forced to adapt to our constant dungeon raids day and night, and when we told them we were leaving, they were so happy that they almost cried.

    Watching them, I felt a little guilty for being so thoughtless towards them. Due to the Messakaki skill, I couldn¡¯t express my apologies or gratitude, but...

    Anyway, I left the Rizz territory and didn¡¯t head directly to the Arts Guild. Instead, I visited the Alrn family first.

    It wasn¡¯t because I needed rest. Compared to the various trainings I¡¯ve done, the recent grind wasn¡¯t much. I had even taken it easy for my friends¡¯ sake.

    The reason I visited the Alrn family was that I needed someone to help hold back the perverts of the Arts Guild.

    I still remember the day I contacted the perverted apostle through the crystal ball.

    The bizarre creatures who appeared behind him and fought among themselves to get to me.

    Heading towards the Arts Guild meant stepping into the midst of those perverts, and I didn¡¯t have the confidence to handle that alone!

    At the very least, I needed someone to stop those perverts from getting too close to me! The ideal person was Possel.

    Though not as powerful as Benedict, Possel, with his significant fame and strength, could easily keep the perverts of the Arts Guild at bay.

    ¡°Sorry, mydy. I¡¯d like to apany you, but I can¡¯t leave the territory with the head of the household absent.¡±

    Unfortunately, my hopes were crushed by reality.

    Damn it! I thought with Possel, I could keep those disgusting perverts away!

    In the end, the people who would apany me to the Arts Guild¡¯s main base were the same as always.

    My bodyguard Cal, the bald knight who follows me like a set menu, Erin who takes care of the minor details, and the fox who¡¯s regaining strength now that spring is here.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Lucy! I¡¯ll make sure no other perverts get near you! I¡¯ll be the only pervert around you!¡±

    Hearing the nonsenseing out of the fox, I had a lot to say, but I didn¡¯t bother. I had to be content with the fact that he admitted he was a pervert. Otherwise, I¡¯d only get tired.

    With everyone gathered, I headed to the ce where Alsetin was waiting.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, there¡¯s a problem,¡± Alsetin said, his tone somewhat anxious.

    ¡°The Arts Guild is refusing to ept external teleportation.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a surprise that the Arts Guild had a somewhat closed-off nature, and Alsetin exined that this wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected. But I wasn¡¯t about to hesitate over it.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Informant, just tell them my name.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do as I say. My head is a lot more useful than your old, worn-out one.¡±

    Alsetin, looking confused, still obeyed mymand, though his bewilderment was obvious.

    ¡°¡­Oh. I¡¯ve received permission.¡±

    I then used the teleportation gem to send Alsetin and the knights ahead while I made my way to the Arts Guild¡¯s headquarters.

    I closed my eyes as a blue light red around me. The dizziness of teleportation washed over me, but unlike before, I managed to stay upright.

    I took a deep breath and slowly opened my eyes, only to find myself facing arge crowd of people from the Arts Guild beyond the barriers set up by Cal and the bald knight.

    ...Something seemed off. Had I missed something?

    Had I umted so much fatigue that I was starting to hallucinate?

    I sighed and shook my head. Perhaps I was just tired and starting to hallucinate. Maybe that was why I was getting these strange thoughts.

    The crowd around me began to murmur, and I was assaulted by a series of odd, almost excessive exmations.

    ¡°Ahhh, you¡¯re so beautiful!¡±

    ¡°Lady Alrn! Please, wave your hand for us!¡±

    ¡°Such an artwork, and you were keeping it all to yourself?!¡±

    ¡°Ahh... I can die happily now...¡±

    ¡°Is this the goddess''s incarnation?¡±

    ¡°Hah, you¡¯re so beautiful...¡±

    Hearing those voices made me start to regreting here.

    If I had known this would happen, no¡ªif I had anticipated this much attention, I would have just let Alsetin handle everything and note here at all.

    Maybe I should just leave now and let Alsetin deal with it?

    As I pondered, I forced myself topose myself and opened my eyes again.

    In the sea of countless eyes focused on me, I could feel their lustful desires, which made me feel slightly exhrated.

    Looking at it now, there was really no reason to be reluctant about these perverts. There was no one easier to y with than these guys.

    The fox or the apostle wouldn¡¯t even be a challenge for me. If it gets too disgusting, I could just kick them out.

    My thoughts shifted, and the perverts around me suddenly seemed like toys to y with.

    Hmm. I¡¯ve been tormented by other perverts so far.

    Should I repay some of that to these useless, pathetic ones?

 Chapter 397

    "I''m sorry. My words failed to persuade the people of the guild."

    The perverted apostle, who returned to the drawing room, was unusually stiff, unlike his usualid-back and cheeky self.

    It seemed as though he hadn¡¯t anticipated things turning out like this.

    This situation was just as perplexing for me.

    Until recently, these perverts were throwing themselves at me like crazy, and now they¡¯re saying they can''t trust my words!?

    Are you serious?!

    If you¡¯re so good at distinguishing between personal and professional matters, maybe you should¡¯ve kept your sanity while on the streets!

    It was so absurd that I kept my mouth shut, and Alsetin, noticing my frustration, carefully asked a question.

    "Prete, was it really an issue of trust? If you look at the information I provided, you should be able to see how suspicious the situation is."

    The materials Alsetin had quicklypiled were excellent. Anyone could tell that the situation seemed odd.

    Though my words as a mere noble child might not be trustworthy, there was no reason to deny the information Alsetin had provided.

    At Alsetin''s question, the perverted apostle forced an awkward smile and ran his hand through his hair, sighing.

    "It''s ufortable to admit, but the people of the Arts Guild are... quite irrational when ites to matters rted to the Evil God."

    "...Ah. I understand. So, that¡¯s the issue."

    Why are they talking in circles? Annoyed, I lowered one eyebrow. The perverted apostle, noticing my irritation, added a further exnation.

    "You may not know this, Lady Allen, but our Arts Guild hasn''t been around for long. Just a few decades ago, it was treated as a ce that could disappear at any moment."

    The Arts Guild the apostle spoke of was simr to the one I knew from the game.

    A small, insignificant faction.

    There were a few events, but it wasn¡¯t a ce anyone would visit unless necessary.

    Eventually, it would be a ce people avoided, especially with the Crow Goddess¡¯s annoyance.

    That was the Arts Guild I had known in the game.

    However, the current Arts Guild was different.

    Now, the guild had grown powerful enough to challenge the Church of the Holy God.

    "We were able to grow so much not only due to the efforts of the current pope and the priests but also because we became a sanctuary for those who had lost their way."

    The perverted apostle had wandered across the continent after being chosen by the goddess.

    Many assumed his wandering was due to his inherent tendencies, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    Most of his wandering had been guided by the goddess.

    Following the goddess¡¯s lead, the perverted apostle had repeatedly raided ces where the followers of the Evil God were wreaking havoc and had saved countless people in the process.

    "Those who survived the hellish ordeals were often people who had lost their way and forgotten the reason to live. I couldn¡¯t just leave them behind."

    So, the perverted apostle brought the survivors from the Evil God¡¯s followers into the guild.

    He showed them his art and gave them a reason to live.

    He brought hope to them.

    In time, the Arts Guild naturally expanded its influence, bing a powerful force among the many churches of the continent.

    "Those in positions of power within the guild are mostly survivors from the past. That¡¯s why they can¡¯t help but be harsh when ites to the Evil God¡¯s followers."

    The apostle, shrugging his shoulders, spoke about how the guild members were aware of the oddity of their actions but didn¡¯t want to face reality.

    "It¡¯s just that things didn¡¯t go well this time. If we keep persuading them, they¡¯ll eventually listen. After all, I am an apostle of the Arts Guild."

    Seeing the perverted apostle show such a serious side, I could understand why he had be an apostle.

    It wasn¡¯t just because of his artistic talent; he was a genuine saint at heart.

    If he had shown this side of him more often, I wouldn¡¯t have been so disgusted.

    I let out a smallugh and, instead of responding to the apostle, stood up.

    "Perverted apostle. Where are the disgusting perverts of the Arts Guild gathering?"

    "You don¡¯t need to go there yourself. I¡¯ll..."

    "Hey, pervert. Why are you not answering and talking nonsense instead? Do you want to be stepped on? If that¡¯s the case, just bury your head in the ground and beg for me to step on you. If you be so pitifully ugly, maybe I¡¯ll step on you."

    The perverted apostle, staring nkly at me, eventually forced a smile, the same one he always wore.

    "...Sorry. If you hurry, they should still be in the meeting hall. Not everyone opposed my argument, you know."

    "Good. Now I don¡¯t have to waste time dealing with those disgusting bastards."

    Without hesitation, I moved toward the door. I hade here prepared for this situation.

    Though I was a little concerned about having to walk through those perverts again, I decided I¡¯d handle it.

    Well, if things get really bad, I can always break someone¡¯s skull.

    As long as they don¡¯t die, I can heal them. So it should be fine.

    "Lady Allen."

    Just as I was about to step out of the room, the perverted apostle stopped me.

    "If I bow my head and beg, will you really step on me?"

    ...Should I take care of him before I deal with anyone else?

    "Are you seriously suggesting that we abandon the chance to defeat the followers of the Evil God just because of the words of an unproven little girl!?"

    One of the bishops of the current Arts Guild raised his voice, and the murmur in the meeting hall grew louder. The effects of the previous apostle¡¯s message still hadn¡¯t died down.

    "Defeating the followers of the Evil God is important, but the more important thing is preventing unnecessary casualties. If there is even the slightest possibility of a trap, retreating is the right course of action."

    "That¡¯s nonsense! What about the people who might still be suffering over there?!"

    "Would the Apostle say retreating is better for no reason? We need to check the situation further first..."

    The debate in the meeting hall grew heated as the two sides sharply disagreed.

    One side insisted that they had to take the risk to rescue those still suffering, just as they had been in the past.

    The other side argued that it was pointless if innocent lives were sacrificed in the process, emphasizing the need to be cautious.

    The argument, based on everyone¡¯s belief that their stance was correct, escted into an emotional confrontation, leaving no room forpromise.

    "Everyone, calm down."

    In the midst of the dispute, the guild''s leader hoped that the apostle would return soon.

    Even though those arguing were emotional, at least they tried to maintain some decorum in front of the apostle.

    Knock knock.

    "Excuse me. I¡¯ve brought a guest. Is it alright if we enter?"

    "Of course! Pleasee in quickly!"

    The guild leader, though slightly confused by the announcement of a guest, motioned for them to enter.

    They hoped this visitor would help calm the heated atmosphere.@@novelbin@@

    Not long after, the door opened, and when the guild leader saw the young girl standing in the middle of the doorway, he was momentarily speechless.

    "...When I heard about themotion in the streets earlier, I thought maybe they were just enchanted, but seeing her now, I can somewhat understand their feelings."

    How could anyone maintain theirposure when a living work of art was standing right in front of them?

    The guild leader recalled the members discussing whether it would be permissible to build a statue, make figurines, or paint pictures of her, all while they were reprimanded. He realized that, if Lady Allen allowed it, he would support them in doing so.

    The others in the meeting hall were equally stunned when they saw Lucy.

    Those who had treated her as a mere child, those who had dismissed her as untrustworthy, and those who had thought she was only beautiful¡ªthey were all overwhelmed by her presence.

    In that moment, Lucy Allen, with nothing more than her appearance, had taken control of the room.

    With a yful smile, she stood in the center of the meeting hall.

    "I won¡¯t bother with introductions. I don¡¯t think I need to tell a bunch of idiots who are willing to throw away their lives my name."

    "...What do you mean by that, Lady Allen?"

    The guild leader, finally regaining hisposure, asked. Lucy narrowed her eyes.

    "How do you know my name when I haven¡¯t even told you? This kind of attention is disgusting."

    "How could the leader of a group not know the name of their guest?"

    "Is the leader of the guild a woman? How surprising. I didn¡¯t expect someone like you to be such an important person in the Arts Guild."

    "...Could you please exin what you meant by what you just said?"

    The guild leader, though irritated by Lucy¡¯s mocking tone, didn¡¯t raise his voice. While the sarcasm in her words and the contempt hidden in them annoyed him, the impact of her voice was so profound that it overshadowed everything else.

    Honestly, the guild leader wasn¡¯t struggling with his anger; it was more about suppressing his artistic inspiration.

    "Why? Don¡¯t you want to die? You¡¯re still crawling into the trap even after I told you about it. You¡¯re just too stupid, huh? Pffhahaha. Pathetic."

    Her tone, looking down on everyone in the room, didn¡¯t spark any anger. Everyone there had thoughts simr to the guild leader¡¯s.

    They all tried to maintain their dignity ording to their positions, but Lucy¡¯s taunting and sharp words hadpletely thrown them off.

    As Lucy observed the room, her gazended on one individual. She tilted her head slightly.

    It wasn¡¯t a look of contempt or mockery¡ªit was pure curiosity.

    However, this onlysted for a moment. After a brief pause, the yful expression returned as Lucy clicked her heels and walked towards the elderly bishop seated in the corner.

    "Hey, hey. Grandpa. I have one thing to ask you."

    "...Yes?"

    "Why are you staring at me with such disgusting eyes when you can¡¯t even stand up properly?"

    With the question asked inplete innocence, the elderly bishop¡¯s face turned bright red. Lucy giggled, revealing her true nature.

 Chapter 398

    Since stepping into this world, I have lived under countless gazes. Even someone as oblivious as me could feel the burning hatred in those eyes.

    From the mansion to my time at the academy, I''ve lived with the bluntest of stares. I¡¯m not sure if it''s because of that, but I''ve somehow be sensitive enough to feel the emotions behind people''s gazes.

    For example, the people of the Arts Guild, who are currently watching me, are radiating heat with their stares.

    Just like the perverted apostle and the perverts I saw in the streets a while ago, they¡¯re putting in effort to imprint the image of me in their minds.

    However, this old man was different. He tried to imitate the others in the Arts Guild, but he couldn''t quite grasp the madness within their gaze.

    Even when I openly insulted them, while the other guild members were trying to absorb my words, this one was frowning.

    From these two facts, I was certain that this person wasn¡¯t part of the Arts Guild. I summoned divine energy and focused it in my eyes.

    The divinity that had blossomed after the memorial service for the mummy immediately obeyed my will, showing me the dark aura concealed within the old man.

    Under the divine grace of the Arts Guild, there was a disturbing energy hiding.

    It was well concealed, and no one had noticed it, but it couldn¡¯t fool me.

    I am an apostle of the Holy God and an enemy of the Evil God.

    Once I realized his true identity, I almost immediately nned to expose what was hidden behind him. However, I had an interesting thought and raised the corner of my mouth.

    I could expose him directly. The perverted apostle wouldn¡¯t doubt me. It would be clear in no time that he was a follower of the Evil God.

    But, you know, if things went that way, I¡¯d give that idiot too much room to stir up trouble.

    It was obvious. He¡¯d start yelling, saying, ¡°What makes you doubt me?¡± He¡¯d drag in all sorts of bad rumors and use me of harassing innocent people, causing chaos, and eventually meeting a miserable end.

    So, why not make him admit it himself? Let¡¯s make him lose his reason in anger and have him charge at me.

    I approached the old man, smoothing out my expression.

    "Hey, hey. Grandpa, I have a question for you."

    "...Yes?"

    The old man, upon seeing my innocent expression, seemed to wonder why I hade to him.

    "Why are you staring at me with such disgusting eyes when you can¡¯t even stand up properly?"

    But that was only for a moment. As soon as I finished speaking, his face turned bright red.

    The anger on the old man''s face was so intense that it could have made a child burst into tears, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t even intimidate me a little.

    Instead, his anger only brought me the sense of superiority and joy that the <em>Mesugaki</em> skill provided.

    Yes, this is it. You can see the fun when they spring up after being poked.

    I hadn¡¯t had such a fun toy in a long time, so I chuckled and continued speaking.

    "Why are you frowning?? No matter how much strength you put into it, it won¡¯t bring the dead back to life, you know??"

    "...You¡¯re rude, arrogant, andpletelycking in dignity."

    "Ah!? Could it be that you''re standing, but that¡¯s all you can do?? <em>Pfft</em>? Sorry~? I didn¡¯t realize~? What a mistake~?"

    Maybe it was because my words were so sharp, but the faces of the guild members who were listening to me became pale. I didn¡¯t stop, though.

    "Are you mad?? Do you want to punish me?? Go ahead? I mean, with your weak old body, what could you possibly do??"

    I leaned in, daring him to strike me, but I saw the old man¡¯s tightly clenched fist stretching out.

    His fist, despite being hidden in wrinkles, was stronger than I could have imagined, but from my perspective, it was simply clumsy.

    Compared to Arthur, who once exploded in anger and begged me to let him hit me with a p, the old man¡¯s fist seemed like a joke.

    Easily grabbing the old man¡¯s fist, I gradually added pressure between my fingers.

    The old man, unable to endure the pain as his hand twisted, copsed onto the floor, letting out a scream.

    "Are you really that happy that I¡¯m holding your hand?? Kneeling down to express your gratitude~?"

    "You... you little...!"

    <em>Pffhahaha</em>? I grinned at the old man¡¯s pitiful words.

    "Ha!? I know this must be your first time holding a woman¡¯s hand, but it¡¯s still kind of gross? I feel like throwing up?"

    "Lady Allen! Stop it! Even if you¡¯re who you are¡­!"

    Just as the guild leader, who had barely regained hisposure, shouted to stop me, the follower of the Evil God removed his mask and unleashed his true power.

    As the divine harmony of the Arts Guild faded, it was reced by an emptiness.

    An energy that is nothing, yet can be anything. It exists because it has nothing.

    The follower of the Evil God attempted to invade me with his power, but it was impossible.

    The divine power I held, from the Holy God, filled the emptiness of his power with light.

    As I watched the follower¡¯s pale face, feeling the gap in our powers, I couldn¡¯t help but mock him openly.

    "How pathetic~? You can¡¯t even control your emotions~? Your acting is so clumsy~? You¡¯re so weak that you¡¯re overwhelmed by a little girl~? And to top it off, you¡¯re such a useless eunuch who can¡¯t even get it up~? What¡¯s the point of even living??"

    "Shut... Gahhh!"

    The old man, his face turning bright red with rage, tried to pour out his anger, but before he could, my foot met his nose with a crisp crack.

    With the sound of bones breaking, the old man rolled across the floor, eventually hitting the wall, twitching a few times before losing consciousness.

    With the old man fainted, the power that had concealed his true form lifted, revealing a man in his mid-twenties, hidden beneath his disguise.

    "...What the hell."

    "What do you think it is? Your guild is so low-level that you were tricked by such a pathetic guy."

    I scolded the guild leader and hummed as I walked out of the meeting hall.

    It felt good to y with a fun toy again. It was like all my stress was melting away.

    <Lucy.>@@novelbin@@

    ¡®...What¡¯s wrong, Grandpa?¡¯

    I stopped humming when I heard Grandpa¡¯s unusually stern voice and looked at him cautiously.

    <Do you really not know what you¡¯ve done?>

    ¡®Uh, well...¡¯

    Did I do something wrong just now? I might have acted emotionally, but in the end, the result was good, wasn¡¯t it?

    I stopped the Arts Guild from falling into the trap and even found the Evil God¡¯s infiltrator. Oh, maybe...

    ¡®Are you talking about how I recklessly approached the Evil God¡¯s follower?¡¯

    <I know your strength, so why would I be worried about that?>

    ¡®...Well, then what is it? I really don¡¯t understand.¡¯

    <Haaah.>

    After hearing Grandpa¡¯s sigh, I reflexively flinched my shoulder. Cal and Erin, who were with me, asked what happened, but I shrugged and quickly dismissed it, heading back toward the drawing room.

    <Do you think a nobledy should be so loud and provocative like that?!>

    ¡®...Ah, you mean that?¡¯

    <Is there any bigger mistake than this!>

    ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never spoken like that before.¡¯

    I¡¯ve provoked people with harsh words plenty of times, so what¡¯s the big deal now?

    ¡®Besides, I don¡¯t even want to say those things.¡¯

    <So you¡¯re trying to fool me! You said those things of your own volition!>

    ¡®It was because I thought it would make him angry.¡¯

    <That¡¯s not something you should brush off so easily! A girl who hasn¡¯t even been formally betrothed shouldn¡¯t be speaking like that! Others may allow it, but I can¡¯t!>

    Grandpa¡¯s lecturing went on endlessly, sounding like a serious matter to him.

    Of course, I didn¡¯t take it seriously. My refinement and dignity were shattered before I even stepped into this world.

    With <em>Mesugaki</em> skill, there¡¯s no way I could fix that, so what¡¯s the point of taking Grandpa¡¯s scolding seriously?

    Before Grandpa¡¯s scolding ended, the perverted apostle, who had returned, had a look of sadness on his face.

    It was clear where the sadness came from: mourning for the old man, who had been stripped of his disguise by the follower of the Evil God.

    The perverted apostle tried to hide his heavy heart behind a smile and told me what had happened in the meeting room after I left.

    "Thanks to you, Lady Allen, everything went smoothly. The follower of the Evil God was the one who was pushing for this more aggressively than anyone."

    By revealing the follower¡¯s true identity, public opinion had shifted, and the ns the Arts Guild had set were scrapped.

    "In return, we decided to increase surveince within the guild. There could be more infiltrators."

    The perverted apostle continued, now speaking with sincerity, thanking me.

    "Thank you very much, Lady Allen. If it weren¡¯t for you, we would have never noticed that someone had infiltrated our ranks. We wouldn¡¯t even have been able to pray for Bishop Yurik¡¯s soul."

    He bowed his head, saying that if I had any requests, I should ask.

    The apostle, wanting to repay his debt, seemed eager to do whatever I asked.

    Hearing this, I didn¡¯t hesitate and spoke.

    "First, take all that perverted energy you¡¯ve gathered and teach it to the useless Erin. She¡¯s pathetic enough, but her self-esteem is at rock bottom, it¡¯sughable."

    "If Lady Erin wishes, I will dly do so."

    "And do what you did at the end-of-term party again. Your touch is disgusting and revolting, but I¡¯ll endure it this time."

    "It¡¯s an honor. I will dly do so."

    "Lastly, let the old man who got yed by the Evil God know the truth. I want to say something to that fool who got tricked."

    At my final request, the perverted apostle looked up at me, meeting my gaze, his eyes red as he bit his lip.

    "This is Prete. I swear on the name of the goddess, I will do whatever it takes to make sure your voice reaches Bishop Yurik. Your beautiful mourning will surely bring peace to his restless spirit!"

    I didn¡¯t respond and turned my head.

    Then, I heard the sound of tears falling from behind me.

 Chapter 400

    I nkly stared at the message, then I remembered that there were people around me looking at me, so I quickly closed my eyes.

    If I just stared into space, I would definitely think something strange.

    Was the message I just saw from the crow goddess?

    ... How did the leader of the perverts of the art cult send me a message?

    I know you can send messages.

    Even though you are a sloppy and unprincipled pervert, you are still a god. You can probably convey messages to people on Earth like you did in the game.@@novelbin@@

    But sending messages directly is limited to your own apostles. Isn''t it impossible for you to send messages to me, an apostle of another god?

    While thinking about this and that, I wondered if my memory was wrong, so I looked back on my memories before I was possessed.

    The basis of the game Soul Academy is ultimately the confrontation between good and evil gods.

    The evil gods are trying to achieve their own resurrection by using their followers, and the good gods are also doing their best to stop him.

    When you be a second-year student at the academy and start going outside the academy, you can experience this through various quests.

    For example, you can help the good gods'' apostles who are doing their best to stop the evil gods'' power, or follow in the footsteps of the few true priests of the Lord''s Church who sacrificed their lives.

    If you do this, you will naturally catch the eye of the good gods and the evil gods, and in this situation, if you meet certain conditions, you can be an apostle of the good gods.

    If you be an apostle, you can receive various quests directly from the gods, just like I am receiving various messages from the Lord now.

    Of course, the quests given in the game are not as spontaneous and yful as the Lord gives them.

    Anyway, if I remember correctly, the crow goddess cannot send me messages.

    Even if it''s not this setting. Since there''s a pervert apostle right next to me, it''s okay to tell me the story through him.

    But you''re ignoring the sloppy god who''s looking at me and trying to contact me directly. Does that make sense?

    Sloppy god. Are you really sloppy because I''m always sloppy? Are you so sloppy that you''re ignored by the guy below you?

    - Tiring.

    - Tiring.

    As I was thinking that, notification sounds rang in my ears one after another.

    I don''t know if it''s the sloppy god or the crow goddess, but whoever it is, let''s do it moderately.

    Can''t you see the serious atmosphere around you right now! It''s okay to send a message after work is over, you perverts!

    - Tiring.

    - Tiring.

    - Tiring.

    Eventually, I couldn''t hold it in any longer and opened my eyes, blinking at the many messages lined up in front of me.

    [Ah. Why! I''m not trying to do anything bad!]

    [I told you I''d give you a blessing?!]

    [I''ll give you something good!]

    [Why are you being so deadly!]

    [I think monopolizing this kind of art is bad!]

    [God, stop your tyranny! Stop it!]

    ...What is this.

    <What''s going on?>

    I was so dumbfounded that I forgot about my surroundings and just stood there nkly, when my grandfather spoke with concern.

    ''Uh. That.''

    I was wondering how to exin this, but soon realized there was no answer and shook my head.

    ''...It''s nothing.''

    Let''s say the crow goddess spoke to me. But how can I convince her that the goddess, the author, is protesting to God in an unjust way!

    <Hmm. Well, then I understand.>

    Fortunately, my grandfather didn''t press me any further.

    - Tiring.

    [Isn''t that a bit too much? Even though she''s Lucy Allen.]

    [Can''t you do something else? There are many good things among my blessings.]

    [Ugh. Okay. Okay. I understand. If it''s for Lucy Allen, our Frete will understand.]

    While I was relieved that I didn''t have to exin, the crow goddess seemed to have negotiated something with the god.

    No. Hey. You sloppy god. Don''t you think it''s wrong to make a deal with a crow without even asking for my opinion, the center of the deal? You could at least ask for my opinion.

    If you left the negotiation to me, I''d be confident that I could take everything from the crow!

    - Tiring.

    [...Huh? Are you kidding me? Lucy Allen was watching all this? There''s no way.]

    [Excuse me. Miss Lucy? If you see this message, would you close and open your left eye?]

    I don''t know what''s going on, but I did as I was told, and silence returned.

    Why did you throw away all your dignity and grace? You didn''t know I was watching.

    - Tiring.

    [Apostle of the Lord. I''m sorry. I caused you trouble.]

    Even if you act dignified now. When I frowned, the crow, who had guessed the situation, sent a sighing message.

    [Is it toote...]

    [Haaah. There''s nothing I can do. Then let''s talkfortably now?]

    The crow''s appearance, realizing that there was no turning back and immediately giving up, was a perfect match for the crow I knew.

    How could it be so different from a game? The size of the sect has grown this much, so shouldn''t it have some dignity that matches it?

    ...No. Now that I think about it, it seems like it would be scary if it changed. Even if it''s a fool, it''s better to be the fool I know.

    [Anyway, I promised to give you a blessing, right? The Lord said something, but you''re the one who will receive the blessing. If you have any wishes, tell me.]

    The crow goddess told me about many things she could do for me, but most of them were about my appearance.

    Her tone, when she said that she wanted to be more beautiful than I was now, was filled with her extremely personal desires.

    Naturally, I ignored all of her words. It''s perverts like you who are interested in my appearance, not me.

    There are countless other good things about me, so why should I ept such inefficient things?

    [Aren''t you interested in my body type? If you want, I could make you a little taller!]

    ...That''s possible?! Really!?

    Is it possible for me to grow taller!?

    Am I finally going to be able to look down on Frey?

    I almost nodded in a fit of haste, but the rotten reason deep inside my heart caught my instincts.

    Calm down. Calm down.

    My height won''t be an important issue in the many trials that lie ahead.

    Even if I were a little taller than I am now, I wouldn''t be able to escape the crisis.

    However, the various rewards I could get from the Raven Goddess are directly helpful to me.

    There''s no need to think about it.

    Just hand it over.

    But if I''m taller and have longer arms, wouldn''t I be able to fight better?

    Originally,bat is all about weight ss.

    Right? Right?

    Anyone can see that it''s a reasonable choice...

    This is it!

    I bit my tongue and barely managed to regain my senses, realizing that I shouldn''t y around with the Raven Goddess any longer.

    I was able to resist temptation somehow for now, but there''s no guarantee that I''ll be able to do so in the future.

    I need to tell her what I want and negotiate quickly!

    Having made that decision, I infused magic into the jewel that Caria had once given me, blocking out the sounds between me and the surroundings before opening my mouth.

    "Raven Goddess. The more you talk, the uglier you be. Could you please be quiet for a moment? If you don¡¯t want to be despised, that would be better.¡±

    Having been treated badly by the foolish fox and the perverted apostle, I was worried that I would be asked to be despised, but fortunately, the crow goddess kept her mouth shut to maintain at least a minimal amount of dignity.

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t really want anything from the crow goddess. If you, the leader of the perverts, were to bless me, I would feel creepy, like bugs walking on my skin.¡±

    [Wait. Wait! Do you want to listen to my story?! There are more good things than what I just said! Seriously!]

    ¡°You¡¯re still babbling. Do you want to be despised that much?¡±

    [No. That.]

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to talk anymore, so I¡¯ll tell you what I want.

    Give me your aesthetic sense. Of all your useless abilities, that¡¯s the best.¡±

    The moment I said aesthetic sense, the crow goddess fell silent again.

    That was expected.

    The passive skill called Aesthetic Sense is a skill that you can only obtain after bing an apostle of the Raven Goddess and rolling around for a long time.

    Even when giving the skill, it was all over the ce, so it wouldn''t be something you would give to someone who had no connection to it, right?

    Even knowing this, the reason I mentioned Aesthetic Sense was closer to the build-up for the next time than the usefulness of the skill.

    The moment you reject this, I''ll find fault with it and take away many blessings.

    I''ve already thought of a few things.

    Many of the skills that the Raven Goddess gives are useless, but if youbine them well.

    [...Ugh. In the end, I have to give it to you.]

    Huh?

    [I can''t help it. It''s also something I agreed on with the Lord, so if you want it, I have no choice but to give it to you.]

    Huh?

    No.

    No.

    Wait.

    Isn''t this what I really want?

    What I want is something else!?

    I tried to shout in confusion, but the crow gave me a blessing faster than I could.

    [The skill ''Aesthetic Sense'' is granted.]

    [You will naturally be able to recognize beauty.]

    ...

    Refund!

    Refund me!

    Give me something else instead of this!

    Where would I use a skill that''s useless except for making money!

    I have so much money right now!

    [This is the most valuable thing I can give you, so please use it well.]

    No! You don''t have to give me the most valuable thing, so take it! Rece it with something else! Please! If you can change it right now, I''ll pray for you!

    [I''ll cheer you on from above. Fighting! You can do it!]

    It''s pointless to try to act warm at the end!?

    And what do you mean by cheering? You''re not saying you''re going to watch from above, are you?!

    Even if you''re a pervert crow, you''re not that bad that you''d dere stalking!

    [The God of Beauty and Art blesses you.]

    [Her energy gives you strength.]

    Crazy. Was it that bad? You openly dered that you''d be a voyeur while babbling nice words!

    Aah! Seriously! You''re not satisfied with a sloppy god, a foolish fox, and a perverted apostle, and now you''re even following a crow goddess!?

    Why are there so many perverts in this damn world!

    Is it because the god is a pervert?!

    That''s right! Damn it!

    I was gritting my teeth in annoyance, but I felt the atmosphere around me was strange, so I quietly released the magic.

    "Ohhh!" ¡°The goddess has blessed me!¡±

    ¡°How can she be so beautiful!¡±

    ¡°Is that person really the incarnation of the goddess?¡±

    I stared nkly at the scene where sadness and excitement coexisted, and I couldn¡¯t stand this atmosphere, so I chose to run away.

    I wonder if I¡¯ll evere to the art world again!

 Chapter 401

    I fled from the funeral home and hid in the church''s reception room. I gently pulled back the curtain to peek at the chaos outside, but when I made eye contact with the people of the church, I hurriedly dropped the curtain.

    ¡°Oh, oh! The incarnation of the Goddess has looked at me! She will give me inspiration!¡± ¡°That person wasn¡¯t looking at you! She was looking at me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! The Goddess¡¯ gaze was directed at me!¡±

    The solemn atmosphere of the funeral was nowhere to be found as the scene outside had turned into a mad frenzy, and once again, I felt the presence of that Goddess and her followers.

    Ordinary followers I could understand, but why were the high-ranking figures, like the high priest and bishops, acting this way? Truly, they were her followers, just as the Goddess was.

    Frowning with a feeling of disgust, I scanned the window. With a sigh, I turned my head inside.

    There were a mangy dog and a bald man with their heads pressed to the ground.

    Despite their master''s difort, they had note to protect him but had just been watching, which seemed to be a punishment. Still, the two of them looked quite rxed.

    Though they were just knights in the Arlen family, elsewhere they likely held more significant roles, so bowing their heads probably wasn¡¯t a big deal for them.

    Knowing this, I didn¡¯t bother to change the nature of the punishment. After all, the intention seemed less about the physical difort and more about shaving away their pride.

    ¡°...Hey. Lucy?¡±

    ¡°What is it? Other than your soft fur, you¡¯re nothing but a useless fox.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you let me go soon? If you keep this up, I might actually lose my mind.¡±

    ¡°You really arecking in intelligence. That¡¯s the point¡ªto make you lose your mind. How dumb.¡±

    The fox in my arms shuddered, trying to protest with a trembling voice, but I ignored herints.

    She used to say she would protect me from the other perverts, but now, when I actually need her, she joins them?

    I¡¯ll never forgive you. Until you leave the church, you¡¯re just going to be my doll for mental healing.

    I easily subdued the fox and sat down on the sofa, looking around.

    Before I gained the Aesthetic Sense skill, I had looked around this reception room without much thought. It just seemed neat and nice.

    But now, with the skill, things were different. Having received a blessing from the stalker crow, I could understand just how meticulously this reception room had been designed.

    From the arrangement of the furniture to the color scheme between the furniture and walls, the design of the dishes used, and even the small, seemingly insignificant details¡ªall of them were infused with an artistic sense.

    The one who designed this had to be the perverted apostle. No one else could have pulled off such entricity.

    As I marveled at the greatness of the perverted apostle, I suddenly had an interesting thought.

    In the game, the Aesthetic Sense skill was useless except for buying expensive items cheaply.

    It was a handy skill if you were ying as a merchant and wanted to maximize your profits, but it had no real meaning otherwise.

    But that was in the game. Now that the game had be reality, maybe the situation could be different? For instance, finding the beauty in martial arts and optimizing it...

    ¡°Trash dog.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Lady!¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you stop barking? It¡¯s so noisy. Or are you trying to protest against me on purpose?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I will correct it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t want forgiveness, huh? You want to insult me on purpose? You perverted bastard. You¡¯re so disgusting I don¡¯t even want to step on you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Lady.¡±

    ¡°Shut up. Don¡¯t say anything. Just get up and swing your sword.¡±

    It could have been a rather strange request, but the sword immediately got up and followed mymand.

    In an instant, the sword drawn from the sword belt cut through the air. The sword, which I had seen countless times in the Arlen territory, now appeared new to my eyes.

    The first thing that caught my attention was the hand holding the sword. His hand, which had swung swords for a long time, was perfectly molded to the sword.

    To someone who didn¡¯t understand martial arts, it might seem impressive, but to my eyes, having gained Aesthetic Sense, the hand seemed like a work of art.

    The sword path created by him was the same. At first nce, it might seem like nothing, but to me, now, it looked as precious as gold.

    But it didn¡¯t seem perfect. Something was missing. Just a little more, and it would truly be beautiful, but I couldn¡¯t figure out what that missing part was.

    Ahhh! It¡¯s so frustrating!

    ¡°Do you need more?¡±

    I frowned as I thought, and the sword cautiously asked.

    ¡°Try again.¡±

    I focused on finding the w in his sword path, but the more I furrowed my brows, the more frustrated I became.

    Eventually, unable to find an answer, I returned the sword to its ce and sat down on top of the bald man.

    ¡°Ah, Lady!?¡±

    ¡°Am I hearing things? Why is the chair speaking?¡±

    The bald man said, his voice full of confusion, but after my next words, he closed his mouth tight. He had realized he was the one being punished.

    The sword too, I imagined, must be wondering why the bald man had taken his ce now.

    Though I didn¡¯t know why, I crossed my arms while sitting on the trembling bald man''s back and thought about the potential of the Aesthetic Sense skill I had just witnessed.

    In the end, Aesthetic Sense was, as the name suggested, instinctual. It was something you naturally learned by seeing with your eyes and feeling with your body.

    In the game, I hadn¡¯t been able to find a way to describe it, so they had turned it into a useless skill. But now that it had be reality, things were different.

    Now, I could not only recognize the value of things but also find beauty in everything I see and feel.

    No wonder the crow had been making such a fuss.

    This is truly a broken skill!

    I hummed in delight, and as I thought I now understood why the fox and the perverted apostle were making such a fuss, I stood up from the bald man¡¯s back.

    Hmm.

    Hmm...

    It is certainly pretty and cute.

    But is there really anything to touch?

    It does naturally draw attention wherever I go.

    But is it really worth causing this much of a fuss?

    I looked at my reflection in a full-length mirror, wondering if it might be different if I acted coquettishly. I tried moving around, but in the end, I couldn¡¯t rte to the perverts.

    No matter how pretty I am, I guess it¡¯s hard to immerse myself in myself. Narcissists must be something truly special.

    Thud!@@novelbin@@

    Hearing a sound like something crashing, I turned my head and saw the perverted apostle copsed outside the door, frozen in ce.

    Oh. How long has he been watching? Probably not long! Right!?

    <Since you were puffing up your cheeks.>

    "...Why didn¡¯t you say anything earlier!?"

    <Does it matter? It¡¯s a heartwarming thing to watch a cute kid acting cute.>

    ¡®It¡¯s not heartwarming for the person involved!!¡¯

    Blushing in embarrassment and stomping my feet, I heard a cough from the side.

    Erin and Alsethin were trying hard to stifle theirughter, turning their heads.

    Realizing there was no way out of this embarrassing situation, I pulled my knees to my chest on the sofa and buried my face in the fox¡¯s fur.

    The fox, who had long since fainted, quietly covered my flushed face.

    The entire church gathered to see Lucy Arlen off. After she left, the priest of the art church, drenched in heat from the street outside, returned to his workce and let out a long sigh.

    He knew he had more than enough work to do, but none of it seemed to matter. The inspiration left by Lucy Arlen, who was hard to believe was the same person, almost seemed more convincing as the incarnation of the Goddess herself, stirring his heart.

    If he weren''t the high priest, he would have already been embracing his inspiration, like the other followers.

    ...Do I really have to work now?

    It would be fine to postpone the tasks, but this inspiration, if I don¡¯t follow it now, might just slip away.

    Even if some problems arise, wouldn¡¯tpleting this artwork that raises the prestige of the church benefit the church in the long run?

    As the high priest continued rationalizing, the door to his office opened, and Frete appeared.

    Entering without knocking was certainly against manners, but neither the priest nor Frete seemed to care.

    For the two of them, the little formalities had no meaning anymore¡ªthey¡¯d been working together for a long time.

    ¡°Did she leave well?¡±

    ¡°She shouted that all the perverts here should be thrown into prison before leaving.¡±

    ¡°Well, it seems I won¡¯t be able to bring the youngdy back.¡±

    ¡°Who knows. She did say that she would never step into a ce with a perverted bastard like you as an apostle before.¡±

    Frete¡¯s smile made the high priest¡¯s expression harden.

    You bastard. You¡¯ve been monopolizing her all this time. The other followers, fine, but as the high priest, you should have shared that joy with me!

    ¡°Hmm. Your expression looks strange.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not strange, I¡¯m ring at you.¡±

    ¡°Not showing proper respect to an apostle?¡±

    ¡°And you, shouldn¡¯t you be showing respect to the high priest of the church?¡±

    ¡°Respect?¡±

    When Frete let out a chuckle, the high priest¡¯s face twisted, but his anger didn¡¯tst long.

    Before the high priest could truly shout, Frete pulled a painting from his coat.

    The image of Lucy Arlen, puffing up her cheeks in front of a mirror, was captured so vividly in the painting, it seemed to capture the scene perfectly.

    ¡°Who should be the one showing respect?¡±

    ¡°¡­What is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a painting of the youngdy when she was looking into the mirror and being all coy. I swear, as an apostle, I guarantee this painting perfectly captures the real scene.¡±

    The high priest, unable to stop himself, swallowed his saliva as he gazed at the painting, but after a long moment of contemtion, she shook her head to dispel the temptation.

    ¡°There are at least five more paintings like this. Are you sure you don¡¯t want them?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry! High priest apostle! I didn¡¯t know my ce!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t say it. There was simply too much in Frete¡¯s hands to argue against.

    Even though the high priest quietly admitted defeat and bowed his head, Frete¡¯s arrogance didn¡¯t seem to lessen at all.

    ¡°Is this all the high priest of the church is capable of?¡±

    What¡¯s this? Does he have something else? What more is there?

    Seeing the high priest¡¯s confused gaze as he slowly raised his head, Frete folded his arms smugly and continued.

    ¡°I¡¯vee to ask for permission to freely work on artwork rted to Lady Arlen.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡±

    ¡°On the Goddess¡¯ name?¡±

    ¡°On my artwork¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°Fuck! Hey! Frete! I love you, you bastard!¡±

    ¡°Please leave, High Priest! Why are you making such a scene between us!?¡±

 Chapter 402

    Lucy, who had been waiting to teleport, frowned as she remembered the perverted apostle and the other trash who had clung to her when she left the church.

    The starting point of that chaos was the perverted apostle. Up until then, he had been so grateful, constantly bowing and saying, "If you need any help, call me anytime." But in front of the perverted followers of the church, he suddenly made his request.

    "Lady Arlen, would you grant me permission to express the inspiration I gained from you as art?"

    The perverted apostle had twisted his words, but the intention was clear. Just like he had once painted my portrait, he wanted to create an artwork with me as the subject.

    When I heard that, I immediately rejected the idea with a serious expression.

    What did they think would happen if I let these crazy people run wild?

    When I heard that the perverted apostle had been singing songs about me, I was already terribly embarrassed. I didn¡¯t want to experience anything worse than that!

    The apostle backed off reluctantly, but the church¡¯s perverted followers didn¡¯t.

    Hearing my rejection, their faces fell as if the world had ended, and soon, one by one, they began kneeling beside me.

    ¡°O incarnation of the Goddess! Please! Please grant us your permission!¡±

    ¡°Please, I beg you! You may take my life, but please allow my inspiration to be expressed!¡±

    ¡°Please reconsider! I will never cause you any harm!¡±

    The sight of grown men bowing their heads and crying in front of a girl was so disgusting it was almost unbearable.

    I wondered if this was what it felt like to be a noble during the Joseon Dynasty, hearing their subjects beg for mercy, but even so, my resolve did not waver.

    In fact, seeing that spectacle only made my resolve stronger. The moment I gave them permission, I could already imagine the kind of ridiculous things that would happen.

    When I heard that they were willing to give me half of the profits from the art, with the rest being donated to the world, I was a little tempted, but even then, I was able to reject their offer.

    The moment I broke down was because of one painting that the perverted apostle showed me.

    "Lady, please, at least look at this draft before making your decision."

    He carefully pulled out a piece of paper from his coat, and on it was a drawing of me looking into a mirror and puffing up my cheeks.

    The image, drawn with the Aesthetic Sense skill, depicted me trying to appreciate my own beauty.

    I remembered just having woken up from fainting not long ago, and I couldn¡¯t understand how he could create a picture so detailed, almost like a photograph.

    Even though he must have rushed toplete it, why was it so beautifully done without any ws?

    Staring at the picture with aplex feeling, the perverted apostle proudly spoke.

    ¡°Such beauty should not remain only in our memories!¡±

    The perverted apostle shouted without an ounce of malice, but to me, his words were clearly a threat.

    Not only had he seen me acting coy in front of a mirror, but he also wanted to immortalize it in a painting. Wasn''t this an attempt to socially assassinate me?

    Proudly boasting about having more paintings like this, the perverted apostle pushed me to the brink. I couldn¡¯t bear to watch my personal history spread to others.

    But after discussing with my grandfather, I imposed a few restrictions. Whether they would be effective or not, that was yet to be seen.

    ¡°Lady Arlen, you may enter now.¡±

    Having left the church, I chose to visit the Teresha Empire¡¯s Arena instead of heading straight to the Arlen Territory.

    With not much time left before I returned to the academy, I needed to find a recement for my broken armor.

    In the meantime, I could also see if my Aesthetic Sense could help me in selecting the right gear.

    As expected, the people in the arena streets recognized me. Not only did my appearance stand out, but the things I had done there were too numerous to forget.

    Perhaps because of that, as soon as it became known that I was looking for armor, all sorts of street vendors came rushing to direct me to their cksmiths.

    ¡°At our forge¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been supplying weapons to the territory for a long time¡­¡±

    ¡°If youe to our forge¡­¡±

    I had nned to look around at several forges from the start, so I followed them and inspected the weapons on disy.

    To sum it up quickly, there were no proper forges among the shy ones.

    They were decent enough, but that was about it.

    Even without Aesthetic Sense, I would have skipped most of them. There were a few decent forges, but even their weapons weren¡¯t that impressive from my perspective with Aesthetic Sense.

    It would be better to repair my broken armor than to wear something like that, so I simply passed them by.

    As I visited one forge after another, I began to sense the atmosphere of the cksmiths growing more hostile.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? This armor was praised by the Lord himself!¡±

    It was obvious what the cksmith was thinking.

    Since I didn¡¯t say anything and just shook my head, he probably thought I was a naive kid ying around.

    But the truth was, I was staying silent because I was worried it might lead to a fight.

    The other cksmiths watching this scene seemed to think the same way, their eyes sharp with tension.

    Do they really think this is good?

    For an average person, the armor wasn¡¯t bad, but for someone like me, it was far too shabby.

    Hmm. It feels like a waste of time to keep looking at the goods from these amateurs, and the way they look down on me, thinking I¡¯m small and cute, is starting to annoy me. Maybe it¡¯s time to set them straight.

    ¡°Hey, ugly old man, don¡¯t you see anything wrong with this?¡±

    ¡°...What do you mean by ¡®wrong¡¯?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t see it? Hmm, shorty, what do you think? Does this look good to you?¡±

    ¡°What are you saying¡­¡±

    ¡°Anyone else? No one? Is no one going to speak?¡±

    I looked around at the other cksmiths, but none of them stepped forward. They were all too busy watching each other¡¯s reactions to say anything.

    I thought cksmiths would be more entric and unpredictable, but it seems like reality is a bit different.

    This is boring.

    With no one standing up, I pouted and grabbed the armor in front of me, crumpling it with my hands.

    The sight of the armor, made of fairly good metal, breaking so easily made the room fall silent.

    No one expected it to break so easily.

    ¡°How can you be working as a cksmith with skills like this? I guess all of you here are just amateurs.¡±

    I tossed the bent armor in front of the cksmith and, smirking, tapped his chest lightly before speaking with a mocking voice.

    ¡°Spend your life making stuff like this. But don¡¯te out into the streets. If you see any real goods, you¡¯ll regret ever stepping outside.¡±

    Leaving the trembling cksmith behind, no one tried to stop me as I walked out.

    They knew that they could end up in the same position as him, so they didn¡¯t dare intervene.

    If I had known it woulde to this, I should have just gone straight to Arlen Territory. What a waste of time.

    Anyway, in a few months, I would be looking for semi-final level armor, so maybe I¡¯ll just repair what I already have for now.

    <Do you think it¡¯ll work? The armor you¡¯ve been wearing is already at its limit. No matter how much you repair it, it¡¯ll be worse than not wearing it.>

    ¡®Then maybe I should just not wear armor? At my level, wearing any regr armor would just get in the way anyway.¡¯

    <That¡¯s not a bad idea. Wearing armor weaker than your own body would just hinder you.>

    As I continued discussing with my grandfather, still searching for a faint hope, I spotted something shining in an alley in the cksmith district and tilted my head.

    That looks... simr to the feeling I got from the sword¡¯s hand.

    With curiosity in mind, I trusted my Aesthetic Sense and headed toward the alley.

    The forge inside the alley was impossible to describe in a positive light.

    The shabby, old building looked like it would copse the moment a heavy rain hit.@@novelbin@@

    However, the weapons on disy inside the forge were different.

    The worn-out weapons had no shy decorations, but each one was of exceptional quality, enough to make any warrior covet them.

    Even the mangy dog and the bald man were clearly struggling to hold on to one of the weapons with wide eyes.

    ¡°Customer, we apologize, but why would the Lady of Arlene to such a humble ce¡­¡±

    ¡°You fool, why would someone as noble as mee to this filthy ce?¡±

    I shed the token I received as a reward for winning in the arena, and the cksmith¡¯s eyes trembled.

    ¡°What is this? Is this not enough? You¡¯re greedy despite being so shabby¡­¡±

    ¡°No! Of course not! How could the token given by the lord be insufficient! But, our master is currently away, so we are not producing any weapons at the moment.¡±

    After hearing the exnation that they were not making any weapons but would customize the ones already made, I sighed deeply.

    I had finally found a decent ce, but they weren¡¯t doing business right now?

    I was really frustrated, but the quality of the weapons was so good that I knew I couldn¡¯t find anything better elsewhere.

    Hmm. Hmmm.

    ¡°Well, then just bring out the best armor you have made. Even if you can¡¯t do anything else, you should at least manage that.¡±

    After thinking for a while, I finally decided topromise with reality.

    The armor they had already made would surely be better than the junk made by the other cksmiths.

    ¡°Armor...?¡±

    The cksmith, after looking me up and down, thought for a while before going inside and bringing out a set of armor.

    The cksmith rambled on about the metal and its features, but I wasn¡¯t listening.

    I had already decided to buy it even before he started talking.

    What really caught my attention was the seal stamped on the armor¡ªan artisan¡¯s seal that could only be found on items crafted by the legendary cksmiths in the Soul Academy¡¯s world!

 Chapter 403

    There are several ways to acquire good items in the game Soul Academy.

    One is to ovee trials and earn them, like how I obtained a shield with my grandfather.

    Another way is toplete various quests to earn them.

    You can also improve your cksmithing skills and craft them yourself.

    Finally, you can find a cksmith capable of crafting certain items and have them make it for you.

    The cksmith who uses the seal on the armor I''m holding is definitely the type of NPC that falls into thest category.

    Once a devotee of the God of the Forge, he handed down his role to the next generation and left the temple to live his life.

    A quirky man who now strikes his hammer freely, having put down his burdens.

    Among the cksmith NPCs in the game, he was considered one of the best.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the irresponsible fool who left a half-wit like you behind?¡±

    ¡°His name is Anuki.¡±

    Anuki. That¡¯s one of the aliases he goes by.

    My guess was right. This forge is where hidden items can be crafted.

    Every time a new game starts, the location changes, so even veteran yers must rely on luck to find this forge. I never imagined I woulde across it like this.

    It seems my luck is pretty good.

    The frustration I felt from the so-called cksmiths earlier vanished as I realized this, and I smiled. But then, I remembered one problem.

    Tomission Anuki to craft something, I would need to take a quest from him, but would it be possible for me to get a quest right now?

    No matter how I phrase it, my words would end up being tranted in a mesugaki way, and a proud entric cksmith like him wouldn¡¯t just ept it.

    Having given up on most quests in the game due to my reputation, I felt frustrated in the face of reality.

    ...Honestly, the hidden items Anuki can craft aren¡¯t really essential.

    They¡¯re just one of the materials for endgame equipment, but even without them, clearing the game wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    Still, it¡¯s a bit of a shame! Since this world isn¡¯t a game, having overpowered items isn¡¯t a matter of ¡°no fun¡± ¨C it¡¯s a necessity!

    As I continued to ponder, I decided to at least try meeting him and asked the cksmith when Anuki would return.

    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know either. He left with a note saying he had to find a certain material and left in a hurry.¡±

    The cksmith, with a half-heartedugh, didn¡¯t seem to be lying.

    Is there something Anuki needs to find at this point?

    I don¡¯t know. He always moves on his own terms, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he was doing something unexpected.

    ¡°If Master returns, I¡¯ll let him know that Lady Arlen is looking for him.¡±

    Having agreed to that, I handed him the token and requested the armor and the sword for the bald man and the mangy dog.

    If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll pay the difference. Fortunately, it seemed the token given by the lord was valuable enough, as the cksmith confirmed it would be sufficient.

    ¡°Please wait a moment. I need to adjust it to fit the Lady¡¯s measurements.¡±

    Anuki¡¯s disciple had impressive skill. Without even measuring my body, just by looking at me once, he crafted armor that fit perfectly.

    Even with Aesthetic Sense, I couldn¡¯t find anything that needed changing on the armor. I couldn¡¯t help but feel the desire to bring this cksmith to the Arlen Territory.

    If things go well when I meet Anukiter, maybe I¡¯ll try to bring both of them.

    But considering how the mesugaki skill trantes, things might not go well, so I¡¯ll need to find another way to approach them¡ªperhaps a proposal they can¡¯t refuse.

    After returning to the Arlen Territory, I took a day¡¯s rest before taking over the indoor training facility.

    No one voiced anyints. Who could object when I, the daughter of Benedict, wanted to use the facility?

    In fact, there was no reason for anyone to object. The indoor training facility at the Arlen estate was mostly empty for about 300 days a year.

    Whenever it rained, the crazy people would train outside because they liked the rain, and when it snowed, they¡¯d train in the snow. So, there was rarely a need to use the indoor facility.

    As a result, only Erin and I were using therge indoor training facility.

    Honestly, I thought about sending Erin away, but she would get all upset, saying that if I told her to leave, she¡¯d have no use there. So, it was impossible.

    ording to the housekeeper, when I¡¯m not around, Erin manages to keep the older ones in line, but when I¡¯m here, she acts all weak. I don¡¯t get it.

    What¡¯s the deal?

    I shook my head as I watched Erin, who was just smiling at me even though I red at her.

    I then looked at the full-length mirror in front of me and fixed my posture.

    The reason I took over the indoor training facility was to get used to my new armor, but the real reason was different.

    I wanted to use the mirror to observe my movements and then correct them using my Aesthetic Sense.

    From what I¡¯d experienced with the skill so far, it wasn¡¯t just about outer beauty.

    ''Aesthetic Sense'' seeks a deeper beauty, not just superficial appearances. Like how I found beauty in the hands of the sword, which might seem strange to others, or how I appreciated the almost copsing forge as beautiful, Aesthetic Sense focuses on the inherent beauty, not just appearances.

    This means if I can correct any awkward parts ording to Aesthetic Sense, I should be able to move more efficiently.

    With this conclusion in mind, I decided to train in the indoor facility to raise my stagnant skills and also to level up.

    Hmm. First, I should practice swinging the mace.

    I began the movements I had repeated thousands of times, and as I did, I realized there were more parts that needed fixing than I had expected. I tilted my head in confusion.

    I had expected there to be some changes, but I didn¡¯t think there would be so many.

    No wonder, though. The way I¡¯ve been swinging the mace is based on what my grandfather taught me directly.

    What¡¯s the problem? The weaknesses pointed out by Aesthetic Sense seem to be correct, so there must be something wrong.

    I kept changing the shape of my swings, but I still couldn¡¯t find an answer.@@novelbin@@

    Ugh! This is so frustrating!

    If something¡¯s wrong, why doesn¡¯t it tell me why it¡¯s wrong?!

    Just calling it ¡°bad¡± isn¡¯t enough!

    It needs to be specific. What exactly is wrong so that I can improve!

    As expected, the mesugaki skill iscking in crucial areas.

    I was wrong to expect anything from that crow.

    As I grumbled while looking into the mirror, I eventually asked my grandfather for help.

    ¡°Grandfather, this might sound strange, but there are a few parts where I feel awkward when swinging the mace.¡±

    <Apart from the awkwardness?>

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s... well¡­¡±

    When I shared the awkward parts pointed out by Aesthetic Sense, my grandfather let out a hum.

    <Hmm... You find that part awkward?>

    ¡°Yes. Why is that?¡±

    <Wait a moment. Let me think.>

    After thinking for a while, my grandfather finally chuckled and admitted that he had misunderstood something.

    <Lucy, as you know, your physique is quite different from the other knights.>

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true.¡±

    I didn¡¯t find it hard to understand what he meant by ¡°different.¡±

    To put it simply, I¡¯m really small.

    Compared to girls my age, even Freya, who¡¯s small, would need to be raised up.

    <So, if I teach you the way I was taught, it¡¯s bound to cause problems. My methods are based on the elite knights, and they don¡¯t fit your body.>

    My grandfather¡¯s teachings were based on the elite knights.

    No matter how much I adjust them to fit my body, there will always be awkwardness since they¡¯re based on a standard of normal knights.

    <You¡¯ve been doing well following my methods so far, but if you¡¯re feeling awkward, I¡¯ll have to create a martial art specifically for you.>

    ¡°Is that even possible?¡±

    <I couldn¡¯t do it alone. The hero helped me a lot when I created my martial style.>

    ¡°Then what should we do? Should I find someone to help?¡±

    <No need. The person who can help is already here.>

    ¡°Here? Erin... no, I don¡¯t think the fox would know much about a mace. Is there someone I don¡¯t know?¡±

    <It¡¯s you, Lucy. You¡¯ll have to help me.>

    ¡°...Me?¡±

    <Yes. I¡¯ll try my various methods, and you tell me where the awkwardness is. Eventually, we¡¯ll remove the awkwardness, and that¡¯s when I¡¯ll have created a martial art tailored for you.>

    Understanding what my grandfather meant, I smiled as usual, then fixed my posture again.

    ¡°Well, I guess I have no choice. Since you¡¯ve helped me so much, I¡¯ll endure any shorings.¡±

    <Haha! Yes, you endure! I¡¯ll think desperately until I create something perfect!>

    My grandfather,ughing loudly, suggested I try swinging differently, and as I mimicked him, I passed on what Aesthetic Sense pointed out to him.

    Finding a way that suited me was not easy, but I didn¡¯t feel any boredom or frustration.

    After all, this grind was something I had done endlessly in Soul Academy, and more than that, talking with my grandfather and improving bit by bit was an enjoyable experience.

    So, I spent my time in the indoor training facility, discussing with my grandfather until it was time to head to Soul Academy Street.

    About a week before the Academy¡¯s reopening, I returned to the Academy to unpack and head to my room.

    Although I had been away for months, the room was spotless, not a speck of dust in sight.

    It must have been thanks to the people who worked here, keeping it clean.

    Since the fox had left to meet its real body, I was able to tidy up the room without any distractions. Just as I was organizing my things, someone knocked on the door.

    ¡°Lucy, are you in there?¡±

    It was Freya. She usually arrived just before the Academy reopened in the game, so her early arrival surprised me.

    I wondered what it was about, so I opened the door, and as soon as she saw my face, she broke into a bright smile.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. I missed you.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s up, idiot knight?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s duel. I¡¯m going to win this time.¡±

    ...Right, she was like this.

    I shouldn¡¯t have worried.

    Sighing deeply, I debated whether to just kick Freya out, but after hearing my grandfather¡¯s words, I changed my mind.

    <Isn¡¯t she a good enough opponent to test what we¡¯ve been working on?>

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Her talent is real, after all.¡±

    After finishing my internal debate, I met Freya¡¯s pleading gaze and smirked.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to win? Someone like you?¡±

    ¡°Yep. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Pfft, go ahead. Try all you want. No matter how hard you try, all you¡¯ll do is highlight your own ipetence.¡±

 Chapter 405

    Born in the Newman family, a sickly child, Chester Newman was often told that it would be better if he just died quickly. As he looked over the streets of the Academy, he couldn''t help but let out a light chuckle.

    He had already seen this scenery once before, but every time he looked at it, it felt new. Having spent most of his life locked away in a mansion, every sight seemed beautiful to him.

    Up until a year ago, life had been nothing but pain for Chester.

    A life of groaning in agony, closing his eyes in pain, and screaming as he woke, repeating the same cycle.

    It was a small girl who saved him from that life.

    A girl who was just as small as Chester himself, who had barely grown due to his chronic illness, gave him a medicine that saved his life.

    Chester, now free from illness and reiming his life, felt a deep sense of gratitude toward the girl.

    Chester¡¯s father had told him that the family had already done a lot for her, and there was no need to worry about her, but Chester thought differently.

    Gratitude, he thought, was something that needed to be repaid.

    He couldn¡¯t just pass on his debt to someone else, so he decided to enroll in the Soul Academy in order to meet the girl once again.

    For an ordinary person, it would be an impossible task, but not for Chester.

    Although sickly, Chester was quite intelligent.

    The many books he read to pass the time had helped him easily pass the written exams.

    The practical exam, which had worried him, was something he managed to ovee through a year of hard preparation.

    What truly worked in his favor, though, was that during the dungeon exploration exam, he was assigned to the same party as the second daughter of the Kent family.

    Though she couldn''t match her older sister''s strength, she was more than capable enough and crushed the dungeon without difficulty.

    Remembering that scene, Chester felt grateful, but also thought to himself that he didn''t want to meet her again.

    Her nonstop chatter and endless positivity were too overwhelming for Chester, who had spent most of his life in bed.

    ¡°Chester! Is that you?!¡±

    However, his wish to avoid her was not to be. While wandering the streets on an errand his father had given him, Parna Kent spotted him and ran toward him.

    ¡°Wow! You passed too! Of course! You look so smart, it makes sense, right?!¡±

    ¡°The second daughter of the Kent family...¡±

    ¡°Call me Parna! If you call me Kent, it¡¯s gonna get confusing with my sister!¡±

    ¡°...Parna, you¡¯ve also enrolled in the Academy. Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the congrattions! I was so nervous I¡¯d fail the entrance exam! I thought I was gonna cry at home!¡±

    Chester broke out into a cold sweat when Parna casually revealed that, ¡°Ipletely messed up the written exam! If it weren¡¯t for the Kent family¡¯s swordsmanship, I would¡¯ve been crying at home!¡±

    The endless energy that poured out of her was something Chester, who had spent most of his life lying in bed, could barely handle.

    It was nice to have a connection with the Kent family¡¯s youngdy, but this person was just too overwhelming for him. He would need to find a way to distance himself after politely chatting.

    ¡°By the way, Chester, have you seen my sister?¡±

    ¡°Do you mean Freya Kent?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! My sister is so terrible, she just disappeared without telling me anything!¡±

    Chester could sense that there was no way out of this conversation. No matter how much he tried to show his difort, Parna wouldn¡¯t care.

    If he openly told her he didn¡¯t want to hang out with her, it would make him feel guilty.

    What should he do?

    Ah. Wait. If he could take Parna to the eldest daughter of the Kent family, that would give him a way out.

    Then, naturally, he¡¯d be able to escape.

    ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a lot of trouble. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to help you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll help me find my sister?! Really?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s not too much trouble.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem! Thank you! Chester, you¡¯re such a good person!¡±

    Chester hesitated, his lips twitching as he tried to force a smile, knowing full well that he was only helping to get rid of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not such a good person. I¡¯m just a little bothered and ufortable, and I just want to get away from this.¡±

    But if he said that out loud, it would make him feel guilty.

    ¡°By the way, how are you going to find her? It¡¯s been a while since she disappeared.¡±

    ¡°Freya Kent is a pretty noticeable person. People around the Academy must have seen her, so it should be easy to find her.¡±

    Born in the Newman family, which had connections to the underworld, Chester had learned how to gather information from the people around him.

    Through this, he knew how to naturally extract information from others.

    ¡°Freya Kent? She went toward the Academy.¡±

    He learned this from a street vendor.

    ¡°She passed by not too long ago. She was heading toward the dormitory.¡±

    He learned this from the guards at the Academy.

    ¡°Freya Kent? She¡¯s probably at the training grounds. She practically lives there.¡±

    He learned this from an older student he passed by.

    Chester naturally led Parna to the location, where they found Freya.

    ¡°Wow! Chester! You really found her! You¡¯re amazing!¡±

    ¡°...Thank you.¡±

    While he was exhausted from dealing with Parna¡¯s endless chatter, he saw Freya running toward them. He began preparing to slip away unnoticed.

    If he got caught again, there would be no escape.

    ¡°...Lucy!!!¡±

    Chester, who was backing away, froze as he heard Parna¡¯s loud shout.

    Lucy...?

    He turned toward the voice and saw a girl standing next to Freya Kent. He froze.

    That person was the one who had saved him. There was no mistake about it¡ªhe recognized her from that moment.

    But why did she seem so different now?

    He had heard rumors that Lucy Arlen was incredibly beautiful, but he never imagined it would be to this extent.

    He had thought she couldn¡¯t possibly have be any more beautiful since thest time he saw her. But now, he felt foolish for thinking that.

    Chester almost gasped in awe, but quickly suppressed it, reminding himself that it would be rude to react like that.

    He followed Parna, trying to hide his feelings.

    ¡°Lucy! Please talk to Freya! She left me and disappeared!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that she abandoned you. She had something urgent to do.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°That¡¯s basically the same thing!¡±

    As Freya and Parna started arguing, Chester cautiously approached Lucy.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Lady Arlen.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t sure if she would remember him¡ªit was such a brief encounter.

    But he had to mention their past meeting if he was going to properly thank her.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Chester smiled brightly in response to Lucy¡¯s warm smile, but then heard her next words.

    ¡°Pathetic weakling from a third-rate family. You still look like you¡¯ll break if I just poke you.¡±

    Chester blinked in surprise.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m a man, though.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re small, have no muscles, and don¡¯t seem to have anything significant about you. You¡¯re a man? Hahaha, what a funny joke.¡±

    Chester¡¯s face turned bright red at Lucy¡¯s blunt words.

    ¡°If you want to be treated like a man, at least grow taller. Pathetic.¡±

    As Chester struggled with how to respond, Parna intervened, excitedly asking, ¡°Lucy! Do you know Chester?!¡±

    ¡°I helped this weakling out once.¡±

    ¡°As expected of you, sis! You¡¯re way cooler than Freya!¡±

    ¡°¡­Bratty little kid. Can you tone down the chatter? Your voice is going to burst my eardrums.¡±

    ¡°Lucy¡¯s amazing! Isn¡¯t she, Freya?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Lucy is awesome. And cute.¡±

    ¡°Cute?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Totally.¡±

    While Lucy had no problem teasing Chester, she found herself somewhat powerless when it came to Parna and Freya, two strong-willed individuals who didn¡¯t care much for convention.

    No matter what she said, they both ignored it and kept talking.

    Lucy found an excuse and quickly left, iming she had something to do.

 Chapter 406

    Thanks to the quest given by the lousy assistant, I learned that the strange feeling in the streets was the result of the demonic energy created by the Evil God. But there was nothing I could do about it for now.

    Aesthetic sense may alert me that something is wrong, but it doesn''t tell me exactly what the issue is.

    Unless I personally find the source of the anomaly, moving around aimlessly would only give the opponent a chance to respond.

    If the opponent were just an ordinary follower of the Evil God, both my grandfather and I could track their energy and follow them. No, we probably wouldn''t even need the aesthetic sense¡¯s help and would sense their presence right away.

    But neither I nor my grandfather had noticed anything until the aesthetic sense pointed out the anomaly.

    While I might be oblivious, deceiving my grandfather''s sharp senses would require more than ordinary abilities. This incident is definitely rted to those who worship the Evil God of the Void.

    As I had seen with the former art cult, followers of the Void are capable of erasing their own existence and mimicking others. This power is overwhelmingpared to simr abilities.

    They do have weaknesses, however. Since their powers are specialized for infiltration, their individual strength is pathetic.

    So, when this was still a game, they were the weakest enemies among the Evil Gods¡¯ followers, known for being the easiest to deal with.

    What good is it being good at infiltration? yers who had seen the ending multiple times knew exactly where and how they were hiding.

    They were so bad that, on speedrun routes, it became a standard to reset until the Apostle of the Void showed up.

    But now that I''m facing them in reality, they''re definitely a hassle. They''re so specialized in infiltration that it''s difficult even to find them.

    Trying to rely on in-game knowledge feels unsettling since the situation is so different from the game.

    But moving blindly might make them notice the anomaly and hide even deeper.

    While I was pondering these thoughts, I turned toward the back alley instead of following the dissonance.

    If anyone could provide information on the anomaly, it would be Karia and Alsetin, who gather intelligence in this area.

    "Apologies, Lady Allen. Both of them are away at the moment."

    My hope was that the twopetent people would take care of everything, but my wish was not granted. Both Karia and Alsetin were absent, each due to their own business.

    Of course, their subordinates were still in the back alley, carrying out their duties, but I couldn''t trust them. It was impossible to be certain that there were no followers of the Void among them.

    But if I couldn¡¯t even hide the fact that I was looking for Void followers, I wouldn¡¯t know what to ask them for.

    Ah! Why are both of them away at a time like this? I needed them to be here to trust and delegate something!

    ¡®Hey. Grandpa.¡¯ <"I can give advice, but don¡¯t trust it too much. When I was active, I never really worried about things like this.">

    Grandpa¡¯s words, that no matter how desperately the Evil God¡¯s followers try to hide, they cannot escape their senses, were annoying but also quite persuasive.

    During his prime, Grandpa must have been an incredibly great pdin, far superior to me.

    Back in the age of myths, someone like him, who had shed directly with the Evil Gods, wouldn''t have had to worry about such things.

    Hmm. It''s really troublesome that even Grandpa gave such an ambiguous answer.

    If there had been a fool nearby, I would have asked them to look through people''s minds, but that''s not an option.

    I wanted to ask my friends for help, but the only person in the Academy who could help was Freya, who is a one-trick powerhouse.

    What should I do? Should I just trust my luck and intuition and randomly go into a ce and cause amotion?

    Well, there is a ce I wanted to destroy anyway.

    Or should I provoke each of Karia¡¯s subordinates one by one and check if they are followers of the Evil God?

    Oh. That could work. If I mess with their emotions, their powers will inevitably falter.

    Alright. I¡¯ll start by dealing with the thugs who are eyeing me.

    Just as I was thinking that, the door to a back-alley shop opened, and an unexpected face walked in.

    A few months ago, Jakal, who had been dragged away by Karia, met my gaze and slowly bowed his head.

    "Lady Allen. It¡¯s been a while."

    I didn¡¯t know what had happened to him after he followed Karia, but Jakal, whom I hadn¡¯t seen for months, looked shabby.

    The dark circles under his eyes had spread down his cheeks, and his face was gaunt, probably from not eating well, and his forced smilecked energy.

    "What did you do to end up like this?"

    He looked worse than when he was training in the Allen Order. What did Karia make him do?

    "...It¡¯s hard to exin. I can¡¯t summarize it."

    Jakal, who usually had a noble arrogance in his movements, didn¡¯t have it now. He looked so worn out that he couldn¡¯t even care about his behavior.

    "I¡¯ll tell you slowlyter. For now, I must excuse myself. There¡¯s something my teacher asked me to do."

    "Teacher? Are you talking about that hysterical old maid?"

    "Old... Cough! Cough, cough!"

    When Jakal was directly insulted, he coughed violently for a while, then cautiously nodded his head.

    "...If you mean Karia, then yes."

    "What did she ask you to do?"

    "Well..."

    "Why hesitate? Are you saying I¡¯m worse than that old woman? This is really irritating. I need to make her realize her ce..."

    "You were asked to meet with the son of the Newman family! They¡¯re settling here!"

    The Newmans areing here?

    ...Karia haspletely eaten up that old man, Kurz Newman.

    Even without the seal, this is the state of things. What will happen once the Crow Seal is handed over?

    Is Kurz going to lose all his hair from stress?

    Oh. That sounds interesting. Should I test Kurz Newman¡¯s disguise once I hand it over?

    I was entertained by my mischievous thoughts but also surprised by the fact that Karia had acknowledged Jakal.

    Karia has a harsh personality with her subordinates, right? To think she allowed him to call her teacher and even gave him important tasks like negotiating with the Newman family...

    She must have really liked Jakal.

    ...Hmm?

    Wait a second.

    If it¡¯s the Newman family¡¯s son, it must be Chester Newman, right?

    The kid whose life I saved?

    His body just recovered not long ago, and already he¡¯s capable of attending such a negotiation?

    As I furrowed my brow and recalled his backstory, I realized that Chester Newman was someone who could help me with my current dilemma.

    That kid has the ability of a true Newman family member, despite being overly earnest in his nature.

    Even though I teased him just now, he looked shy, which suggests he¡¯s far from a follower of the Evil God.

    His personality ensures he won¡¯t do anything harmful to me, the one who saved him.

    If I bring him into this, he¡¯ll definitely y an important role.

    The same goes for Jakal.

    I¡¯ve never seen Jakal work as an informant, but if Karia recognized him as her disciple, then he must have considerable talent.

    If I exin things to him and Chester, we can probably handle this much better than Karia and Alsetin would.

    With that thought, I immediately got up from my seat, ready to carry out the n that had formed in my mind.

    "Lady?"

    "Stay here. I¡¯m going to bring the kid you¡¯re looking for."

    Finding Chester wasn¡¯t hard. The kid who hade from hearing about Kurz Newman was already walking toward this ce.

    Thanks to that, as soon as I stepped outside, I ran into Chester, grabbed his wrist, and took him to the office that Karia and Alsetin usually used.

    At first, Chester was confused, but as I exined the situation, seriousness began to show on his face.

    "Are they followers of the Void? If what you say is true, then it¡¯s a tough situation."

    "If Lady Allen says it, then it¡¯s right to take it seriously, Young Master Newman."

    "If Lord Barrow says so, we have to consider it carefully."

    Despite meeting for the first time, there was no awkwardness in the conversation between Jakal and Chester.

    Recognizing the severity of the situation, the two immediately began to separate their roles and take action.

    Jakal took the lead.

    Assigned by Karia, he used the people in the back alley to gather the necessary information.

    Of course, the people in the back alley were skeptical of Jakal¡¯s sudden orders, but I solved that part, so Jakal was able to issuemands without trouble.

    How did I solve it? Well, I kicked the most cocky guy¡¯s groin once, and everyone else quieted down.

    Based on the information Jakal brought, Chester¡¯s role was to find what I needed.

    He spread several papers across the desk and carefully examined them, before pointing out a few suspicious ces.

    "These three locations seem the most suspicious. The evaluations from before the vacation are different from those now. They can change their appearance, but changing the essence is difficult, so these ces are likely."

    <"I came to the same conclusion. If we investigate these ces, something will turn up.">

    One of the ces Grandpa and Chester identified as suspicious was the shop I had been thinking of attacking.

    Considering my luck, I thought it would be fine to attack right away.

    But since there might be Void followers at other locations, it didn¡¯t feel right to go alone.

    As I stared at the map, I took a crystal ball from my inventory and infused it with magic.

    The crystal ball lit up with a blue glow, and the image of a person appeared.

    <"Lady, what¡¯s the matter?">

    "Lazy Saint, why aren¡¯t you at the Academy? Is that why you¡¯re gaining weight?"

    <"...Did I gain weight?">

    "Want me to tell you the truth? Do you want to hear it?"

    <"Well, I noticed my clothes...">@@novelbin@@

    I giggled at the pale-looking Phoebe and told her toe quickly to the Academy street.

    With Phoebe here, I¡¯d be able to use the church¡¯s personnel to my advantage.

 Chapter 407

    The basement of a store on Soul Academy Street.

    Until just a moment ago, those who had been working in the shop, smiling, now wore solemn expressions, as if they had discarded the brightness from earlier.

    In the oppressive silence that seemed like it would stretch on endlessly, the person in charge of the counter spoke in a heavy voice.

    ¡°The atmosphere of the Church of the Divine Maiden has been strange ever since the Saint returned. It seems they¡¯ve noticed something.¡±

    ¡°I heard the same from the people who came earlier. The priests in the Church look busier than usual.¡±

    ¡°¡­But this is strange. Was there any way for our true identities to be discovered? Even the professors at the Academy and the bishop of the Church didn¡¯t notice us.¡±

    At the words of one person who seemed to be under some misunderstanding, a heavy silence settled over the table. It seemed that everyone had the same thought.

    Among the followers of the Void, the elite ones, they were different from the othermon followers who relied solely on the power of the Evil Gods.

    Not only did they mimic others'' appearances, but they could also act out everything they absorbed, giving them the confidence to infiltrate anywhere in the world.

    In fact, they had never been caught since they infiltrated Soul Academy Street.

    They had deceived the professors at the Academy, the priests of the Church of the Divine Maiden, and even the bishop hadn¡¯t detected their infiltration.

    But now, a so-called ¡°unskilled¡± Saint had noticed the anomaly in just a single day?

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter. Even if it¡¯s just our misunderstanding, it¡¯s best to prepare for the worst.¡±

    The one who spoke first, while harboring the same thoughts, hid them and tried to regainposure.

    It was better to prepare for the worst than to face the consequences of underestimating the situation.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s all go back to our posts and wait.¡±

    Just as the man who had organized the situation was about to direct everyone on what to do, the crystal ball in his arms began to glow.

    He excused himself to the others seated at the table and took out the crystal ball, channeling magic into it. A flustered face of a man appeared within it.

    ¡°Elock.¡±

    The man, who had apparently been in a hurry when making contact, gasped for breath, almost struggling to speak as he continued.

    ¡°The Church has moved! The priests are surrounding the store we infiltrated!¡±

    Elock, who had been leading the conversation, swore under his breath after hearing the man''s words.

    Dammit. The Church is moving faster than I anticipated.

    How is this possible? The Church of the Divine Maiden, which has been so rigid, would have to follow a process to act. Did they find some crucial evidence?

    ¡°Right now, other followers are imitating the staff and blocking them, but we don''t know how long they can hold out!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the justification the Church is using?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re iming it¡¯s a heresy purge.¡±

    ¡°Do they have any evidence?¡±

    ¡°No. Nothing.¡±

    What? If it were before, the Church wouldn¡¯t have had the power to push for a purge without any evidence.

    Unable to guess the Church''s intentions, Elock furrowed his brow when amotion erupted from above the ceiling.

    No one had specifically told them, but everyone seated at the table immediately recognized who had arrived at the shop.

    The energy radiating from the intruders was undoubtedly from the Church of the Divine Maiden.

    ¡°¡­We need to retreat for now. If they¡¯re showing that much confidence, it must mean they¡¯ve found something.¡±

    Whether it was simple bluster or genuine intent, Elock decided that retreating was the best option for now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here,¡± said someone at the table, not agreeing with Elock.

    The man who had taken on a major role in the infiltration and was now acting as the cook insisted on his decision despite the reprimanding res.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually a good thing. If they¡¯re just suspicious, we should let them observe. If they¡¯re forcing the issue, then we¡¯ll be able to move more freely afterward.¡±

    ¡°That seems too risky.¡±

    ¡°Even if it bes a problem, I¡¯ll drag it out as long as I can. Elock, you should go down below and monitor the situation.¡±

    His words, promising to drag things out if things went wrong, carried a clear resolve.

    Elock, facing the man, weighed his usefulness and the benefits he might gain if this mission seeded, and then slowly nodded.

    ¡°I understand. But don¡¯t expect us to help you.¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    With a grin, the man walked out of the room and began adjusting his expression as he climbed the stairs.

    The cook he was impersonating had a fiery temperament and immense pride. A person like him would never be intimidated by the Church¡¯s sudden appearance.

    At the door to the ground level, the man lightly adjusted his neck and then barged through the door, tightening his throat.

    ¡°What is going on here?!¡±

    His booming voice filled the shop, drawing the attention of everyone inside.

    Flustered employees. Priests with slightly coercive expressions. And at the center stood a small girl.

    A girl?

    Why was Lucy Allen here?

    ...Now that I think about it, Lucy Allen had been the one to capture ourpanion when we infiltrated the Art Cult.

    Considering themotion at the Art Cult, it was undeniable that she was involved.

    Had this brat been given some kind of blessing?

    Was there a reason why the Apostle of Darkness was so fixated on this girl?

    ¡°Hey. Pig. Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    The man, who had been deep in thought, heard Lucy¡¯s sharp voice and couldn¡¯t help butugh in disbelief.

    ¡°I knew Lady Allen was on friendly terms with the Saint, but I didn¡¯t expect you to wield the Church¡¯s power so casually!¡±

    The man¡¯s words, which turned the Church''s purge into a personal attack on Lucy Allen, were expertly spoken. In fact, the priests standing behind Lucy Allen looked confused as they heard his words.

    But Lucy didn¡¯t react. She walked up confidently to the man, looked up at him, and grinned.

    ¡°Oink? Oink oink?¡±

    ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I spoke to you in thenguage of livestock. Why are you pretending not to understand?¡±

    The man¡¯s face flushed slightly at Lucy¡¯s words, which showed no respect.

    Calm down. The more this brat causes trouble, the more it ys in my favor. I can just let her do whatever she wants.

    ¡°Puhahaha ? Look at you pretending not to understand ? With those pig-like eyes, trying to act dignified? It¡¯s just hrious ?¡±

    Ignore it. The reason Lucy Allen is making a scene is that there¡¯s no concrete evidence. If I justugh off everything she says...

    ¡°Or maybe you¡¯re just insecure? ? Though, I bet no one can see anything with all that belly fat ?¡±

    That fucking bitch.

    For a moment, the man¡¯s sanity snapped. Forgetting his original purpose, he pulled a kitchen knife from his pocket and swung it at Lucy Allen with the sole intent of attacking the arrogant brat who had the power of the Evil God.

    Even though Lucy saw the knifeing, she made no attempt to move.

    It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t defend herself.

    How could she miss a slow attack from a man, when she was far beyond the skill of ordinary knights?

    The reason she didn¡¯t act was simple: there was no need to.

    Standing beside her was a knight who would risk his life to protect her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude. How dare youy a hand on mydy?¡±

    With a single strike, the knife was knocked out of the man¡¯s hand. His own momentum controlled the fight.

    The followers of the Evil God who had been pretending to be staff members, as well as the priests behind Lucy Allen, were all sweating as they witnessed the scene. Meanwhile, Lucy Allen spun around cheerfully, humming a tune as she looked at the priests.

    ¡°Hey, priests? What are you doing standing there? If your eyes are still working, you should have seen what just happened, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Uh, yes. Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Then get to work ? You useless bastards who can¡¯t do anything but follow the saint around ?¡±

    Spurred on by Lucy Allen¡¯s tirade, the priests quickly moved to seize the shop''s staff.

    Realizing that the situation had spiraled beyond repair, the Void followers revealed their identities and began to struggle, but their efforts, as expected, only confirmed their status as priests.

    The other shop where the Evil God¡¯s followers had stayed was no different.

    Thanks to Phoebe, who followed Lucy¡¯s instructions, the disguises of the Evil God¡¯s followers were revealed using the Divine Maiden¡¯s power.

    In just a day, the infiltration n of the Void followers, which had been months in the making, was shattered.

    As the academic year at Soul Academy was less than a week away, themotion drew the attention of many. Those who heard the details deemed it as another testament to the Divine Maiden¡¯s abilities.

    Phoebe, the person involved, denied it, but most people interpreted her denial as mere humility.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just humility. I really didn¡¯t do anything in this.¡±

    ¡°But you were the one leading the Church¡¯s people, weren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°...Well, that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Then, was there anyone who told you about the issues on the street?¡±

    ¡°¡­Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s not good to be too humble, Lady Saint.¡±

    Lucy¡¯s influence yed a role in the credit being given to Phoebe.

    Since Lucy didn¡¯t want to stand out, it was natural that Phoebe took all the credit.

    While Phoebe was flustered by the praise she didn¡¯t deserve, Lucy, who had slipped away from themotion, was staring at her quest screen in her dorm.

    [Eradicate the Heresy!]

    That¡¯s strange.

    I destroyed the hideouts of the followers, but why hasn¡¯t the quest beenpleted?

 Chapter 408

    The basement of a store on Soul Academy Street.

    At first, I thought the process of identifying the Evil God¡¯s followers was still underway.

    Since a heresy purge couldn¡¯t happen overnight, I figured it was normal for it to take some time.

    However, even though three of the shops where the Void¡¯s followers had been hiding were destroyed and a full day had passed, the quest still showed no signs ofpletion.

    It¡¯s true that the lousy Evil God often ys tricks, but I¡¯ve never encountered a situation like this where he would drag things out unnecessarily. So, I thought there must be something I was missing, and I moved around, searching for the anomaly.

    But I couldn¡¯t find any trace of the Evil God in the streets.

    While my aesthetic sense pointed out parts of the street that didn¡¯t feel right, it didn¡¯t reveal any sinister presence of the Evil God.

    My divine sense, while it might have detected Phoebe''s warmth, failed to sense anything ominous.

    Even my grandfather had told me that there was nothing wrong with the street.

    With all my means telling me that the street was perfectly fine, it seemed impossible to find anything on my own.

    Others didn¡¯t offer any more promising answers.

    Jakal and Chester both said there seemed to be no strange parts of the street, and Phoebe also said she couldn¡¯t find anything unusual.

    With the situation as it was, the only thing growing was my frustration.

    No! If there¡¯s a problem, I want to know exactly what that problem is!

    I want to know what¡¯s preventing the quest from beingpleted!

    You gave me the quest, so even from your point of view, this is troublesome, right? Why is it so vague!? Huh!?

    Are you an old fool who doesn¡¯t know how games work these days?

    Modern RPGs don¡¯t work like this, you know?!

    If you act like this, all the yers will quit!

    Why are you forcing these outdated feelings on me, like they¡¯d still work after 20 years?! You old perverted bastard!

    You¡¯re not trying to make me pray while wearing makeup just to screw with me, are you?

    If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll do it the next time, but please just give me a clue already!

    Quest rewards, penalties for failure¡ªwhatever! I¡¯m pissed off because I feel uneasy!

    I vented my irritation toward thezy Evil God, but he didn¡¯t respond at all.

    The silence reminded me of a time when my superior asked if I had tried to find things out for myself before asking questions, and it made me even more furious. So, I resolved not to pray to thezy, ipetent old bastard until the quest was cleared.@@novelbin@@

    Stat losses? I couldn¡¯t care less! My pride is more important right now!

    So, after three days of a silent standoff with thezy Evil God, the day many students returned to Soul Academy arrived.

    When I woke up and immediately faced the quest screen, I muttered curses at the Evil God and prepared to leave.

    I still hadn¡¯t figured out why the quest wasn¡¯tpleted.

    No matter how much I looked around, I couldn¡¯t see any problems on Academy Street.

    I even hired a suitable mage to survey from the air, but I couldn¡¯t find anything. My frustration was building up.

    If only I had my fuzzy fox friend here, I could haveforted myself by tormenting it, but without that soft fur to snuggle with, I didn¡¯t know how to calm down.

    ¡°Uh... Lady?¡±

    ¡°What is it? Lazy Saint.¡±

    ¡°Uh, how long do we have to stay like this?¡±

    Instead, I chose thezy Saint.

    She had a soft, pleasant body that earned her the nickname "perverted saint" in themunity. She was warm and cozy, just the right kind of person to use as a chair.

    While sitting on Phoebe, I tried to soothe my irritation by eating something sweet, but when I heard Phoebe¡¯s question, I tilted my chin up.

    Phoebe, whose cheeks were flushed bright red, hastily looked away when our eyes met.

    ¡°What? Is it heavy? Wow, how much did youze around for you to not even be able to handle my weight?¡±

    I mocked her, and the heat rose on Phoebe''s face.

    ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s not like that! I just... well, it¡¯s just...¡±

    ¡°Aha, so the adorable me is too much for you, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡±

    ¡°So now you want me to leave? You always said you wanted to be by my side, but now you just want to leave me?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that at all!?¡±

    ¡°Right. I get it. I¡¯m the bad one. You don¡¯t like me, huh? Huh, sob¡­¡±

    ¡°Aah! Okay! You can stay! Just please don¡¯t cry! Please!¡±

    ¡°¡­I can stay?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Then be quiet. Lazy Saint. If you move, you¡¯ll mess up the posture I worked so hard for.¡±

    Phoebe nodded quickly, and as soon as I saw her do that, I changed my expression and cheerfully took a spoonful of parfait.

    ¡°Lady Allen, could you stop treating the Church¡¯s Saint as a toy?¡±

    As I was smiling with a sweet treat in my mouth, I heard a reproach from the side.

    Joy, the noblewoman of the Parn family, looked at me and Phoebe with a subtle expression, sighed heavily, and sat down opposite me.

    ¡°Phoebe is a Saint of the Divine Church. In terms of status, she¡¯s far above us.¡±

    ¡°What does that matter? Even a fool is technically above me by rank, but it¡¯s still my toy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m! Not! Your! Toy!¡±

    ¡°Yep, she¡¯s a toy. Joy. At least that¡¯s how I see it.¡±

    ¡°Why are you saying that to me, Your Highness!¡±

    Arthur, who had appeared after Joy, looked as exhausted as when he had first seen Jakal.

    Judging by the surge of magic circting around Arthur, it was clear that he had been grinding in the dungeon, forgoing sleep to absorb the growth he gained from the recent experience.

    I could tell right away that my friends were all geniuses.

    If I weren¡¯t stuck in the same ce, I¡¯d probably begging behind them by now.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Freya? I thought she¡¯d always be by your side.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s training with thezy dog.¡±

    Usually, I¡¯d have indulged Freya''s obsession with me, but today was different.

    If I kept shing weapons with her, I felt like I might do something rash.

    So, I threw thezy dog at her instead.

    Thezy dog had been hesitant, saying there was a lot to do before the semester started, but I ignored him.

    If he chose me as his master, he had to suck it up!

    ¡°I¡¯ll go meet himter. I think we can break him now.¡±

    ¡°Poor Prince, you¡¯re going to break Freya?¡±

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. So, the poor Prince likes to show off and get broken. If that¡¯s the case, how about you take me on? I can stomp on you real good.¡±

    I considered rolling him around for stress relief, but Arthur just murmured and didn¡¯t take the bait.

    ¡°You¡¯re unusually sharp today, Lucy Allen. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. ...Ah, could it be? Lady, is today the day?¡±

    Hearing Joy bber on, I suddenly jumped up from my seat and grabbed her face with both hands.

    ¡°Aah! For real, aahhh!¡±

    ¡°You fool. Do you think I¡¯m asking you to scream just for fun?¡±

    ¡°Gwahhh!¡±

    Joy tried to resist, but as a mage, she was no match for my knightly strength.

    After tormenting Joy for a while, I let her go, ignoring her red face, and exined the situation on Academy Street.

    The infiltration and extermination of the Void¡¯s followers. I was certain everything had been dealt with, yet there was still an uneasy feeling lingering.

    Without mentioning thezy Evil God¡¯s quest, I exined everything to Arthur, and his expression grew serious.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the Evil God¡¯s followers. They say the Saint received a divine revtion and spread the good works, and now the capital is in an uproar.¡±

    ¡°¡­I really didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°Who cares, Phoebe? Just let them talk. Whatever you say, the nobles in the capital will twist it into whatever they want to hear.¡±

    Grabbing her flushed cheeks, Joyined about the nobles in the capital before sighing heavily and leaning back in her chair.

    ¡°There¡¯s definitely something still left, but are you saying it can¡¯t be found on Academy Street?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Those filthy cockroaches are hiding somewhere, but I can¡¯t see them.¡±

    ¡°If even Lady Allen can¡¯t find it, and Phoebe can¡¯t see it, maybe there¡¯s nothing to worry about?¡±

    Joy¡¯s opinion was logical. If it weren¡¯t for the creepy quest from the perverted old bastard, I might¡¯ve thought the same.

    But reality was different.

    Something was definitely still there.

    There was something lurking on Academy Street that we hadn¡¯t discovered yet.

    As I fumed over this, Arthur, who had been furrowing his brow, carefully spoke up.

    ¡°Have you checked inside the Academy?¡±

    ¡°¡­Thezy Academy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You might not know, but the Academy is pretty chaotic right now. The first and second queens are fighting over who gets to ce their people, and it¡¯s a mess. If it were any other time, it wouldn¡¯t be worth doubting, but now, we should start questioning things.¡±

    I¡¯d already heard from Karia that the first queen was cing her people in the Academy.

    After thest incident, the second queen had agreed to cooperate with me, so it made perfect sense that her people would being here as well. With Soul Academy caught in the power struggle between the first and second queens, it must be a pretty chaotic situation.

    With so many peopleing and going, it seemed like a good time to start suspecting internal issues within the Academy.

    When I thought about it, I jumped up from my seat and headed toward where thezy dog was.

    To get the list of people currently at Soul Academy, it would be quickest to go through the Academy¡¯s professor.

 Chapter 409

    Information on the current Academy staff that Kal brought over was just a simple list of names stored in the administration.

    Compared to what Karia had shown mest time, this was incredibly sloppy, but it was enough for me at the moment.

    After all, I already knew most of the names on this list. Finding suspicious names among them wasn¡¯t going to be a problem.

    This guy¡¯s attached to the First Queen¡¯s faction.

    This one should belong to the knight order, but did hee here because of the Second Queen¡¯s influence?

    This guy¡¯s an NPC who¡¯s supposed to join in the second year, so no need to worry about him. And this one...

    As I continued to look over the list, crossing out certain names and skipping over some ambiguous ones, I scanned for anything suspicious.

    There are a few who stand out. Ones who shouldn¡¯t be here at all right now. Or those I don¡¯t recognize. Or those who are so sloppy that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they fell under the influence of the Evil God at any moment.

    If it were up to me, I¡¯d want to provoke them all and see what happens, but I can¡¯t do that.

    If I make a scene in the Academy again after the trouble I caused in the streets, the Void¡¯s followers will certainly work even harder to cover their tracks.

    So, I need something solid.

    I nced at Luca¡¯s name, remembering he was part of the First Queen¡¯s faction, and I shook my head.

    Although I¡¯ve ced many restrictions on him, I didn¡¯t fully trust him.

    Luca, that crazy person, would probablyugh and say that as the chaos grows, talented people will be refined.

    For now, I¡¯ll leave him as ast resort. There are just too many things that bother me about relying on him right now.

    ¡°Gomeric can be excluded from the suspect list. He¡¯s someone brought in by the First Queen, so he won¡¯t cause any problems immediately.¡±

    Arthur, who had been looking at the list next to me, added his opinion.

    ¡°Copenhagen is the same. When I met him at thest social event, we had a deep discussion about Pyromancy. His answers were excellent¡ªbetter than anything a normal professor could give.¡±

    Joy, following suit, gave her opinion as well. After listening to them, I briefly pondered and decided to ept their judgment.

    I had no solid leads at the moment, and I trusted the good judgment of these two. There had to be a reason for their evaluations.

    As I nodded and moved my pen, Phoebe spoke up softly.

    ¡°Ettinger can be excluded as well. When I saw himst time, he came to pray at the church, and there was no sign of anything unusual.¡±

    After taking their advice and eliminating people from the list, only three names remained.

    If the information I gathered was correct, one of them should be a follower of the Void.

    Two are from Dungeon Studies, and the other is from Combat Studies.

    ...Wait. Dungeon Studies?

    As I looked at the academic subjects the suspects were involved in, one thought struck me.

    During Soul Academy¡¯s entrance ceremony, there¡¯s an event where golems created by the Academy attack the students.

    Under normal circumstances, this event should end with no injuries, carefully controlled. But if one of the Evil God¡¯s followers is involved, the situation changes drastically.

    If someone posing as an Academy professor interferes with the golem¡¯s magic and alters itsmands, there would certainly be chaos.

    I¡¯m not certain yet, but it¡¯s worth checking.

    I stood up abruptly and headed to the Dungeon Studies professor¡¯s office.

    ¡°Lady Allen. Long time no see.¡±

    The Dungeon Studies professor, whom I hadn¡¯t seen in a while, greeted me with a bright face.

    She tried to make small talk about how the Academy¡¯s honor had been boosted because of the dungeon I created, but I cut her off, pressing her about the two names on the list that were rted to Dungeon Studies.

    ¡°Two nobodies. What are they doing now?¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, they¡¯re the new professors for this semester.¡±

    The professor tilted her head but still answered my questions.

    One is helping with the creation of the uing Academy Dungeon, and the other is working on the maintenance of the golems that will appear during the entrance ceremony.

    ¡°They¡¯re just being assigned the grunt work. It¡¯s a tough and thankless task, so they¡¯re probably getting criticized a lot.¡±

    Although the Dungeon Studies professor¡¯s words showed sympathy, I wasn¡¯t really listening to her.

    The fact that one of the new professors was in charge of the golem maintenance during the entrance ceremony made my suspicions even more likely to be true.

    ¡°The golems¡¯ location? ¡­Well, that¡¯s difficult to say. It¡¯s confidential, even for you, Lady Allen.¡±

    ¡°The so-called professor. Keep this up, and I¡¯ll spread the secrets of how to destroy the trashy dungeons at the Academy.¡±

    At my threat, the Dungeon Studies professor panicked.

    ¡°Ah, alright! But please don¡¯t touch the golems! They¡¯re a tradition of the Academy!¡±

    I ignored her plea and dashed out of the room.

    ¡°Did you find any clues?¡±

    My friends, who had been waiting in the hallway outside the professor¡¯s office, immediately surrounded me as soon as I came out.

    I didn¡¯t tell them to follow me, so why were they here? I had nned to move with just Kal and me.

    Hmm, it wasn¡¯t bad having them with me. With them around, they could easily handle a fight and suppress anything that happened with their positions and reputations.

    Looking at my friends, who were waiting for my response, I briefly thought and then shared my thoughts.

    ¡°Is that possible?¡±

    As soon as I finished speaking, Arthur raised a question.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible to infiltrate and embed magic there. But if the Dungeon Studies professors aren¡¯t idiots, they¡¯ll inspect everything. Would that even matter?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s a follower of the Void, it¡¯s entirely possible.¡±

    Before I could answer, Phoebe spoke in a more serious tone than usual.

    ¡°Their power is specialized in blending in. Even the Church, which has fought the Evil Gods for a long time, couldn¡¯t easily detect them. The Academy professors wouldn¡¯t be any different.¡±

    ¡°Foolish question, I see.¡±

    Phoebe¡¯s words carried the weight of her position, having faced countless cmities caused by the followers of the Evil Gods.

    Because of that, Arthur didn¡¯t ask any further questions and quietly backed down, but Freya wasn¡¯t like that.

    Not understanding the weight of others'' words, she said what was obvious to her.

    ¡°So why are the followers of the Evil God targeting the Academy? Is Soul Academy really that special?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°Lucy? Does Lucy know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She knows.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not going to tell you. You¡¯re too much of a fool to understand anyway.¡±

    ¡°¡­Tch. So Lucy doesn¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°No, I do. I¡¯m not a useless idiot like you.¡±

    My friends thought I was just joking around, but the truth was different.

    I really did know why the followers of the Evil God were targeting this ce.

    I had witnessed the salvation and destruction of this world countless times, so how could I not know their purpose?

    But it wasn¡¯t time to speak about it yet.

    Since that cowardly Agra could be watching me anywhere, this would remain my secret for now.

    After the conversation ended, we moved quickly and soon arrived at the location the Dungeon Studies professor had mentioned.

    Dungeon Studies and the basement of the building.

    The ce where the golems for the Academy Dungeon are made and stored.

    This was the ce I had been in and out of countless times while making the dungeon myself.

    Since I had theyout of this ce perfectly memorized, I didn¡¯t get lost once and headed straight to where the golems used for the entrance ceremony were kept.

    ¡°Lady Allen?!¡±

    There was a graduate student guarding the entrance, but upon seeing us, they didn¡¯t say anything and simply opened the door for us. Our statuses were far too intimidating for them to resist.

    ¡°¡­It seems your intuition was correct, Lady.¡±

    <No wonder I couldn¡¯t find anything on the street.>

    As soon as I stepped inside, Phoebe¡¯s sharp voice and my grandfather¡¯s annoyed voice reached my ears.

    The moment their opinions aligned, there was no longer any doubt.

    The golems in this space had long been under the control of the Void¡¯s followers.

    ¡°Saint, Third Prince, Parn Lady, Allen Lady, Kent Lady, and Professor Kal, too. What brings all of you here?¡±

    The professor, who had been working with several students inside, expressed genuine confusion at our visit.

    His acting was so natural that anyone who didn¡¯t know better might have passed it off as nothing.

    But unfortunately for him, we weren¡¯t just anyone.

    Crack! I pulled out my mace and smashed the golem beside me, then grinned at the flustered professor.

    ¡°Just couldn¡¯t stand seeing a piece of shit doing the same shit.¡±

    The professor froze for a moment, then quickly regained hisposure.

    ¡°Professor Kal. Why is Lady Allen acting like this all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Good acting. Must be a pathetic idiot serving trash like you.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re talking about.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°How can you be so shameless? ? Have you convinced yourself that you believe in something you don¡¯t even know exists? ?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Congrattions ? Your death will be a meaningless one ? The one you worship won¡¯t even remember you ? A fitting end for a sly piece of trash ? Isn¡¯t it? ?¡±

    As my mockingughter echoed, the door behind us mmed shut with a thud.

    And the moment a disgusting aura settled on the door, the expressions of the professor and everyone in the room shifted. The confusion in their faces disappeared.

    ¡°You want to die that badly? Fine, I¡¯ll grant your wish. Dying alongside those who are all name and no brains won¡¯t be a bad oue, I suppose.¡±

    I watched as the aura of the Evil God spread from the edges of the room. Blocking Phoebe, who was about to cast holy magic, I raised my mace high.

    ¡°Lazy, useless Evil God. Do something.¡±

    Though my tone was irreverent and audacious, to the point it could hardly be called a prayer, the perverted,zy Evil God eagerly responded to my request.

    The divine power within my mace spread out, purging the Evil God¡¯s aura from the room.

    ¡°If you have anyst words, say them now ? If your final words are ''please save me~'' right before you die, won¡¯t that be too pathetic? ?¡±

    As Iughed, hatred filled the eyes of those facing me, and the golems in the room began to move.

 Chapter 410

    As Lucy¡¯s divine power repelled the Evil God¡¯s aura, Karl, who had been watching in awe, silently praised the one he served in his heart.

    How much must the great Evil God love and cherish mydy to grant such a miracle through that prayer?@@novelbin@@

    Karl, staring vacantly at the scene for a moment, was snapped back to reality by the sound of the golems moving and immediately took his position in front of her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle these lowly soldiers.¡±

    In a way, this was a fortunate turn of events. Recently, Karl had only been showing his shorings to Lucy, but now he had a chance to finally prove his worth as a guard!

    Having been punished not long ago for failing to protect Lucy, Karl saw this as his chance to redeem himself by showing his true worth.

    If I show my impressive side this time, she might even see me in a new light.

    Perhaps she¡¯ll praise me, just like she did with the maid, patting my head and saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you did well,¡± with a bright smile!

    Imagining that moment, Karl straightened his expression, coating his sword with divine power, and struck at the golems controlled by the Evil God¡¯s magic.

    His sword, now glowing with a powerful aura, disregarded the normal concepts of space and effortlessly cut down a golem.

    ¡°Bring it on, filthy bastards.¡±

    Karl, a promising knight among the monstrous group of the Alrn Knights, asserted his strength, causing the followers of the Void to hesitate and retreat. At that moment, Lucy, standing behind him, kicked his calf.

    ¡°Useless dog. What did I tell you to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you stepping forward on your own? You think you won¡¯t followmands from someone weaker than you?¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s not it. How could I¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I see. So you were looking at me like that. My puppy was trying to devour its owner, huh? A little scared, so can you step back a few paces?¡±

    ¡°No, miss! I¡­¡±

    ¡°Or you can just crawl back into your doghouse.¡±

    Karl¡¯s thoughts about doing his part as a guard and protecting her were spinning in his head, but he couldn¡¯t say anything and was forced to step back.

    His shoulders drooped as he walked away, his once-imposing knightly stature now reduced to a pitiful form.

    Even Lucy¡¯s friends, along with the followers of the Void, stared at him in confusion, when Lucy, having crushed one golem¡¯s head, raised her voice to her friends.

    ¡°I hope there are no useless fools struggling against this trash. If there is, I¡¯ll make sure you can¡¯t sleep for a month, just so you know.¡±

    The ones who had been through hellish training with Lucy during the vacation knew very well that she had the ability to carry out such threats.

    The shock of discovering that the followers of the Void were hiding among them and the awe inspired by Lucy¡¯s miraculous act, coupled with the fear of the hellish training she put them through, made them all quickly prepare for battle¡ªexcept for one.

    ¡°Hey. Hey, Lucy.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna take a break.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°If I do this, I¡¯ll be able to train with you day and night for the next month, right?¡±

    Lucy, seemingly taken aback by this unexpected response, stared at the innocent face of Frey, before letting out a sigh.

    ¡°Stupid knight, not for you. If you don¡¯t do anything, I¡¯m not doing anything for you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unfair. This is discrimination.¡±

    ¡°Do you even know what the word ¡®discrimination¡¯ means?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do.¡±

    ¡°Then tell me.¡±

    ¡°¡­Well¡­¡±

    ¡°See? You don¡¯t know. Stupid knight, you can¡¯t even exin what the word means, can you?¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    ¡°Pfft. Pathetic. Even your dumb little brother knows more than that¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±

    Seeing Frey rush towards the enemies, Lucy giggled, watching the followers of the Void struggle to catch up.

    ¡°What are you doing?? Are you too scared to move?? Hehe, even beasts would have attacked by now? You guys are worse than beasts in both thought and appearance?¡±

    Despite her taunting tone, Lucy¡¯s movements were precise.

    She swung her mace upward, smashing the first attacker¡¯s jaw, then kicked another in the abdomen, knocking him down, and deflected a curse aimed at her with her shield. She showed no sign of being overwhelmed.

    Instead, there was a certain beauty to her movements.

    Though they might seem violent, the way Lucy moved on the battlefield was more suited to a stage, as it naturally captivated the eyes of everyone watching.

    Karl, standing behind, narrowed his eyes as he observed Lucy¡¯s fight.

    Is that what she¡¯s been practicing recently?

    It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s fully mastered it yet.

    There are still a lot of rough spots. Honestly, I¡¯m starting to question whether there¡¯s a reason to discard her old style.

    But if mydy has chosen this path, she must have a reason.

    As her servant, I¡¯m supposed to support and encourage her, right?

    For now, I¡¯ll keep an eye on her and find a way to offer my advice.

    Karl, thinking this way, didn''t neglect keeping an eye on Lucy''s friends.

    He knew that if any of them were injured, Lucy would be deeply upset, so he stayed ready to jump in at a moment¡¯s notice.

    However, the more the battle raged on, the more Karl realized that there would be no opportunity for him to step in.

    Simply put, Lucy''s friends'' strength was overwhelmingly superior to the Void followers.

    It wasn¡¯t surprising to see Lady Kent, a promising swordswoman, cleave through the golem horde like cutting through leaves.

    Her ability to manipte aura at such a young age was impressive, but given her talent, she was still growing, so there was no need to be astonished now ¡ªter, when she was fully refined, it would be nothing short of awe-inspiring.

    What was more surprising, though, was the Third Prince.

    Karl knew he had acquired the ability to control aura.

    However, back when he trained in the Alrn Knights, the prince¡¯s mastery over aura was still clumsy.

    The biggest issue was his inability to focus on either swordsmanship or magic, as he attempted to manage both at once.

    Trying to bnce both without mastering either led to a situation where both werecking, and many of the knights considered it youthful folly.

    The prince had received much advice from the knights, but he stubbornly pursued his own path.

    Even now, the Third Prince was far from perfect.

    Pursuing both magic and swordsmanship meant sacrificing excellence in both.

    But it was true that,pared to his time in the Alrn Knights, he had grown significantly.

    Perhaps, if he continued to push his will, he could seed in the end.

    The daughter of the Parn family had also improved remarkably.

    When she had first joined the Alrn Knights, she struggled to handle enemies rushing at her, but now, she could deal with them while supporting her allies and preparing magic for any unforeseen situations.

    Her talents had earned high praise from the professors in the magic academy. Did she know that the professors were all trying their best to recruit her into their factions?

    And then...

    ¡°Professor Karl.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Saintess?¡±

    ¡°Do you see that? There¡¯s an escape route being created over there. If we leave it like this, the followers of the Evil God may escape.¡±

    Was she observing the entire battlefield while the fight raged on? As expected of the Saintess.

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll have to move.¡±

    Karl nodded, then swiftly moved, stepping over the heads of the golems, and sliced through the Evil God¡¯s magic that was forming in a corner of the room.

    Looking at the stunned faces of the followers, he raised his murderous intent.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to die, then die while fighting, trash.¡±

    With the followers of the Void driven out, Karl crossed his arms and watched Lucy and her friends fight.

    At this rate, the day when I protect mydy wille sooner than the day when she protects me.

    Right before the vacation ended, it seemed as though my friends, after battling countless golems and followers of the Evil God, showed no sign of exhaustion.

    Watching them, I felt proud of the grueling training we had undergone.

    At this rate, when we go around together again, we might be able to endure long, grueling battles just like we did in the game.

    [Questpleted...] [Rewards are being given...]

    Finally, this damn quest is cleared! It feels so satisfying!

    But why is the pathetic Evil God still sulking?

    Was my prayer really that important to him?

    Ugh, seriously. I don¡¯t even have to show how perverted he is, he does it all on his own!

    He really needs some patience. Why does the so-called ¡°Evil God¡± act more like a brat than an actual deity?

    [Reputation increased!]

    But I won¡¯t change my attitude that quickly.

    He has no dignity. Pathetic Evil God.

    Still, he''s the god I serve, so could you please act more like a god? Please?

    ¡°What will we do now, Lucy Alrn?¡±

    As I was scolding the useless Evil God, Arthur, having finished restraining the followers, asked.

    ¡°We should leave it to this useless academy to handle. They created this mess with their ipetence, so they should clean up after themselves, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. It''s not our responsibility. They caused this mess by trying to uphold traditions.¡±

    ...Right. These golems were supposed to be used for the entrance ceremony.

    I got so excited that the annoying issue was solved that I almost forgot something important.

    Oh. Oh no.

    I wonder if they can be repaired and reused?

    They¡¯re pretty destroyed, but if I piece them together carefully, I might be able to use them again.

    Is that possible?

    Probably not, huh?

    As I tried to piece together the golems I had shattered with my mace, I realized there was no chance of fixing them as they copsed.

    <Lucy. Just asking, but do you think you¡¯re going to be reprimanded for this?>

    ¡®...Am I?¡¯

    <Of course not! The academy is the one that caused this problem due to mismanagement! You have nothing to be med for!>

    ¡®...Right?¡¯

    <Exactly! In this case, it¡¯s the academy that should be reprimanded! The fools. Even though the situation was chaotic, how could they not notice the followers of the Evil God infiltrating them!>

    Now that I think about it, this is pretty much me solving the academy''s mess for them.

    If I were to argue, I would, but they can¡¯t reprimand me!

    After hearing my grandfather¡¯s advice, I realized I had a strong case, and a wicked thought crossed my mind, making me grin.

    This situation, with my status and the solid reasoning behind it, is perfect for me to throw my weight around.

    ¡®Should I ask the academy for something?¡¯

    <Good idea. When you call them out for their mistakes, make sure to ask clearly, so they don¡¯t repeat the same mistakes next time.>

    My grandfather seemed so frustrated with this incident that instead of stopping me, he gave me advice on how to confront them.

    ¡®...Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡¯

    <Of course not! They made a simr mistakest year, and now they¡¯re repeating it. They deserve to be properly reprimanded!>

    The advice was harsh enough to make me flinch slightly.

 Chapter 412

    The day after Ipleted my oath with the dean, he came to find me, realizing that he had been deceived. But no matter what he said, the oath between us would not disappear.

    As I had promised, I tore up the letter. Now, it was time for the dean to keep his part of the bargain.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Dean. As stated in the oath, I will release you when you graduate from the academy," I said.

    "...Young Lady, you..."

    "And by the way, if it hadn¡¯t been for me, you, the foolish and ipetent dean, would¡¯ve had your neck chopped off. If you consider that, letting you live as my cute little ve for two years is a far greater loss for me, isn¡¯t it?" I added.

    "..."

    "If you really hate it that much, I can have a meeting with Papa about it, you know?"

    "...No! Young Lady! I am simply lost for words in admiration of your mercy!"

    The dean, who clearly did not want to face Benedict, the tactical weapon, reluctantly epted his position as my ve but suppressed his frustration inwardly.

    As I watched him, I thought about why he was so opposed to it, and then I realized I was looking at it all wrong.

    Right. This is the normal reaction. Telling him to work like a ve and then asking him to treat me like a pet is bizarre.

    I¡¯ve be so used to the strange perversions around me that I¡¯ve gotten too ustomed to the abnormal.

    After the dean left, Erin, who always stuck by my side in the mansion, arrived.

    "Pathetic Erin. Didn¡¯t youe a little too early? Were you so eager to see me, my cute self?"

    I had contacted the mansionst night to ask them to send Erin, so it was only yesterday evening that I made the request.

    The system in ce at the mansion meant it would take at least two days for her to arrive, but she showed up the very next day.

    "Yes, I really missed you a lot."

    Erin, smiling brightly, exined that she had finished everything she needed to do and had rushed here without sleeping through the night.

    "I didn¡¯t have much to do, after all," she added.

    ...Wait, I thought the maid schedules at our mansion were packed from morning to evening. Since Erin is my personal maid, does she have a slightly different schedule?

    Tilting my head in confusion, I decided to let Erin inside. Since she hadn¡¯t been assigned a room yet, she¡¯d have to stay in my room for now.

    "...This can¡¯t be. Young Lady, how can a maid share the same room as her mistress?"

    When I told her to unpack and make herselffortable, Erin was horrified and shook her head.

    "For now, I¡¯ll ask Sir Cal for help. If it¡¯s really not possible, I¡¯ll find a ce to sleep outside."

    I was just as embarrassed. How could she say that she¡¯d rather sleep on the street than stay in my room?

    Is it really that burdensome to be with me?!

    What have I done wrong?

    If it were the old Lucy, maybe I would¡¯ve understood, but now, I¡¯m not asking you to do anything special!

    "Pathetic Erin, are you refusing mymand?"

    "I¡¯m sorry, Young Lady."

    Even after I made another suggestion and was rejected, I frowned, then had a sudden thought.

    Lately, I¡¯ve be more free with my expressions and have learned to do something new!

    The technique I used on Cal when I tried to pass off Freya as my problem, my ultimate move, which even the pathetic saint couldn¡¯t resist!

    "How rude. Pathetic Erin."

    Lucy Alrn used her pouty face!

    "Ah! Young Lady, I... that¡¯s not¡ª"

    "Enough. You hate me, right? Then I hate you too. So..."

    "I understand! I will stay here!"

    The effect was amazing! The pathetic Erin lost the verbal battle!

    "...Is this really okay?"

    While Erin cautiously unpacked in the room, I stepped outside to find Faby. I had a request to make to the church¡¯s power holder, the Saintess.

    "You want to pray in the church in the middle of the night?" Faby asked, seemingly puzzled.

    I had promised to prepare for a prayer with the Saintess, something I had done months ago.

    Originally, I was nning to visit the art guild, get some makeup done, and then pray, but there was such amotion that I had forgotten. Afterward, I had been too busy with the work to remember.

    It seemed like even the Saintess, who had been openly signaling with her quests, was also eager. Since I had kept her waiting, I was nning to do it properly.

    "Even if she¡¯s a pathetic saintess, she¡¯s still a saint, so I can do that much, right?"

    "Of course, it¡¯s possible. But... is it really necessary to do it in the middle of the night? It might be better if people can see you praying beautifully, Young Lady," Faby suggested.

    I was trying to avoid doing it in public, but I wasn¡¯t about to tell her that.

    I mean, just wearing the proper makeup and stepping in front of people would naturally draw attention to me.

    If I start emanating holiness in front of them... what would they think?

    I don¡¯t want to raise another infatuated fool or a perverted cult leader!

    I don¡¯t want to relive what happened at the art guild either!

    When I strongly refused, Faby seemed disappointed but didn¡¯t try to convince me any further.

    "I¡¯ll tell the Bishop and make the preparations. Oh, by the way, if you need the church attire, I can get that ready too."

    "Church attire? Huh? What¡¯s that? You want to see me in those clothes? I thought you were innocent, but I guess not?" I teased her.

    "Uh...? Oh, no! It¡¯s not that I want to see you in them! Well, I mean... not exactly, but... Ahh!"

    Laughing, I poked fun at the flustered Faby but then considered her suggestion. Since I had decided to do it properly, I should at least get the right attire.

    But, do I even have anything that fits?

    Considering my body type, it would be hard to find something unless it¡¯s custom-made.

    I voiced my doubts, and Faby, smiling brightly, reassured me that it would be fine.

    "The children¡¯s attire from the church should fit you."

    ...What?

    "Your height isn¡¯t too different from theirs, so with just a little adjustment..."

    Faby, who didn¡¯t realize the mistake she had made, continued talking until she saw my expression souring, at which point she hastily shut her mouth.

    But by then, it was already toote. My dignity had been insulted by Faby.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Young Lady. I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I just... please, wait a moment. Let me apologize properly... Ahh! Aahhh!"

    After turning Saintess Faby¡¯s face red with embarrassment, I warned her once more that if she kept provoking me, I¡¯d turn her into a silly saint, making sure she knew her ce.

    "At this point, just a little adjustment will do. Please wait a moment, Young Lady."

    It was incredibly frustrating, but the small nun''s habit that Faby had given me actually fit my body.

    ...To be honest, it was a bit big.

    This nun''s habit, which was meant for young children, was too big for me!

    Seeing the slightly loose habit, Faby turned her head, as though recalling something from earlier that day.

    <It¡¯s really strange, isn¡¯t it? Your father is so big, but why are you, Lucy, so small?>

    ¡®...Small, you say?¡¯

    <I misspoke. My apologies. I¡¯ll shut up now.>

    I quieted my grandfather with a sharp look and quietly watched Erin as she helped me get dressed.@@novelbin@@

    There was nothing particrly wrong with Erin''s movements.

    How long has it been since she received lessons from the perverted priest, and yet her skills have improved so much?

    As I looked at the many scars on Erin¡¯s hands, I thought I should eventually get her a gift that would help heal those hands properly.

    Although I felt a little annoyed as she cut away pieces of the habit, I knew it wasn¡¯t Erin¡¯s fault, so I tolerated it.

    Before long, I found myself in a refined appearance that didn¡¯t quite suit thete evening.

    I was already small and pretty, often called a doll, and now, wearing a nun''s habit, I had a pure and noble aura.

    "Seeing you like this, Young Lady, you look even more saintly than I do."

    It wasn¡¯t just me who thought so. Faby, seeing my appearance, let out an admiring voice.

    Faby, who usually didn¡¯t speak loudly, couldn¡¯t take her eyes off me.

    It was a good thing I hadn¡¯t prayed earlier today. If I had appeared like this in front of everyone, it would¡¯ve surely caused a scene.

    "Shall we go, then?"

    "Yes, Pathetic Saintess."

    I stood up and followed Faby as we headed to the location where the pathetic god¡¯s saint was.

    I was keeping my promise made months ago.

    Luca, the professor at the academy, had been feeling frustrated more oftentely.

    It wasn¡¯t because his beloved talents were absent from the academy. Soul Academy had more promising students than ever before.

    If this had been a year ago, Luca would have been so busy with his tasks that he would have beenughing nonstop.

    But not anymore. Even with so many talents around him now, Luca couldn¡¯t find any joy.

    No matter how talented any of the students were, none of them couldpare to the shining star that was Lucy Alrn, and that thought left him dissatisfied.

    What irritated Luca even more was that, after returning to the academy, Lucy Alrn hadn¡¯t sought him out at all.

    Until now, she had always asked him if there was anything she could destroy whenever she had a moment, but after her return from the break, she hadn¡¯t approached him for any requests or even spoken to him.

    Luca, who had prepared various trials for Lucy Alrn, grew restless on his own. Eventually, he decided to meet her himself before the new term started.

    He resolved to prove his worth, to remain the craftsman who shapes the jewel that is Lucy, rather than let her slip away from him, someone who could illuminate the world more brightly than any star he¡¯d ever seen.

    And so, when evening fell, Luca began to move. By coincidence, he spotted Lucy Alrn leaving the academy.

    Beside her was the maid she had brought with her, and another person was the Saintess of the God Church.

    While it wasn¡¯t surprising that Lucy Alrn was out, what caught Luca¡¯s attention was the fact that the Saintess, who valued rules and order, was also out at this hour. What was going on?

    Curious, Luca chose not to greet Lucy and instead erased his presence, following behind her.

    The group¡¯s destination was the church in the middle of the night.

    A quiet ce where the lights were off, and everyone was preparing for the early morning.

    Luca, well aware of Lucy Alrn¡¯s dislike of churches, wondered what could be happening and followed them into the chapel.

    However, he couldn¡¯t get any closer.

    Before he could approach, the door closed, and if he had tried to open it and entered, he would have certainly been caught. So, he waited in the darkness of the chapel, hoping Lucy and her group woulde out.

    How long did he wait? As the entire street fell silent and everyone headed to their dreams, Lucy Alrn finally revealed herself again.

    This time, she looked even more sacred and noble than the Saintess of the God Church standing beside her.

 Chapter 413

    For a moment, Luca doubted whether his eyes were ying tricks on him.

    The scene before him was so unreal that it made him question his own perception.

    The night was shrouded in darkness.

    The moonlight was swallowed by dark clouds, and the starlight could not reveal itself in the dark sky.

    In the midst of all the vanishing light stood Lucy Alrn, who, even in the deepest of darkness, was illuminating the world with her presence.

    Her skin was whiter than the snowfields of midwinter.

    Her red hair, captivating even in the dead of night, naturally drew attention.

    Though she appeared to be walking without any particr thought, her movements were graceful and precise.

    The nun¡¯s habit, a little toorge, fluttered in the night breeze, giving off an even more mystical aura.

    Her eyes, red as jewels, shone brightly, clearly seeing the world despite theck of light.

    In the dark chapel, it seemed as if the very ce was filled with light wherever Lucy Alrn stood.

    Luca, mesmerized and forgetting the possibility of being caught, stared at Lucy as she stood before the saint''s statue.

    It wasn¡¯t just Luca who thought that Lucy looked more sacred and noble than the Saintess.

    The moment Lucy Alrn knelt down and gathered her hands in front of her, a warm, divine light began to spread around her.

    Having worked as a professor for many years, Luca had met various clergymen.

    Some were so corrupt that he wondered why the gods would bless such individuals, while others were so pure that they made him feel they were foolish.

    Through these experiences, Luca had realized something important. The divine energy wielded by those at both extremes seemed to be strangely simr.

    While the church¡¯s clergy would try to exin this as the equality of the gods, Luca didn¡¯t quite agree.

    Why should only the gods, who are above the others, seek equality, when the other gods, who serve their followers, are willing to grant power freely?

    These questions led Luca to secretly conclude that the god¡¯s silence wasn¡¯t about equality, but about ipetence.

    However, at this moment, Luca¡¯s convictions crumbled.

    The divine energy that Lucy Alrn possessed, warm as the sun, was on apletely different level from that of any other clergyman.

    It was clear.

    The reason the clergymen he had encountered so far had simr divine energy was that their wills were in conflict with the gods¡¯ true will.

    The reason the gods had been silent was because they were dissatisfied with the very ce of the God Church!

    Behold! The appearance of Lucy Alrn, possessing the warm divine light, just like the myths spoke of!

    She was the one loved by the gods! The one who would spread the will of the gods throughout the world!@@novelbin@@

    She was the one who would be the brightest sun in this world!

    Luca, watching Lucy Alrn pray in the center of the warm divine energy, was filled with a new conviction.

    If it was Young Lady Alrn.

    If it was her, loved by the gods.

    If it was her, who had unlocked the overwhelming talent of the Alrn family.

    If it was her, who possessed a remarkable perseverance that didn¡¯t fit her appearance!

    She might just be able to fulfill my goals.

    She could dull the stars of talent I had seen. A manic smile spread across Luca¡¯s face as he resolved to prepare trials for Lucy Alrn.

    Not the trivial tests I had prepared to assist her growth so far. No, these would be the trials meant to engrave Luca the craftsman¡¯s name onto the divinity that was Lucy Alrn.

    Though he wanted to stay and watch over Young Lady Alrn, he realized the risk of being caught was too high, so he decided it was time to slip away.

    Luca etched the face of Lucy Alrn into his memory onest time before quietly leaving the chapel.

    Determined to offer a proper prayer for the pathetic god, I threw aside all the curses I had previously directed toward him and filled my prayer with gratitude for his protection so far, as well as my resolve for the future.

    I thanked him for keeping me safe and for allowing Lucy to hear her mother''s voice,forting her sadness. I also swore to carry out his will by erasing the shadows of the evil gods from this world.

    After finishing my words, I opened my eyes, intending to withdraw the divine energy that was filling the chapel. But then, I noticed Faby and Erin, who were praying beside me. I decided to leave the divine light as it was.

    It was normal for Faby to pray beside me, but this was the first time I¡¯d seen Erin praying.

    Was she a believer of the God Church?

    I didn¡¯t recall ever seeing Erin go out on the weekends, so I wondered if she had been keeping her faith a secret from me.

    Perhaps the old Lucy, knowing how much I hated churches, had deliberately avoided mentioning it.

    A workce boss who suppresses religious freedom... The Lucy Alrn rumors still linger, it seems.

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    As I was lost in thought, an alert sound rang in my ear, and I looked up.

    [The Apostle¡¯s Prayer has reached the God!] [Rewards will be given!] [The skill [Corruption Eradication] has been granted!]

    At the mention of the skill <em>Corruption Eradication</em>, my eyebrows raised slightly.

    The <em>Corruption Eradication</em> skill was a passive skill one could acquire if they followed the Pdin or Priest ss tree.

    Its effect increases your stats when fighting those rted to the evil gods, and it also prevents the presence of evil energy from approaching the area where divine energy was spread for a certain period.

    When the second year begins, the followers of the evil gods will likely be more active, so this skill will definitelye in handy.

    It was a great reward for just one prayer, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to be purely happy.

    The reward I received after driving out the followers of the evil gods from the academy streets was an increase in fame.

    It was a vague and intangible reward that was hard to even feel physically!

    But now, after just one prayer, I had been given such a useful skill!

    This felt a bit strange, didn¡¯t it?

    Isn¡¯t it normal for the reward to be the opposite?

    I know I couldin even if I was given something, but this still felt wrong!

    Just how bizarre is this pathetic perverted god that he gives out rewards like this?

    Even though I was forced to serve him, is it wrong to ask that my god show some dignity?

    As I vented myints about the pathetic god¡¯s statue, another alert sounded.

    Was he going to offer some excuse? Frowning, I read the new quest notification and tilted my head.

    [Luca¡¯s Trial] [Professor Luca of the Academy seeks to leave his mark on the shining star. Ovee the trials he has prepared.] [Reward: ???] [Failure: ???]

    Luca? Why is Luca suddenly showing up?

    I hadn¡¯t even met him since returning to the academy!

    Confused, I looked around but found nothing and turned my attention back to the blue window.

    What is this?

    Even though the pathetic god is a weak, perverted figure, I didn¡¯t think he would try to change the subject like this.

    "Young Lady, is something wrong?"

    Still lost in thought, I was snapped out of it by Erin¡¯s concerned voice. I shook my head.

    Whatever. I can meet him tomorrow and figure it out then.

    For now, let¡¯s calm down Faby, who looks like she¡¯s about to pass out from crying.

    The next morning, as soon as I woke up, I entrusted myself to Erin¡¯s hands, who had already perfectly prepared everything for the day.

    "Today, I¡¯ll go find people who work at the academy to see if I can find something to do. It would be an inconvenience for me to just follow you to your sses, Young Lady."

    While Erin tied my hair up, I asked her what we would do today, and she told me she would be looking for work.

    I knew my image wasn¡¯t very good among themoners, so I asked her if she was sure it would be okay, but Erin smiled confidently.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Young Lady. I¡¯m quite used to handling things like that."

    I was skeptical about Erin¡¯s words, but seeing her so confident, I decided to let her go.

    As she had said, I couldn¡¯t keep her by my side forever.

    Later, I could just talk to Cal and ask him to keep an eye on her, and there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.

    Once I was finished getting ready, I left the room and headed straight for Luca¡¯s office.

    It was still early in the morning, but knowing Luca, he would probably already be working by now.

    "It¡¯s been a while, Young Lady Alrn."

    As expected, Luca was sitting at his desk, papers scattered everywhere.

    As usual, he tidied up the papers and started talking about the trials he had prepared for me.

    Despite talking for a long time, I couldn¡¯t find anything strange about Luca.

    "If you¡¯re talking about the First Queen, I deliberately epted her offer. It seemed like she had her eyes on you," he said, even mentioning his rtionship with the First Queen.

    I figured his judgment was simr to my grandfather¡¯s, so I decided to set aside my suspicions for now.

    For now, I¡¯d just stay vignt and observe. Given that a quest had been issued, I was sure he would do something insane eventually.

    Once I was done confirming, I stood up to leave his office, but Luca suddenly said something that caught my attention.

    "Young Lady Alrn, did you happen to do something with the Art Guild during the break?"

    "Why are you asking about that? I don¡¯t want to share personal details with a creepy, obsessed pervert like you."

    "Ah, it¡¯s because the Art Guild has been spreading items rted to you," he exined.

    ...Already?!

    How much time has passed since I left the Art Guild, and they¡¯ve already spread my things!?

    Shocked by the incredible speed of the crazy fanatics, I froze for a moment before Luca pulled a pendant out of his drawer.

    The pendant appeared simple at first nce, but inside, there was a drawing of me, eyes closed, praying.

    "It seems they are still in the early stages, testing the waters. But rumors say they¡¯re not only making songs and poems, but also ys about you. It looks like the Art Guild is confident of their sess."

    I could understand the songs and poems¡ªthey had already spread everything, so adding a few more things wouldn¡¯t change much.

    But a y?! What have I done for them to make a y about me?!

    "I¡¯ve heard the prototype is already quite popr. The Art Guild¡¯s items have been gaining traction, and now they..."

    I jumped up suddenly, not even waiting for his permission, and stormed out of the office.

    The back alley.

    I need to go to the back alley!

    I have to find out if this rumor is true!

 Chapter 414

    After receiving the memories from her fragment, Rina leaned back in her chair and wore a silly grin.

    The memories contained within the fragment were filled with the utmost happiness.

    Lucy, smiling brightly.

    Lucy, drenched in sweat after a grueling training session.

    Lucy, curled up with her knees pulled to her chest, looking upset.

    Lucy, exuding disgust with her entire body.

    Lucy, crying uncontrobly.

    Lucy, her face slightly swollen from crying so much.

    Lucy, who became even more beautiful after letting the Apostle of the Art Guild touch her face.

    Lucy, looking so sacred that even the worshippers of the goddess sent their reverence toward her.

    The images of Lucy¡ªbeautiful enough to take the majesty from the Forest''s Lord¡ªmade Rina long to be by her side instead of just observing her through the fragment.

    "Lucy is hugging the doll-like me!"

    After scanning the fragment¡¯s memory of endless embarrassment and happiness several times, Rina iled her arms and buried her face in her desk.

    The nature of the fragment was Rina''s own personality, so she didn¡¯t always take pleasure in being captured by Lucy Alrn.

    She could tolerate initiating strange acts herself, but when the other person took the initiative, it was hard to ept.

    Because it was too embarrassing.

    The most beautiful and cute pinnacle of beauty in the long life of the Forest¡¯s Lord, to have it caress me¡ªhow could I bear that?

    Even now, as she absorbed the fragment''s memories, Rina¡¯s cheeks were bright red.

    Just taking in the memories was enough to make her blush. If she were to actually embrace Lucy, wouldn¡¯t she just die from overwhelming happiness and embarrassment?

    "...I really do want to go in person, don¡¯t I?"

    Looking up subtly, Rina gazed at the bunny girl painting of Lucy on the wall. The thought of escaping this dull forest entered her mind.

    The title of "Lord of the Forest" itself was proof of her existence¡¯s dignity, but what the Forest''s Lord actually did in the forest was rather trivial.

    Her duty was simply to protect and maintain the forest.

    The Lord of the Forest, who wasn¡¯t even allowed to interfere with the ecosystem, could only passively watch as time passed by.

    It was for this reason that Rina, ignoring the objections of others, had been the first to form a contract with the academy after returning.

    She had entered a deal with them because she was on the verge of dying from boredom, and through that transaction, she gained much enjoyment.

    However, as with any living being, desires do not fade once fulfilled. They only grow stronger.

    Slowly, the Forest¡¯s Lord began to cross boundaries she had never crossed before, and at some point, she began to wish to be beside Lucy.

    "Rina!"

    Hearing a voice outside that sounded like a wolf¡¯s howl, Rina¡¯s expression turned cold.

    Why was that bastard here? Just when I was in such a good mood, how irritating.

    Rina, who had been grumbling at her desk, couldn¡¯t ignore the voice calling her from outside.

    The one calling her now was a powerful being among the guardian spirits of the forest.

    "Can¡¯t you hear me?!"

    "It¡¯s fine, stop calling. Myrra."

    Myrra.

    A wolf that guarded the northern forest and had the sharpest fangs in the world.

    True to his species, he was a zealous guardian of the forest.

    "Was I interrupting something? I sent a message before I entered the forest, but I didn¡¯t hear anything back."

    "I¡¯m sorry, I had something I needed to focus on."

    "Was it a disturbance?"

    "No, it¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about it."

    "I¡¯m relieved to hear that."

    Myrra, who recognized the other forest guardians as part of his pack, smiled at Rina¡¯s response.

    "So, what¡¯s going on? Myrra?"

    "Ah, there¡¯s been some unusual things happening in several forests recently. I¡¯m just going around checking things out."

    Myrra¡¯s face was not cheerful as he spoke of these strange events.

    Looking at his drooping wolf ears, Rina guessed what had happened. There was only one reason the usually proud wolf would show sadness.

    "Has someone died?"

    "Yes. The guardians of the Mebida and Dermogul forests have passed away, joining nature¡¯s side."

    Upon hearing the names Mebida and Dermogul, Rina recalled the guardians who had watched over them.

    Either one of them was still a young child, not even fifty years old yet.

    They must have been targeted for their weakness.

    "Who did this?"

    "The dark magic¡¯s ominous energy mixed with the evil god¡¯s power. They must have joined forces."

    Hearing the words "dark magic" and "evil god," the face of the girl Rina had been thinking about until just moments ago appeared in her mind.

    But unlike before, the image of that girl no longer felt just beautiful. It now also carried a sense of strength and reliability.

    Recalling that image, Rina inexplicably felt confident that this disaster would notst long.

    "You¡¯re someone who wouldn¡¯t easily be defeated, but still, be careful. The situation on the continent has be unstable," Myrra warned.

    "Thank you for your concern."

    "No need. It¡¯s only natural betweenrades."

    Myrra, who seemed to have more work left to do, looked healthy as he spoke and was about to leave when he suddenly stopped.

    "Rina. You¡¯ve always liked beautiful things, haven¡¯t you?"

    "Yes. I have."

    "How about this? I met some members of the Art Guild on my way here, and I received this from them."

    Myrra pulled out a pendant that looked in on the outside but had an elegant craftsmanship, though it wasn¡¯t extraordinary enough to overthrow Rina¡¯s high standards.

    "Open the pendant. It¡¯s the piece they put the most effort into."

    As Rina examined the pendant, she finally opened it at Myrra¡¯s urging.

    The moment she saw the drawing inside, she froze.

    Inside the pendant was a drawing of a praying girl, and it was unmistakably Lucy Alrn, the girl Rina cherished the most.

    Rina¡¯s shock was evident on her face, and Myrra muttered to himself, pleased with his choice to bring it.

    "I knew you¡¯d like it. Even I, who don¡¯t know much about Mie, was captivated by it, so there¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t like it."

    Before Myrra could finish his sentence, Rina stepped forward with a sharp, almost frightening gaze and stared directly at him.

    "Is there more?"

    "Huh? What?"

    "I asked, is there more? More things with Lucy in them."

    "The person in the picture is named Lucy, you say?"

    "Answer me, Myrra. Is there more?"

    "...Well, there are some others, but those are for other people."

    "Give them all to me. Now."

    Myrra resisted, but it was impossible for the wolf, who belonged to the same forest, to win against the Forest¡¯s Lord.

    The wolf, with the sharpest fangs in the world, was left with nothing but fur after being stripped clean by the fox who dealt in illusions, and he left the forest.

    As the ominous imagination suggested, Luca¡¯s story turned out to be true.

    The Art Guild had already begun spreading items rted to me across the continent, even though I had left not long ago.

    At first nce, it might sound like a group of careless merchants selling random trinkets, but the lunatics of the Art Guild were not the type to degrade their own pride.

    Within just a few days, they had crafted items that either matched or exceeded the previous jewelry they had spread and were even calling them prototypes while looking for ways to improve them.

    The Art Guild, already famous for their artistic products, was now desperately investing in this project, so it was no surprise that the continent¡¯s gossipers were all over it.

    In the midst of the growing public interest, another event urred that further fueled the excitement around these jewelry pieces.

    A rumor started circting that wearing one of the Art Guild¡¯s essories would bring good luck.

    The rumor began with a merchant.

    The merchant had randomly acquired one of the jewelry pieces and started wearing it, and during a business trip, he narrowly escaped death in an ident.

    He felt that the jewelry had protected him, and soon after, he began rmending the Art Guild¡¯s jewelry to those around him.

    This stroke of good luck happened to others as well.

    What began with minor incidents, like finding money on the street, eventually led to much bigger fortunes. Everyone began to experience luck.

    As a result, the Art Guild¡¯s jewelry had be so popr that it was nowpletely sold out, as I learned from information I gathered in the back alleys.

    "Master said he¡¯d like one sent to him as well."

    "...Tell that old man he¡¯s about to be a grandpa. He¡¯s got no shame," I muttered to myself.

    After making things awkward for Jacal, I left the back alley and hoped that the Art Guild¡¯s trend wouldn¡¯t reach the academy.

    But my hopes were dashed. Not long after, I began noticing that several of the new students at the academy were wearing the Art Guild¡¯s jewelry.

    "Young Lady, if you had told me about this earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have had such a hard time getting one."

    When Joy showed off the pendant she had managed to get, I almost lost my mind. I really wanted to snatch it away and throw it somewhere.

    But when I physically tried to take it, seeing her face fall made me hesitate, and I ended up giving it back to her.

    "That¡¯s unfair. I want a pendant too."

    "I agree with Kent, Young Lady. Joy, I think that¡¯s really unfair. You could¡¯ve gotten one for us, your friends."

    "If I could¡¯ve gotten one, I would¡¯ve! But the situation right now is just not allowing it!" Joy retorted.

    Seeing Fray and Faby team up to criticize Joy, I felt a sense of resignation. I debated calling the perverted apostle and asking for one, but then I shook my head.

    Just dealing with Joy was dizzying enough. If the other two had those pendants too, I¡¯d truly die of embarrassment. It¡¯s fine if they get their own, but I can¡¯t bring myself to hand one over.

    <Lucy, turn your head slightly to the right.>

    ¡®Why? What¡¯s going on?¡¯

    Hearing my grandfather¡¯s voice, I subtly turned my head and noticed someone far off, ncing at me now and then. I tilted my head, trying to figure out what was happening.

    What¡¯s Vish doing by himself? Where¡¯s the boy he usually drags around?@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 415

    At first, I thought it might just be a coincidence, so I left Vish alone.

    To me, it seemed careless, but from the perspective of others, there were many people who would easily consider him a big shot. If he suddenly stood up and came over, it would surely be incredibly intimidating.

    Especially for Faby, from Vish¡¯s point of view, she probably looked like a grim reaper. There was no need to make things more difficult for him. Yet, Vish continued to sneak nces at me, never quite breaking his gaze.

    By now, it was clear he had something to say to me. Even if it was a misunderstanding, I couldn¡¯tin.

    After asking for my friends'' understanding, I stood up and walked over to Vish, who was too flustered to know what to do.

    "Oh. Young Lady Alrn?"

    "Why so shy, Young Lady? You keep ncing around like a girl who''s fallen in love for the first time."

    "...What? What do you mean?"

    "Oh, wait. Are you in love with me? Sorry, I can¡¯t help being so cute and pretty."

    "That¡¯s not it!"

    Vish, who had yelled, quickly corrected his posture when he noticed my friends¡¯ gazes on him.

    Why was he turning pale just because people were watching? Is he really that timid?

    "Young Lady Alrn, what brings you here?"

    "Oh, well... it''s about Adrie."

    I had wondered where Adrie was, and it turned out it was something rted to her.

    After hearing her story, I took her arm and led her inside the building.

    Conversations about necromancy weren¡¯t something you discussed openly in front of others.

    Vish, despite being a half-baked necromancer, was harmless, but real necromancers caused far more serious trouble. Necromancy was taboo for a reason.

    Given the widespread suspicion of necromancers, any mention of necromancy would be met with severe repression.

    If word got out that Adrie had anything to do with necromancy, it would not only ruin Vish but her entire family.

    Realizing this, I reserved a private room to talk with Vish and sealed off the noise with a si given to me by Karia. I sat across from her.

    "So, what happened to the old ghost?"

    "Well, the Saintess recently defeated the followers of the evil god."

    "Not bad for a pathetic Saintess, I guess. But what does that have to do with anything?"

    "Because of that, the church''s priests have started moving actively."

    The incident with the evil god''s followers on the street had been a huge shock to the church.

    The fact that their enemies had infiltrated their territory without them noticing¡ªwhat a disgrace!

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the Saintess, we would have been caught off guard by those mad followers of the evil god!

    After such an incident, the priests, both voluntarily and reluctantly, began patrolling the streets with their eyes wide open.

    They vowed not to let anything like that happen again and started patrolling the streets desperately, refusing to allow even the smallest trace of corruption to remain.

    "Adrie¡¯s mansion wasn¡¯t spared, either."

    Adrie, an exceptional necromancer, always kept her energy hidden.

    At this point, she had abandoned hatred and greed and was living as a ghost, enjoying the world by Vish¡¯s side. She had worked hard not to engage in actions that would put her existence at risk.

    So far, Adrie had sessfully deceived the church, but now the priests¡¯ patrols were growing dangerously close to her neck.

    "Right now, she¡¯s hiding in the basement, but who knows how long she can keep this up?"

    After listening to Vish¡¯s exnation, I crossed my arms and pondered deeply.

    With the increasing intensity of the priests¡¯ patrols, it was certain that the evil god¡¯s followers would soon target the academy. The more aggressive their attacks became, the tighter the security would grow.

    How did Adrie survive in the game?

    Wait, wasn¡¯t there never an issue like this in the game?

    Realizing that I had no reference to fall back on, I decided to meet with Adrie and hear her thoughts. I felt that talking to her might offer some insight.

    I left the academy and, as usual, drew the attention of the people around me while chewing on my lip.

    I was used to being the center of attention.

    Since stepping into this world, I had always lived under the gaze of others.

    But the way people were looking at me now was different from usual.

    It wasn¡¯t just curiosity; there was a definite interest in their eyes.

    "Is that Young Lady Alrn?"

    "She¡¯s even prettier in person than in the jewelry."

    "Is she really the one everyone¡¯s been talking about? Is something wrong with her?"

    "If anyone saw her at the social circles, they wouldn¡¯t be saying that."

    "Don¡¯t get too close. You never know what kind of danger you might encounter."

    "...If she¡¯s that kind of person, I wouldn¡¯t mind being stepped on. Heh."

    The Art Guild¡¯s jewelry was causing a huge stir.

    As I absorbed the mixed stares of curiosity and caution, I arrived at Adrie¡¯s mansion, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

    I never thought I¡¯d be grateful for the mess Lucy had caused.

    If it weren¡¯t for Lucy¡¯s reputation, the people on the street would have surely swarmed me.

    ...At this rate, I might as well start making trouble myself. If I don¡¯t create an atmosphere where people can¡¯t get too close, something terrible might happen.

    Shuddering at the thought that the Art Guild¡¯s scene might be reenacted, I seriously considered going into the social circles and causing a ruckus.

    "Why are you here?"

    "Yikes?!"

    I let out a sharp scream as Adrie suddenly popped up from beneath the floor.

    "Heh! What¡¯s this? You little brat! You¡¯re scared too, huh?"

    "...Shut up. You foul-mouthed old ghost."

    "Heh~ But you just screamed, didn¡¯t you? Yikes?! What a sound! Hahaha!"

    Hearing Adrie¡¯s mockingughter, I frowned for a moment but then smiled back at her.

    "So you came because you thought it was dangerous, but it seems like it¡¯s not urgent after all?"

    "...Ah."

    "Or maybe you just want to rest? If you do, I could purify you, you know?"

    I subtly raised the divine energy and brought it near Adrie. She recoiled in horror and backed away.

    "What... what is this?! Why is it so much stronger than before?! What happened during the break?"

    "Why are you running away, old ghost? Didn¡¯t you want to die?"

    "I¡¯m already dead! And I¡¯m not¡ª! Ah! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! Is that good enough?!"

    "Old ghost, weren¡¯t you a noble? How do you not know the proper etiquette for apologizing?"

    As I took out my mace, Adrie trembled and eventually bowed her head.

    "I... I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you."

    "Heh. I still don¡¯t like you, but since you¡¯re old, I¡¯ll let it slide this time. Ah~ I¡¯m really kind, aren¡¯t I?"

    After tapping her on the head, I checked the situation with Adrie, who seemed to be shaking with frustration.

    "It¡¯s humiliating, but staying in the mansion is too dangerous. If a bishop-level priest shows up, I can¡¯t do anything about it."

    "That¡¯s true. No matter how great a necromancer Adrie is, there are matchups. If she faces off against a bishop-level priest without proper preparation, she¡¯ll just be purified."

    "And by the way, little one, what exactly did you do for your picture to be spreading around in jewelry on the streets? A picture of you, blessed by the god, is dangerous in itself!"

    On top of that, the increasingly widespread Art Guild jewelry also became a problem for Adrie.

    A piece of jewelry with my image, crafted by the Art Guild¡¯s believers, was acting as a relic.

    I hadn¡¯t realized it before, but it wasn¡¯t all that surprising.

    Considering that the Art Guild was behind the creation of these items, it was only natural that they¡¯d function as relics with the devotion of the priests.

    ...Could it be that this pathetic god is orchestrating a grand design?

    If I hadn¡¯t known the pathetic god, I might have been amazed by his wisdom. But I had seen his ugly side too many times to be fooled.

    The pathetic, perverted god might have just wanted my merchandise. It¡¯s likely he simply acted on his desires and stumbled upon this by ident.

    "Anyway, the situation is getting worse. There¡¯s no ce for us in the academy district."

    Hearing Vish¡¯s frustrated tone, I shrugged and spoke up.

    "Then just go somewhere else. Are you scared of the outside now, old ghost?"

    "If we leave the mansion, our connection with Vish will be cut off! I can¡¯t just leave that child alone!"

    It was a situation where I couldn¡¯t leave the academy district, not just for Vish, but because if we stayed within it, Adrie would eventually be purified.

    But from my perspective, there was no easy solution. Wherever we went in the academy district, it was impossible to escape the church¡¯s gaze.

    Ah.@@novelbin@@

    I had an idea.

    It would be good for both Adrie and me.

    "Old ghost, there¡¯s a good ce for a necromancer who likes dark and damp ces."

    "A good ce?"

    "...There was a ce like this?"

    I had guided Adrie to the hidden underground facility of the Academy Graduate School, a ce I had visited months ago to obtain a shield.

    This location, which was impossible to ess without a stone tablet, was a ce so obscure that even those who had been with me at the time would never have guessed its existence.

    If Adrie were to hide here, even the most skilled clergy would not be able to find her. Not unless she willingly stepped out, asking to be killed.

    "This is nice. I especially like how the impure energy is subtly gathered here."

    "I knew you¡¯d like it. You¡¯re like a cockroach, so I figured you¡¯d enjoy a ce like this."

    "...Ugh!"

    Adrie seemed to have a lot to say, but she couldn¡¯t bring herself to respond.

    The difference in our resonance right now was stark! She couldn¡¯t overpower me, and there was no justification to defeat me. No matter what I said, she had no choice but to endure!

    Watching the old ghost twitch in frustration, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the urge to tease her until she exploded. But I suppressed that urge.

    I had something I needed to ask, and it would be a bit awkward to bring it up while she was this worked up.

    There would be plenty of opportunities to tease Adrieter, so I decided to save it for another time.

    "Old ghost."

    "What?"

    "You don¡¯t really have anything to do, other than stalking the spare, right?"

    "...Why?"

    "Since you¡¯re following the spare around, I thought you could also take a look around the academy while you¡¯re at it."

    Though I had an informant in the form of the Dean, I couldn¡¯t learn about the secret matters from him. He was, after all, just an outsider.

    But Adrie was different. As a necromancer, she could easily overhear other people¡¯s confidential conversations.

    As long as she wasn¡¯t caught, that is.

    "Can you do that?"

    "I don¡¯t want to. I came here to avoid danger, and now you want me to..."

    Adrie began to refuse, but then saw the divine energy gathering in my hand and forced a smile.

    "Fine. I will. I¡¯ll do it. Yes, I will. I¡¯ll do my best."

    Adrie bowed her head politely, promising to help, and not long after the academy reopened, she kept her word.

    She brought back information about those in the First Queen¡¯s faction who were nning to test me.

 Chapter 416

    As the academy''s internal appointments and conflicts escted, it was clear that the most influential faction had emerged¡ªQueen 1st¡¯s power.

    To put it simply, their strength was unmatched, and their appointments were impable. No matter how much resistance came from Queen 2nd¡¯s faction or the academy¡¯s schrly forces, they stood no chance against the might of Queen 1st¡¯s side.

    Thus, thergest faction within the academy¡¯s professor ranks grew even more powerful, and without hesitation, they began to n their moves to fulfill their master¡¯s desires.

    Of course, they didn¡¯t act openly.

    Despite theirrge power, they were still outsiders who had recently gained influence. A sudden misstep could easily turn public opinion against them, so they discussed their ns cautiously, only within their own circle.

    Their preparations were thorough, and if not for the variable of Adrie, no one would have had any idea of their true intentions.

    In other words, their ipetence in anticipating Adrie¡¯s actions led to this situation.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but they wanted to test your skills and abilities.¡±

    The faction of Queen 1st intentionally created a crisis for me to test my abilities.

    It wasn¡¯t hard to guess why they¡¯d do such a thing. The reason Queen 1st¡¯s faction was focusing on me was simple.

    Why was the medieval Trump targeting me?

    What was their intention? Sure, my momentum has been hightely, but they wouldn¡¯t go so far as to cause a ruckus at the academy just to show interest in me.

    Do they have another motive? Is there something I don¡¯t know?

    The medieval Trump probably hasn¡¯t figured out the academy¡¯s hidden secrets yet, right?

    I was lost in these thoughts, but the answer didn¡¯te easily. I still didn¡¯t have enough information.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯ve heard so far. If I probe further, I think I¡¯d be in danger.¡±

    ¡°Typical old hag. Like a cockroach, always looking out for yourself.¡±

    ¡°...Damn! Why does someone like that get the love of the lord?¡±

    Yeah. Honestly, I¡¯m curious about that, too.

    I¡¯d assumed it was just because the perverted deity had such tastes, but on the other hand, I thought even if the deity was a waste, it couldn¡¯t be that bad.

    I didn¡¯t think I should be talking like this to a currentmander, so I chuckled at Adrie¡¯s grumbling and sent her off with a request to keep trying.

    The Soul Academy¡¯s opening ceremony that year went by without incident, in a very dull manner.

    The new students, some of whom had heard about the academy¡¯s traditions or were re-enrolling, remained tense throughout the ceremony, but no matter how tense they were, nothing happened.

    What else could happen? The golems had all been destroyed just days before the ceremony.

    Moreover, even the graduate students who were supposed to make the golems had suffered losses in the process, making the academy¡¯s opening ceremony inevitably quiet.

    After the most chaotic day passed in silence, I gathered my friends in my private room.

    We were going to decide on the courses they would take.

    ¡°You seem troubled today, Lucy Allen.¡±

    ¡°¡­If you know, why don¡¯t you just keep quiet and understand the situation?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really on edge. Well, maybe we can consider your opinion too.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Hm. Alright. Since you¡¯re so enthusiastic, I¡¯ll increase your creditspared to before.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I was going to be considerate, but if the poor prince insists, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡±

    ¡°Wait. Hold on. Lucy Allen, I never said anything like that¡­¡±

    Ignoring Arthur, who was sweating nervously, I turned my gaze back to the course list.

    Arthur¡¯s remark about me looking troubled was spot on.

    When it was time for them to choose their courses in their first year, I had no trouble at all.

    All I had to do was write down the most efficient route based on my research in the game, so I didn¡¯t need to think much.

    But this time was different. The courses listed here had undergone so many changespared to what I knew¡ªeverything from the professors to the course content and schedules.

    As a result, I found myself erasing what I knew and starting from scratch to make new ns.

    It wasn¡¯t too difficult to establish a rough framework, though. I couldbine the names of the people still at the academy with the ones I knew to get some decent results.

    The problem was, I wasn¡¯t sure if this would be the most efficient way.

    Ugh. If this were a game, I¡¯d just spam the right answers to calcte maximum efficiency, but in reality, I couldn¡¯t do that.

    What should I do? At this point, it might be best to give up on efficiency.

    But my pride as someone with connections and experience won¡¯t allow me to let go of it.

    ¡°Allen Young Lady, is it really necessary to decide now?¡±

    Noticing that I couldn¡¯te to a conclusion, Joy cautiously spoke up.

    ¡°Well, we only need to submit it within the week, so wouldn¡¯t it be better to attend some of the new professors'' sses and make adjustments afterward?¡±

    Hmm. That¡¯s a good point.

    Rather than deciding now, it might be better to experience the sses firsthand and then think about which ones seem good.

    There aren¡¯t that many sses I need to attend. Most of the really important ones are already set, and now it¡¯s just a matter of deciding the smaller ones.

    ¡°Did the idiot eat something bad today? Why are you saying something so smart?¡±

    ¡°Hmph. It¡¯s because you always disregard me. But I always have good ideas, you know?¡±

    Joyined with her words, but there was a faint smile on her face.

    ¡°Hey, Lucy Allen. Doesn¡¯t your attitude seem a bit different? I was trying to say that, but why am I the only one getting scolded?¡±

    ¡°Well, the poor prince isn¡¯t cute at all.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to hearpliments like the idiot? Then do something cute. If you do something cute, I¡¯ll say ¡®good job¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­Something cute?¡±

    Looking at Arthur¡¯s confused face, I burst outughing.

    ¡°Pffhahaha! Were you really thinking about that? You wantedpliments that badly? The poor prince has some strangely cute and pathetic sides!¡±

    ¡°That...that¡¯s not true! I was just momentarily confused because of the rude things you said!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s so convincing~ Yeah, I believe you~¡±

    ¡°Come on! My words!¡±

    Arthur, his face red with anger, suddenly fell silent as Freya unexpectedly stepped in.

    ¡°¡­Freya, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you wanted?¡±

    Freya tilted her head as she gently patted Arthur¡¯s head, and he sighed and sat down.

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I was just revealing my frustration.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±

    ¡°But, didn¡¯t the prince calm down after the head pats?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s because what you did was so ridiculous that I couldn¡¯t help it!¡±

    As usual, I watched Arthur and Freya argue, then passed the course list to Joy and Faby, asking them to check out a few of the sses and let me know how they went.

    Of course, I wanted to attend all of them, but I couldn¡¯t possibly manage subjects like Holy Magic or various magical studies. It¡¯d be better to leave the evaluations of those courses to the two of them.

    Simrly, I told Carl about the sses he needed to attend.

    ¡°Lucy. What about me?¡±

    Lastly, Freya, who had been eagerly waiting, looked up at me with expectation, but I didn¡¯t give her anything.

    ¡°You¡¯re just fine being next to me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to ask her for any evaluations¡ªshe¡¯d only make things worse.

    It¡¯s better to just keep her around.

    After all, we¡¯ll probably end up taking the same sses anyway.

    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll do that!¡±

    Although it was more like dering her useless, Freya looked oddly happy.

    What¡¯s going on? Why is she so happy? Could it be that Freya¡¯s awakening some weird taste...?

    No, that¡¯s not it. Her tastes have always been strange. Not long ago, she was sulking because I didn¡¯t give her a scolding.

    Is there anyone normal around me?

    Looking at Freya¡¯s chirpy appearance, I reluctantly gave my friends the dismissal order and moved on to check out the professors¡¯ sses.

    The first one was Dungeon Studies. I wanted to see how the new professor was doing.

    ¡°As you can see, in the dungeon¡­¡±

    The ss, led by a person affiliated with Queen 1st¡¯s faction, wasn¡¯t bad. The professor had a somewhat rigid way of thinking, but in this ce where dungeon exploration was so real, thinking like a professor was typical.

    However, I didn¡¯t think it was worth attending. The professor¡¯s views were dull to someone like me, and attending would just be a waste of time.

    ¡°Allen Young Lady. You seem to already know this, so could you answer the question?¡±

    Noticing my obvious disinterest, the professor pointed it out openly, but that wasn¡¯t the best choice.

    ¡°I can answer, sure. But the level of the question is disgustingly low.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re quite confident.¡±

    ¡°More importantly, are you confident, professor? I don¡¯t want to see a grown-up like you get embarrassed after being pointed out.¡±

    ¡°Feel free to try. Asking questions is part of a professor¡¯s role.¡±

    Since he gave me the chance to speak, it was like he was opening up a gap in his own exnation.

    ¡°Well, first, I¡¯ll point out how much of a fool you are for being so far removed from reality.¡±

    The professor¡¯s pride didn¡¯tst long.

    When ites to dungeons, even academy professors have to bow to me. No parachute professors can beat me.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t all bad. If you keep improving, you¡¯ll be okay. But you¡¯ll never be better than me.¡±

    I made the new professor¡¯s face turn red and moved on to the next ss, Combat Studies.

    I wanted to see what kind of character the new assistant professor was after Carl had finally gotten a proper position.

    The assistant professor didn¡¯t speak much during the theory lessons, but once it was time to apply that theory practically, he subtly stepped forward.

    ¡°Lucy Allen and Kent Allen¡¯s talents are said to be among the best on the continent. How about showing the other students a demonstration?¡±

    His attention was clearly focused on me.

 Chapter 417

    The second son of the Monsel family, a knight affiliated with Queen 1st''s faction, had been closely observing the scene as Lucy Allen and Freya Kent loosened up.

    He had never nned to step away from his position as a knight, yet the reason for his appearance here was tied to this very ce, so he had no choice but to take an interest.

    A few months ago, after the academy''s end-of-term party, Queen 1st made a direct move during a meeting of her faction, expressing her desire to draw the Allen family into her fold.

    The content itself wasn¡¯t surprising.

    It waspletely reasonable for Queen 1st¡¯s faction to want to bring the Allen family on board, considering how much more powerful and influential they had be after the war with the Empire. In fact, it would have been strange if they hadn¡¯t made such an attempt. The moment Benedict Allen, the powerful figure, dered his support, the potential threat from Queen 2nd''s faction would disappear. Why wouldn¡¯t they seek his help?

    After hearing Queen 1st¡¯s words, her faction became excited and began discussing various ways to win Benedict Allen''s favor.

    But Queen 1st, after watching their conversation with a somewhat disapproving expression, let out a quiet sigh.

    "Everyone, I¡¯m not talking about Benedict Allen. How could we convince the man who stepped down from his glorious position to y the role of Duke of the Bordends?"

    At Queen 1st''s words, her faction was taken aback.

    She wasn¡¯t referring to Benedict Allen? Then, was she talking about someone from the coteral branch of the family?

    Was there anyone from the coteral branches of the Allen family worth mentioning?

    Aside from Viscount Fossel, all the others were somewhat wed, weren¡¯t they?

    As her faction debated, Queen 1st smiled slightly and revealed her true intentions.

    "What I was referring to is the youngdy of the Allen family. I¡¯m sure everyone here knows who she is."

    As Queen 1st spoke, there was no one in the room who didn¡¯t know Lucy Allen.

    In the past, she had earned a notorious reputation for her bad behavior, but now, she was known as the greatest talent in the Kingdom of Patran. How could they not know her?

    Anyone who didn¡¯t pay attention to such news couldn¡¯t have even stood in this room. Those present were already somewhat familiar with Lucy Allen, including her father¡¯s deep affection for her.

    Benedict Allen would throw away his life for his daughter, and if she were to join any faction, it was certain that her father would follow her there.

    Until now, the threat had been considered too great, so no one had dared to move, but it seemed Queen 1st had a different perspective.

    Her faction, sensing her intentions, waited for her to continue.

    "I believe it would be better to focus on the people around Lucy Allen, rather than directly courting her. So..."

    After that meeting, many from Queen 1st''s faction were appointed as professors at the academy.

    No one objected.

    Those who followed Queen 1st believed in her ability to make the kingdom greater in ce of the ipetent king.

    Gavora Monsel, too, was one of those who ardently supported Queen 1st.

    He had fought alongside her on the front lines in the past, and despite being born into noble blood, he remembered vividly the way she charged ahead at the very front of the battlefield.

    Remembering that, he trusted Queen 1st¡¯s judgment on drawing Lucy Allen into their ranks.

    Put simply, he didn¡¯t trust other things Queen 1st had mentioned.

    For instance, the rumor that Lucy Allen was the greatest talent on the continent.

    No matter how prestigious the Allen family was, how could a reckless, useless girl suddenly be the greatest talent in just one year?

    Rumors often get exaggerated, and Gavora thought that while Lucy Allen might be talented, it wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as the rumors made it seem.

    In fact, many of the professors appointed from Queen 1st¡¯s faction shared a simr opinion.

    After all, the known facts about Lucy Allen''s past were far too disastrous.

    Her poor physical stamina, struggling to climb a single flight of stairs.

    The time she fell while trying to wield a sword, unable to bear its weight, and cried.

    Or the time she got so angry that she copsed from exhaustion.

    These facts about her were well-known, and given that, how could they easily believe in Lucy Allen¡¯s strength?

    Gavora, among those who doubted, watched with great interest to see what Lucy Allen would show in the face of Freya Kent¡¯s overwhelming talent.

    "When are you going to stop just watching? Foolish knight. Even if you attack with your eyes, it¡¯s justughable."

    "Do I have to go first again?"

    "Hmph ? Afraid to charge in? Looks like your manners have been engraved on you after so many beatings ?."

    "...Tch!"

    Gavora¡¯s eyes widened as he observed the aura surrounding Freya¡¯s sword.

    It wasn¡¯t just any aura¡ªit had color! Was a second-year student really wielding that much control over it?

    Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would have dismissed it as impossible, but seeing it for himself, Gavora hesitated for a moment, stunned by what was happening.

    No matter how great Lucy Allen¡¯s talent was, what Freya Kent disyed was not something a student of their age could handle.

    How could a mere student respond to a true, serious attack from someone working in the field?

    Convinced an ident would ur, Gavora rushed forward to intervene, but he was stopped by the senior professor, Anton.

    "Is he out of his mind?! He¡¯s not trying to stop them, but he¡¯s stopping me from stepping in?!"

    Because of Anton¡¯s interference, Gavora missed the opportunity to prevent a potential disaster, and all he could do was watch the sh between the two with growing anxiety.

    Freya increased her speed.

    She aimed for the opponent¡¯s neck with a lightning-fast strike.

    Before her sharp de, even steel would split like a leaf, but Lucy Allen remained unnervingly calm.

    Her eyes, focused on the de wrapped in aura, were not the eyes of a student, but those of a seasoned knight.

    How could such a young girl possess that kind of gaze?

    As Gavora marveled at Lucy Allen¡¯s expression, she suddenly raised her pure white shield.

    There was something captivating in the way she moved her thin limbs, something that drew the eye like an actor on a stage.

    Even Gavora, who had been worried about Lucy, found himself mesmerized by her movements.

    So beautiful. So noble.

    But something felt off.

    Like an actor who forgot a move.

    CLANG!

    It was only when Lucy Allen¡¯s shield collided with Freya¡¯s sword that Gavora snapped out of his daze.

    To his astonishment¡ªthough perhaps to some, it was not surprising¡ªLucy Allen had effortlessly blocked Freya¡¯s de.

    "...How?"

    Freya¡¯s sword, wrapped in aura, didn¡¯t even budge Lucy¡¯s shield, bouncing off ineffectively.

    "It¡¯s always been like this."

    Anton responded to Gavora¡¯s astonishment.

    "Always... You mean?"

    "In duels between Allen Young Lady and Kent Young Lady, the sword almost never pierced the shield."

    Hearing Anton¡¯s words, Gavora quickly shifted his gaze away from the ongoing battle and turned toward the students.

    He understood now.

    Anton¡¯s words were true.

    While the new students watched in shock, the academy¡¯s older students observed the duel with a more schrly gaze, studying it.

    Such duels were routine? This fierce exchange, which would be rare even between knight orders?

    "Lucy, is this all you¡¯ve got? Can¡¯t you do better?"

    "Pffhahaha ? You¡¯re all talk, but too scared to even touch me ? How many times have you been beaten into shape? ?."

    Despite the fiercebat, both Lucy and Freya showed no sign of losing theirposure, and Gavora couldn¡¯t help but let out a dryugh.

    They were all mistaken.

    Lucy Allen was not overrated.

    In fact, she was underrated.

    Born into the Allen family bloodline, daughter of the monster Benedict Allen, she was truly one of the heroes who would lead the kingdom!

    He cursed himself for treating her as merely a means to bring Benedict Allen into the fold.

    The others who had agreed with him were just as pathetic.

    Didn¡¯t Queen 1st show such great interest in her for a reason?

    As Gavoramented his ignorance, he noticed Freya Kent frowning and blinked.

    "Anton, is that attack also considered routine?"@@novelbin@@

    "...Huh? Huh?"

    Anton stuttered in confusion as Freya¡¯s smile curved upward.

    "Alright. I¡¯ll give it a try."

    Seeing Freya¡¯s aura intensify, Lucy Allen infused her shield with holy energy.

    As the holy magic enveloped her shield, Freya¡¯s aura-wrapped sword came crashing toward her.

    The forceful, intimidating attack, disregarding anyone around them, was so powerful that it could have harmed someone just by the shockwave.

    Had they made a mistake, what was meant to be a ss demonstration could have turned into a scene of disaster. But luckily, the aftermath of the attack didn¡¯t threaten anyone else.

    Lucy Allen¡¯s holy magic perfectly blocked Freya¡¯s strike.

    "Now you¡¯re actually trying? Guess you¡¯re having fun now?"

    Freya, who had beenughing freely, her focus not on the consequences of her actions, soon stopped smiling.

    "Hey ? Pathetic knight ?."

    As the impact of the attack faded, Lucy Allen¡¯s face appeared, her wild eyes reminiscent of a beast''s.

    "Yeah ? It was fun, just like you said ? I knew you were stupid, but I didn¡¯t know you were worse than a goldfish ?."

    Her light tone carried an oppressive aura that made it hard for anyone to breathe.

    "So I¡¯ll make it more fun for you ? Until the pathetic knight starts making some noise ?."

    In the midst of this fierce battle, Lucy Allen proved her worth with a mace in hand, resembling the knights of the Allen family who had once filled battlefields with fear.

 Chapter 418

    Although I had been swinging my mace with some genuine intent after a long time, Freya, after taking one heavy hit, actually seemed to enjoy it and rushed back at me, clearly thrilled to be sparring with me seriously again.

    Seeing her unable to control her excitement, I decided to take more extreme measures.

    If I didn¡¯t, I¡¯d really end up smashing her skull with the mace. But I couldn¡¯t make a mess of my friend¡¯s head, could I?

    "Not listening to me ? Your skills are pathetic ? You¡¯re not even a cute little pet ? I don¡¯t need something like that ?"

    "...Huh?"

    "Can¡¯t you understand how pathetic you are? ? Just go away, I¡¯m annoyed ?"

    "...Lucy? Are you mad?"

    "Mad? ? Not at all ? Why should I be mad at someone like you? ? I¡¯m not even going to look at you anymore ?"

    At my threat that if she didn¡¯t listen, I wouldn¡¯t even bother to spar with her or go around with her, Freya lowered her head.

    "I¡¯m sorry."

    When Freya apologized to the professors and other students, everyone was left stunned. They¡¯d never seen her apologize like that before.

    "Is this enough?"

    Freya, showing no remorse at all, quickly finished her apology and looked at me for some reaction, but instead of saying anything, I patted her head.

    At least this way, she was socializing. Compared to the insane version of Freya in the game, she had grown immensely. The Freya beyond the screen had been apletely different kind of lunatic from Lucy.

    Hmm, but something felt a bit odd. Why did it feel like I had to raise my hand higher than usual? Normally, I¡¯d only need to lift it a little, but now it felt like I had to stretch it a bit more.

    "Stupid knight. Did you grow taller?"

    "Huh? Yeah, just a little."

    "...I don¡¯t like you."

    Traitor!

    Although she was a little taller than me, I had always felt a sense of camaraderie with her, but now she was growing taller on her own!

    I couldn¡¯t forgive this!

    After that small issue, where Freya was flustered, I continued attending the academy¡¯s trial sses, and each time, professors seemed determined to test my level.

    Just like in the Combat Studies ss, they were all trying to gauge my ability.

    I managed to somehow dodge their questions with some nonsense, but I finally couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and decided to go see Luca.

    I needed to find out when this madness would end.

    Well, questions rted to my specialties, like Dungeon Studies, Combat, and Holy Magic, were fine. I was confident I could answer anything in those areas.

    But when it came to subjects like History, which were deeply academic, I was at a loss!

    What the hell did they think I was, throwing questions at me that were meant for grad students?

    I couldn¡¯t possibly solve those problems with my idiotic brain!

    The worst case was the Magic Studies ss I was dragged into by Joy.

    I could barely manage other subjects with Grandpa¡¯s knowledge, but this one? I had no clue.

    "These are the basic theories of the Fire School, Lady Allen. I¡¯m sure you know them?"

    The professor¡¯s attitude, as if I <em>should</em> know this, left me speechless.

    How could I possibly know that?

    I¡¯m a pdin!

    It¡¯s natural that I don¡¯t know magic!

    "Professor, do we really need to waste time on something so obvious? I¡¯m here to attend ss, not hear that."

    "Hmm, I suppose you have a point."

    Thankfully, Joy helped me handle the professor¡¯s questions, or I¡¯d have beenpletely screwed. If not for that, I probably would¡¯ve had to cause a scene just to escape the situation.

    Thinking about the future, I found it truly horrifying.

    I wanted to attend ss, not repeat Grandpa¡¯s old stories like a parrot!

    <You should have studied as I told you. If you had, you would have answered those questions...>

    "Ah, I¡¯m not listening. I¡¯m not listening to anything."

    Ignoring Grandpa¡¯s advice, I went to find Luca and ended up hearing the answer I most dreaded.

    "It¡¯s going to keep happening. Everyone who¡¯se to the academy recently is deeply loyal, so the better your answers, the more they¡¯ll be curious about how far you can go and keep pushing you forward."

    Some would be curious about my potential.

    Some would be jealous of the attention I received.@@novelbin@@

    And others would simply be genuinely curious about me.

    Luca¡¯s words made my head spin as I realized that until I showed my limits, people would keep questioning me.

    So no matter which ss I attended, it was guaranteed that I¡¯d get attention.

    ...Wait, thinking about it, it¡¯s strange that I¡¯m even bothered by this.

    Why should I worry about answering questions in ss?

    I could just skip all the theory sses, right?

    I¡¯m already not the sharpest tool in the shed, so why not just give up?

    Yeah, if I just ept that I have a tiny brain, everything will be fine.

    <Lucy, is that really okay?>

    "...Of course not!"

    It bugged me that I had low intelligence, and I decided to focus on my studies, thinking that if I worked hard, I could raise my intelligence!

    But then this happens!

    This is just unfair?!

    Am I really being underestimated like this?

    Am I really so easy to mess with?

    Just because Lucy Allen, the reckless troublemaker, did nothing for a year, has everyone forgotten all the terrible things I¡¯ve done?!

    I¡¯m so annoyed! Should I just flip the table over?! Let¡¯s make the professor kneel in front of me!

    <That would ruin your reputation even more.>

    "But!"

    <Didn¡¯t I tell you? They won¡¯t give you any justification.>

    As Grandpa had said, those in Queen 1st''s faction only showed interest in me, but they didn¡¯t cross any important lines.

    They only asked questions within the bounds of what professors were allowed to do.

    With many new people entering the academy, there weren¡¯t anypletely useless ones, but even they seemed to be cautious around me.

    Even the Dungeon Studies professor, who I had provoked first, only turned red in the face but didn¡¯t dare confront me.

    There must have been some kind of warning within the factions.

    If I started making trouble now, the one who¡¯d be in trouble would be me.

    I could cause a scene, but all it would do was give the other side a reason to pick a fight.

    Ugh... This is why I hate politics.

    If this were a dungeon, I could just quietly take out the enemy with my mace.

    <If you¡¯re really upset, there is a way to make your opponent cross the line. It¡¯s what you¡¯re good at, so it wouldn¡¯t be that difficult.>

    "...No, Grandpa. I¡¯m a servant of the Deity. I can¡¯t hurt innocent people!"

    What do they think of me?!

    Even though I¡¯ve used my Mesugaki skill on those who¡¯ve crossed the line, I¡¯ve never used it on an innocent person!

    ...Well, if you asked me directly, I wouldn¡¯t be able to answer that with certainty...

    <Well then, I guess we¡¯ll just have to wait and see.>

    Grandpa¡¯s words made it clear that I had no choice.

    Ugh. This is so annoying!

    Someone, please give me a reason to get my frustration out!

    Then I¡¯ll use everything I have to destroy that person!

    Recently, Arthur Sdin had been feeling the strange, almost uneasy stares of the academy¡¯s professors.

    Not everyone, but those from Queen 1st and Queen 2nd¡¯s factions clearly seemed ufortable with him.

    The reason was clear. It was because he kept standing out for no reason.

    Arthur was really bothered by the situation.

    He had repeatedly stated that he had no interest in power, so why were they so wary of him?

    Even though he was surrounded by noticeable figures, how could someone like him, practically treated as an illegitimate child, ever challenge the monarchy?

    Arthur was irritated, but he was aware that his situation was peculiar.

    The best friend of the Duke of Patran''s daughter.

    Close to the Saint, who was practically the symbol of the Deity¡¯s Church.

    Frequent conversations with the re-enrolled Baron Burrow.

    Dueling often with the next potential Sword Master, Kent.

    The only royal with a favorable rtionship with Lucy Allen, who was frequently in the spotlight recently, and even trained at the Allen family estate.

    Arthur had personal abilities that couldn¡¯t be denied.

    Aside from his maternal side¡¯s shorings and his age, he was someone who could easily upset the bnce if he chose to.

    Understanding this, Arthur did his best to appear harmless.

    But despite his efforts, it wasn¡¯t working, and the situation around him continued to make him ufortable.

    "Ah, at this rate, you¡¯ll be dragged into something, whether you want to or not."

    Arthur remembered a conversation he once had with Cecil and realized that his advice was right.

    Isn¡¯t that exactly what¡¯s happening right now?

    Arthur let out a lightugh as he thought of the unusually energetic 2nd Prince Cecil and walked toward his next ss.

    Let¡¯s see... Was I supposed to evaluate a ss rted to court etiquette and rtions?

    When Arthur saw the professor¡¯s name, his brow furrowed.

    Valian Clock. A man with whom Arthur had only negative memories.

    Someone obsessed with noble status.

    Someone who looked down on Arthur for his low birth.

    He was one of the people who had made Arthur sensitive to others'' contempt.

    Remembering his past, Arthur paused for a moment before letting out a long sigh and stepping forward.

    At this point, there was no way he could tell Lucy Allen he wouldn¡¯t attend the ss.

    If he did, he¡¯d have to endure her ridicule.

    So instead, he decided to just attend the ss and get it over with.

    It shouldn¡¯t be a big deal. After all, this was someone who had been pushed to the back rooms years ago, so he¡¯d likely calmed down by now. He wouldn¡¯t openly provoke Arthur like before.

    As he walked with that thought, Arthur ran into Valian Clock in the hallway next to the ssroom.

    "It¡¯s been a while, Prince 3rd."

    "...I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, Duke Clock."

    "I had been idle, but an opportunity arose to spread knowledge, so I volunteered for this honorable task."

    Arthur felt a sharp sting as he was met with Clock''s typical disdainful smile, but he raised the corner of his mouth in response.

    "You¡¯ve certainly aplished a lot recently. I was truly pleased as someone who once taught you, even though it was a long time ago."

    The words seemed likepliments, but Arthur immediately recognized the underlying meaning.

    By mentioning the past, Clock was implying that Arthur should just stay in his ce and not get too big for his britches.

    This was a tactic Clock often used.

    "Still, there¡¯s more I need to improve."

    Arthur felt like hitting him, but he knew he couldn¡¯t do that. Although Clock had been pushed to the sidelines, there were too many eyes watching right now.

    He had to hold back for now. Arthur kept his anger in check, lowering his head, and Clock, pleased with his apparent humility, responded.

    "It¡¯s truly admirable that you remember the virtue of humility. As your former teacher, I¡¯m very d."

    Arthur decided to ignore him.

    Why waste emotions on a fallen old man who couldn¡¯t forget his past glory?

    He¡¯d be gone soon enough. It didn¡¯t matter if he ignored him.

    "How nice it would have been if you had better blood."

    At the mocking tone in Clock¡¯s voice, Arthur¡¯s fist tightened, but before he could react...

    "Pffhahaha ?."

    Augh suddenly rang out beside them.

    It was clear and loud enough to reach Arthur''s ears.

 Chapter 419

    While moving to attend a ss, I happened to see Arthur and a professor having a conversation, but I didn''t think much of it at first.

    There were countless nobles with ties to the royal family here, so I just assumed they might know each other.

    However, after hearing the professor''s words, my perspective changed. Anyone who would smile and say something to wound Arthur like that couldn¡¯t possibly be someone close to him.

    As someone who prided myself on knowing Arthur better than even he knew himself, I felt a surge of heat in my head as soon as I heard what the professor said.

    What the hell did that crazy bastard just say?

    "How I wish you weren¡¯t born of such lowly blood."

    What the hell is this? Is he seriously iming he''s some kind of demigod, half god, half human?

    That arrogant bastard who relied on his power and caused a mess, only to be sent to the back rooms.

    How dare he insult my friend? I felt my head heating up, but at the same time, my thoughts started to cool down, analyzing the situation more carefully.

    I remembered his face. He was a viin in a side story.

    Valian Clock.

    Once at the center of the royal court''s power, but pushed aside when Queen 1st appeared.

    Out of spite, he sided with Queen 2nd¡¯s faction, but even they saw him as a problem to deal with.

    I had thought he''d tone it down, knowing he had nowhere else to go if he was pushed further, but that wasn¡¯t the case.

    If he were someone who could assess the atmosphere, there¡¯s no way he would have been pushed this far.

    "Phuh-huh?"

    I let out augh as I thought about that trash¡¯s backstory, and immediately Arthur and Valian''s gazes turned toward me.

    Valian¡¯s eyes were full of confusion. He must have heard something from Queen 2nd¡¯s faction about me.

    That I was someone they shouldn¡¯t mess with.

    But what does that matter?

    Even if he doesn''t want to touch me, I¡¯mpletely filled with the desire to mess with him right now.

    "Poor Prince. What are you doing? Are you so rxed that you''re talking to a cleaning maid from the academy?"

    Tilting my head with a hint of curiosity, Arthur bit his lip in frustration.

    Despite the sudden sneak attack, he managed to suppress hisughter! Is this what they mean by royal education?!

    "...Lady Allen, it seems you may be misunderstanding something."

    Valian forced a smile, trying to smooth things over.

    "You''re the one who''s misunderstanding ? You pathetic cleaning maid ? Do you really think someone like you should be talking to me? ?"

    "First of all, I''m not a cleaning maid, I¡¯m a professor. My name is Valian of the Clock family."

    Even after I provoked him, he didn¡¯t wipe the smile off his face. Well, he must have been good at managing his expression, considering he survived in the royal court for so long.

    Though, that won¡¯tst much longer.

    "And what¡¯s that about? ?"

    My words went far beyond simple rudeness, sounding more like a direct insult. Valian''s smile immediately faltered.

    "...The Clock family has helped the royal court since long ago."

    "That¡¯s just a joke, right? ? You¡¯re just an old has-been ? Why are you so serious? ?"

    "The name of my family isn¡¯t something you should joke about."

    "Little girls should appreciate when they¡¯re messing around ? You¡¯re no fun ? Are you a loner, old man? ? No friends? ? Right? ?"

    Each word I added caused the smile to vanish from Valian¡¯s face.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped. I wasn¡¯t just using my Mesugaki skill to provoke him.

    Based on my vast knowledge, I came up with things that would really annoy him.

    I picked out words I knew would hit his weak spots, and through my Mesugaki skill, I made sure to say exactly what would frustrate him the most.

    After putting so much effort into this, how could someone like Valian manage his emotions?

    "And by the way ? It¡¯s not my fault that I don¡¯t know anything about your old family, is it? ? Why should I know about some weak family that only knows how to scribble with a quill on a desk? ?"

    "..."

    "Old man ? Your family¡¯s just a joke. You¡¯ll disappear soon ? I don¡¯t want to waste my memory on something like that ? I need more important things in my head, like a good parfait shop ?"

    I ignored Valianpletely and casually told Arthur about the parfait I had eaten at the academy, causing him to chuckle.

    "...Lucy Allen."

    Perhaps that was the trigger. The smile that Valian had been forcing disappeared, revealing his ugly face.

    His skin sagged, and his wrinkles were so pronounced that his face looked more like that of a monster than a human.

    "I can¡¯t just let you insult me like that."

    "Really? ? What are you going to do? ?"

    "The Clock family will send a formal letter of protest to the Allen family."

    "Wow ? So you¡¯re saying, ¡®Please punish her because she was wrong~¡¯? How scary ? Daddy will be so shocked, he¡¯ll call me, right? ?"

    "This isn¡¯t just a small matter. It¡¯s between families."

    "Old man ? Do you really think you can fight my daddy? ?"

    Valian¡¯s words faltered at the mention of fighting the Allen family.

    The Allen family had dyed the empire''s invasion with just their power alone, and it was led by the monster of a knight, Benedict Allen. Who in their right mind would think they could challenge them?

    "Not possible? ? So you¡¯ve been throwing a fit without any reason? ?"

    "Noble families can¡¯t just be dismissed that easily."

    "So pathetic ? Just a dog barking when it has nothing, huh? ?"

    "..."

    "Isn¡¯t it embarrassing? ? You can¡¯t even hurt a little girl without getting hurt yourself. Aren¡¯t you ashamed? ?"

    "..."

    "Ah~ ? I guess you don¡¯t think you can win, huh? ? I understand. It¡¯s sad to see an old man like you struggling. ?"

    "That damn bitch."

    "Phuh-huh ? Are you mad? ? Are you going to hit me? ? What, are you going to cry? ?"

    As I kept provoking him using my Mesugaki skill, I could see his face turning bright red with anger. It was clear he was about to lose control.

    "You bastard, you¡¯re just a mongrel with no proper bloodline, how dare you¡ª"

    ...What?

    "Isn¡¯t it true? ? A brat born from some unknown trash, huh?"

    What the hell did this bastard just say?

    "Are you mocking me now?"

    "You must have inherited something, at least looks-wise? To seduce a kingdom¡¯s hero, you should at least have a face like this."

    When his smile disappeared from his face, I immediately stopped smiling and channeled the holy energy within me.

    As my smile vanished, Valian, thinking he¡¯d won, gave a disgusting grin.

    But that didn¡¯tst long. The pressure in the air grew heavier as Valian¡¯s panic grew. He tried to conjure a spell, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough.

    My fist shot out and destroyed the magic circle before mming into his bby stomach.

    "Ugh! Ughh!"

    Unable to endure the pain, Valian doubled over, clutching his stomach.

    Since his head was conveniently positioned, I ced my boot on the back of his head and spoke up.

    "Do you want to squeal again? ? I couldn¡¯t hear you clearly~ ?"

    "Ugh. Ughh."@@novelbin@@

    "Really ? You mean ¡®squeal¡¯ is a metaphor? ? If you can¡¯t even understand that, what are you doing? ?"

    "Ughhh."

    "Did you decide to be livestock? ? You look the part, but I hope your dreamse trueter~ ? I just want to talk to people~ ?"

    "..."

    "Ah~ ? Sorry~ ? I couldn¡¯t say anything because I was cleaning with my mouth~ ? I thought you were shaking in excitement, so I thought you wanted more~ ?"

    I lifted my foot off his head and used the tip of my shoe to lift his chin. His face turned pale with fear.

    "Old man ? Do you really have the courage to call yourself a man? ? It¡¯s sad that whatever¡¯s hanging there has to be stuck to you, huh? ? Should I give you a neutering surgery? ?"

    "I... I am from the Clock family..."

    "Oh, so what? ? It¡¯s just disgusting to see a man like you trying to sell yourself off. ?"

    I kicked his face again and, seeing blood on the end of my shoe, I threw the shoes aside, irritated.

    Damn, my anger still hasn''t subsided. This trash is talking out of turn when it has no idea who it¡¯s dealing with.

    Should I beat him more? Until he¡¯s begging me to stop while pissing himself?

    "Lucy Allen. Please calm down."

    "I¡¯m not mad at all. Poor Prince, you just don¡¯t know how to see things."

    "Look around. Everyone¡¯s scared, aren¡¯t they?"

    Arthur''s words broke through, and I btedly realized I needed to pull back. I lifted my head and looked around.

    There were a lot more people gathered here than when I first came.

    Some were looking at me, as if they expected it.

    Some looked at me with fear, and some with surprise.

    But not a single one of them dared to approach.

    They all subtly avoided my gaze.

    "...Grandfather?"

    <What is it?>

    "What should I do?"

    <What should you do? Haven¡¯t things gone the way you nned?>

    "I didn¡¯t n for this!"

    <Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d cause a scene when you got the chance? I thought you nned for this.>

    "Well, yes, but this situation really looks off!"

    I could clearly see my reputation plummeting!

    They¡¯re going to talk behind my back, calling me a troublemaker!

    As my grandfather said, things were working out, but now it feels like I''m digging myself into a deeper hole.

    Let¡¯s just see how this ys out.

    I¡¯ll go all out today, whether it works or not!

    "Hmph."

    I yanked my hand from Arthur¡¯s and headed toward the crowd. I gave the boy at the front a sharp voice.

    "Why are you staring at me? Do you want to squeal like that pig too?"

    "...What? No! No way!"

    "Then move. You¡¯re wasting my precious time."

    "Yes!"

    I watched the crowd part as I raised my head proudly.

    Everyone, stay out of my way!

    It¡¯s Lucy Allen''s return!

    If you mess with me, I¡¯ll trample your dignity!

    "Lady Allen."

    Hearing the cold aristocratic tone, I cautiously raised my head.

    There, behind a fan, stood Joy, and her eyes were filled with a sternness I hadn¡¯t seen before.

    It was a chilling determination, so different from her usual yful demeanor.

    Was she... angry? No, that can¡¯t be right. She must just be setting the mood, right?

    "Stop it. It won¡¯t be solved by just walking away."

    I stopped, signaling my understanding with a crossed arm, and Joy turned her gaze away from me, directing it to the others.

    "Everyone, please leave. The ss has already started."

    "Uh, Lady Parn, this situation..."

    "I¡¯ve clearly asked you to leave. Do you think my words are a joke?"

    "No! I¡¯ll leave right away! Sorry!"

    Wow, seeing this, Joy really is terrifying. She¡¯spletely different from the usual girl next to me. Is this what the socialite Joy looks like?

    The crowd, which had gathered to watch, quickly dispersed at hermand, and Joy sighed, bowing her head before gently grabbing my cheek with her soft, white hand, pulling it toward her.

    "Lady Allen. Why do you always cause a scene where everyone can see?"

    Her voice, ament, sounded just like the usual silly Joy.

 Chapter 421

    From the second year at Soul Academy, the value of the Academy Dungeon drastically decreases.

    Starting from the second year, unlike the first year, students can challenge external dungeons.

    This change affects both the experience gained and the rewards.

    Not only can you aim for properpensation and improve your reputation, but you can also obtain fateful encounters through various quests.

    Compared to tackling the Academy Dungeon, the merit of tackling external dungeons is significantly greater.

    The only thing that differentiates the Academy Dungeon is the reward for being the first to conquer it, but even this iscking whenpared to what can be gained from wandering through external dungeons. So, unless you''re working on achievements, it¡¯s standard to just meet the minimum requirements for entering and then abandon it.

    At first, I had nned to follow the game strategy, but as I began making ns, I started to wonder if I really had to do that.

    After all, this isn¡¯t a game.

    Unlike in a game, where you are limited by the system¡¯s constraints, now I can move freely if I want to.

    To put it bluntly, if I conquer the Academy Dungeon in a single day, I can collect the first conqueror reward and still move on to external dungeonster.

    Once this idea crossed my mind, I gathered my friends and, after preparing a ss schedule, brought up the topic of the Academy Dungeon.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the announcement about the Academy Dungeon. Are we going to challenge it as soon as it opens again?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to. It¡¯s just a crappy dungeon created by ipetent professors from this pathetic Academy, so it¡¯ll be nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Lucy, who are you going with this time? Hm?¡±

    Freya, eager to join me in the dungeon, clearly expressed her desire with her whole body, and right next to her bright eyes, Faivy¡¯s subtle sense of expectation followed.

    ¡°Well... I¡¯m not sure, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be going with someone who doesn¡¯t listen and just causes trouble?¡±

    ¡°Heehee.¡±

    ¡°And definitely not with someone who was nagging at me non-stop yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Mydy, you know that wasn¡¯t because I meant to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Not the person who pinched my cheek so hard, huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Puhahaha. It¡¯s ridiculous how easily you¡¯re falling for it. You guys are so pathetic~. If I told you to lick my feet while going into the dungeon, I bet you would actually do it. Right?¡±

    ¡°Lick?¡±

    I barely stopped Freya, who was about to kneel, and surreptitiously turned my gaze to Arthur, who was unusually silent.

    Why is he lost in thought today?

    Has he hit puberty?

    Considering his age, it¡¯s not entirely strange.

    Hmm. I don¡¯t know for sure, but it seems like it could be easy to rack up some embarrassing past moments.

    Arthur is the kind of guy who would say something like, ¡°The mes of hell! Bind yourself to my sword!¡± and fight in reality.

    Some people might think that¡¯s cool, but it¡¯s optimized for making him a prime candidate to be embarrassedter.

    Recalling my own middle school days, when I was deep in the ¡°cringe¡± phase and did all kinds of ridiculous things, I grabbed Arthur by the shoulder and gave him a serious look.

    ¡°Poor Prince. Next time you¡¯re choosing a skill name, consult with me beforehand. I don¡¯t want tough myself to death from your awful sense of humor.¡±

    ¡°¡­What nonsense are you suddenly talking about?¡±

    Arthur looked at me like I was some weird person.

    Hey! I gave you a sincere and serious piece of advice, and you¡¯re returning it with that kind of look?!

    It¡¯s so annoying.

    Just wait. Once you start doing some cringey stuff in the future, I¡¯ll tease you mercilessly in the mesugaki way.

    I¡¯ll keep teasing you until your face turns so red it could explode!

    ¡°Enough with the jokes, let¡¯s talk about the dungeon. You must have thought about it, right?¡±

    I clicked my tongue lightly and, having written up a list of grievances in my mind, shared my n with my friends.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet. Who can conquer the Academy Dungeon first?¡±

    Right now, I can bring everyone into the dungeon without worrying about the yer limit.

    However, that¡¯s only true for normal dungeons.

    In the artificially created Academy Dungeon, my powers don¡¯t work, so it¡¯s impossible for everyone to enter the dungeon together.

    So, the n is to split into two parties¡ªjust me and four others¡ªto tackle the dungeon.

    This way, it¡¯s more efficient, and I can also see how well Arthur and Joy have internalized what I¡¯ve taught them.

    ...And, most importantly, by making this bet, I can get back at them for the humiliation I suffered in the second semester.

    I may be petty, but I haven¡¯t forgotten that humiliation.

    ¡°...A bet over the Academy Dungeon?¡±

    ¡°¡­Mydy, that¡¯s a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Splitting into parties is fine, but a bet¡­¡±

    ¡°Lucy, that¡¯s so petty. Really pathetic.¡±

    Of course, my friends didn¡¯t have a good reaction.

    Given how often they¡¯ve seen me perform reckless stunts in dungeons, to them, suggesting a bet is just an invitation to make fun of me.

    And, honestly, that¡¯s exactly what I meant by it.

    ¡°Scared??¡±

    So what if you are.

    ¡°Are you nervous??¡±

    So what? What are you going to do about it?

    ¡°Puhuh~? If you don¡¯t think you can win, then it¡¯s best to start wagging your tail from the beginning?. It¡¯s admirable that you know your ce?. Should I pat your head??¡±

    What are you going to do in front of my mesugaki skill¡¯s provocation?!

    It¡¯s definitely true that my friends have grown used to my tone.

    At this point, they canugh off my usual yful remarks without much thought, especially when my mesugaki way of speaking isn¡¯t really serious.

    But when I activate the provocation effect of my mesugaki skill, there¡¯s no way they can keep their cool!

    ¡°Why are all your eyes so sharp?? Do you think you have the right to be angry at losers who start wagging their tails before trying anything??¡±

    You can see that their lips are trembling, huh? Just a little more, and I can really push them.

    ¡°Alright~? I¡¯ll tell you what you should be saying~? Sorry for acting out when I¡¯m such a pathetic person?. We are humble servants of the noble Allen family?.¡±

    Just a little.

    Just a little more.

    ¡°Say it fast?, and then I¡¯ll forgive you for running away without wagging your tail...¡±

    ¡°Enough, Lucy Allen!¡±

    The moment Arthur mmed the desk and stood up, I couldn¡¯t help but giggle.

    Good.

    Now that I¡¯ve provoked them enough, maybe it¡¯s time to sweet-talk them a little.

    I¡¯ll get them to ept the bet naturally.

    The conversation was going exactly in the direction I wanted it to go.

    The three of them, except for Freya, are familiar with politics and socializing, right?

    So what? When they¡¯re heated and can¡¯t see anything other than their anger, staying calm like me is definitely an advantage, right?

    Of course, just because I can y with them doesn¡¯t mean I set conditions in my favor alone.

    I¡¯m already kind of forcing this bet, so it would be unfair to impose additional unreasonable conditions.

    So, I added some restrictions, like entering the dungeon a day after it opens, not skipping floors, or not passing bosses without fighting them.

    Of course, I refused any excessive restrictions. Even though I believe I can win under any condition, there¡¯s always the ¡°what if¡± factor.

    I can¡¯t fully grasp how much my friends have grown yet.

    Maybe.

    Just maybe.

    If Arthur and Joy have fully internalized the dungeon strategy book I gave them, there¡¯s a chance I could actually lose.

    Petty?

    Small-minded?

    I know! But honestly, it¡¯s worse to lose the bet than to be a trashy person, okay?!

    I¡¯ll win!

    I¡¯ll win this time and get back the humiliation from before!

    <Are you saying that not taking revenge on the time you tried to make the 3rd prince dress up as a rabbit isn¡¯t a revenge yet?>

    ¡®That was a legitimate bet!¡¯

    <So, you¡¯re admitting this one isn¡¯t justified, huh.>

    ¡®...Shut up.¡¯

    The day the Academy Dungeon opens.

    Parna Kent was eagerly awaiting the opening of the dungeon doors.

    Among the artificially created dungeons, the Soul Academy Dungeon is thergest and most well-structured.

    Parna, excited about the fact that she¡¯d get to conquer it with her newly made friends, could hardly contain her excitement.

    ¡°Chester! How much longer until the Academy Dungeon opens? How much longer?¡±

    ¡°Do you not remember asking the same question thirty seconds ago?¡±

    ¡°I remember! So, how much longer?¡±

    ¡°By now, it¡¯s thirty seconds less than thest time you asked.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s that time?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s 30 minutes left now.¡±

    Chester, resigned to Parna¡¯s innocent gaze, finally answered with a sigh.

    She had never been so energetic before, but this level of excitement was unusual.

    Could it really be that the idea of conquering the Academy Dungeon is making her so happy?@@novelbin@@

    Just before Chester began to wonder if he wanted to go back before entering the dungeon, Jackal appeared.

    Having missed the entire second semesterst year and repeating the first year, Jackal, upon seeing Parna¡¯s sparkling eyes, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    ¡°Barrow Young Master! We¡¯ve been waiting!¡±

    ¡°Are you that excited to enter the Academy Dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Totally!¡±

    Normally, Jackal wouldn¡¯t care much about the Academy Dungeon.

    He might eventually go for his grades, but he wasn¡¯t in a rush to run toward it as Parna was now.

    However, on the day the Academy Dungeon opened, he had moved because of Chester¡¯s earnest request.

    ¡®Young Master, I can¡¯t handle Kent Young Lady¡¯s excitement by myself. Please, save me.¡¯

    Jackal, who had no choice but to apany them, muttered while looking at Chester.

    ¡°We¡¯re partners now, so I guess I¡¯ll have to tag along.¡±

    ¡°Barrow Young Master. Barrow Young Master.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Do you have any questions?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Can you tell me what the dungeon is like inside? I heard you wentst year!¡±

    Last year¡­ Thinking about the time he nearly died while trying to conquer the Academy Dungeon, Jackal gave a wry smile and answered the bouncing Parna.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not difficult to exin, but the experience fromst year probably won¡¯t help this year.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°The whole dungeon¡¯s direction will be totally different.¡±

    At the end ofst year, Lucy Allen¡¯s final exam dungeon had shocked the Soul Academy professors.

    The dungeon, praised by both the Academy and outsiders, had enough impact to inspire the professors¡¯ passions.

    Thanks to that, even the lower-ranking professors, who would normally not be involved, were drawn into making the Academy Dungeon.

    The dungeon opening this year is rumored to be thergest and most borate dungeon in the history of Soul Academy.

    ¡°Parna Young Lady. Just a heads up before we enter the dungeon¡ªdon¡¯t move until the orderse. This dungeon is going to be pretty wicked.¡±

 Chapter 422

    As soon as the Academy Dungeon opened, Arthur rushed inside to get a sense of the atmosphere.

    The theme of the dungeon was simr to typical dungeons found in other regions.

    Contrary to rumors that it would be harder than ever, it felt rather ordinary.

    It seemed like the others who entered with him shared the same thoughts, as they all looked around, tilting their heads in confusion.

    "They said this would be the worst dungeon in Academy history, but it¡¯s not much different from what we sawst year."

    "Don¡¯t jump to conclusions, Joy. You¡¯ll trip if you do."

    "I¡¯m not letting my guard down. Our opponent isn¡¯t the dungeon, it¡¯s Lady Allen."

    Recently, after being provoked by Lucy Allen¡¯s challenge, the group had agreed to a bet and started nning strategies to win against her.

    The concept of letting their guard down was impossible. They had been forced to participate in Lucy¡¯s antics before, so how could they afford to rx?

    It was also true that they had a numerical advantage. While there were constraints on Lucy Allen, the difference wasn¡¯t so huge that it couldn¡¯t be overturned by her abilities.

    Knowing this, the four of them moved quickly upward.

    The speed at which they advanced was iparable to the time they had spent tackling the dungeon togetherst year.

    Just a few months ago, the idea of reaching the 100th floor of the Academy Dungeon seemed almost impossible, but now, within less than three hours, they had passed the 20th floor.

    The biggest factor influencing this was Arthur¡¯s improved leadership.@@novelbin@@

    Last year, Arthur had some knowledge about dungeon exploration, but he wasn¡¯t considered an expert.

    Though he was a prince, he couldn¡¯t really do things freely, and outside of widely known strategies, there was little opportunity to learn anything else.

    But now, that was different. After reading and rereading the dungeon strategy guide Lucy Allen had given him, to the point where he could recall specific lines from specific pages, Arthur had be a skilled strategist on par with seasoned mercenaries.

    Adding to this was Joy, who, like Arthur, had perfectly memorized the strategy guide Lucy had given them, and applied it to the dungeon in her own way.

    She linked her magic and the strategies from the guide to progress through the dungeon.

    Thanks to this, she was able to find the quickest route through the dungeon and dismantle its traps, bing someone any adventurer would want to team up with.

    Thebination of Arthur and Joy¡¯s abilities made progressing through the dungeon a lot easier.

    Moreover, the group had be ustomed to long marches after training in the Allen Knights¡¯ Order.

    Whereas before, they would have stopped to rest after some progress, now they moved for three hours without showing signs of fatigue.

    Given the harsh training from the Allen Knights, this was hardly even considered strenuous.

    Each individual¡¯s skills had improved significantly.

    The bosses they encountered on the 10th and 20th floors fell apart in less than a minute. No one couldin about their abilities.

    The first time the group stopped was after five hours, when they reached the 40th floor.

    As they had done before, they defeated the boss of the 40th floor with ease and opened the door to the next level, only to see the view of the 31st floor.

    "...What is this?"

    The first thought that crossed Arthur¡¯s mind upon seeing the scene was what Jackal Burrow had told him before entering the dungeon.

    ¡®Your Highness, the dungeon this time is inspired by the dungeon created by Lady Allen. It is likely not something that can be ovee with brute strength alone.¡¯

    His words were right. Arthur let out a bitterugh and turned his head toward the group.

    "Joy, did you notice anything strange?"

    "...I¡¯ll have to analyze it again as we go up."

    "What about you, Saintess?"

    "Sorry, I didn¡¯t notice anything either."

    "Hmm. This is troublesome."

    If there were any clues between the 30th and 40th floors, that would be somewhat lucky.

    But if the clues were further below, things would getplicated.

    Tch. Standing still and pondering won¡¯t get us anywhere, so I might as well start moving.

    "Your Highness, what about me? Aren¡¯t you going to ask?"

    Just as Arthur furrowed his brow, Freya suddenly popped out from the side. Arthur let out an exasperated sigh at her, who was acting like a bother.

    "Is there any need to ask? You were too busy swinging your sword to pay attention to anything."

    "Tch. Fine. Then I won¡¯t say anything."

    "...Did you discover something?"

    "No need to ask, right?"

    "Sigh. Damn. I¡¯m sorry. I spoke roughly because I was in a bad mood. Could you at least tell me what you found?"

    Seeing Arthur swallow his pride and bow his head, Freya nodded in satisfaction before speaking up.

    "I didn¡¯t find anything."

    "...Freya Kent!!"

    "Your Highness, could you be a bit quieter? I¡¯m trying to focus, and it¡¯s hard to concentrate with all the noise."

    "Is this my fault? Freya Kent, you started the argument!"

    "Ah. Upon closer inspection, there¡¯s something strange here. Let¡¯s go."

    "Joy Parn! Are you ignoring me now too?!"

    After a day had passed, I arrived at the entrance to the Academy Dungeon and started wondering where my friends had gotten to.

    Why are they still stuck around the 80th floor? The Academy 2nd-year dungeon shouldn¡¯t be that hard for them, should it?

    It seemed the others weren¡¯t faring much better.

    The Second Prince¡¯s party was stuck around the 60th floor, and Jackal¡¯s group hadn¡¯t even passed the 50th floor. Even some of the other promising candidates I knew were stuck around the center.

    ...Could it be that the Academy Dungeon has changed because of me? Did my dungeon inspire the professors to create a new type of dungeon?

    After hearing rumors from Erin, who worked with the other assistants at the Academy, I chuckled to myself, wondering if the rumors might actually be true.

    If the professors created a dungeon entirely different from the game, then all the knowledge I had from the game would be useless.

    As I thought about it, speedruns would no longer be possible.

    But what¡¯s the problem with that?

    A new dungeon has appeared.

    A new dungeon that I know nothing about.

    The dungeon created by the Academy professors, right in front of me!

    Excited about the new content, I stepped into the dungeon and, much to my surprise, found an ordinary dungeonyout.

    The monsters that appeared were also ordinary, with weak monsters that you¡¯d expect to see on the first floor. When one of them was struck by my mace, it immediately fell down in a respectful manner, which made me tilt my head.

    This is strange. For a dungeon inspired by one I made, there¡¯s almost nothing here.

    <Lucy, think about it. There are first-year students entering this dungeon. What if it was too difficult from the start?>

    ¡®...That¡¯s true.¡¯

    So, it means there¡¯s nothing too difficult at the beginning.

    As I rapidly advanced through the dungeon, I realized my grandfather¡¯s words were right.

    Until I reached the 30th floor, nothing interesting hade up.

    A dungeon built on the typical rules of the Academy Dungeon left me feeling disappointed.

    However, as I entered the 31st floor and started exploring, I began to feel a sense of excitement.

    There were far too many unnecessary elements in the 31st-flooryout that you wouldn¡¯t normally find in a typical dungeon.

    The Academy Dungeon, designed by the professors andpleted by graduate students, had to be efficient.

    That¡¯s how it was when I made my own dungeon.

    But this floor, it had too many unnecessary elements that seemed intentionally added.

    If you weren¡¯t careful, you¡¯d never even notice them.

    Hmm. Based on these clues, it seems like there¡¯s apletely different path than what meets the eye.

    Humming to myself, I followed the clues, only to find a blocked wall.

    Anyone else might think they¡¯d lost the path upon seeing this wall, but not me.

    It had even been marked that if you hit this wall in a certain spot, it would break. How could I miss it?

    Bang!

    As I lightly struck the wall with my mace, I watched it crumble and reveal apletely different, more temple-like area than the dungeon we had been in before. I couldn¡¯t help but grin.

    Wow. They really put a lot of thought into this one.

    When I made my dungeon before, the grad students cried saying we¡¯d all die if we kept going like this.

    I wonder how much they had to roll around behind the scenes to create something like this while the Academy was in such chaos over personnel changes.

    No wonder some followers of the Evil God managed to slip in without anyone noticing.

    Poor fools.

    I guess it¡¯s fortunate they weren¡¯t killed and were just locked up somewhere.

    Come to think of it, did they feel scared or happy when they were locked up?

    I¡¯m kind of curious about that.

    Once I finish clearing the dungeon, I¡¯ll have to go find them and ask.

    With these thoughts in mind, I moved on to the next floor. As I passed through the dungeon, I realized just how much effort the professors had put into it. I decided that for the rest of the week, I¡¯d continue exploring this dungeon.

    I didn¡¯t expect they¡¯d go this far.

    At this point, I¡¯m really starting to enjoy the challenge.

    Later, I¡¯ll optimize it. I¡¯m sure that if my friends and I roll through it, we¡¯ll set an amazing record.

    <Lucy,>

    As I bounced around, exploring the dungeon, my grandfather called out to me with a wry smile.

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    <Don¡¯t you remember that this dungeon exploration is a bet? You¡¯re supposed to be speedrunning it.>

    ¡®...Ah, right.¡¯

    Now that I think about it, I should be speedrunning it, not getting lost in the excitement of the new dungeon.

 Chapter 423

    As I climbed the Academy Dungeon, I mentally sketched out a map.

    I wasn¡¯t preparing for the next level just yet.

    The Academy Dungeon is designed with at least ten different configurations.

    What difference does it make if I know one of them?

    Of course, I n to memorize all the dungeon¡¯syouts.

    Through that, I¡¯ll be able to optimize my route!

    But the reason I¡¯m not just rushing through and exploring the dungeon now is for the present, not the future.

    By analyzing the structure of the dungeon, patterns naturally start to emerge, and from that, I try to guess what the next gimmick might be.

    And as I continued, I realized this dungeon definitely had a lot of influence from my own work.

    The tant clues and the subtle hints mixed together.

    The focus of the battles seems to be on oveing gimmicks, but there are also areas where brute force can work.

    And there are parts that, despite seeming to deviate from the creator''s intentions, still offer a solution.

    Even just looking at it now, I could tell.

    On the 49th floor, when a bunch of ghouls appeared, I purified them with holy magic, and they thanked me before disappearing.

    They even tried to give me a clue, though it ended up being nothing after I got annoyed and told them to stop.

    Ugh. It¡¯s really annoying when they try to spoil things I haven¡¯t seen yet.

    The excitement of conquering an unknown dungeon is what makes it fun, so why do they have to steal that from me?

    Grumbling, I arrived at the boss room, and without hesitation, I opened the door and stepped inside.

    What awaited me was a shapeless liquid.

    It had no sense of strength, weakness, holiness, or corruption. It didn¡¯t feel disgusting either. It was so empty that it unnervingly had a power that was frightening in itsck of definition.

    I¡¯d never seen a monster like this before.

    Could this be something new?

    I watched the creature crawl on the floor, and just as I saw liquid shoot out like a spear, I raised my shield.

    ng!

    The shock that reverberated through my shield was fairly strong.

    If someone unustomed tobat had taken that hit, they probably would have died right there.

    I wonder if some of the first-year students tackling this dungeon will end up with PTSD from this.

    I dodged the follow-up blows by twisting my body and then struck at the center of the liquid mass with my mace.

    With a squelch, the liquid exploded outwards, but the attacks didn¡¯t stop.

    Physical attacks didn¡¯t seem to do much.

    I tried using holy magic next, but it was the same.

    Even as the liquid dispersed, it still seemed intent on attacking me.

    Hmm. This isn¡¯t something I can just break with simple attacks.

    While avoiding the attacks from the liquid scattered around me, I surveyed the rest of the boss room.

    The dim, stone-walled underground scene. Shards of ss scattered around. Several faded magic circles drawn on the floor.

    Taking it all in, I realized the situation had beplicated, and I bit my lip.

    This ce seems to require knowledge of magic, doesn¡¯t it?

    <Has the moment of struggle finally arrived, Lucy?>

    ¡®...Grandfather, why do you sound so excited instead of worried?¡¯

    <Because worrying about you in the dungeon would be the most pointless thing I could do.>

    I reluctantly epted my grandfather¡¯s logic after considering it from a different perspective.

    Given all the trouble I¡¯ve caused him before, it¡¯s actually normal that he doesn¡¯t worry.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not frustrating.

    It¡¯s annoying when the one giving advice is sitting there eating popcorn!

    It¡¯s a justifiable revenge!

    ¡®Oops, my hand slipped~¡¯

    <...Lucy?! What the¡ª>

    Without warning, I threw my grandfather into the liquid, took out an extra mace from my inventory, and prepared to strike.

    Though it was a terrible weaponpared to my grandfather, it would do the job here.

    This enemy isn¡¯t one that can be defeated with just brute strength.

    Watching my grandfather flounder in the murky liquid, I dodged another wave of the liquid as it tried to press me down, and turned my attention back to the center of the room.

    There was nothing to see aesthetically; everything here was revolting.

    But identifying weaknesses was a different story. The boss, hiding here, had clearly shown me where it didn¡¯t want to be found.

    The problem was that this spot was right in the middle of the disgusting liquid.

    Ugh, the thought of jumping into that liquid doesn¡¯t feel right.

    What should I do?

    Ah, right. I don¡¯t actually need to jump into the liquid.

    I can just hit the center of it and make the liquid explode from there.

    I reached a simple conclusion and gathered holy energy at the tip of my mace.

    When I first started handling holy energy, I struggled with it, but now it was second nature.

    I wasn¡¯t even thinking about it anymore as the holy power surged into the mace.

    The liquid, sensing something was wrong,unched a violent attack at me.

    It tried to swallow me.

    It tried to crush me.

    It even attempted to pierce through me.

    But all of those attacks never even reached my shield.

    The signs were so obvious and predictable that I couldn¡¯t possibly take a hit from them.

    Finally, reaching the center of the liquid, I jumped up and, with a strike from my mace, unleashed the holy energy.

    With a resounding crash, the liquid exploded and scattered, revealing the weak point I had identified.

    There didn¡¯t seem to be anything obvious on the surface.

    Is it below? Alright, let¡¯s try again with the mace.

    ...Wait, why is the head of my mace gone?

    Did it break when the liquid exploded?!

    I chuckled in disbelief, staring at the remaining handle of the mace. I threw it aside and gathered holy energy into my fist.

    When I mmed my fist into the ground, a hidden space appeared, and with it, the boss controlling the liquid from a magic circle.

    Aha, I couldn¡¯t sense it before because there were all sorts of spells on the floor to block detection.

    They really put a lot of effort into this.

    But now it¡¯s useless.

    The wizard, who had been manipting the liquid, tried to cast a spell when he saw me, but I was faster.

    Before he could even move, I had grabbed his neck and crushed it.

    With the liquid controller gone, the murky liquid flowed into the hole where the boss had been.

    I looked down, my face twisted in disgust, as I watched the mess unfold.

    I grabbed my grandfather by his fingertips as he started to fall with the liquid.

    Ugh. Should I purify this with holy magic?

    I was worried that it might not work, but fortunately, the purification magic did its job and cleaned up the mess.

    Seeing my grandfather looking clean again, I nodded to myself and held him tightly.

    ¡®Grandfather, I¡¯m sorry. I made a mistake.¡¯

    <...A mistake? A mistake?!>

    ¡®You must have had a hard time. But it was only for a moment, and now you¡¯re clean again.¡¯

    <Is that what you call an apology?!>

    "Ugh!?"

    I yelped as my grandfather¡¯s loud shout rattled me to my core, and before I knew it, I was forced to sit on the filthy floor in seiza, listening to his lecture.

    <Lucy! You have no respect! No respect! Back in my day...>

    Ugh. I think I went too far this time.

    Next time, I¡¯ll try my best not to let it look intentional.

    If I just take a hit and act like I had to let go, it should be fine, right?

    <Are you listening to me?!>

    ¡®I¡¯m listening! But please don¡¯t shout so much. My head hurts.¡¯

    After falling out while tackling the boss of the 99th floor of the Academy Dungeon, Arthur opened his eyes outside the dungeon.

    The sky, which had been bright when he entered the dungeon, was now bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

    Has it really been that long? Stumbling to his feet, Arthur felt his stomach growl with hunger and let out a deep sigh.

    He hadn¡¯t rested since entering the dungeon after breakfast, so it was no surprise he was starving.

    Should he grab dinner and continue exploring until the dungeon entrance closed?

    As he stretched, he nced at the board with the students¡¯ rankings.

    Just this morning, his group¡¯s name had been at the top, but now another name was etched there.

    Lucy Allen. She had entered the dungeon a dayte due to restrictions, but now she had surpassed Arthur¡¯s group.

    Even with all the restrictions they had imposed, it seemed like this was the result.

    ¡°Looks like I should¡¯ve ignored Lady Allen¡¯sints and imposed even more restrictions.¡±

    As they exited the dungeon, Joy saw Lucy¡¯s name and let out a hollowugh.

    They had been moving at an overwhelming pacepared to the other students, but Lucy had overtaken them all by herself, which left them feeling deted.

    ¡°She¡¯s already at the 99th floor.¡±

    ¡°Even if we fight back now, it¡¯s impossible to catch up, right?¡±

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. Well, it can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s eat first and worry about what kind of awful punishment Lucy Allen might give uster.¡±

    Arthur¡¯s group, realizing they couldn¡¯t catch up, decided to eat while they waited for Lucy toe out.

    However, Lucy Allen didn¡¯t appear even after they finished their meal.

    When they returned to the dungeon entrance after eating, Lucy Allen¡¯s name was still fixed at the 99th floor.

    Arthur tilted his head in confusion as Joy, nearby, asked a noblewoman when Lucy¡¯s name had first appeared there.

    The noblewoman blinked and guessed it had been there for a couple of hours.

    A nearby male student corrected her, saying, ¡°It¡¯s been exactly two hours and twenty minutes. Something must be wrong.¡±

    After hearing the male student¡¯s words, the four of them exchanged silent nces and rushed back into the dungeon.

    The bet between them and Lucy Allen wasn¡¯t over yet.

    At the 99th floor of the Academy Dungeon, determined to conquer the dungeon in one day, I found myself blocked by a wall just before the final stretch.

    What¡¯s the problem?

    It¡¯s not that the monsters are impossibly strong.

    After all, the dungeon¡¯s motto is that all Academy students should be able to conquer it, so there¡¯s no way I can¡¯t handle it.

    It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand the gimmick.@@novelbin@@

    Even if the professors at the Academy are creative, they¡¯re still just NPCs from the game.

    For someone like me, who has ovee all kinds of absurdities outside the game, this is nothing.

    So what¡¯s the problem?

    Simple.

    The 99th floor.

    This damn ce is built in such a way that it can¡¯t be conquered without a four-person party!

 Chapter 424

    At the 99th floor of the Academy Dungeon, I returned to the entrance and, frustrated, struck the wall with my mace.

    Despite the fury behind my strike, the wall didn¡¯t break.

    I hit the wall repeatedly in my irritation, but after a while, I was drained of energy and copsed onto the ground.

    ¡®...Grandfather, what time is it?¡¯

    <You came in around the morning, so by now, it should be around 7 or 8 o¡¯clock.>

    ¡®How much of that time have I spent here?¡¯

    <Hmm. About four hours, I¡¯d say.>

    ¡®Four hours of pointless wandering...¡¯

    I stared up at the ceiling of the dungeon, bit my lip, and covered my face with my hands.

    I was so frustrated I couldn¡¯t stand it.

    I had already figured out the gimmick of the 99th floor a while ago.

    There are four paths at the entrance of the 99th floor, and at the end of each path, there is another dungeon.

    To open the path to the 100th floor, I need to defeat the bosses in all four of these dungeons, nearly simultaneously.

    The reason I say "nearly" is because there¡¯s a slight margin of error allowed.

    From what I observed while grinding, it seems that they allow about a minute of leeway.

    After defeating one boss, if I return to the entrance after a minute, it seems to work that way.

    This kind of gimmick ismon in RPGs that feature raids.

    In other words, it¡¯s something that can¡¯t be put into a single-yer game.

    How could one yer take down two bosses that are far apart at the same time?

    In reality, this kind of gimmick didn¡¯t exist in Soul Academy.

    Even if there were NPCs to use as party members, they couldn¡¯t be relied on to handle the dungeon bosses on their own.

    Of course, now that there are no game restrictions, it¡¯s not unusual to have such a gimmick.

    As long as the cooperation between party members works, it¡¯s totally doable.

    But since I can¡¯t cooperate with anyone, that means I can¡¯t clear it.

    ¡®If I had known this would happen, I should have gone alone and not let them impose any restrictions!¡¯

    I cursed my past self as I stomped my feet and then sighed deeply, slowly getting back up.

    Having figured out the 99th floor¡¯s gimmick long ago, I came to the belief that there had to be another way, so I kept trying different approaches.

    Since the core concept of the Academy Dungeon is that anyone should be able to clear it, I believed that even a lonely, friendless nerd like me would have been given some way to do it.

    But my struggles were in vain.

    As I narrowed down the possibilities, the conclusion was clear¡ªonly a four-person party could move on to the next floor.

    No, the professors who made this dungeon were seriously thorough¡ªthey blocked every possible variable.

    Just recently, I tried provoking the dungeon¡¯s boss and pulling it out.

    But as soon as the boss crossed the dungeon¡¯s entrance, it died instantly.

    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at the absurdity of it.

    If I were an ordinary person, I would have given up on this frustrating dungeon by now, right?

    But of course, I¡¯m not ordinary.

    If I were a normal person, I wouldn¡¯t have stuck with a game like Soul Academy for years.

    After countless failures, I became determined to clear this dungeon by any means necessary.

    <ul>

    <li>Lady Allen, the dungeon door will close in five minutes.</li>

    </ul>

    Hearing the announcement from the Academy, I took out my notebook from my inventory and jotted down the information I had just gathered.

    I wrote down how much damage the boss at the fourth path had taken and my estimate of the boss¡¯s HP.

    What was I nning to do?

    It¡¯s simple.

    In the end, I just need to defeat all four bosses at once.

    It doesn¡¯t matter whether one boss dies slowly or in a single strike.

    <Lucy, no matter how I think about it, this method doesn¡¯t seem like a normal one.>

    ¡®That¡¯s true.¡¯

    I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the proper strategy either.

    But I¡¯ve collected all the clues again and climbed up, so maybe there¡¯s still another way to do it.

    But it no longer matters.

    Now that I¡¯m determined, I¡¯m going to break through this dungeon my way!

    After finishing the notes, I quickly ran out of the Academy Dungeon and headed toward the back alleys.

    There were a few items I needed to get right away.

    Having spent the entire day working on the dungeon, Arthur and his party finally arrived at the 99th floor, where Lucy had been.

    They didn¡¯t have time to fully tackle the dungeon but managed to take in a few of its elements before heading back, their eyes still full of determination.

    The reason for their renewed focus was that Lucy Allen was still hovering around the 99th floor.

    After using all kinds of restrictions to get ahead, Lucy had overtaken them, bringing things back to a tie.

    Now, Arthur¡¯s group was meeting early the next morning to discuss their n for when the dungeon door opened again.

    ¡°The biggest clue we have is that Lucy Allen couldn¡¯t clear the dungeon.¡±

    Joy and Faivy nodded in agreement.

    Lucy was someone who knew everything there was to know about dungeons.

    It was almost impossible for her to be trapped on the 99th floor unless there was something she couldn¡¯t handle on her own.

    After all, she had managed to reach the 99th floor in just one day, even when entering the dungeon alone.

    The reason she was stuck there must be because there was something she couldn¡¯t solve by herself.

    ¡°Most likely, it¡¯s something that requires magical knowledge,¡± Arthur said.

    "Hmm? Isn¡¯t Lucy Allen good with magic too?" Arthur questioned.

    Joy, with a knowing smile, shook her head.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I thought so too, but I was wrong.¡±

    Recently, Joy had attended a magic ss with Lucy and realized that Lucy, though skilled at suggesting paths for wizards, didn¡¯t actually know much about magic itself.

    Arthur still didn¡¯t seem to fully understand.

    ¡°What¡¯s strange about that?¡±

    "Well, Lucy Allen always scored excellently in magic-rted exams in her first year," Joy added.

    Arthur, recalling that he was just below Lucy in the rankings, was puzzled.

    That was strange. How could she do well on exams if she didn¡¯t know magic?

    ¡°That¡¯s something we¡¯ll need to ask Lady Allen herselfter. There¡¯s no point in discussing it now,¡± Faivy interjected, keeping the options open as she spoke.

    ¡°I think the most likely exnation is that the dungeon is designed in a way that can¡¯t be cleared alone.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Saintess¡¯ opinion. Unless there¡¯s some trick to it, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d be stuck like that.¡±

    Arthur¡¯s own observations inside the dungeon supported Faivy¡¯s theory.

    The four paths and the underground areas at their ends seemed simple enough for one person to pass.

    But once you got past those, there were many devices that changed the paths when activated.

    Though they hadn¡¯t tested all of them, Arthur strongly believed that Faivy¡¯s theory was correct.

    But then...

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t align with the ideology of the Academy Dungeon.¡±

    The Academy Dungeon was meant to be something anyone could clear.

    It was fine to be weak, but not being able to use magic, holy power, or remove curses meant you couldn¡¯t clear it. That was never allowed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think this will change anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Arthur furrowed his brows, just as Joy suddenly gasped.

    ¡°Did you figure something out, Joy?¡±

    ¡°No, not about the dungeon strategy. But I think I¡¯ve figured out what the professors are thinking.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Think about it, Your Highness. Is there anyone else besides Lucy Allen who would try to tackle the Soul Academy Dungeon alone?¡±

    ¡°No. Who would have such a crazy idea?¡±

    Indeed, the students entering the Academy were the kingdom¡¯s elites.

    But the difficulty of the Academy Dungeon was designed to suit those elites, so individual talent didn¡¯t matter much.

    Arthur himself wouldn¡¯t even be able to clear it from start to finish alone, so no one would attempt such a thing unless they were Lucy Allen.

    Now, understanding what Joy was implying, Arthur nodded in realization.

    ¡°So the reason Lucy Allen can¡¯t clear the 99th floor on her own is because the professors designed it that way?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. After Lady Allen showed them a brilliant dungeon, the professors decided to prepare something fun specifically for her.¡±

    Only Lucy Allen had managed to reach the 99th floor alone.

    So the professors must have created something specifically for Lucy, which she hadn¡¯t figured out yet, keeping her stuck at the 99th floor.

    "...So this is something designed for Lucy Allen, an exception."

    Arthur, though uncertain of exactly what awaited them, shook his head as he thought it would likely be something terrifying.

    ¡°If this theory is correct, then we can assume the 99th floor of the Academy Dungeon is designed for a group, not a solo yer.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we can narrow down the possibilities based on that.¡±

    While the others engaged in a heated discussion, Freya, tired of the talk, had fallen asleep with her head on the table.

    Meanwhile, Lucy Allen, having arrived in the back alleys of the Academy, was speaking with a subordinate of Alsetin about what she needed to get immediately.

    ¡°...Are you nning some kind of terror attack?¡± the subordinate said, his voice full of concern as he saw the list of items Lucy had requested.

 Chapter 426

    Even I think what I¡¯m about to do is absolute nonsense.

    I¡¯m nning to kill them all at once using dot damage, even without the information that would normally be avable through the monitor.

    In amunity that¡¯s so old and stale that even the instigators have disappeared, if I said I was going to do something like this, they¡¯d call me a crazy bitch¡ªno, a crazy bastard.

    But, I¡¯ve always been called a crazy person.

    Even if I add one or two more outrageous acts, it won¡¯t make much of a difference.@@novelbin@@

    When I first decided I would kill your boss in one go, the first thing I did was measure the damage of my attacks.

    I needed to know how much damage my mace was dealing so I could estimate how much HP the boss had.

    The monsters in the Academy Dungeon were a huge help with this.

    Even though the dungeon looked different, not all of the monsters inside had changed, so I tested my attack power by smashing them around.

    After that, I faced the boss and back-calcted its HP. Then, I went to the back alley to get poison and bombs. I made a n based on theory and put it into practice.

    Unlike in games, where I can see the numbers, there were a lot of trial-and-error here, but now, it¡¯s different.

    I¡¯ve corrected my mistakes perfectly, so there won¡¯t be any more problems.

    <Isn''t it when you''re this confident that you fall t on your face?>

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a fool? I¡¯m nothing like Joy!¡±

    After snapping at the old man, I took a deep breath and strengthened my body with divine power.

    If I think about how much time I''ve wasted so far, my friends are probably already on the 100th floor.

    The fact that I¡¯m stuck here should have been a clue, so it¡¯s almost impossible for them to be blocked here.

    But that doesn''t mean I''ve lost yet.

    Even if I waste time, as long as I clear the 100th floor first, I''ll still win.

    I¡¯m confident.

    In the past thirty tries, I¡¯ve optimized the route.

    Theoretically, it should take just thirty minutes to defeat all your bosses.

    In thirty minutes, I¡¯ll move on to the next room, finish the boss off in one go, and im victory!

    I¡¯ll make those professors who doubted me eat their words and repay my friends for the humiliation I endured!

    With my preparationsplete, I immediately set off toward the first checkpoint.

    My running, which surpassed the limits of the human body, was so fast that it could be described as flying through the air.

    Because of this, the monsters in the first dungeon couldn¡¯t even touch the edge of my clothes.

    I arrived at the first boss room in just five minutes and observed the movements of the giant with eight arms.

    When it raised its top two arms, I smiled and dashed forward.

    You probably don¡¯t remember, but I¡¯ve already faced you so many times.

    I know exactly how you¡¯ll move.

    And the first move you¡¯ve chosen is the one that will make it easiest for me to crush you.

    I take one step back to dodge its two arms.

    Then, I step forward, avoid the followingbo, and strike its torso with my mace.

    I can¡¯t let emotions get in the way. I have to be calm. Like a machine. I must hit with the force I¡¯ve predetermined.

    When I saw the boss¡¯s body dented, just like the meat before making a cutlet, I forced its mouth open and poured poison into it before heading to the second boss.

    Defeating the second boss was far easier than the first.

    As long as I didn¡¯t kill it, it didn¡¯t matter.

    After smashing the golem''s limbs, I kindly ced a bomb on its head and moved on to the next boss.

    The third dungeon''s specter didn¡¯t even require strategy.

    I confirmed that if I mmed divine power into it, it would immediately fall into a death state.

    As the specter screamed while being burned by the divine power, I created a divine area above it and immediately moved to the next boss.

    So far, everything¡¯s perfect.

    There hasn¡¯t been a single mistake so far.

    Now, all I need to do is time the killing of thest boss.

    ¡°Grandfather! How many minutes have passed?!¡±

    <It¡¯s been about ten minutes since you poisoned the first boss. It¡¯s been five minutes since you set the bomb.>

    As I ran toward the fourth boss, I asked the question, and the old man immediately replied.

    ¡°Let me know when the time is up!¡±

    Dealing with thest boss wasn¡¯t that difficult.

    After all, I¡¯m a pdin.

    If I want, I could even keep my opponent alive for a while.

    Upon facing it, I smashed the boss¡¯s head and brought it to the brink of death, then used a weak healing spell to keep it alive for a little while longer.

    <Now.>

    When the old man gave me the signal, I immediately ended its life.

    With the room¡¯s guardian gone, the silence settled in, and I sharpened my senses.

    The portal to the beginning of the dungeon hadn''t appeared. That means I haven''t failed yet.

    But there¡¯s no reason to rejoice yet. After all, errors can arise at any moment.

    Having been disappointed by premature joy in the past, I held my breath and waited for something to change.

    After a few seconds, I heard the sound of a mechanical device moving.

    It was a sound I had never heard before.

    Hearing that, I immediately left the dungeon and headed to the crossroads where four paths met.

    There, a fifth path had appeared¡ªone that never existed before.

    ¡°I did it!!!¡±

    It¡¯s exhrating to seed at something that seems impossible at first nce.

    This was no different.

    Even if I told someone about this, they¡¯d probably call it ridiculous, but I managed to pull it off. I jumped up and down, expressing my joy.

    This is why I challenge myself!

    It¡¯s about banging my head against something that seems impossible!

    The more impossible it looks, the sweeter the sess feels!

    ¡°See! Grandpa! I told you I could do it!¡±

    <Hah. To think something like this was possible.>

    ¡°That¡¯s the dignity of a true... Apostle of the Holy God! Do you get it?!¡±

    After a long while of iling my limbs, I finally calmed down, and I covered my face with both hands.

    After so many tries, the joy of sess made me act like a fool.

    Grandfather said it was cute because I was like a child of my age, but that¡¯s the problem!

    Being called cute is a disgrace to me!

    <Hahaha. You wouldn¡¯t have to act so tough if you knew what I know.>

    The old man seemed to enjoy teasing me as he kept saying things like this.

    ¡°Stop being so ridiculous, okay?!¡±

    <What¡¯s wrong with calling something cute if it¡¯s cute??

    ¡°I¡¯m scared you¡¯ll end up just like that fool!¡±

    <...Even I can''t tolerate such an insult! There¡¯s a limit to this!>

    I changed the topic by bickering with the old man and then took another deep breath as I made my way toward the 100th floor.

    What¡¯s waiting at the end of this dungeon?

    Having put so much effort into the lower floors, the final boss must be no light opponent.

    As I thought about what kind of boss would make the most sense, I finally understood that the academy had put its all into the 100th-floor encounter.

    There, waiting for me, was a small girl.

    With wless white skin, her red hair tied in twin braids, her jewel-like sparkling eyes, and an annoying smile that seemed to belong to a doll, she looked like a child.

    Lucy Allen.

    The one waiting for me on the 100th floor was me¡ªwell, more precisely, a golem mimicking me.

    Wow. After clearing the whole story of the Soul Academy, I¡¯m facing one of the hidden bosses in the dungeon.

    It seems like the academy professors really got their motivation up with the dungeon I created.

    I chuckled as I felt lighter.

    The academy¡¯s special doppelganger is definitely a tough opponent.

    Mimicking the user¡¯s specs means that the efforts the user has made to grow will weigh down on them.

    However, there¡¯s a clear weakness in this.

    Unlike doppelgangers in other games, the academy dungeon¡¯s doppelganger has limitations.

    For example, it can¡¯t perfectly replicate the power of the apostle.

    It can mimic it, but it¡¯s nothing more than a shoddy imitation.

    Also, it can¡¯t replicate stronger foes beyond the dungeon¡¯s output.

    It breaks down from overloading and bes useless, unable to mimic anything.

    There are many other weaknesses with the academy¡¯s doppelganger, which is why it¡¯s been getting worse reviews since it was first discovered.

    I was partly responsible for giving the academy doppelganger the nickname "the weakest hidden boss."

    Looking at theughing little girl now, I can¡¯t feel any burden facing her, even though it¡¯s me in front of me.

    No. There¡¯s some pressure¡ªjust not on the difficulty side.

    My conscience pricks at me.

    Looking at that cute girl, I¡¯m reminded of my old self.

    I have to attack this cute little girl with my mace!

    This isn¡¯t just about moral corruption, it¡¯s about basic human decency!

    Wow. How bad were the monsters I¡¯ve faced until now?

    I know I¡¯ve been a bit snarky, but to try to harm a girl like this without hesitation¡ªseriously, what kind of person am I?

    I¡¯m not human yet.

    ¡°Wow. Hi, cute sis!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sooooo cute, but why are you holding such a rough weapon? Are you a fool who doesn¡¯t even know how cute you are?¡±

    ...

    ¡°If you don¡¯t take care of yourself, you¡¯ll age overnight. You¡¯ll be a wrinkled olddy!¡±

    Oh. Hmm.

    ¡°You¡¯re already small, but if you start hunching over, you¡¯ll look just like a baby! Heehee, a pathetic, wrinkled baby. Do you think that kind of thing is worth living for?¡±

    Looking at the giggling little girl, I felt my conscience clear up, and I tightened my grip on the mace.

    Right now, I feel like I could teach this cheeky little girl a lesson without hesitation.

 Chapter 427

    Having broken through the 99th floor and reached the 100th floor, Arthur faced the doppelgangers of himself waiting beyond the boss room and immediately regretted all the hard work he¡¯d put in during the vacation.

    The person he was before the vacation and the person he had be after were entirely different, just like the doppelganger blocking his path was apletely different entity.

    ¡°Is there even time to think about anything else?¡±

    ¡°Damn!¡±

    What was even more frustrating was that the doppelgangers perfectly pierced through the weaknesses of their group.

    For example, when Arthur is cornered to the point of losing hisposure, he can no longer lead or givemands. Simply bncing both magic and swordsmanship is exhausting enough that he can¡¯t even pay attention to his surroundings.

    Knowing this, the doppelganger that imitated Freya directed its focus on Arthur, silencing him by taking control of his movements.

    Freya was also in a difficult situation.

    Her swordsmanship was undeniably strong. There were fewer things she couldn¡¯t defeat than there were things she could.

    However, when she couldn¡¯t unleash her sword¡¯s full strength in a fight, her power diminished ordingly.

    The doppelgangers had relentlessly targeted this weakness.

    Through Joy¡¯s magic, they had continuously avoided situations where she could sh with them in swordbat.

    Even so, Freya fought with everything she had, desperately trying to swing her sword despite the constant interference, but every time, Fabius¡¯ divine magic blocked her path.

    Fabius'' divine magic, which had been a source of strength for them until now, had be their biggest obstacle in the current battle.

    Joy wasn¡¯t much better off either.

    While Joy had grown ustomed to closebat through her training with the Allen Knights, that training was always meant to buy time for her to unleashrge-scale spells.

    Arthur, who had the skill to somewhat hold his own against Freya, found it impossible to maintain hisposure when Joy used her magic and charged at him.

    With all of them barely managing to hold on in such a disadvantaged position, the reason the front lines hadn¡¯t copsed yet was because of Fabius.

    Even though all the doppelgangers showed equal or greater strength than the originals, Fabius¡¯ doppelganger couldn¡¯t replicate him perfectly.

    The level of divine magic it used seemed simr, but the results were drastically different.

    Fabius, knowing this, did everything he could to turn the tide with his power, but as time went on, the defeat seemed inevitable.

    The enemy had a perfect strategy to defeat them, while they had no strategy of their own.

    In fact, the very idea of having a strategy was ridiculous.

    Who would even think about how to defeat themselves?

    After a long series of exhausting battles, Arthur and his group eventually lost.

    However, their mood wasn¡¯t as dark as one might expect. They had lost because of an unforeseen situation.

    Now that they knew what was waiting for them on the 100th floor, things were different.

    If they knew they were facing their own doppelgangers, they would be able to prepare a fitting strategy.

    What was even more hopeful for Arthur¡¯s group was that, for some reason, Fabius had overwhelmed his doppelganger.

    If even one of them couldpletely surpass their doppelganger, then they could craft a strategy to win. Arthur was confident that, should they fight again, they could defeat the doppelgangers.

    ¡°But, if the thing waiting for us on the 100th floor is ourselves, does that mean the Lady of Allen will have to face herself?¡±

    Just before they entered the dungeon again, Joy suddenly spoke, causing the group to halt in their tracks.

    ¡°I suppose so.¡±

    ¡°Seeing the Lady of Allen fight herself¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much, but it sounds like it¡¯ll be interesting.¡±

    Arthur agreed entirely with Freya¡¯s statement.

    Lucy fighting herself, mocking andughing at each other¡­ He couldn¡¯t wait to see that.

    That damn girl needs to face someone like herself. Only then will she understand how much everyone around her has been looking out for her.

    ¡°...Huh.¡±

    While everyone shared simr thoughts, Fabius¡¯ eyes suddenly widened.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Saintess?¡±

    ¡°If my guess is correct, the doppelganger of the Lady of Allen will be much weaker than the Lady herself. I can¡¯t exin it exactly, but I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    ¡°Meaning?¡±

    ¡°It means that the Lady of Allen should be able to easily defeat her doppelganger.¡±

    Knowing that Fabius wouldn¡¯t speak without a reason, Arthur immediately urged the group forward and they rushed into the dungeon.

    Now that Lucy Allen had reached the 100th floor, they had no time to waste.

    ¡°Are you okay? If you keep frowning like that, you¡¯ll turn into a granny even faster.¡±

    Seeing the doppelganger taunting him, I let out a long sigh.

    Charging in and smashing that little brat to pieces would be no difficult task.

    That doppelganger couldn¡¯t possibly beat me since it couldn¡¯t replicate the divine power of the gods.

    But¡­

    If I charge in now, it would feel like I¡¯m losing!

    I¡¯d be falling into the trap of responding to the taunt!

    I don¡¯t want to lose a verbal battle to such a cheeky little brat!

    ¡°Puhuhu ? What¡¯s the problem? ? Even if I be an old hag, I¡¯ll still be much prettier than a fake like you ?¡±

    ¡°You like old women more than young people, huh? Hehe, such a unique taste.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you not understand my words because your brain is stiff? ? Since you don¡¯t have any thoughts of your own, I¡¯ll exin this specially ? What I¡¯m saying is that you, made by some pathetic fool, cannot beat me ?¡±

    The doppelganger in front of me was trying to mimic me but didn¡¯t get everything right.

    There were many ws in the doppelganger.

    My sharp aesthetic sense clearly pointed out these imperfections.

    ¡°The eyes are rough ? the nose is t ? the fingers are all bumpy ? and I can¡¯t even stand your voice ? How can you not even notice these differences? ? Whoever made you and you ? clearly have no taste ~ ?¡±

    As I straightened my shoulders andughed, the doppelganger clenched its lips and red at me.

    Heh. You think you can win a verbal fight against me, a Mesugaki, when you can¡¯t even replicate my skills properly?

    Just admit defeat and whine like the little brat you are.

    ¡°Hmm. The cute older sister has great taste, huh?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ve finally figured it out? ? You give up quickly ? You should learn some manners for your survival.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re such an older sister, you must realize there¡¯s something that makes me and you fundamentally different! Why are you ignoring it? Pretending that reality doesn¡¯t change?¡±

    Something different? What could be different? This is just nonsense¡­

    Ah.

    Ahhhh!

    ¡°What? Did you just realize it? Puhaha. Cute older sister, are you too small to see above?¡±

    The decisive difference between me and the doppelganger?

    It was the difference in height.

    The doppelganger Lucy was about half a head taller than me and had longer arms and legs!

    I had so many insults ready, and I could pick apart the doppelganger based on aesthetics and weaknesses.

    But I couldn¡¯t say anything.@@novelbin@@

    ...I¡¯ll be honest.

    I¡¯m jealous!

    I¡¯m so jealous!

    The doppelganger isn¡¯t that much taller than me! It¡¯s just a few centimeters!

    But that makes it worse! The subtle change feels so real that it pisses me off!

    Ahhh! If I had that much height, I could look down on someone like Freya!

    I¡¯m angry! Why does this doppelganger have something I don¡¯t have?!

    ¡°Jealous? Do you want to grow like me?¡±

    Damn.

    ¡°Maybe the reason I¡¯m not as pretty as you is because I breathe the air above you. If I were down where you are, I¡¯d have be as pretty as you.¡±

    Damn it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you my height if you want. I¡¯d like to live at the lower level, like you do. Why not take it? Oh, you can¡¯t, right? You¡¯ll just have to look up at people for the rest of your life.¡±

    Dammit.

    ¡°Shut. Up.¡±

    In the end, unable to take it anymore, I dashed forward, receiving the doppelganger¡¯s mockingugh.

    ¡°You little sister are so small-minded! You got so mad from just a little tease.¡±

    The doppelganger raised its shield mockingly, but that shield was nothing like mine. It was a simple piece of equipment, and the divine magic supporting it was just the kind used by regr priests.

    At that moment, when I thought I could easily smash the shield, the doppelganger¡¯s shield suddenly emanated magical power.

    Ting!

    After the shock, the doppelganger was pushed back, and after stabilizing its trembling hands, it forced a smile.

    ¡°Really~! It¡¯s because your heart is as small as you are that you¡¯re not growing! Little sister!¡±

    ¡°Sorry~ ? Seeing this pathetic little brat trying to mimic me is so unpleasant I can¡¯t stand it ? How can you be so ugly, the more I look at you ? In a way, it¡¯s really amazing ?¡±

    I countered its taunts with my own as I analyzed the doppelganger¡¯s movements.

    The one who created my doppelganger knew it wouldn¡¯t be perfect.

    That¡¯s why they made it use magic.

    Just by making its height taller than mine, they knew I¡¯d be sensitive about it.

    It¡¯s clear now.

    The person who made my doppelganger is someone close to me.

    I ran forward, thinking of the suspects, and shed with the doppelganger.

    I could easily overpower it, but I didn¡¯t want to.

    I wanted to narrow down the suspects by studying its movements.

    I wasn¡¯t wrong.

    The way the doppelganger moved reminded me of when I first learned to wield my mace with my grandfather.

    It even had all my old habits.

    With that, there could only be one suspect.

    ¡°Pathetic jerk ?¡±

    Only one person could know me this well.

    He¡¯s the bastard who used to sh swords with me countless times but hasn¡¯t been around recently because he¡¯s too busy.

    Cal.

    You bastard. Just wait.

    The moment I leave this dungeon, I¡¯ming for you.

    I¡¯ll tear apart your knight¡¯s honor today.

    I clenched my teeth and took a deep breath, channeling divine power throughout my body.

    It was time to destroy the doppelganger.

 Chapter 430

    <strong>Strange happenings in the forest?</strong>

    After checking the quest given by the useless god, I leaned back and crossed my legs.

    It wasn¡¯t that I had no idea what was going on.

    In fact, it was the opposite.

    There were so many things that immediately came to mind that my head was spinning.

    In the game <em>Soul Academy</em>, the forest is a ce where many events are waiting to happen.

    The ce where I met the clueless fox was also in the forest, wasn¡¯t it?

    The forest, with its ruler and various other beings lurking within, is the center of numerous incidents and quests. Therefore, it¡¯s nearly impossible to make any assumptions based only on the clue of "the forest."

    The useless god must have known this too, which is why he told me to ask the clueless fox.

    The problem, however, was that I didn¡¯t want to talk to the fox who was sulking in front of me.

    Think about it. The moment I ask this pervert something, it¡¯ll probably start wagging its tail in excitement.

    It might even make a strange request, thinking I need it.

    ...But what else can I do? I have to follow the quest.

    "Clueless fox. What have you been doing until now? I doubt it¡¯s something that would dy you, considering you¡¯re the type of pervert who can¡¯t stand the absence of air."

    "...Hmm. Well..."

    The fox hesitated, and my eyebrows furrowed naturally.

    Could this be something that could break the current deadlock? And yet it¡¯s not telling me?

    That means it¡¯s either something too disgusting to tell me or something really important.

    Considering the usual behavior of the clueless fox, the former seemed more likely, but if the useless god gave me this quest, it could be something serious.

    Hmm. I guess I won¡¯t know until I confirm.

    "Hehe~ You don¡¯t seem very desperate, do you? You¡¯re rebelling against your master, are you, puppy?"

    "U-uhh."

    "I thought you were a beast with no intellect, but now you can¡¯t even act like a proper beast? Hehe, how pathetic~ Spending time on something like you is a waste~ I¡¯d rather have the perverted apostle by my side."

    "Why is that bastard¡¯s nameing up?"

    The clueless fox barked loudly, but when it met my cold re, it tucked its tail.

    "Now you¡¯re even defying me? Even beasts living in the forest know the meaning of submission, don¡¯t they? How do you think it feels to be called a worthless beast?"

    "..."

    "Apologize! Apologize to the poor creatures under you! Say you¡¯re sorry for being such a pervert, and bite your tongue and die!"

    The clueless fox¡¯s face turned bright red, and it trembled on the ground, covering its face with both hands.

    So the provocation worked on the fox, huh?

    If I do this properly, I can y around with this damn pervert.

    "Thank you so much..."

    Hearing the flirtatious voice, I froze, but the fox was just gasping under my cold stare.

    Did I really have to keep talking to this thing? I thought about kicking it out, but the clueless fox quickly cleared its throat and tried to regainposure.

    "Well... Don¡¯t misunderstand. The reason I held back is simply that it was something too trivial."

    "...Trivial?"

    "Yes. It wasn¡¯t something that could be said to have a dignified reason for wandering around collecting Art Guild trinkets, was it?"

    From the moment I heard about the Art Guild¡¯s trinkets, the clueless fox exined that it had been wandering around collecting them, even going to the Art Guild¡¯s headquarters to harass the perverted apostle.

    I felt my mind going nk.

    Where do I even start with this?

    So now, it¡¯s saying it wanted to regain its dignity?

    The ruler of the forest left the forest just for trinkets?

    And even threatened the creator of them while looking for them?

    Sigh. That¡¯s why I saw so many Art Guild trinkets on the fox.

    I barely managed to hold onto my thoughts and kept calm, trying to speak again.

    "Nothing happened in your gloomy forest?"

    "Forest? Why are you bringing up the forest now?"

    "Don¡¯t talk back. Beast."

    "Your eyes... Hmm. What could happen in the forest that I protect? My true form is there, after all."

    Nothing happened, huh? Then why did the useless god give me this quest? The useless god may be a perverted idiot, but he wouldn¡¯t y around with something like this.

    "Oh, right. I did hear there was a problem in another forest. Two children guarding a small forest were sacrificed to a dark ritual."

    "...Keep going."

    "I don¡¯t know the details. It was just something the northern wolves randomly came and told me about."

    The story about the children guarding Mebida and Dermogle during the vacation getting sacrificed made me chew my lips.

    That area... It¡¯s where the dark sorcerers are.

    If they¡¯re left unchecked, they¡¯re the kind of pests that trigger troublesome events.

    And if those guys handled the two forest rulers, this is a big deal.

    <em>Ding!</em>

    [Quest updated!]

    [Things that are trying to swallow the forest]

    [Dark sorcerers, in league with the evil gods, are plotting something! Stop them!]

    [Reward: ???]

    [Failure: GAME OVER]

    Seeing the familiar message that signals the end, I let out a long breath and closed the window, looking at the clueless fox with a serious expression.

    Seeing my change in demeanor, the clueless fox seemed to catch on and its face became serious.

    "The northern wolves are already moving to resolve this, so I thought there was no need to worry. But I see that¡¯s not the case."

    The same thought crossed my grandfather¡¯s mind. Knowing all the things I had done up until now and understanding why I did them, he muttered quietly with a tone of resignation.

    <So the prophecy has been triggered.> ¡®It¡¯s alright, Grandpa. It won¡¯t be as dangerous as it seems.¡¯

    The most dangerous time when dark sorcerers are involved is during the third year.

    The events that ur at that time are ones the dark sorcerers put everything into, making them particrly tricky.

    The second-year events are troublesome, but they aren¡¯t as dangerous as the ones in the third year.

    If I know about this situation in advance, it¡¯s even better.

    <Why don¡¯t you just leave it to the church? If it¡¯s about dark sorcerers, even the corrupt church will have to act.>

    ¡®That will take too long.¡¯

    The subtle schemes of the dark sorcerers are hard to detect.

    They hide in the shadows, evading any notice, and are experts at covering their tracks.

    Even if the church sends people, things won¡¯t be resolved quickly. It might even give the sorcerers a chance to act.

    But if I go myself, it¡¯s a different story.

    As a filthy thing, I can easily crush the schemes of the dark sorcerers.

    I already know everything about them, so I can outmaneuver their tricks.

    And more importantly, I can¡¯t rule out the possibility that the forest rulers are still alive.

    If I don¡¯t move and they die, I won¡¯t be able to sleep properly for a while.

    ¡®It¡¯s alright, Grandpa. I¡¯ll prepare and go myself.¡¯

    I¡¯m not going to just recklessly act.

    The enemy doesn¡¯t know me, but I know them. There¡¯s no reason to rush headlong into it.@@novelbin@@

    I¡¯ll prepare for the worst-case scenario and move carefully.

    Since the northern wolves are already moving, I¡¯ll ask for their cooperation through the clueless fox.

    I¡¯ll also call the perverted apostle to reinforce our forces.

    And I¡¯ll bring Adriel to prepare against the dark sorcery.

    <...Are you sure?>

    ¡®I value my life too much.¡¯

    The only times I¡¯ve risked my life are when unexpected crises urred, or when I had no other choice.

    I¡¯m not the kind of person who risks my life to save the world. That¡¯s the job of noble people like Phaby, not someone like me.

    <Do your best to prepare.> ¡®I will, even without your telling me.¡¯

    After a long discussion, my grandfather finally epted my decision.

    Really. He¡¯s so stubborn. How many times have I made it through danger? I wouldn¡¯t fail here.

    But thinking about it, the situation wasn¡¯t bad.

    The quest rted to dark sorcerers needs quick action, and now that I¡¯ve cleared the dungeon, I have the authority to move at any time.

    I also have decent forces ready.

    The only thing that¡¯s bothering me is that at least four people need to be together to leave.

    Ah, but there¡¯s a decent dungeon nearby.

    I could tell my friends to clear it, and then I¡¯ll go off on my own.

    This could work. I can make up a reasonable excuse, and if that doesn¡¯t work, I can use my wish token.

    In the worst case, I can always ask Phaby for help.

    I was satisfied with the n I came up with and nodded, just as I heard a knock at the door.

    ¡°Lucy Allen. Are you there?¡±

    As soon as I heard Arthur¡¯s voice, a smile crept onto my face.

    They¡¯ve finallye out of the dungeon! They must have realized they lost and are feeling down!

    Heh! Why did they fall for the provocation?

    If they thought they couldn¡¯t win, they should have held their pride even if they were humiliated.

    Huh?

    I smiled and jumped off of Cal¡¯s back, ready to open the door.

    ¡°...Thatdy.¡±

    ¡°Why, clueless Erin?¡±

    ¡°Is it okay to show this situation to our friends?¡±

    What? The situation?

    Turning my head in confusion, I soon understood what Erin meant.

    Cal, who hadn¡¯t even moved after I got off.

    The clueless fox, bleeding from the nose after seeing me jump.

    The trinkets from the Art Guild scattered across the room.

    ¡°Lady?¡±

    ¡°Lady, are you doing something?¡±

    ¡°¡­Wait. You pathetic losers. Why are you so impatient?¡±

    I nearly made a huge mistake.

    This is too much to show to my friends.

 Chapter 431

    <strong>The Apostle of the Art Guild, Frete, had been living a hectic life recently.</strong>

    For most of the year, he wandered across the continent, buttely, he had been cooped up in the Art Guild, unable to go anywhere.

    For those who had been urging him to finally act like an apostle, this was undoubtedly something to be pleased about. However, this time was different.

    Even those who usually nagged him were now frantically working to keep up with the skyrocketing demand for jewelry.

    When the Art Guild first nned to create jewelry rted to Lucy, the guild members were sure that the pieces would be popr.

    Thebination of the guild¡¯s artistic sense and Lucy Alrn, a living work of art, was bound to attract attention. How could people not covet it?

    As a result, the guild had nned from the start to produce a significant amount of jewelry.

    They hoped that more people woulde to know about the divine incarnation of Lucy Alrn, and they were prepared to crawl like dogs to make it happen.

    However, the guild never anticipated that the demand for jewelry would explode to this extent.

    ¡°¡­I never imagined that demand would surge to the point where people are even reselling at high prices.¡±

    Frete, who had not slept a single night recently, lookedpletely exhausted, his face hard to believe as the man who had captured the hearts of noblewomen. Yet, there was still a fire in his eyes.

    ¡°The beauty of the youngdy must be overwhelming, that¡¯s why. This is a joyful thing. I must work harder.¡±

    Facing the madness, Karia couldn¡¯t help but cringe.

    She had thought he was crazy before, but when it came to her employer, it seemed worse.

    If it weren¡¯t for his position, she wouldn¡¯t want to associate with this guy.

    How does the employer tolerate someone like him? If it were me, I¡¯d have talked to Benedict and had him nearly killed by now.

    ¡°Karia-nim? Are you listening to me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m listening with one ear and letting it out the other.¡±

    ¡°Either way, I can tell you¡¯re listening.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! Don¡¯t interpret it however you like, you jerk.¡±

    With a deep sigh, Karia leaned back against the couch and continued.

    ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is true, then it sounds like the Art Guild will be focusing on making jewelry here for a while.¡±

    ¡°Seems that way. The effort to defeat the followers of the Evil God has been stagnant, so this is a bit of a lucky break.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Well, yeah. You were too eager to act during the year-end.¡±

    During the vacation period, Karia hadn¡¯t just been teaching Jacal.

    If you were to be technical, teaching Jacal was only a secondary task, and what she had truly been doing was reducing the power of the Evil God¡¯s followers.

    Sincest year, after being saved by Lucy, Karia had been performing tasks at Lucy¡¯s request, gradually realizing that Lucy was destined to face the Evil God.

    She hadn¡¯t been told outright, but it was hard not to know.

    The path Lucy Alrn had walked was one that anyone could see was fit for an apostle of the gods.

    Out of gratitude for being saved from the Evil God¡¯s influence, Karia had been doing various things for Lucy Alrn.

    One of these was reducing the power of the Evil God¡¯s followers in advance.

    The fewer of them there were, the less danger Lucy Alrn would have to face.

    Using her past connections, Karia had been working with various guilds, and now, as Frete had said, it was time to start organizing.

    Because of the fierce attacks on the Evil God¡¯s followers, the followers themselves began to erase their traces.

    In the case of the Void¡¯s followers, Karia had even found it difficult to track their movements.

    Now, it was better to stop moving for the moment, clear things internally, and wait for the right time to act again.

    ¡°The Church of the Evil God seems quite chaotic too, so it might be time to stop for a while.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with the Church of the Evil God?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I heard a few pigs went missing over there. The rumor circting outside is that it was the Evil God¡¯s followers, but ording to the Church¡¯s allies, internal conflict seems more likely.¡±

    Thinking of the Pope¡¯s direct involvement, Karia was about to share what she had heard when Frete¡¯s crystal ball suddenly began to glow.

    As soon as Frete saw the light, hepletely forgot about Karia standing before him and immediately pulled out the crystal ball to activate it.

    Karia¡¯s curiosity about who could be contacting him was quickly answered when Lucy¡¯s face appeared above the crystal ball.

    Now that she thought about it, it made sense. The only thing that could drive this crazy pervert mad was probably her.

    While Karia struggled to hide her disgust, Frete listened intently to what Lucy was saying.

    Upon hearing that Lucy needed him, Frete looked as if he might burst into tears from the emotion.

    Lucy, startled, cut the contact abruptly, and Frete jumped up from his seat immediately.

    ¡°Excuse me, Karia-nim. There¡¯s something I must do right away!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I was just listening to the same thing you did. There¡¯s no need to rush off now.¡±

    ¡°No, I must go! How could I make the youngdy wait!¡±

    Finishing all the preparations he could, Frete shouted that he must head to the ce Lucy had mentioned and bolted out of the room without even a proper farewell.

    Left alone, Karia pressed her forehead, sighed deeply, and then continued to think.

    It seemed that Lucy had called this pervert for a reason, maybe after receiving some kind of revtion. Probably something quite dangerous.

    There must still be threats on the continent that I haven¡¯t identified. My informationwork still seems too weak.

    I need to get it fixed up, she thought. She decided to leave the external matters to Alsetin and return to the academy streets to improve herwork.

    To make sure that the Queen¡¯s growing interest in Lucy Alrn would be monitored closely.

    ¡°But can he even leave now? The Art Guild¡¯s situation doesn¡¯t seem to be that rxed.¡±

    As Karia got up to leave, she pondered her question, which was partly right and partly wrong.

    It was true that Frete¡¯s im about leaving to handle external matters had been hard to believe, but what came next was different.

    ¡°This time, I¡¯ll go!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s me!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t let the Apostle monopolize the youngdy!¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense! The youngdy personally called me, Frete! Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    As Frete and the guild members bickered like they were ready to kill each other, Karia couldn¡¯t help but wonder if anyone in the guild was even normal.

    <strong>Meanwhile, Arthur, who had lost the bet, was already anticipating being mocked by Lucy Alrn.</strong>

    No, to be precise, he had known it from the moment the bet was made. Lucy Alrn, who loved to tease others, was never going to let someone who lost the bet off easy.

    ¡°Why are you rushing me? Don¡¯t you know that losers should cower in shame? It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve been beaten by you, and still, you don¡¯t understand your ce. Honestly, your intelligence is so pathetic, it makes me pity you. How sad,¡± she had said.

    Of course, knowing this didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t angry, and Arthur squeezed his fists tightly, suppressing his rage.

    Now that Lucy Alrn had won the bet, she had the right to demand something from them.

    So, provoking her for no reason would only lead to suffering.

    Not long ago, during a dungeon run on the archipgo, Arthur had nearly had to wear a bunny girl outfit, and he knew provoking Lucy would bring him nothing but misery.

    So, he humbly swallowed his pride.

    The problem, however, was that this pitiful behavior only triggered Lucy¡¯s sadistic tendencies.

    ¡°Am I scary now? You can¡¯t even speak up. No matter how pitiful and miserable you are, you¡¯re still a prince, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s a bit too pathetic, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no one as sweet and cute as me, is there? I¡¯ll make sure to have you do something that the prince will really enjoy. Just wait and see.¡±

    Seeing Lucy Alrn giggle, Arthur saw the devil¡¯s tail and realized that to survive, he had no choice but to respond positively to her every word.

    Otherwise, his dignity might be shattered.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re heading to an external dungeon, I need to make sure I can survive on my own if anything goes wrong, right?¡±

    Starting with that excuse, Arthur threw himself into learning how to explore dungeons on his own.

    And of course, Arthur wasn¡¯t the only one doing this.

    Having been threatened with never being allowed to train again if she kept resisting, Freya had to reluctantly learn how to explore dungeons alone.

    Joy, too, had been threatened with showing her cute side if she didn¡¯t cooperate, and she eagerly joined the dungeon exploration training.

    Even Faye, who had seemed the least likely to give in, was dragged into the dungeon by Lucy, her face blushing red, as she entered without a word.

    Thus, Arthur and hispanions spent the days before their dungeon run drawing detailed maps of the academy¡¯s dungeon.

    They were doing this to survive Lucy Alrn¡¯s tricks.

    ¡°Hmm, honestly, it¡¯s still awful. But thinking about how we¡¯re getting beat by a girl, I guess it¡¯s not too bad.¡±

    Lucy, holding the maps they had drawn of the academy¡¯s dungeon, tilted her head and packed them away.

    ¡°At this rate, even if we get separated in the dungeon, we won¡¯t end up lost and crying.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯re heading to an external dungeon. Be ready, you poor prince.¡±

    The owner of the vast northern forest, known as the creature with the sharpest fangs in the world, Murro, had been moving towards a particr forest after receiving a message from Rina.

    Rina had a somewhat unusual edge to her, but her abilities were among the best among the spirit creatures.

    If she spoke with such certainty, then there must be something there.

    Murro reminisced about hisst visit to Rina¡¯s forest, praising himself for it.

    Had he not moved thinking Rina would be okay, he wouldn¡¯t have had this opportunity.

    Honestly, after revealing everything to Rina, he had a slight regret, but now he saw it as all part of the investment.

    Ah,e to think of it, the one who had contacted him for help was the very person depicted in the jewelry.

    Even from just the image, it had taken his breath away; he wondered what the actual person looked like.

    With Rina¡¯s peculiar tastes, it had to be stunning.

    He was looking forward to it.

    4o mini

    <strong>The Apostle of the Art Guild, Frete, had been living a hectic life recently.</strong>

    For most of the year, he wandered across the continent, buttely, he had been cooped up in the Art Guild, unable to go anywhere.

    For those who had been urging him to finally act like an apostle, this was undoubtedly something to be pleased about. However, this time was different.

    Even those who usually nagged him were now frantically working to keep up with the skyrocketing demand for jewelry.

    When the Art Guild first nned to create jewelry rted to Lucy, the guild members were sure that the pieces would be popr.

    Thebination of the guild¡¯s artistic sense and Lucy Alrn, a living work of art, was bound to attract attention. How could people not covet it?

    As a result, the guild had nned from the start to produce a significant amount of jewelry.

    They hoped that more people woulde to know about the divine incarnation of Lucy Alrn, and they were prepared to crawl like dogs to make it happen.

    However, the guild never anticipated that the demand for jewelry would explode to this extent.

    ¡°¡­I never imagined that demand would surge to the point where people are even reselling at high prices.¡±

    Frete, who had not slept a single night recently, lookedpletely exhausted, his face hard to believe as the man who had captured the hearts of noblewomen. Yet, there was still a fire in his eyes.

    ¡°The beauty of the youngdy must be overwhelming, that¡¯s why. This is a joyful thing. I must work harder.¡±

    Facing the madness, Karia couldn¡¯t help but cringe.

    She had thought he was crazy before, but when it came to her employer, it seemed worse.

    If it weren¡¯t for his position, she wouldn¡¯t want to associate with this guy.

    How does the employer tolerate someone like him? If it were me, I¡¯d have talked to Benedict and had him nearly killed by now.

    ¡°Karia-nim? Are you listening to me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m listening with one ear and letting it out the other.¡±

    ¡°Either way, I can tell you¡¯re listening.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! Don¡¯t interpret it however you like, you jerk.¡±

    With a deep sigh, Karia leaned back against the couch and continued.

    ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is true, then it sounds like the Art Guild will be focusing on making jewelry here for a while.¡±

    ¡°Seems that way. The effort to defeat the followers of the Evil God has been stagnant, so this is a bit of a lucky break.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah. You were too eager to act during the year-end.¡±

    During the vacation period, Karia hadn¡¯t just been teaching Jacal.

    If you were to be technical, teaching Jacal was only a secondary task, and what she had truly been doing was reducing the power of the Evil God¡¯s followers.

    Sincest year, after being saved by Lucy, Karia had been performing tasks at Lucy¡¯s request, gradually realizing that Lucy was destined to face the Evil God.

    She hadn¡¯t been told outright, but it was hard not to know.

    The path Lucy Alrn had walked was one that anyone could see was fit for an apostle of the gods.

    Out of gratitude for being saved from the Evil God¡¯s influence, Karia had been doing various things for Lucy Alrn.

    One of these was reducing the power of the Evil God¡¯s followers in advance.

    The fewer of them there were, the less danger Lucy Alrn would have to face.

    Using her past connections, Karia had been working with various guilds, and now, as Frete had said, it was time to start organizing.

    Because of the fierce attacks on the Evil God¡¯s followers, the followers themselves began to erase their traces.

    In the case of the Void¡¯s followers, Karia had even found it difficult to track their movements.

    Now, it was better to stop moving for the moment, clear things internally, and wait for the right time to act again.

    ¡°The Church of the Evil God seems quite chaotic too, so it might be time to stop for a while.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with the Church of the Evil God?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I heard a few pigs went missing over there. The rumor circting outside is that it was the Evil God¡¯s followers, but ording to the Church¡¯s allies, internal conflict seems more likely.¡±

    Thinking of the Pope¡¯s direct involvement, Karia was about to share what she had heard when Frete¡¯s crystal ball suddenly began to glow.

    As soon as Frete saw the light, hepletely forgot about Karia standing before him and immediately pulled out the crystal ball to activate it.

    Karia¡¯s curiosity about who could be contacting him was quickly answered when Lucy¡¯s face appeared above the crystal ball.

    Now that she thought about it, it made sense. The only thing that could drive this crazy pervert mad was probably her.

    While Karia struggled to hide her disgust, Frete listened intently to what Lucy was saying.

    Upon hearing that Lucy needed him, Frete looked as if he might burst into tears from the emotion.

    Lucy, startled, cut the contact abruptly, and Frete jumped up from his seat immediately.

    ¡°Excuse me, Karia-nim. There¡¯s something I must do right away!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. I was just listening to the same thing you did. There¡¯s no need to rush off now.¡±

    ¡°No, I must go! How could I make the youngdy wait!¡±

    Finishing all the preparations he could, Frete shouted that he must head to the ce Lucy had mentioned and bolted out of the room without even a proper farewell.

    Left alone, Karia pressed her forehead, sighed deeply, and then continued to think.

    It seemed that Lucy had called this pervert for a reason, maybe after receiving some kind of revtion. Probably something quite dangerous.

    There must still be threats on the continent that I haven¡¯t identified. My informationwork still seems too weak.

    I need to get it fixed up, she thought. She decided to leave the external matters to Alsetin and return to the academy streets to improve herwork.

    To make sure that the Queen¡¯s growing interest in Lucy Alrn would be monitored closely.

    ¡°But can he even leave now? The Art Guild¡¯s situation doesn¡¯t seem to be that rxed.¡±

    As Karia got up to leave, she pondered her question, which was partly right and partly wrong.

    It was true that Frete¡¯s im about leaving to handle external matters had been hard to believe, but what came next was different.

    ¡°This time, I¡¯ll go!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s me!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t let the Apostle monopolize the youngdy!¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense! The youngdy personally called me, Frete! Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    As Frete and the guild members bickered like they were ready to kill each other, Karia couldn¡¯t help but wonder if anyone in the guild was even normal.

    <strong>Meanwhile, Arthur, who had lost the bet, was already anticipating being mocked by Lucy Alrn.</strong>

    No, to be precise, he had known it from the moment the bet was made. Lucy Alrn, who loved to tease others, was never going to let someone who lost the bet off easy.

    ¡°Why are you rushing me? Don¡¯t you know that losers should cower in shame? It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve been beaten by you, and still, you don¡¯t understand your ce. Honestly, your intelligence is so pathetic, it makes me pity you. How sad,¡± she had said.

    Of course, knowing this didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t angry, and Arthur squeezed his fists tightly, suppressing his rage.

    Now that Lucy Alrn had won the bet, she had the right to demand something from them.

    So, provoking her for no reason would only lead to suffering.

    Not long ago, during a dungeon run on the archipgo, Arthur had nearly had to wear a bunny girl outfit, and he knew provoking Lucy would bring him nothing but misery.

    So, he humbly swallowed his pride.

    The problem, however, was that this pitiful behavior only triggered Lucy¡¯s sadistic tendencies.

    ¡°Am I scary now? You can¡¯t even speak up. No matter how pitiful and miserable you are, you¡¯re still a prince, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s a bit too pathetic, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no one as sweet and cute as me, is there? I¡¯ll make sure to have you do something that the prince will really enjoy. Just wait and see.¡±

    Seeing Lucy Alrn giggle, Arthur saw the devil¡¯s tail and realized that to survive, he had no choice but to respond positively to her every word.

    Otherwise, his dignity might be shattered.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re heading to an external dungeon, I need to make sure I can survive on my own if anything goes wrong, right?¡±

    Starting with that excuse, Arthur threw himself into learning how to explore dungeons on his own.

    And of course, Arthur wasn¡¯t the only one doing this.

    Having been threatened with never being allowed to train again if she kept resisting, Freya had to reluctantly learn how to explore dungeons alone.

    Joy, too, had been threatened with showing her cute side if she didn¡¯t cooperate, and she eagerly joined the dungeon exploration training.

    Even Faye, who had seemed the least likely to give in, was dragged into the dungeon by Lucy, her face blushing red, as she entered without a word.

    Thus, Arthur and hispanions spent the days before their dungeon run drawing detailed maps of the academy¡¯s dungeon.

    They were doing this to survive Lucy Alrn¡¯s tricks.

    ¡°Hmm, honestly, it¡¯s still awful. But thinking about how we¡¯re getting beat by a girl, I guess it¡¯s not too bad.¡±

    Lucy, holding the maps they had drawn of the academy¡¯s dungeon, tilted her head and packed them away.

    ¡°At this rate, even if we get separated in the dungeon, we won¡¯t end up lost and crying.¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯re heading to an external dungeon. Be ready, you poor prince.¡±

    The owner of the vast northern forest, known as the creature with the sharpest fangs in the world, Murro, had been moving towards a particr forest after receiving a message from Rina.

    Rina had a somewhat unusual edge to her, but her abilities were among the best among the spirit creatures.

    If she spoke with such certainty, then there must be something there.

    Murro reminisced about hisst visit to Rina¡¯s forest, praising himself for it.

    Had he not moved thinking Rina would be okay, he wouldn¡¯t have had this opportunity.

    Honestly, after revealing everything to Rina, he had a slight regret, but now he saw it as all part of the investment.

    Ah,e to think of it, the one who had contacted him for help was the very person depicted in the jewelry.

    Even from just the image, it had taken his breath away; he wondered what the actual person looked like.

    With Rina¡¯s peculiar tastes, it had to be stunning.

    He was looking forward to it.

 Chapter 432

    When this world was still a game to me, the second year at the academy was the most hectic time for a yer.

    The first year at the academy was a time to solidify the character¡¯s foundation, so all you had to do was focus on things inside the academy.

    The third year at the academy was when the game was nearing its conclusion, so the focus was on the outside world, with the academy itself no longer a priority.

    But the second year, right in the middle, was a time when yers had to juggle tasks inside and outside the academy, making it inevitably chaotic.

    Especially for the new yers entering the second year, the most challenging aspect was navigating the academy''s exterior.

    They would need to conquer external dungeons, engage in conversations with NPCs, andplete quests, all while managing the external elements, and at the same time, handle tasks inside the academy. It was enough to make anyone''s head spin.

    Of course, once you got used to these elements, the second year was the most enjoyable part of the academy experience.

    The personal stories with characters were progressing well, and since the ns of the Evil Gods were still in motion, the main story didn¡¯t require much immediate attention, allowing for freedom to do whatever you pleased.@@novelbin@@

    I, for example, had already made detailed ns for what I needed to do during my second year.

    Since I was already in the game world, I didn¡¯t want to leave any interesting things undone.

    Well, in order to do those fun things, I first needed to take care of the tasks in front of me.

    The next day, after telling my friends that I was going outside, I headed out to the academy street to use the teleportation magic circle, joining my friends early in the morning.

    "Is it alright that we¡¯re not preparing anything? Even if we¡¯ll be back soon, we should prepare several things, right?"

    "The poor prince really has no independence, does he? If you¡¯re going to say something like that, shouldn¡¯t you prepare it in advance? How long do you expect me to spoon-feed you?"

    "No, I¡ª"

    "Don¡¯t worry. Unlike you, poor prince, I don¡¯t grab at other people''s pants. Everything¡¯s prepared, so just follow along while grumbling."

    When I subtly turned my gaze back, I saw Arthur biting his lip.

    The other friends, used to such sights, simply smiled softly, but Vishy was not so calm.

    Vishy, who had reluctantly joined our group because of the need for Adrig, was sweating coldly at the sight of Arthur¡¯s fury.

    For Vishy, Arthur was a power figure, carrying royal blood.

    "Vishy, you don¡¯t need to be so anxious. This is nothing but our usual routine," Karia said quietly, perhaps noticing Vishy¡¯s unease.

    However, Karia¡¯s words had the opposite effect.

    Though a novice, a necromancer was still a necromancer, and for Vishy, who was a saint of the Church of the Evil God, Karia was far more difficult to deal with than Arthur.

    "Hm? What¡¯s wrong¡­"

    "This is kind of sad, isn¡¯t it? That this is your daily life."

    Upon seeing Vishy¡¯s pale face, Karia was about to say something, but Arthur let out a deep sigh. Then, Joy lightly chuckled.

    "It¡¯s not just the prince, right?"

    "Yeah, it¡¯s not only the prince who¡¯s pathetic. Acting like he¡¯s being bullied is just off."

    "That said, do you feel relieved knowing you''re not alone? Is it just me, or does something feel off about this?"

    "Yeah, it seems to be just the poor prince. The only male in the party, but the most pathetic. I guess that¡¯s what you¡¯d call ¡®pitiful¡¯ in these situations."

    "I get it. I¡¯ll shut up, but please, just go easy on me."

    Seeing Arthur raise his hands in surrender, I tried to suppress a smile, but then I heard a voice grinding its teeth next to me.

    "Such an idiot, not even realizing how good he has it."

    The fox, perched on my shoulder, was burning with jealousy.

    Amused by the directness of her emotions, I grabbed the fox by the scruff of her neck and tossed her to Kal, who was standing nearby.

    She struggled to escape Kal''s grasp, but it was impossible.

    Kal¡¯s loyal, clumsy hand was far too strong for the beast to get out of.

    Not long after, we left the academy street and headed toward the external dungeon location.

    The dizziness from the teleportation magic was still present, but it wasn¡¯t enough to knock me out anymore.

    I calmed my stomach with a deep breath and stepped outside the building, leaving my stumbling friends behind.

    The view of the territory governed by a small baron family felt more like a quaint vige than a city.

    It was the kind of ce where, if someone confessed their feelings to another, the entire town would know by the next day.

    Whether they were epted or rejected, you could picture the local aunties pping them on the shoulder the very next day.

    I couldn¡¯t help but recall the various quests and events in this city, shaking my head in response.

    I knew exactly what would happen if I started talking to people.

    My presence would be too overwhelming for this small, quiet ce.

    "Hey!"

    Just as I was about to step back, a group of children came running toward me from a distance.

    What¡¯s this? Why are they running toward me?

    Is it because of the confused fox?

    Though my stomach was uneasy, my outward appearance was at least somewhat cute, so they must being to pet the fox!

    That¡¯s the only reason I could think of, so I pursed my lips and prepared to push the fox toward them.

    "Isn¡¯t that you?"

    At the bold way they addressed me, I froze for a moment, realizing that the boy at the front had seen my picture in the pendant and understood the situation.

    So these kids saw a person in the jewelry that looked just like me and came running without knowing who I was.

    That¡¯s why they¡¯re looking at me with such excited eyes.

    ...What do I do? This is so awkward; I¡¯ve never been in this situation before!

    Am I just supposed to ramble on like usual?

    Though I¡¯m a bit of a trash person, I¡¯m not the type to snap at innocent kids!

    Realizing that I couldn¡¯t shatter their illusion, I started mumbling, and the kids began chattering away.

    "Of course, it¡¯s you! There¡¯s no way there could be multiple people this pretty!"

    "But you¡¯re not saying anything?"

    "She¡¯s probably just shy."

    "No, she¡¯s even prettier than in the picture!"

    I had no idea what to do, so all I could think about was how to escape. That¡¯s when I saw ady running toward us, horrified.

    "I¡¯m so sorry! Noble one! My kids are being foolish!"

    "Mom, look! It¡¯s her!"

    "You all need to apologize right now! Quickly!"

    Thedy forced the children to apologize and then kept ncing at me, waiting for a response.

    Shouldn¡¯t she just take them and leave? Why is she still apologizing?

    <In the rtionship between nobility andmoners, if the noble doesn¡¯t show mercy, how can they move forward?>

    ¡®...Do I have to say something?! This is going to make things worse, isn¡¯t it?!¡¯

    I was sweating coldly, realizing that whether I stayed silent or spoke, it was going to be problematic, when I heard footsteps behind me.

    "Please, leave them alone. I don¡¯t want to hold them ountable for their mistake."

    With a noble and firm voice, thedy quickly bowed her head and left with the children.

    Ahhh. I thought I was going to die from suffocation.

    Turning to show my gratitude, I found Joy with a pleased smile, and I bit my lip in frustration.

    "The youngdy is soft with kids, huh?"

    "Yeah, I didn¡¯t expect that. A surprising side of her."

    "Surprising? Prince, it¡¯s only natural for the youngdy to be that way."

    "Natural?"

    ...Wait, hadn¡¯t they just been copsing from dizziness a moment ago?

    When had they started watching? How long had they been observing us?

    "By the way, Lucy¡­"

    "...What is it, you fool?"

    "They must have thought you were a kid because they called you ¡®Lucy¡¯?"

    "Ugh." "Pffft." "...Heh."

    Listening to theughter that came from both inside and outside, I tightened my fist and grabbed the idiot¡¯s cheek, pulling it hard.

    "Ahaha! Aha!"

    "I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying, but is the fool so dumb that he can¡¯t speak properly?"

    After the littlemotion passed, we immediately headed toward the dungeon.

    We didn¡¯t bother to arrange transportation. Having gone through the brutal marches with the Alrn Order, we didn¡¯t need any of that.

    We were the types of people who were faster and more efficient running on foot than hiring a carriage!

    Of course, that didn¡¯t apply to Vishy. As a typical necromancer, her body was fragile.

    So, I just handed her off to Kal. I figured it would be ufortable for her if I carried her.

    But when Kal carried her, she made the most adorable expression.

    Thinking it over, I could understand. If you didn¡¯t know Kal¡¯s true nature, he looked every bit the part of a knight, so it made sense.

    But when it came to his true, awkward self, that wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d realize yet.

    As I was about to tell her about Kal¡¯s real nature, I saw Vishy blushing and decided to leave it alone.

    Eventually, she would figure it out naturally when we explored the forest together.

    ...Besides, the reactions when her true nature was revealed would be far more amusing.

    Soon, we could see the mountain and the surrounding forest that housed the dungeon, less than an hour¡¯s run from the academy.

    "Is it really safe to go in there? It looks like a great ce to get lost."

    The dense forest was so wild that even someone like me, who knew the geography of every area in the Soul Academy world, could easily get lost.

    "Idiot. Do I look like a fool like you?"

    But it wasn¡¯t a problem for me. I had perfectly memorized the path through this wild forest.

    ¡®Grandfather.¡¯

    <You feel it too, don¡¯t you?>

    ¡®How could I not feel that?¡¯

    As I frowned and subtly turned my head, I saw that Feibi was also nodding.

    It was clear.

    A disturbing energy was subtly emanating from deep within the dense forest.

 Chapter 433

    The forest, shrouded in ominous energy, was eerily quiet.

    The sounds of birds chirping were absent. No footsteps of beasts could be heard. Even the sound of branches moving in the windcked strength.

    However, it was not so easy to detect the sense of foreboding hidden in the tranquility.

    The energy, mixed within the air of the forest, was quietly concealing itself behind the calm.

    If I didn¡¯t pay close attention to the forest, I¡¯d probably just think it was a dark, silent forest. But how would others perceive it?

    "Youngdy."

    I nced sideways at Feibi, who had quietly approached me, and ced my finger on my lips.

    There was no need to inform the others about this.

    After all, the ominousness in this forest would dissipate while they were inside the dungeon.

    It would be better for everything to end without anyone knowing, rather than unnecessarily worrying them.

    "...Understood."

    Though Feibi seemed a bit hesitant, she didn¡¯t press me further.

    No sooner had Feibi stepped back than Adrig, who had been guarding beside Vishy, spoke to me.

    <ul>

    <li>You brought her along because of that, didn¡¯t you?</li>

    </ul>

    Why is this old hag suddenly being so polite? I tilted my head, wondering, then realized that Vishy still hadn¡¯t removed her mask.

    Has she not taken it off yet? Is this old hag that impressive, or is Vishy really that clueless?

    A surge of desire to rip off the mask rose in me, but I forcibly suppressed it. It wasn¡¯t the time for that.

    Hmm. Would it seem strange if I spoke alone?

    Nodding quietly without a word, Adrig crossed her arms in the air.

    <ul>

    <li>They¡¯re quite low-ss. I didn¡¯t expect people to go so far.</li>

    </ul>

    Low-ss? Adrig¡¯s tone was so serious that I almost asked, but I held myself back.

    Seemingly amused by my reaction, Adrig chuckled lightly and said she¡¯d exin properlyter before turning away.

    Ah. This is so annoying. I get that it¡¯s aplicated situation, but I hate how she only adds to my curiosity with her vague hints.

    Ugh. If Adrig, a necromancer, is calling them low-ss, what¡¯s really going on in this forest? Is the situation more serious than I thought?

    ...

    For now, it¡¯s better not to approach the forest. Let¡¯s take a detour. We don¡¯t know what could happen if we enter.

    Since I¡¯m with my friends, there¡¯s no need to take unnecessary risks. I deliberately made a wide detour and headed toward the dungeon¡¯s location.

    "...I didn¡¯t think there¡¯d actually be a dungeon here."

    The ce we arrived at was a mountainside further beyond the forest.

    If I weren¡¯t out of my mind, I wouldn¡¯t have expected to find a dungeon in such an inhospitable ce.

    This area was somewhat of a hidden spot¡ªhard to find by normal means, but if you searched long enough, you could stumble upon it.

    Like many hidden dungeons, this one was more difficult than the usual dungeons in the area, but it offered more unique rewards as well.

    From what I remember, the reward at the end of this dungeon would be a passive rted to magic power, which would certainly benefit everyone.

    "Are we going in right now?"

    "It looks like the prince is scared of the dungeon door. Are you afraid, poor prince?"

    "That¡¯s not it."

    "Do whatever you want. I¡¯m not going in this time, so you can do whatever you like."

    "...You¡¯re not going in?"

    "Not going with us?"

    "Lucy. You¡¯re not going?"

    When I said I wasn¡¯t going in, the others, except for Feibi, showed surprise.

    They really like me too much. They¡¯re so shocked that I¡¯m not going into the dungeon with them.

    "Hey, you. Are you Lucy Alrn?"

    ...Huh?

    "Lady Alrn, are you feeling unwell? You don¡¯t seem to have a fever."

    Eh?

    "This isn¡¯t Lucy. Lucy doesn¡¯t refuse to explore dungeons."

    When I finally understood the situation, I bit my lip.

    Ah, so they think it¡¯s strange that I, who am obsessed with dungeons, wouldn¡¯t want to explore one?

    They think that someone like me, who¡¯s so passionate about dungeons, would never refuse to explore one?

    Yeah. I won¡¯t deny it.

    I really enjoy the game world, Soul Academy, and I loved exploring its dungeons.

    It¡¯s not just that I liked them¡ªI was so obsessed I memorized the routes of every dungeon in the game.

    Naturally, I never pass up an opportunity to see the real thing.

    But still. Still, I¡¯m not crazy enough to let a dungeon affect my priorities like that!

    I suppressed the urge to shout because I knew it would sound harsh, but that only made my friends worry more.

    "Thinking back on what this guy does, it¡¯s actually stranger that he¡¯s still fine. He¡¯s the one going through the most grueling hardships."

    "So you¡¯ve been pretending to be strong all this time? We didn¡¯t even know that."

    "Do you think we could beat Lucy if we attacked her?"

    "Freya Kent, that¡¯s not possible."

    "Kent, Lady, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea."

    "Really?"

    What¡¯s more frustrating is that my friends are genuinely worried about me.

    If it were just a joke, I would¡¯veughed it off, but the worry on Joy and Arthur¡¯s faces was so sincere.

    Why does this make me angry? Because these idiots seriously think I¡¯m a lunatic who¡¯d risk my life for a dungeon!

    I feel like I¡¯ve done simr things before, but still, the fact that they believe I¡¯m crazy enough to take such risks really bothers me!

    "Hey! You idiots!"

    I was seething with anger, so I shrank my mace into a smaller size and stuffed it into my pocket, clenching both fists.

    "...Lady? Why did you put your mace away?"

    "I¡¯m going to show you how it feels to be in good shape, you idiots. You guys prefer things like this more than words, right? Huh?"

    "Wait... Lucy Alrn, calm down. We didn¡¯t mean it like that."

    "Ah~! I can¡¯t hear the poor prince¡¯s voice because it¡¯s too pathetic~! I¡¯m not sure, but I think you like it, so I¡¯ll go~!"

    "Speak! With words!"

    It wasn¡¯t hard to teach my friends their ce.

    Arthur and Joy, of course, couldn¡¯t beat me in closebat, so that was obvious. And Freya, well, she wouldn¡¯t even fight me, so she just shrunk back.

    Once I silenced everyone, I stood in front of the three of them and spoke.

    "You guys always depend on me when I¡¯m around, don¡¯t you? No matter how awesome I am, it¡¯s ufortable when you just cling to me like this. You need to be able to stand on your own."

    Since they knew better than anyone what it meant to explore a dungeon with me, they all seemed to understand the point. Even if they didn¡¯t want to admit it, they had no choice but to agree.

    "Um, Lady Alrn. We understand we need to explore the dungeon ourselves. So, what will you do in the meantime? Do you have something nned with the person you brought along?"

    "Why do you care what I do, idiot?"

    "Yes."

    "Hmm. I appreciate that you like me, but being this obsessive is kind of creepy, you know? Can you hold back?"

    "I-I never said I was obsessed!"

    Once I saw that they understood, I decided to promise that if they finished the dungeon quickly, I would ease the punishment, motivating them to give their best.

    Then I whispered to Feibi.

    "Even if you¡¯re just a lowly saint, a saint is still a saint, so you can watch idols, right?"

    "...Of course, Lady."

    I had Feibi agree, trusting her, and once my friends entered the dungeon, I turned my gaze to Vishy, who was still sticking close to Kal. Adrig, who had been standing nearby, shrugged.

    <ul>

    <li>Next time, I¡¯ll need to figure out how to bring her here alone. If I keep going with Vishy, it won¡¯t be long before she bes mypanion.</li>

    </ul>

    "Are you worried about losing your sidekick?"

    <ul>

    <li>Do I look like someone so merciful?</li>

    </ul>

    "Of course, why would you ask? There¡¯s probably no one as petty as the lone old hag."

    <ul>

    <li>...We¡¯ll see.</li>

    </ul>

    "Hey. Miss."

    Seeing Adrig¡¯s veins bulging, I chuckled softly when Kal cautiously spoke.

    "Why? Clumsy dog?"

    "Who are you talking to?"

    At the sound of Kal¡¯s voice, full of fear, I grinned.

    "Is it strange? They say dogs are good at noticing odd things, but I guess you¡¯re not one?"

    "Are you... joking?"

    "Hey, clumsy dog. Are you saying I¡¯m just mumbling to myself because I¡¯m crazy?"

    "Eh?! No! That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just...!"

    <ul>

    <li>I¡¯m here.</li>

    </ul>

    As Kal, flustered, waved his hands, he froze upon hearing a voice from behind and turned slowly, his joints creaking like a puppet.

    When he saw Adrig waving at him, he copsed, foaming at the mouth.

    Ah, so it seems he¡¯s not fond of ghosts.

    What a coward.

    "Adrig?! What did you just do?"

    <ul>

    <li>I didn¡¯t do anything. Vishy. You know what happened.</li>

    </ul>

    "Then why did Kal..."

    "He¡¯s a scared little dog. That guy¡¯s afraid of gloomy ghosts like the old hag."@@novelbin@@

    "...Really?"

    "Why else would he end up like that?"

    At the mention of Kal fainting from fear of a ghost, Vishy¡¯s gaze turned icy.

    If it¡¯s already this bad, it¡¯ll be troubleter. There¡¯s still much more ugliness Kal can show.

    I chuckled at the thought and turned my attention to Adrig, who was trying to hold back herughter.

    After receiving my gaze, Adrig cleared her throat and began to speak.

    <ul>

    <li>You want me to continue from what I said when we first saw the forest, right?</li>

    </ul>

    "Guess you¡¯re old enough to be sharp. Not like a loner at all."

    <ul>

    <li>Uh... No. Well. You know there¡¯s a trace of dark magic in the forest, right?</li>

    </ul>

    "Old hag. You..."

    <ul>

    <li>I¡¯ll exin now since I think you know. The dark mages lurking in this forest are trying to consume the forest itself. They¡¯re trying to turn the forest into a dungeon, to put it simply.</li>

    </ul>

    "...Hey. Old hag. Say that again."

    <ul>

    <li>They¡¯re trying to consume the forest.</li>

    </ul>

    "Not that. The part after."

    <ul>

    <li>They¡¯re trying to turn the forest into a dungeon, right?</li>

    </ul>

    "Yeah. That part."

    Is a new dungeon about to form here?

    Really!?

 Chapter 434

    <ul>

    <li>Do you know how much power the owner of the forest has within the forest?</li>

    </ul>

    "Foolish fox. How much can you do?"

    "Based on the true form of the main body, when within the forest, there are many aspects where the power is close to omnipotence," the foolish fox replied.

    The "owner of the forest" refers to the guardian chosen by the forest once it reaches a certain size.

    These guardians, who handle many things on behalf of the mindless forest, can do most things necessary to manage the forest.@@novelbin@@

    For example, changing the structure of the forest, maintaining the bnce between different forms of life, and even calling forth new life¡ªif the forest¡¯s guardian uses their power to the fullest, they can shape the forest as they wish.

    Adrig, who had been nodding in understanding, lowered her voice slightly and continued.

    <ul>

    <li>Because the forest owner can exert great power within the forest, if someone could steal their power, it would be entirely possible to turn the forest into a dungeon.</li>

    </ul>

    "...Stealing that power won¡¯t be easy, though."

    <ul>

    <li>As you said, taking the forest owner¡¯s power is no simple task. The name of a spirit creature isn¡¯t a hollow one. But if the Evil God¡¯s power gets involved, things change.</li>

    </ul>

    The forest owner¡¯s power belongs to the spirits. Even a powerful necromancer would find it difficult to steal the power of an entity from a different tier of existence.

    However, if an Evil God were to intervene, it would be a different story. The forest owner¡¯s rank would crumble before the transcendent power of the Evil God.

    As I listened to Adrig¡¯s exnation, the foolish fox, who had been sitting on my shoulder, jumped down and took human form.

    The fox, now transformed into an alluring woman, caught Vishy off guard, causing her to widen her eyes, but the fox didn¡¯t pay attention to her at all, instead focusing entirely on Adrig.

    "Do you think this theory is possible?"

    <ul>

    <li>Of course, Lady Fox.</li>

    </ul>

    The dark magic theory that Adrig was exining was something I couldn¡¯t even begin to understand, as I didn¡¯t know much about magic.

    But the serious expression on the foolish fox¡¯s face made me step back quietly.

    <I don¡¯t fully understand the theory of dark magic, but I think it¡¯s possible. I¡¯ve seen a forest consumed by the power of an Evil God before.>

    I could almost understand what my grandfather was saying.

    The fairy forest that had been overtaken by the dark Evil God, now a hermit under the ground, filled with the Evil God¡¯s power.

    I recalled the scene from the game story, and without realizing it, I furrowed my brow.

    What I had seen through the monitor was not something I could brush off.

    And now, it seemed like something simr was about to happen in this forest.

    As I quietly observed the still forest, I remembered who its owner was.

    She was someone with the power of a bear.

    She had a build simr to Rasha¡¯s, which I had seen months ago, but her heart was gentle.

    She had only recently be the forest¡¯s owner and had beenining about not knowing how to manage it. She was so adorable at the time.

    Still, she was the forest¡¯s owner, so seeing her fight wasn¡¯t cute at all.

    Lost in my own memories, I could feel my hand clenching into a fist.

    If I hade a little sooner, could I have saved the bear? Could I have stopped her death caused by the group that overtook the forest?

    No.

    No.

    Wait a minute.

    "Foolish fox! If the ipetent guardian of this eerie forest disappears, does that mean their pathetic power will disappear too?!"

    "...Hmm? Yeah, it¡¯ll probably disappear. But why do you ask?"

    "So you¡¯re saying that the ipetent fool who lost to society¡¯s misfits is still alive?"

    <ul>

    <li>That¡¯s likely. The so-called ¡®power theft¡¯ is essentially just making the forest owner a servant.</li>

    </ul>

    Still alive.

    The shy, helpless bear I could have had some fun with is still there in that ce.

    With a grin pulling at my lips, I passed by Adrig and the foolish fox, nudging the unconscious Kal with my foot to wake him up.

    "...Huh? Why did I faint? Ah! Miss! There¡¯s a ghost here!"

    "Clumsy dog ? I think that puppies who whine because they¡¯re scared of ghosts are useless ? What do you think? ?"

    "T-That¡¯s¡­"

    "If you want to be abandoned, go ahead and faint again! I¡¯ll dly kick your butt ?"

    Kal, sweating coldly, quickly got up and took a knight¡¯s stance.

    "No! That won¡¯t happen again!"

    "Really? ?"

    "Yes! This Kal will ovee any fear to protect the miss!"

    When I saw Kal¡¯s serious face, I gave a signal to the others, telling them to follow me as I started moving quickly.

    We were heading to meet the perverted apostle and the wolf waiting at the agreed location.

    "It¡¯s been a while, but you¡¯re still as beautiful as ever, Lady Alrn. Even this eerie forest seems to warm up under your light."

    The perverted apostle, already waiting at the meeting spot, greeted me with a bright smile and, as usual, started spouting nonsense.

    Having gotten used to his disgusting behavior, I tried to listen to his words with one ear and ignore them with the other. But then, he pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve and unfolded it.

    It was a drawing of me. The picture showed me smiling brightly while looking at someone beyond the drawing.

    The subtle distortion in the drawing, in line with the perverted apostle¡¯s taste, made my expression immediately sour.

    The disdain that surged from my heart was evident, yet the perverted apostle calmly continued speaking.

    "This will be the next design for the jewelry. I¡¯d like the youngdy to evaluate it¡­"

    Before he could finish his sentence, I grabbed the drawing and tore it up, throwing the shredded pieces to the ground and stomping on them.

    "My life¡¯s masterpiece!"

    The perverted apostle, staring at me with vacant eyes, copsed and let out a scream, but I didn¡¯t regret my actions.

    I had seen the little speech bubble drawn next to my face.

    Why did he write "Apostle" there?

    No, even if that¡¯s the case, if he¡¯s going to fantasize, he should just keep it to himself! Why show it to me?!

    This is clearly an invitation to be beaten up! Perverted bastard!

    "Lucy! What are you doing to such a precious thing?! Move your foot! I¡¯ll restore my paper!"

    "...Foolish fox. Could you please shut up?"

    "Or you could step on me with that foot! Then I¡¯ll ept my fate quietly!"

    "I too! If you step on me, I¡¯ll dly ept my fate!"

    "...What is going on here?"

    At this point, I thought it might not be a crime to bash their heads in with my mace, and as I bit my lip, I heard a bewildered voice from the side.

    The wolf with the sharpest fangs. Murro, looking at the foolish fox and the perverted apostle, showed sincere confusion.

    "Perverted Apostle of the Art Guild. Rina. What exactly are you two doing?"

    "I¡¯m just following my instincts!"

    "I¡¯m dedicating myself to beautiful art!"

    Even in the face of normal people¡¯s confusion, the two perverts remained faithful to their desires.

    Watching Murro take an involuntary step back under the pressure of their force, I realized that if things continued like this, we wouldn¡¯t make any progress in the story.

    With a sigh, I sat down on the foolish fox¡¯s back.

    At my actions, the foolish fox let out a jubnt sound and kept quiet, while the perverted apostle alternately looked at me and the foolish fox with envy.

    "Disgusting trash ? The only thing you¡¯re good at is your dexterity, yet you can only draw me like this ? Don¡¯t you feel ashamed? ?"

    "...Was there something wrong?"

    "Wrong? ? Hahaha ? Are you seriously asking me that? ? Isn¡¯t it obvious that the distorted version of me in your imagination is disgusting? ?"

    "Indeed..."

    "Since I can¡¯t trust you to leave it to your disgusting imagination, I¡¯ll have to see it with my own eyes ?"

    "You mean you¡¯ll model for me, Lady?"

    "Well... what does that mean? ?"

    "I¡¯ll give it my best! I¡¯ll do my best to please thedy!"

    "Ugh ? You¡¯re so desperate ? Well, let¡¯s see how well you do ? If I like it, I¡¯ll kick you ?"

    Having easily subdued the two of them, I turned my gaze toward Murro, who had been watching all of this.

    "Hello, stupid dog."

    "...Oh. Uh, hello, Lady Alrn."

    "You know me? Your ears must not just be for decoration."

    "Haha. Uh, yes. Truly as the rumors said, Lady."

    For some reason, Murro¡¯s gaze, fixed on me, seemed veryplicated.

    He had been put in an awkward position by the two perverts, and I had subdued them, so why was he looking at me like that? I didn¡¯t understand.

    <You really don¡¯t understand?>

    ¡®...Stop denying reality. Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t help but realize it!

    You¡¯re just pretending to deny it! Damn old man!

    ...Ahem.

    Anyway.

    After managing the situation, I exined the current state of affairs to Murro and the perverted apostle.

    The forest, slowly being corrupted and turning into a dungeon. The forest owner, who would be stripped of their power inside.

    The dark mages and followers of the Evil God lurking in the forest, carrying out their sinister ns.

    And my goal: to defeat all the enemies and save the forest¡¯s owner.

    "It won¡¯t be that hard. If those idiots who couldn¡¯t even properly subdue the clumsy bear are struggling, how strong could they really be?"

    The people who had been with me all this time didn¡¯t question my words. They knew I had made the impossible possible countless times before, and they were ready to follow my lead.

    However, Murro was different. As I continued, his expression grew serious, and he crossed his arms before speaking in a heavy tone.

    "I understand that what thedy wants is admirable. But realistically, is it even possible?"

    "What? You little mutt, you don¡¯t have any sense ofradeship, do you?"

    "...I do want to save mypanions. But there are things in this world that cannot be achieved with passion alone."

    "Ugh."

    I couldn¡¯t help but exhale in amazement at his perfectly rational thought and words. Iughed lightly as I saw Murro frowning.

    "Stupid dog. When your abilities arecking, how about quietly following others¡¯ words?"

    "What are you trying to say?"

    "When you¡¯re a weak dog, I¡¯ll show you that what seems impossible, I can make possible."

    I, the rotten water of Soul Academy, had made the impossible possible countless times.

    Even through the monitor, and now in this world, reality.

    Today would be no different.

    In this forest turning into a dungeon, there was no way I could fail.

 Chapter 435

    The forces near the forest I was facing were dark magicians researching sacrificial rituals.

    These dark magicians, whose practice inevitably draws bacsh that they aim to transfer onto their sacrifices, were closer to the Evil God¡¯s forces than anyone else.

    Among them, there were also followers of various Evil Gods.

    Therefore, it was not easy to figure out which Evil God had infiltrated this forest.

    If you exclude the mes that were sealed or the darkness that had copsed into a crouching state, anyone else could be a potential candidate.

    However, based on the ominous energy surrounding this forest, I could only guess that it was likely a follower of the Void.

    As I stood before the forest, I donned the armor I had obtained from the Teresha Empire and lightly stretched my body.

    Thanks to the training I had undertaken during the vacation period, I moved in the armor with no awkwardness at all.

    Once I confirmed that everything was in ce, I raised my mace and shield and stood at the front.

    "I think it''s better for either me or the knight over there to lead the way," I suggested.

    Murro, who didn¡¯t know me well, seemed worried, but I responded to his concern with a chuckle.

    "Are you trusting the dog¡¯s sense of smell? It''s a convincing story, but I don¡¯t like it. Following a mindless mutt like that would probably get me trapped in some pit."

    "Lady Lucy is exceptional in this area. There¡¯s no one more trustworthy than her," Adrig added.

    "...Hmm. If you say so, Rina, I guess that¡¯s true."

    I was surprised not by Murro¡¯s doubt but by the polite persuasion from the foolish fox.

    This crazy pervert can actually do this?

    Is that even possible?

    A pervert who sneaks to sit at my bed¡¯s foot every morning just to get stepped on, and now, he¡¯s this polite!

    Whether she knew it or not, the foolish fox, with a shy smile, lowered her head and stepped back, moving with quick strides.

    If you didn¡¯t know who was in there, you¡¯d think she looked like ady.

    No! Why does she act like this around others, but then acts so badly toward me! If she behaved like this normally, it wouldn''t be so bad!

    ...Actually, no. That would be even worse.

    A girl who pretends to be polite on the outside but secretly hisses and begs for me to step on her? That''s terrifying.

    I¡¯d rather have an honest pervert.

    "Lady, it looks like everyone is ready."

    Hearing Kal''s voice, I snapped out of my thoughts and looked around at everyone present.

    The wolf with the sharpest fangs, Murro.

    The cunning fox, Rina.

    Kal, the knight of the Alrn family.

    Adrig, the necromancer, and herpanion Vishy.

    The apostle of the Art Guild, Frete. And me, the apostle of the Evil God.

    If you exclude Vishy and me, everyone else here could easily be at the top of their respective factions or already were, and their reliability was remarkable.

    No matter what happens in this forest, we shouldn¡¯t have trouble with force. As long as I handle the treacherous ns inside, we¡¯ll be fine.

    "Follow me, you weaklings."

    The moment I stepped into the forest, a chilling energy surrounded us.

    <They¡¯ve noticed us.>

    ¡®It¡¯s exactly as I expected.¡¯

    We were all beings of great presence. Expecting them to remain unaware was too greedy.

    So, I chose to not hide our presence.

    If they¡¯re ready to confront us, let them try.

    If they can stop us, let them struggle.

    I¡¯ll figure out what they¡¯ve prepared by watching their movements.

    "Old woman, stop hiding in the back and do something. Yourckey is useless, so you might as well work, huh?"

    <ul>

    <li>Please wait a moment.</li>

    </ul>

    As Adrig spread her influence, the souls of the animals rose from the ground.

    The traces of those who once lived in this forest but had died.

    Having lost their reason, they began to spread across the entire forest, following Adrig''smand.

    "Working with necromancers isn¡¯t a pleasant task," Murro muttered.

    The spirits of the animals, freed from their rest, seemed to annoy Murro, whose growl sounded threatening enough to frighten anyone. But Adrig remained calm in the face of his frustration.

    <ul>

    <li>They¡¯re not being forced to move. They answered the call for help. I¡¯m not strong enough to send the necromancer¡¯s energy so far across the forest.</li>

    </ul>

    "I didn¡¯t know that. My apologies."

    <ul>

    <li>No, it''s true that I disturbed the rest of the dead. It¡¯s not unusual for you to be upset.</li>

    </ul>

    Adrig, with the understanding of her position as a necromancer, bowed her head respectfully, which seemed fitting for her mature demeanor.

    Her appearance, though outwardly girlish, made it hard not to feel sorry for her when she acted so humbly.

    Especially when dealing with a good-hearted Murro, her humility shone through even more.

    <ul>

    <li>Lady Alrn, we have a problem.</li>

    </ul>

    "What? Are the weak animals refusing again? Did you end up alone again?"

    <ul>

    <li>...It¡¯s not that. There¡¯s something strange about this forest.</li>

    </ul>

    After I heard that the smaller animals were being sent to scout the area but were encountering repeated paths, I became certain that the forces upying the forest were followers of the Void.

    The real path was hidden, and if one tried to take any other path, they¡¯d find themselves looping back to where they started¡ªthat¡¯s a trick the followers of the Void use.

    "Good job, old woman. Stop sending those trembling animals. They must be getting exhausted under you."

    When facing the followers of the Void, further reconnaissance was meaningless.

    What annoyed them most was capturing spies hidden among our ranks.

    Now that we were openly enemies, what did their powers mean?

    I chuckled quietly as I summoned divine energy and recalled the map of the forest.

    For now, let¡¯s head toward where the forest¡¯s owner is. We¡¯ll find some clue if we get to the center of the forest.

    Honestly, Murro didn¡¯t trust Lucy Alrn much.

    It didn¡¯t matter that he¡¯d heard many bad rumors about her.

    Murro wasn¡¯t someone who formed opinions based on what others said.

    It didn¡¯t matter that when they first met, the scene had involved the apostle of the Art Guild and Rina crawling on the ground.

    The drop in evaluation was a result of Rina and the apostle¡¯s behavior alone.

    Rather, the way Lucy Alrn had controlled the two of them, though a bit disturbing, was something that should¡¯ve raised her rating.

    Even so, the reason Murro doubted Lucy Alrn was because of her overwhelming confidence.

    It was clear that Lucy Alrn was much more skilled than someone her age.

    The result of the training inside her small body.

    The divine power she possessed was far beyond any priest.

    Her aplishments up to this point were all outstanding.

    There was no denying it.

    But not all great things always have positive effects.

    Someone who never knows how to fall will fall faster and from higher up than others when the timees.

    Having been unable to stand alone amid the faith of others, Murro had stepped back. But he still held his worries close.

    That¡¯s why he kept his guard up. To be ready for any problems that might arise.

    However, Murro¡¯s worries never became reality.@@novelbin@@

    Throughout our journey in the forest, Lucy Alrn made no mistakes.

    "Ugh. Pathetic. Are these trash thinking at all? At this rate, they might as well beg to be found."

    She instantly noticed the hidden path masked by the Evil God¡¯s power.

    "Those worshiping insignificant things have empty heads. What good is hiding traps? Their power is this weak."

    She found the traps and swiftly neutralized them.

    "Why are they so weak? ? At this rate, the shield won¡¯t even have a scratch ? Are you trying to be considerate of me? ? Too cute to attack me? ? Hahaha~ So sweet~? I¡¯ll kick you as a reward?"

    Even against the dark magicians, she showed overwhelming skill.

    She used her divine power to nullify their curses.

    She deflected their prepared magic with her shield.

    She drew their attention and then retreated, leaving the final blow to others.

    Murro saw that Lucy Alrn¡¯s abilities were not something a child of her age should possess.

    She was experienced.

    She didn¡¯t rely on her youthful recklessness but handled everything like a seasoned mercenary, considering all aspects and responding to the enemy¡¯s movements. She continually told our team what needed to be done, and everything she suggested was more optimal than anything Murro himself could think of.

    After several hours of this, Murro naturally came to respect Lucy.

    Her confidence wasn¡¯t youthful arrogance; it was the certainty of someone who knew her abilities.

    From then on, Murro worked as actively as Kal or Frete, following Lucy¡¯s orders without hesitation.

    He epted that she was the leader of this party and strengthened hermand with his trust.

    This experience, new to Murro who had always been a leader, felt fresh and not so bad at all.

    As Murro¡¯s trust in Lucy Alrn solidified, our group arrived at the center of the forest.

    There, we found the entrance to the dungeon that led underground.

    "...Is this really the end?" Lucy Alrn said, her expression showing clear disappointment.

 Chapter 436

    When I first entered the forest, I sensed the eerie energy that lingered throughout it and felt a surge of anticipation.

    I know the situation is extremely serious. I also understand that whether I seed or fail will determine whether I can save someone or not.

    But you know, it¡¯s not wrong to have expectations for new content!

    Do you know how exciting it is to find something new in the same old repetitive cycle?!

    While I was tackling the new content of the Academy Dungeon, I realized why I had be so jaded.

    The thrill thates from challenging something almost impossible and seeding¡ªthat was the reason I kept holding on to the Soul Academy, even though it had turned into a garbage game in the end!

    As I surpassed what the professors had prepared, I felt joy. I hoped they would once again bring me something fresh.

    For all the trouble I caused while dealing with the Evil God¡¯s forces, I thought there¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t have prepared something.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t something as bizarre as a mode-level entity, I expected something special.

    But my expectations were betrayed. The scenery I saw as I wandered through the center of the forest was no different from the typical dungeons they create.

    <...Isn¡¯t it good if the opponent¡¯s scheme is sloppy?>

    The old man, seeing my disappointment, made a face like it was absurd, but I simply couldn¡¯t agree with him.

    Logically, I knew he was right, but emotionally, I just couldn¡¯t ept it.

    When I thought about it, the Academy was the problem!

    They had made quite decent new dungeons, so I got my hopes up again thinking it would be the same!

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the professors at the Academy, I wouldn¡¯t have been betrayed by my own expectations!

    Damn it! Just wait and see! Professors! I¡¯m going to show you how the dungeon you put your heart into gets vited!

    <By the way, Lucy, is it possible that those who upy this forest have put everything they have into the dungeon? Wouldn¡¯t the dungeon be a better ce to unleash their power than the forest?>

    ¡®That could be possible.¡¯

    <Right. So now is not the time to rx...>

    ¡®But it¡¯s still a dungeon. A dungeon made by idiots who based it on a bear.¡¯

    If I had entered this forest earlier, I might have kept my hopes up.

    But after seeing the structure of the forest, all my expectations werepletely dashed.

    Even the sections they put effort into creating still couldn¡¯t escape the nature of the Void, so what could be different inside the dungeon?

    Even if they poured their heart into it,pared to the wickedness of the mode, it would be nothing, so how could I have any expectations!

    Even I, who am like rotten water, can remember how much the mode dungeon made me cough up blood¡ªmakes me realize how amazing the creator of that was.

    Damn, you lousy deity! Enough with the other rewards, just make me a decent dungeon and throw it my way!

    If you¡¯re the creator of that damn mode, you should be able to give me a few dungeons!

    ¡°So, who is going in?¡±

    I had been grumbling in front of the dungeon entrance when Myrrh¡¯s question snapped me back to reality.

    ¡°It looks like only one person can enter this dungeon.¡±

    When we first met, Myrrh had doubts about my leadership, but now, he was waiting for me to make a decision.

    His attitude had changedpletely during our short time in the forest, and it made me feel a bit uneasy.

    In a good way, I could say Myrrh had acknowledged me, but considering how many weirdos have surrounded me until now, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Myrrh was just another one of them.

    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡±

    I shook my head in response to Myrrh¡¯s question and looked over the group to decide who would go.

    Based on what I had seen in the forest, it seemed unlikely that we would struggle in terms of strength. However, we never knew what might be lurking inside.

    ¡°Perverted Apostle.¡±

    This guy, with considerable power and the ability to counter ck magic, would be a good choice to take along.

    ...It¡¯s annoying to think I¡¯ll have to move with this disgusting guy, but it¡¯s the most rational decision.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to die for me. Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Of course! I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    He immediately leapt forward as soon as his name was mentioned, spinning his head around with a confidentugh.

    There, I saw Cal and the foolish fox, who had been left behind.

    Perverted Apostle. Could it be that this guy is feeling superior just because he was chosen before those two? Can an apostle act like that?!

    ¡°¡­Is this all because I¡¯m weak?¡±

    ¡°¡­If only the real one hade to this ce¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, idiots. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re just being left alone to rest, alright? You¡¯re supposed to roll around outside like a dog. Act like one.¡±

    I told the two of them, still feeling down, that keeping watch outside was important, but their gloom didn¡¯t disappear.

    Even though Vishi and Myrrh were looking at them with disdain, they still kept sulking.@@novelbin@@

    Seeing them, I pped my forehead and thought I might as well tell them something that would excite them. I promised that if they worked hard, I¡¯d make sure to have the Perverted Apostle make essories just for them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    ¡°We will meet your expectations, youngdy!¡±

    As soon as I said that, they both immediately lifted their heads, and I couldn¡¯t help but think that they were really pathetic.

    Not that I cursed them. I was just thinking they looked like dogs wagging their tails when I told them to go for a walk.

    Anyway, after I managed to cheer them up, I took a mace and shield, standing before the dungeon entrance.

    ¡°Lady? Why are you preparing?¡±

    ¡°What? Perverted Apostle, don¡¯t you want to go in with me? You were all excited before, and now you¡¯re saying I¡¯m in the way?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just that a dungeon like this usually only allows one person to enter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just your story, you useless guys. I¡¯m the exception.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    I hesitated at Perverted Apostle¡¯s question, unsure of how to exin. Then I realized it would be pointless to exin with words, so I kicked the Perverted Apostle into the dungeon instead.

    After telling the others I¡¯d be back soon, I followed him in.

    ¡°¡­How.¡±

    Perverted Apostle, already inside, looked at me with a bewildered expression.

    ¡°Am I seeing an illusion?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you even distinguish an illusion from reality? ? For someone with such bad perception to be an apostle ? No wonder a crow would serve someone like you ?¡±

    ¡°This rising emotion¡­ it really is you, youngdy. I¡¯m amazed. How is this even possible?¡±

    I shrugged off the Perverted Apostle¡¯s admiration and took in the dungeon¡¯s scenery.

    The ce we had arrived at was simr to the forest we had seen earlier.

    The only difference was that it was a dark ce with no light. And there was a chilling mist spreading throughout the entire forest.

    Feeling the Evil God¡¯s energy in the mist, I spread my divine power around me, using my shield as a base.

    The mist cleared up, revealing the path ahead.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown since thest time I saw you.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m a genius.¡±

    The scenery inside the dungeon was exactly the same as what I knew.

    The mist with the Evil God¡¯s power was the same too.

    This mist, which disturbs perception, was definitely one of the Void Dungeon¡¯s characteristics.

    Hmm. So this ce isn¡¯t much different from what I¡¯ve seen endlessly beyond the monitor.

    Then, what¡¯s hiding at the end of this ce will be no different either.

    Saving the bear will be easy.

    ¡°Perverted Apostle.¡±

    ¡°Yes, what can I do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay in this disgusting ce for long. If you fall behind, I¡¯ll crush you into the ground.¡±

    ¡°Hm. If you say that, I may want to fall behind.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha, just kidding. I¡¯ll do my best.¡±

    I tore my gaze away from the Perverted Apostle¡¯s smile and prepared to move forward.

    I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, spread my divine power throughout my body, rxed my muscles, and mentally mapped out my route.

    Then, I looked ahead again.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    The moment I took a step, the scenery around us changed.

    The overwhelming speed created by my body, which had reached the realm of the superhuman.

    Roots of trees rose up to block me, but they couldn¡¯t hold me back.

    I knew exactly what was going to happen, so why would I worry?

    ¡°The youngdy¡¯s tactics truly are on the level of prophecy.¡±

    The Perverted Apostle, following behind me, couldn¡¯t help but utter a gasp of admiration.

    As a member of the Apostle Order and a powerful being who had roamed the world for so long, he clearly saw my speed as something worth acknowledging.

    I expected it, but there was still a long way to go.

    Seeing the rxed Perverted Apostle, I smirked and increased my speed.

    I broke through the nts trying to block us and dodged attacks from animals leaping up from the surroundings.

    I kept going, and eventually reached the center of the forest once again, ready to face the bear.

    The bear, the owner of the forest, is certainly strong.

    It¡¯s so threatening that a single punch can tear a person apart.

    But if you ask me if it¡¯s on the level of a true powerhouse, I would say no.

    An attack that can¡¯t be stopped would be something like Lasha¡¯s strike from the arena.

    Unless it¡¯s that kind of out-of-norm strength, I¡¯m confident I can stop anything now.

    I might not have the strength to block someone, but I can definitely be the shield that blocks everything.

    Once I draw the aggro, the Perverted Apostle will take care of the rest.

    <¡­Hmm?>

    As I was moving toward the battle with the bear, the old man¡¯s voice, filled with curiosity, rang out.

    ¡®What is it?¡¯

    <I sense the divine power of the deitying from inside.>

    ¡®¡­What?¡¯

    What¡¯s going on?

    Why do I feel the divine power of the deity inside the dungeon?

    This is the Evil God¡¯s dungeon, so there shouldn¡¯t be any rest zones.

    <This is definitely... right. It¡¯s simr to your friend¡¯s energy.>

    ¡®Faivy? Why is Faivy here? She¡¯s supposed to be tackling a different dungeon right now.¡¯

    <I know. But the energy I feel here is definitely hers.>

    The old man¡¯s perception can¡¯t be wrong.

    His senses, as one of the heroes, are so precise that no one can match them.

    He couldn¡¯t have been disturbed by the Void¡¯s energy.

    Then, why am I sensing Faivy¡¯s energy from so far away?

    ¡®...Please tell me the direction.¡¯

    <Got it. Head northwest from where you are¡­>

 Chapter 437

    Not long after a message appeared, the mist around us thickened.

    Seeing the ash-gray mix with the pale smoke, I quickly gathered my divine power and engraved a spell on my shield.

    The sacred domain I spread, based on my shield, pushed the mist away, creating a safe zone.

    The Perverted Apostle beside me and Faivy didn¡¯t just stand by.

    The Perverted Apostle handed out essories blessed by the goddess to his friends, while Faivy reinforced the area by oveying her own divine power onto mine.

    ¡°Lady, this¡ª¡±

    ¡°It looks like some pathetic evil god is trying to make a move.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    Faivy, who had fought on the front lines against the followers of the Evil God and just recently faced the Dark Evil God alongside me, understood the severity of the situation far too well.

    The power of just the Void Evil God was enough to be threatening, but now with the Evil God¡¯s master, Agra, involved, how could anyone not feel the impending danger?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡­Hmm? Sorry? What for? Not understanding Faivy¡¯s words, I tilted my head, but then I heard her next words and let out a smallugh.

    ¡°I was entrusted with the others, but¡­¡±

    Seeing her lowering her voice as if thinking myughter was a rebuke, I lifted myself on tiptoe and pressed my finger to Faivy¡¯s nose.

    Startled, Faivy covered her nose with both hands and stepped back.

    ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know a foolish saint would do something stupid?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    ¡°Did your faith all go to your flesh? This is why you be a perverted saint.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. A perverted saint?!¡±

    Looking at Faivy, her face red, I chuckled, pointing to the spot where my divine power lingered and spoke firmly.

    ¡°Trust me. You¡¯re nothingpared to me.¡±

    Faivy blinked, then finally rxed, a slight smile forming on her face.

    ¡°¡­Okay. I¡¯ll trust you.¡±

    After confirming her relief, I shifted my gaze toward the others.

    Though I didn¡¯t know much about the Evil God, I was sure they would sense the danger. I was going to assure them of that.

    But by the time I turned, the Perverted Apostle had already reached them.

    Aside from when he was facing me, I had no doubts about the Perverted Apostle¡¯s reliability as a servant of the goddess. He was now instilling confidence in my friends, assuring them there was nothing to fear.

    Seeing this, I felt a bit of relief and turned my attention back to scanning the mist beyond us.

    But there was nothing visible. The mist, now dyed ck, didn¡¯t allow me to see anything beyond it.

    I almost clicked my tongue unconsciously, but I forced myself to hold back.

    I can¡¯t show any signs of uncertainty. If I break down, my friends will feel the same. In this situation, where I don¡¯t know what danger may strike, I need to remain a firm presence.

    ¡®...Grandfather.¡¯

    The one person I could afford to show my weakness to, I called out, and my grandfather responded in a yful voice.

    <What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you just wish for Agra toe here already?>

    ¡®That¡¯s about a different dungeon! Not here!¡¯

    The reason I wasn¡¯t afraid of Agra¡¯s involvementtely was that I was confident his interventions wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to me.

    I knew exactly what Agra could do in any dungeon, so I weed his involvement.

    But not here.

    The variable in this ce was one I didn¡¯t know about.

    It was the first time I was facing a dungeon created with the power of another Evil God, with Agra involved.

    <Isn¡¯t that exactly what you wanted?>

    ¡®Well¡­ yes, but! I¡¯m not alone now! This is different from when I was by myself!¡¯

    Yes, it¡¯s true that I wished for something new.

    The forest scenery was so dull that I had shouted for something I hadn¡¯t seen to be presented.

    But that was only when I could handle the danger on my own.@@novelbin@@

    Not when my friends are here!

    If I get hurt or put in danger because of my mistake, I can handle that. That¡¯s something I can ept!

    But if my mistake causes something bad to happen to my friends, then I¡ª

    <...Lucy.>

    Suddenly, my grandfather¡¯s voice became serious, silencing my anxious thoughts.

    <Calm down. If you panic more than your friends, what are you going to do?>

    ¡®...Ah.¡¯

    <Settle down and trust yourself. You¡¯re not some weakling who would get overwhelmed by something like this.>

    ¡°Pfft!¡±

    At the word ¡°weakling¡± from his old-fashioned voice, I couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud and, despite the curious stares from others, wiped my face.

    <Hey, hurry up and answer. Lucy, you¡ª>

    ¡®I got it. I got it. But don¡¯t call me a weakling with that fancy middle-aged voice. If Iugh in this situation, I¡¯ll really look like a crazy woman.¡¯

    Yeah, grandfather was right. How long have I been in Soul Academy? There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll be in danger because of some variable.

    And besides, the members with me now are way better than when I yed the game.

    Worried that something might go wrong in this situation?

    That¡¯s attacking my pride as the rotten water of Soul Academy!

    Sighing deeply, I pushed thoseplicated thoughts away and focused on what I needed to do first.

    ¡®Thanks, grandfather.¡¯

    <...I¡¯m just an old man who can only speak. I have to do something like this.>

    ¡®That¡¯s true. If you don¡¯t do this, you¡¯re just a noisy weapon.¡¯

    <Lucy? Saying I¡¯m a noisy weapon seems rather rude, don¡¯t you think?>

    ¡®Anyway.¡¯

    <You¡¯re just going to skip past that?>

    ¡®Anyway!¡¯

    I ended the conversation with grandfather by shouting, grabbed my mace, and continued.

    ¡®Grandfather, have you ever seen something like this?¡¯

    <I have. Back in our time, when all the Evil Gods had their full powers.>

    Grandfather, who had fought on the front lines when all the Evil Gods were unleashed, as opposed to now when they were sealed and couldn¡¯t use their power, lowered his voice as he seemed to recall those days.

    ¡®...Can you give me some advice?¡¯

    <When another Evil God¡¯s power is present, Agra¡¯s intervention means that power will be enhanced. Nopletely new variables will appear.>

    ¡®So, it¡¯s still limited to the Void Evil God¡¯s power?¡¯

    <Yes. At least, that¡¯s what I experienced.>

    If it¡¯s limited to the Void Evil God¡¯s power, then this isn¡¯t tooplicated.

    I¡¯ve cleared countless dungeons made based on the Void Evil God¡¯s full resurrection, and I know exactly what will happen and how to deal with it.

    Alright. Now that the situation is clearer, I don¡¯t feel as bad. I know exactly what to do.

    Gathering my divine power throughout my body, I stared at the ck mist with my full attention.

    I can¡¯t see beyond it, but that¡¯s fine.

    What I¡¯m looking for isn¡¯t the scenery of the world but the gaps within the mist.

    Aesthetic sense doesn¡¯t matter in this situation.

    Right now, this feeling of everything being ugly is something I can handle.

    But it¡¯s not about finding weaknesses. This skill, which shows where the opponent is most likely to feel difort, pointed out the ces that the owner of the mist is most likely bothered by.

    ¡°Useless.¡±

    As I shouted with divine power in my voice, all my friends¡¯ gazes turned to me.

    I met their eyes and smiled, lifting the corners of my mouth.

    ¡°If you fall behind, I¡¯ll leave you behind. So keep up.¡±

    The moment I said that, my friends nodded and gripped their weapons, while the Perverted Apostle approached me and pointed out a ce he found strange.

    Surely, the Perverted Apostle also had an aesthetic sense, right?

    He was more skilled than I was in using it, so it was likely through that sense that he pointed it out.

    Seeing that the location he indicated was simr to the one my skill had pointed out, I was sure of it.

    If a situationes where even my skill doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll have to ask him for help.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    As I moved towards where the mist was thickest, my divine power caused it to part.

    What was revealed was the darkndscape of the forest.

    The scenery of the forest at night, darker than the dark sky, made it hard to distinguish whaty ahead.

    Looking at the forest, which seemed to hide many things, I hesitated for a moment but then decided not to enter it.

    After all, this isn¡¯t a game. Why should I follow the enemy¡¯s rules?

    Right?

    ¡°Idiot.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lady?¡±

    ¡°Blow everything up until we reach that point. Can you do it?¡±

    I asked as I pulled out a gemstone filled with mana from my inventory and handed it over, and Joy nodded with a confident smile.

    ¡°If we have this, we can do anything.¡±

    After receiving the gemstone, Joy conjured several magic circles around her.

    They looked incrediblyplex, something my knowledge couldn¡¯t even begin to interpret.

    But there was one thing I could tell for sure.

    The power within those magic circles was incredibly strong.

    Combining the magic circles she had created, Joy summoned a massive one that could easily be three times her size and ced the gemstone in the center.

    The mana inside the gemstone was sucked into the magic circle, and it began to glow.

    ¡°Watch out, everyone.¡±

    To describe Joy¡¯s magic in one word¡ªartillery.

    A bombardment that would crush everything in its path with overwhelming power.

    Having felt the power contained in it, I was sure that if that shot were fired into the forest, it would create a huge hole. I couldn¡¯t help but admire Joy¡¯s growth.

    However, my certainty didn¡¯tst.

    My admiration didn¡¯tst long either.

    The mist around us, which had been swirling, merged together and blocked Joy¡¯s bombardment.

    The weakened st didn¡¯t prate the forest, only destroying the entrance before fading away.

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    Ignoring Joy¡¯s bewildered voice, I raised an eyebrow as I saw the ck mist dispersing.

    Hmm. Were they telling me to follow the rules?

    Well, fine.

    Agra, I¡¯ll do what you want. But it won¡¯t change the result.

    You¡¯re a weakling who has lost countless times to me.

 Chapter 438

    The message appeared, and shortly after, the surrounding fog grew even thicker.

    Seeing the ash-gray color mixing into the previously pale smoke, I urgently summoned my holy power and engraved a spell on my shield.

    The domain of holiness, which spread from the shield, dispelled the fog around us and formed a safe zone.

    The perverted apostle and Fabius, who were beside me, didn¡¯t stay idle.

    The perverted apostle handed out essories blessed by the goddess to his friends, while Fabius reinforced the area byyering his own holy power over mine.

    ¡°Lady, this¡­¡±

    ¡°It looks like that despicable evil god is trying to do something stupid.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    Fabius, who had been on the frontlines fighting the followers of the evil gods, and even recently confronted the Dark Evil God alongside me, clearly understood the seriousness of the current situation.

    Even just the power of the Void Evil God alone was enough to be a threat, and now, with the involvement of the evil god''s master, Agra, it was no wonder there was a sense of impending danger.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡­Huh? Sorry? For what? I tilted my head in confusion at Fabius''s words, and after hearing her continuation, I let out a faint chuckle.

    ¡°You entrusted the others to me¡­¡±

    Fabius, apparently mistaking myugh as a reprimand, lowered her voice further.

    ¡°I¡­ I have not repaid that trust, and now I¡¯ve put them in danger¡­¡±

    Seeing her like that, I stood on tiptoe and pressed my finger firmly against the bridge of her nose.

    Fabius, startled, backed away, covering her nose with both hands.

    ¡°Do you think I didn¡¯t know that a useless saint would act like an idiot?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah.¡±

    ¡°Has your faith all gone to waste? No wonder you¡¯ve turned into a lecherous saint.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. L-Lecherous saint!?¡±

    Seeing Fabius¡¯s red face, I chuckled softly and pointed to the spot where my holy power remained, speaking firmly.

    ¡°Trust me. You¡¯re nothingpared to me.¡±

    Blinking in confusion, Fabius finally seemed to rx, showing a faint smile.

    ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯ll trust you.¡±

    Once I saw that she had calmed down, I turned my gaze toward my friends.

    Though I didn¡¯t know much about the evil god, I was confident that they could sense the danger, so I nned to reassure them.

    However, the perverted apostle had already reached them before me.

    Aside from dealing with me, there was no doubt that he was a trustworthy apostle of the goddess. He was instilling confidence in my friends, assuring them that nothing would happen to them.

    Relieved upon seeing him, I turned my gaze outward, trying to observe the scenery beyond the fog.

    But there was nothing to see. The fog had turnedpletely ck, blocking my view of whaty beyond.

    I almost clicked my tongue reflexively but forced myself to hold it back.

    I mustn¡¯t show any signs of agitation. If I break down, my anxiety will spread to my friends. In this uncertain situation, I need to remain steadfast.

    ¡®¡­Grandfather.¡¯

    The only person I could show weakness to was my grandfather, and he responded to my call with a yful tone.

    <What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you say before that you¡¯d love it if Agra showed up?>

    ¡®That¡¯s from another dungeon! This is different!¡¯

    The reason I wasn¡¯t afraid of Agra¡¯s interference was that I was certain the variables he could create wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to me.

    I knew exactly what Agra could do in a dungeon, so I weed his involvement with no hesitation.

    However, this was a different matter.

    The variables created here werepletely unknown to me.

    This was the first time I had faced a situation where Agra¡¯s interference was happening in a dungeon formed by the powers of another evil god.

    <Wasn¡¯t that exactly what you wanted?>

    ¡®W-Well, that¡¯s true, but right now, I¡¯m not alone! That¡¯s something I wanted when I was alone!¡¯

    Yes, it was true that I had hoped for something new.

    The scenery in the forest had be too boring, and I did shout for something I hadn¡¯t seen before.

    But that had been when I was alone and could bear the risks on my own.

    It wasn¡¯t the same when my friends were here!

    I don¡¯t care if I get hurt or exhausted because of my own mistakes! I can handle that!

    But if my mistakes endanger my friends¡­ then I can¡¯t stand it!

    <...Lucy.>

    Suddenly, my grandfather¡¯s voice grew serious, suppressing my unease.

    <Calm down. What will happen if you panic more than your friends?>

    ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯

    <Settle your heart, and trust in yourself. You¡¯re not the type to get troubled by this kind of situation. Hmm, are you a weakling?>

    ¡°Pffft!¡±

    I burst intoughter at the word ¡°weakling¡± that came in my grandfather¡¯s old-fashioned voice, and I tried to ignore the curious looks from others while wiping my face.

    <Heh, hurry up and answer. Lucy, you¡­>

    ¡®I get it. I get it! But please don¡¯t call me weakling in that splendid middle-aged voice. I¡¯ll really look like a crazy woman if Iugh in this situation.¡¯@@novelbin@@

    Yes, my grandfather was right. How could I be in danger when I¡¯ve been part of Soul Academy for so long?

    Moreover, the people I¡¯m with now are far better than when I was ying the game.

    Worrying about something going wrong in this situation?

    That¡¯s an insult to my pride as the ¡°rotten water¡± of Soul Academy!

    Letting out a long sigh to shake off myplicated thoughts, I spoke the first thing that came to my mind.

    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa.¡±

    <...Old man who can only talk, should do at least this much.>

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s true. Without this, Grandpa would just be a noisy weapon.¡¯

    <Lucy? That¡¯s a very rude way of describing me, don¡¯t you think?>

    ¡®Anyway.¡¯

    <You¡¯re just going to brush it off like that?>

    ¡®Anyway!¡¯

    I cut off Grandpa¡¯s further questioning with a loud voice and gripped my mace tightly.

    ¡°Grandpa, have you seen something like this before?¡±

    <Of course. Back in our time, all the evil gods were at the height of their power.>

    Grandpa, who had fought on the frontlines when all the evil gods were active, lowered his voice as if recalling those times.

    ¡®¡­Could you give me some advice?¡¯

    <When another evil god¡¯s power resides in a ce and Agra intervenes, it means that power has been enhanced. There¡¯s nopletely new variable.>

    ¡®So it¡¯s limited to the Void Evil God¡¯s powers?¡¯

    <Yes. At least, that¡¯s what I experienced.>

    If it¡¯s limited to the powers of the Void Evil God, then it¡¯s not difficult to understand.

    I¡¯ve already conquered countless dungeons created based on the time when the Void Evil God was fully revived. I know exactly what will happen and how to deal with it.

    Alright. Now that I¡¯ve sorted things out, it doesn¡¯t feel entirely bad. I know exactly what needs to be done.

    I summoned my holy power and fixed my gaze on the ck fog.

    I couldn¡¯t see beyond it, but it didn¡¯t matter.

    What I wanted to see wasn¡¯t the scenery of the world, but the gaps in the fog.

    Aesthetic sense didn¡¯t matter in this situation.

    The sense that everything around me was not beautiful was something I couldn¡¯t handle properly right now.

    However, this wasn¡¯t about weakness detection. This skill, which shows where the enemy would be most troubled, had already pointed out the spots that the owner of this fog was bothered by.

    ¡°Useless.¡±

    I shouted, imbuing my voice with holy power, and the attention of my friends shifted toward me.

    I met their gazes and raised the corner of my lips into a smirk.

    ¡°If you fall behind, I¡¯ll leave you behind, so keep up.¡±

    At that, my friends grabbed their weapons and nodded, and the perverted apostle came closer to me, pointing out a suspicious area.

    He certainly had an aesthetic sense, right?

    Since he was probably better at using it than I was, he must have pointed out something based on that.

    Seeing that the weak point he pointed out was simr to what my skill had detected, I was sure.

    If the weakness detection stops workingter, I¡¯ll have to ask for his help.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I stepped forward into the fog, and the fog receded from my holy power.

    What emerged was a dim, forest-like scene.

    The dark forest, so dark that even the moon couldn¡¯t shine through, made it hard to distinguish what was right in front of me.

    Seeing the forest, which seemed to have a lot hidden, I hesitated for a moment before deciding not to enter it.

    After all, this wasn¡¯t a game, so why should I follow the enemy¡¯s rules?

    Right?

    ¡°Idiot.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lady?¡±

    ¡°Destroy everything in front of us. Can you do that?¡±

    I asked, handing a magic-infused gem to Joey, who nodded with a confident smile.

    ¡°If I have this, I can do anything.¡±

    Joey took the gem and summoned a few magic circles around him.

    Even just looking at them, they appearedplex, and they were something I couldn¡¯t interpret with my knowledge.

    But one thing was clear.

    The power contained in those magic circles was immense.

    Joeybined the magic circles he summoned and ced the gem in the center, creating a magic circle that was three times his size.

    Then, the mana in the gem was drawn into the circle, and it began to glow.

    ¡°Be careful, everyone.¡±

    Joey¡¯s magic could be described as artillery.

    It was an overwhelming force capable of destroying everything in its path.

    Seeing the power contained in it, I was sure that if it was aimed at the forest, it would create a huge hole in it. I also admired Joey¡¯s growth.

    But my certainty¡­

    My admiration¡­

    Didn¡¯tst long.

    The fog that had been surrounding us merged together and blocked Joey¡¯s artillery.

    The weakened force of the st couldn¡¯t prate the forest, and it only destroyed the entrance before disappearing.

    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

    I ignored Joey¡¯s dumbfounded voice and raised my eyebrows as I saw the ck fog dissipating.

    Hmm, so you want me to follow the rules, huh?

    Alright, I¡¯ll do it your way, Agra. But it won¡¯t change the oue.

    You¡¯re still an ipetent loser to me.

 Chapter 441

    Joey''s eyes watched Lucy, who was floating in mid-air.

    She saw Lucy push her aside, take the hit in her ce, and rise into the air.

    Despite having no wings, Lucy defied gravity and flew.

    Though it was natural for her eyes to close, Joey absent-mindedly watched as Lucy ascended.

    And before long, a thunk! echoed through the air.

    The descent was instantaneouspared to the eternity of the rise.

    Joey, who had forgotten where she was, looked vacantly at the spot where Lucy had fallen, hearing her groaning on the floor.

    Because of me.

    Because I failed to react.

    Because I didn''t notice it in time.

    Lady Yuria.

    Lady Yuria...

    Thump!

    The sound of something being struck snapped Joey back to reality. She looked and saw the roots of a tree blocked by the divine barrier, stepping back a step.

    "Prince! Lady Kent! Please respond to the attack!"@@novelbin@@

    "I¡¯ll do my best!"

    "Revenge. We need to get revenge."

    "And also¡ª"

    Kuaaa!

    The bear''s roar swallowed all the sounds that were present in the space.

    At that moment, everyone instinctively covered their ears at the ear-piercing sound, as the bear prepared to charge.

    The bear, with its massive body, looked slow at first nce.

    But the reality was different.

    As soon as the bear took its stance, its form disappeared in an instant.

    Kwaaaang!

    Beyond the shock that tingled the skin, Prete stood firm.

    Wearing gloves blessed by the goddess, he blocked the bear¡¯s massive form with both hands. His veins were clearly visible as his muscles tensed.

    "I¡¯ll handle this! You all focus on those roots!"

    With a powerful strike to the bear''s brow, Prete pushed it back and drew his sword from his waist.

    The sword, shining with a brilliant light, stood out even in this ce filled with ominous energy.

    Kuung!

    While Prete faced the bear, the tree roots continued to strike the divine barrier.

    Fabius did his best to maintain the barrier, but it was clear to anyone that it wouldn''t hold much longer.

    "Saint, destroy it."

    "But we still can''t tell the real from the fake..."

    "Just do it."

    At Prete¡¯s firm words, Fabius nodded.

    "I''ll count to three."

    "Okay."

    "Three."

    "Two."

    "One."

    At the signal, Fabius erased the barrier, and Prete¡¯s sword sliced through the air.

    Then, a series of sounds followed, as something fell to the ground.

    The ckened tree rootsy on the floor.

    "Don¡¯t trust your eyes. It could be real or fake."

    "How do we tell?"

    "You¡¯ll know when you see it."

    "Damn, you¡¯re no help!"

    While Arthur and Prete blocked the iing roots, Lucy staggered and got back on her feet.

    Her abdominal armor was deeply dented, a sign of a significant impact, but she refused Fabius¡¯s healing magic and once again gripped her shield and mace.

    "Do you think I¡¯m gonna have trouble just from being hit by these damn roots? Stop messing around and do your job, useless saint."

    Joey, watching Lucy push forward with great strength, took in the sight.

    The numerous small wounds that had been etched into her skin from countless battles.

    The hair, dull from always being in the frontlines, drenched in sweat and grime.

    The exhaustion in her eyes.

    Lucy, always at the front, leading everyone, must have been suffering more than anyone.

    She never showed it, but she must have been tired. She carried so many wounds in her heart.

    She probably didn¡¯t want to get up.

    Yet, Lucy was still trying to move forward.

    Kwaang!

    Suddenly, as Lucy approached, she struck Joey''s side, and the tree roots that hadn¡¯t existed a moment ago nowy scattered on the ground.

    Once again, Joey had been protected by Lucy.

    "Puhahaha, look at your face. Why do you look so stupid when I¡¯m the one who got hit? Are you about to cry, boo-hoo?"

    "I''m sorry..."

    "Idiot."

    Before Joey could finish her apology, Lucy¡¯s voice cut her off.

    "Don¡¯t get the wrong idea. I just did what I had to do."

    "..."

    "So you do your job too. If you don¡¯t want to be treated like a fool."

    After a smirk, Lucy turned her back.

    Though small like a child, her back seemed so muchrger, and Joey gripped her staff tighter.

    Lucy¡¯s words were right.

    At this rate, she¡¯d always have to remain in a position where she was protected.

    She¡¯d always be behind Lucy, never by her side.

    Joey didn¡¯t want that.

    She didn¡¯t want to be a burden to Lucy.

    She knew that friendship was about helping each other, not just receiving help.

    So what can I do now?

    Should I attack those roots with magic?

    Would that even mean anything?

    Can an attack I create on the spot without preparation have any impact on such a powerful being?

    Supporting my friends?

    Fabius could handle that. I don¡¯t need to do it.

    If I jump in, I¡¯ll just get in the way.

    Then, what should I do?

    I can¡¯t stand on the frontlines like Arthur.

    I don¡¯t analyze everything like Lucy.

    I don¡¯t have overwhelming power, so what can I do?

    There is.

    Something I can do.

    Something only I can do.

    Huff.

    With a deep breath, Joey steadied her staff and released her magic.

    There¡¯s a saying among those who study magic.

    "All phenomena in this world can be analyzed and recreated through magic."

    Some dismiss it as nonsense, spouted by fanatics who believe magic can solve everything. But Joey knew that this wasn¡¯t entirely untrue.

    She knew the one who showed her that.

    The strongest mage of the current kingdom.

    Her first teacher.

    The best mage Joey knew.

    She still remembered the scene her father had shown her, a scene she had once thought she could never reach, and now, she had decided to challenge it.

    Once she was sure her magic had spread, Joey closed her eyes and watched the natural magic moving within her own power.

    "Is this all? ? The roots are so small, so they don¡¯t have much strength. ?"

    She did not view the world as the world.

    "Prince, it¡¯s a fake."

    "Damn! How can you two tell the difference?!"

    She didn¡¯t view phenomena as phenomena.

    "Oh great God, banish the corruption."

    The mage¡¯s mindset was one of analyzing even miracles.

    Within it, Joey recalled the magic she had learned so far.

    They said magic originated from the attempt to recreate the miracles of nature.

    At the time, she thought of it as just a historical story, but now, she realized how important that story was.

    If the origin of magic is the recreation of nature, then the opposite is also possible.

    I can do it. I can do it now.

    I¡¯ll rece what I can¡¯t confirm through guessing with magical knowledge.

    Even the parts that seem hard, I¡¯llpensate with multiple magic circles.

    I don¡¯t need to worry about the amount of magic.

    The gift Lady Yuria gave me is still with me.

    Opening her eyes once more, Joey let out a fierce smile, not typical of a noblewoman, and swung her staff.

    The magic she had spread in the air formed a magic circle. A type of magic that would never be taught at the academy.

    The circles were tangled, chaotic, and it was hard to even call them magic.

    If anyone saw it, they might wonder if it would even work.

    The magic circles were clumsy, but Joey didn¡¯t doubt what she had created.

    "Let¡¯s go."

    The moment Joey¡¯s magic manifested,

    Things that were once invisible now became clear.

    Things that were clear began to blur.

    Joey deciphered and broke the power of the void that existed in the space with her magic.

    Using all her magic for this, she copsed to the floor, but then she heard a distinctugh and forced herself to lift her head.

    Lucy¡¯s eyes.

    Her eyes, filled with genuine joy,

    Were praising Joey.

    "Why have you been such a fool when you could do something like this? Are you infected with the protagonist syndrome? Idiot Joey?!"

    Hearing Lucy call her name, Joey raised her eyebrows, then smiled and tightened her grip on her staff.

    She felt like she could copse at any moment, but the battle wasn¡¯t over.

    In fact, it had barely begun.

    She could rest after all of this was over.

    "You¡¯re just wasting time."

    From a distance, a raspy voice filled the whole space.

    From behind the bandages covering his face, glowing red eyes stared at Joey.

    "Do you think I can¡¯t deal with this?"

    The overwhelming pressure sought to crush Joey and destroy her magic.

    "You can¡¯t ? idiot ?."

    But what blocked it was the most reliable small shoulder.

    From the tiny figure, a sun-like divine energy radiated, driving the sinister energy towards Joey away.

    "Do you think I¡¯ll allow that? ? Maybe your brain is rotting and you can¡¯t think straight? ?"

    "Don¡¯t think Joey is the only one who can resist you."

    Right after that, Fabius¡¯s divine power covered Joey¡¯s magic.

    The saint¡¯s divine power, which would not allow corruption, solidified the miracle Joey had caused.

    "Now this is getting interesting. I can finally go all out."

    Arthur, now able to distinguish the illusions, smiled as he gripped his sword.

    "I¡¯m not interested anymore."

    Disappointed that the opponent had weakened, Prete poured aura onto his sword.

    "There are no more obstacles."

    Fabius blessed everyone around them.

    "Get ready to get wrecked ?. You¡¯re useless without help, loser ?."

    Lucy added divine energy to her mace.

    Seeing all this from behind, Joey used her staff as a crutch to rise and stood proudly next to Lucy.

    It was time for revenge on the nightmare from her past.

 Chapter 442

    Joey Parn.

    A character in the game Soul Academy, known for having the highest magical potential. Despite her position as a Duke¡¯s daughter, she was a fellow NPC with many ws, which made her well-liked by yers.

    She had a hidden passive skill that caused her to fail at times with a certain probability, which made many yers'' blood pressure rise.

    Nevertheless, she was the most powerful and versatile mage that could be recruited, so eventually, she had to be hired.

    When I was on the other side of the monitor, she was the one who stayed the longest in my party.

    I don¡¯t doubt that it was lucky for me to have be friends with Joey.

    It¡¯s not just because she was my favorite character in the game, and I could be friends with her.

    It may have started that way, but over time, Joey truly became my real friend.

    Despite her terrifying appearance, she was timid.

    She would get angry easily when teased.

    But she couldn¡¯t really stay mad, and soon she would calm down.

    When she ate something really delicious, she would wear a foolish smile that didn¡¯t match her face.

    Making silly mistakes and grumbling about them, she had be someone I needed to protect.

    It¡¯s not that my other friends aren¡¯t precious.

    They all are, and I value every connection with them.

    But strangely, when I looked at Joey, the image of her sitting before the dungeon kepting to mind, and I found myself worrying about her more.

    Perhaps, because that image never left my mind, I began to see her more as someone I needed to protect.

    Not as the greatest mage of Soul Academy, but as my weak, dear friend.

    Joey¡¯s magic spread throughout the area.

    Her magic, which erased false truths and revealed hidden ones, looked sloppy to someone like me, who knew little about magic, but that was exactly why it was so impressive.

    With that clumsiness, she achieved a miracle that even Fabius and I couldn¡¯t have imagined.

    ¡°Heh. If that old mage had seen this, he¡¯d be happy.¡±

    Leaving behind my grandfather¡¯s exmation, I took in the changing scenery of the world.

    It was a world I could never have seen in the game.

    Ding!

    [Joey Parn¡¯s affection has exceeded 85.]

    [Shepletely trusts you!]

    [Your bond with Joey Parn grows stronger.]

    [The soul of a hero guides her towards a miracle.]

    As I read the barrage of messages, I finally raised my head and met Joey¡¯s eyes.

    Only after seeing her struggling smile did I realize that I wasughing too.

    ¡°Why have you been so useless when you could do something like this? Have you caught the protagonist disease? Silly Joey?!¡±

    Joey trusts mepletely?

    Haha. I get it. Guess I have no choice now.

    If Joey, who trusts me, shows me this side of herself, then I, standing at the front, can¡¯t look foolish either.

    ¡°Are you just fooling around? You think I can¡¯t deal with this?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t ? idiot ?.¡±

    I blocked Joey¡¯s path and red at the alchemist, making sure his gaze was directed at me.

    Then, just as I expected, my friends stood beside me.

    Fabius.

    Arthur.

    Prete.

    Joey.

    Each one of them gripped their weapons tightly and looked ahead.

    When I had faced the alchemist before, I was alone.

    I had to stop that disaster by myself, thinking I could never ovee it.

    But not anymore.

    I¡¯m not alone.

    I don¡¯t have to do everything by myself.

    ¡°Are you struggling?¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense and get ready to get beaten ? pathetic losers can¡¯t do anything without help ?.¡±

    I took a deep breath. I withdrew the divine power I had stored in my shield and focused on creating a divine field around my heart.

    I gathered the warmth that wanted to spread from within and pulled it back into my body.

    Then I prayed.

    Not asking anything from the pathetic god.

    But for the apostle working for you, to give up something.

    If you¡¯re up there just chuckling like a useless, jobless fool, then do something.

    Make sure your apostle can move forward. That she can stand at the forefront of victory. So she can crush the faces of those worthless idiots.

    Bestow a blessing.

    [The hero''s spirit strengthens your step.]

    [You are blessed as you walk the path of a saint.]

    [The goddess¡¯s blessing fills you with confidence as you move.]

    An overwhelming sensation wrapped around my entire body.

    The certainty that I would not fail.

    The belief that no matter what trials came, I could ovee them.

    With that in mind, I raised the corners of my mouth and pushed my shield forward, staring at the tree.

    The tree of the giant that guards the forest.

    Chosen by wisdom through long years, the ruler of the forest.

    Now, under the power of the Void, it had lost its mind and was attacking us, modified by the alchemist.

    As I thought about how to provoke that being, the conclusion came to me in an instant.

    After confirming the weakness with my mental check, I smiled at the tree¡¯s red eyes, which had lost its sanity.

    ¡°Wow ? look at those rotten roots ? so pathetic ? you never even used them properly, and now you won¡¯t be able to use them at all ?.¡±

    The tree of the giant was a mutant born in the forest.

    It wasn¡¯t supposed to grow there; it had been made to grow by some miracle.

    Originally, a different species, the tree had stood guard over the forest for a long time, but had left no offspring.

    In human terms, it was like a centuries-old virgin.

    ¡°Hm ? thinking about it, even if it rotted, nothing would change, would it? ? It¡¯s never been useful, so why would it change now? ? Maybe it¡¯s even more honorable to just rot away? ?¡±

    Kruuh!

    The giant tree, which had only threatened us through its roots up until now, stomped toward me with heavy footsteps.

    Its charge, immense even among trees, seemed threatening, but I wasn¡¯t scared.

    As long as it couldn¡¯t hide its actions behind lies.

    As long as it lost its mind and swung its arms recklessly.

    That thing couldn¡¯t escape the decaying knowledge it had.

    The tree raised its arm.@@novelbin@@

    A living siege weapon swung at me.

    Not yet.

    Just a little more.

    Wait until that arm reaches its peak, thenes down.

    Now.

    Thwang!

    A clear sound echoed, signaling that the parry had seeded, and the siege weapon was sent flying far away.

    I wasn¡¯t invincible.

    The tree¡¯s power could destroy walls, so even if I seeded in parrying, I still had to be pushed back.

    If I were alone, it would have been a tough situation.

    If I were alone.

    ¡°Burn!¡±

    Arthur¡¯s me struck the tree¡¯s face, blocking its sight.

    ¡°Should¡¯ve brought an axe.¡±

    Prete¡¯s sword left a huge gash in the tree.

    Just then, the giant tree, now regaining its senses, swung its roots to attack Prete, but Joey¡¯s wind magic cut them off.

    Seeing this, Prete made another wound before stepping back.

    ¡°Arrogant fools!¡±

    Perhaps perplexed by the situation, the alchemist tried to assist with his dark magic.

    ¡°Do you not know your ce?¡±

    Fabius¡¯s purifying aura blocked his path. Standing opposite the followers of the evil god.

    Before the saint¡¯s divine power, which would not allow corruption, the alchemist couldn¡¯t wield his power fully and struggled to block the divine energy that approached him.

    Kruuh!

    Having realized that blindly charging wouldn¡¯t win him the fight, the giant tree tried to strike its roots into the ground once more.

    But I wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    ¡°Are you giving up just because you were pushed back? ? You really have no perseverance ? No wonder you¡¯ve stayed a virgin this whole time ?.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Live your whole life like that ? all the trees. The birds. The insects. Everyone will hate you, and you¡¯ll be buried somewhere ?. In a way, it¡¯s a blessing ? that your inferior seed hasn¡¯t spread, making the world more beautiful.¡±

    The tree, nowpletely deranged, charged at me again.

    It came only at me.

    It attacked only me.

    It swung its fist.

    I deflected it with my shield, creating an opening.

    It swung its roots to bind me.

    I evaded with my movements, scratching the roots to disrupt their flow.

    It threw rotten fruit.

    I blocked it with my divine power, mocking the stench of decay. Once again, the tree charged.

    Through all this, I didn¡¯t always make the best moves.

    While enduring the shock, I took on minor wounds and umted fatigue, but I didn¡¯t lose myposure.

    I didn¡¯t need to attack.

    Even if the mace hidden behind the shield only posed a threat, that was enough.

    Being able to focus solely on defense and provocation was surprisinglyfortable.

    While thinking this, I saw the giant tree faltering behind my shield and rushed forward.

    My goal was to subdue it.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if the ruler of the forest could return to his original state, but I wasn¡¯t going to give up on saving him.

    So, while running, I made my mace smaller and put it in my pocket.

    After continuous attacks, the tree¡¯s movements slowed down, its wounds umting.

    Even when it came right up to me, it couldn¡¯t even swing its arm.

    Staring into the tree¡¯s red eyes, I leapt into the air, gathering divine energy into my empty hands.

    The divine energy of the god who doesn¡¯t allow corruption. The power of the sun that drives out the darkness.

    With that, I struck the tree¡¯s face with my fist full of divine power, sending its massive form slightly floating into the air before crashing down.

    For a brief moment, the tree twitched, but it seemed tock the strength to rise again.

    ¡°Excellent! Lady Yuria! That was so noble and powerful!¡±

    As I looked worriedly at the fallen tree, hoping it would still be alive, the perverted apostle appeared next to me with an admiring voice.

    Ignoring his nonsense, I turned my gaze to where the bear had been, spotting the giant bear sprawled out.

    Its belly moved slowly up and down.

    Had it been subdued after the power of the evil god disappeared?

    Without knowing its pattern.

    ...If it weren¡¯t for its usual disgusting appearance, it would have been a true apostle.

    ¡°Lucy, look ahead.¡±

    Following my grandfather¡¯s words, I raised my head and saw the alchemist fleeing under his robe, tentacles trailing behind him.

    What¡¯s this? Is he running away because he thinks he¡¯s going to lose?

    He used to be so confident, but now he wants to live?

    ¡°Puhahaha ?¡±

    The moment Iughed, the alchemist froze.

    ¡°Is it because your junk has rotted away and fallen off? ? You¡¯re acting more like a girl than a woman ?.¡±

    From his slightly turned face, I could see the alchemist staring at me.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? ? Giving up on running away now? ? You finally realized you can¡¯t get anywhere moving like that? ?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°So, what are you going to do now? ? Try something! ? If you struggle ugly enough, maybe I¡¯ll listen to yourst words? ? Ah~ ? never mind ? just die ? your disgusting breath will choke me to death!¡±

    ¡°Damn you!!!¡±

    As the alchemist rushed toward me, I grabbed my mace again.

    The other two forest guardians didn¡¯t matter.

    But this one? I could hit him however I wanted, right?

    Right?

 Chapter 443

    The alchemist watched everything he had conjured crumble away.

    The various potions he scattered were dispersed by the divine power, burned away by the magic wielded by the mage.

    The many creations he summoned were torn apart by the weapons before them.

    The tentacles he extended burst under the blow of a blunt weapon.

    The alchemist couldn¡¯t believe the reality he was facing.

    It had been less than two years. Since he had missed that damn little brat, only this much time had passed.

    But to think that in such a short time, they could have be this strong¡ªwas that even possible?

    This couldn¡¯t be described simply with the word talent!

    How could the dumb little brat, who couldn¡¯t even wield their own weapon properly, be like this?!

    Amidst the approaching group, the alchemist saw the divine power that guarded Lucy.

    A light warmer than the sun.

    Now that he thought about it, the reason he hadn¡¯t captured that brat that day must have been due to divine intervention.

    Because of the miracle, he had been forced to spare that brat and preserve his life.

    So, is it true? Was that brat chosen by the gods? Was she chosen to oppose the power of the evil god?

    It wasn¡¯t just a whim. Was it a divine selection?

    Damn it.

    Yeah. I should have noticed then.

    When someone who had lost most of their power intervened before the evil god, I should have sensed it.

    Ah.

    No.

    No.

    Great god, please don¡¯t abandon me.

    Please. Don¡¯t leave me, this ignorant and foolish one, behind.

    I dedicated my life to you. I gave you everything I had.

    I devoted my life to you! Agra!

    Pay the price for my devotion!

    Help me so that my life, my research can continue!

    As the alchemist desperately iled against the approaching figures, he felt a gaze from the darkness ahead.

    Great god.

    Foolish thing.

    ...What?

    Do you still not realize you¡¯ve outlived your usefulness?

    Outlived my usefulness? How can that be? I still have so much left to do. I have so many things left to create.

    How?

    How?

    How?!

    Disappear. You are useless.

    The alchemist stared nkly at the darkness where the gaze had vanished, letting out a hollowugh.

    "Heh."

    I¡¯ll curse you.

    "Hahahaha."

    I¡¯ll curse you even if I fall into hell.

    "Hahahahahaha!"

    I¡¯ll wait for you to fall again, deep, deep into the abyss.

    Definitely. Definitely!

    "Ugh ? Why are youughing? ? Are you excited about getting hit? ? I really don¡¯t want to touch you, you¡¯re disgusting ?."

    Startled, the alchemist lowered his head and met the mocking face of the young girl, focusing more intensely on his eyes.

    "...I¡¯ll make sure to kill you myself!"

    "Puhahaha ? You¡¯re mad ? You¡¯re mad ? You¡¯re old enough to be mature but still so impatient ? Wasn¡¯t it always a short fuse before you got your junk to rot? ? I wonder if you could evenst 3 seconds ?."

    After all the futile struggling, as the alchemist¡¯s body crumbled and scattered, I stretched.

    Ah.

    I feel a little better after venting all that frustration on this jerk. It really is the best to hit a punching bag when you''re angry.

    <...The vocabry used during the fight wasn¡¯t something a nobledy would normally say.>

    ¡®I didn¡¯t mean it! It¡¯s because of the blessing, I had no choice.¡¯

    <Is it me who misunderstood when you said you felt better after venting your frustrations?>

    ¡®...Well, at least it worked, so it¡¯s fine!¡¯

    The enemies who took the bait were all focused on me!

    I was just doing my job as a tank! I never did anything weird!

    <Are you sure it''s fine to leave it at that?>

    I tried hard to ignore my grandfather¡¯s voice filled with genuine concern and turned to check the two forest guardians lying on the ground.

    "Useless saint."

    "You¡¯re wondering if you can heal these two, right? It¡¯s totally possible. Most of the evil god''s power was removed in the previous battle, so it¡¯s not a difficult task at all."

    Fabius smiled, now able to handle the divine power of the god, and started heading toward the trees.

    As I watched him, the words I had thrown at the giant tree earlier came rushing back into my mind.

    "Smelly virgin ?"

    "That¡¯s why you¡¯ll be alone forever ?"

    "Wouldn¡¯t it be better to just rot away? ?"

    I bet... she won¡¯t remember it, right?

    Of course not.

    She was out of her mind at the time.

    She can¡¯t remember the things I said.

    Yeah. As long as I don¡¯t bring it up, everything will be fine.

    No problem.

    Yeah.

    "Lady Yuria."

    "Ugh?!"

    Startled by the cold voiceing from behind, I jumped and cautiously turned my head.

    There stood Joey, holding a fan to cover her face.

    Usually, when Joey uses a fan, it¡¯s to hide her disheveled appearance, but this time was different.

    Her cold eyes were unlike anything I¡¯d seen before.

    From behind the fan, her eyes, which looked down at me, were shadowed, making me unintentionally swallow.

    "I have a few things I want to say."

    "Eh? What is it, idiot?"

    I tried to act confident using my Mesugaki skill, but cold sweat dripped down my back as I faced Joey¡¯s aristocratic tone.

    What¡¯s going on? Why is Joey angry?

    What did I do?

    I helped her, I didn¡¯t do anything wrong to her, right?

    "First of all, thank you. If it wasn¡¯t for you, not only me but the prince, Lady Kent, and even Fabius would have been in danger."

    As I watched Joey bow her head in gratitude, my confusion deepened.

    Was I wrong? Did I misunderstand?

    Maybe Joey¡¯s face is stiff because she¡¯s holding back embarrassment.

    "But despite my gratitude, there¡¯s something I have to ask you, Lady."

    "What is it? Go ahead, as long as it¡¯s not another stupid question."

    "Why didn¡¯t you say anything?"

    "¡­Huh?"

    "Why didn¡¯t you exin what you were trying to do?"

    It was only then that I realized what Joey was trying to say.

    "Do you need to know? What would change if you all, useless ones, knew?"

    I wanted to say I didn¡¯t want to worry them, but my Mesugaki skill wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    Calling Joey¡¯s name had been a momentary miracle, and my Mesugaki skill distorted my sincerity as it always did.

    When I saw Joey¡¯s eyebrows twitch, my heart tightened.

    How do I clear up this misunderstanding?! How can I speak in a way that won¡¯t hurt Joey?!

    Pathetic god!

    You¡¯re watching, right? Help me like you did before!

    Now that I¡¯vepleted your quest, reward me with my life!

    "...I see. From your point of view, maybe that¡¯s how it seems."

    Before Joey¡¯s voice, now heavy with emotion, I felt like I was being crushed.@@novelbin@@

    The words she spoke now weighed more on me than the giant tree¡¯s punch earlier.

    So I kept quiet.

    I sealed my mouth to avoid any further misunderstandings and looked at Joey.

    As silence hung between us, Joey spoke first.

    She sighed, lowered the fan, and slightly bowed her head to meet my eyes.

    "Lady. If I¡¯m bing a burden to you, please show me how I can stop being one. Let me help you. I know that being friends means not just receiving help, but also giving it."

    "¡­"

    "When you¡¯re at your hardest, let me be there to support you."

    As I looked at the gentle smile on Joey¡¯s lips, I once again lost my words.

    I didn¡¯t know what to respond with.

    No matter how I responded, I felt like my sincerity would be twisted, just like before.

    I repeated opening and closing my mouth, and then Joey let out a yfulugh.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Lady. I¡¯ve known for a long time that you struggle to speak properly."

    "...What?"

    "This guy is right. I already knew that your tone was distorted."

    Joey¡¯s words were so shocking that I blinked in confusion, and Arthur, shrugging his shoulders, spoke.

    "Yeah, yeah. Lucy, we¡¯re not idiots."

    "No. You¡¯re the idiot. Prey Kent. Don¡¯t try to interfere between us."

    "...So unfair."

    You knew? That my words were distorted? Since when?

    "If it was the old Lady, maybe, but the Lady now is a thoughtful person. Someone like you couldn¡¯t have said those harsh words."

    "Yeah, a girl from a noble family wouldn¡¯t just go around saying things like ¡®junk¡¯, ¡®virgin¡¯, or ¡®premature ejaction¡¯."

    "Prince! Watch your mouth! What are you saying in front of the Lady?!"

    "I¡¯m just repeating what this guy said!"

    "Prince, pervert."

    "So I¡¯m...!"

    Ah.

    That was my fault for getting carried away with the atmosphere.

    I did need to provoke them, so I carefully chose my words.

    ...This will remain a secret forever.

    Yeah. It¡¯s all because of the Mesugaki skill.

    I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.

    I¡¯m not that shameless of a person.

    "Anyway. No matter what the Lady says, we¡¯ll listen and understand, so don¡¯t worry and just speak."

    I watched Joey raise the corners of her mouth.

    I saw Arthur shrug with a grin.

    I saw Prey fiddling with his hands, wearing his usual nk expression.

    I saw Fabius, focused on healing the trees, not taking his eyes off us.

    As I watched, I felt the worries in my heart dissolve, and a smile naturally escaped.

    "Silly Joey."

    "...I wasn¡¯t mistaken, was I? Lady, you just called my name."

    "You know, what you said earlier? You sounded like a girl confessing love? How cute ?."

    "...What?"

    "It¡¯s all because I¡¯m just soooo cute ?..."

    "That¡¯s not what I meant! That¡¯s not what I meant at all! I didn¡¯t say it like that!"

    "Heh. Joey. You sly one."

    "No! What nonsense are you saying, Prince?!"

    "Joey. The great god does not discriminate against anyone."

    "Fabius! Don¡¯t join in on teasing me! Focus on healing!"

    As I watched Joey shout, her face turning bright red, a ding sound rang, and a spear appeared in front of me.

    [Quest Complete!] [You¡¯ve solved the conspiracy that lurked in the forest!]

    Huh. Finally, a reward?

    I wonder what they¡¯ll give me.

    It should be something decent, after all the trouble I went through.

    The pathetic god won¡¯t give me a measly reward, right?

    I waited with expectation for the blue spear to show me my reward, but the next message that followed wasn¡¯t about the reward.

    [Additional Quest Issued.] [Eliminate the remaining traces of corruption in the forest!] [epting this quest will grant additional rewards!] [Do you ept?!]

    They want me to do more?

    Pfft. Fine. I get it.

    I¡¯ll do it dly.

    But the reward better be worth it.

    If it¡¯s something weird, I¡¯ll cover your whole body with the saliva of an idiot.

 Chapter 444

    While Fabius dispelled the evil god¡¯s energy from the two forest guardians, I exined to my friends why I was here.

    "I came here because the ipetent and pathetic god begged me to. But I figured you guys wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it, so I called out to the perverts who are itching to get trampled."

    I received a divine revtion, and that¡¯s why I came here.

    But I didn¡¯t mention the details since things seemed dangerous.

    Not that I just threw myself into danger¡ªI brought people who could help.

    Listening to my words, tranted by the Mesugaki skill, I couldn¡¯t help but feel like my exnation wascking credibility.

    No one would believe that someone who insulted the god with the highest authority in this world would have received a revtion from that very god.

    Even I would think it was a crazy girl spouting nonsense!

    "A revtion?"

    "It would have been nice if you had told us earlier."

    But my friends'' reactions werepletely different from what I had expected. They didn¡¯t even doubt for a second that I had received a divine revtion.

    I was confused by their calm response, and as I tilted my head, Joey let out a chuckle.

    "Lady Yuria, you¡¯re recognized as a holy knight by Fabius. Why would receiving a revtion be strange?"

    I suppose that makes sense? But still...

    "You¡¯re not the apostle chosen by the god, though. A revtion should be entirely possible."

    "That¡¯s right. The god doesn¡¯t discriminate."

    ...Hmm. Well, I am the apostle of the perverted god, after all.

    Forget it.

    If I don¡¯t need to exin myself, then that¡¯s fine by me.

    No need to worry about it.

    "Lady."

    "...Hm? What is it, idiot?"

    "Weren¡¯t you scared?"

    "Puhaha. Do you think I¡¯d be scared of these pathetic trash? They¡¯re nothing but garbage."

    "Is this revtion just a one-time thing?"

    "I figured it wouldn¡¯t be, but it seems there were even more dangerous things ahead."

    "How boring. I like dangerous things too."

    The looks from my friends became mixed with worry, sympathy, and slight anger, which made my heart flutter.

    "Everyone."

    I didn¡¯t know how to react, so I was fumbling with my lips when the perverted apostle chimed in.

    "Don¡¯t worry. Lady Yuria is far stronger than you think."

    "Have you worked with her before, Prete?"

    Joey politely asked the question, and the perverted apostle nodded with a smile.

    "To be exact, I received help unterally. If Lady Yuria hadn¡¯t saved me, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here."

    When the renowned perverted apostle expressed his sincere gratitude, admiration mixed in with my friends'' gazes.

    Unable to bear it any longer, I ran away from their eyes under the pretext of helping Fabius.

    "I¡¯ll ept your kindness, Lady. We¡¯re almost done here."

    Fabius began healing, and in no time, the two forest guardians had almost fully recovered.

    At this rate, they seemed to be almost as good as they had been before.

    Perhaps it was thanks to bing a true saint that I had grown stronger so quickly?

    As I admired the sight, Fabius smiled.

    "The ease with which these two were healed is thanks to you, Lady. Your divine power during the battle significantly weakened the evil god¡¯s influence."

    ...Hmm. But it¡¯s still impressive, isn¡¯t it? If I hadn¡¯t done some of these things, there¡¯s no way the guardians would have recovered like this.

    <Shouldn¡¯t you be worrying about whether their forms will stay intact? >

    ¡®Not to that extent! Does my status as an apostle of the god not mean anything to you?!¡¯

    It¡¯s true that my control over divine power is clumsypared to Fabius, but still, I could probably overpower most priests!@@novelbin@@

    As I grew frustrated with the teasing old man, Fabius spoke up, indicating that the healing wasplete.

    <Your friends are right. They¡¯ll be awake after some rest.>

    Hearing my grandfather¡¯s confirmation, I grabbed the bear¡¯s leg and dragged it along.

    The bear¡¯s body was heavy, but it wasn¡¯tpletely immovable.

    Considering the harsh training I¡¯d undergone in the Allen Knight Order, this wasn¡¯t much.

    I asked the others to bring the tree and left the dungeon. A strong scent of blood hit my nose.

    "Wee back, Miss. The tasks youmanded have beenpleted."

    "The knight is correct. There is no one left here practicing dark magic."

    Before I could respond, Adria, who had been behind, confirmed the statement.

    As I turned to look around, I saw the confused fox spirit puffing smoke, the anxious Myrr, and the pale-faced Vici.

    Vici¡¯s face, looking like she was about to vomit at any moment, proved that what had happened in the forest was no light matter.

    "...Oh my god! Helling! Are you okay?!"

    "Dog! Are your ears and eyes just for decoration? What¡¯s there to worry about with this bear?"

    "Thank you so much, Lady Yuria! I regret doubting you when you entered the dungeon! How can I repay you for this favor?"

    "Don¡¯t celebrate just yet, dog."

    "...Eh?"

    "There¡¯s one more behind us."

    As I smiled and spoke, the giant tree appeared from beyond the dungeon¡¯s door.

    Myrr, who had been staring nkly, turned his eyes red and finally burst into tears.

    Vici, experiencing what the words "choking" really meant, was in the midst of gasping for breath.

    "So, Lady Yuria, you were asking for help, not simply giving orders?"

    "Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly asking for help, it was more of a one-sidedmand."

    "You mean Lucy Allen has abilities that make her worth taking along? How enviable."

    "My abilities aren¡¯t that impressive..."

    "Strange. You look weak. Where exactly is your strength? Should I find out by fighting you?"

    "...Please, don¡¯t."

    The friends who had juste out of the dungeon with Lucy were subtly showing their irritation at the fact that Vici was the one chosen by Lucy over them.

    They weren¡¯t bad people, but their words, half in jest and half in earnest, felt like torture for Vici.

    For someone like her, from an unnamed noble family on the outskirts, the yful teasing of princes, dukes, and countesses felt like stones thrown at a frog.

    It would have been better to fight the dark magicians in the forest. At least back then, while my insides were uneasy, my mind was at ease!

    "Everyone, Vici is having a hard time."

    Fabius stepped in to stop the others, but Vici¡¯s heart grew heavier under Fabius¡¯ smile.

    For Vici, a dark magician, Fabius was no different from a reaper in reality.

    The moment he spoke, we were all doomed, including her family!

    My disguise... it hurts.

    I feel like there¡¯s a hole in my stomach!

    As Vici''s life seemed to be draining away, I stood at the heart of the forest, having brought her here.

    I still had onest thing to do in the forest.

    "The foolish bear got itself beaten by those shady types, and now the whole forest is filled with their disgusting energy. If we leave it like this, not only will butterflies stay away, but even the old hag here will be cursed."

    I pointed to Adria as I exined. Myrr nodded, having seen how much the forest had been corrupted while dealing with the dark magicians.

    If we left it like this, it was more likely that the forest would lose its guardian power and the forest would perish rather than being revived.

    "What should we do?"

    Myrr asked in a serious tone, looking at me.

    She had performed countless miracles up until now.

    I was ready to listen to anything Lucy said.

    After saving the two forest guardians, Myrr¡¯s trust in Lucy had reached its peak.

    Looking into Myrr¡¯s earnest gaze, Lucy chuckled and extended one hand forward.

    When Myrr tilted his head in confusion, Lucy clicked her tongue.

    "This is why lowly dogs are troublesome. When you extend your hand, you should raise it in return. How were you educated?"

    Myrr trembled as he suppressed his pride as a wolf, but he eventually bit his lip and extended his hand, trembling.

    However, his hand never touched Lucy¡¯s.

    As soon as he reached out, Lucy withdrew her hand with a mockingugh.

    "Why the face? You think I¡¯ll allow the hand of a dog like you? There¡¯s a level of difference, you know."

    "...Oh."

    "Puhaha. Don¡¯t worry. Seeing your pathetic pride is amusing. I¡¯ll help you specially."

    Myrr¡¯s face turned red as he bit his lip, but Lucy stood firm in the center of the forest. She took a deep breath, looking around at the scenery.

    Then, she ced her hands neatly over her chest.

    Light began to radiate from her, centered around her.

    "Ipetent god. Are you watching? I¡¯m sure if it were you, you''d be sniffing around, wanting to smell my sweat."

    Her words were irreverent and disturbing. There was no sanctity in her tone, only yfulughter.

    "Hold back your perverted desires for a bit and give me the divine power. You should at least have that much conscience. After all, you¡¯re a god, right?"

    Despite her tone being more like an insult than a prayer, the divine energy surrounding her only grew stronger.

    "Hmm. You really are a perverted bastard."

    As she muttered mockingly, her divine power inscribed itself into the destend.

    A miracle from the god had begun to unfold, starting with Lucy Allen, this girl.

 Chapter 445

    When Joy stepped out of the dungeon, the first thing she noticed was the strong scent of blood.

    Not the blood of beasts, but of humans. Joy had smelled this blood several times before.

    Unlike the other youngdies who remained in the confines of their households, Joy was someone who actively engaged with the world.

    That¡¯s why she immediately realized that the blood she was sensing in the forest wasn¡¯t from just one or two people¡ªit was the blood of many. Countless lives had been lost here, and it was not only the blood of those who had died, but also the blood of those who had created this dungeon and spread its ominous energy throughout the forest.

    As the once dark and quiet woods began to look even more horrifying, Joy shook her head and turned her gaze to the others around her.

    Most of the people present were familiar faces, even to Joy.

    There was Kal, the knight who guarded Lucy, and Vici, a face she had seen often at the academy. Prete was also there, someone who had been with them during the dungeon raid.

    However, there were two people Joy didn¡¯t recognize.

    One was a man with a wild, fierce look in his eyes, his sharp fangs giving him a threatening air. He seemed like someone not to be trifled with.

    The other, a woman, had a captivating aura. She seemed like the type of person who would draw attention the moment she entered high society. She looked like she could easily charm someone into a trance if approached.

    "Hey, Fabius. Is that woman we saw in the forest the same one?" Joy asked.

    "If you¡¯re talking about thedy, yes, that¡¯s her. She¡¯s Parn''s child," Fabius replied.

    As Joy watched, the woman, who had been smoking a pipe while observing Lucy, suddenly smiled and approached her.

    "It¡¯s been a while. Although it feels strange to say that, you wouldn¡¯t know, but I¡¯ve always been near you all," the woman said.

    "Wait, that fox we saw earlier in the forest¡ªwas she the forest¡¯s guardian?" Joy asked, her mind suddenly connecting the dots.

    The antics of the fox shed in her mind, and Joy quickly understood. Though the woman appeared calm now, she was far from ordinary.

    "Ah, so it¡¯s the same fox spirit who was with Lucy?" Joy mused.

    As she thought about it, she remembered how even Prete, when standing before Lucy, became a bit... strange. Even Kal, too.

    "Wait, hold on. This is strange. Why do all these people act different when standing in front of Lucy?" Joy thought.

    Before she could continue down this line of thought, a warm sensation brushed past her. Without needing to turn, Joy knew whose warmth it was.

    The divine energy that surrounded her instantly put her at ease. It was certainly Lucy¡¯s, of course.

    Despite having been at the frontlines of the dungeon just moments ago, Lucy was always pushing herself to her limits.

    "Ugh, really, you¡¯re such a perverted bastard," Joy muttered under her breath.

    "...Huh?" Joy thought she had misheard.

    Lucy, who had her hands sped together in a graceful manner, looked almost holy, even though her hair was messy from the long fight, and her armor was dented and covered in minor wounds. Despite her exhausted appearance, her beauty remained untainted and even radiated holiness.

    Joy couldn¡¯t help but doubt whether she had just heard those words correctly, considering Lucy''s appearance. It didn¡¯t seem to fit.

    While Joy was processing that, divine energy began to radiate around Lucy.

    Evenpared to Fabius, the saint of the God Church, Lucy¡¯s divine aura was overwhelming. It was far more potent, even perhaps stronger than Fabius'' divine energy.

    The divine energy around Lucy began to move, swirling with an unmistakable purpose, forming a magic circle above her head.

    As a magician, Joy knew this wasn¡¯t divine magic.

    Instead, it was something that resembled a more conventional form of magic.

    She could sense the energy of domains and the infusion of magical power.

    It was amazing. Joy had thought Lucy didn¡¯t know much about magic, but perhaps she simply didn¡¯t know much about magic outside of her own field.

    While Joy analyzed the miracle unfolding before her, Fabius, who had been wiping tears from his eyes, was still staring at the scene in awe.

    Through Fabius'' eyes, she could see that the divine energy was pushing away the malevolent forces that had settled in the forest, bringing life back to the dying woods.

    The forest, which had been decaying, was now being reborn, slowly regaining its original form. This was a miracle. A true miracle that Fabius, who was a false saint, couldn¡¯t have achieved. But Lucy, the chosen apostle of the God, could.

    Tears flowed from Fabius¡¯ eyes as he watched. Meanwhile, Myrr, the one who led the guardians of the forest, broke down, sobbing, upon witnessing the revival of the forest.

    The Apostle of the Art Academy, Prete, had his eyes wide open, engraving the sight of Lucy¡¯s actions into his memory. The fox spirit, Rina, who was of the spirit arts, licked her lips, intrigued by Lucy. Vici, the necromancer, and Adria, the necromancer''s servant, hurried to find a ce to escape from the divine energy.

    Kal, Lucy¡¯s knight, was smiling proudly. Frey, blissfully unaware of what was going on, had a sleepy, contented look on his face.

    And Arthur was chewing on his lip, deep in thought.

    He had heard Lucy''s vulgar words just moments ago. Her statements, which couldn¡¯t possibly be misinterpreted, had shocked him.

    Yet, despite that, the God had granted Lucy the miracle. While people of deep faith might findfort in knowing that the God would show mercy even to a sinner, Arthur wasn¡¯t one of them.

    He didn¡¯t doubt the God, but he certainly wasn¡¯t a blind believer.

    Recalling the stories of the God, Arthur knew the God was merciful, but also firm. He had the strength to show mercy, but he wasn¡¯t always lenient. Arthur wondered whether this strange behavior from Lucy was due to the God¡¯s mysterious preferences. Could it be?

    He didn¡¯t dare voice that thought, however.

    Before he could finish his train of thought, something moved behind him.

    It was the bear they had just brought out of the dungeon.

    Arthur tensed, but the bear¡¯s behavior took him by surprise.

    "Ugh?" Arthur heard a strange noise from the bear¡¯s mouth, and suddenly, he rxed.

    The bear''s eyes, which had once been fierce and violent, now seemed innocent, as though it was apletely different creature from the savage one in the dungeon.

    When Joy received the quest from the ipetent God, the first thing that came to her mind was the skill "Defilement Constriction"¡ªthe very skill that the perverted God had given her during a moment of weakness. This skill erased any defilement in the area and prevented new defilements from entering for a period of time. It seemed perfect for the situation at hand.

    However, there was one problem.

    The limitation of her Defilement Constriction.

    Even though she had vast divine power and the ability to recover it quickly, covering the entire forest and purging the defilements from each area was far too inefficient. She might not even be able to finish it within the week.

    "How should I do this?" Joy thought as she pondered over the problem, when suddenly, the old man spoke up with the answer.

    <Now that you''re in your current state, there is a way.>

    ¡®A way in my current state?¡¯

    <Yes. You have the power of the God¡¯s Apostle and enormous divine energy. It''s possible.>

    The old man¡¯s suggestion was abination of divine magic and ordinary magic.

    The idea was to enhance her Defilement Constriction skill using conventional magic to maximize its effect.

    At first, it sounded like an easy exnation, but Joy couldn¡¯t shake the doubt.

    ¡®Can I really do that? Is it possible with my intellect?¡¯

    <Don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t be difficult.>

    ¡®...Are you sure it won¡¯t be difficult?¡¯

    <What¡¯s this? Lucy, are you doubting yourself? Didn¡¯t you always say not to call yourself foolish? Now you¡¯re admitting you¡¯re dumb?>

    ¡®No! Of course not! I¡¯m totally smart!¡¯

    <Then you can do it.>

    ¡®Of course! ...Wait, huh?¡¯@@novelbin@@

    She had been coaxed into believing she could do it, and so, reluctantly, Lucyplied with the task the old man had given her.

    Luckily, the magic the old man suggested wasn¡¯t all that difficult. In fact, it was easy enough for Lucy to pull off perfectly.

    She sessfully activated the spell she had never cast before.

    She looked at the scene unfolding above her. The forest wasing back to life. The once dark and ghostly woods were turning into lush green fields before her eyes.

    She couldn¡¯t help but smile as she felt her chest swell with pride.

    ¡®Look! I¡¯m really smart!¡¯

    <Yeah, yeah, well done, Lucy.>

    ¡®No, I want more sincere praise!¡¯

    <Wow! Lucy! You¡¯re amazing! You¡¯re the only one with such outstanding talent! You performed a spell you¡¯ve never done before so perfectly!>

    ¡®That¡¯s it!¡¯

    The old man¡¯s words had Lucy grinning, and just as she was basking in her sess, a ding sounded, drawing her attention down.

    [Quest Complete!]

    [Rewards granted!]

    [Skills...]

    Hmm, this time, what will they give me?

    [Recalcting rewards.]

    Huh?

    [You¡¯ve shattered the ns set by the Followers of the Void!]

    [You¡¯ve surpassed the intervention of the Evil God Agra!]

    [You¡¯ve defeated the Alchemist!]

    [You¡¯ve saved the two rulers of the forest!]

    [You¡¯ve fully restored the dying forest!]

    Wait... what?!

    [Rewards enhanced!]

    [The Gods, impressed by your deeds, are watching you!]

    Wait... what?!

 Chapter 446

    What caught my eye were thest words in the message.

    "The gods are watching me."

    Not just one, but several beings are showing interest in me.

    And they wish to reward me.

    The first thing thates to mind are the blessings held by various benevolent gods.

    Special things given only to their apostles, things that are particrly useful in many ways.

    For instance, the might of a giant that could be obtained from a god with the power of immense strength.

    The wisdom gained from a god with the power of foresight.

    The forced vows that could be obtained from a god with the power of oaths.

    There are various skills one can acquire by spending long years under the gods, elevating their authority, and these thoughts filled me with greed.

    However, on the other hand, I also felt that I shouldn¡¯t get too excited.

    Although the message says ''gods'' in the plural form... just the perverted trickster god and the perverted crow alone already makes it plural, doesn''t it?

    I didn¡¯t want to be betrayed again by getting my hopes up, so I swallowed nervously, waiting for the next message to appear.

    "The Goddess of Beauty and Art wishes to bestow upon you a new blessing!"

    As expected, it¡¯s you. Perverted crow. It¡¯s nice that you want to give me something, but how about giving something to your perverted apostle instead, in that time?

    This guy should get stronger so that he can take more of the burden in my ce.

    Well, whatever.

    It¡¯s enough to get what I couldn¡¯t getst time.

    "The God of Martial Arts takes an interest in the martial arts you practice!"

    Enough?

    "The God of History and Records is interested in your biography!"

    Hmm.

    "The God of Nature shows gratitude to you!"

    I blinked rapidly as the messages kepting, feeling my head start to spin as I tried to process everything.

    Wait.

    Wait just a moment.

    Could I have a bit of time to think?

    I¡¯ve hardly ever been in a situation like this, so I feel a little dizzy right now.

    ...Oh? Is it not just a feeling?

    It feels like thoughts are suddenly cutting off in my head, almost like how it felt when I copsedst time.

    One.

    Moment.

    Underground in some building, a man draped in a robe listened to the stories transmitted through a crystal ball, letting out a long, silent sigh.

    Many had tried to create something while sacrificing their lives.

    They had risked their own deaths in order to fulfill the will of the great being.

    But in the end, what was left was nothing but the deaths of others.

    Where had things gone wrong?

    What had caused their ns, which were so close to sess, to fall apart in such an empty copse?

    We had bent our pride and extended a hand to the unbelievers, yet why did our ns fail?

    "What went wrong?"

    The man, having raised his head at the sound of a voice that felt devoid of any sympathy, bit his lips at the neutral expression of the person in front of him.

    Now that even a n that had to seed in order to secure their future had failed, the man found himself in a position where he had to beg for cooperation from the one in front of him.

    "There was a slight interference."

    "The person was the daughter of the Arlen family, wasn''t she?"

    "How do you know that?"

    "The one most likely to attract the interest of the gods in the current continent is she."

    The other person lightly smiled as they mentioned Lucy¡¯s name, settling into a chair across from the man, resting their back against the chair''s support.

    "Did I not tell you?" The other person continued with a calm demeanor. "If you wish to put the Arlen daughter into trouble, you must target those around her, not her directly. She will face her enemies proudly, but she will not endure the copse of those close to her."

    The man couldn¡¯t argue, even though he bit his lip, as the words mirrored what had just been told to him by the evil god he served.

    Choosing to target Lucy Arlen herself, the beloved of the gods, was not a good choice.

    Even though the evil god of fire moved directly against her, and the evil god of darkness staked his own existence to kill her, Lucy Arlen had effortlessly ovee all trials and now stood in front of them.

    She had surpassed the trials with ease and had ascended even higher.

    Look at the current situation.

    The insane alchemist, having lived for countless years, attempted to manipte the two guardians of the forest and crush her, but he was defeated instead.

    "In a way, this worked out well. Your ipetence has been proven. Now, you won¡¯t be able to object to whatever I do, even out of embarrassment."

    "Do you have something in mind?"

    "Yes. Several things. If you cooperate actively, I will achieve certain results."

    The man met the gaze of the other person, whose smile became even more unnerving. Seeing the madness glimmering in his eyes, the man couldn¡¯t help but smile lightly, realizing the emptiness within the man¡¯s soul.

    He was running toward something, losing his sanity, yet this man¡¯s true self was absent.

    Fine. For now, I will follow your words.@@novelbin@@

    Our goals align, so I willply with your demands.

    However, don¡¯t think that we will remain beneath you forever.

    When the emptiness that spreads from within you eventually swallows you whole, you will be subordinate to us, whether you want it or not.

    The man thought of betrayal in his heart, while Luka, sitting across from him, guessed what the man was thinking.

    If Luka were in the man¡¯s position, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure such disrespectful and arrogant behavior.

    However, it didn¡¯t matter. Luka had no intention of fulfilling the other man¡¯s desires. He would make Lucy Arlen a tool to be sacrificed for her true purpose.

    By his death, he would nurture the very target of his hatred.

    And in the end, Lucy Arlen would be a star brighter than anything, even brighter than the moon.

    He would create a new moon, a new sun, and it would be the center of the sky.

    As Luka smiled, so too did the man across from him.

    For now, both were preparing their hidden knives for each other.

    "...Huh?!"

    I came to my senses and, rising from the ground, I blinked as I checked the now-dark surroundings.

    <Did you wake up?>

    ¡®...What happened?¡¯

    <It¡¯s a simple matter. Using insufficient ability as output caused a problem.>

    So, did I copse because I filled in the missing parts of magic with my divine power?

    Well, considering what I just did¡ªreviving the entire destroyed forest¡ªit wouldn''t be surprising for my body to hit its limit.

    ¡®Where am I right now?¡¯

    <I¡¯ve teleported you to a vige. It¡¯s the lord¡¯s mansion there.>

    ¡®...The lord¡¯s mansion? Not an inn?¡¯

    <Do you really think people like you would stay in a shabby ce like that in the countryside?>

    I chuckled at the grandfather''s exnation, imagining that the lord was probably sweating in fear, wondering if he had made some mistake.

    I felt a little guilty. If I hadn¡¯t passed out, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.

    After that, I asked the grandfather various questions¡ªwhether the guardians of the forest were fully healed, whether there were any issues with the forest I revived, and what my friends were up to.

    The grandfather¡¯s answer could be summarized in one word: There was no need to worry.

    The many problems that had been guing the forest were already solved, and now the only remaining issue was me.

    Hearing that, I chuckled, stretching.

    Since it was alreadyte, causing amotion and rushing back would only trouble the others further.

    I decided to take it easy for the day. After all, I had just gone through a hellish ordeal recently, so a little rest was okay.

    After settling my thoughts, I turned on the log function to check the messages that hade in.

    I didn¡¯t expect so many gods to be interested in me.

    The perverted crow, the god of martial arts, the god of nature, and even the god of history and records.

    Wow. Can I take something from each of them?

    Can I pull some strings if they want to dip their toes into my hero¡¯s story?!

    Haha! This is insane!

    Bing an apostle of the great gods has its rewards!

    This is the awe of being at the center of all gods!

    [Please choose one of the gods who have shown interest in you.]

    ...Eh.

    What? Just one?

    I have to choose from among these?

    This is so disappointing. If you¡¯re going to call yourself a great god, at least do some work for your subordinates.

    You could pressure your apostle to give you something, instead of me.

    I¡¯ve done enough for this, so I should be able to ask for at least this much!

    Tsk, tsking and crossing my arms, I scanned the list of gods once more.

    It was a tough decision. I have to choose just one out of all these?

    Telling me to pick one when you¡¯ve set up a buffet? That¡¯s just cruel!

    If you¡¯re going to do this, just pick one and give it to me!

    Why are you making me choose?!

    Hmm...

    Well, I¡¯ll exclude the perverted crow for now.

    This guy¡¯s abilities are useful, but are they truly necessary?

    The god of nature is the same.

    His abilities are good, but most of them can be reced by my divine magic.

    So, there¡¯s no real reason to choose him. If I have to choose, it¡¯s between the god of martial arts and the god of history and records.

    I furrowed my brows as I thought about the two gods¡¯ personalities.

    Which one would allow me to take more?

    The god of martial arts would give me anything I asked for if I had the skill.

    Since they¡¯re worshipped by many, their power is great, and I can expect a lot of help.

    On the other hand, the god of history and records is very picky.

    A typical, annoying schr type.

    If Ipare the two, choosing the god of martial arts seems like the obvious choice.

    But, the hero¡¯s story...

    A hero¡¯s story.

    I thought about it, then grinned to myself.

    If I y this right, I might catch a sucker.

 Chapter 447

    The more I thought about it, the more I realized that choosing the God of History and Records would give me far more to gain.

    Not only would I get their many blessings, but there were also many additional benefits that I could exploit.

    The God of History and Records is, quite literally, a god who acts as a historian.

    He engraves the various events unfolding on the earth into his eyes and records them to guide people in a better direction.

    In the past, when the God of History and Records possessed enormous power, regardless of what others said, he could record many of the world¡¯s events ording to his own desires.

    From the great achievements of the gods to even the trivial gossip among them.

    To describe it by today¡¯s standards, it would have been possible to record the perverted actions of that lousy god towards me as well.

    However, after the war between the benevolent gods and the evil gods ended and the powers of both sides of the gods diminished, limitations were imposed on the God of History and Records as well.

    In order to record the actions of those who had amassed a certain level of power, he would now need their permission.

    If the God of History and Records had an ordinary disposition, he might have bowed his head and made agreements with others to record them.@@novelbin@@

    However, this god was not normal.

    That¡¯s why he chose another method.

    He would seize the weaknesses of those he needed to record and use threats.

    If you don¡¯t want this fact to be recorded, then cooperate quietly with me.

    If you don¡¯t want your dark history to be made public to the whole world, give me the right to record.

    What would have been a crime if done by an ordinary human was, in this case, an act by a transcendent being beyond thew.

    And yet, the lousy god who should have imposed sanctions on the God of History and Records kept silent.

    Naturally, the god¡¯s increasingly erratic behavior grew worse over time.

    It wasn¡¯t long before the lousy god spoke up, and the chaos ceased, but by then, the things the God of History and Records had umted were no trivial matter.

    So much so, that in the Soul Academy, some apostles of the gods sharpened their teeth, vowing to seek revenge on the God of History and Records.

    Knowing this background, I find the God of History and Records to be an extremely attractive choice.

    Think about it.

    I will continue to receive the attention of many gods in the future.

    Those guys will be desperate to give me blessings. What if I learn their weaknesses in this situation?

    And what if I can threaten them, saying that I could casually spill those weaknesses to the humans below?

    Then, even if I throw out harsh words, those gods won¡¯tin. Instead, they¡¯ll beg me to keep quiet.

    Yes! I can¡¯t believe the n I, with an intelligence of 58, havee up with is thispact!

    Of course, I¡¯m a product of the Soul Academy''s corruption!

    Admiring my own abilities, I proudly raised my voice in front of the blue spear.

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of gross, but still, I¡¯ll have a chat with the History Nerd.¡±

    I then bit my lip.

    Hmm. Even so, calling the god a ¡°History Nerd¡± feels... not great, right?

    If it¡¯s that petty and ill-tempered being, I¡¯d bet it¡¯d write this down in the Book of Vengeance.

    Why, though, after all the crap I¡¯ve put up with from the other gods, am I going to call this one that now?

    Well, it¡¯s because all the tantrums I¡¯ve thrown were only to those perverted beings who couldn''t even get a grip on themselves!

    The lousy god! The perverted crow! Whenever I cursed at them, they just gasped and wheezed!

    But this time, it¡¯s different!

    This one is a god, and even among gods, this one¡¯s bad reputation is something you can¡¯t touch lightly!

    I nervously waited for the next blue spear to appear, muttering to myself.

    Though I may have spoken clumsily, I¡¯m sure my intentions got through. The response wille soon enough.

    And if that response is negative?

    Well, what can I do?

    I¡¯ll just force it.

    I can¡¯t be sweating bullets every time I have to call them out, can I?

    For that, I need to be the one in charge, not the subordinate.

    I have to make use of everything I currently have.

    As I thought this, a message appeared before me.

    "The God of History and Records answers your call."

    The moment the message appeared, the notebook in my hands began to vibrate.

    I knew what that meant, and despite the cold sweat dripping down my face, I cautiously opened the notebook.

    The notebook, which had been packed with all the knowledge I had, now had its pages turned to nk white.

    ¡®Grandfather, please don¡¯t be shocked by what happens next.¡¯

    <How could I be surprised after everything we¡¯ve gone through together? Don¡¯t worry about it.>

    ¡®...Uhm, this might unfold in a way I didn¡¯t expect.¡¯

    <Understood. I get it. Just do as you wish.>

    ¡®Okay, then I¡¯ll go.¡¯

    <Go? Where to?>

    ¡®To meet the God of History and Records. Ganshu.¡¯

    <Hmm? Hmm?!>

    Ignoring the grandfather¡¯s shock, I ced my hand on the white page, feeling as though I were being sucked into it.

    When I came to my senses again, the surrounding scenery hadpletely changed.

    It was no longer a tidy lord¡¯s mansion but rather a disordered, enormous library.

    Surrounded by theforting scent of old books, I looked around and spotted my grandfather standing idly beside me.

    Wearing armor like a knight, the look on his face was filled with confusion.

    ¡°Pffhahaha. You said you wouldn¡¯t be surprised, but look at that face. You can¡¯t even keep your own word, you lousy old man. Pathetic.¡±

    ¡°...How could I have imagined that the ¡®thing¡¯ you were talking about was going to meet one of the great gods?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re pathetic. A dusty old man whose brain has hardened with age. Is that proof enough?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve slipped a bit of your true thoughts in there, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Feeling guilty? Are you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re unpopr.¡±

    As I giggled at my grandfather¡¯s furrowed brows, footsteps echoed from within the library.

    The footsteps carried a natural sense of pressure that made me feel uneasy.

    Is this the awe of a god?

    Remembering the words I had just thrown out, I bit my lip, and my grandfather dropped to one knee on the ground.

    ¡°Greetings to one of the great benevolent gods, the one who remembers everything in the world, the one who records the world to find a better future, the wise and just God of History and Records, Ganshu.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Luel.¡±

    Following the distant voice, I turned my head, forgetting the tension weighing on my shoulders, blinking in surprise.

    Emerging from the stacks of books was a small child with a gaze simr to mine.

    His pale skin, never touched by sunlight, and his long brown robe trailing on the floor gave him an untidy appearance. His messy hair and fierce eyes didn¡¯t match his youth.

    Wait... isn¡¯t this strange?

    Is this really the God of History and Records?

    From what I knew, he was a sickly, foul-tempered handsome god, but why does he look like a grumpy little brat now?

    Since my grandfather is so respectful, I don¡¯t think this is a fake, though.

    While I was still confused, my grandfather and the child exchanged mild smiles as they spoke.

    ¡°I never thought we¡¯d meet like this.¡±

    ¡°Neither did I. Since the war ended, I thought we would never reunite.¡±

    ¡°In a way, it¡¯s a good thing. There are a few things I wanted to ask to write your hero¡¯s story.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is it really a hero¡¯s story, not just a record?¡±

    ¡°That depends on how you cooperate.¡±

    As I watched the smirking little brat, I couldn¡¯t help but feel the urge to say something.

    If I threw just a few words, I could probably turn that face bright red.

    But since he¡¯s a god, I¡¯ll hold back.

    ¡°Hey, arrogant little brat loved by the gods. What did you just say about me?¡±

    Hold back...

    ¡°You should realize that, no matter how good you look, you¡¯re still just a mortal. Quit spitting out nonsense.¡±

    Hold back...

    ¡°Luel, you also have your faults. How could you not teach this child some manners when you¡¯re right next to him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ganshu. He¡¯s such a brat, he¡¯s practically my granddaughter.¡±

    ¡°Tch. You¡¯ve aged, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    Ah.

    This little brat is crossing the line.

    It¡¯s one thing for him to provoke me, but to mess with my grandfather?

    Trying to berate me with my own faults?

    I was going to show some respect and dignity for a god, but this won¡¯t do. It looks like I need to instill some manners in him.

    ¡°Had it been the old you, this would never have happened.¡±

    ¡°h h h. So annoying, little brat. Such a nasty little nerd.¡±

    As my words slipped out, both my grandfather and the little brat turned their gazes toward me.

    My grandfather, filled with embarrassment, shot me a re.

    I grinned back at him.

    Don¡¯t worry. I know what I¡¯m doing, that¡¯s why I rushed into this.

    Now that this little nerd wants to write a hero¡¯s story, there¡¯s no way he cane at me too strong.

    His authority is nothingpared to my grandfather¡¯s.

    And more importantly, I¡¯m going to have to call this little brat a ¡°History Nerd¡± every time we talk from now on. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to be sweating bullets every time!

    Let¡¯s set the record straight now.

    It¡¯s better for both of us.

    When the little brat saw something like certainty in my eyes, my grandfather sighed and shook his head.

    Well, good. Since he¡¯s given up, I can do whatever I want.

    The little brat froze for a moment, then, after snapping back to reality, he still refused to ept the situation.

    ¡°Did you not hear me properly? ? Oh well ? I¡¯ll say it again ? I said that you¡¯re suffering because of your useless master ?¡±

    ¡°Are you out of your mind?¡±

    ¡°Hmm ? Poor thing ? Your eyesight¡¯s bad, isn¡¯t it? ? Spending all your time locked away in a room like this is what made you like that ? You should go outside more ?¡±

    Each word I threw at him made the little brat¡¯s face turn a deeper shade of red, almost like the color of mes burning in a firece.

    ¡°You¡¯re arrogant. You may have the gods¡¯ attention, but you¡¯re still a mortal. How dare you insult me like that!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? ? Are you the one who was begging just a moment ago, ¡®Please let me write a hero¡¯s story~ ?¡¯? ?¡±

    As soon as I mentioned the hero¡¯s story, the little brat¡¯s lips mped shut.

    Ha-ha. I knew it.

    This little history nerd, obsessed with recording the world, could nevere at me too strongly.

 Chapter 448

    Ganshu, his face flushed red, could only re at me in silence.

    Though he was a god and had the power to crush me with his gaze, I responded by drawing up the divine power of the Great God behind me, matching his pressure.

    I could endure this.

    As long as the Great God stands behind me, Ganshu cannot overpower me with his mere authority.

    ¡°Are you trying to threaten me with that re? ? Should I say I¡¯m too scared? ? Oh great Ganshu, I¡¯m sorry for being so bold, should I beg for forgiveness? ? Huh? ? Huh? ?¡±

    ¡°¡­Now that I¡¯ve experienced it firsthand, I understand why your enemies have always tried to kill you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm~ ? The history nerd has just as little patience as those worthless ones? ? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re a god. You¡¯ve been cooped up so long your social skills are shattered, what can you do? ?¡±

    The fact that Ganshu couldn¡¯t crush me with his power meant that to record me, he had to ask for my permission.

    I had expected something like this when he came to me offering blessings, but I didn¡¯t think it would be this easy to resist.

    No matter how much I am the apostle of the Great God, I¡¯m still just a human.

    I had initially considered backing down slightly because of that concern.

    But look.

    Even though Ganshu was now full of rage, spreading his authority throughout the library, I remained unaffected.

    The ground shook under the fury of a god.

    Books tumbled from the shelves.

    Things scattered across the floor copsed.

    Dust filled the air.

    Even with the weight of his power pressing down on my shoulders, I could still look him in the eye with a yful smile.

    Why?

    Perhaps the authority thates with being the apostle of the Great God is higher than I thought.

    Perhaps I¡¯ve gotten stronger than I realized.

    Maybe the power I wield now is more formidable than I had expected.

    Or perhaps the power Ganshu possesses is weaker than I know.

    In the end, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    What matters is that I can stand my ground against Ganshu with no problem.

    ¡°Show respect for the gods, apostle. Show respect for those who have led this world. If you do not¡­¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t what? ? Throw me out? ? Do whatever you want ? I don¡¯t want to stay in this creepy ce any longer anyway ? It¡¯s good I don¡¯t have to smell like a loner anymore ?¡±

    Iughed boldly and spread my arms, but Ganshu could do nothing.

    It¡¯s true that I¡¯m not particrly fond of him, but I can¡¯t abandon the story I¡¯m going to write.

    ¡°Not going to do it? ? Not going to show your godly dignity? ?¡±

    ¡°¡­Tch. If I¡¯d known it would be like this, I would¡¯ve just sent a proxy.¡±

    ¡°Ha-ha ? Well, if you had, I wouldn¡¯t have had to see this ugly sight ?¡±

    Ganshu clenched his fist and frowned, but then ran a hand through his hair and let out a long sigh.

    ¡°Ha. Fine. I¡¯ll yield. But don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m not showing respect to you. I¡¯m showing respect for the Great God who chose you.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh ? Sure ? I got it ?¡±

    ¡°You little bitch.¡±

    ¡°Pffhahaha ? You¡¯re mad! ? You¡¯re mad! ?¡±

    Eventually acknowledging defeat, Ganshu seemed to surrender, but I couldn¡¯t resist poking him a little more. Realizing that if I went any further, I might actually break him, I decided to stay quiet.

    Ganshu sighed again and waved his hand.

    Following his movement, the scattered books and papers were neatly arranged again, and a desk and chairs appeared between us.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk quickly and be done with this. I want to watch your little drama from afar.¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you embarrassed to see me up close? With no social skills and so timid?¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    ¡°Yes~¡±

    ¡°Anyway. Tell me what you want. Got it?¡±

    What I wanted, huh.

    After hearing his words, I pulled the notebook from my arms and wrote down the blessings I knew Ganshu could bestow.

    I didn¡¯t need overwhelming powers that only apostles could receive.

    Ganshu¡¯s blessings for his apostles were more suited for side stories, notbat, so they weren¡¯t ideal for me.

    What I sought was something more supplementary.

    I wrote down what I wanted on the paper and handed it to Ganshu. He furrowed his brows.

    ¡°You, not only do you talk like this, but you also write in this manner? Is it really so satisfying to do this?¡±

    Hearing hisint, I simply smiled.

    If you don¡¯t like it,in to the one above you. Even though some degree of freedom had been granted, they still adhered strictly to the rules when it came tomunication.

    ¡°Hmm. [Additional Advice][rification][Wisdom of History] Are these the blessings you seek?¡±

    ¡°I was worried about your vision, but it seems fine.¡±

    The three blessings I requested were:

    [Additional Advice] was a skill that essentially offers guidance.

    Once a day, whenever I¡¯m in a situation where I¡¯m unsure of what choice to make, using this skill would give me the best answer.

    In games, this skill is useful in conversations with NPCs or solving puzzles, but in real life, it would be far more practical.

    [Wisdom of History] is a skill that helps make wiser decisions.@@novelbin@@

    Simply put, it boosts intelligence. This is the skill I need the most with my intelligence of 58.

    Finally, [History Check] is a skill that allows me to view records created by Ganshu and his apostles.

    This was the main reason I chose to receive blessings from Ganshu.

    The ability to check the records of everything in the world, stored by him, is extremely valuable in real life, unlike in a game.

    From reviewing historical records I want to explore, to finding people¡¯s weaknesses, it¡¯s bound to be incredibly useful.

    Hehe. I can already imagine how others will struggle with this.

    Maybe I¡¯m really bing a Mesugaki after all.

    ¡°Well, [Additional Advice] is easy enough to grant. I can give that to you.¡±

    I knew it. That¡¯s why I added it in first.

    ¡°And next, about [Wisdom of History]. Well, I can¡¯t give you that.¡±

    ¡°Why? Is it too precious to give to me? You¡¯re really stingy for a god.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling. It¡¯s physically impossible. You don¡¯t deserve to receive it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Simply put, you¡¯re too stupid. That¡¯s why you¡¯re not capable of handling this blessing.¡±

    ¡­Huh?

    Wait, what?

    I jerked my head up, confused, as I saw Ganshu looking down at me disdainfully.

    Are you seriously telling me my intelligence is 58, so I can¡¯t receive that blessing!?

    Was that skill limited by requirements?!

    ¡°Grrr.¡±

    Excuse me! Grandpa!

    Could you please stopughing next to me!?

    I¡¯m seriously upset here?!

    ¡°And¡­¡±

    As I red at theughing grandfather beside me, Ganshu continued speaking nonchntly.

    ¡°[History Check] is a blessing granted only to those who are worthy. I cannot give it to you right now.¡±

    I knew this answer wasing. I also knew how to respond.

    ¡°I thought your eyes were fine, but maybe they¡¯re not?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Wanna test it? If you¡¯re so confident.¡±

    [History Check] is a skill given when you be an apostle of Ganshu.

    To be precise, it¡¯s the other way around.

    ording to Ganshu himself, he chose me as an apostle because I had earned the right to verify history.

    So, as long as I have the qualification to check history, I can acquire the skill even without being an apostle.

    ¡°My trials are not to be taken lightly.¡±

    ¡°Well then. You, gloomy, nerdy god, you said you wanted to write my hero¡¯s story, but don¡¯t you know too little about me?¡±

    Yes, my intelligence might be low.

    But intelligence and knowledge as a product of rot are two different things.

    All the dungeons and trials within Soul Academy are powerless before me.

    ¡°Instead of whining, try testing it. Or are you scared? Is your little trial going to be shattered by me? Well, I understand. You little nerdy god probably has little courage.¡±

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do as you wish.¡±

    As Ganshu¡¯s voice reverberated with intense heat, a white scroll appeared before me. And the moment I realized what it was, my body was sucked into it¡­

    ¡°Finally, some peace.¡±

    Ganshu, spitting out his words like chewing on them, looked at the ce where Lucy had been and sighed deeply.

    ¡°Luel, how is it that you¡¯re enduring beside that little brat? If it were me, I¡¯d probably have lost my temper and died by now.¡±

    ¡°Well, she might look like that on the outside, but she¡¯s actually a kind child on the inside.¡±

    ¡°Of course. She was chosen by the Great God. But even if she¡¯s mentally sound, that doesn¡¯t mean her arrogant behavior is going to disappear.¡±

    Luel awkwardly smiled at Ganshu¡¯s irritation.

    It was true that the way Lucy had acted earlier was almost overly bold, to the point it could be seen as disrespectful.

    Had she not been the apostle of the Great God, it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising for her to face divine punishment.

    Yet, Luel couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything to her.

    He understood now why Lucy had suddenly reacted like that, even though she had shown restraint when first meeting Ganshu.

    Lucy was incredibly sensitive when it came to anyone messing with her surroundings.

    She could snap over even the smallest things.

    While Luel was d she had epted him close, he also realized he needed to have a talk with her about it.

    If this continues, it could cause troubleter on.

    ¡°Luel.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ganshu.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about the girl you care about, aren¡¯t you? She¡¯s now undergoing her trial.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you mean that.¡±

    Luel chuckled lightly, and Ganshu tilted his head slightly, clearly puzzled by the meaning of Luel¡¯sugh.

    ¡°I know Lucy Arlen well. No matter what trials or hardships she faces, she won¡¯t break. Especially when she¡¯s this confident.¡±

    Having spent a long time with Lucy, Luel knew there was no falsehood in the confidence she had shown.

    ¡°She will definitely ovee this trial as well.¡±

    So, Luel wasn¡¯t worried. When Lucy showed that kind of confidence, she always made even the most difficult trials look like a joke.

    ¡°...Really?¡±

    Ganshu frowned at that answer, but didn¡¯t refute it.

    Since even Luel, the once-petty knight, was now smiling so loosely, what would be the point of causing trouble?

    ¡°Well, fine. It¡¯ll be revealed in time.¡±

    Ganshu pulled out a scroll from his robes and unfurled it. On the scroll was the image of Lucy Arlen undergoing her trial.

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    Before long, as the picture on the scroll waspleted, Ganshu blinked in surprise.

    Something that should never have happened was unfolding within it.

 Chapter 449

    The sound of a bird''s song in my ears brought me back to my senses, and I realized I was lying in the forest.

    Of course, I¡­

    Ah, I had been sucked into Ganshu''s scroll.

    Recalling what had happened, I got up from the ground and stretched.

    First, let''s check my physical condition.

    I had fainted before, but unlike when I faced the Evil God of Fire, I felt significantly recovered this time.

    The difference between then and now was fundamental.

    I guess it makes sense.

    At this point, I¡¯m perfectly fine, both in movement and inbat.

    It would be problematic if I had to exert myself at full capacity, but...

    Well, that¡¯s not going to happen here.

    Next, I checked my equipment. Armor? Yes. Shield? Yes. Mace? ...No.

    I suppose it''s because Grandpa stayed behind.

    I sighed with disappointment as I took a new mace out of my inventory and looked at the scenery of the forest.

    I think I know where I am. If I follow the usual path here, I shouldn''t face any problems.

    But when I think about that little brat¡¯s face, I want to surprise him a little.

    I want to shout, Don¡¯t mess with my trials!

    Would it be possible with my current specs? I thought about it and concluded that it was definitely possible.

    Even by game standards, I¡¯m overpowered at this point.

    There¡¯s no reason it wouldn¡¯t work.

    With that thought in mind, I immediately moved my feet.

    Ganshu¡¯s trial was a ce where he tested whether someone had the right to verify history.

    There were three main criteria for evaluation. First, the person must possess abilities worthy of being recorded in history.

    Without such abilities, it would be impossible to confirm their ce in history.

    The second was virtue. Only those who wouldn¡¯t abuse the things recorded in history had the right to verify it.

    And third was curiosity. Only those who could dive into the world to see what was happening were worthy of Ganshu¡¯s recognition.

    Normally, Ganshu¡¯s trials created a small world within the scroll to evaluate these traits. The evaluation would be based on the actions taken within that world.

    To put it differently, if you know what kind of actions will result in specific evaluations, you can break Ganshu¡¯s original setup.

    In games, it was easy to pass these trials without much feedback, but I wondered how it would be in reality.

    Given the little brat¡¯s petnt attitude, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d stay quiet.

    I ran through the forest, engraving the nts, animals, and stones I saw into my memory¡ªjust enough to earn the curiosity points required.

    Then, the sound of a loud thud reached my ears, and without hesitation, I ran toward the source.

    The stench of decay filled the air.

    A sense of rejection stirred in my instincts.

    The sound of something crawling, and most importantly...

    A sinister energy emanating from the ce that seemed to be the origin of it all.

    Ignoring the goosebumps, I arrived at a ce where something that had once been called a fairy stood.

    Born from nature, an entity that conveyed the stories of nature.

    They were beings that wandered, seeking attention with their overflowing yfulness.

    Yet their essence was pure, bringing smiles to those nearby.

    But now, they had turned into a monster, moving to bring notughter but screams.

    ¡°Grr. Haah. Heh.¡±

    In front of the ear-ticklingughter was a man, copsed on his back.

    Dropping his axe to the ground, he trembled, unable to even think of running away.

    If left as is, this man would be stripped of everything the fairy once had inside his mind.

    Not in a metaphorical sense, but literally.

    Seeing this scene, I was ready to throw up. I took a deep breath and spread my divine power around.

    ¡°Wow ? You look pretty amazing ? You¡¯re so gross ?¡±

    I caught the fairy-like being¡¯s attention, and when it screamed and rushed toward me, I raised my shield.

    Dealing with an opponent without reason is really easy.

    Not thinking means they¡¯ll just follow the patterns I know.

    I deflected its ws, dove in, and struck down with my mace, imbued with divine power.

    I considered the possibility that it wouldn¡¯t fall in one blow and was preparing for the next move, but that wasn¡¯t necessary.

    The head shattered from the blow of my mace, disintegrating into dust that scattered on the ground.

    The man who had been attacked by the fairy-like being stared at me, dazed.

    Seeing his foolish expression, I couldn¡¯t help but lift the corner of my mouth.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? ? Did you wet yourself in your pants? ? Pffhahaha ? You¡¯re such a pathetic coward ?¡±

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    ¡°Still got the energy to babble? How about running home instead? ? You smell like piss, it¡¯s totally disgusting ? Are you one of those useless guys who needs someone to hold your hand and take you home? ?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! But I¡­¡±

    ¡°Then hurry up and leave ? Your smell is really horrible ?¡±

    I watched the man¡¯s face turn bright red, and after he stammered, he ran off into the distance. After giving him a buff, I turned and moved toward the next objective.

    There was still much to do.

    Ganshu¡¯s trial was about throwing people into the history he had recorded and evaluating various aspects of them.

    The trial, created after much thought, focused on the individual¡¯s actions and evaluated them by assigning points.

    Until now, Ganshu had never doubted the oue of his trials.

    The results were always consistent with the conclusions Ganshu had reached after observing the person for a long time.

    But today, with the arrival of the variable Lucy Arlen, Ganshu was forced to question his own trial for the first time.

    An arrogant, disrespectful brat.

    Someone who was so arrogant that it was impossible to ignore when she was around.

    Yet, there was no denying the righteous and honorable path she had walked so far.

    It became clear why the Great God had chosen her.

    Ganshu never thought Lucy Arlen would fail his trial.

    She had already proven her worth.

    Her willingness to offer her hero¡¯s story first was evidence enough of her qualification.

    If she didn¡¯t have the necessary abilities, Ganshu would never have approached her with such an eager gaze.@@novelbin@@

    Had Lucy Arlen shown the proper respect for Ganshu, he would have given her what she desired without a trial.

    It wasn¡¯t strange for Lucy to show remarkable traits in the trial, but...

    ¡°How?¡±

    What Lucy was showing now couldn¡¯t be described as simply ¡°remarkable.¡±

    Lucy Arlen was moving as if she knew exactly what points she was earning in Ganshu¡¯s trial.

    She was carefully aware of every nce, every action, as if she was collecting the points needed to pass the trial.

    That wasn¡¯t the only remarkable thing.

    She seemed to understand everything that was happening in Ganshu¡¯s trial.

    What was happening in the forest.

    How to resolve it.

    And once it was resolved, how to proceed.

    Lucy Arlen seemed to know the trial better than Ganshu himself.

    And every answer she provided pointed directly to the correct solution.

    ¡°Haha. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Ganshu so flustered.¡±

    Looking up at Ganshu¡¯s flustered face, Luel smiled, but Ganshu frowned.

    ¡°Speaking like you knew this would happen.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know, Ganshu? I thought you¡¯d have already suspected something, given how closely you¡¯ve watched Lucy¡¯s actions.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the realm of the earth.¡±

    While it was understandable that Lucy Arlen was acting this way on earth...

    Behind her actions stood the Great God.

    But not here.

    Even the Great God couldn¡¯t interfere with the trials in Ganshu¡¯s domain.

    The very act of transferring everything Ganshu had painstakingly recorded was also...

    ¡°So, this wasn¡¯t the help of the Great God. It was Lucy Arlen¡¯s own ability?¡±

    Frowning, Ganshu turned his gaze to the scroll, quietly observing Lucy Arlen¡¯s actions.

    If she continued at this pace, she would soon ovee his trial.

    In a way that was entirely different from what he had expected.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    This situation didn¡¯t sit well with Ganshu.

    After the trial, Lucy would likely say something like:

    ¡°Is this really a trial? Was it designed for a brat like me?¡±

    ¡°I almost fell asleep in there, and I nearly got into serious trouble.¡±

    The thought of that made Ganshu¡¯s blood boil.

    But this was only his own emotion.

    Whatever the method, if she passed the trial, that was the right answer.

    But still¡­

    How far would she go?

    ¡°Luel. You said Lucy Arlen could ovee any trial, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°If you are certain, then don¡¯t question what I¡¯m about to do.¡±

    Ganshu said this as he unleashed his power within the scroll.

    The world within the trial began to shift, changing little by little.

    ¡°There will be a fitting reward at the end of this new trial.¡±

    A shiver ran down my spine as I stopped in my tracks.

    Dark clouds loomed overhead, swallowing the world.

    The sounds of the forest, which had been faint, disappeared in an instant.

    The vitality that had been felt in the forest was now reced with an unsettling aura.

    Something that never existed in the game was happening in this world.

 Chapter 450

    Feeling the air in the forest change, I blinked and gripped my mace tightly.

    This was something I had never seen before.

    I¡¯m certain of it. This kind of event didn¡¯t exist in the game.

    It must be Ganshu, upset that his trial had been ruined, ying tricks.

    I chuckled to myself, but at the same time, I felt cold sweat running down my spine.

    Ganshu¡¯s trials are not simple mini-games.

    Everything that happens inside them is as real as it gets, and in the worst case, my life could truly be at risk.

    So, I shouldn¡¯t be happy about this situation in the slightest.

    If someone had been with me likest time, I might¡¯ve genuinely cursed Ganshu out.

    Though, I couldn¡¯t help but smile, the corner of my lips rising despite myself.

    There¡¯s no one here with me now.

    The danger that exists here is entirely mine to face.

    Any consequences I face from my actions will affect no one but me.

    Crk.

    Following the voice that came from behind me, I turned my head and saw a being that looked disturbingly simr to the fairy I had seen before.

    The only difference now was that this one seemed darker and more grotesque.

    Ah, and it also looked much stronger than thest one.

    With that thought, I tightened my grip on the mace and saw the former fairy stretch out decaying wings.

    Dust scattered from holes in the moth-like wings.

    Though I had never seen anything like it before, one thing was clear.

    That was certainly not something beneficial.

    With that certainty, I spread my divine power around and created a protective area around me, using my shield as a focal point.

    My choice was right.

    The powder, filled with corrupting energy, couldn¡¯t get close to me.

    But at the same time, my choice was wrong.

    My divine power, shining like the sun, was too out of ce in this dark forest.

    The creatures that once inhabited this forest could sense my divine presence and began to approach me one by one.

    Crk.

    Crk.

    Crk.

    The insect-like sounds came from all directions.

    The sound of dragging legs.

    The sound of wings, full of holes, fluttering in the air.

    The sounds from all around me, growing louder, were enough to send a chill down my spine.

    Crk?

    I looked at the swarm of creatures emerging from the darkness and thought.

    Dealing with one of them isn¡¯t difficult. I can take on two easily enough.

    But four?

    Ten?

    Anything more than that?

    Can I do it?

    I¡¯m not a monster like Benedict!

    I scanned the area with a cold gaze.

    Aesthetic sense wouldn¡¯t help here.

    All I could hear was the disgusting screams.

    But assessing weaknesses, that¡¯s something I can do.

    The weakness detection skill is allowing me to notice the gaps in their defenses.

    This is why the skills the hero gave me are so much more useful.

    Damn, that perverted crow god ispletely useless.

    It¡¯s pathetic; all it can do is snarl.

    The direction that weakness detection pointed out had three former fairies lurking there.

    They were positioned so threateningly that even normal people would hesitate to attack.

    But I trusted the weakness detection.

    Hoo.

    Let¡¯s go.

    Thud.

    The moment I took a step forward, a screeching sound echoed from the fairy-like creatures'' swarm.

    A multitude of attacks designed to eliminate anything that seemed out of ce or unnatural.

    I watched the trajectories of all the attacks while deciding how to move in my mind.

    One.

    I released my divine power and shattered the attacks surrounding me.

    Two.

    I dashed full force toward what seemed like a gap.

    Three.

    I didn¡¯t stop, even when attacks were aimed directly at me. I made sure the attacks targeted only the space I had just vacated.

    Four.

    When I reached the gap, I charged forward, raising my shield and plunging into them.

    The former fairies were powerful beings, but they had been corrupted by the Evil God¡¯s dark energy.

    As such, they were powerless in the face of my divine power.

    Wham!

    One of the former fairies¡¯ bodies was sent flying, smashing into my shield, and a gap opened up.

    I trampled over the body of the fallen enemy and broke through the encirclement, running deeper into the forest¡¯s shadows.

    Think.

    Ganshu¡¯s trial is still a trial.

    There has to be a way out.

    Ganshu, who had endured my defiance, wouldn¡¯t kill me by doing something drastic, right?

    Right?

    With the Mesugaki skills clouding my mind, I wouldn¡¯t go as far as saying, ¡°You die, and I die.¡±

    Grandpa is with me too¡ªthere¡¯s no way such a catastrophe will happen. It can¡¯t.

    Anyway, assuming there¡¯s a way out, the first step is to understand what this forest is.

    If I understand the location, I can find clues based on that knowledge.

    Thwack!

    I blocked another attack with my shield and clicked my tongue as I saw a pair of red eyes beyond the darkness.

    Damn it. No time to think.

    Is my divine power that obvious?

    But if I withdraw it, I feel like I¡¯ll get devoured by the darkness and die.

    The sturdy shield and my expertise in shield skills guided me as the vibrations of the shield filled my ears.

    I hadn¡¯t noticed it.

    I hadn¡¯t realized it.

    The attack pierced through my senses.

    The power of darkness.

    A ce connected to the Evil God of Darkness.

    Considering that Ganshu created this trial, this must be a historical event rted to the Evil God of Darkness.

    The Evil God of Darkness. The forest. The fairies.

    All of these elements point to one thing.

    The Evil God of Darkness¡¯s corruption of the Fairy Queen¡¯s forest.

    I remembered the scene I saw beyond the monitor and unconsciously tightened my lips.

    I hardly know anything about that forest.

    The forest where the Fairy Queen lived became a ce where no life could exist after being overtaken by the Evil God of Darkness.

    In the game, that ce was designated off-limits, so how could I possibly know anything about it?

    But I know how to deal with a ce corrupted by the power of darkness.

    Thwack!

    I blocked yet another attack, then jumped into the air to avoid a tree root trying to catch my ankle.

    Now, I just need to figure out where this trial ends.

    Several possibilities appeared in my mind.

    Each of them had its own reasoning and its own doubts.

    If I were still behind a monitor, I¡¯d probably have folded my arms and thought it through.

    ¡°...Tsk.¡±

    The deeper my thoughts went, the slower my reactions became.

    The arrow made from tree roots grazed my cheek.

    I felt the sharp pain and blood trickling down.

    Hah.

    Of course.

    With an intelligence of 58, what kind of thoughts do I expect to have?

    I emptied my mind and focused on where my instincts led me.

    My instincts immediately answered my doubts.

    The ce where the Fairy Queen would be.

    The most dangerous ce in this forest.

    I was told to go there.

    I let out a bitterugh.

    Going to meet the Fairy Queen, overtaken by the Evil God of Darkness, was madness.

    There was no hope for a miracle in this ce. If I met her, I would die right there.

    I thought of the horrific scene, yet I moved forward, trusting my instincts.

    In a ce where I knew nothing, this was the only thing I could rely on.

    With each step I took, the corrupting energy grew stronger.

    With each step forward, the attacks targeting me became more vicious.

    With each step, the sounds around me became more ominous.

    With each breakthrough, more wounds were added to my body.

    The "what ifs."

    The doubts about what could go wrong.

    The fear that reminded me of death.

    Gradually.

    Gradually.

    It was eating away at me.

    Ignoring the rising thoughts in my mind, I once again realized Grandpa¡¯s absence.

    The voice that used to give me certainty when I felt uneasy was once loud in my ears.

    When I go back, I¡¯ll make sure to properly thank him.

    He¡¯ll probablyin about it being too sudden, but knowing him, he won¡¯t hate it.

    I gathered my thoughts and moved forward again.

    If the pressure around me increases, I¡¯ll just push back harder.

    Forward.

    Forward.

    And forward again!

    The moment my feetnded at the center of the forest, the attacks that had been directed at me vanished, as if in a lie.

    The air that had been pressing down on me. The sounds filling my ears.

    The attacks aimed at my neck.

    The strange powder swirling around me.

    In the sudden silence, I didn¡¯t stop questioning.

    This forest had been overtaken by the Evil God of Darkness.

    The sudden peace wasn¡¯t the end of the trial, but likely a passage to an even greater challenge.

    ¡°I never thought you¡¯d be this cute.¡±@@novelbin@@

    The voice that cut through my sharp doubts was a woman¡¯s, filled with confusion.

    ¡°I thought for sure a hero would havee.¡±

    The woman, exuding a mysterious aura, was bound to a decaying tree root corrupted by dark power.

    When I enhanced my sight with divine power, I saw her energy being absorbed by the roots.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You smell like a chicken coop, olddy.¡±

    ¡°Chicken coop...?¡±

    It was obvious who she was, even though she seemed unsure how to respond.

    In a forest of fairies, there could only be one being with an adult form.

    The Fairy Queen.

    She was once hunted by heroes after being consumed by the Evil God of Darkness. Now, in this trial, she could only let out an awkwardugh.

 Chapter 452

    The first page of the book Ganshu handed me was filled with the names of various gods.

    Starting with the names I remembered perfectly, to those lesser-known gods with trivial powers.

    As I was checking their names, I unconsciously looked up.

    Was Ganshu really serious about this? I was about to ask him that.

    Maybe he understood the meaning of my gaze. Ganshu shrugged and shed an annoying grin.

    ¡°Do you doubt whether I can truly provide this?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? How could a worthless brat like you possibly give me the powers of otherme gods?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯m not giving it to you. It¡¯s the gods you mentioned, theme ones, who will have no choice but to give it to you.¡±

    The moment I saw Ganshu¡¯s sly grin, I understood what he was trying to do.

    It made sense because what he was about to do wasn¡¯t much different from what I was nning to do.

    Hmmm. If this annoying brat is saying this much, he must be able to get some kind of power.

    He¡¯s the one holding the weaknesses and secrets of all the gods, so I could trust him in these shady matters.

    But there¡¯s something strange about this.

    ¡°Creep. Why isn¡¯t there a useless god in here? That perverted bastard¡¯s weaknesses should be overflowing.¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re not afraid of divine punishment? Even if you¡¯re receiving the attention of the gods.¡±

    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it true that the useless god is perverted and ipetent? How much have I suffered because of that damn god? You can¡¯t even say that?¡±

    Thinking of all the things I had endured because of that useless god made my teeth grind.

    He¡¯d act like a god at important times, so I couldn¡¯t just quit being his servant, but that didn¡¯t mean I could forget all the awful things he¡¯d done.

    No! Honestly! For a perverted bastard who wanted to dress up his servant in a bunny girl outfit and send messages like ¡®tokki tokki,¡¯ I think this is still being kind!

    As I expressed my genuine disgust, Ganshu mumbled something under his breath, then wiped his face.

    ¡°Should I call this boldness? Or should I call it ack of thought?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just because the creepy brat is a coward who¡¯s trembling in front of someone stronger?¡±

    ¡°It makes me realize once again how merciful the great gods are.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t understand Ganshu, who was shaking his head in that way.

    What the hell had the useless god been doing for Ganshu to react like this?

    How well does that perverted bastard pretend to be kind?!

    Can¡¯t he at least pretend to be decent to me? Why is he doing weird stuff to his own servant?

    ¡°Anyway, I have no intention of defying the great gods. So let¡¯s just move past this part.¡±

    ¡°Scared little coward. You really aren¡¯t just holed up reading books for no reason.¡±

    ¡°Should I take that book back from you?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead. If you do, I¡¯ll walk around and tell everyone how pathetic and petty the history nerd is. Your gods will love that, right? Huh?¡±

    ¡°...Damn.¡±

    After hearing Ganshu curse, I let go of the anger that had been building up and sat down in a suitable chair, opening the book.

    There were quite a few skills that immediately came to mind.

    But there was no reason not to look at the book, right?

    I only know about the blessings from the game, but Ganshu is different.

    I¡¯ll have to ask many gods for blessings in the future, so it¡¯s better to know what powers they have.

    With that thought in mind, I opened the book, and naturally, I became engrossed in it.

    Most of it was stuff I knew, but there were also things I didn¡¯t.

    Blessings like ¡°Bnce,¡± which helps you take the optimal position in any situation, or ¡°Battle Precognition,¡± which lets you see a few moves ahead duringbat. ¡°The Beloved One,¡± which grants affection from strangers, and ¡°Beast Instincts,¡± which sharpens your intuition.

    There were many other interesting blessings written in the book.

    ¡°If only I had studied like this back then.¡±

    While I was doing my best to absorb important information, Ganshu started nagging beside me.

    I turned my gaze toward him and red, but Ganshu just shrugged as if nothing was wrong.

    Ugh, the more I see him, the more he¡¯s starting to annoy me.

    When I first saw him, he had that hero-like, elder vibe, but now he¡¯s just bing a mess.

    ¡°Heh. Ruel, you¡¯ve changed a lot.¡±

    I wondered if I was the only one thinking like this when Ganshu let out a faintugh.

    ¡°It''s been a long time since then.¡±

    ¡°If you were like this back then, you might¡¯ve heard something more human-like.¡±

    ¡°¡­Those times were really tough, weren''t they?¡±

    When I saw Ganshu¡¯s expression darken slightly, I mmed the book shut with a loud bang.

    ¡°What are you doing?! Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll damage the book?¡±

    ¡°Are you seriously freaking out just because the book might get a little damaged? How petty can a god be? The gods beneath you must feel sorry for you.¡±

    ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡±

    ¡°Forget it. But I¡¯ve decided what I want, so hand it over.¡±

    ¡°You arrogant!... Huuu. Fine. Just say it already.¡±

    ¡°Crisis Detection.¡±

    Crisis Detection is one of the powers granted to a servant by the god of martial arts.

    When something dangerous approaches the user, the user will sense it before they even realize it themselves and act ordingly.

    This skill also reduces the perceived time until the danger is avoided, and it was one of the biggest reasons I was debating between the god of martial arts and Ganshu.

    ¡°Of all gods, it had to be that wild beast? I don¡¯t really want to deal with him.¡±

    ¡°You said you could give me anything. Are you just bluffing? Now you''re making excuses and acting pathetic.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to deal with him, I just don¡¯t like him.¡±

    ¡°Really? You sure about that? You look like you''re sweating and throwing excuses around.¡±

    ¡°Leave now. And nevere back. Talking to you gives me a headache.¡±

    When Ganshu waved his hand in a dismissive way, a huge book appeared above my head.

    I thought it might be dangerous, but by then, it was already toote. The white pages of the giant book seemed to crash down on me.

    ¡°Yaaaah!?¡±

    With a scream, I suddenly stood up, looked around, and sighed in relief. Thankfully, I had returned to that room from yesterday.

    ¡°Heh. Heh heh.¡±

    Hearing theughter beside me, I slowly turned my head and saw Joy, who was covering her mouth with the back of her hand whileughing.

    She gave me a sly smile, noticing my slightly flushed cheeks.

    ¡°It¡¯s cute how you make those noises, mydy.¡±

    ¡°...Keep doing that, and I¡¯ll make you make a cute sound too.¡±

    ¡°No pinching! If you do that, it¡¯ll really hurt, mydy!¡±

    I red at her as I clenched and unclenched my hand, and Joy recoiled, shaking her head. Tch.

    It¡¯s a shame. I was thinking of mercilessly pulling her soft cheeks.

    When I pouted, Joy let out a lightugh and exhaled softly.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re looking healthy. I was really worried when you copsed yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, looking back, it was pretty creepy. I had perverts all around me then.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh. Don¡¯t worry. Nothing happened.¡±@@novelbin@@

    I asked Joy various things.

    Arthur and Freya had gone outside to spar under Kal¡¯s teachings.

    Feivy was helping people at the church since he was staying here.

    ¡°And the forest rulers are waiting for you, mydy. They want to repay you in some way.¡±

    ¡°Those pathetic, useless ones. Are they both okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They both recovered fully after the miracle you performed.¡±

    So, my efforts weren¡¯t in vain. I¡¯m d¡­

    ¡°Joy, hasn¡¯t that virgin tree said anything?¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, from what I saw, it seems like they don¡¯t remember what happened back then.¡±

    Phew. That¡¯s a relief. If they had remembered everything I said back then, it would have been hard to face them.

    Okay. Let¡¯s go meet them. I¡¯m excited to see those bears¡¯ soft faces.

    I¡¯ll tease them a bit before asking for the blessings.

    As I was thinking that and about to stand up, I noticed Joy hesitating.

    What¡¯s up? Why does she seem like she¡¯s hesitating?

    It looks like she wants to say something.

    Ah. Okay. Let¡¯s use that skill Ganshu gave me.

    I need to see if it works properly in the real world.

    I mentally asked the skill for advice on why Joy was acting like this, and a blue screen appeared in front of me.

    [Title]

    What the skill told me was very simple, but it was to the point.

    When ites to titles, this was all there was.

    ¡°Clumsy Joy. Are you upset because I didn¡¯t call you by name?¡±

    ¡°No! That¡¯s not it!¡±

    Really? For someone who says no, your smile seems to loosen up a bit, doesn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Are you sure? Then it¡¯s fine if I just keep calling you Clumsy, right?¡±

    ¡°...Yes.¡±

    ¡°Honestly, if you don¡¯t tell the truth, I¡¯m not going to call you anything. I¡¯ll treat you like usual. Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Ughh.¡±

    ¡°Alright then. Clumsydy. I was nning to ask you to call me by my name too.¡±

    ¡°¡­My name?¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be fair if I just called you by your name, right? Since I¡¯m such a good person, I was going to give you the opportunity to call me by mine. Why? Don¡¯t want to?¡±

    ¡°No! I never said I didn¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°Really? Then go ahead, call me.¡±

    I smiled widely as I watched Joy, her face turning red. She nervously opened and closed her mouth before finally whispering.

    ¡°¡­Ruel.¡±

    ¡°What? Clumsy Joy¡¯s voice is too quiet, I can¡¯t hear it.¡±

    ¡°Ruel! Is that better?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. Yeah. Good job. Now bow your head. I¡¯ll pat you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need that!¡±

 Chapter 453

    "Ah, hello."

    "Greetings. Mydy of the Arlen family."

    As I left the mansion and descended, the two rulers of the forest were waiting, taking human form.

    A bear with a body that could rival Benedict or Rasha, and a giant tree with the form of an elderly man.

    Despite the powerful aura emanating from them, they maintained a respectful demeanor.

    "Your skills may becking, but at least you know manners. I was worried you¡¯d have a poor character too."

    I responded as usual, but there was no real change in their expressions.

    It was probably because I had done them a great favor. Smiling in satisfaction, I noticed the bear''s eyes sparkle.

    "Wow. You¡¯re really small and cute."

    Her tone was filled with clear admiration.

    Perhaps because of herrge size, the bear, who liked small and cute things, seemed to view me as an object of envy, like a doll.

    I nced at her fidgeting fingers, feeling a bit uneasy, when the tree giant beside her struck the bear''s thigh with his staff.

    "Kun. What insolence to speak like that to our benefactor. Please, behave with some decorum."

    "Ah... I''m sorry, Mirbal."

    "You should be apologizing to her, not me."

    "My apologies, mydy."

    "Enough. Don¡¯t mind it. What can I do if a clumsy bear like you can¡¯t even imagine how cute I am?"

    Maybe it was because I¡¯d been trained by the foolish fox and the perverted apostle, but the shy bear¡¯s behavior was just cute to me.

    At least, if I teased her, her face would turn red.

    Foolish foxes or perverted apostles would immediately start gasping for air instead.

    "You¡¯re really merciful, mydy."

    Seeing my yful behavior, the giant tree bowed its head again, showing respect.

    So, this wonderful elderly man has lived his whole life as a virgin, huh?

    He¡¯s never held a woman¡¯s hand, and has always been alone.

    Thinking about the image of an old man living miserably alone in a small room, I couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    "...Why are youughing?"

    "Huh? Oh, don¡¯t mind it. I was just thinking about how pitiful the virgin tree must look."

    ¡°Virgin¡­¡±

    The elderly man''s face immediately stiffened. It seemed like this was something he had been sensitive about.

    Feeling a bit pleased by the reaction, I was about to continue when Myrra quickly stepped forward and intervened between us.

    "Now, let¡¯s get to the point. Mydy is a busy person, after all."

    "Get to the point? What do you have to say, mutt?"

    "Yes, mydy. You are our benefactor, after all. We must repay you."

    "Repay? You guys?"

    "We intend to offer you blessings that you can only receive after passing the trial."

    ...Really?!

    I hadn¡¯t been expecting this, so my eyes widened as I turned my gaze toward the bear and the tree. They both nodded their heads.

    "I don¡¯t think this will be a proper repayment, but it¡¯s all I can offer at the moment."

    "...Same here."

    Looking at the tree, whose expression was visibly hardened, I had a feeling that he would burst if I poked him a little more.

    Honestly, I kind of wanted to see the tree explode and others stop him, but...

    I¡¯ll hold back. I¡¯ll hold back and finish this quickly. I don¡¯t want to waste the favor I¡¯ve earned.

    "If you¡¯re going to give it, then hurry up. I¡¯m wasting time with you guys."

    "Just a moment."

    The bear, who stepped forward, knelt on the ground to match my gaze.

    Wow. Why is her gaze higher than mine, even though she¡¯s kneeling?

    It¡¯s really unfair. If it weren¡¯t for that useless god, none of this would be happening!

    "I... What did I do wrong?"

    Seeing my brow furrow, the bear became flustered and mumbled.

    From the outside, she looked like she could crush my waist with a single hand, but in reality, she couldn¡¯t even reach out her hand without hesitation, which reminded me of Joy.

    Joy also looked like a ruthless viin from the outside, but she¡¯s actually a softie inside.

    Just moments ago, she stammered and ran away.

    I was a little disappointed.

    I thought her face would explode if I teased her more.

    "U-uh..."

    Hearing the bear¡¯s voice, I snapped out of it, and seeing her face getting more and more distressed, I couldn¡¯t help butugh and grabbed her hand.

    "...Huh?! Uh. Uh, uh."

    "What are you doing? You¡¯re not going to give it?"

    "I-I¡¯ll give it! W-wait a moment."

    The bear nervously stared at my hand like it was a chick, muttering to herself about controlling her strength.

    Considering the durability of my body, even if the bear went all out, it wouldn¡¯t cause any major harm.

    She may look fragile, but inside she has enough power to destroy anything.

    "My blessing is the bear¡¯s great strength."

    The blessing of the bear''s great strength was simple but powerful.

    It temporarily boosts your strength to its limit.

    However, after delivering one powerful strike, you suffer a significant debuff, reducing your attack power for a long time. But for me, this is an incredibly useful skill. After all, I¡¯m someone who always goes all-in on one attack.

    "This may not suit someone as delicate and cute as you, but please use it well."

    "Hey, dumbass."

    "Yes?"

    "To me, you¡¯re cute too. With your beastly appearance, seeing you act like a scared little mouse is so pathetic that I can¡¯t help butugh."

    Instead of spouting nonsense, I told her to keep crying as usual, and then I walked past the bear to approach the tree.

    The shock from the earlier "virgin tree"ment hadn¡¯t worn off, and the tree¡¯s expression was clearly not good.

    But he was an adult who knew how to separate his emotions from personal matters.

    "The blessing I offer is the voice of the trees. If you listen closely to them, you¡¯ll naturally hear what they say."

    No. Hey. Giving this useless thing isn¡¯t right.

    What good is hearing the trees'' voices?

    The trees barely have any intelligence, so you can¡¯t gather useful information from them!

    You¡¯ve been hiding this! You got upset when I called you the "virgin tree" earlier!

    Fine! If you respond like that, I¡¯ll give it right back to you!

    Let me make you feel what it¡¯s like to have a virgin¡¯s power.

    "I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t offer anything more. Unlike Kun, the forest hasn¡¯t fully regained its former state yet."

    ...Oh.

    Well, then there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.

    Swallowing the words that had been rising in me, I shrugged and smiled before turning my head away.

    I wanted to say something polite like "thank you" or "this is enough," but the moment I said that, it would just be tranted into something disgusting, so I kept quiet.

    "Well then, I¡¯ll take my leave. I have much to do in my forest."

    It seemed like the tree didn¡¯t expect an answer as he politely bowed again and left.

    Following him, Myrra also expressed his intention to leave.

    He mentioned that there were many things he had dyed because of the situation here.

    "If you need my help, please contact me through Rina. I¡¯lle right away."

    With the bear showing signs of leaving as well, I subtly turned my head, but the bear, still kneeling, just tilted her head.

    Does she not even think about managing her own forest?

    Even though I¡¯ve restored the forest, it¡¯s not like it should be this bad?

    While I was contemting, the foolish fox, who had been quietly standing, suddenly approached and blocked my way.

    Why is he suddenly acting like this? I¡¯d rather understand if he was sticking to me, but what is he¡ª

    "Ruel!"

    I turned my head at the call, and there stood Freya, looking like she had juste from a battle. Her face was a mess, just like Arthur¡¯s. The two of them looked like they¡¯d been through more than just a sparring match.

    "Ruel!"

    "Get away! Stupid knight!"

    I pushed Freya¡¯s forehead as she tried to run toward me, and Arthur just shrugged beside me.

    "From the looks of it, you seem fine."

    "Prince, you seem more pitiful than usual. At this point, you could beg beneath me. Or should I give you some money now?"

    "Why are you worrying so much?"

    Iughed at Arthur¡¯s frustration and turned my gaze to Kal, who was following behind.

    Kal immediately grinned as our eyes met, then bowed deeply.

    "I¡¯m d to see you¡¯re healthy."

    "Useless dog. You good?"

    "Of course. Compared to the hardships you went through, what I¡¯ve been through is nothing."

    "Right. That¡¯s right."

    I wanted to test out the blessing I¡¯d just received, so I immediately grabbed Kal and set him in front of me.

    "Useless dog. I¡¯ll give it my all, so be ready."

    "Mydy¡¯s attack, I¡¯ll dly receive anything."

    Looking at Kal, who was grinning, I also smiled back. Then, I gripped my mace tightly in one hand.

    What I¡¯m about to do is nothing different from usual. I¡¯ll channel divinity into the mace and strike with all my strength.

    But the difference this time is that the bear¡¯s great strength is added to it.@@novelbin@@

    The moment I focused on using the blessing, I felt strength surge through my entire body.

    It was the feeling of bing an enraged berserker, ready to destroy everything in my path.

    The exhration was different from the excitement of the Mesugaki skill, and I smiled wider, while Kal, standing across from me, looked perplexed and spoke nervously.

    "Ah. Mydy?! That attack¡ª"

    "What are you doing? You better catch it, useless dog."

    "Ugh. I will give my all!"

    An aura, now colored, enveloped Kal¡¯s sword.

    The tip of my mace shone like the sun.

    We both¡ª

    We both ran toward each other, using our light to prove which one was superior.

    Boom!

    The deafening explosion from our collision left no trace of either light.

    Both of our lights shed and vanished.

    Finally, as I reached a level where I could stand toe to toe with Kal, I noticed his dumbfounded expression and tilted my head.

    What¡¯s up with that face? Is something wrong with me?

    Wow.

    His arm is dangling.

    Not even a jointed doll would look like that.

    "Yiaaaah?!"

    Pain surged through the broken arm just a momentter.

 Chapter 456

    At first, I thought that the perverted priest might have bribed Karia or something.

    It couldn¡¯t be anything else, considering that as soon as we faced each other, the first words that came out of his mouth were like that.

    However, Karia¡¯s expression remained serious.

    "I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯m asking you seriously if it¡¯s possible."

    "Why do you need my jewelry? Do you want to spread the fact that I¡¯m cute all over the ce? Auntie, you don¡¯t have to waste your life and suffer for my cuteness."

    "I said I¡¯m not joking."

    "Old maid. Don¡¯t frown. If more wrinkles appear here, you really won¡¯t be able to get anyone other than a weird pervert, you know?"

    "Ugh!"

    When Karia raised her voice, a smile appeared on the corner of Jackal¡¯s mouth from behind.

    Looks like Karia had a lot built up inside her.

    But Jackal... If you keep smiling like that, you¡¯re going to get it even worse from Kariater.

    That person is not the kind of person who can¡¯t read people just because they try to hide their expression.

    Do you think you¡¯ll be fine with that?

    "Boss, just stay quiet, and I¡¯ll exin everything. Got it?"

    I nodded, and Karia sighed before continuing.

    "You know that the followers of the Void have been active, right?"

    "I¡¯m the one who dealt with them, recing that useless and old aunt, so don¡¯t you know?"

    "Just nod your head or shake it, pick one. Anyway, it¡¯s hard to root out all the followers of the Void. Their powers are specialized for these kinds of things."

    Karia¡¯s words were right. The insidious nature of the followers of the Void is second to none among the followers of evil gods.

    Even just thinking about what happened before the new term started makes this clear.

    Not only me, but even Faye didn¡¯t notice they were hiding underground, right?

    If they decide to hide, it¡¯s not easy to find them.

    "I¡¯ll try to set up awork by cing informants within the academy, but even that has its limits."

    In the end, all the measures we can take are just precautions.

    We can¡¯t solve the fundamental problem, and we¡¯ll always be the ones being dragged around.

    Understanding Karia¡¯s point, I nodded, but there was one big question I had.

    "But, old maid, what does this have to do with my jewelry?"

    And what does this have to do with my jewelry? I really don¡¯t get it. When I tilted my head, Karia, easily reading my thoughts, let out a sigh.

    "Boss, do you know that the jewelry with your face on it has been imbued with divinity?"

    "I¡¯ve heard of it. How pretty am I that..."

    "Just nod your head."

    Pouting, I nodded, and Karia smiled in satisfaction as she continued.

    "You might not realize it because you¡¯re the person in question, but that divinity is more amazing than you think. It¡¯s even enough to repel the powers of evil gods. Maid, you saw it, didn¡¯t you?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s right."

    Erin nodded and spoke about what she saw. When Karia held the jewelry and brought it close, the power of the evil gods retreated a step back.

    I had heard that jewelry with my picture on it held divinity, almost like a sacred artifact. But I never imagined that it could repel the power of an evil god.

    How much effort must the followers of the Crow Goddess have put into that for such a phenomenon to ur?

    "So, if you spread the jewelry with your picture on it, it¡¯ll be possible to block their infiltration," Karia said.

    Putting aside my confusion, Karia¡¯s theory seemed usible.

    Just like Adria felt ufortable staying in the streets where my jewelry was, if the academy were filled with these jewelry pieces, the divinity would automatically block the evil god¡¯s power.

    Additionally, if each person carried one of these jewelry pieces, it would definitely help prevent the infiltration of evil gods.

    "What do you think? Sounds usible, right?"

    "I get what your delusion is, but this n seems full of holes, just like your skin."

    Despite the n¡¯s usibility, there were clear issues.

    One problem was how to supply enough jewelry to scatter across the academy.

    The jewelry made by the Art Guild was currently in such high demand that there was no stock left.

    It might be possible to gift some to a few people around me if I press that perverted priest, but distributing them throughout the academy would undoubtedly take a long time.

    And one more thing.

    Even if I were to gather all that jewelry, I can¡¯t make every person in the academy carry my jewelry.

    The first-year students, who don¡¯t know much about me, would be fine, but the others who are fed up with all my misdeeds wouldn¡¯t exactly wee jewelry with my picture on it.

    "It¡¯s not going to happen all at once. We¡¯ll spread it slowly," Karia said.

    "Like how your wrinkles slowly increase?"

    "...Anyway, can you ask Prete to help with this?"

    "Sure. That¡¯s easy. Convincing that pervert will be a piece of cake. If I just step on his face a bit, he¡¯ll probably start licking his tongue and thanking me."

    I don¡¯t think persuading that perverted priest will be a problem.

    He¡¯ll probably be happy to bring the jewelry if I just pose for him ording to his desires.

    "Then I¡¯ll leave it to you. I¡¯ll also think of some countermeasures for dealing with the followers¡¯ infiltration."

    After finishing the conversation with Karia, as I was about to step out of the room, Karia¡¯s low and menacing voice echoed from behind.

    It seems she had noticed Jackal was still smiling behind her.

    Well, Jackal, it¡¯s the disaster you¡¯ve created. Deal with it yourself. If you hang in there, you might get something out of it.

    Maybe.

    "Lucy."

    While descending the stairs, the absent-minded fox on my shoulder suddenly spoke.

    "I have a secret method to help with that n."

    "From you?"

    "Yeah. Even if the professors don¡¯t know, the students, if they¡¯re touched by my power, can have their minds altered."

    What kind of crazy talk is this now? I red at him as if to ask if he had lost his mind, but the absent-minded fox, excited, continued.

    "I don¡¯t need much in return. Just that perverted guy from the Art Guild¡¯s drawing of your picture and the cor you gave me..."

    I turned my ear away from the nonsense the absent-minded fox was spouting and saw a man in Karia¡¯s shop. I approached him.

    "Are you talking about that thug-looking man?"

    "...Are you referring to me?"

    When I first saw him long ago, he had been giving off a fierce vibe toward me, but now he was maintaining a very polite attitude toward me.

    It was only natural, since he knew that I could overpower him with my strength.

    "Hold this."

    I grabbed the absent-minded fox by the nape and pushed him toward the man.

    "...What?"

    "Hold him. Can¡¯t you understand this? You¡¯re even dumber than you look."

    "I... I understand. I¡¯ll do it."

    "Ugh!"

    Watching the absent-minded fox struggling in the man¡¯s arms, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    Being hugged by an ugly man who¡¯s miles away from beauty¡ªit¡¯s the greatest humiliation for the absent-minded fox, isn¡¯t it?

    Take responsibility for the nonsense you spouted! Absentee fox!

    "I heard you¡¯ve justpleted a dungeon raid. Lady Patran. How was the dungeon outside?"

    "It wasn¡¯tpletely easy. Unlike the academy¡¯s dungeon..."

    After finishing the dungeon raid and returning to the academy, Joy attended a gathering with several nobledies.

    She wasn¡¯t exactly thrilled about it.

    Since beforeing to the academy, Joy had been ufortable with gatherings with nobledies.

    And now, at this point, she would rather be practicing magic or chatting with her friends, or if not that, be with Lucy.

    Even so, Joy quietly mingled among the nobledies because this was the role a Duke¡¯s daughter had to fulfill.

    When she was among her friends, she was teased as a fool, but outside, she was a proper Duke¡¯s daughter.

    Joy, who had a strong sense of responsibility, had no intention of running away from her duties.

    "We¡¯ll have to raid the outside dungeon someday. I¡¯m scared."@@novelbin@@

    "Don¡¯t worry, everyone. As long as you can properly use what you learned at the academy, there won¡¯t be any problems."

    "Just like Lady Patran."

    "She¡¯s so cool."

    "Lady Patran, can we go raid the dungeon with youter?"

    "Wow! That sounds like an amazing idea!"

    "If you¡¯re with us, Lady, we¡¯ll feel so much more secure!"

    "If Lady Patran, the praised mage by all the professors, is with us, we¡¯ll clear any dungeon in no time!"

    Despite being in the center of so much praise, Joy didn¡¯t feel particrly happy.

    About half of what they were saying was ttery, and most of the remaining half wasn¡¯t pure praise but jealousy.

    She would rather hear sarcasticments from Arlen... no, Lucy.

    Although Lucy never gave her proper praise, at least there was no sarcasm in Lucy¡¯s words.

    As Joy was trying to pass the time and ready to leave the gathering, she noticed some new faces waiting at the edge of the social circle and tilted her head.

    "Those people must be the new students, right?"

    "That¡¯s right, Lady Patran."

    Most of the new nobledies attending the social gathering were familiar to Joy.

    Having participated in social gatherings frequently, Joy remembered the faces and names of most of the nobledies.

    However, among them, there were a few who were especially familiar.

    For example, the Kent family¡¯s youngdy.

    Her friend, Prey Kent¡¯s younger sister, and someone close to Lucy, the Kent youngdy was looking at Joy with an eager expression, as if she wanted to rush over right now.

    She was trying her best to control herself, but no one around her could miss her lively energy.

    Hmm. If I leave her like that, she¡¯ll cause jealousy among the other youngdies.

    I should talk to herter.

    Though I¡¯m not sure if she¡¯ll understand.

    Hmm? Oh?

    That person next to the Kent youngdy. Was her atmosphere always like that?

    Something feels off.

    Is it just me?

    The energy I felt from them seemed simr to what I sensed in the dungeon.

    Is it just my imagination?

 Chapter 457

    When Joy had faced the alchemistst time, she used her magic to interpret the presence of the evil god''s power that was located there.

    In her search for something she could do, this miracle was something even Joy found surprising.

    To be honest, if asked to do it again, she wasn¡¯t sure she could pull it off, to the point where it felt like something beyond her own limits.

    However, what Joy had witnessed at that time was a clear truth, and even if it was by chance, having reached beyond the limit gave her a broader view of things.

    Because of this, Joy was able to sense that something was wrong with the aura of the youngdy in front of her.

    This wasn¡¯t just a case of the energy being unusual¡ªit was something more than that.

    "Lady Patran?"

    "...Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I was just thinking of the names of the nobledies for a moment."

    Joy smiled and began to call out the names of the first-year nobledies one by one.

    The first-year students who were called by her voice were ted, realizing that Lady Patran had remembered them, and they responded with shrill voices.

    She had been widely known in the social scene even beforeing to the academy, and even after entering, her name didn¡¯t fade. Instead, Joy had proved herself in many ways, making her someone to be admired by many of the youngdies.

    In such an excited atmosphere, Joy¡¯s voice continued, eventually reaching the youngdy with an odd aura, who was from the Cleve family.

    "You''re the second daughter of the Cleve family, right? I recall meeting you when I visited the Cleve estate."

    "It¡¯s truly an honor that you remember someone from a small estate like mine."

    "Small? You¡¯re being too modest. If the beautiful roses blooming in the Cleve family estate are small, then what would we call other estates?"

    Joy raised the corner of her mouth slightly and turned her gaze to the surrounding nobledies.

    "Is there anyone other than me who remembers the Cleve family?"

    "I remember too. The garden was so beautiful."

    "And what about the tea that smelled of roses?"

    "...The atmosphere of being one with nature was truly wonderful."

    Just by mentioning a single word, the youngdies who were sharing tea began to chatter non-stop, eager to agree with Joy¡¯s words.

    Among them, some were genuinely recalling the Cleve family, while others simply chimed in, talking nonsense to match the surrounding atmosphere.

    However, no one in the group pointed out what was right or wrong.

    They were all speaking only to align with Lady Patran¡¯s words.

    Since Lady Patran didn¡¯t point anything out herself, criticizing others would only ruin the mood and create unnecessary conflicts.

    With the departure of the Lumry family¡¯s youngdy, there was no longer any internal conflict within the factions, and no one wanted to cause any more trouble.

    "Hahaha. Thank you for the kind words, mydies."

    The Cleve family¡¯s youngdy also smiled in line with the mood.

    Just as the conversation was flowing in such a calm atmosphere, Joy suddenly lowered her voice slightly.

    "By the way, is Lord Cleve doing well? I heard he¡¯s been struggling with an illness."

    The illness of Lord Cleve.

    As soon as this topic was brought up, the youngdies exchanged uneasy nces.

    Those who didn¡¯t know about the lord¡¯s situation turned their eyes away.

    Those who knew the truth of the matter saw the discrepancy between what Joy had said and what they knew, and they too turned their eyes away.

    The lively Lord Cleve was thest person anyone would expect to be bedridden with illness.

    Had Lady Patran perhaps made a mistake?

    Or did Lady Patran hear something I don¡¯t know about?

    Or, maybe she intentionally nted a false story to test the others?

    The youngdies, doing their best to read Joy¡¯s intentions, eventually closed their mouths and chose to go along with her.@@novelbin@@

    In uncertain situations, speaking out bluntly was not the noble way.

    "...Yes. He has recovered quite a bit."

    The youngdy of the Cleve family, ncing around nervously, gave a forced smile.

    "Is that so?"

    Joy¡¯s voice, questioning her answer, was cold and cutting.

    Her low, emotionless voice froze the air in the room.

    "Really? Has he truly recovered?"

    Lady Patran¡¯s blue eyes, cold and reminiscent of ice, descended upon the youngdy of the Cleve family.

    The pressure was so strong that even those standing near the Cleve youngdy could feel the chill down their spines.

    Why is she doing this?

    What is bothering her?

    Did the Cleve family make some mistake?

    The nobledies at the tea party were perplexed by Joy¡¯s coldness.

    Having been in social circles for a long time, they had a rough understanding of Lady Patran¡¯s character.

    She had an appearance that seemed cold, but in reality, she was much kinder than most would think.

    As long as the minimum line of respect was kept, she didn¡¯t show anger easily.

    So for Lady Patran to apply pressure to the Cleve youngdy in front of everyone meant that something had definitely gone wrong.

    The nobledies at the tea party, who had been around her long enough, began to slowly retreat from around the Cleve youngdy.

    Little by little, little by little.

    Before long, only two remained in front of Joy.

    The Cleve family¡¯s youngdy, whom Joy had been scolding, and the Kent family¡¯s youngdy, who had no idea why she was still there.

    Joy, alternating between ncing at the pale-faced Cleve youngdy and the innocent Kent youngdy, suddenly rxed her serious expression as if the previous serious demeanor had been nothing but an act.

    "I was just teasing you. Don¡¯t be so scared."

    "...Teasing?"

    "Yes. You know, a little initiation ceremony?"

    Seeing the other noblediesugh awkwardly at Joy¡¯s words, the Cleve youngdy excepted, they all had an ufortable smile on their faces.

    Everyone thought to themselves, "Wasn¡¯t that a bit too intense for just a joke?" but no one dared to say it out loud.

    Because Joy had the power to turn even something that wasn¡¯t a joke into one.

    "I apologize if I overdid it. Lady Cleve."

    "Oh! No, it¡¯s actually quite delightful that you¡¯ve treated me so familiarly, Lady Patran!"

    "No, you yed along so well with my joke that I must reward you. Would you pleasee with me?"

    "It¡¯s fine! Really, it¡¯s fine! I¡¯m..."

    "Lady, it¡¯s not proper to keep refusing."

    With a gentle smile, Joy spoke, and the Cleve youngdy cautiously nodded her head.

    Turning away from the envious nces aimed at her, Joy looked back at the Kent youngdy, still standing by her side.

    "Kent youngdy."

    "Yes!"

    "Why didn¡¯t you step away?"

    "...Why should I?"

    Seeing her tilt her head in confusion at not understanding why she should leave, Joy couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    "You resemble your older sister a lot."

    Joy had thought this from the time she was with Lucy, but she really was endlessly pure. She didn¡¯t fit in the tea party atmosphere at all.

    "Really?"

    "Yes, in many ways."

    "I don¡¯t want to resemble my sister except for swordsmanship, though..."

    Seeing the Kent youngdy sulk, Joy chuckled and gave a subtle nce toward the other nobledies before taking the Cleve youngdy and exiting the tea party.

    "Lady Patran, where are we going?"

    "To a ce you¡¯ll surely like."

    As Joy walked down the hallway with the Cleve youngdy, she recalled what she had just observed.

    The awkward smile about the Cleve estate could be exined.

    There was no need to bring up whether it was real or fake; it would only attract attention.

    But the expression the Cleve youngdy had shown when the topic of her father¡¯s health came up was clearly strange.

    The way she carefully looked around without showing surprise or worry when hearing about her father¡¯s illness was not something I would expect from the Cleve family¡¯s second daughter.

    I don¡¯t know her exact identity, but she is definitely rted to some evil god in some way.

    I should take her to Lucy or Faye first.

    As Joy continued to think, the Cleve youngdy suddenly twisted her body.

    In her hands was a bead filled with ominous energy.

    A cursed or dark magic-infused bead?

    As Joy¡¯s guard went up, she immediately activated the magic she had prepared earlier.

    The moment her magic illuminated, a fake arm imitating the Cleve youngdy froze.

    It was a water-type magic that froze a whole designated area.

    The fake, whose arm had been frozen along with the bead, looked perplexed.

    "Clumsy."

    The movements of the fake in front of Joy were pitifully poor, something a knight from the Arlen Order would never have shown.

    If the knights from there had been in her ce, they would have broken through her magic the moment it activated.

    Anticipating that, Joy had prepared several other spells, but she hadn¡¯t expected the first one to neutralize her so easily. It was clear that ce was a cursed ground.

    "Now, fake. You need to tell me where the real Lady Cleve is."

    "...What if I don¡¯t want to?"

    "Then I¡¯ll make you speak forcibly."

    With a vicious smile, Joy spoke, but this threat was only a bluff.

    As the proud daughter of the Patran family, what would she know about torture?

    But for those who didn¡¯t know Joy¡¯s true nature, her threat was highly effective.

    The vicious rumors surrounding Patran and Joy¡¯s viinous reputation turned this bluff into a terrifying reality.

    "Tch."

    The fake clicked its tongue and, without hesitation, broke its own arm before using its remaining hand to grip the bead, activating its magic.

    "Ah!"

    Joy, who had stiffened for a moment, quickly tried to respond, but the magic was faster.

    The power that flowed out of the bead turned into the Void¡¯s power, taking the fake away. All that was left was the hurriedly conjured, messy magic circle that Joy had created.

    "Aaahh!"

 Chapter 460

    Using Joy¡¯s radiance, we managed to climb onto a few people and finally arrived at the academy¡¯s dormitory.

    This dorm, though, wasn¡¯t like the one where I stayed with Joy and the others. Since Vishi belonged to a noble family, her dorm was one of the aristocratic amodations.

    However, her dorm was much smaller than ours.

    Though it was small, it was still far better than the semi-basement I lived in during my past life.

    ¡°Vishi has been put to sleep for now. She needed mental stability,¡± Faye, who had been taking care of her, said.

    It seemed that Vishi¡¯s mental state was quite fragile.

    For a necromancer, is PTSD really something they¡¯d suffer from just a bit of hardship?

    She really did pick the wrong path for herself.

    Hmm. But this is troublesome. If I don¡¯t speak to Adry through Vishi, Faye will catch on to everything.

    I need a way.

    Don¡¯t worry about it. She¡¯s already figured it out.

    Hearing Adry¡¯s blunt words, I turned my head slightly, and Faye nodded.

    "...You know already?"

    "I¡¯ve known for quite a while. At least about half a year, I think."

    "But why haven¡¯t you said anything?"

    "Since Lady Patran didn¡¯t make a move, why would I interfere?"

    Faye¡¯s words, said without the slightest hesitation, left no doubt that she hadn¡¯t said anything because I hadn¡¯t.

    So, if I¡¯m okay with it, does that mean necromancy and necromancers are no problem?

    ...I appreciate the trust, really.

    But isn''t this a bit much?

    At the very least, she could¡¯ve asked me.

    "Hey, you two? Could you exin what¡¯s going on to me?"

    As I pondered the heavy trust Faye ced in me, Joy cautiously spoke up.

    Ah, she doesn¡¯t know yet.

    After a brief thought, I blocked out the sounds from the room and looked at Adry.

    The old woman, who had seen my intention, appeared subtly.

    Greetings, Lady Patran. I am Adry, a necromancer from a fallen noble house.

    "...Yo. Yoouuu?!"

    Joy stumbled back in surprise at the translucent figure of Adry and quickly turned her gaze to me and Faye.

    "...Why aren¡¯t you doing anything?"

    "What should I do, idiot?"

    "Should I do something?"

    "No. There''s an undead."

    "You think all undead should be exterminated?"

    "Hmm. Joy, you believe that you should kill anything that''s a different species, huh? The cruelty hidden in your foolish behavior. You¡¯re truly a daughter of the sloppy duke."

    "Am I wrong?! Am I wrong?!"

    As ourck of concern became apparent, Joy seemed to calm down and bit her lip, then sighed with a voice filled with regret.

    "So, why did this ghost... Adry,e here?"

    "This old ghost is a meaningless, solitary undead. Perfectly suited for sneaking around. Can¡¯t you tell just by looking?"

    I spoke with disdain, squinting as I opened my mouth, causing both Adry and Joy¡¯s expressions to shift.

    "Lady, could you exin what¡¯s going on to us?"

    "Some useless idiot got kidnapped."

    When Faye expressed concern over the possibility that Lady Cleve, who had been disced by the Void¡¯s follower, might be hidden somewhere in the academy, Adry furrowed her brows slightly.

    Are we looking for someone hidden by the Void¡¯s powers?

    "Can you do it?"

    Want to give me a hint of where to look? We need to move efficiently when searching for a missing person.

    Nodding at Adry¡¯s words, I took out a fairlyrge sheet of paper from my inventory and began sketching a map of the academy on the spot...

    Hmm. Ugh.

    Every time I moved my hand, the aesthetic sense I had inside me screamed in protest.

    The voice of my aesthetic sense mocked me, saying I didn¡¯t even know how to draw a straight line.

    Damn it. Why is it that when fighting the Void¡¯s followers, my powers are useless, but when I don¡¯t need them, they¡¯re the most vocal!

    It¡¯s really frustrating!

    Despite my annoyance, following the aesthetic sense¡¯s advice, the map I drew of the academy was surprisingly neat.

    It looked so clean that you would believe it was professionally made.

    "...Lucy, did you always draw this well?"

    "Lady, your talents are endless."

    <What am I looking at? Is this real? The Lucy I know drew childish pictures like a five-year-old!>

    The people around me, confused by the scene, were more stunned than I was.

    Is this really the map I drew?

    The same person who was mistaken for a goblin when trying to sketch an ogre in the dungeon!?

    My aesthetic sense is really impressive.

    Now I get where the pervert apostle¡¯s artistic ir came from.

    "Old ghost. I¡¯ll tell you where to look, so pay attention. You¡¯re not senile, so you can memorize it, right?"

    No need to memorize. I¡¯ll be here.

    Adry raised a finger, and small ethereal spirits appeared around her.

    These little fragments of spirits, which seemed small enough to hold in my tiny hand, scattered into the air under Adry¡¯smand.

    Not here. Not here either.

    Each time Adry waved her hand, a pen danced in the air, marking an X on the map.

    In the swift process, the suspicions quickly narrowed down to just one ce.

    It¡¯s probably here.

    "Why a guess? You don¡¯t trust your own skills, old ghost?"

    The energy here is faint, unlike the other ces, where it¡¯s clear.

    It must be the Void¡¯s power. After erasing all the clues, the only thing left is the truth.

    Thinking of a phrase I might have heard from a famous detective, I headed toward the location Adry pointed out, bringing my friends along.

    It was a hidden garden with a secret passage leading out of the academy.

    This ce, which was almost like a maze, had hidden spots other than just the passage.

    Boxes with potions. Bags of silver coins, seemingly for no reason. Stairs leading underground.

    ording to the story, the dean from decades ago had made this ce just for fun, and aside from the passage, the secret items here had no real use and were abandoned.

    But if someone wanted a ce to hide someone?

    This ce would be incredibly useful.

    It was even looked down upon by the professors, who considered it an eyesore.

    BAM! With a forceful step, I crushed a steel te hidden under the dirt, causing a loud noise as it rolled down the stairs.

    As I watched, I lifted a divine sphere with my foot and stepped into the underground.

    "Lady Cleve!"

    The person we were searching for, the youngdy of Cleve, was peacefully sleeping next to a health potion, which was meant as a reward for finding the basement.

    Wow. How useless was the reward that even the Void¡¯s followers didn¡¯t bother to take it.

    Such a waste of effort.

    It would¡¯ve been better if they spent that effort on creating a dungeon.

    "There¡¯s no problem with Lady Cleve¡¯s body. The evil god¡¯s energy is still attached to her, so she¡¯ll be fine once she wakes up."

    Fortunately, Lady Cleve was fine, contrary to our worries.

    With Faye personally confirming it, there was no need to worry.

    Hearing Faye¡¯s words, Joy sighed in relief, but I suddenly had a question.

    "Clueless Joy."

    "What is it?"

    "How did someone as oblivious as you find the follower of the Void?"

    If Faye had noticed the anomaly, I wouldn¡¯t have even thought about it.

    If Frey had sensed it, I would have just assumed that beast detected something through its senses.

    But Joy? My friend who¡¯s the most oblivious to this kind of thing discovered it?!

    There¡¯s definitely something here!

    "...I may look clueless, but I¡¯m the daughter of a duke. I have to be perceptive when gathering the aristocratic youngdies."

    "Oh? So our clueless Joy really is amazing. How did you figure it out?"

    Joy looked at me with raised eyebrows, annoyed, but instead of raising her voice, she sighed and began exining.

    "Do you remember when I dispelled the power earlier?"

    "Yeah. I remember because it wasn¡¯t very Joy-like."

    "...I¡¯m not sure if it was that, but I naturally felt something was off."

    Retracing the suspicious energy, Joy realized it was the evil god¡¯s power, and from there, she pieced together the clues and confirmed that the follower was a fake.

    "Do you get it now, Lucy? I might look like an idiot to you, but I¡¯m actually capable!"

    "Capable? In the end, the one who made the mistake at the crucial moment was the clueless idiot Joy."

    "Th-That¡¯s... true, but..."

    As Joy muttered and pouted, I reflected on what she had just said.

    Her method of detecting the follower of the Void waspletely different from mine and Faye¡¯s.

    We could only sense the anomaly through our individual abilities, but we couldn¡¯t pass it on to others.

    But not Joy. Her method was based on her ability to magically interpret the evil god¡¯s power.@@novelbin@@

    To put it differently, Joy could pass on what she dispelled to others, spreading it.

    Creating an environment for this isn¡¯t hard.

    Right now, there are many things I can use inside the academy.

    If I get help from the rapidly aging old maid, I can get all the tools I need.

    It¡¯s possible.

    Definitely possible.

    I can deal with the Void¡¯s followers without resorting to the humiliating method of spreading my essories!

    Grabbing onto a tiny thread of hope, I suddenly lifted my head and looked at Joy.

    Joy, who had been sulking, met my gaze, blinked, and then stepped back slightly.

    "Why... Why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?!"

    This is weird.

    Joy is clearly capable.

    If we¡¯re talking about magical talent, she¡¯s among the best at the Soul Academy.

    She even disyed that talent right in front of me.

    So why do I feel so uneasy when ites to entrusting her with something important?

    ...It¡¯ll be fine, right?

 Chapter 462

    The owner of the forest and a fox skilled in illusions, Lina, was led by Erin to the bathroom.

    Ugh. Lucy is so picky only when ites to me, the realdy.

    I said I¡¯d help that child with good intentions, yet all I get in return is the stench of disgusting men.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Suppressing the nausea rising within her, she frowned and tapped Erin¡¯s wrist lightly.

    ¡°Hurry up and make the water. I want to get rid of that horrible smell as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡±

    As Erin quickly filled the bathtub with water, Lina jumped in and skillfully began washing her fur.

    Though she didn¡¯t know what she was like back when she was closer to a beast, ever since she¡¯d gained a quarter of her powers, Lina had be very sensitive about her cleanliness.

    Lina, who was infinitely picky about others'' beauty, could not possibly be careless with her own.

    So, it was Erin¡¯s job to simply assist her, staying by her side as she took care of Lina¡¯s grooming.

    After washing her fur and using fire magic to dry it, Lina entrusted the final touches to Erin.

    Normally, Lina was insistent on doing everything herself, but Erin was the exception.

    Having undergone several trials with the determination to be worthy of Lucy, Erin possessed the skill to surpass Lina¡¯s demanding standards.

    ¡°Hm. You have a good touch. I always thought you were skilled, but since the Goddess bestowed her power on you, it¡¯s gotten even better.¡±

    Lina, wagging her tail in delight from the brushing, let out a melting voice, causing Erin¡¯sb to stop for a moment.

    ¡°¡­The Goddess?¡±

    ¡°Right. The Goddess of Beauty and Art. She must have been watching over you since the time we visited the Art Order, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Lina, speaking slowly due to habit, noticed Erin¡¯s confusion and subtly stopped wagging her tail.

    ¡°Really, you didn¡¯t hear anything?¡±

    ¡°Yes. No, nothing.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not the type of person who would shy away from someone.¡±

    Thinking for a moment, Lina soon realized what the Goddess¡¯ intent was.

    She doesn¡¯t want her traces to be discovered by Lucy, does she?

    Of course, if she¡¯s caught following her, she¡¯d be looked down on just like the realdy. So, it¡¯s probably something she¡¯s worried about.

    Still not there. How thrilling it is when Lucy looks at you with contempt.

    Recalling those memories, Lina clicked her tongue and stood up, offering Erin some advice as she did.

    ¡°When you have timeter, try praying. If you ask for advice from the Goddess, she¡¯ll surely answer. At least, as long as you remain Lucy¡¯s maid.¡±

    Stretching and turning around, Lina transformed into a human shape, the transformation apanied by a puff of smoke.

    A stunning beauty, perfectly fitting the term ¡®bewitching¡¯, gave a nce to the door before smiling and opening it.

    Outside the door stood Lucy¡¯s friends, chatting quietly.

    ¡°If you¡¯vee to see Lucy, turn back. She hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡±

    The person who answered, taking the lead, was Arthur, standing at the front.

    ¡°No, Lady Lina. We¡­¡±

    However, Lina didn¡¯t spare Arthur a single nce. It was as if he didn¡¯t exist at all.

    ¡°¡­Uh. Lady Lina?¡±

    Arthur blinked, confused, but Joy quietly spoke up, causing Lina¡¯s lips to curl into a smirk.

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯te to see Lucy, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Arthur responded again to Lina¡¯s words, but once again, she ignored him.

    This behavior was quite clear.

    To Lina, someone who valued beauty above all else, Arthur wasn¡¯t even worth speaking to.

    Arthur bit his lip at such an overt reaction, but instead of saying anything, he stepped back and gestured toward Joy.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then who did youe to see?¡±

    ¡°We came to see you, Lady Lina. We want to ask for your help.¡±

    ¡°Hm. You want to ask for help from the realdy herself? Interesting. Come in, then.¡±

    As the powerful figures, who could be treated with respect wherever they went, entered the room, Erin quickly prepared to serve them.

    While Erin made the seating arrangements and served tea and snacks, Joy exined the current situation to Lina.

    ¡°I see. I understand why you¡¯re here. Creating new magic is too difficult for you at this stage.¡±

    Lina, the long-lived owner of the forest, easily understood the predicament Lucy¡¯s friends were in.

    ¡°However, what does this have to do with the realdy?¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡°The realdy is nothing but a fool enchanted by Lucy¡¯s beauty. Whether you¡¯re in trouble or not, what does that have to do with me?¡±

    In short, Lina had no interest in anyone but Lucy.

    While Lucy¡¯s friends certainly had their own charm, to Lina, they were just humans¡ªnothing more, nothing less.

    Even though they had developed a lot since the first time she met them.

    The human form, which could easily be reced by another, did not interest Lina.

    Especially men, who didn¡¯t seem any different from when she saw them in the forest.

    ¡°If Lucy were to ask for something, I would dly help. But if not, I have no interest in extending my hand to help with your troubles.¡±

    Joy and the others blinked at Lina¡¯s words, spoken with finality.

    They didn¡¯t expect her to wee them, but they certainly hadn¡¯t imagined she would treat them this coldly.

    Arthur, who had been standing a step behind, realized once again that Lina was a different kind of being.

    The owner of the forest. Beings born from the will of nature, who prioritize the stability of the forest over their own lives.

    For them, human rtionships weren¡¯t something to dwell on.

    ¡°Lady Lina.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Amidst the atmosphere filled with awkwardness, Arthur spoke up again, but Lina didn¡¯t look at him.

    How long has it been since she¡¯s been treated like this?

    It reminded her of the time when rumors about her mother¡¯s death circted, and she too was supposed to die soon.

    Ugh. Having to face all these old grudges again was infuriating, but receiving such treatment made her feel even more frustrated.

    Fine. Let¡¯s see if this idiot won¡¯t respond to my words.

    ¡°Of course, we didn¡¯t juste here to ask for your help with nothing in return. We wouldn¡¯t be so rude as to do that.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°If you help us, we¡¯ll bring you something in return.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°For example, something like Lucy Alrn¡¯s notebook, which has been covered in saliva while she slept.¡±

    ¡°¡­What!?¡±

    The moment Arthur finished speaking, Lina suddenly looked up sharply.

    For the first time, her eyes red at Arthur with intense, dark desire.

    ¡°You mustn¡¯t be so surprised. We have much more to offer.¡±

    ¡°How¡­ how could you offer such a precious thing?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten that we¡¯re Lucy Alrn¡¯s friends, have you? Being with her every day, we can bring you anything you desire.¡±

    Lina¡¯s eyes trembled.

    As the owner of the forest, she had lived with her own set of beliefs for a long time.

    When evaluating others, there were standards she had to uphold.

    But was she really going to copse, throwing all that away, just for such desires?

    It wasn¡¯t as if her mind was melting and she couldn¡¯t think straight, but was she really going tomit such a crazy act!?

    Lina chastised herself, trying to stop her actions, but her body betrayed her thoughts.

    Before she realized it, Lina had reached Arthur¡¯s side and, with bloodshot eyes, looked at him, her voice trembling as she spoke.

    ¡°What do I need to do to help?¡±

    ¡°No, Lady Lina. The thing you need to say right now is something different.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you telling me what to do?¡±

    ¡°We could ask someone else for help, but without you, Lady Lina, things would be much harder for us, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Lina bit her lip. She understood what he meant.

    Without them, there was no one else who could bring Lucy what she wanted.

    Other than them, the people around Lucy would either be too careful not to cause her any trouble or would not be close enough to her to do it.

    Damn. Damn. Damn. The fact that she had to bow her head to this bastard made her furious, but she had no choice.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll make sure to keep my promise. If not, the wrath of the owner of the forest will fall upon you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    At the dramaticpromise between Arthur and Lina, the others, except for the two of them, fell silent.

    Erin, who had brought the tea, seriously wondered if she should report this to Lucy.

    Joy forgot to manage her expression, revealing her genuine disgust.

    Phoebe, caught in the irreverent conversation, didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Hey, Prince.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is it, Freya?¡±

    ¡°You were acting like a total pervert just now.¡±

    Freya bluntly voiced her thoughts.

    Only then did Arthur realize the awkward atmosphere around him and, with a flushed face, raised his voice.

    ¡°We had agreed on this beforehand! Why is it that I¡¯m the only one being made to look like a weirdo!?¡±

    ¡°¡­But, Prince. What you just said¡­ honestly, it was a bit much.¡±

    ¡°You should have seen it when you made Lady cry.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the Prince could go to jail? I¡¯m curious.¡±

    ¡°You damn idiots! Why is it only me who¡¯s being scolded!?¡±

 Chapter 463

    After a smallmotion passed, Arthur, his voice hoarse from shouting too much, brushed his disheveled hair back and lightly nudged Lina.

    She had been drooling, imagining all the things she could get from Lucy, but when Arthur approached, she shrank back in horror.

    ...Am I really that filthy a creature?

    Arthur was slightly hurt by Lina¡¯s shock, but she paid no attention to it, brushing off the spots where she hade in contact with him and continued speaking.

    ¡°First¡­¡±@@novelbin@@

    The voice that had sounded disgusting only moments ago now carried an air of authority, befitting the position of the owner of the forest.

    If they hadn¡¯t witnessed Lina¡¯s earlier perverse actions, everyone in the room would have looked at her in apletely different light.

    ¡°Show me the magic you¡¯ve cast, Joy. Only then can we begin the conversation.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Joy recalled the magic she had performed in front of the alchemist.

    The memory was incredibly vivid.

    It was the first miracle Joy had ever created, the spell that made Lucy finally call her by her name.

    Joy opened her eyes and let out a hollowugh as she looked at her tangled magic circle.

    Was this really such a sloppy spell? It¡¯s surprising it even activated at all.

    Thinking of it as a near gamble, Joy infused her magical power into the circle.

    The magic circle glowed brightly, signaling the uing phenomenon, but¡­

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Nothing happened in the room. Everything remained as it was, with no change at all.

    ¡°Joy. Did you make a mistake?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t make a mistake, you perverted prince. The magic was properly activated.¡±

    ¡°Do idiots like you always make mistakes without realizing it? Check it again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already checked. The magic was definitely activated properly.¡±

    ¡°Then why is nothing happening?¡±

    ¡°How should I know?¡±

    While Joy and Arthur bickered, Lina stood quietly, observing the flow of energy in the room before taking a pipe from her pocket and cing it in her mouth.

    The smoke infused with Lina¡¯s power spiraled upward and naturally dissipated into the air.

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    Lina continued to experiment, releasing smoke in various ways.

    Sometimes the smoke moved ording to her will, but other times, it simply dispersed into the air.

    ¡°You¡¯ve made something interesting.¡±

    With a single word infused with power, Lina¡¯s gaze captured everyone¡¯s attention as she pulled back the gray smoke.

    ¡°This is not simply a spell that cancels out the power of the Void. It touches on something more fundamental.¡±

    The way the Void¡¯s power shows illusions is based on deception.

    When standing above the Void, everyone is the same¡ªa being of nothingness. So if you ce the Void¡¯s power above, it naturally causes others to fall into error.

    This is why dealing with the Void¡¯s power is so tricky.

    What can one feel from a being that is nothing?

    That¡¯s why those who vaguely cover themselves with the Void¡¯s power can be distinguished, but finding someone whopletely controls that power is nearly impossible.

    ¡°This magic is a spell that grants presence to what is nothing.¡±

    Joy¡¯s magic wasn¡¯t perfect yet. It was a spell created on the spot to deal with the situation, so that couldn¡¯t be helped.

    However, the concept and potential imbued in the magic were astonishing enough to make even Lina admire it.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Looking at the magic circle with furrowed brows, Lina thought for a moment before shaking her head.

    ¡°This is beyond the scope of what I can help with.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Just moments ago, Lina had been holding her pride high, but now she stepped back, and Joy, surprised, asked for rification.

    However, Lina¡¯s response didn¡¯t change. She continued to chew on the end of her pipe and spoke with a slightly sharp tone.

    ¡°When I said I would help, I thought you were asking for advice based on existing spells.¡±

    Lina wasn¡¯t a magician.

    The power she wielded was her own, and the magical knowledge she possessed had been umted naturally over many years.

    If Joy had presented a more conventional spell, Lina could have easily used her memories to give an appropriate answer.

    But this was different. This magic, created specifically to counter the Void¡¯s power, was beyond her knowledge.

    ¡°If you want more, though¡­¡±

    ¡°You foolish man. Do you think I would gamble with an opportunity to take something left behind by Lucy?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Truth be told, I¡¯d love to unt it and steal the items, but since you¡¯re Lucy¡¯s friends, I¡¯ll speak honestly.¡±

    Lina dismissed Arthur¡¯s pressing questions with a casual wave and then nced toward Joy.

    Joy, still staring at her magic circle, blinked in confusion.

    It seemed like she hadn¡¯t fully understood what Lina had said. Was it that she didn¡¯t even realize the type of magic she had created herself?

    ¡°If I¡¯m to give any advice at all, it would be this: no matter whom you ask, you won¡¯t easily get advice on this kind of magic. It¡¯s been centuries since the Evil Gods vanished from thisnd. Do you really think there¡¯s a magician who knows how to deal with that power?¡±

    Lina¡¯s firm statement made Joy¡¯s face fall with confusion.

    To need a great mage who had lived since the Evil Gods descended¡ªsuch a person seemed like something out of a fairy tale.

    No matter if they were trustworthy or not, it was hard to even imagine someone like that existing in reality.

    Joy, feeling helpless, nced at Phoebe, who was at the forefront of the church¡¯s front lines against the Evil God¡¯s followers.

    ¡°Sorry, Joy. Among the church members, it¡¯s rare to find anyone with knowledge of regr magic. Even those few are too busy with church duties right now.¡±

    ¡°What about the other two?¡±

    ¡°Do you think they have those connections?¡±

    ¡°Do you think they do?¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess so.¡±

    Having been told this was a dead-end, the atmosphere among the group turned gloomy.

    At this point, it wasn¡¯t about whether they could try harder or not.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    It was then that Phoebe, who had been mumbling to herself, suddenly lifted her head and turned her gaze toward the door.

    ¡°Phoebe, what is it?¡±

    ¡°I can feel Lady Lucy¡¯s divine power.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Oh no. Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Wow. It¡¯s Lucy.¡±

    ¡°Right outside the door.¡±

    Bang! With the door mming open, the group, caught off guard by the sudden situation, froze when they saw Lucy Alrn standing outside.

    What surprised them even more was Lucy¡¯s reaction.

    Blinking as she looked around at her friends, Lucy wore a look of disdain as she sized up the situation.

    ¡°¡­Gross.¡±

    With a m, the door closed, and after a second of frozen silence, the group rushed to clear up the misunderstanding.

    ¡°Lucy! Wait a moment!¡±

    ¡°Lady Lucy! Please listen to us!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only the perverted Prince¡¯s fault!¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Why are you always ming me when we already agreed on this!¡±

    Caught by their friends, I returned to the room and ryed the situation to Lina and mypanions.

    Most of it wasn¡¯t difficult to understand, but there was one thing that made me tilt my head.

    ¡°Grandfather. Is it really that hard to create magic specifically?¡±

    <...Didn¡¯t you know?>

    ¡°How would I know? I don¡¯t know anything about magic.¡±

    Other people might misunderstand, but it¡¯s strange that even my grandfather misunderstands.

    I¡¯ve seen with my own eyes when I take magic exams, the power of Dice God that I borrow. It¡¯s odd that he doesn¡¯t know about it.

    <...I thought you had been guided by the divine.>

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    So it¡¯s all been an excuse about divine guidance when something¡¯s too bothersome to exin. I never expected that.

    I was simply too clueless, so I asked Joy to handle it, never thinking it would be this difficult.

    Wondering if my friends misunderstood, I asked them, and they all nodded.

    ¡°¡­Lady, is that not true?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Stupid saint. I just casually suggested it, you know?¡±

    Upon hearing the truth, Joy sighed with resignation, Phoebe blushed, and Arthur awkwardly cleared his throat.

    Freya... well, she seemed as clueless as usual.

    In the awkward silence, I wondered what I should do.

    If what the foolish fox said was true, Joy¡¯s magic clearly had the potential to solve the current problem.

    The problem was that even the person who created it didn¡¯t know how to materialize it.

    Hmm. Someone ustomed to fighting the Evil God¡¯s power and a skilled magician could help...

    I did have one person in mind.

    ¡°Idiots. Prepare to head out next week.¡±

    ¡°¡­Do you have a n?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Unlike you, pathetic Prince, who can¡¯t do anything but whine, I¡¯mpetent.¡±

    I had been meaning to visit them anyway, so now¡¯s a good time. I¡¯ll go meet the person who made the miracle with my grandfather.

 Chapter 464

    The thought of meeting the past heroes had been on my mind since the day I encountered the skeleton.

    There were many reasons for this.

    One reason was that the various items they possessed could be useful not only for me but for the people around me as well.

    Another reason, simr to how the skeleton I met in the academy¡¯s underground seemed to offer me valuable skills, was the possibility that they could provide me with powerful abilities.

    But above all, the biggest reason was simply that I wanted to meet them.

    Though they were mere fakes who imitated heroes, they were nheless heroes in a way that no one could deny. I believed that meeting them, talking with them, wielding weapons alongside them, and asking for their advice could help me take another step forward.

    ording to the original n, I should have already met all of them by now, but too much had happened during the break, so I had missed the opportunity to meet them.

    The memories from that time were precious to me, so I didn¡¯t regret it, but it was hard not to feel bothered by the fact that the meetings I had longed for were dyed.

    Now that I had the chance to venture into an external dungeon, I was nning to meet them whenever I had the time. As I listened to my friends and Lina¡¯s conversation, I immediately thought of the name of the old hero.

    The name of the great archmage who had created miracles with his magic.

    He was the great magician, Erginus, who had stood on the front lines of the battle against the Evil Gods and was hailed as the one who established modern magic. He could certainly be of great help to Joy in her magical endeavors.

    Even though he was only a fake who had imitated the original, what he had inside was no different from the real deal.

    <Erginus, huh? A name I haven¡¯t heard in a while.>

    While I was preparing to go to where the archmage¡¯s doll was waiting, I asked my grandfather what kind of person Erginus had been.

    I had some knowledge of the old hero, but I trusted my grandfather¡¯s insight over what I knew. After all, he had been there with him.

    ¡®What kind of person was he?¡¯

    <Hmm. It¡¯s hard to describe him. He was such a crazy fellow that it¡¯s difficult to summarize him in one word.>

    ¡®Do I really need a summary?¡¯

    <It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t think of a word to urately describe him.>

    After thinking for a long time, my grandfather finally gave up with a sigh.

    <I¡¯ll just tell you about the things he did, and you can imagine the rest.>

    ¡®Okay.¡¯

    <He once yelled at the god of magic, saying, ¡°What do you know?¡± He tried to dissect the Evil Gods to learn where their power originated. When his golem broke, he cried for three days, giving it a funeral. When a gue spread in a city, he suggested burning everyone alive. He trapped the Fairy Forest in an eternal dream. And then¡­>

    ¡®Wait. Did all of that really happen?¡¯

    <If you¡¯re surprised by just this, you¡¯ll have trouble. This is just a glimpse of the countless incidents he caused.>

    I finally understood why my grandfather had been so hesitant.

    Erginus¡¯ stories were so varied.

    Some were quite heroic. Others made him seem like a madman obsessed with magic. Some made one wonder if he had sided with the Evil Gods.

    Could a person really be so multidimensional? At this point, it felt like he had reached the fourth dimension!

    <Honestly, I¡¯m against you meeting him. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll tolerate your tone.>

    ¡®...What should I do?¡¯

    <What should you do? Leave it to your friends and stay hidden. Otherwise, you could just smash his head with a mace.>

    My grandfather¡¯s suggestion, that it would be better to let my friends handle it, was one I had to nod at.

    <Ah. It might help if you take Lina with you.>

    ¡®Why would the perverted fox help? Is she interested in the forest¡¯s powers?¡¯

    <No. When Lina takes human form, her appearance is closer to his taste.>

    ¡®...That¡¯s really helpful advice. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¯

    As I prepared to meet the hero, I didn¡¯t ck off on my own training either.

    I had rolled and tumbled so much that it had be ingrained in me, and now it felt ufortable when I wasn¡¯t doing it.

    Living in the Arln family naturally meant being gaslighted.

    A noble family forcing a young girl to do hard work.

    Thinking about it like this, it sounded quite disturbing.

    In reality, the Arln Knight Order was just a group of knights obsessed with training and self-aplishment.

    If those guys had the choice, they¡¯d probably rather swing a sword than go meet a woman.

    Anyway, back to the point: recently, I had been working on developing my blunt techniques and trying to narrow down the difort I felt.

    I could only ask for advice from the ¡°Addition Skill¡± once a day.

    So, in order to make the most of that opportunity, I had to solve as much as I could on my own.

    This was my way of using limited time and opportunities efficiently, but there was one problem.

    Because I had decided to use the Addition Skill only when it was truly, truly necessary, I often ended up not using it until the day was almost over.@@novelbin@@

    It was like saying you¡¯d only use a potion when it¡¯s really important, only to realize at the end of the game that you¡¯ve been holding onto it the whole time.

    <Just use it if it seems unclear. Comining about it at midnight when you could have used it earlier is something that only happens a couple of times.>

    ¡®But I feel like if I move a bit more, I¡¯ll find a way through!¡¯

    <Sigh. It looks like I¡¯ll have to listen to yourints again tonight.>

    I was about to retort back in the same tone when I lost my concentration, staggered, and fell over.

    Ugh. I was in the flow, but my grandfather broke it.

    I felt like I was so close to realizing something.

    <Stop babbling. You still have a long way to go.>

    ¡®...Please stop beating me! Why do you have to torment this little girl so much?! Grandfather, you¡¯re such a devil!¡¯

    <If you have the energy toin, get up and swing the mace again. This time¡­>

    ¡°Agh, Miss. Are you okay?¡±

    Just as I was thinking about what to say to annoy my grandfather, a voice came from above.

    I turned my gaze slightly and saw Cal holding a towel. I reached out my arm and took the towel carefully from his hands.

    Ever since my arm was brokenst time, Cal had been incredibly tense whenever he came into contact with me, like a fragile ss ball that would break with a touch.

    I didn¡¯t understand why he was so cautious when, among knights, that kind of injury seemed like an everyday urrence.

    ¡°Did you finish what you were told to do?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve submitted the dungeon exploration request.¡±

    ¡°Did the scum over there say anything?¡±

    ¡°He seemed a bit surprised when he saw the area, but when he saw Lady¡¯s name, he nodded.¡±

    That passed? I thought it would be rejected at least once.

    I had even nned to threaten the dean to get it through.

    The ce where Erginus¡¯ doll resides wasn¡¯t exactly somewhere one could just walk into carelessly.

    It¡¯s true I¡¯ve built a lot up to now, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be allowed in that easily.

    Hmm. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    As long as the result is good, I¡¯ll take it.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll head back now. It¡¯s the beginning of the semester, so I have a lot to do as a professor.¡±

    After Cal left, I stood up and grabbed my mace again.

    With my current level of skill, there¡¯s no time to rest. If I have a chance, I need to swing my mace just a little more.

    <Lucy. I suddenly remembered something, but when we met Ganshust time, you asked for the blessing of the God of Martial Arts, right? Did you receive it?>

    ¡®Not yet. That guy Ganshu¡­ maybe because he¡¯s a hermit holed up in the library, he seems to need to mentally prepare before going out.¡¯

    <...Wasn¡¯t what you said to him during your meeting tranted into something like a blessing?>

    ¡®By the middle of it, I was speaking from the heart.¡¯

    <Sigh. Honestly, I¡¯m d you¡¯re the Apostle of the Divine. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know how many curses would¡¯ve fallen upon you.>

    Listening to my grandfather¡¯sints, I shrugged my shoulders and swung my mace again.

    As Lucy was preparing to meet Erginus¡¯ doll, the others weren¡¯t idle.

    Joy, Arthur, and Phoebe were gathered in a private room, putting their heads together.

    Before seeking advice from someone, they were working on solidifying their own ideas.

    ¡°If we go without knowing anything, we won¡¯t even know what to ask. So at least we need to figure out what we need to confirm.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the magic professors and brought back rted books.¡±

    ¡°I also went to the academy¡¯s bishop to get advice on the Void¡¯s powers. After thest incident, the bishop was already well-versed in the matter.¡±

    These three geniuses were beginning their efforts to build something from nothing.

    They were working to get proper advice from a great magician, one who Lucy could confidently talk about.

    ¡°But who exactly is this great magician Lucy talks about? I can¡¯t think of anyone who fits the description.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. As a member of the Parn family, I know many magicians, but no onees to mind who could advise on the Void¡¯s powers. Since Lucy said it, it must be true, but¡­¡±

    ¡°The things Lucy is pushing forward are quite extraordinary. Could it be that she¡¯ll meet the old hero Erginus?¡±

    ¡°Haha. Saint, that¡¯s a bit far-fetched, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Phoebe, how could we meet a person from a legend?¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°But if we could meet him, that would be wonderful. Meeting such a great magician and nobleman would be an honor in itself.¡±

 Chapter 465

    ¡°Professor Luca, you¡¯ve been visiting quite oftentely.¡±

    ¡°Haha, well, it¡¯s about time the second-year students are ready to venture into external dungeons. I¡¯ve beening here repeatedly just in case anyone ns to go to dangerous ces.¡±

    Luca spoke casually as he stepped into the administration office.

    The professor who had previously been associated with this office had been expelled due to incidents involving Lucy.

    He had crossed the line by meddling with someone who was best left undisturbed.

    If you¡¯re going to cross boundaries, you should know exactly where they are.

    But since he failed to see that... well, what else could have happened?

    He had to die.

    Betrayal. Anger. Fear. Shock.

    Luca recalled the expression in the professor¡¯s eyes, a mix of all those emotions, and quickly erased the memory, recing it with a smile for the new administration office professor.

    The new professor was a noble from the First Queen''s faction.

    Though from a powerless family, he was obsessed with making a name for himself. When he heard there was an opening, he rushed to fill it.

    Seeing this, Luca thought he would be easy to manipte and ced him in a position where he could be of use.

    The new professor, seemingly grateful, would now overlook anything Luca did, even viting regtions and inspecting other people''s documents.

    ¡°Seems like there are fewer applicants than I thought. Do you think it¡¯s because this year¡¯s academy dungeon is particrly difficult?¡±

    ¡°Well, there weren¡¯t many people who passed the 50th floor to begin with. Even those who did are focusing on the academy dungeon to continue their exploration.¡±

    The academy dungeon this year, even Luca agreed, was of a very high level.

    Some even started iming the winner for this year¡¯s dungeon was already decided.

    Usually, many students would leave after progressing a bit, but now they were all fixated onpleting the academy dungeon.

    Lucy and her friends had likely set the trend.

    Even a dungeon that seemed impossible was proved solvable, giving others hope.

    As Luca skimmed through the few dungeon exploration applications, he noticed Lucy¡¯s name.

    She was heading out again?

    She was quite active.

    I wonder if it¡¯s because the God gave her a divine revtion again.@@novelbin@@

    Luca looked at the area Lucy had written down and tilted his head.

    From what I know, there¡¯s no significant power from the Evil Gods in that area.

    Is that all? There¡¯s nothing there that could be considered a force.

    The only ones staying there are:

    Those seeking death, wanderers fleeing their past, and mercenary bands hired by nobles to manage the area.

    Nobody else would bother going to such a barren ce. There¡¯s nothing to gain.

    Why would Lucy want to visit such a ce?

    From what I know, Lucy isn¡¯t one to waste time on meaningless tasks.

    She¡¯s someone obsessed with efficiency, especially when ites to her rtionships with her friends.

    ¡°Hm.¡±

    I¡¯ll need to look into this.

    ¡°Oh, I see you¡¯re looking at documents rted to Lady Arln. I¡¯ve been thinking about it too. Given the risks, it would be best to reject the request, but considering who it is¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll approve it. If any other professors object, I¡¯ll handle it.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you say so, Professor Luca, then I¡¯m happy to go along with it.¡±

    The administration professor smiled broadly, and Luca returned the smile.

    I hope I can still smile like this in the future.

    ¡°Oh, Professor Luca. Did you always wear gloves like that?¡±

    ¡°No. I recently found something I like, so I¡¯ve been wearing them.¡±

    ¡°I see. They look like good quality.¡±

    The weekend morning arrived once again. After meeting with my friends, I handed each of them a small spatial pocket.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°What do you think, poor Prince? Want to guess with your pitiful imagination?¡±

    ¡°Not much to guess. You¡¯re not exactly the type to give us gifts. It¡¯s something we¡¯ll need for the ces we¡¯re heading.¡±

    Arthur¡¯s nonchnt response made me roll my eyes and act as though I was shocked by his words.

    ¡°You think that¡¯s going to fool me? How many times have you tried to pull this off?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer. Instead, I lowered my head and kept my mouth shut. This was enough. The rest could be handled by the others.

    ¡°Third Prince.¡±

    ¡°Prince, this is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°This is your fault, Prince.¡±

    ¡°No! What is this? Why am I the one to me! From everything Lucy Arln has done so far, this is most likely some kind of joke!¡±

    I held back my grin, waiting for the pressure from my friends to continue.

    Under the 3-on-1 pressure, Arthur, unsure of what to do, finally apologized in a reluctant voice.

    ¡°Wh-what is it? Sorry, I doubted¡­¡±

    ¡°Puhahaha!¡±

    Unable to hold back myughter at his awkward voice, I couldn¡¯t help but giggle for a long time, my face full of disbelief.

    ¡°Ah, really. Poor Prince, you¡¯re just so easy to y with. I just want to poke you every time I see you.¡±

    ¡°¡­Damn.¡±

    ¡°Hey, poor Prince, don¡¯t act mad. You¡¯re secretly enjoying this, right? You¡¯re having fun, aren¡¯t you? Because you¡¯re the perverted Prince.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s the pervert!¡±

    I ignored Arthur¡¯s shouting and began exining what was inside the bags to my friends.

    ¡°Look closely, you losers. This is water and food.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this! Didn¡¯t I say so!¡±

    The ce we visitedst week didn¡¯t require us to worry about food.

    There was a decent town nearby, and the forest itself made it easy to gather food, so we didn¡¯t need to worry.

    But the ce we were heading now was different. The sand-colored ce was so barren that even finding a decentke would be a challenge.

    ¡°Is it the western desert?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve visited there before for a brief visit. It was a deste ce. This is going to be a tough journey.¡±

    ¡°Desert? Sounds boring.¡±

    I nodded while listening to my friends.

    The western desert wasn¡¯t a ce I¡¯d want to visit either.

    Though there were a few things hidden there, they weren¡¯t useful to me right now.

    It was hard to imagine how terrible the desert could be, especially since if I went there as a character with weak health, I¡¯d lose HP in real time.

    After this, I was sure I¡¯d never want to return.

    ¡°What can we do? Your abilities are so poor, we have no choice but to go there.¡±

    ¡°Answer me! Didn¡¯t I say so!¡±

    ¡°Just follow quietly, losers.¡±

    ¡°Damn! Let me give you a p! Just one p!¡±

    ¡°Yelling about hitting a girl. Poor Prince, you¡¯re really barbaric.¡±

    ¡°Why do you only answer to stuff like this¡­ Argh!¡±

 Chapter 466

    ¡°Are you really going to meet Erginus!?¡±

    Before I could finish my sentence, Joey, who had been sitting next to me, let out a scream-like voice.

    I felt a bit confused seeing her like this, as if she had abandoned her noblewoman persona and turned into a high school girl obsessed with idols.

    From what my grandfather had told me, Erginus, this wizard, wasn¡¯t exactly someone you''d consider likable, was he?

    Regardless of his skills as a magician, he was a mentally disturbed psychopath as a person.

    Given Joey''s personality, I didn¡¯t think she would admire someone who was good at magic but had so many issues in other areas.

    ¡°You like him that much, huh, you fool?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Erginus is a legendary great mage and is even called a model for many nobles!¡±

    ...Huh? What does that mean, Joey?

    That sounds very different from what I heard from my grandfather.

    As I blinked in confusion, Arthur, who had been sitting next to me, spoke up.

    ¡°I too am looking forward to meeting him. He''s famous for his refinement, so we can expect some valuable insight from him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard that he had a great influence on the Church''s holy magic. There are things I''ve always wondered about that I¡¯d like to ask him.¡±

    Even Feivy was chiming in with praise for Erginus. I blinked a few times, then turned to my grandfather and asked him.

    ¡®...This soundspletely different from what I heard?¡¯

    <...Don''t ask me. I''m just as confused. How could the evaluation of that insane guy be so positive? This doesn¡¯t make sense.>

    Hearing my grandfather muttering in confusion like past schrs who heard the world was round, I realized that it would be hard to get a proper exnation from him.

    So, instead of asking him, I turned to my friends and asked them.

    ¡°What kind of person is Erginus, the human, that you all know?¡±

    ¡°After the war between the Evil Gods and the Good Gods, which ended with the victory of the Good Gods, the heroes who held the front lines disappeared shortly after the era of reconstruction began.¡±

    The noble white knight, Garad, hid himself in seclusion, iming his existence would cause chaos for the kingdom.

    The devout, mythical holy knight, Luel, disappeared suddenly after the church restored order.

    The hero, Zn, who had always taken the lead against the Evil Gods, left a letter saying he had finished his work and left for somewhere.

    After all therades were gone, the only one left in the kingdom was the great mage, Erginus.

    Even after all the heroes disappeared, he remained in the kingdom, organizing the modern system of magic, while also offering advice to several nations. He yed a pivotal role in restoring the chaotic continent to order.

    His contributions were so significant that the beginning of the history book of a certain kingdom was almost entirely filled with the name Erginus.

    ¡°Erginus¡¯s influence during the era of reconstruction can truly be said to have extended everywhere. Magic, administration, academics, history¡ªpeople said that if it weren¡¯t for him, the reconstruction period might never have ended.¡±

    Given these circumstances, it was no surprise that Erginus¡¯s name became synonymous with fame.

    With all the other heroes gone, it was solely the name Erginus that kept the vacuum from being filled.

    ¡°How could anyone not be excited to meet such a noble figure? This is only natural!¡±

    When Joey¡¯s enthusiastic exnation finished, my grandfather, who had heard it all, gritted his teeth.

    <That bastard. Did he start twisting the story after being left alone? Why is he distorting things like this? This can¡¯t be right!>

    While my grandfather ground his teeth, I, remembering the stories of the heroes, thought that Erginus hadn¡¯t acted entirely recklessly.

    If Erginus really had rewritten history to suit his whims, then there wouldn¡¯t only be praise for him in the stories of my grandfather and hisrades, who had deep grudges against him.

    ¡°Lady Allen! May I have a word with you outside!?¡±

    After hearing so much praise for Erginus, I was getting tired of it and the mercenary captain called me from outside the carriage.

    When I stepped outside, I was greeted by the scenery of the world turning a reddish hue. We must have spent quite a while inside the carriage since we had left in the morning.

    Thinking about walking this distance on foot without the mercenaries makes me shudder. I could¡¯ve done it, but the irritation would¡¯ve built up the longer it took.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the location you indicated on the map, Lady. What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment. Wait here, youckey captain.¡±

    I stretched my stiff body and surveyed the surroundings.

    The sun was over there, and a huge rock that could serve as andmark was over there. Hmm.

    ¡°Seems like we weren¡¯t just wasting time here? Do you have any talents after all,ckey?¡±

    The mercenary captain¡¯s skills were quite impressive. They¡¯d guided us here with just a few words across the distance.

    Thanks to that, we could travel morefortably.

    ¡°Wait here. You weaklings wouldn¡¯t help at all. Just get out of the way.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Lady. We¡¯ll set up camp here.¡±

    While the mercenaries were busy unpacking and setting up for the night, I led my friends into the desert night.

    The captain had asked if we wanted a guard assigned, but I turned him down. Trying to convince strangers to back my current expedition would be a hassle.

    Besides, those mercenaries didn¡¯t look strong enough to protect us.

    ¡°Understood. If anything happens, please shoot a me signal. We¡¯lle immediately once we see it.¡±

    The mercenary captain backed down without pushing further, clearly used to dealing with nobles. He made sure to leave instructions for an emergency and stepped back.

    ¡°The weather¡¯s nice, but it¡¯s rather chilly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so hot during the day that it feels like you¡¯re dying, but at night, it¡¯s freezing. It¡¯s worse than I imagined. I see why people avoid deserts.¡±

    ¡°Is it that bad? I thought it was more fun back when we were training in the Allen Knight Order. That ce was no joke.¡±

    ¡°...Is there anything more harsh than that?¡±

    ¡°The Allen Knight Order was... beyond normal, I guess.¡±

    Walking through the desert at night wasn¡¯t something noble bloodlines were supposed to do, but my friends didn¡¯tin.

    Maybe because they had experienced such harsh conditions in the Allen Knight Order, this seemed like a walk in the park.

    Even I thought to myself that it wasn¡¯t so cold despite my friends mentioning how chilly it was. They probably felt the same way.

    After running through the dry desert for about 30 minutes, we arrived at the middle of nowhere.

    In a desert that seemed too barren for even cacti to grow, my friends tilted their heads.

    ¡°Lucy Allen, are you sure this is the ce?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m not a fool or a stupid swordsman. I wouldn¡¯t mistake something like this.¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s anything here.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, don¡¯t speak. Just watch quietly, pitiful prince. Well, if you want to hear something bad from me, I won¡¯t stop you.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Arthur shut his mouth, flustered, and I opened my inventory to pull out the items I had prepared andid them on the ground.

    ¡°...Lady, isn¡¯t this a bomb?¡±

    ¡°Wow, even the fool has eyes. Yep, it¡¯s a bomb.¡±

    ¡°Why suddenly a bomb?¡±

    ¡°Hm, maybe I expected too much from the silly Joey. I thought she had eyes, but no brains. If she had a brain, she wouldn¡¯t be running around being so foolish every day...¡±

    ¡°Enough, just exin.¡±

    ¡°Think about it. Why would I pull out a bomb? I¡¯m pulling it out to blow it up.¡±

    Teasing Joey as I carefully arranged the bombs, I counted them again before backing off a good distance from them.

    ¡°You useless saint. Make a shield.¡±

    ¡°Please wait a moment. It¡¯ll take a bit to prepare to withstand that kind of firepower.¡±

    Although Feivy said she needed some time, it only took her less than ten seconds to create the shield.

    I remember thinking the same when we faced the alchemistst time, but Feivy really is good with holy magic.

    No matter how I look at it, Feivy is growing much faster now than the Feivy I knew from the game.

    Maybe I should seriously ask herter how far she can go.

    ¡°Done, Lady.¡±

    ¡°Alright, you losers, don¡¯t piss yourselves in fear. I¡¯m going to blow it up right now.¡±

    As soon as I pressed the ignition button, the vibrations inside the shield shook the ground.

    After the loud noise died down, I erased the shield and moved toward the site of the explosion.

    There, just like in the game, the undergroundndscape with a hole in the ceiling awaited.

    ¡°Follow me right away, losers. If you¡¯rete, I¡¯ll leave you behind.¡±

    I told my friends to follow me and jumped straight into the underground.

    The skeleton, which had been sprawled on the floor from the explosion''s shockwave, stared nkly at the ceiling before naturally turning its gaze toward me.

    Despite theck of eyes, I could clearly sense the skeleton¡¯s embarrassment. I raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly.

    ¡°Ah! I¡¯ve heard that the great mage was insane, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be such a pervert, leering at a girl¡¯s underwear. Beast. Lolicon. Trash. Sex offender. Just rot away and get out of here.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you babbling about, you little brat!¡±

    As the skeleton shouted furiously, my friends began descending one by one through the hole in the ceiling.

    Despite the considerable height, theynded gracefully.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ...Except for one person, the othersnded effortlessly. I smiled at the skeleton, who was still staring at us in a daze.

    ¡°Well, maybe you should¡¯ve built the building sturdier, huh, you foolish skeleton?¡±@@novelbin@@

    If this is the limit of your abilities, then instead of leering at a girl''s underwear, you should''ve focused on restoring it.

    Don¡¯t you think so?

 Chapter 467

    The skeleton, which had been sprawled on the floor, staggered to its feet upon seeing us.

    ¡°...What the hell are you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know who the great mage is? Did your brain go empty, or was the scene from earlier too stimting for you, old virgin mage?¡±

    The skeleton was about to shout something back but stopped, gripping his staff tightly.

    It seemed like he decided not to continue the conversation, perhaps because it would just irritate him further, and wanted to dismiss us instead.

    Was this wisdom worthy of a great mage, or was it the foolishness of someone reacting exactly as I teased them?@@novelbin@@

    I chuckled as I watched the magic gathering at the tip of his staff, then shrugged my shoulders and pushed my mace forward.

    At that, the skeleton stopped gathering magic and stared nkly at the tip of the mace.

    ¡°...That¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Even without eyes, you recognize yourrades? It¡¯s too noble to call it friendship... could it be an unspoken love?¡±

    <Lucy, don¡¯t cross the line.>

    ¡°Can you shut up for a moment?¡±

    Hearing the voices from both my grandfather and the skeleton, I shrugged my shoulders and fell silent.

    After all, I came to this skeleton for advice. There¡¯s no need topletely cross the line.

    Though I was probably teetering on the edge, it should be fine, right? Once I kept quiet, the skeleton, having calmed himself, carefully observed us.

    ¡°Thedy standing behind you is the one who receives the love of the gods. In thisnd, I¡¯ve never seen anyone so devout in such a diminishednd.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your praise, Erginus. However, there are others in thisnd who are more devout than I.¡±

    ¡°...I know, but I don¡¯t want to acknowledge it. Please understand.¡±

    Seeing Feivy lightly smile, the skeleton sighed and shifted his gaze.

    ¡°The man standing next to you must be the one who carries the blood of Sdin.¡±

    ¡°The third prince of the kingdom. Arthur Sdin. Please, feel free to speak.¡±

    ¡°I will ept your courtesy. So, how is it? Did Sdin seize the opportunity that came to him?¡±

    ¡°The glory the kingdom holds now is almost entirely because of him. Surely Sdin did not miss his chance.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s a good thing. And what about the otherdies next to you?¡±

    ¡°The eldest daughter of the Duke of Parn. Joy Parn.¡±

    ¡°Freya Kent.¡±

    ¡°And...¡±

    The skeleton turned back to me, sighed dramatically, and clutched his staff tightly.

    ¡°Two of my dear friend''s relics are in your hands. What kind of person are you?¡±

    ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know, or do you just want to hear how dumb I am? If it''s thetter, I can happily provide exactly what you want.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hah. How could the gods choose such a person?¡±

    When the skeleton tapped his forehead with his bony hand, Feivy, who had been behind me, moved as if to step forward.

    Joey, noticing this, would have likely said something had she not grabbed her shoulder in time.

    ¡°Right, a little brat who receives the love of the gods and attracts the attention of countless gods. What are you doing right now?¡±

    ¡°I actually have a question for the now-useless skeleton mage.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking. What I¡¯m asking is what the hell you think you¡¯re doing.¡±

    The skeleton pointed at the fully open ceiling above us.

    ¡°Is there something wrong with that?¡±

    ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Why? Does it annoy you that things aren¡¯t going the way you wanted? Are you angry? Maybe you should have made the dungeon sturdier. If you had, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    Originally, getting to this ce involved going through a lot of annoying processes.

    Since Erginus was the one who made a simr dungeon, he must have put even more effort into the one with his fake version.

    But this dungeon, despite all the suffering we have to go through, is inefficient even in the game and wasn¡¯t favored by yers.

    Until the fact that you could break the ceiling using a specific scroll and bomb was discovered.

    ¡°That ceiling was strong enough. It¡¯s never been broken, not even once.¡±

    ¡°How stupid and ipetent were the past fools if they couldn¡¯t break a soft wall like that?¡±

    ¡°What kind of trick are you pulling?¡±

    ¡°Curious? If you¡¯re dying to hear it, I¡¯ll dly answer.¡±

    The skeleton rattled in frustration, but he couldn¡¯t refuse my words.

    He was clearly curious about how I managed to break what he had carefully constructed.

    Even though this was a fake version of the great mage with his memories, he was still a mage.

    The skeleton, who valued curiosity over pride, could never refuse my offer.

    ¡°Well, we could make a deal too. If the insane, washed-up mage offers a bit of advice, I¡¯d be more than happy to tell you what was so bad about your little creation.¡±

    Thinking I¡¯d made an offer he couldn¡¯t refuse, I stared at the skeleton. He grinned, as though in disbelief.

    ¡°You broke the ceiling and now you¡¯re asking for what you want?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t like it? Then too bad. You can spend your whole life wondering with that empty brain of yours.¡±

    ¡°At least show some sincerity and pass my trials. Little brat.¡±

    ¡°The third room¡¯s window. The fruit of the second tree in the center. The left eye of the devil statue.¡±

    As I listed the answers to Erginus¡¯s trials, the skeleton visibly became confused. I smiled yfully at his pathetic expression.

    ¡°Done? A mentally unstable skeleton like you trying to impose trivial trials will shatter just like that weak ceiling. Just give me the answer.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re incredibly bold.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m allowed to be. After all, I¡¯m cute and pretty enough to charm even a washed-up god.¡±

    ¡°Hah. Sorry, but a little brat like you is far from my type. What does it matter if you look decent? You¡¯re just a kid.¡±

    Seeing the skeleton scoff, I forgot what I was going to say in surprise.

    Yes! This is the normal reaction!

    I¡¯m d to see that instead of begging to be trampled on, he¡¯s treating me as just a little kid!

    What a true hero! Unlike the beasts around me, he has normal preferences! I¡¯m really impressed!

    For such a person, I¡¯ll give him a gift!

    A gift in the form of a perfectly normal-looking, foolish fox!

    ¡°To show my true self to such a wretched creature.¡±

    The foolish fox, which had been perched on my shoulder, grumbled but didn¡¯t step back.

    I had made a deal with it beforehand.

    If it worked properly, I¡¯d let it use me as a chair for about an hour.

    I don¡¯t know what it found good about that, but it was willing to do so, drooling while talking about how eager it was to fulfill its duties, so it would surely do its best for the reward.

    The moment the foolish fox jumped off my shoulder, smoke began to rise, and a human form appeared from within.

    The woman, with the appearance that could captivate anyone, regardless of gender, crossed her arms below her chest and smiled faintly.

    ¡°You called Lucy a brat. What about me, then?¡±

    It seemed like the foolish fox used its power to charm, and it appeared even more attractive than usual.

    If I hadn¡¯t known her true form, I might have been charmed myself.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer?¡±

    The skeleton stayed silent, and the foolish fox took a step forward, tilting her head.

    The skeleton, who had been standing frozen, snapped back to reality, hunched his shoulders, and stepped back.

    ¡°Wait. Let me pause for a moment. I need time to prepare.¡±

    ¡°Hah! Time to prepare, huh? Such a childish thing to say. It doesn¡¯t suit a skeleton like you.¡±

    ¡°Grrr.¡±

    As the skeleton stepped back and bumped into the wall, he hunched his back, as if meeting a street thug in an alley.

    <Ha ha ha! Erginus! He doesn¡¯t even mess with his own puppets!>

    ¡®...Was the great mage really this shy?¡¯

    <Shy? That¡¯s an understatement! He fainted when the princess held his hand! He¡¯se a long way since then! If this had happened when we first traveled, he would have already passed out!>

    ¡®Goodness.¡¯

    That seems to go beyond just being reluctant around women.

    In a different way, this great mage is really something.

    ¡°Hey, brat! Stop just staring and do something about this beastly woman!¡±

    ¡°Why should I? I¡¯d rather watch the virgin mage squirm.¡±

    ¡°Deal! I¡¯ll make a deal! Please, just do it!¡±

    ¡°Yes~¡±

    After a briefmotion passed, Joey, standing before the skeleton to seek advice, looked at him with suspicion.

    She didn¡¯t doubt Lucy¡¯s assurance, but what she had just seen was so different from the Erginus she had heard of in fairy tales.

    The Erginus she knew was a master of magic and a noble among nobles, yet the one she saw earlier, fumbling in front of Rina, was just a shy man.

    Even now, he kept sneaking nces at Rina without daring to approach her. He just seemed pathetic.

    Could this skeleton really give us useful advice?

    ¡°Ahem.¡±

    It seemed that Joey¡¯s sharp gaze had made the skeleton clear his throat, and he straightened his posture.

    ¡°Are you the mage who came to seek my advice?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right, Erginus.¡±

    ¡°Show me your magic.¡±

    Suppressing her doubts, Joey summoned the magic within her.

    She had been discussing the concretization of magic with her friends before this moment, and after many adjustments, she had managed to create a reasonable shape.

    Confident that she had at least formed a basic structure, Joey finished the magic circle and waited quietly for the skeleton to speak.

    However, the skeleton did not speak even after several dozen seconds passed.

    Was he still pondering about what this magic circle was?

    Was this really Erginus?

    Had Lucy made a mistake?

    As her doubts grew, seeing his earlier pathetic behavior, the skeleton slowly muttered to himself.

    ¡°Is this what magic will be like two hundred years from now? Not much progress, it seems.¡±

    When Joey heard those words, a chill ran down her spine.

    This person... Has he been stuck in the knowledge of two hundred years ago?

    And yet, just in those few seconds, he bridged the gap of centuries?

    No... that can¡¯t be.

    Even though Erginus is an extraordinary mage, that¡¯s impossible.

    ¡°Mage.¡±

    ¡°Yes? Yes!¡±

    ¡°Is this magic you¡¯ve created to respond to the powers of the Void?¡±

    ¡°...Yes.¡±

    ¡°The concept is not bad, but your ability to manifest it iscking. If you want to create magic in your way, it would be better to do it like this.¡±

    As the skeleton finished speaking, the magic circle began moving on its own,pletely beyond Joey¡¯s control.

    Had her magic been stolen? She hadn¡¯t even sensed any warning.

    ¡°Right?¡±

    Blinking, Joey finally regained her senses and froze, staring at the magic circle floating before her.

    The magic circle, altered by the great mage¡¯s hands, was beautiful enough to move any mage who saw it.

 Chapter 468

    ¡°If you are entering the academy, you¡¯re probably already aware, but I¡¯ll briefly go over the origin of magic. It¡¯s a basic part of magic studies.¡±

    ¡°In the distant past, there were many differing opinions on what magic truly is. Some said it was a miracle granted by the gods, others imed it was a rebellious force against divinew, some believed it was a stepping stone to approach the divine. There were countless other theories as well.¡±

    ¡°However, modern magicians don¡¯t worry about such things anymore. The great mage Erginus revealed the true origin of magic.¡±

    ¡°Magic is the act of extending one¡¯s will into the world through magical power. It is the mercy granted by the gods to powerless humans and a collective wisdom built up by the sages of the past.¡±

    ¡°Future magicians, the contents written in textbooks will be your foundation, but don¡¯t let yourselves be confined by them. Magic is as diverse as the people who use it. Keep exploring yourselves for the day you will discover your own magic.¡±

    When Joey first entered the academy and met the professor of magic, the renowned mage in the academic world began the first lesson with these words.

    Most students thought of her words as the usual teachings given by magicians and let them pass in one ear and out the other, but not Joey.

    Having seen firsthand what magic for an individual could look like, Joey knew the professor¡¯s words were not just empty talk but sincere advice.

    And because she understood how sincere it was, she also grasped how difficult it was to reach that level.

    Her father, the Duke of Parn, performed miracles so extraordinary that Joey sometimes doubted whether she could ever reach that level, even if she dedicated her entire life to it.

    ¡°Magician?¡±

    ¡°...Yes. Four?¡±

    ¡°Focus.¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Joey snapped back to reality at the sound of the skeleton¡¯s voice. She took a deep breath, then exhaled and turned her gaze back to the magic circle.

    Until now, Joey had never thought there could be magic beyond what her father, the Duke of Parn, had shown her.

    As the kingdom¡¯s top magician, known to rival the greatest geniuses of the Mage Empire, the magic of the Duke was filled with awe.

    However, in this moment, Joey had to admit her thoughts were wrong.

    The greatest magician in history, who had earned respect from even the gods of magic, was showing her things that expanded Joey¡¯s worldview.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s begin the lesson.¡±

    ¡°...Ah.¡±

    As the skeleton snapped his fingers, the magic that had beenpleted through the great mage¡¯s abilities reverted to its original state.

    Joey sighed in disappointment at the loss of the awe she had just experienced, but the skeleton ignored it and spoke again.

    ¡°This part¡ªwhat was the intention behind this?¡±

    ¡°I was trying to deal with hallucinations. I brought in something rted to the magic associated with Haeju and...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked.¡±

    ¡°...Huh?¡±

    ¡°Magician. Did you truly think Haeju was needed to counter the powers of the Void?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But because youcked confidence in yourself, you tried to consider everything, and that¡¯s why you went off course from the start.¡±

    The skeleton scolded Joey and erased the elements rted to Haeju from her magic.

    Joey¡¯s magic then became much cleaner than before.

    ¡°Magic is the act of extending your will into the world through magic power. If the gods of magic heard this, they would probably get angry and say that it¡¯s not like that, but what do I care? In my view, magic is just that. Magician?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Think of it as a prayer. Between one desperate wish and a multitude of desires scattered in all directions, which one would be clearer?¡±

    ¡°One wish.¡±

    ¡°Magic is the same. One strong, desperate wish is more powerful than dozens of petty tricks. Do you understand what I¡¯m trying to say?¡±

    ¡°Focus on making one clear wish within your magic.¡±

    Upon hearing Joey¡¯s answer, the skeleton let out a smallugh.

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s move on. Now, erase what you think is unnecessary in your magic.¡±

    Joey, as though entranced by the skeleton¡¯s words, focused intently on what he had said.

    The friends standing around her, even the quiet snoring from the corner, and the sound of someone swinging their mace¡ªnone of these distracted her.

    For Joey, the only thing that mattered was learning about magic.

    ¡°...This is hard to follow.¡±

    Feivy, who had been listening with Joey from behind, let out a small sigh as she felt her head spinning.

    Though she had been learning divine magic under Bishop Johan and had increased her knowledge of general magic, there were limits to her understanding.

    In the end, Feivy had chosen divine magic as her field of expertise.

    Lacking basic knowledge of regr magic, she could not fully follow the skeleton¡¯s exnations.

    Arthur, who was standing next to her, was in the same position. Despite his high rank at the academy, he struggled to follow the exnation, just like Joey.

    When Joey nodded in awe, Arthur had to rack his brain desperately to understand.

    When Joey answered and made the skeletonugh, Arthur, too, realized something.

    There was a clear gap in talent between the two.

    He had always known that Joey was a genius, but strangely, today, it seemed like she was standing on a different level.

    A ce he could never catch up to.

    Joey, her eyes sparkling and speaking without pause, and the skeleton, responding to her, kept the flow going.

    Meanwhile, the other two desperately tried to catch up with the skeleton¡¯s exnation, but it all came to an end when the skeleton closed his mouth.

    ¡°...Erginus?¡±

    ¡°At this point, I think I¡¯ve given enough advice for you.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s still¡ª¡±

    ¡°Helping you from start to finish isn¡¯t advice. From here on, you¡¯ll have to think for yourselves.¡±

    ¡°...Do you think we can?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible. I, the great mage Erginus, guarantee it.¡±@@novelbin@@

    With that, Erginus turned his head away, leaving Joey, who was still full of regret.

    After being alone for so long, he was so excited to meet such good talent that he had ended up giving away even unnecessary information.

    ...Time is truly a frightening thing.

    He muttered inwardly, justifying himself by thinking he had to offer some guidance, as those who would apany the apostles of the gods had to receive advice.

    ¡°You, the devout one. You are on the right path. If you keep pushing forward, surely the gods will answer.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve already received their guidance.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s a fortunate thing.¡±

    After facing Feivy¡¯s bright smile, Erginus turned his gaze to Arthur, pausing for a moment before cautiously speaking.

    ¡°Sdin¡¯s bloodline, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Please speak.¡±

    ¡°Do you remember what I said at the beginning?¡±

    ¡°The part about... desperation?¡±

    ¡°In order for desperation to be truly desperate, you must not doubt it. Don¡¯t turn away. Face it. That¡¯s the best advice I can give you.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯ll remember it.¡±

    The skeleton seemed to have something more to say, his lips twitching, but he didn¡¯t say anything further and turned his head.

    At that moment, his gazended on Lucy, who was repeatedly striking her mace in the corner of the room.

    At first nce, it seemed like she was just randomly swinging her mace, but it wasn¡¯t that simple.

    She was gradually adjusting her posture, trying to find the movement that suited her best.

    Watching Lucy¡¯s movements intently, the skeleton gained a certainty.

    When he first encountered her, he had his doubts, but now it was clear.

    He was sure of it.

    The one giving advice now was undoubtedly¡ª

    The skeleton approached Lucy and created a space where only he and Lucy could hear.

    Lucy, having noticed the skeleton¡¯s approach long ago, checked the barrier and nced at him.

    ¡°What is it, virgin mage? Came to ask how to get close to the foolish fox?¡±

    ¡°...Ahem.¡±

    For a moment, the skeleton almost nodded, but he suppressed it with superhuman patience. This little brat would bber on if he showed the slightest opening.

    ¡°Little brat. You¡¯re asking for advice from that Luell, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°The old grandpa, who¡¯s so cute, is offering to help me, so I¡¯m just humoring him. He¡¯s such a bothersome old man.¡±

    ¡°...Hah. Ha. Ha ha ha!¡±

    The skeletonughed louder than ever at her insulting words about hispanion.

    Ha ha! To think someone could say that to that prickly guy!

    When we lived as heroes, we¡¯d never have imagined such a thing!

    Is Luell just standing there quietly, taking this? Is he enduring it inside!?

    That guy¡¯s really gone soft!

    ¡°Virgin mage. Have you finally lost it?¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯m still fine! I can¡¯t show any weakness in front of Luell!¡±

    ¡°Really? Then how about you bring the foolish fox over.¡±

    ¡°Deal. Please. I¡¯ll give you proper advice.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Do it. I¡¯ll listen and decide.¡±

    Though it was a brash attitude toward a great mage, the skeleton forced himself to ept it.

    If that alluring womanes near him, he would surely lose his mind.

    But no.

    No matter what, Luell would never enjoy this.

    Absolutely not!

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to find the right movements for your body, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Wow. How did you know? Were you staring at me with some sticky gaze when I wasn¡¯t looking? The foolish fox was just a distraction, but actually, you¡¯re attracted to me, right?¡±

    ¡°Shut up! What do you think I¡ª! ...Ahem. Anyway, back to the point. When creating something new, it¡¯s better to take Luell¡¯s advice with a grain of salt. That old man, by instinct, is always seeking order and rules.¡±

    When creating something new, there¡¯s no need topletely discard the existing knowledge, but you must not depend on it too much.

    If you cling too much to the existing knowledge, what you create will just be a derivative of it.

    ¡°By now, that idiot Luell is probably ranting. Pass it on. I¡¯ll argue with each of his points.¡±

 Chapter 470

    This passage is filled with intense emotions and a sh of personalities, particrly between the protagonist (Lucy) and the skeleton, as well as references to magical elements and the mysteries surrounding the ¡°fairy dance¡± and past conflicts.

    Here''s the trantion of the text you provided:

    The skeleton''s eyes were empty, yet strangely, heat could be felt within that darkness.

    Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, as if the deep emotions from the past were seeping out, I forgot my earlier excitement and faced the skeleton.

    ¡°Answer me. How do you know about the fairy¡¯s dance?¡±

    His tone was serious, entirely different from the one he used when arguing with my grandfather.

    A sharp voice, as though no small joke would be tolerated.

    What is it about the fairy''s dance that has made the skeleton this desperate?

    I don¡¯t really know. The only thing I know about the fairy forest is that the skeleton put it into an eternal slumber. What happened in between, I don''t know.@@novelbin@@

    That¡¯s the story of the heroes, not Soul Academy¡¯s tale.

    <Speak of what you saw from Ganshu.>

    While I was choosing my words, my grandfather gave me advice.

    He told me to lie.

    My grandfather must know that the fairy''s dance I performed with Ganshu has nothing to do with what the skeleton is asking. After all, he watched the scene when I underwent the trial.

    Yet, my grandfather still told me to lie, clearing the enthusiasm from his voice.

    I¡¯m not very sharp, but when it gets to this point, I can naturally guess what¡¯s going on.

    The story rted to the fairy¡¯s forest is probably something tragic, something endlessly close to sorrow.

    ¡°Why did that history nerd show it to me?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ganshu showed you the fairy¡¯s forest?¡±

    The skeleton paused for a moment when it heard my mockery but soon realized who I was talking about.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Do I need to know the little brat''s thoughts? Why? Do you think I care about that annoying little history geek?¡±

    The convenience of divine intent is such that when a prophecy is sent from the heavens to the earth, it leaves plenty of room for interpretation, and so too do their decrees. If you say you don''t understand their intent, they can''t argue back.

    Well, what can I do? I don''t know.

    ¡°Calm down. You antisocial virgin wizard. If you keep ranting like that, who would want to be friends with you? Even if someone tried, they¡¯d run away in fear.¡±

    I tried to shift the topic by slightly riling him up, but the skeleton didn¡¯t react to my impudent tone.

    It was as if my teasing was all just lies.

    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s happened to the fairy¡¯s forest?¡±

    ¡°It''s the ce where the creepy, trembling, evil god devoured it? Why ask? Didn¡¯t you seal it away, virgin wizard? Did your memory get fried or something?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s where I sealed it. A ce where the sins of a miserable wizard, who chose the world over the corrupted forest, remain. The fact that Ganshu showed it to you, his apostle, clearly has some intent behind it!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t think Ganshu had such foresight.

    That little weirdo probably just chose a tricky ce to annoy me.

    ¡°The darkness on thisnd makes saving that ce impossible. Why? Why is it so?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t that little coward get beaten and run off?¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°Like a coward, he tried to bother me with his creepy little ns, but I crushed him. How did such a pathetic person even get called a god? Oh, I see. Does being a god mean you¡¯re a god, no matter how trashy you are?¡±

    I didn¡¯tpletely defeat the dark evil god. To erase his existence, I¡¯d need to break the seal beneath the dungeon.

    But I did destroy most of the power that the dark evil god possessed.

    The evil god sacrificed everything to eliminate me, his apostle, and even in that situation, he was proven to be nothing but weak.

    By now, he¡¯s probably just mentally celebrating in the seal.

    ¡°Can you tell me more about that story?¡±

    The skeleton, pushing his skull closer, made me ufortable, but his voice held an unspoken desperation that I couldn¡¯t dismiss.

    Hmm. How should I exin this?

    Even if I manage to distort things with my "Messgaki" skill, I don¡¯t think I can exin this in a way that makes sense.

    Plus, if I keep babbling, the only one who¡¯ll understand will be the rotten me.

    After a moment of hesitation, I gave up on exining and asked the skeleton to briefly lift the seal so I could bring in Feiby.

    ¡°Are you talking about the day I fought the dark evil god? If so, it¡¯s better for Lady to exin that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯ll do my best to exin thedy¡¯s devotion.¡±

    Feiby, who had often preached to others at the church, was a great storyteller.

    If there was a prettydy on a video site talking like this, I¡¯m sure it would have millions of views.

    But, Feiby, don''t you think the story¡¯s a bit exaggerated?

    In the story, I¡¯m not a "Messgaki" anymore, but a figure out of a myth!

    I¡¯m not that noble! Please, tone it down a bit!

    Unable to bear Feiby¡¯s praises, I covered my flushed face with both hands, but it didn¡¯t matter. Feiby continued to tell her exaggerated version of the story to the skeleton.

    ¡°Lady caused a miracle with the power of the god, and the city that was overtaken by darkness has returned to its original state.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true. Erginus. I heard from the people at the church that it¡¯s be even more sacred than before.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°I swear to the god.¡±

    When Feiby smiled gently and nodded, Erginus slowly turned his head to look at me.

    I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s expecting, but I¡¯m apletely different person from the one in the story. If you expect something from me, all you¡¯ll get is rejection.

    ¡°Lucy Arlen. Was that your name?¡±

    ¡°Are you calling me a brat even though you remember my name? Why? Was it too embarrassing to say a girl¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°The miracle in the city. Can it be expanded to a broader area?¡±

    Are you talking about the evil god¡¯s energy being removed?

    It¡¯s not impossible.

    If I take some holy relics from Isabel Artea, it should be more than doable.

    Both Feiby and I have grown so much since then.

    I nodded without saying anything, and the skeleton clenched his teeth before slowly nodding.

    ¡°You¡¯re an academy student, right?¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°When the break begins, will youe find me? I¡¯d like to make a deal. If you agree to help me, I¡¯ll tell you about the things the real one hid. Even after I took his memories, the real one continued to act, so there may be inuracies, but I can guarantee that everything will be valuable.¡±

    The proposal from the skeleton was a type I had never seen in a game.

    Though the skeleton inherits Erginus¡¯ memories, he has never shared information about it.

    So this proposal from the skeleton clearly shows how desperate he is.

    But regardless of his desperation, his offer isn¡¯t that appealing to me.

    I probably know more about where Erginus hid his things than this skeleton does.

    Of course, I know more than the skeleton buried under the desert.

    But¡­

    ¡®Grandfather, this offer from the skeleton. It¡¯s rted to the fairy forest, right?¡¯

    <...Probably. Even after everything ended, that guy kept reminiscing about the forest.>

    ¡®Is it dangerous?¡¯

    <I¡¯d personally tell you to ignore it. It¡¯s like poking a ho¡¯s nest.>

    Though my grandfather advised against it, I didn¡¯t listen to him.

    The fairy forest is a ce I couldn¡¯t visit in the game.

    It¡¯s a cursed realm I¡¯ve never stepped into¡ªa hell whose nature I don¡¯t even know.

    What could be more alluring than that?

    I smiled and walked up to the skeleton, who was waiting for me to speak, and struck him on the shin.

    No matter how much of a great mage he was, it seemed like he couldn¡¯t react to an unexpected attack, and he stumbled, putting us on the same level.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what the great virgin mage left behind. Even if I find something, I don¡¯t want to touch it. It¡¯ll smell like an old widower¡¯s stuff.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t belittle those things like that! They¡¯re not just things!¡±

    ¡°You clueless virgin mage. You know nothing about women and act like a fool in front of them. You couldn¡¯t do anything on your own, so you¡¯re groveling in front of a girl. How did someone like you get the title of a god?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, stop babbling and help. That idiot is bound to mess things up again.¡±

    I trust in Feiby¡¯s abilities.

    And I also trust that she won¡¯t be able to get out of her current situation.

    If I leave her to handle it on her own, she¡¯ll probably end up blushing and failing spectacrly.

    I didn¡¯t want to see my friend cry in regret, so I asked the skeleton to help her.

    He paused for a moment before quietly asking me.

    ¡°...Do you know what I would ask of you?¡±

    ¡°Roughly?¡±

    ¡°Do you know it¡¯s dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Dangerous? Oh, enduring the smell of that chicken coopdy is a bit much. I¡¯ll admit that.¡±

    ¡°But would you really help me with just this small thing?¡±

    ¡°Look, virgin wizard. I think you¡¯re mistaken, but I¡¯m not interested in your stinky desires. I¡¯m just doing what I want to do. So don¡¯t get delusional. There¡¯s nothing more disgusting than a loser chuckling to himself.¡±

    I finished speaking as I tapped the skeleton¡¯s forehead, stepping back and grabbing my mace again.

    As I prepared to further solidify the clues I gathered from the fairy¡¯s dance, the skeleton suddenly burst outughing after a while.

    After a few moments, he stoppedughing and stood up, looking at me with a voice filled with amusement.

    ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t doubt the great god¡¯s foresight.¡±

    ...What?

    What¡¯s he saying all of a sudden?

    Did he awaken some hidden taste in himself after being beaten?

    If another pervert shows up, that would be troublesome!

    ¡°Fairy fox! Attack!¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?! Why!? Why!? I was just giving apliment, why are you scared?!¡±

    ¡°Lucy, don¡¯t forget to reward meter.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh! Don¡¯te near me! Don¡¯te near me!¡±

    Well, thank goodness. Judging by his reaction, it seems like his preferences haven¡¯t changed.

    ¡°Please don¡¯te near meeee!¡±

 Chapter 471

    After finishing the deal with me, the Skeleton, who had started intervening in Joy¡¯s magic, unted his presence as a Grand Mage without holding back.

    ¡°Are you thinking of having the academy¡¯s mages use this? That¡¯s inefficient. It would be better to directly imbue this property into the academy''s barrier.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the magic circle for the barrier? Doesn¡¯t matter. Iid the foundation, so we can imbue magic into that base. Ah. There might bepatibility issues in this case. I¡¯ll need to think about it.¡± ¡°Should I just modify the foundation of the barrier? Yes. That would be better. It¡¯s been around for a long time, so there must be some issues.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll update the barrier and imbue this property at the same time.¡± ¡°Who will make these modifications, you ask? Naturally, you, the mage, should do it. I¡¯m stuck here, unable to leave.¡±

    As the Skeleton adjusted the magic circle ording to his ideas, he suddenly addressed Joy, who had been asking practical questions.

    ¡°Me?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not too difficult. With your decent talent, you¡¯ll be able to learn it quickly.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Joy, praised by the Grand Mage, grinned and let out a melting smile.

    The Skeleton wasn¡¯t wrong. Joy¡¯s talent was among the top ranks in Soul Academy, after all.

    However... there was still something uneasy about entrusting something to just Joy.

    ¡°Prince Patran, stop standing there ande closer to listen to my words.¡± ¡°...Me too?¡± ¡°Are you nning on leaving everything to this absent-minded mage? I can¡¯t do that. Regardless of the mage¡¯s talent, this child isn¡¯t someone we can trust.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that.¡± ¡°The devout one,e here as well. The more safety measures, the better.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡±

    Oh, the Grand Mage really is impressive. He quickly figured out what kind of person Joy was.

    If I hadn¡¯t seen her begging for her life in front of the silly fox, I would have truly admired him. What a shame.

    While I was thinking this, Joy¡¯s face turned red as she raised her voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad! I may make mistakes sometimes, but it¡¯s not like I deserve such insults!¡± ¡°Sometimes? Joy, do you really think it¡¯s just sometimes? Let me list all the mistakes I¡¯ve seen you make up until now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I overstepped my bounds!¡± ¡°Pitiful prince. Do you remember every time this fool made a fool of herself? It¡¯s a bit creepy, but still, I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious too. Prince, I¡¯d like to hear about all the mistakes Joy made that I don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°I¡¯m human, so I don¡¯t remember everything. But there are a few things that stick out in my memory.¡± ¡°Prince?! You¡¯re the prince!? Can¡¯t you hear me!?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it when you were just learning magic? You said you were going to show off your fire magic, but while creating the magic circle, you ended up burning down the pce¡¯s flower garden...¡± ¡°If you keep this up, I¡¯ll burn you this time, prince!¡±

    Joy actually had the ability to burn a few people, so we all stopped talking.

    I¡¯ll have to ask her about thister when we get back to the academy. A story about her disastrous failure, one that didn¡¯t even appear in the game. It sounds like it¡¯ll be hrious.

    While Arthur, Joy, and Faivi were learning about the barrier from Erginas, I did my best to materialize the blurry fairy dance.

    However, there was one crucial problem.

    Thest time I saw the fairy dance was a long time ago.

    Thest time I saw that dance was when I first started ying the game.

    Cutscenes in games tend to be like that, don¡¯t they? When you first see them, you can¡¯t help but gasp in awe, but once you¡¯ve seen them two or three times, you naturally start skipping them!

    Honestly, I think it¡¯s impressive that I even remember it vaguely!

    Truly!

    Was it like this? Or was it not? Was it something like this?

    As I struggled to recall the vague memory, I felt my frustration growing.

    I thought once I got over the mountain, it would be all downhill, but herees another uphill!

    Who¡¯s the idiot who made such a terrible course?!

    Aren¡¯t you afraid of me causing a ruckus, you brat! You bastard!

    <At least you¡¯ve found a path. Compared to when you didn¡¯t even know the proper road, this is a huge improvement.>

    ¡°You¡¯re so positive, Grandpa.¡±

    <Heh. It¡¯s not being positive. It¡¯s just the natural reaction.>

    ¡°Natural, huh?¡±

    <You may have grown quickly, but the path of nothingness is inherently one of wandering around aimlessly. You should be happy that you¡¯ve spotted a sign far away. Now, you just have to go toward it.>

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean the hopelessness is gone, though.¡±

    <So what? Don¡¯t I have plenty of advice for you? There¡¯s the blessing from the Goddess of Beauty and Art, the blessing from the God of History, and there¡¯s me.>

    Grandpa¡¯s words were quite reliable. If I hadn¡¯t heard something simr before, I would have believed it.

    ¡°Do you remember when we first tried to develop the new stone technique? You said something simr then too.¡±

    <...Oh.>

    ¡°But guess what. The path you led me on was a cliff, wasn¡¯t it? What do you think about that?¡±

    <A cliff? That wasn¡¯t your path. For others, it¡¯s clearly the right answer!>

    ¡°That was the wrong answer for me, Grandpa. Are you really trying to justify your ipetence like that?¡±

    <Hmph.>

    Grandpa didn¡¯t seem to have anything more to say. He cleared his throat a few times and then fell silent.

    I couldn¡¯t see his expression, but I could feel that he was ncing at me.@@novelbin@@

    Trying to pretend to be sulking, I held back myughter, but my lips betrayed me.

    Augh naturally escaped from my mouth.

    <Ha. So you were teasing me.>

    ¡°Now you understand why I say I shouldn¡¯t hit you with the truth, right?¡±

    <Ah... I¡¯ll be more careful with my words next time.>

    ¡°You¡¯ve learned, huh?¡±

    What else could I do? The memory¡¯s already too blurry, and now there¡¯s no way to see the scene again.

    I had no choice but to push myself and try my hardest to get as close to the original as possible.

    As I thought this, I readied my stance again, and just then, Freya, who had been sleeping soundly all this time, opened her eyes and silently watched me move.

    She then stood up, stretched, and came over to me with quick steps.

    ¡°Lucy. Lucy.¡±

    She didn¡¯t say much, but her sparkling eyes conveyed everything.

    ¡°Do you want to get beaten that badly? A masochist, huh?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    Freya easily deflected my attack, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    It¡¯s true that I still have a lot to improve before using it in realbat.

    I had only just learned the fairy dance a few hours ago.

    But I wasn¡¯t going to refuse Freya¡¯s challenge. I was just as eager to move my body.

    Ah, how did I be this muscle-brained person?

    I was once a weak young man who used to shout, ¡°The outside world is dangerous!¡± before falling into this world.

    ¡°If you want toe at me, then do it. I¡¯ll make you roll on the ground until you¡¯re sick of it.¡±

    ¡°Is that a promise?¡±

    My duel with Freya proceeded as usual.

    My taunt made Freya, now heated, charge toward my shield. I blocked her attack and then countered the moment I saw an opening.

    My shield was strong enough to block even Rasha¡¯s attacks, so no matter how sharp Freya¡¯s sword became, it was impossible to break it.

    As I saw her sword growing sharper day by day, I felt like it was only a matter of time before it would break, but not yet.

    Was there anything different from usual? No, there was a definite difference.

    ¡°...Lucy, your movements are so annoying.¡±

    Freya, exhausted and now lying t on the ground, mumbled in a voice full of frustration. It was clear that my movements, mimicking the fairy dance, were particrly skilled at ruffling her emotions.

    I don¡¯t know for sure, but I think it felt like a heat rising in the head just by watching.

    Grandpa said the more malicious part of the dance was that it had a captivating charm, making it hard to look away.

    You¡¯d get frustrated just by watching it, but you couldn¡¯t stop watching either.

    It was such a perfect match for me!

    It wasn¡¯t even finished yet, but just imagine what the full power would be like!

    Hehe, it¡¯s so exciting just thinking about it.

    If I ever get a chance to talk to the God of Martial Arts, I should ask him for some advice.

    I¡¯m sure the God of Martial Arts would have some decent suggestions.

    ...But when is that sense of crisis he promised going toe?

    Ganshu! Are you working or not?!

    Muttering to myself whileforting my tired body, the Skeleton, leaving the three who were half-spirited, came over to me.

    Even when we stayed up for nights preparing for exams at the academy, it wasn¡¯t this bad.

    How hard did he push them?

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished the method to deal with the Void¡¯s powers. Now, all I have to do is apply it at the academy.¡± ¡°Are you confident? If that magic turns out like that cowardly mage¡¯s, even the chickendy will be stuck in a dream forever.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who that chickendy is, but don¡¯t worry. As long as that mage doesn¡¯t make any strange mistakes, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°...But the fool always does something foolish.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I attached two safety devices next to her.¡±

    Erginas, speaking confidently that there was no chance of any problems, looked at me and chuckled.

    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. It¡¯ll be problematic if that cowardly mage falls apart.¡± ¡°Ha. I see. Oh, by the way, didn¡¯t you promise to show me how you broke the ceiling? You have to keep your word.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly either. I¡¯ll show you the breaking, and the cowardly mage can analyze it herself.¡±

    Having said this, I grabbed Joy, whose eyes were spinning, and brought her over to attach the bomb to the ceiling with her magic.

    Then, after Faivi made the shield, we broke the ceiling just like before.

    Since the Skeleton had already analyzed Joy¡¯s magic in an instant, he probably figured out the principle right away, right?

    Expecting him to exin confidently, I turned my head slightly and found the Skeleton with his mouth hanging open, tilting his head.

    ¡°Cowardly mage? Why are you making such a foolish face?¡± ¡°¡­What is that?¡± ¡°¡­Hmm?¡± ¡°No, huh? What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Well, I can¡¯t answer you, even if you ask me.

    ¡°Wait. Just wait a moment. Do it again. I¡¯ll engrave it in my eyes, please.¡±

    Sorry, but we don¡¯t have the materials or time. Our business is done, so we¡¯re leaving now. You understand, right?

    ¡°Just a moment! Just a little bit! Please!¡±

    ¡°You fool! Attack again!¡±

    ¡°Lucy, I think you¡¯re using me way too well.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t like it?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. But if you treat me more like a tool... Ugh, urgh.¡±

    While the silly fox neutralized the Skeleton, we escaped through the ceiling and out of the dungeon.

    Now, let''s go back to the academy! Let¡¯s go take care of the Void¡¯s followers!

 Chapter 472

    In the underground beneath the desert, after themotion had passed, the Skeleton, who had been admiring the clear night sky, smiled at the scene of the sky he had encountered after such a long time.

    ¡°How fascinating. Was the night sky always this beautiful?¡±

    The night sky, as engraved in the memories given by the original, had always been a symbol of endless misfortune. So why was the night in the present world so sparkling?

    Perhaps the original didn¡¯t want me to be curious about the world outside.

    If I were curious about the external scenery, I might try to leave this ce and venture outside.

    The Skeleton thought that Erginas¡¯s worry wasn¡¯t unfounded.

    If he had stayed here for years, with that vision etched into his mind, he would have surely searched for a way to leave.

    ¡°However, Erginas, why did you not take the fairy¡¯s memory from me? If you wanted me to stay here forever, you should have taken those happy memories as well.¡±

    If you had, I wouldn¡¯t have such a desperate longing as I do now. The Skeleton chuckled softly, turned away from the sky, and sealed the ceiling.

    ¡°The scene from earlier... no matter how many times I think about it, it doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±

    I understand that various bombs and scrolls werebined to enhance the explosive power. It¡¯s also likely that the shock from the explosion affected the scrolls in some way.

    But why did this result in breaking Erginas¡¯s magic, causing the ceiling¡ªwhich should have remained intact even during a major disaster¡ªto copse?

    ¡°Oh, God. What exactly did you teach that child?¡±

    With a painful headache, the Skeleton muttered inment and created an illusion in the air.

    It was an image of destruction from thendscape that still lingered in his memories.@@novelbin@@

    There¡¯s still a few months left, so I¡¯ll focus on analyzing this for now.

    I can¡¯t leave unknown phenomena to exist without understanding them.

    As the Skeleton was deeply immersed in his world, a piece of information reached him: someone had entered the dungeon¡¯s entrance.

    Hah. This ce, where visitors rarelye once in years, and now two groups arrive in one day.

    It can¡¯t be a coincidence. Could these be the ones who followed that cocky brat?

    Luel. That guy. How could he not catch something like this while sticking close to that brat?

    How is it that everything else has aged over time, but his stubbornness remains unchanged?

    The Skeleton grabbed his staff, thinking he would express his disappointment the next time he saw him.

    From the energy emanating from the intruders, they seemed to be the followers of the Void¡¯s Evil God. Perfect timing.

    The modern mage gave me a fresh idea. If I use him, I can easily toy with them.

    ¡°Shall I take out my frustration on these guys, for the annoyance caused by that brat?¡±

    The Skeleton let out a yfulugh and began to move.

    ¡°¡­Should we really be receiving such a reward for doing nothing?¡±

    The mercenary captain, seeing the gold coins I handed him, disyed a cautious attitude.

    He mentioned that they didn¡¯t do anything for money, and that receiving so much would actually put them in a difficult situation.

    Watching him wave his hands, I nodded and took out a few more gold coins from my pocket.

    ¡°Y-Young Lady?!¡± ¡°What? Is this still not enough?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s really fine! We just¡ª¡± ¡°Hmph. Fine, I¡¯ll be nice and y the fool for the greedy old man. Go ahead, take as much as you can.¡± ¡°Please, Alrun Young Lady. If you do this, I won¡¯t be able to look Benedict in the face.¡±

    In this strange situation, where one side wanted more, and the other begged me to stop, the mercenary captain ultimately surrendered.

    Realizing that any more words would make things worse, he reluctantly epted the money I offered with a pale hand.

    ¡°You said you didn¡¯t need money, but look at how quickly you¡¯re taking it when the amount pleases you. Scaring a fragile little girl and extorting money like this... you¡¯re such a vile man.¡± ¡°¡­No, I said I didn¡¯t need it, but since you insisted, Young Lady¡­¡± ¡°Right. I gave it voluntarily. So don¡¯t get angry. I¡¯m so scared of you. Are you short on money? If so¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done wrong, but please spare me, Alrun Young Lady. I¡¯ll really be torn in half if I go back to Benedict!¡±

    Seeing the mercenary leader kneeling and begging, trying to manage a whole army of mercenaries, I felt a mix of amusement and sympathy.

    Only people who are used to using money like this can act this way.

    ¡°Just take it and stop talking. Don¡¯t pretend to be virtuous while talking about gratitude. A mercenary obsessed with money is just an absurd knight.¡± ¡°¡­No matter how much you say that, this is too much.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­No. Thank you for your advice. I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±

    When I used formalnguage, the mercenary captain panicked and shook his head. If he had done this earlier, it would have been so much better.

    ¡°Next time you¡¯re called,e immediately. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll tell Papa that you threatened me.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle no matter what, even if I have to throw my life away.¡±

    After parting with the mercenary captain, I returned to my friends, only to find Arthur and Joy¡¯s gazes were rather peculiar.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°I know the Alrun family isn¡¯t very wealthy. Where did all this moneye from, I wonder.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about that too. You said you didn¡¯t need any money, yet you handed over a bunch of gold coins.¡±

    Well, it¡¯s true that the amount of money I gave earlier was toorge for a noble family¡¯s youngdy to casually give away.

    If someone who didn¡¯t know the situation saw it, they¡¯d probably suspect I got caught up in something strange, right?

    Just a few months ago, I definitely wasn¡¯t in a position where I could toss around that much money.

    That is, until the perverted monk handed me an absurd sum.

    ¡®As you¡¯ve heard, the jewelry with the Alrun Young Lady¡¯s portrait is being sold so sessfully that even our best efforts can¡¯t keep up. Thanks to that, our followers are dying in happiness.¡¯ ¡®Had the Young Lady not kindly allowed us, such a miracle wouldn¡¯t have happened. Therefore, it¡¯s only right that we give a portion of the profits we made from the jewelry to the Young Lady.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry about the small details. We use what we need from the profits and give you the rest.¡¯

    The money the perverted monk gave me wasn¡¯t in gold coins.

    tinum coins. A huge amount of money, worth ten gold coins each. I had five of those coins in my pocket.

    When I saw the shiny coins in my pocket, I couldn¡¯t help but suggest making more jewelry.

    Wait! Think about it! The amount of money that could run arge estate for a year just appeared in my hands in an instant! If I just endure the embarrassment for a while, how much could I earn?!

    The perverted monk dly epted my suggestion and promised to call me after he had everything perfectly prepared.

    When I saw the passion in his eyes, I immediately regretted saying anything, but by then, it was already toote to back out.

    ¡­That perverted monk. What kind of preparations is he making that he hasn¡¯t contacted me for so long?

    The longer this drags on, the more uneasy I get. Is this the feeling of a prisoner awaiting execution?

    Anyway, when I exined that the profits from the jewelry were due to my sales, my friends naturally epted it.

    They must have seen how quickly my jewelry spread.

    ¡°If you¡¯ve made so much money, how about spending some on us?¡±

    ¡°Are you asking me to spend the money I made by selling my body on the pitiful prince? Well, I guess I have no choice. A helpless noble must kneel before royalty¡­¡±

    ¡°Helpless? What do you mean by helpless? If I set my mind to it, I could erase someone like me from this world!¡±

    While bickering with my friends, I immediately headed to the dean¡¯s office.

    As the Skeleton told us, I needed the dean¡¯s permission to intervene in the barrier.

    I didn¡¯t think it would be hard to get his permission.

    After all, the dean already had a cor around his neck¡ªhow could he refuse my request?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alrun Young Lady. It might take a bit longer.¡±

    However, the dean¡¯s response was different from what I expected. He was sweating and seemed to be in trouble.

    ¡°Have you gotten too old to remember things? Do I need to remind you what kind of cor is around your neck?¡± ¡°I would love to grant your request immediately, but as you know, there are too many things involved in the academy right now.¡±

    If things were as they were before at the academy, the dean would have happily allowed me to intervene in the barrier.

    However, the situation had changed drastically. The academy was now a proxy battle between the 1st and 2nd queens, and much of the dean¡¯s power had been stripped away.

    ¡°Please give me a little time. Once the midterms are over, I¡¯ll guide you to the ce with the barrier magic.¡±

    His earnest plea didn¡¯t sound like an excuse.

    Was it physically impossible? I could probably intervene in a more vicious way, but doing so while there¡¯s a normal path avable would be madness.

    There wasn¡¯t much time left until the midterms, either.

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Wait.

    How much time is left until midterms?

    ...

    Two weeks?

    Only two weeks left!?

    Realizing this shocking fact, I immediately stood up and rushed out of the dean¡¯s office.

    This is bad!

    I had nned to actually study this time to raise my intelligence!

    If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll end up living with an intelligence of 58 again!

    That can¡¯t happen!

    This is a matter of my pride!

 Chapter 473

    In the game Soul Academy, there are two main ways to increase intelligence.

    First, you can forcefully raise it through potions, skills, items, quests, and so on.

    I¡¯ve tried this many times, but it¡¯s always been met with practical problems, and since I don¡¯t really enjoy studying, it¡¯s a method I¡¯m not eager to continue trying.

    The other method is the straightforward one. Spending time at the academy to gradually increase intelligence through studying.

    It¡¯s not much different from how I improve my physical abilities through hard training.

    When it was still a game, it wasn¡¯t that difficult to raise intelligence to a certain level.

    All you had to do was click a button to study a specific subject, and the character would automatically study it.

    The difficulty wasn¡¯t in raising intelligence itself; it was more about the efficiency of it.

    But in reality, things were different. Just like I have to move my body to improve physical abilities, I had to attend sses and study myself in order to increase my intelligence.

    At the beginning of the semester, when I still considered this world more like a game, I didn¡¯t really care about raising my intelligence.

    Since I had been forced into the Pdin role, I thought I just needed to raise the necessary stats for that.

    So, during ss, I¡¯d sleep all day, and when it came to exams, I didn¡¯t n to study¡ªjust passing by with tricks.

    But as time passed, the situation changed.

    I could no longer treat this world like a game. Now, I saw myself not just as a character, but as a person. I couldn¡¯t ept having an intelligence of 58 anymore.

    No! Think about it!

    In the game, it doesn¡¯t matter if a character is aplete idiot!

    What does it matter in the game? The character just has to do their part!

    No matter how much stupid stuff they do, it¡¯s none of my business!

    But reality is different!

    I can¡¯t live like an idiot in real life!

    This is a matter of my pride!

    <You should¡¯ve studied from the beginning.>

    ¡°Grandpa, I only said that yesterday! It hasn¡¯t even been a day!¡±

    <Did I? I don¡¯t really remember.>

    ¡°Ah. Yes. I understand. It¡¯s probably time for you to have dementia. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re inside the mace. It¡¯d be a little awkward to take care of someone drooling all over.¡±

    <...Sorry for teasing you. I¡¯ll try to be more careful.>

    Having easily won that argument, I made my way to Avery. Though her personality was rough, she was diligent in her self-improvement. She¡¯d definitely know the scope of the exam.

    ¡°¡­Uh. Avery Young Lady hasn¡¯t returned from outside yet.¡±

    However, Avery wasn¡¯t in the academy. One of the noblewomen who had stayed with her mentioned that she had gone to raid a dungeon outside.

    It seemed like Toby must have said something to Avery to lure her there.

    ¡°Exam scope?¡± ¡°Yeah. The extra.¡±

    Next, I turned to Bishy, but she and I had very different subjects in the curriculum.

    So, I couldn¡¯t rely on her alone to get everything I needed.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Hah. You¡¯re really useless. You¡¯ll be a side character for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Ah. And take this.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A dungeon where you and other useless side characters like you will be weed.¡±

    ¡°Uh. Uh¡­ thank you?¡±

    ¡°Even someone as useless as you will find something helpful there. Go during the break. If you want to live in the gutter forever, then don¡¯t bother.¡±

    After searching for various people among my narrow circle of acquaintances, I had to resort to myst option.

    ¡°Exam scope?¡±

    Joy tilted her head when she heard my question.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°No. I know it all.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the deal? Don¡¯t want to share it with apetitor? I didn¡¯t think you were that shady.¡± ¡°I was just surprised you¡¯re asking me about this, Lucy. If it was anyone else, I¡¯d get it, but you? What could I possibly hide from you?¡±

    Surprised? Why? You know I don¡¯t study regrly.

    I sleep with my head on the desk during every ss¡ªhow would I know the exam scope?

    Joy, without hesitation, told me the scope for the subjects I didn¡¯t know.

    I didn¡¯t expect her to have all this information stored in her head. She¡¯s actually a model student, despite how she looks.

    ¡°By the way, Lucy, what¡¯s going on with the barrier?¡± ¡°The dean¡¯s too ipetent, so it¡¯s difficult for now.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    When she heard it was difficult for now, Joy¡¯s face lit up with a subtle, pleased expression. There must have been a lot ofplications in modifying the barrier directly.

    I had told Joy to practice, and then I went back to my dorm and opened a book.

    Alright! Now it¡¯s really just about studying! This time, I¡¯ll break free from the idiot intelligence of 58!

    With a determined heart, I opened the book. About thirty minutester, I hesitantly turned to Grandpa.

    ¡°Help! Help!!¡±

    <Help? What¡¯s that word again? Is it because my dementia¡¯s kicking in?>

    ¡°Are you sulking!? You¡¯re sulking over me saying just that!?¡±

    <Ohh. Sulking? What happened?>

    ¡°Forget it! Don¡¯t say anything! You think I¡¯m some lonely person who has no one to turn to except you, Grandpa!?¡±

    Sulking over such a small thing!

    How did someone so narrow-minded be a hero!?

    Maybe there¡¯s nothing written about generosity or anything in the Bible!?

    Ah, but of course, that¡¯s how the perverted, heretical priest¡¯s followers are!

    ¡­Except for Faivi!

    Anger surged up as I spoke, but when I tried to find someone to ask for help, I felt hopeless.

    Anyway, I¡¯ve kept the top spot by using all sorts of tricks until now.

    How would anyone believe me if I suddenly shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything!¡±?

    It¡¯s even harder to exin with the Mesugaki skill!

    What should I do? What should I do!?

    The best option would be to bow my head to Grandpa, but I don¡¯t want to do that!

    If I do, Grandpa will get cocky and start saying all sorts of things!

    I can¡¯t stand seeing that! Just imagining it makes me feel nauseous!

    <If you apologize and bow your head, I¡¯m sure your memory wille back.>

    Hearing Grandpa¡¯s teasing, I quickly stood up, closed the book, and left the dorm.

    I sneaked out of the dorm and knocked on Joy¡¯s dorm room door.

    ¡°What is it now, Lucy?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Lucy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to check if the idiot¡¯s cking off. Come on, idiot. Tell me everything you learned!¡±

    Joy smiled contentedly, seeing Lucy frowning next to her.

    Lucy actually turned to me for help. I never imagined she¡¯d do that. I used to be the one asking for help from her.

    ¡°Idiot.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°You know your expression looks really gross right now? Like a dumb fox.¡±

    ¡°M-My expression looks like that!?¡±

    Joy, horrified by thement that made her seem like a beast who had given up all sense of self, quickly fixed her face and looked at the page Lucy had opened. She tried to change the subject by focusing on studying!

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Is there really something to worry about here? We learned this in the first year.

    It¡¯s a little more advanced, but given Lucy¡¯s grades from first year, she should know this.

    ¡°Lucy? What don¡¯t you understand about this part?¡±

    Upon hearing Joy¡¯s question, Lucy mumbled, unsure.

    Joy, having spent a long time with Lucy, didn¡¯t need to hear her answer to understand what was going through her mind.

    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t know any of this?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Sincest winter break, Lucy¡¯s true feelings were now clearly showing on her face, embarrassment creeping in.

    She wasn¡¯t joking. She truly didn¡¯t know the content written there.

    Realizing this, Joy began to wonder if she was dreaming.

    It didn¡¯t make sense.

    Lucy, who had never lost the top spot in the academy¡¯s first year, always maintaining top grades despitecking practical skills¡ªhow could she not know this?

    Lucy wasn¡¯t stupid, and there¡¯s no way she¡¯d forget this in just a few months, right?

    As the growing doubts clouded her mind, Joy suddenly froze, seeing Lucy¡¯s silence.

    The Lucy she knew was always confident, never hiding her shorings. If she had a w, she¡¯d face it head-on and grow stronger.

    Why couldn¡¯t she say a word now?

    Something must have happened.

    It was obvious.

    Something must have happened.

    Otherwise, there¡¯s no way Lucy, who always took the top spot so confidently, could forget something like this.

    What made this suspicion grow stronger was that Lucy had often rushed into dangerous situations on her own.

    Just recently, she had willingly put her life on the line and moved forward, didn¡¯t she?

    Joy, vividly remembering that scene, couldn¡¯t help but suspect that Lucy had gone through something dangerous without telling them.

    Yes, like the time she destroyed the ceiling in the dungeon where Erginas was!

    Something that even the great mage couldn¡¯t understand¡ªhow could that be something easily found!?

    What happened while trying to get that?

    ¡°Lucy! You¡­¡±

    As Joy was about to ask what had happened, she suddenly realized why Lucy might be hiding her dangerous actions, and she closed her lips tightly.

    Lucy didn¡¯t want to worry us, so she kept her struggles to herself.

    But was it right to leave that alone?

    Wouldn¡¯t exposing Lucy¡¯s sacrifice be dishonorable?

    Having read countless novels, Joy¡¯s rich imagination began to form a picture of Lucy¡¯s story in her mind.

    Lucy, who had rushed into danger alone and lost something, tried to hide it but eventually reached her limit.

    So, after struggling, she came to find someone she could rely on for help.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    ¡°Ugh? Idiot. Why the sudden¡ª¡±

    ¡°Lucy! If there¡¯s something you don¡¯t understand, ask me anything! I¡¯ll do my best to exin!¡±

    ¡°Uh. Uh¡­ Okay. Do as you like.¡±

 Chapter 474

    The reason I asked Joy for help was a kind ofpetitive pride.

    I just didn¡¯t want to apologize to Grandpa, so I moved my feet without thinking.

    Among the people around me, Joy was someone I felt wouldn¡¯t be too burdensome to ask for help.

    Faivi would probably try to help me so much that it would feel like too much, and Arthur would help, but he¡¯d definitely grumble and make me feel like I owed him something for everything I had done.

    What¡¯s worse, Arthur would probably be shocked to find out that I didn¡¯t know the basics and would ask me endless questions about it.

    But not Joy. She might look scary, but deep down, I knew that someone as gentle as her would help me without anyints!

    She would probably even just let me slide through if I pretended to be a little clueless!

    What I liked most about Joy was that her ears were easy to bend.

    When I got tired in the middle of studying, if I suggested we go out for a break, Joy would probably just ask, ¡°Should we?¡± with a smile.

    Having thought through all that, I straightened up and walked into Joy¡¯s room.

    ¡°Ugh. H-huh. So... ugh. This¡­¡±

    After some time passed, I began to feel that something was wrong.

    What? What¡¯s going on? Why did Joy suddenly burst into tears?

    Joy might be an emotional girl, but this was strange.

    Where in the situation we were just in was there a reason for tears?

    Did I forget something in the middle? Did something happen that I don¡¯t know about?

    But no¡­ I checked the logs, and nothing unusual happened!

    ¡°Sorry... Lucy, please wait a bit.¡±

    Joy wiped her tears with a handkerchief,posed herself with a deep breath, and tightly grabbed my hand.

    ¡°Lucy, no matter what happens, I¡¯ll help you regain all the knowledge you¡¯ve lost!¡±

    Regain? What does that mean?

    I¡¯ve never had any knowledge in my head to begin with! What am I supposed to regain?

    All I could regain is my stupidity!

    As I met her bloodshot eyes, still swollen from crying, I felt her determination and instinctively pulled back.

    Something. Something¡¯s wrong.

    I don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s wrong, but something¡¯s definitely wrong!

    ¡°This part is from the previous lesson. No, actually, I¡¯ll exin everything from the beginning! Don¡¯t worry! It won¡¯t take long!¡±

    Joy¡¯s im that it wouldn¡¯t take long was definitely a lie, unless she was mistaking herself for an elf.

    How could twelve hours not be long by human standards?

    ¡°Lady Partan, a servant of the Alrun family. Is the Young Lady here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Lucy¡¯s here. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost curfew time.¡±

    ¡°Already? I still have so much to do.¡±

    Seeing the wistful look in Joy¡¯s eyes, I hastily closed the book and got up from my seat.

    I quickly escaped from the lingering Joy and, staggering, ended up asking Erin to hold me up.

    I was mentally exhausted and couldn¡¯t walk on my own.

    I hate studying. I hate grammar. I hate math. I hate everything!

    <You used to train all night and still be fine. Why are you acting so weak now?>

    ¡®¡­Honestly, it was easier when I was fighting with my life on the line against the Evil Gods.¡¯

    <Ha ha! You really hate it that much?>

    ¡®Yes, that much.¡¯

    This study session with Joy wasn¡¯t what I had envisioned.

    It was supposed to be something where we study casually, chat in between, and take breaks whenever it got a bit too tough!

    But why did it turn into a hardcore study session? Why did Joy¡¯s room be a boot camp?

    ¡®Well, at least it¡¯s finally over.¡¯

    <Over? That¡¯s what you think.>

    ¡®...Huh?¡¯

    <I can tell you this: Your friend isn¡¯t going to let you go anytime soon.>

    ¡®N-No way.¡¯

    <This is the hell you chose! Lucy!>

    Grandpa¡¯s words became reality the very next day. After ss, just when I was about to go to the training grounds as usual, Joy came to find me.

    ¡°Lucy! We don¡¯t have time! The exam ising up soon!¡±

    ¡°No. Idiot. I need sleep.¡±

    ¡°Come on! I¡¯ve already prepared everything!¡±

    So, that day, and the next day, and the day after that, I found myself locked in Joy¡¯s room until curfew.

    ¡°Lately, it¡¯s hard to see your face.¡±

    Arthur, whom I met in the magic ss, casually started a conversation, and Joy gave an awkward smile.

    ¡°What are you and Lucy Alrun doing, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Studying.¡±

    ¡°Studying? Lucy Alrun? That guy is studying? Ha. That¡¯s quite the story.¡±

    Arthur thought of Lucy Alrun as a genius.

    He was used to me avoiding sses, always hiding behind my desk while maintaining my position at the top.

    Even though I spent most of my time training my body, I would dominate over most students who locked themselves away in the library.

    Lucy Alrun, who had never once shown anyone how he studied during the first year, now studying all day with someone else? It was unbelievable.

    If you¡¯re going to lie, at least make it sound convincing.

    Arthur, about to scold me for being so clumsy with my excuses as the daughter of a noble family, swallowed his words when he saw Joy¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Are you really studying?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing.¡±

    ¡°Ha. That¡¯s surprising. He¡¯s actually studying?¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure if Arthur would believe I was actually reading a book.

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, how about studying together?¡±

    ¡°...What?¡±

    ¡°You may know more about magic, but when ites to other subjects, I¡¯m better, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡±

    ¡°More than that, I¡¯m curious to see how Lucy studies. Or, is it that you don¡¯t want to spend any alone time with him?¡±

    ¡°Do I look that bothersome to you?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Arthur shrugged and observed Joy¡¯s expression.

    He tried to maintain hisposure, but it was pointless in front of me. I knew him well.

    He was hiding something.

    ¡°Tell me the truth.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What about?¡±

    ¡°If not, I¡¯ll tell Lucy Alrun all about your foolishness.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness? Please be careful what you say.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the Saintess, too. If she wants to share memories, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy to agree. Oh, Saintess.¡±

    Just as I was about to say something, Faivi appeared from a distance, and Joy¡¯s eyes began to tremble.

    ¡°Joy wants to monopolize Lucy Alrun, you see.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Really?¡±

    Faivi¡¯s tone was soft, but her eyes were different.

    When it came to matters concerning Lucy, Faivi reacted with an unusual intensity¡ªher expression was filled with a fear I hadn¡¯t seen before.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been a little jealoustely.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. Please, save me.¡±

    While Arthur¡¯s questioning was bearable, Faivi¡¯s tone was something Joy couldn¡¯t withstand, and she quickly lowered her head in defeat.

    ¡°So what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh. Should I keep it a secret?¡±

    Seeing that Arthur had put up a barrier to block any sound, Joy carefully told us what had happened a few days ago.

    ¡°...The Young Lady¡­¡±

    Faivi¡¯s eyes welled up slightly after hearing Joy¡¯s words.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Arthur tilted his head as if something wasn¡¯t adding up.

    Joy¡¯s thoughts weren¡¯t entirely unrealistic. If Lucy, who had always maintained her top spot untilst year, suddenly became an idiot, it would be strange.

    But still¡­

    Lucy Alrun was never the type to study hard, was she?

    She had always solved things with her own talent, so asking for help with something she had forgotten didn¡¯t seem to make sense.

    Wait, is it even possible to take only the memory rted to studying?

    Even if it was, why would someone take that memory? Usually, in stories about memory collection, people take only the valuable memories.

    Was there something odd about the things Lucy had written? If there was something strange, surely the great mage Erginas wouldn¡¯t have been so confused.

    Arthur, feeling his suspicions building, decided not to voice them out loud.

    He knew that if he expressed doubts in front of the two who firmly believed in Lucy¡¯s sacrifice, he¡¯d be treated like trash.@@novelbin@@

    Having been scolded by the women around him until now, Arthur didn¡¯t want to willingly walk into another hardship.

    ¡°Joy, if there¡¯s anything I can do to help, just let me know. I want to repay the Young Lady¡¯s sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Well, the same goes for me. If you need help, don¡¯t hesitate to ask. I¡¯ve received a lot from Lucy Alrun.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll definitely let you know if anything happens.¡±

    ¡°The dungeon for this exam will be different from the academy¡¯s dungeon! Alrun Young Lady, you¡¯ll look forward to it!¡±

    As I watched the dungeon studies professor leave after his deration, I chuckled and shrugged.

    It seemed like the professor was still bitter about how we cleared the academy dungeon with unconventional methods, so now he was preparing something even harder.

    Well, if you leave openings, of course, people will take advantage of them. You should¡¯ve made sure it was impossible to do it that way.

    Anyway, because of that incident, the dungeon studies professors must have worked extra hard, preparing the midterm dungeon with all their might.

    From my perspective, it was a wee event. Exploring a new dungeon was always exciting.

    But my excitement didn¡¯tst long.

    Sigh. Once again, I¡¯d be trapped in Joy¡¯s study room, forced to study untilte at night.

    I really hate it. Just looking at the books makes me sick.

    But what was I supposed to do? Refuse?

    If it were anyone trying to torment me, I¡¯d have done whatever I wanted!

    But Joy¡¯s actions were full of goodwill!

    If I show a little difort, she¡¯ll make it obvious she¡¯s hurt, so how could I refuse?

    Once again, knowing I¡¯d have to walk into hell, I slumped my shoulders and found someone blocking my way.

    I didn¡¯t recognize this person. They looked like a servant from the academy.

    ¡°Lady. What are you wasting time here for?¡±

    The moment I asked what was going on, the Mesugaki skill automatically made me call her ¡°Lady¡± without thinking.

    ¡°¡­Could you at least be more careful when you¡¯re in disguise?¡±

    It was Kar¨ªa, surprised me with how much her voice had changed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t answer a question with a question, you rudedy. So?¡±

    ¡°Ahhh. Forget it. Don¡¯t say anything. I¡¯ll figure it out myself.¡±

    When I nodded as if to say I understood, Kar¨ªa sighed and continued.

    ¡°Master. Don¡¯t you sense something strange going on inside the academy?¡±

 Chapter 475

    When I heard the question about something strange happening, I reflected on my recent daily life.

    ¡®Lucy. This part...¡¯ ¡®Try thinking about it this way.¡¯ ¡®Now, let¡¯s move on to the next.¡¯

    My recent life at the academy felt a lot like my high school days in my past life.

    In other words, it was filled with books, texts, and studying.

    In fact, when I studied with Joy, she would stick close by, monitoring if I was studying properly, which made me feel drained as I got through each day.

    Given the situation, it was difficult for me to notice if something was happening at the academy.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know anything.¡±

    ¡°What can I do? I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it, please?¡±

    Tch. What¡¯s the big deal with being called ¡°aunt¡±? Just a little teasing could help me release some stress.

    ¡°Anyway, a lot of things from the outside are flowing into the academy. There¡¯s so much of it that it can¡¯t just be resources for midterm preparations.¡±

    A while ago, when Karia returned to the academy district, she made sure to spread herwork of information both inside and outside the academy.

    She had done some preparation before, but realizing it wasn¡¯t enough, she poured everything into reinforcing herwork, even sacrificing the lives of herself and her subordinates to do so.

    Why do I know this? Because I overheard a conversation between Jackal and Chesterining about it.

    They were already struggling with the academy''s studies, but Karia¡¯s tasks piled up so much that they couldn¡¯t find time to train themselves.

    The way they sighed as if hoping I¡¯d intervene and stop Karia¡¯s work made it clear, but I ignored them.

    Right now, I was struggling too much to worry about anyone else!

    Do they think they¡¯re the only ones struggling?! I¡¯m struggling too! If I¡¯m struggling, how dare they think about taking breaks!

    Ahem. Anyway, Karia had detected something strange based on the informationwork she had built.

    While she didn¡¯t know exactly what it was, she was certain something was going on at the academy.

    ¡°The connectionse from the First Queen¡¯s side, but I don¡¯t think those under her will cause a ruckus among themselves.¡±

    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that the crazed queen might be up to something?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah. That¡¯s right.¡±

    The forces under the First Queen rely heavily on her as the central figure.

    So, unless the First Queen gives an order, they won¡¯t act on their own.

    In other words, if they are moving, it¡¯s likely because the First Queen has done something.

    Karia¡¯s spection made sense to some degree, but on the other hand, it felt a bit far-fetched.

    ¡°Why would the crazy queen do something like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Why would a mad queen kill the people who might one day help the country?¡±

    It¡¯s true that the First Queen¡¯s faction had once picked a fight with me, but after a certain point, they had no further involvement with me.

    They watched from a distance, but that was all. They didn¡¯t try to test me or provoke me.

    If I had made the first move, they would¡¯ve tried to avoid it, which suggests there was something going on at the higher levels.

    Why, then, are they suddenly targeting me?

    ¡°I¡¯m not doubting the information you brought, but it would be so sad if the abilities you worked so hard to build became useless, like some crumbling old thing. But this time, you¡¯re being too hasty, Karia.¡±

    What Karia brought me was likely true.

    There¡¯s definitely something happening at the academy.

    But to immediately assume it¡¯s connected to the First Queen is premature.

    Karia isn¡¯t foolish; she wouldn¡¯t act like this without solid evidence.

    ¡°¡­Sorry. Maybe when ites to the First Queen, I can¡¯t think rationally.¡±

    Karia admitted her mistake without a word of protest.

    If she were a fake pretending to be Karia, I¡¯d be in trouble, but apparently, that¡¯s not the case.

    Thank goodness.

    ¡°Anyway, something¡¯s definitely being prepared. And it¡¯s clear that it¡¯s being routed through the First Queen¡¯s connections. So please be careful about anything rted to her, Master.¡±

    ¡°Instead of worrying about others, you should be worrying about your own future. You¡¯re getting older each day, so that¡¯s why you¡¯re in such a rush. Should I ask Papa to get you a seat on the council?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my problem! Don¡¯t worry about it!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do it on your own, can you?¡±

    ¡°I can! Stop bothering me! I¡¯ll figure it out!¡±

    As Karia threw a tantrum, she quickly turned her back and made her way toward the servants.

    How can she switch like that so quickly? How does she manage to do it without any powers? Truly amazing.

    <Lucy, why are you acting so strange today?>

    ¡®¡­Huh? What do you mean, ¡°strange¡±?¡¯

    <Why are you talking like a smart person? This isn¡¯t like you!>

    ¡®Uh, what?¡¯

    I was talking like a smart person? Did I say something like that just now?

    <Damn it! You, give me back my Lucy!>

    ¡®Grandpa, did I really look that okay?¡¯

    <Am I joking? Do I look like I¡¯m kidding!>

    ¡®Stop ying around. Seriously.¡¯

    <...Well, fine. I can say that the way you noticed Karia¡¯s anxiety and even gave advice was quite intellectual.>

    ¡®Really?!¡¯

    What? Did Grandpa ever talk to me like this before?!

    No! Something¡¯s different today, right?!

    Am I really improving my intelligence? Is it because I¡¯ve been training with Joy and my intelligence stats are rising? Is that what¡¯s happening?

    Until just now, I thought I was being dragged into hell, but after this brief conversation, my thoughts changed.

    A hardship with no end results is just suffering, but if there¡¯s something gained from it, it¡¯s real training!

    Alright! Let¡¯s work hard today! I¡¯ll raise my intelligence!

    <Well, I guess¡­>

    ¡®What was that, Grandpa?¡¯

    <No, it¡¯s just that¡­ shouldn¡¯t you ignore what Karia just said?>

    ¡®That? Of course, I should be concerned. If Karia thinks something¡¯s off, then something¡¯s going on.¡¯

    <Are you going to go investigate yourself?>

    ¡®No. That would make me too noticeable.¡¯

    I don¡¯t know what the intention is behind bringing resources into the academy, but if their goal is malicious, they¡¯re definitely keeping an eye on me.

    Even if I set aside everything I¡¯ve done up until now, the power I hold and the people around me can¡¯t be ignored.

    That¡¯s why it wouldn¡¯t be wise to move and investigate personally.

    <Then what are you going to do? >

    ¡®I¡¯ll give something for Grandma, who¡¯s probably bored, to do. There are suspicious areas, so I¡¯ll ask her to sneak around and check it out.¡¯

    There¡¯s a limit to what can be done with a secret resource collection at Soul Academy.

    The night at Soul Academy isn¡¯t entirely dark.

    While the student who had been determined to study all night eventually ended up dozing off with their head on the desk, the academy¡¯s researchb was still glowing brightly.

    Adri, watching the scene of people desperately shaking off sleep with every magic and potion they could think of, felt pity for them.

    Even necromancers wouldn¡¯t go this far while training their summoners.@@novelbin@@

    As she observed these people, she remembered what Lucy had told her and quietly moved to another ce.

    It had already been almost a month since Adri settled in Soul Academy.

    Every night, while Bishy was asleep, Adri would sneak around the academy to check out they of thend.

    Lucy had told her to look into something rted to a professor named Luca¡­

    But.

    Adri had to stop suddenly as she was moving through the walls.

    There was some kind of barrier ahead.

    If she passed through it, her presence would be detected.

    Curious whether she could deal with the barrier herself, Adri examined it but soon realized she couldn¡¯t even begin to understand its structure and gave up on trying.

    What was being hidden behind this much effort?

    She was curious, but decided it wasn¡¯t worth the risk.

    Stepping away from Luca¡¯s office, she moved to check another location Lucy had mentioned.

    Unfortunately, Adri didn¡¯t have many ces she could go.

    Every ce Lucy had pointed out had some form of barrier simr to the one at Luca¡¯s office.

    In addition, there were various security measures set up by the academy¡¯s professors scattered around, so Adri couldn¡¯t uncover much.

    Ugh, if I go back empty-handed, that brat is going to start calling me useless and ipetent!

    Just thinking about it made my teeth grind, but there was nothing Adri could do.

    She chose to abandon her dignity instead of throwing herself into danger.

    By morning, when Adri came to me and delivered her findings, I was convinced that this situation had something to do with Luca.

    I had suspected it ever since I heard that something was being routed through the First Queen¡¯s faction. If anything is happening through her connections, Luca surely knows about it.

    But the fact that he hadn¡¯t said anything to me and kept quiet meant he was probably involved in some shady dealings.

    And then, I learn that every ce I asked Adri to check had strange barriers set up?

    This is a definite connection.

    Without a doubt.

    Luca, that crazy guy, must be doing something to achieve his own goals.

    [Trial of Luca]

    After confirming the quest that had been assigned to me shortly after the academy reopened, I stretched and started preparing to head out.

    <Are you nning on barging in?>

    ¡®Whatever happens, it¡¯s the fastest way.¡¯

    I¡¯ll confront the traitorous dog trying to betray its master.

 Chapter 476

    Early in the morning, the lights in Luca¡¯s office were, unsurprisingly, already on.

    ¡°Lady Arlen. What brings you here so early in the morning?¡±

    Luca, dressed neatly and sipping tea, showed no signs of surprise at my visit.

    ¡°Would you like a cup of tea?¡±

    ¡°No~ I¡¯m pretty sure if I drank anything from a disgusting pervert like you, you''d put something weird in it.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. I doubt you''d be able to drink most things anyway, mydy.¡±

    With a shrug of his shoulders, Luca motioned for me to sit on the sofa, while he took a seat opposite me.

    ¡°Now, to get back to the topic. What brings you here? Would you like me to leak some exam questions?¡±

    ¡°Do you really think someone as useless as you could even do that?¡±

    ¡°If I wanted to, I could. Most of the professors who set the exam questions are rookies. It''s not that hard to get the questions from them¡ªpeople with no real power or ability.¡±

    Huh? Is it really possible? Can exam questions actually be leaked!?

    For a moment, I was subconsciously tempted, but I quickly snapped myself out of it.

    No, what¡¯s more important to me right now isn¡¯t the exam scores but the act of increasing my intelligence itself.

    If it was only about the exam questions, I would have bet everything on Log, Grandpa Emong, and Dice God just like before! I wouldn¡¯t need something like exam question leaks!

    ¡°Well, I guess someone like you wouldn¡¯t need this kind of thing.¡±

    Luca chuckled lightly, taking a sip of his tea while he waited for me to speak.

    ¡°Perverted professor. Be honest. Tell me, what is it that you''re doing with your pathetic little tricks?¡±

    I asked directly, rather than trying to beat around the bush. As soon as I did, Luca¡¯s hand froze for a moment, still holding the teacup.

    ¡°...Aren¡¯t you a bit too straightforward?¡±

    ¡°If I spoke to a dog with difficult words, it wouldn¡¯t understand, right? That¡¯s why I¡¯m being considerate.¡±

    I had thought about this since deciding to visit Luca. How should I draw words out of this slippery snake?

    But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that trying to act subtle would only make me trip myself up. I wasn¡¯t talented in psychological battles like this.

    So, I decided to just charge in. After all, no matter what I did, Luca couldn¡¯t harm me, could he?

    ¡°Hmmm. I do have something I¡¯m preparing right now,¡± Luca said, cing his teacup down, his eyes scanning me as he continued.

    ¡°But since it¡¯s being prepared in conjunction with the Dungeon Studies professors, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t share the details.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a loser like you have to do with them?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Despite how I may look, I¡¯m a Combat Studies professor,¡± Luca replied, nonchntly. ¡°Given the events ofst year, it¡¯s notpletely unrted.¡±

    Luca said he was simply helping with dungeon creation at the request of the Dungeon Studies professors, but I didn¡¯t believe his words were entirely the truth.

    It was obvious. He didn¡¯t want me digging into this topic. This was his weakness.

    ¡°Perverted professor? Do you think I¡¯m aplete fool in your petty little eyes??¡±

    I didn¡¯t give much thought to why this would be his weakness. After all, he would end up bbing it out himself, so why should I care?

    ¡°A coward who runs away when faced with other talents?,¡± I added, mentioning a past Luca didn¡¯t want to recall. His shoulders flinched slightly.

    ¡°Someone too useless to trust his own wishes, always needing to rely on others?.¡±

    I could see the faint tension in his eyes.

    ¡°Someone who felt jealous of a friend who took care of him and cowardly ran away like a fool?.¡±

    There. Let¡¯s see you talk now, Luca. What are you doing? What are your tricks? Who are you coborating with?

    ¡°Why do you think you¡¯re so great, trying to show off??¡±

    Luca, despite hearing my tauntingughter, desperately tried to control his expression. If I considered what I had seen from others when facing me, it would be a feat of superhuman patience.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you babbling like usual?? Did I strike a nerve and leave you speechless??¡±

    But it was useless. Even a golem without emotions would still be drawn to my provocation, so what could Luca, who obviously had feelings, do?

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve already sold your pride so long ago that you don¡¯t even feel angry anymore?. Ha ha ha? This is it!? If you¡¯re a pathetic, perverted professor, this is what it must be!?¡±

    I could hear the sound of Luca¡¯s leather gloves crumpling beneath the desk.

    ¡°Are you angry?? Do you want to hit me?? Want to shut this cocky brat¡¯s mouth??¡±

    ¡°...Mydy.¡±

    ¡°Dream about it? You¡¯ll never do it in real life? Isn¡¯t that right?? If it weren¡¯t for me, your pathetic dream would stay a dream forever?.¡±

    At that moment, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. It wasn¡¯t the sensation of fear or dread, but something more instinctual. Yes, if I had to describe it, I would call it a hunch.

    ¡°Why did you suddenly stop speaking?¡± Luca asked, with a smile still present on his face.

    I thought about it while facing his smile. Just now, I had intentionally poked at Luca¡¯splex.

    I intended to blow his mind by pointing out that no matter how much he struggled, the fact that he would always crawl beneath his friends would never change.

    However, my instinct suddenly stopped me from continuing. I knew I had to stop before crossing the line.

    ¡°Mydy?¡±

    I tried to suppress the excitement I felt from the Mesugaki Skill, but Luca¡¯s hidden hand beneath the desk caught my attention. That was the first thing that struck me as odd.

    It wasn¡¯t just his hand¡ªthere were several strange things around Luca¡ªbut what stood out most was his hand, hidden beneath his desk and wearing leather gloves. It was as if there was a sworn oath hidden there.

    The sudden rush of nausea made me think of the settings I had seen on the monitor during the alchemist dungeon raid.

    The oath-breakers were despised by even the trash of the underworld.

    At first, I had thought it was just a tradition or custom, but now, I realized it might have more substance.

    ¡°Boring.¡±

    Frowning, I abruptly stood up from my seat and turned my back to Luca¡¯s office, leaving quickly.

    I started walking aimlessly until the warning sensation that had settled all over my body began to fade.

    ¡°Gasp. Haah.¡±

    After I had moved far enough from Luca¡¯s office building, I leaned against a wall, struggling to catch my breath.

    <Lucy. Are you okay?>

    ¡®...For now.¡¯

    What was that feeling earlier?

    It waspletely different from anything I had ever felt before.

    It was something more...

    Perhaps...

    Suddenly, something came to mind, and I opened the log function to scroll up.

    I wanted to check what had happened while I was sleepingst night¡ªmore specifically, what had happened while I was rolling around with Grandpa during the training function.

    [The God of Martial Arts grants you a blessing.]

    [The God of Martial Arts looks at you with a hint of displeasure.]

    Crisis detection.

    Last night, the God of Martial Arts had granted me his blessing without me realizing it, as though he wanted to keep his involvement hidden.

    I could guess why the God of Martial Arts had changed his attitude so suddenly.

    Gansu. That fool. I had asked for skills, not to stir up resentment from other gods!

    This is why hermits who live in libraries end up useless!

    If I meet him again, I¡¯ll make sure to tease him until he¡¯s bawling in anger, I thought, wiping my face to shake off my frustration.

    ¡®Grandpa. Did I feel hostility from Luca just now?¡¯

    <If you had, I would have spoken to you.>

    ¡®...Huh?¡¯

    <He was certainly angry, but despite his emotions, he was assessing you.>

    I had thought there was only one reason for my sense of crisis, but Grandpa¡¯s response contradicted my assumption.

    I didn¡¯t think Grandpa would make such a mistake.

    Then what was it? Why did I feel danger from Luca?

    Feeling my mind growing foggy, I let out a deep sigh and decided to ask the Chaman for help.

    [Suspicion.]

    The blue spear that appeared before me described the situation in one simple word.

    Luca had suspected that I had figured out what he had done.

    As his suspicion turned to certainty, he was trying to make a move before I did.

    And that move was likely something beyond what I could handle. The notification sound and the blue spear that appeared before me confirmed my guess.

    [Luca¡¯s Trial.]

    [He wanted to be a star, but fell to the ground. Now, he is willing to make any sacrifice to carve his mark in another star. Prove that you shine brighter than his n.]

    [Reward: ???]

    [Failure: GAME OVER.]

    ...Ha. Damn it. Normally, I wouldin about why the useless god didn¡¯t exin this in advance, but I couldn¡¯t do that this time.

    The useless god had already given me a signal that Luca would be up to something shady.

    Even though I saw that and didn¡¯t take it seriously, it was my fault.

    Grinding my teeth, I punched the wall, then wiped the messages from my log.

    What else could I do? I had done something stupid.

    With a deep breath, I started walking again.

    Luca had said he was cooperating in creating dungeons.

    Whether that was a lie or not, if he was up to something, targeting that area would be the most straightforward.

    As time passed while talking to Luca, I saw other students walking around the academy, most likely fretting over the uing midterms.

    As I observed them, I suddenly wondered: Was Luca really willing to risk his life just for me?

    If that crazy guy had truly nned something at the cost of his life, it wouldn¡¯t be just for me.

    I clenched my teeth and arrived at my intended destination.

    The location where the academy¡¯s exam dungeons were created. A ce that wouldter be the site of many students¡¯ despair during the exam period.

    I stepped in and took a position near the wall, activating the [History Check] skill.

    [?@$?@%!%!5?]

    The text that appeared was unreadable, seemingly altered by some intervention.

    Considering that only gods could counter another god¡¯s powers...

    Ha. Damn. No wonder followers of the Void kept showing up here at all hours.

    Luca, this madman, is involved in this too.

    Stopping the [History Check], a wave of dizziness hit me.

    Weak and staggering, I barely managed to steady myself by gripping the wall.

    If he¡¯s going to go this far, I¡¯ve got a n of my own.

    Luca. You bastard.

    The stage you¡¯ve prepared will be your nightmare.

    I¡¯ll make sure of it.

 Chapter 477

    With only a week left until midterms, the ssrooms in the academy fell silent.

    The professors, well aware of the overwhelming scope of Soul Academy''s exams, showed consideration by giving their students some breathing room. Of course, some professors continued their work, indifferent to the students'' cries, but most were more considerate, aware that the students entering the academy would one day wield significant power.

    Originally, during this time, I would have been locked in Joy¡¯s room studying, half-willingly, half-forced. Joy, who always dedicated all her time to me even when there were sses, wouldn''t have left me alone during a period without lessons.

    Not long ago, I had even felt like my intelligence was rising. I had been ready to throw myself into the hell of studying.

    But now, the situation had changed. It had be clear that Luca, that troublemaker, was nning to gamble his future and life for some chaos, and there was no way I could just focus on studying.

    <I think it might be possible to deal with the situation itself.> ¡®Right. After all, we have Faeby at our side.¡¯

    Faeby¡¯s influence was considerable. Especially in matters rted to the Evil God, she probably had more authority than the kings of a country.

    If she were to say that something strange was happening within the academy, the factions of either the First Queen or Second Queen would have no choice but to listen. If that happened, Luca¡¯s ns would be significantly derailed.

    <The problem is that the other side¡¯s n is probably already well under way.>

    ¡®Yeah, I realized that toote.¡¯

    But I didn¡¯t think everything was lost. Faeby and I had caused enoughmotion that Luca couldn¡¯t ignore it.

    If it had been before the n progressed, maybe Luca could have carried it out without anyone noticing, but now, with things already in motion, Luca would start struggling as soon as things started to look ambiguous.

    <The best option is to crush him before he can start struggling. Ha. Faction struggles are really annoying.>

    The reality was that even the academy¡¯s dean couldn''t do anything on his own at this point.

    Using Faeby¡¯s or my connections to throw a wrench in the n was possible, but making such radical moves that couldpletely destroy the n was impossible.

    Damn it. I wanted to call in Benedict, the ultimate weapon. If Benedict came with the Knights and attacked, we could easily crush Luca''s allies and whatever mess he¡¯s created!

    But Benedict¡ªhe had said he was going to talk with some distant branch of the Arlen family, and now I couldn''t reach him!

    Untilst year, we were in contact at least once a day, but now it¡¯s barely once a week!

    Last time I saw Benedict¡¯s monstrous face, I could tell he was looking a little tired, so it was clear that dealing with the Arlen family¡¯s distant branch wasn¡¯t easy.

    ...Still, if I asked Benedict earnestly for help, he would drop everything ande.

    Because that''s the kind of person he was. If it was for his daughter, he''d do anything.

    Knowing this, I couldn¡¯t ce unnecessary burdens on him.

    It¡¯s true that things would be easier with Benedict, but it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t continue with my ns without him.

    It was a bit disappointing not to see Luca¡¯s face crushed as he was overwhelmed, but that was about it.

    <What are you going to do?>

    ¡®I¡¯ll let the other side do whatever they want.¡¯

    At this point, me taking action wouldn''t cause a huge change.

    It would be better to let the other side continue their ns rather than provoke them.

    There was one week left before midterms. Even if Luca spent the extra week, there wouldn¡¯t be a dramatic change. But for me, that week was entirely different.

    ¡®For now, I¡¯ll warn those around me. After that, I¡¯ll move without hesitation.¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s it, I¡¯m done ying around with the idiot.¡±

    When Lucy conveyed the message, Joy paused for a moment, considering it.

    Luca, the professor, was nning something with the followers of the Void? The same Luca who had achieved so many aplishments at the academy over the past few years?

    ¡°Hmmm. That guy.¡±

    However, Arthur, who was standing next to Joy, showed no change in his expression.

    ¡°Poor prince. What do you know about that disgusting pervert?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about the incident fromst year when we had that bet. I suspect it¡¯s rted to Luca.¡±

    There had been suspicious circumstances, but after nothing had happened since, Arthur hadn¡¯t delved deeper. Lucy raised an eyebrow slightly at his words and then let out a softugh.

    ¡°Surprising. I thought the poor prince only ever got fooled.¡±

    ¡°I did get fooled, true. The reason I didn¡¯t press further was that I didn¡¯t want to poke a ho¡¯s nest.¡±

    Arthur muttered under his breath, as if to say there was nothing he could do, crossing his arms and leaning back.

    ¡°In the end, you¡¯re telling us to prepare but not to act first, right?¡±

    ¡°Heh. As expected of a sly prince, you catch on quickly.¡±

    Lucy¡¯sugh made the others¡¯ expressions subtly shift.

    Was she really going to throw herself into danger again?

    Were they just things to be protected from afar?

    Could they not trust her?

    Everyone thought this, but none spoke it aloud.

    They kept their concerns buried deep inside, not wanting to burden Lucy further.

    ¡°Going solo again?¡±

    In the sudden silence, Freya¡¯s voice popped out.

    ¡°Cowardly.¡±

    Her words were blunt, and the others shot her disapproving res, but Freya paid them no mind.

    ¡°Having fun by yourself.¡±

    ¡°Foolish swordsman. Don¡¯t you see that I¡¯m going to suffer instead of you?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go together. I¡¯ll stay by Lucy¡¯s side.¡±

    ¡°Hm. Well. I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind!? You really don¡¯t mind!? Is that what you mean!?¡±

    At Lucy¡¯s unexpected words, everyone was stunned, each saying something before looking at Lucy¡¯s half-closed eyes. They all cleared their throats and took a step back.

    Lucy, with her hand half-covering her mouth, chuckled, then turned her attention back to Freya.

    ¡°Actually, the fun might be on this side. This shabby, half-assed academy is full of idiots who believe in the Void.¡±

    The others understood what Lucy meant.

    If she truly cared for them like babies in a stroller, she wouldn¡¯t leave them behind but take them with her.

    Because she trusted them, she was leaving them behind in a ce where she didn¡¯t feel secure.

    ¡°If the foolish swordsman is so scared he wants to cry and run away, I¡¯d take him with me. What will you do?¡±

    ¡°¡­Hmmm. Fine. I¡¯ll stay here.¡±

    Freya, trying to hide her disappointment, took a step back, and Lucy,ughing at how obedient Freya seemed, left.

    The ones left behind watched the closed door, each lost in their own thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go inform Cecil-hyung. I¡¯ll make sure that his forces can move, even if I don¡¯t have all the details.¡±

    Arthur spoke, and as if on cue, Joy added:

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell the nobledies to be cautious. With the kidnapping incident, it won¡¯t seem strange.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll let the church know there could be something going on. Everyone¡¯s still on edge after the beginning of the semester, so I think they¡¯ll be able to respond quickly if something happens.¡±

    ¡°Saint, I apologize, but will you inform all the priests?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll only inform those I trust.¡±

    Arthur still looked concerned, but Faeby smiled gently at him.

    Had it been the old Faeby, she might have been offended, but not anymore.

    Now, she could see that not everyone under the gods was warm-hearted, and she knew that Arthur¡¯s worries weren¡¯t unfounded.

    That¡¯s why she was able to nod confidently.

    Faeby could see those with the warmth of the gods in them.

    While they continued discussing, Freya suddenly jumped up from her seat.

    ¡°Freya, where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To train.¡±

    ¡°...Train?¡±

    ¡°A training to slice anything thates my way. This time, I¡¯ll beat it before it touches Lucy.¡±

    Whew. Thankfully, the excuse worked. If Freya had stuck around stubbornly, it would have been incredibly annoying. His simple-mindedness actually helped here.

    <May I ask what you''re nning to prepare?>

    ¡®It¡¯s nothing major. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m nning something as grand as what I did in Burrow¡¯s estate.¡¯

    I could perform a miracle if I wanted to. I could go to Count Arteia¡¯s house, pray, and bless him, and then I¡¯d have everything I wanted.

    If that doesn¡¯t work, I could talk to that perverted apostle and have him make a personal essory for Count Arteia.

    But there were two main reasons I didn¡¯t consider this:

    One, it would draw too much attention. I already draw attention because of my essories. If I triggered a miracle, the Church of the Gods would definitely start looking my way.

    And two, Luca would like it if I did a miracle.

    Think about it. A student like me performing a miracle, something I shouldn¡¯t be able to do under Luca¡¯s script? Luca would smile as he watched, thinking he created me.

    That can¡¯t happen. It can¡¯t end like that.

    The bastard Luca¡¯s final moments should be empty.

    I won¡¯t let him go easily, not after everything he¡¯s done to me!

    It¡¯s just a one-sided grudge from across the monitor, but still! I won¡¯t let that bastard die with a smile!

    ¡®I¡¯m going to summon the person Luca hates and loves the most in this world.¡¯

    <...Is it the person you mentioned when you provoked Luca?>

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    The person Luca once adventured with before he became a professor at the academy. A person who gave Luca despair with his own talent.

    The current sword saint.

    In the original game story, this person was supposed to have a huge impact on Freya.@@novelbin@@

    ¡®What do you think the foolish rock feels when it sees the stars shining down from the sky? How amusing will his expression be when he faces an even brighter star?¡¯

    Just imagining it makes meugh.

 Chapter 478

    ¡°Pathetic junior. How are things goingtely?¡±

    ¡°Well, just the usual difficulties.¡±

    Luca was not particrly surprised by the sudden visit from Kal.

    He had been expecting this, especially since Lucy had left earlier this morning with the remark that things weren¡¯t fun anymore.

    Luca guessed that Lady Lucy had probably figured out, at least roughly, what he was preparing.

    So, when Luca had spoken with Lucy earlier, he had seriously considered whether he should start acting on his ns immediately, even if it disrupted things. After all, if Lucy wasing to make a deration of war, Luca would have no choice but to go along with it.

    But, contrary to his concerns, Lucy had only scratched at his nerves and left without saying anything further.

    Luca surmised that she had her suspicions, but wasn¡¯tpletely sure yet.

    If Lucy knew everything, she wouldn¡¯t have just walked away from someone like him, who was involved with the Evil God.

    She, who was loved by the Gods, wouldn¡¯t leave such things alone.

    So, Luca decided to dy things for now. After all, there was only a week left until the nned event unfolded.

    Even with her connections as a noble of the Arlen family, there was no way Lucy could deal with this in just one week.

    Therefore, Luca decided to give her the time she needed.

    The more effort she put in, the more beautiful the end result would be for his n.

    ¡°Pathetic junior like you should be the one who has it tough, right?¡±

    ¡°Professor Kal, you have the Arlen family backing you, don¡¯t you? As for me, being from amon background, I have nothing, so I must do whatever I¡¯m told.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I have ears too, junior. With your backing, you¡¯re not exactly a lightweight either.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I suppose I¡¯ve been overacting a bit?¡±

    In any case, the n was already set in motion. Even if Professor Kal was monitoring me, there wasn¡¯t much of an issue.

    However, one thing that did bother me was the problem of how to get rid of Professor Kal on the day the n was executed.

    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t lied terribly either.¡±

    Over the past year, Luca had observed Kal and realized that his skills were far beyond that of a mere knight.

    Even among the shining talents of the Arlen Knights, Kal was considered a rising star. Luca had seen firsthand why Kal was so highly regarded.@@novelbin@@

    From Luca¡¯s perspective, if Kal had joined another knight order, he would have likely already been entrusted with a high-ranking position.

    It would be possible to defeat him using various methods, but that would cause significant losses in the process.

    That wouldn¡¯t do.

    Everything I had to do had to be dedicated to leaving my mark in the stars.

    I couldn¡¯t afford to reach for some mediocre shining stone.

    ¡°Amoner like me could never do something remarkable with the power of the noble First Queen,¡± Luca muttered to himself, pondering his next move.

    I needed toe up with a way to hand over my mediocre talents to someone else.

    Elsewhere, in the Art Guild

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too obvious that you''re tired of this, Frete? I don¡¯t think I should be treated this way.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Did I do something wrong? I was just listening to Sword Saint¡¯s story.¡±

    ¡°Do you seriously think you can deceive my senses and say something like that?¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Sword Saint. I¡¯ve been focused on something elsetely.¡±

    The Sword Saint, Uden, a former adventurer and the first of his kind in the continent, let out a lightugh and brushed his bangs aside.

    ¡°Are you talking about the essories made by the Art Guild?¡±

    ¡°Do you know about them?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Those essories are so famous that merchants with money are desperately trying to get their hands on them. How could I not know?¡±

    Despite holding the title of Sword Saint, Uden had chosen to live as an adventurer rather than as an honorary noble of a kingdom. Lately, he had been wandering the world, expanding his knowledge.

    Since Uden¡¯s name was so well known, he usually traveled undercover, joining various merchant caravans as a guard, drifting along with the tides.

    Given that he often interacted with merchants, it wasn¡¯t surprising that Uden knew about the essories.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about them, but is there really that much demand?¡±

    ¡°Frete, you¡¯ve been wandering around for so long, you should know. Merchants are obsessed with anything rted to fortune.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I suppose that''s true.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more than a tendency. If the essory can bring good fortune, merchants would even eat orc dung if it was part of the deal.¡±

    The essories from the Art Guild were known to grant luck just by owning them, and their beauty made people smile just by looking at them. How could such a thing not be popr?

    ¡°...Sword Saint, please.¡±

    Frete couldn¡¯t help but speak up at the sight of the Sword Saintughing.

    This was why it was so hard to write poems about living Sword Saints. His usual actions and words were so rough that it was impossible to urately convey what he said.

    ¡°Oh. Please don¡¯t lecture me. What do you expect from someone who gave up a title just to avoid that sort of thing?¡±

    ¡°Sigh.¡±

    Frete sighed, lowering his head in exasperation, then spoke up, wanting to move things along quickly.

    ¡°So, why did youe here, knowing I¡¯d lecture you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the essories I just mentioned.¡±

    ¡°You came all the way here for those essories? Why?¡±

    Frete couldn¡¯t help but lift his head in surprise as Uden spoke.

    The Uden Frete knew wasn¡¯t someone who cared about such things.

    Someone who never felt the need to adorn himself.

    A person who would throw away a fine essory if it annoyed him.

    And now he was asking for an essory?

    ¡°Lady Arlen''s beauty is enough to touch even someone as blind as you, huh? How touching.¡±

    ¡°¡­What? What kind of nonsense are you talking?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to deny it. It¡¯spletely normal to be in awe of Lady Arlen¡¯s beauty. Even the Goddess I serve feels the same way.¡±

    ¡°No. No, I really don¡¯t care about essories or beauty. If I really cared, I would¡¯ve just grabbed some random guy by the cor and taken it. Why would Ie all the way here?¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you really telling me you see no value in the beauty that shines through in the essories?¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°How can someone like this even exist?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Frete, are you really saying everything on your mind right now? You can¡¯t even control your expression?¡±

    At the sight of Frete, who rarely lost hisposure, Uden was caught off guard, his voice faltering.

    Realizing his rudeness, Frete cleared his throat and tried to calm himself before continuing.

    ¡°Then what¡¯s the connection between the essories and your purpose for being here?¡±

    ¡°The one depicted in the essories is Lady Arlen, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Then that means... you and...¡±

    ¡°Frete!¡±

    Suddenly, the door burst open, and a priest from the Guild entered, breathing heavily as if rushing.

    Upon seeing Uden, the priest quickly bowed his head.

    ¡°Apologies, Sword Saint! My deepest apologies!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not some big deal.¡±

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got something urgent, right? Just tell me.¡±

    ¡°¡­I apologize for the intrusion, but Lady Arlen has arrived at the guild.¡±

    ¡°Lady Arlen is here!?¡±

    ¡°Lady Arlen hase here!?¡±

    I quickly made up my mind to meet the Sword Saint and immediately went to find Karia to ask about her whereabouts.

    Despite Uden being the kind of person who wandered aimlessly, for someone of his status, it was only natural that information about where he was would circte.

    As I had expected, Karia immediately answered me about where Uden was.

    ¡°She¡¯s at the Art Guild right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    That answer caught mepletely off guard. Why would someone who had been living as an adventurer, always seeking dangerous ces, be at the Art Guild? It wasn¡¯t a ce that someone like Uden would usually visit.

    However, my confusion didn¡¯t change the reality.

    Uden was indeed at the Art Guild, and ording to Karia, he was currently talking to Frete.

    Damn it. I had to go back to that perverted ce again?

    The ce where lunatics were always praying and crying, hoping for blessings?

    <If you think about it, isn¡¯t this a good thing? If you have ties with the Art Guild¡¯s apostle, it will be easier to persuade them.>

    ¡®...I know that. But put yourself in my shoes, Grandpa. I have to go to a ce where people are bowing and crying, saying they received blessings! How could you handle that?¡¯

    <Well, there was something simr in my time.>

    ¡®Something simr?¡¯

    <We were heroes in a bleak world.>

    I heard Grandpa¡¯s story of how they created festivals wherever they went, but I didn¡¯t really sympathize with it.

    ¡®So, did they beg to be stepped on, saying it was a blessing?¡¯

    <...Err.>

    ¡®Did they spit for inspiration, begging for it?¡¯

    <Hmm.>

    ¡®No, right?¡¯

    <...>

    ¡®So please don¡¯t pretend to sympathize. I really hate that ce.¡¯

    <I¡¯m sorry.>

    After arguing with Grandpa and preparing myself, I used the teleportation skill and headed to the Art Guild.

    When I entered the guild, nothing really surprised me. There were the familiar faces of people who looked at me with bright eyes, calling me the Goddess¡¯s incarnation. Those who were prostrating themselves on the ground, praying, or crying when they met my gaze.

    As I looked at the hellish scene with sincere contempt, I noticed someone running towards me from a distance.

    Worn robes, leather armormonly worn by adventurers, and a conspicuous sword that stood out among other equipment.

    The person with these traits must surely be the Sword Saint. But why was he running toward me?

    ...Is he also a pervert?

    Is he some crazy person with strange tastes like a fool or a perverted apostle!?

    Is something changing him, turning him weird!?

    As I felt confused by the image of the Sword Saint with wide-open eyes, he reached me.

    With onyx-like eyes, staring at me silently, she suddenly dropped to her knees and raised her voice, veins appearing on her neck.

    ¡°Lady Arlen! Please, let me meet your father... No! Please, give me a chance to meet Lord Arlen! Please, I beg you!¡±

 Chapter 479

    ¡°¡­What did I just hear? Am I hearing things?¡±

    Yeah, it must be. Otherwise, how could someone like the Sword Saint be spouting nonsense like asking for my father?

    ¡°Just to clear up any misunderstanding, this is not a joke. I am seriously seeking to meet Lord Benedict Arlen. That man¡¯s... h-heh. Heh.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what kind of thoughts went through the Sword Saint¡¯s mind, but his smile was so loose it reminded me of a foolish fox.

    ¡°¡­Disgusting.¡±

    Feeling a familiar sense of disgust at the Sword Saint''s actions, I unconsciously took a step back. Then, I heard the sound of people copsing one by one around me.

    ...Should I just run away now? Maybe just take the Sword Saint with me? But no, he¡¯s part of the problem too.

    There¡¯s no solution. Is this how everyone in this world is, since the one who ims to be a god is just as useless?

    I was about to deny reality, wishing I could change things, when the perverted apostle appeared right behind the Sword Saint.

    The perverted apostle hurriedly ran toward me, locking eyes with me, then suddenly stopped and covered his nose with his hand.

    Seeing blood trickling through his fingers, it was clear that he was bleeding from his nose.

    Despite looking decent on the outside, he gave off the vibe of a sickly person. But in reality, he was a perverted loli-fetishist. Truly horrifying. He needed to be handcuffed and thrown into prison as soon as possible.

    ¡°¡­I apologize. Lady Arlen. You seem even more beautiful than before, I was so stunned by your movements I nearly fainted.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just lose consciousness and fall t on your face? Hitting your head on the ground and dying would have been more helpful to the world.¡±

    ¡°Haha. That would not do. I still have the mission to spread the word of your beauty to the world.¡±

    ¡°I really wish you''d just die sooner.¡±

    Despite my harsh words, the perverted apostle maintained his sickening grin.

    This is such a mess. What do I have to do to make this guy experience what I¡¯ve gone through? He¡¯s the kind of person whoughs off insults to the Goddess, thinking it¡¯s fine because he¡¯s one of those twisted apostle types.

    ¡°Why are you here then? If you¡¯re here because of what we talked about before, you should know that preparations aren¡¯t finished yet.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no interest in someone like you, disgusting pervert.¡±

    ¡°Well then¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to find this orc woman.¡±

    The Sword Saint flinched at the mention of "orc woman."

    ¡°Um, Lady Arlen, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the kind of person to be called an orc woman.¡±

    His tone sounded defensive, but looking at her, the woman in question wasn¡¯t bad-looking by any means. She was one of the strongest NPCs in the game, and she even had a personal storyline, so there was no way she could look grotesque.

    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about your appearance. It¡¯s the orc inside of you. A monster who doesn¡¯t belong in human society.¡±

    ¡°¡­Uh.¡±

    ¡°Seeing you get defensive as soon as I mention it makes me think I¡¯ve hit a nerve. Heh. If you¡¯re going to use your head as decoration, at least put something pretty on it. Why use something you picked up from the trash?¡±

    With each word I said, the Sword Saint¡¯s face turned progressively redder, as though my provocations werending perfectly.

    I shouldn¡¯t be doing this. I need to seek cooperation from the Sword Saint, so I shouldn¡¯t make her angry.

    But strangely, every time I spoke, I couldn''t help but want to jab at her more with my words.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d you followed me. It would have been a disaster if I had gone ahead alone.¡±

    As I was wondering where to push next, a voice suddenly came from behind.

    Karia, who had appeared suddenly, rushed between me and the Sword Saint, raising both of her hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Though, I guess you wouldn¡¯t remember me. It¡¯s been over ten years since west saw each other?¡±

    ¡°No, I remember. Karia, you¡¯re not someone I could easily forget.¡±

    ¡°Well, well, the little underling of the underworld is remembered by the Sword Saint. I¡¯m honored.¡±

    The Sword Saint looked distinctly ufortable with Karia¡¯s presence.

    I couldn¡¯t understand why.

    Karia, now having lost most of her old power, shouldn¡¯t have been someone a Sword Saint would fear. But despite this, the Sword Saint stepped back as soon as she saw Karia¡¯s smile.

    ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been hiding for a long time, but I didn¡¯t expect to meet you like this.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no business with you, Sword Saint. I just followed you because I felt something might go wrong if you and your employer are left alone.¡±

    Karia¡¯s words were disconnected, but the Sword Saint didn''t show confusion. Instead, she bit her lip.

    ¡°How did you read my mind? I tried to hide my intentions and actionspletely.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I can¡¯t tell you that. I don¡¯t have the same strength or connections I used to, so I can¡¯t reveal trade secrets, can I?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m bothering you, just listen to your employer. It¡¯ll be quicker for us to part ways that way.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I was hoping to talk to Lady Arlen as well, so I¡¯ll dlyply.¡±

    As soon as the Sword Saint nodded, Karia turned her head slyly toward the perverted apostle. The perverted apostle, who had been staring at me nkly, noticed Karia¡¯s signal and quickly opened his mouth.

    ¡°Shall I guide you to the reception room?¡±

    The Sword Saint, Uden, sat down and faced the girl with her legs crossed in front of her.

    The girl, who was ring at Uden with her chin resting in her hand, was someone whose beauty would make anyone marvel.

    Uden had thought, when she first saw the girl, that even the Apostle of the Art Guild could not capture her beauty perfectly.

    But after the awe faded and she looked at the girl again, other things became visible.

    The medals that could only be obtained by those who had devoted their entire lives to something.

    It was almost unbelievable how beautiful she was, born under the monster¡¯s shadow, yet bearing the talent that proved she was the monster¡¯s daughter.

    It made sense now, why that crazy Rasha had drooled, eagerly awaiting her growth.

    Even Uden, if things were different, might have asked if she wanted to learn swordsmanship.

    ¡°Hey, Orc girl.¡±

    ...Yeah. If only that bastard¡¯s tone wasn¡¯t so annoying.

    Uden frowned at the jabbing tone, but when she met Karia¡¯s gaze, she suppressed her irritation.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Before we get to the point, let me ask you one thing. How does a dumb orc like you know our stupid papa?¡±

    ¡°How could I not know Lord Benedict Arlen, such an outstanding warrior?¡±

    ¡°Do you wear him like an essory? Don¡¯t you understand what I mean?¡±

    At Lucy¡¯s spiteful tone, Uden shut her mouth, and Karia couldn¡¯t help but let out a yfulugh.

    ¡°Oh. I can exin that.¡±

    ¡°You? How?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I can. This is something I¡¯m good at.¡±

    ¡°Karia, please stop. I¡¯ll say it myself.¡±

    It had been over ten years since Karia stopped her activities, but her creepy personality hadn¡¯t changed at all.

    This is why she was so bothersome. She always kept her own secrets, but would invade other people¡¯s without hesitation.

    Uden let out a deep sigh, leaning her head back and looking at the ceiling.

    ¡°Lady Arlen, to be clear from the start, my rtionship with Lord Benedict Arlen is more of a one-sided admiration.¡±

    Uden hadn¡¯t always been a Sword Saint.

    If anything, in the past, she was far from the position of Sword Saint. She had no proper teacher and had been carving her own path in swordsmanship based only on her talent. How could someone like her ever be a Sword Saint?

    It was true that Uden was born with extraordinary talent, but she couldn¡¯t just bypass the history of swordsmanship and move forward on her own. Uden didn¡¯t even seek more than that, so originally, she would have remained just a strong fighter.

    The first turning point in Uden¡¯s life came when she randomly encountered a monster.

    Hired as a mercenary and standing on the battlefield, she saw a humanoid monster rampaging in the distance.

    The monster¡¯s sword was as big as an adult man, crude and rough.

    To be honest, it was far from the direction Uden wanted to pursue in her swordsmanship.

    Yet, Uden was overwhelmed by the monster¡¯s sword.

    Would I be able to withstand it if I stood in front of it? Could I catch its de? Could I surpass it?

    Her talent gave an immediate answer to her question.

    Impossible.

    As just a lowly mercenary, she couldn¡¯t surpass that sword.

    Experiencing the overwhelming power firsthand, she immediately started visiting various swordsmanship schools with the money she earned from mercenary work.

    She kept practicing, learning more, and imagining the scene where she could stand before the monster¡¯s sword and, eventually, defeat it.

    That¡¯s how Uden, now a Sword Saint, hade to be.

    ¡°So, now you can just go to stupid papa. A dumb orc like you may be doubted, but a Sword Saint like you would be wee.¡±

    Listening to the conversation, Lucy raised an eyebrow, and Uden¡¯s lips quivered. The attitude she had seemed like she couldn¡¯t bring herself to speak.

    ¡°Just in case, are you looking for excuses because you¡¯re too shy to meet papa first? Heh. I can¡¯t believe it. A brainless orc thinking like a little girl.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just a little shy! He¡¯s my idol! Lord Benedict!¡±

    Uden, whose face turned bright red, yelled, and Lucy blinked in surprise before bursting intoughter.

    Herughter was genuine, and Lucy kicked her legs, teasing Uden.

    Uden red at her, but Lucy didn¡¯t stopughing.

    Afterughing for a long time, Lucy wiped away a tear and, still smiling, said:

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it upfront¡ªdon¡¯t get your hopes up. Papa¡¯s taste is nowhere near someone like you.¡±

    ¡°I know that, thank you for pointing it out.¡±

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t tell you to give up. I¡¯d like to see you get betrayed and cry over it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll remember your advice.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. You¡¯ll forget about it after a day anyway.¡±

    ¡°My intelligence isn¡¯t that low.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you a real piece of advice. Find a fool who¡¯ll ept you, you pitiful orc. Someone who¡¯s just as stupid andcking in femininity as you. For example, a perverted professor.¡±

    ¡°Who is this perverted professor?¡±

    At the sudden mention of the term from Lucy¡¯s mouth, Uden raised an eyebrow, and Karia answered in ce of Lucy.

    ¡°It¡¯s a professor named Luca. You must know him, Sword Saint?¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about that Luca?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him.¡±

    Karia nodded, and Uden chuckled.

    ¡°Ha. He¡¯s having a tough time, huh? Having to teach these grotesque nobles. I¡¯d never be able to do it.¡±

    Uden¡¯s tone was filled with affection for Luca.

 Chapter 480

    Uden¡¯s expression as she spoke about Luca was surprisingly bright.

    ¡°You¡¯re close with that perverted professor? It doesn¡¯t seem like someone like you, with an empty head, would get along with a pervert like him.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, it¡¯s because I¡¯m an idiot that I got along so well with him.¡±

    It seemed that Uden had fond memories of the days she spent with Luca. She immediately began talking about her past, particrly when she was still an adventurer before bing the Sword Saint.

    ¡°He was always good at teaching others. I received a lot of help from him.¡±

    Uden spoke as if Luca had helped her a great deal, iming that his presence had allowed her to grow.

    However, from what I knew of the truth, her words seemedpletely different to me.

    Luca had never genuinely tried to help Uden.

    Driven by jealousy of Uden''s talent, Luca had always sought to bring her down.

    But Luca''s ns always failed.

    The talent Uden possessed, which would eventually make her the Sword Saint, was far beyond what Luca could handle, and his schemes only ended up further strengthening her.

    Every effort he made to bring her down only made her shine brighter.

    ¡°When he quit adventuring and decided to be a teacher, I was a little disappointed. He was someone who could soar to great heights once he crossed a certain threshold. But seeing him seed as a professor, I guess it was the right choice for him.¡±

    As Uden smiled lightly, I became certain of one thing.

    If anyone could truly destroy the mask Luca wore, it was Uden.

    If there was anyone who could tear him down, it would be her.

    ¡°Personally, I regret that after bing a professor, I wasn¡¯t able to see him again. Even when I became the Sword Saint, he just sent a congrattory letter.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to see him?¡±

    ¡°Of course. He¡¯s one of the few genuinely good people I met during my adventuring days.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t the best idea to mention that Luca was up to something with me to Uden.

    She already thought of him as a close friend, someone who had helped her, so it was obvious who she would trust.

    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t say anything. I would let Uden face Luca with her own eyes. By doing so, I¡¯d let Uden¡¯s true feelings reveal to Luca, making him squirm.

    Ah, just imagining it is already so fun. When Uden expresses her gratitude, I wonder if Luca will be able to keep his expression in check.

    ¡°Oak girl. You¡¯re a fool who can¡¯t do anything by herself, aren¡¯t you? I bet you¡¯ve got plenty of things you want to ask me for, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡¯ll say this. There¡¯s an idiot who suits you perfectly.¡±

    I mentioned that there was something she wanted to ask me as I subtly turned my gaze to Karia, who smoothly continued the conversation.

    ¡°Are you talking about the Lady Kent? Have you heard of her?¡±

    ¡°Oh, her? Yes, I know her well. I¡¯ve actually seen her wield a sword before.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°The Lady Kent used to participate in many tournaments. Back then, I was dragged around by the previous Sword Saint to various tournaments as well.¡±

    Uden¡¯s expression was somewhat ambiguous as she recalled the swordsman, Frey.

    Why? I can¡¯t figure it out. Frey has overwhelming talent in swordsmanship, so why does Uden look like that?

    Could it be that she¡¯s worried about being threatened by Frey?

    That wouldn¡¯t be it. Uden is the type of person who would have abandoned her title as Sword Saint at the right time, so she¡¯s not worried about that.

    Then why? What is it? I tilted my head as I tried to make sense of it, and after a moment of thought, Uden cautiously spoke up.

    ¡°Perhaps what Lady Arlen wants from me is for me to take a look at Lady Kent¡¯s sword?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it. You¡¯re quick-witted for an orc.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about now, but if Lady Kent is the same as I remember, standing by her side wouldn¡¯t change much.¡±

    I recognized this dialogue from the game.

    In Frey¡¯s personal story, after Uden defeats Frey, she says something simr and then leaves.

    Knowing what happens after that, I couldn¡¯t help but smile at seeing Uden frown.

    ¡°You¡¯re not that desperate to meet our stupid papa, huh? You said you admired him, but is that all you really feel?¡±

    ¡°Why are you suddenly saying that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to tell Papa all about you when we get back. That you¡¯re skilled with a sword, but that¡¯s all. You¡¯re not very good-looking, not very smart, and have a terrible personality. You¡¯re just a beast with no fun.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you can say that!?¡±

    It seems that Uden¡¯s admiration for Benedict wasn¡¯t as empty as I thought. She buckled under my threat.

    With this, I now had a reason to call the Sword Saint to the academy and also help Frey and Arthur.

    No matter what, Uden was one of the best swordsmen on the continent, so I hoped those two could benefit from it.

    ¡°Ugh. Why does such a righteous and upright knight have a daughter like this?¡±@@novelbin@@

    Looking at Uden, who was muttering with her head down, I was struck by how many bad things I wanted to say.

    Had I always hated Uden¡¯s character like this? I didn¡¯t feel anything special about her before, so why does she bother me so much now?

    I felt like I would keep prodding at her until she exploded, so I subtly turned my head toward the perverted apostle.

    ¡°You shoulde with us too.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no way this beast could get there by itself.¡±

    ¡°The Sword Saint is not someone socking.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk back, you pervert who can¡¯t even take your eyes off a girl¡¯s thighs. Just do what you¡¯re told, garbage.¡±

    ¡°¡­Thank you for the reward! Yes! I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    In the Colosseum of the Teresha Empire, the remnants of a storm left by a girl still lingered in the streets. Jewelry made by a girl with an angelic appearancey scattered around.

    Everyone imed it was genuine jewelry from the Art Guild, but in reality, the quality was much lower than the guild''s authentic creations.

    ¡°Tsk.¡±

    The cksmith Inuki clicked his tongue as he looked at the fake jewelry lining the streets. It seemed like the garbage in this area never changed, no matter how much time passed.

    They had no intention of improving their skills, only trying to earn money by any means.

    ¡°Hey, old man! Check this out! Jewelry made by the Art Guild! It¡¯s a lucky charm that drives away misfortune!¡±

    Inuki was about to ignore the merchant¡¯s voice and walk past, but the merchant grabbed his shoulder, not letting him go.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Then the merchant realized something was wrong. The frail-looking old man¡¯s shoulder was surprisingly solid, almost as if made of unbreakable metal.

    ¡°What are you showing me?¡±

    Inuki turned his head, and his determined eyes revealed themselves.

    Realizing he had picked the wrong person, the merchant started to panic, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he had already touched him.

    ¡°Hey, you. Is this really jewelry from the Art Guild?¡±

    ¡°Yes? Yes, of course it is.¡±

    ¡°Stop lying. There¡¯s no way that idiot, Prete, would allow something like this to be sold.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? This is genuine¡­¡±

    ¡°Where should I start pointing out what¡¯s wrong? The materials? The appearance? The finish? Ha. Nothing about this is right. If the goddess saw this, she¡¯d be furious. You bastard.¡±

    ¡°Old man, aren¡¯t you being a bit too harsh?¡±

    The merchant knew that Inuki was right, but he raised his voice anyway.

    If he admitted the product wascking, his business would be ruined. So, he had to argue that Inuki was wrong.

    ¡°Shut your eyes and speak properly!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you if I¡¯m the one who¡¯s wrong!¡±

    Just as the merchant was about to start his tantrum, Inuki¡¯s eyes met his, and a wave of fear overtook him.

    Inuki, looking unimpressed, clicked his tongue and grabbed one of the jewelry pieces, crushing it in his hand.

    ¡°You can cheat people, but don¡¯t insult the gods, you bastard.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, yes, sorry, sir.¡±

    Inuki tossed the crumpled jewelry to the ground and stepped into the back alley of Bardronel.

    ¡°Inuki-sensei! You¡¯re here!¡±

    A man appeared from a shabby shop in the back alley.

    Looking the man up and down, Inuki approached him and kicked his shin.

    ¡°Ugh?! Why? What did I do wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong. I¡¯m just annoyed seeing you, myzy disciple.¡±

    ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t exactlyfortable.¡±

    ¡°Stop whining. I let you be, and now you¡¯ve gotten cocky!¡±

    The disciple, realizing his position, started to sweat and hurriedly raised his voice.

    ¡°But, there¡¯s something important! A guest came by recently!¡±

    ¡°A guest?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Ady from the Arlen family! She insisted on meeting you!¡±

    Ady from the Arlen family? So that¡¯s the monster¡¯s child. I heard she won recently at the Colosseum and came all the way here looking for a proper cksmith.

    Well, she seems skilled enough, but I doubt she¡¯s worthy of me forging something for her.

    Maybe her father, but she¡¯s not of the same caliber.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just give her something you made yourself, using some excuse? The princess won¡¯t be able to tell the difference between what I make and what you make.¡±

    ¡°No, master. She knew my work wasn¡¯t good enough.¡±

    ¡°¡­Are you being serious?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t lie to you, master.¡±

    Oh? Given her appearance, I assumed the rumors had been exaggerated. But maybe she¡¯s not just another pretty face.

    ¡°Then, what kind of person did you think the Arlen princess was?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a talented warrior, but she doesn¡¯t rest on herurels. She works hard, always pushing herself to improve.¡±

    ¡°Evidence?¡±

    ¡°I saw the armor she wore, and that¡¯s what I think. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll think the same, master.¡±

    ¡°Huh, really? Alright, let me take a look.¡±

    As soon as Inuki gave his permission, the disciple hurried inside and brought out a small piece of armor.

    The armor, which seemed made for a noble child, was of good quality, even by Inuki¡¯s standards.

    There aren¡¯t many people who can make armor like this for a child, so the family must have paid special attention to it. But it seems like the girl didn¡¯t fully appreciate the effort put into it.

    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have treated the armor so roughly.

    Examining the traces on the armor, Inuki¡¯s lips curled up.

    ¡°The Arlen princess is quite different from what the rumors say.¡±

    ¡°Yes, she really is.¡±

    ¡°Well, that works for me. I was getting fed up with this damn street anyway.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to meet the princess?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll at least evaluate the armor first.¡±

    Inuki spoke with a somewhat gruff voice, but there was definitely a sense of satisfaction in his eyes as he looked at the armor. The traces of effort left on it were enough to soften the old man¡¯s grumpy nature.

 Chapter 482

    On the day the midterm exams at Soul Academy begin, the academy¡¯s morning starts before the sun even rises.

    Someone, who had promised to study all night in their private room, wasmenting their own pathetic self, realizing all they had done was smear their friend¡¯s notes with their own pillow.

    Third-year students, who were already used to staying up all night, looked like they were closer to death than life, sluggish and weary.

    Among those who believed they had prepared well, many were nervously trembling, unable to hide their tension.

    ¡°Lady Parn, is something the matter?¡±

    One of the nervous ones, Joy, noticed her own trembling hands only after Lady Rumly of the Rumly family asked the question.

    ¡°¡­I must have be nervous from focusing too much on preparing for this exam.¡±

    ¡°So even you, Lady Parn, get nervous?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Lady Rumly, just because I¡¯m from the Duke¡¯s family doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not human.¡±

    Normally, Joy would get so nervous before something important that she could feel her heartbeat pounding in her chest.

    However, she would use magic to artificially mask that nervousness, so no one else would know.

    In other words, right now, Joy was so tense that she couldn¡¯t even think to hide it.

    If Lucy¡¯s words were true, the Followers of the Void would soon be up to something.

    Chaos would surelye to this academy. With thedies gathered here, Joy couldn¡¯t tell anyone else about what she anticipated, but she couldn''t help feeling frustrated. At the same time, she thought about how she needed to protect them, tightening her lips.

    Thinking about it, maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt to subtly give them a hint?

    It¡¯s not like a casual warning would mean anything if things were going to unfold today. Everyone would find out sooner orter.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not nervous to the point that I want the academy to copse. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a relief then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d actually prefer something happened.¡±

    ¡°Me too. I wish we had just one more day to prepare.¡±

    When Joy jokingly spoke without her usual politeness, the other nobledies naturally continued the conversation.

    This was the natural conversation among nobledies, shaped by their hierarchical society.

    In that conversation, Lady Rumly chuckled lightly and waved her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s a cruel thought, but such things can¡¯t happen. This is Soul Academy, after all. There might be small idents, but do you think the professors would let something major happen that would dy the midterms?¡±

    Attacking Soul Academy was a rather absurd idea.

    The professors here had all earned recognition in their respective fields beforeing to the academy.

    Even if they had retired from the front lines, it wasn¡¯t easy to assemble a force that could take down an academy full of these monstrous professors.

    Even if such a force existed, they would never be able to infiltrate this ce right in the heart of the kingdom.

    Would the kingdom just sit idly by while such a force moved?

    ¡°Moreover, now that the eyes of both the First and Second Queens are on us, do you think any deranged force would dare touch this ce? They¡¯d be wiped out before they even made it here.¡±

    ¡°Lady Rumly, you¡¯re being too serious.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re acting a bit like themoner man you¡¯ve been spending time withtely.¡±

    ¡°¡­I guess I¡¯ve be too serious fromck of sleep.¡±

    As the nobledies from the Count family engaged in their usual power struggle, Joy mulled over Lady Rumly¡¯s words. She was right.

    Attacking the academy was no simple task.

    Like thest time, a small incident could happen, but a catastrophe big enough to stop the academy¡¯s schedulepletely was practically impossible.

    ¡­But Lucy had definitely said it. Something big was going to happen at the academy. She had to prepare for it.

    What was going to happen?

    What kind of event was so big that Lucy had to warn everyone?

    What exactly were the Followers of the Void preparing?

    Luca sensed the presence of a de outside the door, feeling the presence of a knight watching him.

    How is it that knights can be so stealthy? If it weren¡¯t for the magic set up with the Demon God¡¯s power, Luca would have missed the presence of the knight entirely.

    Well, even if he had sensed it, it wouldn¡¯t have made much of a difference. Until everything was ready, Luca had no intention of moving from his office.

    ¡®Is everyone ready?¡¯

    What had worked out in Luca¡¯s favor was the power struggle between the First and Second Queens that had urred just before this year began.

    Their battle, in which each tried to insert their own supporters as professors at the academy, created the perfect environment for outsiders to enter.

    On top of that, one more fortunate thing was that many of the academy¡¯s professors had left.

    The professors who had worked at Soul Academy for a long time were all monstrous figures.

    Without such monstrous figures, would it even be possible to survive in an academy where nobles and even royals entered?

    Yet, those monstrous professors had all taken a step back to protest the power struggle between the queens.

    Although the dean had worked tirelessly to fill those positions, it was clear that the academy had be somewhatcking in qualitypared to before.

    Having worked at the academy for a long time, Luca had acted as a mediator between the old professors and the new ones, secretly sowing the seeds of chaos in between.

    Thanks to that, many of the professors had been reced with followers of the Demon God, and in some cases, even graduate students below the professors had been reced.

    Despite the favorable circumstances Luca had created, overthrowing the academy was still impossible.

    Even though some monsters had left, there were still plenty of monsters remaining.

    Additionally, there were some threatening students at the academy, and if things dragged on for too long, the kingdom¡¯s other monsters and hunting dogs from the Church of the Great God would lead their forces ande to punish the Followers of the Void.

    Fully aware of this, Luca decided to take a different approach instead of facing things head-on.

    With the knowledge he had gained from working at the academy for so long,bined with the power of the Apostle of the Void, he could do a lot of damage.

    ¡®Let¡¯s begin soon.¡¯

    Waking up early in the morning, I quietly watched Erin as she touched her hair.

    Meeting the Perverted Apostle had clearly helped Erin, as she was growing at an impressive speed with each passing day.

    If it were just about grooming me, she could bepared to the Perverted Apostle herself. Satisfied with the finished hair, I nodded and got out of bed.

    ¡°Pathetic Erin.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡±

    ¡°Stay locked up in this room today.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    I signaled to the fox beside me, who immediately jumped onto Erin¡¯s shoulder and distracted her with its magic.

    Erin tried to resist the fox¡¯s power but stumbled and eventually copsed onto the bed.

    ¡°The goddess must really cherish this child. She had quite the trouble.¡±

    ¡°Is your power really that weak?¡±

    ¡°Tch. No matter how much it¡¯s divided, it¡¯s still the main body. If it weren¡¯t for the goddess¡¯s power, would I be struggling to put this child to sleep?¡±

    Watching the fox sneer, I told her to take care of Erin before stepping outside.

    <There¡¯s a faint trace of the Demon God¡¯s energy inside the academy. They¡¯ve begun moving.>

    ¡®Hmm. So they¡¯ve been infiltrating among the professors already.¡¯

    I had an inkling of this when Luca was involved, but it seems there are more of them than I expected. It wouldn¡¯t make sense for them to move so boldly unless that were the case.

    <What exactly are they nning? The powers of the Followers of the Void can¡¯t possibly destroy this ce.>

    ¡®I¡¯m curious about that too.¡¯

    Most quests involving the Followers of the Void at the academy involve the protagonist smashing their underhanded schemes.

    It¡¯s rare for them to act in this manner.

    I wonder how they¡¯ll approach this. I¡¯d love it if whatever happens is something fresh and exciting.

    ¡­But thinking back to the incident in the forest, I suspect I¡¯ll only be betrayed after raising my expectations.

    Once I had armed myself and stepped into the academy¡¯s za, I felt the ominous energying from the highest point of the Soul Academy¡¯s main building.

    That¡¯s the ce¡­ where the academy¡¯s barrier is.

    Normally transparent, the academy¡¯s barrier now glowed a dark shade of ck, as if it had swallowed all the light in the world.

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?! What¡¯s this?!¡±

    ¡°Ahh!?¡±

    ¡°Is this a sudden exam?!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start by lighting a fire.¡±

    The sudden darkness caused confusion all around, but after a while, the surrounding sounds quieted down.

    <...Demon of Darkness?>

    The scene I had seen once before caused my grandfather to panic, but I firmly shook my head.

    ¡®No, this is different.¡¯

    This darkness isn¡¯t the kind of power that devoured all human senses like the Demon of Darkness did. This ckness still left the five senses intact.

    <Then, this is...>

    ¡®Yeah. It¡¯s just what I expected. I¡¯ll probably get betrayed after getting my hopes up.¡¯

    <...Hmm?>

    ¡®These unimaginative fools.¡¯

    I muttered under my breath as the scenery inside the darkness started to form.

    A barren, deadnd where no life could be seen, and ominous creatures lurking on top of it.

    The sun, now turnedpletely ck.

    ¡®Someone once said the Void is the absence of all things.¡¯

    That was something the Demon God of the Void itself had said in the game.

    ¡®A ce where all blessings in the world are absent. That¡¯s the space of the Void.¡¯

    <Wait a minute. Then this ce is...>

    ¡®Yeah. I think so.¡¯

    Right now, I, we, and everyone at the academy have been invited to the space of the Void.

    ¡®It¡¯s not fun, is it?¡¯

    To be exact, it¡¯s more like we¡¯ve been invited to act like we were.

    <Is now really the time to be talking like this?!>

    @@novelbin@@

 Chapter 484

    ¡°Really bothersome.¡±

    Luca clicked his tongue as he looked at the sword lying on the ground. Putting him down had not been easy.

    Even with the powers of the Void and the various magic Luca personally set up, the sword still tried to resist.

    ¡®It¡¯s thedy¡¯s order!¡¯

    Had the Apostle of the Void note when the sword drew his weapon, Luca would have wasted his time dealing with him.

    ¡°The barrier has been breached?¡± Luca, still looking at the sword lying on the ground, was taken aback by the Apostle of the Void¡¯s words and unconsciously repeated the question.

    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve sent a team to handle it.¡±

    ¡°Interesting.¡±

    What surprised Luca wasn¡¯t that part of the barrier had copsed. What startled him was that it had already been broken so soon.

    ¡°Do we know who it was?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Sword Saint.¡±

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Sword Saint Uden. She¡¯s entered the barrier.¡±

    Upon hearing the identity of the intruder, Luca¡¯s pupils twitched. Why? Why is she here?

    ¡­Lady Arlen. It¡¯s her. She must have summoned Uden through some method.

    A week ago, when she mentioned her name while targeting me, I had a suspicion.

    What is she? How does she know so much about my past?

    Has the Lord granted the ability to peer into the past to someone she favors?

    ¡°Luca?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry. I was just thinking for a moment.¡±

    Luca, stunned by the fact that the one who had made him give up bing a star had arrived here, snapped out of it when he heard the Apostle of the Void call him.

    Calm down. In the end, nothing will change.

    The traces I leave on Lady Arlen will eventually bloom and elevate her to a star higher than anyone else.

    When that timees, Uden¡¯s light will be nothing inparison.

    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with this as we originally nned.¡±

    ¡°The situation keeps getting moreplicated.¡±

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s better than Benedict leading his knights to march in.¡±

    The worst-case scenario they had imagined was truly terrifying.

    They had to consider the possibility that all the monsters supporting the kingdom of Sdin could appear here.

    Inparison, the appearance of a single Sword Saint, Uden, was nothing to worry about.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the location where the barrier¡¯s magic is. No matter what happens, as long as we aplish our goal, we win.¡±

    Joy, waking up, immediately jumped up and looked around at the nobledies. They were all the same.

    Everyone was in a deep sleep, induced by the ckened barrier.

    From the asional murmuring, it seemed like they were all seeing visions of hell.

    Joy tried to wake her friends using magic, but soon realized it was beyond her capabilities.

    This is something I shouldn¡¯t touch carelessly. If I force someone out of a dream, I don¡¯t know what might happen.

    If Faye were here, it might be different, but if I interfere¡­

    That¡¯s it! Faye! First, I¡¯ll go meet Faye! She would have definitely realized the ce was a dream and gotten out of it by now!

    And Lucy too! Lucy, who had been preparing for this situation, must have already left the dream and is doing what needs to be done!

    Maybe it¡¯s because she had already expected something like this to happen.

    Even though Joy was in danger, she managed to keep her cool and assess the situation.

    What would have happened if I had suddenly faced this crisis without any knowledge? I would have probably done something foolish like others often do.

    Thinking of her friends¡¯ yfulughter, she felt reassured.

    I should be able to meet them soon, right? She thought as she prepared to leave the building, but then she heard footsteps in the distance and quickly suppressed her presence.

    If there are people moving freely in this ce where everyone else is asleep, they must be the followers of the Demon God.@@novelbin@@

    The fact that they¡¯re moving urgently means something has happened.

    Lucy? Or someone she¡¯s preparing?

    ¡°...The barrier... intrusion¡­¡±

    ¡°The academy...¡±

    ¡°¡­Hold on¡­¡±

    The voices were distant, and Joy couldn¡¯t fully make out what they were saying, but the fragments she heard were enough for her to understand.

    The barrier controlled by the followers of the Demon God had encountered a problem, and they were moving to deal with it.

    She couldn¡¯t know the exact details, but this was enough. Something unexpected had happened, and they were clearly confused.

    Once themotion died down, Joy used magic to conceal her presence.

    It was a magic she often used when she wanted to rest after socializing with the nobledies in the gathering halls. She had used it countless times, so she was as confident in it as she was with any of her other spells.

    Phew. Where could Faye be?

    She would have escaped the nightmare faster than I did.

    No, maybe she never even got caught in the nightmare.

    But then again... no. Wait a minute.

    Let¡¯s think about this from the other side. From their perspective, Faye is definitely someone to be wary of.

    As the Saintess, she has caused countless things to happen. Of course, they¡¯d be on alert for her.

    So, it¡¯s entirely possible that the followers of the Void are trying to eliminate her as a variable.

    ¡°Faye!¡±

    Immediately jumping to a conclusion, Joy moved quickly, using wind to silence her footsteps as she hurried toward where Faye was staying.

    Because of the academy¡¯s request, they had no choice but to ce Faye in one of the higher-ranked rooms in the noble dormitory to avoid criticism from the Church of the Great God, despite not treating her any differently from the other students.

    Having visited her room several times, Joy arrived there in just a few minutes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting, Joy.¡±

    Faye was smiling softly in her room, but the scene around her was far from soothing.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been... attacked, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°As you can see.¡±

    Several people were lying around Faye.

    Each of them wore bizarre masks, from which foamy saliva was dripping out of their mouths.

    ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°Do you know that if you heal someone using recovery magic, they¡¯ll feel extreme pain?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible to manipte the senses to remove it, but can we amplify it?¡±

    Upon hearing Faye¡¯s words, Joy felt a chill run down her spine.

    She amplified the pain from recovery magic?! If she did that, they might die from the pain!

    ¡°By repeatedly healing the injuries with purifying light, they eventually fell into a deep sleep.¡±

    ¡°...Could you not say that with a smile? It¡¯s really terrifying.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I was trying to reassure you with my expression.¡±

    ¡°No matter how good your expression is, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that the situation around us doesn¡¯t match it. Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Hiyah... Ugh. Ughhh!?¡±

    Faye, who seemed not to understand why it was terrifying, tilted her head when suddenly a voice came from behind Joy.

    Startled, Joy screamed, but her voice was muffled by a hand covered with calluses.

    ¡°Calm down, Lady Parn. I¡¯m not a bad person.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here, Sword Saint?¡±

    As Uden calmed Joy, Faye, having regained herposure, voiced her confusion.

    ¡°I was summoned by Lady Arlen. I¡¯m not sure of the details. I¡¯m being manipted by her n.¡±

    ¡°Lady Arlen?¡±

    As soon as Faye heard Lady Arlen¡¯s name, her face broke into a wide smile, causing Uden to step back slightly.

    When I met the Saintess before, I thought her maturity and reliability were so great that I felt I might naturally develop faith in her, despite not having any before.

    But now...

    Hmm.

    It hasn¡¯t changed that much, but somehow, there¡¯s a somewhat dangerous air in her faith.

    No. Never mind. This isn¡¯t the time to think about that.

    ¡°Did you not hear anything from Lady Arlen?¡±

    ¡°We heard that something would happen, but we don¡¯t know the details.¡±

    ¡°Ugh! Ughhh!¡±

    As Faye shook her head, Joy gripped Uden¡¯s hand tightly.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, Lady Parn. My apologies.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Lucy told us something recently.¡±

    ¡°What was it?¡±

    ¡°The academy¡¯s barrier. How to fix it.¡±

    Although it was technically Archmage Erginus who taught them, Joy didn¡¯t mention him. She knew it would only make things more troublesome to bring it up.

    ¡°The problem with the academy right now is the barrier. So, if we fix the problem with the barrier, we should be able to resolve the current situation.¡±

    By now, Lucy is probably heading toward the location of the academy¡¯s barrier. She should know even the most secret ces in the academy.

    So, if we head to the location of the barrier, we¡¯ll naturally meet up with Lucy and help solve this.

    ¡°Do you not know where the barrier is, Lady Parn?¡±

    ¡°...Well¡­¡±

    ¡°...Don¡¯t you know?¡±

    ¡°No! Faye! Please, sense where Lucy¡¯s divinity is! You can sense it, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Joy. But this ce is filled with the power of the Void, so it¡¯s difficult for me to sense anything right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Then what do we do?¡±

    ¡°Ask me that?¡±

    As the group, having lost their way, blinked in confusion, Uden ced his hand on his sword.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. There are idiotsing here who want to give us information.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Simply put, there are idiots who are desperate to die.¡±

 Chapter 485

    On the roof of a building, Karja and Frete stood, observing the confrontation between the followers of the Demon God and the priests of the Holy Church, who were locked in a tense standoff around the hole created by Uden¡¯s sword.

    The two groups, who hated each other with great intensity, seemed to be evenly matched in power.

    Considering the environment favored the followers of the Void, it would be fair to assume that the priests of the Holy Church were stronger than the Demon God¡¯s followers.

    ¡°Strange. My employer was so sure that the church would be at a disadvantage.¡±

    Karja, who had been asked to intervene and maintain the standoff, raised an eyebrow as she watched the scene.

    ¡°Even Lady Arlen can be wrong sometimes, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true, but when my employer is sure about something, it¡¯s usually right.¡±

    As Karja pondered what might be different, she shrugged and thought, Whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break. Soon enough, we¡¯ll be running around like crazy.¡±

    If what my employer said really happens, everything will go to hell. It''s better to conserve energy for that.

    Karja rxed, and Frete cautiously spoke up.

    ¡°Karja, do you really think what Lady Arlen said will happen?¡±

    ¡°Hm... well, honestly, it feels a bit far-fetched.¡±

    Even from Karja¡¯s standpoint, someone she trusted, Lady Arlen¡¯s words seemed a bit like nonsense.

    ¡°But that¡¯s what my employer said.¡±

    If someone she didn¡¯t know had said such things, Karja would have easily dismissed it, but this was Lucy they were talking about.

    A person loved by the Lord, and a heroine who had fought countless battles against the Demon God¡¯s forces.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just have to believe it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I suppose so.¡±

    Uden drew her sword and turned her attention outward.

    Three figures, all wearing grotesque masks, stood outside, much like those sprawled across the room.

    ¡°Well, well. This is interesting. Do you really think the three of you can stop me?¡±

    Uden, holding her sword, openly expressed her disdain for them, but instead of responding, the enemies used their powers.

    The masks worn by the followers of the Void began to absorb the ominous energy that spread throughout the academy, changing their shapes.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t seempletely impossible. Would it be too arrogant to answer like that?¡±

    The first one to speak was a figure resembling an elderly man, his muscles firm and his posture suggesting someone who primarily relied on martial arts.

    ¡°Whatever. If we¡¯re talking arrogance, they¡¯re no slouches either.¡±

    Next, a woman holding a staffrger than her body spoke. The magic circles she created with ease were impossibly beautiful, almost unbelievable for someone who served the Demon God.

    ¡°Everyone, this doesn¡¯t seem like the kind of opponent we can afford to talk casually with.¡±

    Finally, the third follower took the form of someone Uden knew very well.

    Luca. Her friend and benefactor, the one who had helped her rise to a higher ce. A person she still held a small amount of gratitude for.

    ¡°Hah. These bastards have crossed the line.¡±

    When Uden realized that the enemy was using Luca¡¯s face, she showed an intense, dangerous aura, ready to charge at them. But Faye quickly spoke up.

    ¡°Wait a moment, Sword Saint. Don¡¯t take them lightly.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Those are powers used by high-ranking followers of the Void. They¡¯re able to mimic what their targets possess to some extent.¡±

    The degree of this mimicry depends on the strength of the follower and the environment around them.

    Based on Faye¡¯s experience fighting the followers of the Void, she estimated their mimicry ability to be about 80%.

    ¡°They¡¯re professors from the academy, some of whom are highly respected.¡±

    The head of the Combat Department. The head of the Magic Department. And Luca, whose skills may not be the best but who excels at strategic thinking and leadership.

    If they¡¯re able to mimic most of what those professors have, then dealing with them won¡¯t be easy.

    ¡°Saintess, you¡¯re so knowledgeable. Is the target still alive?¡±

    ¡°Actually, it¡¯s safer because they¡¯re still alive. In order to perfectly mimic someone, their life must still be intact.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    Uden¡¯s aura red around her sword, glowing a deep and intense red, like mes about to erupt.

    With this overwhelming aura pressing down on everyone, Uden looked at the others and smiled.

    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re worried about.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    ¡°But you know, the reason I became a Sword Saint is because I managed to shatter the so-called geniuses, including the previous Sword Saint.¡±

    Uden swung her sword through the air, and the fiery aura surrounding her spread outward, burning everything in its path.

    The space, once filled with the powers of the Void, was now painted with Uden¡¯s mes, and standing in the center of it all, Uden grinned ferociously.

    ¡°Come at me, you bastards.¡±

    Starting a fight is fine, but there are boundaries that should be respected.

    Fuck. How dare you touch someone else¡¯s friends?

    Do you think I wouldn¡¯t swing my sword because I¡¯m using Luca¡¯s face?

    If you thought that, you¡¯ll regret it.

    You¡¯ll learn why people call me a beast!

    The moment Uden stepped off the ground, her figure disappeared from the world.

    The battle instructor and Luca, who had only just started to react, could not keep up with Uden¡¯s speed. Uden reappeared even before they had fully moved.

    Standing in front of the head of the Magic Department, Uden looked at his stunned eyes, adding pressure to the grip on her sword.

    ¡°One down.¡±

    ¡°Shit.¡±

    The Magic Department head, sensing the deadly aura, fell back in fear, but Uden didn¡¯t strike her sword.

    Just before, Uden suddenly pulled back.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Fucking bastards. Are all followers of the Demon God such pieces of shit?¡±

    After Uden¡¯s furious outburst, Luca, who had mimicked her friend, responded calmly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. You¡¯ve got a person tied up around your body. Fucking bastards.¡±

    Hearing the usation, Luca silently smiled.

    ¡°Lady Uden, what do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I mean it literally. Saintess, there¡¯s someone tied to their body. If they die, that person will die too.¡±

    ¡°¡­Such a mad thing to do.¡±

    What they had done was so horrific that even Faye cursed, but the followers of the Void remained calm.

    ¡°What does it matter? Everything will eventually return to the Void. What¡¯s the significance of mortal sins?¡±

    ¡°Shut your fucking mouth. You sound just like Luca.¡±

    This is exactly what they were doing.

    They intentionally showed their changes to make people feel at ease, then nted a trap beneath it.

    If someone notices, they hesitate. If they don¡¯t, they can use the person as bait and cause emotional turmoil.

    This resembled the underhanded ns Luca would oftene up with.

    Can mimicry even go that far?

    ¡°Do you know this person well?¡±

    ¡°Fuck. I know him well. I¡¯ve traveled with that bastard for years. That¡¯s why I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t mess with him any more. Luca¡¯s strange, but he¡¯s not someone you¡¯d call crazy.¡±

    The moment Uden showed her goodwill towards Luca, a subtleugh escaped from the followers of the Void.

    Seeing that as a provocation, Uden tightened her grip on her sword, but still, she didn¡¯t strike.

    She couldn¡¯t be sure where the person was tied to. Until she figures that out, it¡¯s too risky to swing her sword recklessly. She could get a sense of it after fighting for a while.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy if it¡¯s hidden by the power of the Void.¡±

    Just as Uden was considering using her sword to cut off an arm or leg, Joy stepped forward with confidence, her voice full of assurance.

    With a self-assured smile, Joy used her magic.

    The magic that gives existence to something out of nothing.

    However, her magic produced no results.

    The moment Joy cast her spell, the head of the Magic Department countered with his own spell, neutralizing hers.

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Lady Parn, think carefully. Do you think we¡¯re standing here like golems?¡±

    Joy, frowning as she thought about what just happened, realized that the magical structure had been disrupted.

    It had been twisted midway, ruining her spell.

    ¡°Joy. Do you think it¡¯s going to be difficult?¡±

    ¡°Just give me a little time. I¡¯ll manage in a moment.¡±

    If she knew how the opponent had neutralized her magic, she could counter it.

    If it were the real head of the Magic Department, she wouldn¡¯t even have a chance, but this person is just a fake pretending to be him.

    She could do this.

    She had learned from Archmage Erginus, after all!

    ¡°Lady Parn, please give me five minutes. If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll start cutting off limbs.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    Hearing Joy¡¯s determined voice, Uden shrugged and changed her stance.

    She shifted from the stance of a beast ready to attack to that of a knight protecting those behind her.

    ¡°Come at me. I¡¯ll y with you, trash.¡±

    The moment Uden¡¯s fierce voice echoed, the followers of the Voidunched their offensive.

    The zealots of reality were even worse than I had imagined.

    I couldn¡¯t believe they were nning to use innocent people as meat shields. Thanks to that, my previously cheerful mood, sparked by hearing Uden talk about Luca, vanished.

    <They are the ones who wish for the world¡¯s destruction. What can¡¯t they do?>

    ¡®Was there such a thing in your time, Grandpa?¡¯

    <It was overflowing.>

    I could feel the weight behind my grandfather¡¯s words.

    So, I stopped asking and just continued to watch Uden battle the followers of the Void.

    It¡¯s truly overwhelming. If they weren¡¯t using meat shields, I¡¯m sure the followers would have lost their heads by now.

    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve felt such awe since Benedick and Rasha.

    I was intently focused on Uden¡¯s sword when I suddenly felt our gazes meet, and I froze.

    Did she notice? I shouldn¡¯t have joined them so soon!

    A cold sweat trickled down my back as I panicked, but thankfully, Uden quickly looked away.

    I doubt she couldn¡¯t have caught me, but perhaps she¡¯s just pretending not to notice.

    ...I¡¯m grateful, but I¡¯m pretty sure Benedick won¡¯t let me off the hook. If I ask him for help, though, he¡¯ll dly do it. But with any other man, I might not be so lucky.

    Feeling like staying here any longer would make even Faye notice me, I quietly moved away to another spot.

    For some reason, I still felt like I should go wake up the actor still sleeping.

 Chapter 486

    "This can''t be the real thing."

    Arthur, who hade out to the training ground early in the morning and was recalling what Uden had told him the previous day, remained calm despite suddenly finding himself in a wastnd.

    There were several pieces of evidence suggesting that this ce wasn''t real, but the one Arthur trusted the most was that Lucy was silent.

    Something monumental had happened that caused everyone at the academy to be abducted to a strange ce, and yet the one who had caught the attention of the Sun God, Lucy, was silent?

    That couldn''t be. If this were truly happening, Lucy would have started causing trouble days ago.

    She may seem tough on the outside, but she''s actually quite sensitive. Lucy Allen would never sacrifice others for her own ns. If someone were to get hurt, she''d throw herself into danger instead.

    Hmm. It''s good that I figured out it''s fake, but how do I get out of here?

    The best way to wake up from a dream, I think, is to die, but this case is probably an exception.

    They wouldn¡¯t create an illusion where students could escape by dying.

    Ah, right. Should I try what I learned from Erginusst time?

    I watched the great magician correct Joy''s spell during that lesson, so it should be possible, I think.

    Just as Arthur was about to start casting a spell, the sound of footsteps reached his ears from far away.

    Reacting instinctively, Arthur drew his sword and, while summoning several magic circles, turned his head toward the sound.

    "Ugh. This is terrible."

    And when he saw the face of the person standing there, Arthur let out a bitterugh and lowered his sword.

    "Arthur. How have you been?"

    It was his mother.

    The woman who had died when Arthur was so young that he couldn¡¯t evenprehend the world. Yet, her face remained so vivid that he could recognize it instantly.

    "You''re all dressed up today."

    "Huh?"

    "The mother I meet in my dreams always wears a pained expression."

    That day was an ordinary day, without any issues.

    The sky was neither clear nor overcast. The atmosphere of the pce was the same as usual. Arthur''s mother, as always, praised him with a bright smile.

    Excited by his mother''s praise, Arthur eagerly shared the things he had studied alone that day, and his mother, with genuine admiration, stroked his head.

    Then, at some point.

    The moment his mother brought the teacup to her lips, the teacup fell and the sound of it shattering interrupted young Arthur¡¯s voice.

    His mother, clutching her neck, made a chicken-like noise as she gasped for air.

    By the time the pce doctor arrived, it was already toote.

    Even a doctor respected in foreignnds couldn¡¯t revive the dead.

    The investigation into the third queen''s death progressed swiftly.

    By a stroke of luck, a maid, jealous of Arthur''s mother bing queen, confessed to her crime, and with her neck severed, the case was closed.

    Of course, no one believed the maid was the real culprit.

    Not even the young Arthur at the time.

    "The one who appeared in my dream always had that dying expression, ming me. ''If you hadn¡¯t stood out, if you had been dumb, if you had been a talentless fool.''"

    Arthur knew. He knew his mother wouldn¡¯t have said such things.

    The words his mother spoke in the dream were just the things Arthur had been thinking, spoken in her voice.

    But what would change by knowing that? Arthur could console himself by saying his mother didn¡¯t me him, but it only made him feel more miserable.

    "I hope you still feel the same now. It¡¯s moreforting that way."

    "Arthur?"

    "Or would you rather take my head off? I think it would be interesting to test death in that way."

    "..."

    "Do as you like. I¡¯ve already died in most ways in other dreams, so I¡¯m used to it..."

    Suddenly, the scenery around him turned ck, and Arthur, startled, realized it was just the darkness of his eyelids.

    How did I break out of the illusion? I haven¡¯t even tried anything yet?

    With this question in mind, Arthur opened his eyes and met Lucy¡¯s gaze, who was looking down at him in a condescending manner, and he understood what had happened.

    "Did you wake me up?"

    "Yeah. I couldn¡¯t just leave the pitiful prince, who¡¯s a useless half-wit, sleeping soundly. It was too pathetic."

    "...Did I say something stupid?"

    "You sure did. You kept asking to be cursed, asking to be killed. So, the pitiful prince has those kinds of preferences, huh? No wonder you liked it when I insulted you."

    "When did I ever like that?! Don¡¯t make things up!"

    "Then what was it? If you''re so confident, tell me, Sadistic Prince."

    With Lucy narrowing her eyes, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but murmur to himself.

    How could he talk about what he did in the dream, in front of the person who had cried herself to sleep on his mother¡¯s memorial day just recently?

    Damn it. Her narrowing eyes are really pissing me off. Does she even know that I¡¯m trying to show concern?

    "Heh. Well, if the Sadistic Prince insists it wasn¡¯t true, I¡¯ll believe you."

    "Ha. Fine. But can you at least tell me what¡¯s going on right now?"

    "Sadistic Prince. Are you already senile? Have you forgotten the cute things I said just recently?"

    "Just say that the Void Followers caused all this mess."

    Arthur clicked his tongue in annoyance as he looked at Lucy¡¯s yful expression, rising from his seat.

    "The barrier¡¯s been taken over?"

    "Yes. It¡¯s so obvious, yet you have to state the obvious. You really are brilliant. Absolutely brilliant."

    "...What about the others?"

    "They¡¯re all too busy to bezy, unlike the prince. They¡¯ve been up and moving for a while now. You, poor prince, are the only one cking off."

    Is she seriously mocking me this much? Lucy Allen, that damn girl, is really toying with me.

    Arthur opened his eyes slightly, but Lucy just let out a yfulugh.

    Tch. I¡¯ve already endured so much, and there¡¯s even more toe. I can¡¯t even say anything about it.

    "You¡¯re awake, prince?"

    As Arthur was calming his frustrations, Freya appeared.

    "When did you wake up?"

    "Just now."

    "How?"

    "I woke up."

    "So... Ha. Never mind. Don¡¯t say anything. It¡¯ll just give me a headache."

    I can already guess. She¡¯ll probably start babbling about how she woke up from the illusion and all that nonsense.

    After learning from the Sword Saint yesterday, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she had already applied what she learned.

    "You two, useless fools. Do you have time to talk nonsense? You don¡¯t know what to do, don¡¯t know anything, and now you¡¯ve lost all motivation. Why are you even alive?"

    "What do you n to do? Are you joining the others? Or are you going to call for help from outside?"

    "Looking for help from others again, huh? It seems the pitiful prince is full of defeatist thoughts. It suits you."

    "...So what should I do then?"

    Arthur shouted in frustration, and Lucy grinned at him with a mischievous smile.

    "You don¡¯t seem to be thinking clearly. Just shut up and follow me. Even the useless,zy, and pathetic prince can do something."

    "...Me?"

    "Yes. After all, you''re still a prince, aren''t you?"

    Luca, leading the Apostle of the Void and his followers, opened the door to the top floor of the Soul Academy¡¯s main building.

    Inside the room, an intricate mix of magic circles, soplicated that it was hard to tell how many were fused together, surrounded by a group of followers.@@novelbin@@

    As Luca observed those eroding the magic circles with the Void¡¯s power, his gaze slowly turned toward the magic circle, which was gradually darkening.

    "There''s still quite a bit left."

    "There''s nothing we can do. The magic circle that protects the academy is far tooplicated."

    "I understand. I remember when I first saw this magic circle, my head went nk."

    Two years had passed since Luca became a professor at Soul Academy. Back then, he had followed another professor into this very room.

    The first time he came face to face with the barrier¡¯s magic circle, Luca¡¯s initial thought was one of awe toward the great wizard, Erginus.

    The talents of the hero who had saved the world were overwhelming and beautiful in a way Luca had never imagined.

    In the face of the legacy left by the hero from centuries ago, Luca realized that the light Uden emitted was not absolute, and a sense of relief washed over him. He began to hope that one day, he would find someone capable of surpassing that light.

    "It¡¯s truly incredible magic. This single magic circle is what founded Soul Academy as an institution."

    The magic circle left by the great wizard Erginus wasn¡¯t merely for the protection of Soul Academy.

    It also guided those who entered to help them unlock their talents. It sped up the recovery of weary bodies. Among many other secondary effects, it had countless benefits.

    Among these, the most noticeable was the immense magical power the magic circle provided.

    Not only could it create a dungeon with over a hundred floors, but it also sustained it for months, enabling hundreds of people to explore the same dungeon simultaneously. This magic circle truly was a miracle in itself.

    "I doubt the hero ever imagined that this would one day be dedicated to the Void¡¯s evil god."

    As Luca smiled, looking at the magic circle slowly darkening, he added to himself:

    "Ah, Allen youngdy. I hope you¡¯ll joyfully ept the gift I present."

    "I don''t think you''ll refuse."

    "You, loved by the Sun God, could never abandon the fight against the evil god, could you?"

 Chapter 487

    After lifting Arthur, I immediately headed toward the graduate office of Soul Academy.

    The lighthouse-like building that never seemed to go dark had only regained its calm after the appearance of the evil god.

    Would the people here, when they woke up, be happy that they got some rest, or would they scream about all the work piling up?

    ¡°Why are we here? Is there someone you¡¯re looking for?¡±

    ¡°No. There¡¯s a ce that a fool like the pitiful prince wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    "...A ce I wouldn¡¯t know?"

    The ce I guided them to was where traces of a past hero remained, but now, it had be the nest of a necromancer.

    While Adria had stayed here, she seemed to have meddled with a few things. The underground had changed from a destebyrinth to a quiet, mansion-like atmosphere.

    Had she been that bored while underground? It really seemed like there was nothing she hadn¡¯t touched.

    As I walked inside, I pondered how this could have been possible with necromancy, but before I coulde up with anything, Adria appeared before me with a sullen expression.

    ¡°Old hag. Surprised you weren¡¯t lying down on the floor already. I thought you¡¯d be knocked out by now.¡±

    - You may think that, but I¡¯m quite the strong necromancer, you know? Not some amateur trick... Huh!?

    As we talked, Freya, who had been following behind, suddenly swung her sword. Adria quickly retreated, noticing the attack, and Freya clicked her tongue in annoyance.

    - What... What are you doing!?

    ¡°An enemy, no?¡±

    - Enemy? If I were an enemy, I wouldn¡¯t have left you alive, would I?¡±

    ¡°If you''re not an enemy, then are you an ally of Lucy Allen?¡±

    - I don¡¯t want to admit it, but I guess it¡¯s something like that.¡±

    Arthur and Freya looked at me, then nodded in unison, a gesture I understood immediately.

    I thought it might be like that. I hadn¡¯t expected them to believe it easily, and as I prepared to persuade them, I just shrugged, feeling a bit deted.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for chit-chat. Follow me, you fools.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Even though the underground scenery had changed, the path didn¡¯t seem to have shifted, so I naturally led the way. As I walked, I noticed a few skeletons lying in the corridor and tilted my head.

    ¡°What¡¯s this trash?¡±

    - Those are left behind by someone who stayed here before. Don¡¯t you know about them?¡±

    Ah, these must be the skeletons that were part of the old dungeon setup. I thought they¡¯d have turned to dust after being exposed to the evil god¡¯s influence, but apparently, not all of them had.

    But did they originally look like this? They seem very different from what I remember.

    - They don¡¯t have an owner, so I used them freely. Is there a problem with that?¡±

    I understood now. Adria must have used these to alter the scenery of the underground. If it¡¯s Adria, a skilled necromancer, it makes sense she could do something like this.

    Hmm.

    ¡°Hey, lonely old hag.¡±

    - What is it?

    ¡°Just asking, but even someone as ipetent as you could do something like this, right?¡±

    I shared what I had been thinking with Adria, and she nodded as if it was obvious.

    - Yeah, I could do it.¡±

    ¡°How long would it take?¡±

    - It should be quick. The foundation is already set up.¡±

    Upon hearing Adria¡¯s positive reply, I raised an eyebrow and pulled out some paper from my inventory to sketch a blueprint on the spot.

    Recently, with my growing sense of aesthetics, my drawing skills had improved dramatically, allowing me to transfer my thoughts directly onto paper.

    - Hmm. I get what you''re thinking. I¡¯ll prepare. You don¡¯t really need me following you around, do you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. What use would a useless old hag be? Only good for stinking up the ce.¡±

    - ¡­Ugh. I really want to hit you on the back of your head.¡±

    After Adria grumbled and left, I walked through the maze for a while longer.

    Eventually, I arrived at a ce where the fake hero used to stay.

    ¡°What is this ce?¡±

    ¡°This is where the perverted skeleton knight who wanted to be a princess stayed.¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    Arthur blinked at the words that came out in Mesugaki. I was about to exin but stopped, realizing that it mightplicate things, especially since any attempt at exining would probably just end up insulting the skeleton that had felt so real earlier. I chuckled softly and decided to stay quiet.

    Arriving at the wall, I pulled out the scroll I had received from Karia earlier.

    ¡°Wait. Lucy Allen. That scroll... could it be one imbued with the breath of a dragon?¡±

    ¡°Oh. The pitiful prince knows about this kind of thing too? How surprising. I thought you only knew how toin.¡±

    As Arthur said, this was a scroll containing the breath of a dragon.

    It even had the cool name Dragon¡¯s Breath stamped on it. But no one who yed the game ever called it Dragon¡¯s Breath.

    Why, you ask? Because the phenomenon that urred when this scroll activated was nothing like a dragon¡¯s breath.

    What kind of dragon¡¯s breath erases everything in front of you?

    It would have made more sense if it wasbeled Annihtion Magic.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that it¡¯s something you should never use indoors!¡±

    ¡°Are you scared? Don¡¯t worry. As long as you don¡¯t die, I can bring you back. Heh. You¡¯ll probably scream like a girl, though.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying, you psychopath!¡±

    Ignoring Arthur¡¯s shouts, I activated the scroll and immediately pulled out the next item from my inventory.

    This one wasn¡¯t as impressive as Dragon¡¯s Breath.

    It was an item I used the first time I faced Nacradst year. A scroll that saved my life. It altered the environment around me, perfectly nullifying magic.

    ¡°Lucy Allen. Would you at least pretend to listen? I¡¯d like to know what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    ¡°Pitiful prince, if you keep pushing it like this, I¡¯ll really snap and we¡¯ll both be torn apart, you know? If it¡¯s someone as cute as me, we might both die. I¡¯m not really into that.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ll shut up. Go ahead.¡±

    After Arthur shut his mouth, I continued working until I finished what I had to create. Afterward, I stood up and stretched.

    ¡°Is it done?¡±

    ¡°The basics are done.¡±

    ¡°Then exin. What exactly are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°Pitiful prince, have you ever wondered? How could such a miserable academy create a massive dungeon like this?¡±

    The 100-floor dungeon existing in Soul Academy was unique to it.

    Other academies also built artificial dungeons, but those were mostly used for school exams, and even those were of significantly lower qualitypared to ours.

    This was why Soul Academy had a distinct advantage over other academies, and many dungeon schrs desperately wanted to be here.

    But isn¡¯t it strange? Why is it only Soul Academy that can create a dungeon with 100 floors?

    Other resources aside, where do they get the power to create and maintain such a dungeon?

    ¡°If you''re talking about the magic left by the great wizard Erginus.¡±

    ¡°That pathetic magic left by that skeleton? Hahaha. Sure, the wizard who couldn¡¯t even talk to a woman was somewhat impressive, but he was just a human. A pathetic fool who died from his own virginity.¡±

    There was no denying that the magic left by Erginus was incredible.

    Before and after knowing its purpose, the magic circle he left was definitely something that could be called a miracle.

    But that magic circle wasn¡¯t the source of all the power.

    It couldn¡¯t be.

    The power leaking from Erginus¡¯s magic circle was nothing but a byproduct.

    Even though the many miracles that were realized from that magic circle were amazing, they were still just a byproduct of something with far greater power.

    ¡°Those who believe in nothing are nning to use that power. But, you see... what will happen if, at the most crucial moment, the power just disappears, even if only for a moment?¡±

    I grinned as I imagined the chaos that would ensue, then took out my shield and infused it with divine energy.

    When I first learned from my grandfather, even copying the technique was a struggle.

    But now, performing miracles was as natural as breathing.

    The hero¡¯s shield, which had even blocked the evil god¡¯s blow, now stood before us.

    ¡°Brace yourselves. If you bite your tongue and die in shock, it will be ugly.¡±

    With all preparationsplete, I infused the scroll with magic. The scroll began to glow, and a beastly howl filled the air, deafening my ears.

    The dragon¡¯s roar pressed down on the world.

    The dragon¡¯s fury gathered in one ce.

    The dragon¡¯s judgment turned what was once a wall into nothing.

    KWA-AH-AAAAAANG!

    The enormous shock, as if the building would copse right away, vanished the moment the second scroll activated.

    No magic could survive in the environment the scroll created.

    As the shock faded, calmness returned to my ears, and the smoke that had blocked my view dissipated. What appeared before me was a path leading somewhere.

    "Lucy Allen has disappeared toward the academy''s old building. Luca, do you know anything about this?"

    Hearing the Apostle of the Void¡¯s report, Luca recalled an event from the previous year.

    The ce where the skeleton of the old hero Garad had been. Had she gone there? The Allen youngdy would never hide there to avoid the evil god¡¯s schemes, and most likely, there was something in that ce I didn''t know about.

    "Let¡¯s send a few people there."

    I had been nning to let the Allen youngdy do as she wished, but now it seemed difficult to allow that.

    If she does something outside of my expectations, it will be uncontroble.

    - KUUOOO!!

    Suddenly, a tremor shook the room, and everyone present appeared confused.

    Some fell to the floor.

    Others desperately clung to the walls.

    Some trembled at the sound of a beast¡¯s roar from afar.

    And others...

 Chapter 488

    Kuuooo!

    The moment Uden heard the distant dragon¡¯s roar, she immediately braced herself for the tremor that was about toe.

    This was definitely Dragon¡¯s Breath.

    The strongest species on the earth.

    The most powerful beast that had once been worshiped as a god.

    Having worked as a mercenary and faced dragons before, Uden could immediately predict what was going to happen just from the sound, and her prediction came true.

    The ground trembled. Vibrations that started deep within the earth tormented thend and shook the feet of those standing on it.

    As the sudden earthquake destabilized everyone¡¯s footing, Uden saw a few openings to strike, but instead of swinging her sword, she took a step back.

    The others behind her were in the same situation, losing their bnce as well.

    Hmm. From the way the followers of the evil god seem to be flustered, it doesn¡¯t seem like they¡¯re the ones causing this.

    Did something change?

    Wondering what was happening, Uden thought about the brash little brat who had brought her here.

    She had just sneaked off somewhere, and now it seemed like she was up to something.

    But if she was nning to do something in secret, couldn¡¯t she do it quietly? What¡¯s the point of causing such a ruckus?

    ¡°Lady Partan. Are you still there?¡±

    I don¡¯t know what she ns to do yet, but if even Frete trusts her, I guess I¡¯ll help.

    Uden was thinking that if more time was needed, she¡¯d just swing her sword, but Joy¡¯s answer was different.

    She paused for a moment before urgently speaking.

    ¡°Sword Saint. Could you disrupt the concentration of the one imitating the magic director?¡±

    ¡°Do you think that will solve the problem?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The moment the ground trembled, Joy felt her magic begin to reassemble.

    The way the one imitating the magic director was interfering with her magic was not as refined as the real director¡¯s methods.

    So, if her concentration were interrupted, she¡¯d be able to manifest her magic. As Joy confirmed this, she nodded, and Uden shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s easy.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to make ns, shouldn¡¯t you whisper a bit more? We also have ears, you know.¡±

    The one imitating Luca spoke yfully, but Uden just smiled.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What will you do with what you know?¡±

    Knowing what the enemy will do is certainly an advantage.

    However, if the gap between you and the enemy is immense, then the advantage of knowledge is worthless.

    Just because you know lightning is going to strike, can you stop it?

    Just because you know a tidal wave will engulf thend, what can a mere human do about it?

    Just because a human knows death ising for them, can they escape their fate?

    ¡°Do you think the position of Sword Saint is just a joke?¡±

    With a lightugh, Uden raised her sword, and the one imitating Luca immediately sensed the approaching death.

    He didn¡¯t know why.

    He couldn¡¯t answer if asked what he was afraid of.

    Even if he thought about it himself, he couldn¡¯t find the answer.

    But one thing was certain: the moment that sword came down from above...

    The simple action that anyone, even a child holding a wooden sword, could perform...

    The moment that happened, his head would fall to the ground, just like an executioner¡¯s axeing down.

    If he had predicted his own death, he should have done something to avoid it, but the one imitating Luca could do nothing.

    Even imagining swinging his sword.

    Even imagining running away.

    Even imagining throwing himself on the floor.

    Even imagining using hisrades as shields.

    The sword relentlessly followed him, severing his head.

    In the end, the only thing the one imitating Luca could do was watch as his own neck was struck by the sword.

    He died.

    He died.

    So easily.

    Without aplishing anything.

    Without even seeing the evil god¡¯s return to the world.

    In the hell that was toe, while dreaming of ruling alone...

    He died.

    ¡°Oh wow. Impressive. Is this the noble daughter of the Partan family?¡±

    The person who had involuntarily shut their eyes opened them after hearing Uden¡¯s calm voice.

    At first, the man felt relief that he had survived.

    Then he realized that his thoughts had diverged from Luca, the madman, and hastily looked around.

    Finally, he confirmed with horror that the others had also escaped the influence of the Void¡¯s power.

    ¡°Thanks to you, Sword Saint. If you hadn¡¯t drawn their attention, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t expecting anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    Uden, hearing Joy¡¯s confused voice, stepped forward.

    At this moment, everything blocking Uden¡¯s senses disappeared.

    Now, she could clearly see the followers of the evil god and the children they had surrounded.

    Now, only one thing remained.

    To swing her sword.

    To show them the ce where her allies would stand.

    One strike of the sword, and one head falls.

    Another strike, and one body crumbles.

    And in the end, the only one left was the man who had been imitating Luca, now waiting for his death with a pitiful face.

    ¡°Now, my friend. I have a few questions for you.¡±

    ¡°Kill me! No matter what tricks you y, I won¡¯t answer you!¡±

    ¡°Hah. You¡¯re mistaken. Just because you wish for death doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re deserving of it. You have no right to die. You¡¯re a piece of trash who follows the evil god.¡±

    With a sinisterugh, Uden approached the man, removed the child bound to him, and kicked the man¡¯s body, sending him crashing to the floor.

    ¡°Lady Partan. Saint. Would you mind looking away for a moment? It¡¯s not exactly a pleasant sight.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m used to it. Sadly.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m not used to it like Faybi, but... it¡¯s fine. After all, you¡¯re the noble daughter of the Partan family.¡±

    ¡°Then, I understand.¡±

    With strength in her grip, Uden raised her sword, and before long, the man¡¯s screams echoed throughout the room.

    ¡°What is this ce?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the trace left by that pathetic virgin wizard who stayed here. Doesn¡¯t it smell of virginity everywhere?¡±

    ¡°¡­What¡¯s this ¡®virgin smell¡¯?¡±

    Well, I¡¯m not sure either, since it came from a Mesugaki skill, but I guess it¡¯s something like the smell of night-blooming flowers?

    Thinking this, I shrugged and walked through the copsed wall.

    <Something has been sealed here.>

    ¡®Do you feel something?¡¯

    <No. There¡¯s nothing detectable. But I¡¯m familiar with what Erginus is up to.>

    Grandfather¡¯s words, just from seeing the carvings on the hallway, seemed to carry a bit of nostalgia.@@novelbin@@

    <So, what exactly is hidden here?>

    ¡®Don¡¯t you think you have a rough idea, considering the evil god¡¯s followers are desperately attacking?¡¯

    <...Could it be? Agra, the evil god?>

    ¡®Yes. You¡¯re right. Specifically, the fragment of Agra is sealed here.¡¯

    Agra, who had be the focal point of the evil gods, possessed immense power, capable of standing in opposition to the Sun God Aramadi.

    Among the dozens of gods, Agra was an overwhelming monster.

    Sealing such a being couldn¡¯t be the same as sealing other evil gods.

    Even if they were defeated after a long and hard battle, the power Agra contained wouldn¡¯t just disappear.

    ¡®Grandfather and the other heroes chose to seal away Agra¡¯s power instead.¡¯

    The heroes had won against the evil gods, but that victory was never meant to be eternal.

    Realizing this, the heroes chose to dy the worst possible oue instead of gambling everything.

    They decided to tear apart the evil god¡¯s power with the help of the Sun God and seal it in different ces.

    ¡®This ce is one of those.¡¯

    In the end, their decision was the right one. Agra, whose power had been torn apart, still hadn¡¯t regained its full strength.

    And it would never regain its full power.

    As long as the seal on Soul Academy doesn¡¯t break, and as long as I remain here, Agra¡¯s only option would be to send messages, like a keyboard warrior, and show how pathetic it is.

    <Wait. Wait a minute. If what you''re saying is true, then what Lucy is about to do is extremely dangerous! Didn¡¯t you just tell them exactly where to find it?>

    ¡®Do you think I didn¡¯t consider that?¡¯

    <But!>

    ¡®If I really can¡¯t trust myself, I¡¯ll trust Erginus. Don¡¯t you think he didn¡¯t set up safeguards?¡¯

    I could say with certainty, having raided this ce countless times.

    Reaching the ce where the seal was hidden was practically impossible.

    Even if I brought Erginus¡¯s skeleton, which was likely somewhere in the desert, we still wouldn¡¯t reach the seal.

    Even if we reached the seal, that¡¯s as far as we¡¯d get.

    The moment I finished talking with Grandfather, I kept moving and arrived at the location I was aiming for in just a few minutes.

    ¡°This is it.¡±

    It was the ce where the magic that transferred mana to the academy¡¯s barrier was located.

    ¡°The ce where the pitiful, weak first Sdin and that virgin wizard made their agreement.¡±

    This ce, which purified the power flowing out from the seal of Agra, was originally only essible with the royal family¡¯s seal.

    If you had the item that symbolized the king¡¯s authority, you could visit this ce without any ruckus, like what just happened.

    Why? Because Erginus had entrusted the management of this ce to the Sdin royal family.

    Through a long-standing contract passed down through their bloodline.

    ¡°Now, pitiful prince. You, who are useless, should do what you can.¡±

    I was about to say something but was momentarily at a loss for words as I looked at Arthur¡¯s face.

    There was no vitality in his eyes.

    He looked like someone who had been consumed by an illusion.

 Chapter 489

    Arthur felt a strange sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu as he looked into the corridor revealed beyond the copsed wall.

    Have I seen this before?

    Ah, right. The underground of the royal pce. The ce I visited when my eldest brother had hising-of-age ceremony.

    The view beyond the wall looks strikingly simr to that ce.

    It was Lucy who answered the question that formed in his mind. She exined that this was something prepared by the great wizard Erginnus.

    If you think about how Erginnus is tied to the establishment of the royal pce, it''s not surprising that the two ces are so simr.

    Arthur, following Lucy, walked through the wall and quickly realized that this was not a normal passageway.

    Had Erginnus created a shortcut in the same bizarre way as he did in the desert before?

    If Erginnus saw this, he¡¯d probably be horrified.

    ...I¡¯ll have to ask him about it once everything is over.

    Perhaps this ce is an important facility within the kingdom.

    As Arthur tilted his head, considering the surprisingly clean corridor despite the long passage of time, he lifted his gaze upon hearing Lucy Alrn¡¯s words.

    And then, he came face to face with it.

    The magic circle beyond the door.

    Having recently received some teachings next to Erginnus, Arthur had a vague understanding of the meaning behind the magic circle.

    Purification of energy, transformation, and connection.

    He wasn¡¯t sure exactly how it worked, but it seemed to be a magic circle meant to purify some evil force and transfer it somewhere else.

    So that¡¯s why Lucy Alrn brought me here.

    By severing this connection, the barrier itself should stop.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we should have brought Joy along as well.¡±

    Though he had also received teachings alongside Joy, Arthur had not fully internalized them, unlike her. Even now, after being given extra exnations from Joy several times.

    So to control this perfectly, he would need to bring Joy...

    Huh? Why am I not getting a response?

    At this point, I should have heard some sarcastic remark by now.

    Feeling a sense of unease, Arthur looked around and was startled by thepletely different surroundings.@@novelbin@@

    Is this another trap set by the Evil God? If Lucy Alrn is going to give me a blessing, she should at least do it properly.

    Using something sloppy like this... is this the result?

    ...

    Damn it. Once I wake up, I¡¯ll probably be stuck listening to sarcastic remarks for a while.

    Grumbling and scanning the surroundings, Arthur suddenly realized that the current scene didn¡¯t match what the Evil God had shown him.

    What was it... The ce the Evil God showed me was a hellish scene, devoid of any life, but this ce seemed perfectly fine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mistake me for the Evil God.¡±

    Arthur, startled by the voice from behind, quickly turned around and found a child floating in the air, looking at him with a grumpy expression.

    The child appeared to be no older than ten, studying Arthur''s face before furrowing their brows.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? You don¡¯t look like someone who should be here.¡±

    ¡°Rather, I¡¯d like to ask you the same thing. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°You really came here without knowing anything? How?¡±

    The child crossed their arms, looking as if they couldn¡¯t understand the situation at all.

    There¡¯s an unexpected depth to this child. Are they just a kid in appearance?

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say about how I came. I¡¯m just following the guidance of a friend.¡±

    ¡°A friend? Is that friend from Sdin¡¯s bloodline?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense is this? This child has nothing to do with the royal family.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Hmm?¡±

    Hmm... Is there even a reason to continue this conversation?

    Maybe this is another trap set by the Evil God. It¡¯s a little unsettling, but for now, I¡¯ll justmit suicide and wake up from this dream.

    ¡°Wait! What are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wake up from this dream.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a dream! This is a ce of trials!¡±

    ¡°Aah, I suppose so. The nightmares the Evil God brings can indeed be called trials.¡±

    ¡°I told you earlier! I have nothing to do with the Evil God! Don¡¯t connect me to those insignificant pests who don¡¯t even know what they¡¯re doing! Even though I¡¯m old, I have no connection to those scoundrels!¡±

    The child raised their voice at Arthur¡¯s mention of the Evil God¡¯s schemes.

    Seeing the child express such insulting words, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this child might be a follower of the Evil God. After all, they wouldn¡¯t be able to speak ill of their own god.

    ¡°Then what about you?¡±

    ¡°I am the fragment left behind by Sdin, the founder! I am the one who carries his legacy on thisnd! I am the heir of Sdin¡¯s blood! Bow down and worship!¡±

    The child puffed out their chest and shouted, but Arthur¡¯s attitude didn¡¯t change much.

    ¡°You certainly resemble the legend.¡±

    ¡°You!¡±

    ¡°You want respect? Then show me clear evidence. The situation right now isn¡¯t one where I can simply believe everything you say.¡±

    If Lucy Alrn brought me here because of this kid, she must have said something about him beforehand.

    But she didn¡¯t say a word to me. This child¡¯s existence is outside of Lucy Alrn¡¯s knowledge.

    To think that someone using a method that even Erginnus didn¡¯t foresee would be unknown to her... How can I trust that?

    ¡°...You say the situation isn¡¯t good? What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°The filthy trash that you referred to as a mere rat has taken control of the barrier.¡±

    Arthur intentionally used an aggressive tone, but the child¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t filled with anger; rather, it was filled with confusion.

    ¡°This is insane. What the hell is going on?¡±

    ¡°If you really are the incarnation left by the founder, then let me out of here. I still have a lot to do.¡±

    ¡°Wait just a moment. Let me think.¡±

    ¡°Otherwise, I¡¯ll just get myself out.¡±

    As Arthur drew his sword again and pointed it toward the child¡¯s neck, the child snapped their fingers.

    With a sharp sound, the sword Arthur was holding vanished as if it were nothing but a mirage.

    ¡°You want to interfere with the magic circle?¡±

    ¡°...Yes.¡±

    ¡°Well, I have no choice. Normally, this shouldn¡¯t be allowed for someone without the proper authority, but given the situation¡­¡±

    Before the words could finish, the child snapped their fingers again, and the surroundings shifted once more.

    This time, the scenery resembled Erginnus¡¯s residence beneath the desert not long ago.

    ¡°Heir of Sdin¡¯s blood, if you wish to involve yourself in magic, prove your qualifications. If you truly have the qualifications, magic will naturally follow your will!¡±

    Arthur, listening to the child speak in a solemn tone as if delivering a trial from the heavens, did not respond. Instead, he beganposing a spell on his finger.

    ¡°Are you deaf or something?¡±

    Hmm. I was nning tomit suicide using magic, but is this child already aware of it? I thought I was being discreet.

    ¡°If you want to interfere with the magic circle, prove your qualifications! Not bymitting suicide!¡±

    ¡°Why should I prove my qualifications?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because only those with qualifications can have the great wizard Erginnus¡¯s magic permit them!¡±

    ¡°Even without qualifications, I can still interfere with that magic circle.¡±

    ¡°What? No. Uh... Huh?¡±

    ¡°Purification. Transformation. Transmission. That¡¯s the role of the magic inscribed on that circle. Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Erginnus himself taught me.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?! Is he still alive!?¡±

    For the first time, a trace of excitement appeared on the child¡¯s face, which had been grumpy up until now.

    The child¡¯s previously sullen expression was reced with a flicker of surprise.

    <Don¡¯t worry. It seems like you haven¡¯t fallen into the Evil God¡¯s trap.>

    Arthur¡¯s sudden loss of consciousness made the old man¡¯s voice fill his mind.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on now?¡¯

    <It must be something Erginnus left behind. It¡¯s likely a mechanism that draws his spirit in, responding to specific conditions.>

    Hearing the old man¡¯s words, Arthur recalled distant memories buried deep within him.

    Didn¡¯t Erginnus conduct some kind of trial in the story?

    Did he?

    Damn it, it¡¯s been so long since I skipped over most of the story that I can¡¯t remember the details!

    <Considering his entric temperament, it¡¯s probably something for a trial.>

    At least it seems my memory isn¡¯t wrong.

    ¡®Does that mean we have to wait until the trial ends?¡¯

    <Most likely.>

    While it was only a brief moment in the game, the reality felt much different. Even after a few minutes, Arthur was still staring nkly into space.

    ¡°Hey, you dumb sword. What are you trying to do with that sword?¡±

    Arthur snapped out of his daze at the voice and quickly saw Freya, who was raising her sword in its sheath, looking at him in confusion.

    ¡°Should I smack you awake? Won¡¯t that work?¡±

    ¡°Smack me awake? No, if you¡¯re nning to put me to sleep forever, then I guess that might work.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡±

    Arthur was pulled from eternal slumber as Freya gave him a long sigh, and with it, he crossed his arms in relief.

    This is an unexpected variable. I had nned to wait for the Evil God¡¯s followers to stir things up, but now I have to deal with this.

    What if Arthur doesn¡¯t wake up in time for the critical moment?

    Feeling uneasy, Arthur absentmindedly tapped his arms when suddenly, a translucent Adria appeared through the wall.

    ¡°Old man. Did youe to excitedly let me know that you¡¯re ready?¡±

    That¡¯s true, but right now, there¡¯s an intruder trying to get in.

    An intruder? Does that mean Luca himself ising?

    It¡¯s probably him. Only someone with ess to the tablet or someone who has visited this ce before could enter.

    I guess the ruckus caused by Dragon¡¯s Breath caught his attention.

    It was unbearably loud. It¡¯s strange if he didn¡¯t notice it.

    I thought you¡¯d be panicking, but you seem so calm.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re just a bunch of trash who can¡¯t even crawl on the ground. Why would I panic?¡±

    I had already expected that Luca woulde chasing me with the Void Followers. Naturally, I¡¯ve prepared for it.

    But now, the situation is even better than I thought.

    Thanks to Adria¡¯s magic, we have many more options now.

    I recalled what I had asked Adria to do earlier and couldn¡¯t help but grin.

    Heh. Since it seems like Arthur will take a little longer to wake up, maybe I¡¯ll have some fun until then.

    If I make the Void Followers scream in agony, their ns will be dyed.

 Chapter 490

    Luca, leading the followers of the Void God, entered the hidden room in theb and frowned at the sight before him.

    When I came here before, it was such a deste ce. Why is it now transformed into a corridor that looks like something from a noble¡¯s mansion?

    It¡¯s hard to believe that this was prepared by Lady Alrn.

    I don¡¯t know how she was in the past, but the recent Lady Alrn is far removed from vanity.

    Even on holidays at the academy, she doesn¡¯t wear expensive clothes, just her usual uniform. She¡¯s toozy to even decorate her own room. There¡¯s no way she would go to the trouble of preparing something like this for a personal hobby.

    Then what is this scene now? Why did Lady Alrn create something like this herself?

    If she went so far as to ovee herziness, there could only be one reason.

    ¡°A dungeon.¡±

    Luca, who had felt how serious Lucy Alrn was about dungeons during the final examsst year, was sure that his instincts were correct.

    There was no way Lucy Alrn would go to such lengths unless it was for a dungeon.

    This is starting to getplicated. If Lady Alrn herself has worked on this dungeon, it¡¯s bound to be very tricky.

    If I recklessly walk in, who knows what might happen. One thing I can be thankful for is that, despite being a noblewoman, there are limits to what she can do without the academy''s support in creating a dungeon.

    Like when they built the academy dungeon, it couldn¡¯t be forced. In a way, that¡¯s a good thing.

    If I were to destroy something that Lady Alrn worked so hard on and head straight to her, she¡¯d probably sense the danger.

    That works for me. If I can corner her, I¡¯ll dly do it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    As I shared the sight of the spirits through Adria¡¯s dark magic, I couldn¡¯t help but feel perplexed watching Luca easily break through traps left and right.

    It¡¯s true that there was somepromise due to time and resource limitations, but those things aren¡¯t that easy to break.

    For example, those skeletons waiting to ambush us are nothing more than a distraction.

    While the ambush was meant to draw attention, I had nned to trigger the traps I had set in advance to create chaos, and then use the spirits to initiate a real attack to make things chaotic.

    But Luca was the one who first noticed and eliminated the ambushing spirits, clearing the traps ahead of time.

    He made the skeletons attack, but even that didn¡¯t have any meaningful results.

    The fake wall he¡¯s currently destroying is the same.

    I had added a few tricks to the fake wall to make sure it couldn¡¯t be easily destroyed even if someone figured out it was fake, but Luca effortlessly tore it down like it was nothing.

    Everything else is falling apart just as easily.

    What is this? This is really strange.

    Luca has be morepetent than he was in the game.

    He was already skilled, except for his insanity, but not like this.

    Did something change when Luca got involved with me?

    ¡°This is strange. There¡¯s no way Lady Alrn would have put this much effort into a dungeon like this.¡±

    Hearing Luca muttering to himself, I felt the thread of reason snap and turned my gaze toward Adria.

    ¡°Stupid old man. What do you think of what that perverted professor said?¡±

    ¡­Uh, well, that¡­

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that a pig who should be groveling on the floor is talking?¡±

    Hahaha.

    Is this really the ce I designed?

    That son of a bitch.

    ¡°Give me back what I gave you. Now.¡±

    H-Here! Here it is!

    Taking the paper from Adria, I quickly revised my n based on what Luca and the Void followers had just shown me.

    For now, it would be difficult to threaten them with physical force that Adria can prepare on her own.

    The barrier had already fallen into the hands of the Void, making the followers much stronger, and Luca¡¯s power was greater than I had expected.

    In times like this, I¡¯ll have to approach from a different angle. Fortunately, Adria, who is skilled in necromancy, is right next to me. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be able to handle it.

    Using the fact that many of the traps I set up earlier were easily undone, I decided to y a psychological game. Considering that Luca treats these followers like tools, if I mess with their minds a little more...

    ¡°Old man. Can you do it?¡±

    ...I think it¡¯s possible, but this is too much.

    ¡°Lonely old man. Have you been living alone for so long that you can¡¯t read the atmosphere? I want one answer, and you just need to do it. Even if your social skills arecking, you should understand this much, right?¡±

    I thought Adria wouldin, but to my surprise, she nodded and quickly gavemands to the spirits she controlled.

    What¡¯s this? Why is she acting like this all of a sudden? Did she feel some sense of danger?

    Just as I was wondering, Freya poked me.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dumb sword?¡±

    ¡°Lucy was really scary just now.¡±

    ¡°¡­Huh?¡±

    ¡°Really. Really. Really. Scary.¡±

    ¡°Uhhh?¡±

    Having bypassed the minor traps set along the corridor, Luca continued ahead, still puzzled by the situation.

    This is strange. This ce looks like something Lady Alrn put a lot of effort into, so why is it so easy?

    This can¡¯t be the dungeon she prepared. It¡¯s far too ordinary.

    It¡¯s not extremely difficult, but for something she made, it¡¯s too typical.

    If it were the Lady Alrn I know, there¡¯s no way she would have made a dungeon like this.

    Something¡¯s wrong. Is there something I¡¯m missing? Wondering if he had fallen into some kind of trap, Luca immediately drew his dagger, sensing a shiver from behind him.

    The spirit that had emerged from the wall shed with his dagger.

    Hehehe.

    Before Luca could react, the spirits began to emerge one by one from the wall.

    A maid, a servant, someone dressed as a noble, someone in a knight¡¯s armor¡ªeach emerged, carrying the resentment of their painful deaths, appearing and vanishing repeatedly.

    It¡¯s a person.

    What¡¯s going on here?

    It smells musty.

    It¡¯s a disgusting smell. Maybe they had a lot left unsaid in life.

    The dead constantly muttered, filling the corridor with their voices.

    Another set of spirits? They don¡¯t seem like they belong to the Holy One¡¯s followers.

    ...No, these are different from the spirits that attacked us before.

    These spirits have full forms, unlike the ones that assaulted us earlier.

    ¡°They should vanish.¡±

    ¡°I will share the blessing of the Void.¡±

    While Luca pondered, one of the Void followers swung their weapon.

    The attack, infused with the power of the Void, tore the spirit in half, turning its form to dust.

    Seeing this, Luca clicked his tongue inwardly.

    Too hasty. Didn¡¯t they notice the changes?

    If this is a ce tied to dark magic, every detail should be observed carefully. Who knows what traps lie in wait?

    Well, whatever. There¡¯s no reason to stop someone who wants to be a test subject.

    ¡°You¡¯re pathetic!¡±

    Even though one of theirrades was torn apart right before their eyes, the spirits onlyughed louder, unafraid.

    Scared, are we?

    Are you afraid of dying?

    Hehehe.

    Afraid to go to the Void while serving the Void?

    ¡°You pathetic creatures!¡±

    As the Void followers grumbled and swung their weapons at the walls, Luca merely pretended to fight while calcting the power of the spirits.

    These aren¡¯t just ordinary spirits. If they were simply filled with resentment, they would have already lost their minds and attacked us without hesitation.

    Instead, they¡¯re only poking at us, meaning they have power enough to be controlled.

    No matter how I think about it, there¡¯s nothing to gain by disturbing the spirits.

    I¡¯ll just keep up the pretense and observe the situation.

    ¡°Damn it! These rat-like things keep¡­ urgh!¡±

    In the midst of a small skirmish, one follower was injured by a spirit. The wound, though small, would have been nothing more than a superficial scar.

    However, the follower, with blood dripping from the wound, grinned proudly as they erased one of the spirits.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send you back to where you belong!¡±

    The battle didn¡¯t take long to end. As more than half of the spirits were gone, the remaining spirits retreated.

    ¡°Not as troublesome as before, but still not much of a challenge.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Even using our full strength, this is all we get. Truly pathetic.¡±

    ¡°What can you expect from those who serve the rotting God?¡±

    It was absurd that the woman who should have been speaking with the Holy One¡¯s grace was now working with necromancers and still preparing such weak forces.

    The Void followers, who didn¡¯t know much about Lucy Alrn, thought she was cornered.

    ¡°Professor Luca! Quickly guide us! We¡¯ll remove the obstacles and offer sacrifices to the Void!¡±

    Pushed by the eager followers, Luca thought about warning them, but simply nodded.

    The spirits¡¯ assault continued.

    They were supposed to be filled with resentment toward the world, but they kept attacking suddenly and retreating in between.

    The Void followers, covered in minor wounds, didn¡¯t seem to care at all.

    They had worked and survived countless near-death experiences for their God. How could such small wounds stop them?

    Through this process, Luca began to feel more and more uneasy.

    Am I worrying too much?

    No. But the opponent is Lady Alrn.

    She must be up to something.

    ¡°Terra? Why are you acting like this?¡±

    Hearing the voice from behind, Luca turned his head and saw the Void follower, Terra, standing with a nk expression, muttering in anguage he didn¡¯t understand before swinging their weapon at theirrade.

    ¡°Hey! You!¡±

    Seeing this, Luca didn¡¯t look surprised; instead, he breathed a sigh of relief.

    The traps prepared on the side of the road were distractions.

    The skeletons that had ambushed us before were the same.

    By making them seem insignificant, it made us feel at ease. In doing so, it made the minor wounds the spirits inflicted seem like nothing.

    But that was the trick. Those seemingly harmless wounds were letting something slip in.

    What exactly that was, I didn¡¯t know, and I didn¡¯t want to.

    It didn¡¯t matter if I didn¡¯t know.

    Passing by the confused ones, Luca stood before the one who had lost their sanity, quickly shing their neck with his dagger and turning around.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue. Stay alert and avoid getting hurt.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You.¡±

    ¡°Is there a problem?¡±

    But this is a boring trap. Lady Alrn.

    The talent I know from you is not at this level.

    How can I make you more desperate?

    As expected.

    Should I threaten those connected to you?

 Chapter 491

    Luca and the Void Followers carefully moved forward, step by step, more cautiously than before.

    The recent incident where a Void follower had lost his mind and attempted to attack hisrades, followed by the gruesome fate of thatrade¡ªhis neck and body severed by Luca¡ªhad made them cautious.

    As a result, their progress through the dungeon slowed significantly, but there was no one whoined.@@novelbin@@

    It was true that the Void Followers didn¡¯t fear death, but that didn¡¯t mean they were willing to ept a pointless death so easily.

    In the end, their caution became a mistake. As they became more afraid of taking damage, themanders began to move more freely.

    Those who had be stiff from overthinking were no more than easy targets for their opponents. It was only natural that another Void follower would soon lose his sanity.

    The moment the follower began to show signs of madness, Luca swiftly severed his head, all the while idly ying with the dagger¡¯s hilt as he watched the other followers'' anxious expressions.

    <em>It¡¯s so annoying. Should I just kill them all?</em> He thought. <em>I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m dragging around this worthless bunch of fools who couldn¡¯t even be fireflies, let alone stars.</em>

    Though he had reluctantly put up with the situation, ready to throw them all away likeb rats for something the young Lady Alrn had prepared, the inconvenience of it was beginning to outweigh the practicality.

    "Professor Luca. Is there still a long way to go?"

    "...Hmm. I think we¡¯ve passed half of it," Luca replied, not looking up.

    "Still?" the follower leading the group asked, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction, but he didn¡¯t challenge Luca directly.

    That decision kept the group alive. Had the leader of the followers shown even the slightest sign of rebellion, Luca would have killed them all without hesitation and proceeded alone.

    In the heavy silence that followed, they continued forward until they arrived at a certain room.

    It was a room filled with what seemed to be several small huts, and in the center of it sat a woman who appeared to be the owner of the ce.

    The woman¡¯s appearance was quite remarkable.

    Her round eyes exuded childlike innocence, and the faint smile on her lips was soft. Her posture radiated the elegance typical of a noblewoman.

    But she had several significant ws. One was that her appearance was semi-transparent.

    Another was that the aura surrounding her was so powerful that even the Void Followers, followers of an evil god, broke into a cold sweat from the pressure.

    "Wee. Guests. Did you enjoy the hospitality of the mansion staff?"

    As she lifted the hem of her dress to greet them, one of the Void Followers jumped out, attempting an attack. However, themander who had blocked the attack with ease intercepted him before he could reach the woman.

    "I apologize for the sudden visit. We weren¡¯t fully prepared..."

    "¡­Tera?" Themander who had blocked the attack had a familiar face.

    There was no mistaking it. They had worked together many times, and this person had entered the dungeon with them. How could he have mistaken her?

    "Do you like reuniting with yourrade? She had a lot of lingering resentment, so it was easy to make her into amander."

    "How dare you, you crazy woman!" The man, losing hisposure,yered the Void''s power onto his mask.

    What he was trying to imitate was the appearance of the greatest warrior he knew.

    Even in this space filled with the Void''s blessing, it would be impossible to perfectly recreate that appearance, but the small trace of it was enough to bring this woman¡¯s downfall.

    "...Kgh." Themander¡¯s spear emerged from the follower¡¯s feet, piercing through his body. He tried to conceal his wound with his power, but it was toote¡ªthe fall of his body came faster than his attempts at healing.

    As one life was extinguished, anothermander appeared beside the originalmander.

    "My, my. You must have had a lot of grudges. I didn¡¯t expect you to be friends so quickly," the newmander said, in a voice that made the Void Followers shiver. They had always operated in the shadows, so they knew a thing or two about necromancers and necromancy.

    They had worked with them a few times, and that¡¯s how they learned what amander was capable of. Therefore, they knew just how twisted it was to have someone kill their own to turn them into their subordinate on the spot.

    "Is that it?"

    Amidst the bewildered expressions of the Void Followers, Luca spoke, and the woman chuckled.

    "Of course not. There¡¯s more prepared," she said.

    With a snap of her fingers, moremanders emerged from various ces around the room¡ªceilings, floors, walls, and furniture. Their gaze was fixed solely on Luca.

    Luca understood why they were staring at him.

    "Hello, you failures. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d still be alive in this world," he said with a smirk.

    These were the ones Luca had driven to the brink in the past. They were those he had sacrificed to create a light brighter than the Sword Saint, but they had fallen from grace and were now discarded remnants.

    As Luca listened to their curse-filled words, he raised his lips in a smirk.

    "Bemem. Lal. Ruda. I¡¯m sorry to some of you, though. Back then, I was still inexperienced. You could have shone brighter."

    Luca apologized for his past mistakes that had led to their fall, and then turned his gaze toward the others,ughing openly.

    "But not for the others. I gave you the opportunity to be stars, and yet you fell into the trash. Why should I apologize to you?"

    The curses against him grew fiercer as Luca¡¯sughter echoed, but Luca appeared unfazed, disappointed at their weak attempt.

    "Did you think that you could trouble me with such failures? Lady Alrn? How disappointing."

    The strength amander held was generally directly linked to the strength they had in life. They could be stronger or weaker, but there wouldn''t be any significant differences.

    No matter how strong their resentment was, there was no way they could defeat Luca. These failures, having given in to trials, would never overpower him.

    "You should have acted the moment you noticed. If you had, you might have been able to present me with some true desperation. But you wasted time, and now you¡¯ve given me nothing but useless leisure."

    Luca gripped a dagger in each hand and readily acknowledged his own shorings.

    "So now, I suppose I have to clean up your mess."

    As Luca took a step forward, his body passed through themanders and arrived in front of the woman. With the speed gained, he swung the daggers, aiming for her neck.

    He wasn¡¯t sure who exactly this woman was, but it was clear she was cooperating with Lady Alrn.

    Luca thought that if someone close to Lady Alrn unexpectedly died, it might make her a little desperate. That¡¯s why Luca was making this move. But the woman¡¯s reaction made him pause for a moment.

    Despite the sudden attack, the woman simply smiled as the dagger flew toward her. Had she not seen iting?

    No, someone of her caliber couldn¡¯t have missed it.

    Was it a trap? There was nothing outwardly suspicious.

    With doubts rising in his mind, Luca took a step back, but the woman openly mocked him, and the othermanders joined in theughter.

    Their ominousughter filled the space.

    "What¡¯s so funny?"

    "Heh, of course! It¡¯s just hrious that someone who was spouting off like they were something great ends up being toyed with by a little brat!"

    "...Brat? Lady Alrn?" Luca asked, confused.

    "Yes, that... Oh, wait, yes. Lady Alrn."

    Did the young Lady Alrn predict my actions? What does that mean?

    "To quote her exactly: <em>The perverted professor is so useless that when he shows any kind of meaningful move, he¡¯ll run away. He¡¯s a pitiful man who can¡¯t even trust himself.</em>"

    ...Is this woman deliberately provoking me? I shouldn¡¯t fall for it.

    "You think I¡¯ll just stand here and listen to your taunts? You really are pathetic. You act like you''re something special, but deep down, you know you¡¯re just a loser. How did someone like you be a professor?"

    Luca, who had been provoked by the woman¡¯s words, said nothing and simply gripped his daggers tighter.

    "Well? Was Lady Alrn¡¯s assessment urate?" she mocked.

    "Haha. I didn¡¯t realize Lady Alrn was so interested in me," Luca responded with augh.

    "To answer for Lady Alrn, your self-awareness is too much. No one would care about someone like you. Sure, we might pity you, but there¡¯s no reason for us to be interested in you¡ªwhether as a jeweler, a craftsman, or anything else, you¡¯re nothing but pathetic."

    Luca, ignoring the ridicule of the manymanders, leaped forward again, but the woman didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she sank into the ground, disappearing.

    The othermanders did the same, hiding behind walls andughing without openly attacking.

    "Professor Luca. What now?"

    "...It¡¯s a stall," Luca replied.

    "What?"

    "Don¡¯t listen to their words. They¡¯re just trying to slow us down as we reach the inner chambers."

    If someone falls for the provocation like before, we¡¯ll exploit the gap.

    "This isn¡¯t a dungeon. It¡¯s a ce where the dead y with the living."

    Luca spoke to shake off the Void Followers¡¯ anxiety, but his mind kept circling back to the words the woman had just said.

    "Let¡¯s keep moving. It¡¯s toote to turn back now."

 Chapter 492

    <ul>

    <li>Ah, this is fun. I think I understand why you insist on that tone.</li>

    </ul>

    After teasing Luca thoroughly, Adris seemed to be in a rather good mood.

    I get it. When someone is on the receiving end, they get all heated up, but when they¡¯re tormenting someone else, it¡¯s a different kind of thrill. Yeah.

    <ul>

    <li>But hey, kid. You know this is just a stalling tactic, right?</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Old hag, do I look like I¡¯ve got a rotten brain like you? Just because your brain is rotten, don¡¯t drag me down to your level!¡±

    As Adris pointed out, what I was doing was, indeed, just stalling.

    Bringing in those who had been sacrificed by Luca, causing a rift between the Void Followers and Luca, ying mind games to make Luca hesitate¡ªno matter how much I tried, I couldn''tpletely crush their power.

    But that didn¡¯t matter. The point was, I was stalling, so what¡¯s the problem?

    ¡°While that senile hag is reminiscing and chuckling over the past, I¡¯ve been struggling up top.¡±

    So far, things were proceeding ording to n. In fact, Luca¡¯s entry had even made the situation better.

    As the Void Followers started using their powers to deal with themanders, the Void¡¯s influence within the barrier was diminishing.

    That meant it would be easier for those on the surface to deal with the Void Followers.

    The fact that I could directly witness Luca¡¯s shock was also a significant advantage.

    However, it wasn¡¯t without its problems.

    ¡°When will the poor prince wake up?¡±

    Before the Void Followers'' n waspleted, Arthur needed to wake up. Only then would everything be resolved.

    If Arthur didn¡¯t wake up in time, well, I¡¯d have to resort to drastic measures.

    ¡°Do you really think the cute princess is going to kiss you just because of this? Truly pathetic, that kind of thinking. How sad.¡±

    As I watched Arthur, still staring nkly ahead, I sighed deeply and began formting a contingency n.

    After all, I was responsible for overlooking the Void Followers¡¯ ns.

    If the worst-case scenario came to pass, I would have to act without worrying about the consequences.

    ¡°That¡¯s just the trace left by that one. It¡¯s not truly Erginus.¡±

    When Arthur spoke of the great mage he had met before, the little kid crossed his arms and muttered discontentedly.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have expected anything. Even someone like Erginus can¡¯t ovee the limits of humanity.¡±

    The name "Erginus" clearly held great significance, and the little kid¡¯s face was full of disappointment, but Arthur didn¡¯t seem to care in the least.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but even if what I met was a fake, it still contained the true essence of Erginus, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I suppose. A fake made by him.¡±

    ¡°Then it makes sense that I can handle the barrier, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I get it. Fine, I¡¯ll stop pestering you. I¡¯ll send you out now.¡±

    The little kid, still grumbling, sighed and walked up to Arthur.

    ¡°Promise me one thing. After this urgent matter outside is over, you¡¯lle back here.¡±

    ¡°Do I even have the right to do that?¡±

    ¡°If a fake with Erginus¡¯s knowledge has taught you about the barrier, it must mean something. So, when that happens¡­ no, wait a minute. What¡¯s this?¡±

    The little kid abruptly stopped speaking, her face filled with confusion. Her muttering, now hurried and anxious, clearly indicated something had gone wrong.

    ¡°Could it be that something has happened and you can¡¯t send me out after all?¡±

    ¡°...That¡¯s likely.¡±

    ¡°Tch. Damn it. Fine. Exin what the problem is.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out without me exining.¡±

    ¡°What kind of nonsense is that¡­¡±

    The peaceful blue sky suddenly turned ck, and an ominous atmosphere filled the air around Arthur.

    Startled by the sudden chill, Arthur blinked as the little kid clicked her tongue and observed the changes around them.

    ¡°You were right. The followers of the Evil God are taking control of the barrier.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean the Evil God¡¯s influence is now within this space?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Because of that, it¡¯s bing difficult to send you out. My authority is being slowly taken away.¡±

    The little kid grumbled while waving her hand through the air. The surroundings briefly returned to their original state, but the change didn¡¯tst long.

    ¡°Tch. Hey, kid. Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then pass the test and take control of the barrier. That¡¯s the fastest way right now.¡±

    ¡°Test?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to exin. Decide whether you¡¯ll do it or not.¡±

    As the little kid urgently urged him, the ominous atmosphere continued to thicken around them. It was clear that thinking it over wasn¡¯t an option.

    Damn it. Lucy Alrn, is this really what you were aiming for?

    Is this really going ording to your n?

    If so, you should have at least told me! I needed some time to prepare myself!

    ¡°Make a decision quickly! There¡¯s no time!¡±

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    Just as Arthur nodded urgently, the little kid grabbed his wrist, and the two of them vanished in an instant.

    Where they had stood, a lingering Void energy filled the space.

    It was nothing, and because it was nothing, it could be anything. And because it was nothing, it exuded a jealousy toward everything else.

    The sword swung endlessly through the nothingness of hell.

    I failed again. I couldn¡¯tplete the task the youngdy entrusted to me.

    How hard could it be to capture a single person?

    Filled with anger at myself, I fought desperately, trying to escape this space, but hell¡¯sndscape showed no signs of ending.

    No matter how many demons I killed, more demons came, and even though I ran madly to find the end of hell, thendscape stretched endlessly before me.

    Because of that, I grew increasingly anxious with each passing moment.

    I had to get out of here quickly. I had to fulfill the task that the youngdy had given me.

    I had to do my best to avoid bing a stray dog.

    I didn¡¯t have time to keep struggling here.

    Damn it.

    Damn it.

    ¡°Damn it!?¡­¡±

    Cursing under my breath, I opened my eyes and found Erin¡¯s concerned gaze as she caught her breath.

    What¡­?

    Just a moment ago, I had been wandering through hell¡¯sndscape, hadn¡¯t I? Why is Erin here?

    ¡°Pull yourself together, you fool.¡±

    The voice that pierced through my confusion was the reproach of an elegant woman.

    Without Lucy around, Lina, looking dignified and haughty as ever, stood with two foxes made of smoke beside her.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you realize you were just dreaming?¡±

    ¡°A dream¡­? All of that scenery?¡±

    ¡°Has being treated like a dog every day dulled your wits? How could an iplete deity send everything in this space to hell?¡±

    As I heard Lina¡¯s clicking tongue, I began to realize that her words were true. I sighed in relief, only to notice that the most important and cherished person wasn¡¯t here.

    ¡°Lady! Where is she!?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re asking about thedy, she left to do her own work, Sir.¡±

    ¡°Where did she go?! I need to be by her side!¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°Erin! Tell me quickly! I need to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Calm down.¡±

    At Erin¡¯s cold voice, I closed my mouth instantly.

    It was then that I realized the Erin I had known in the past was very different from the Erin standing before me now.

    The first time I had met Erin, she was weak and pitiful, a mere coteral. She had been sold to serve the Alrn family, doing the hardest tasks.

    But now, what about Erin? The woman who had been growing by the youngdy¡¯s side all this time?

    She was no longer someone to be protected but someone who had be an unyielding, strong person, notckingpared to those she served.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me thedy you want to protect is some fragile noblewoman who can¡¯t do anything unless someone protects her?¡±

    ¡°...No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    Could Lucy Alrn be someone who needed protection? No, that couldn¡¯t be the case. If Lucy had been that weak, I wouldn¡¯t have struggled so much to prove my worth.

    ¡°Thedy entrusted you with the task.¡±

    ¡°...Yes, she did.¡±

    ¡°Then, what are you going to do if you can¡¯t trust thedy?¡±

    Hearing Erin¡¯s reproach, I raised my head for a moment before letting out a bitterugh.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Erin. It seems I became so desperate, repeating my failures, that I lost my focus.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? The Sir I know doesn¡¯t seem like someone ipetent.¡±

    ¡°Haha. I was like that before. Back then.¡±

    As I faced Erin¡¯s smile, she quietly observed me before sitting down across from me.

    ¡°Sir.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°So, are you going to give up being under thedy¡¯s service?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°¡­No. Unless thedy casts me aside, I will remain by her side.¡±

    ¡°Then get up. Even if we have to struggle in the muck, it¡¯s our duty to be of help to our master, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Listening to Erin, I nkly stared at her face before sighing and standing up.

    ¡°You really are a strong person, Erin.¡±

    ¡°I try to be. To stay by thedy¡¯s side, I couldn¡¯t afford to be weak.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nice to have this warm atmosphere, but don¡¯t get toofortable. Shouldn¡¯t we be doing our work?¡±

    Lina, frowning slightly, said something, and I stood up, checking my gear.

    Then I asked her.

    ¡°What should I do?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Be the fangs of Alrn and smash through the obstacles.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I do best.¡±

 Chapter 493

    Following the information voluntarily provided by the Void Followers, Uden stepped into the academy and immediately felt the presence of Void energy seeping through the door. Her gaze sharpened as she realized the gravity of the situation.

    "So he was right. The unique energy is strong in here. This ce is definitely the focus of their n."

    Just as she was about to wrap her magic around herself to fend off the Void¡¯s influence, a warm energy enveloped her, causing the surrounding Void energy to retreat.

    "Wow, as expected from the Saint. I¡¯ve worked with clergy a few times, but I¡¯ve never seen it done this cleanly."

    "Well, this is all I can do. I have to do my best where I can," Uden replied with a calm,posed tone.

    "If anyone else heard that, they might be overwhelmed with self-doubt. The fact that you truly mean that makes it even more malicious."

    If anyone other than the Saint had said something like that, there would be many who would genuinely envy and nder her. But Uden just smiled lightly as she noticed Joey¡¯s slightly stiff expression.

    "Lady Partan, please continue distinguishing between the real and the fake."

    "Understood. I¡¯ll do my best."

    Joey advanced while carefully observing the ones lost in what appeared to be hellish dreams. Though they seemed like pitiful souls caught in nightmares, it was crucial not to trust appearances. Any of them might be a trap.

    Just as Joey remained alert, Uden suddenly swung her sword.

    The sword, wrapped in a crimson aura, cut through the air, but nothing came back.

    "Master Sword Saint?" Joey asked.

    "Something attacked us," Uden responded.

    "Huh?"

    "...Hmm. Damn it. I can''t hear or see anything, so it''s hard to exin."

    The words Uden spoke sounded almost like the ramblings of a mad person.

    If it were a mercenary or someone less reliable speaking, it would have been easy to disregard.

    But Uden was no ordinary person. She had ovee countless adversities, and her senses were sharper than anyone else¡¯s.

    "Wait a moment."

    When Joey cast a spell to expand her vision, the Void energy briefly dissipated, revealing the truth.

    Arrow tips scattered across the floor. A Void follower, who had been holding a bow from a distance, hurriedly fled.

    Uden¡¯s instincts were right. Her animal-like senses had stopped the enemy¡¯s attack.

    However, this revtion didn¡¯tst long. The Void¡¯s energy, which had filled the space, made it incredibly exhausting to deal with.

    "This is troublesome. Rushing forward might be too dangerous. Lady Partan, is there any way to maintain the spell?"

    "...I¡¯m sorry."

    "And the Saint?"

    "For now, I will do my best to dispel the Void''s influence as much as possible."

    Stopping in ce, Joey focused, recalling the dungeon¹¥ÂÔ guide Lucy had given her.

    That book wasn¡¯t just a simple guide to navigating dungeons. It was more like a manual from the one who had created all the dungeons in this world, describing how to conquer them.

    Joey had read that book more than a hundred times, embedding the knowledge into her mind. Now, in the Soul Academy, which had been infiltrated by the Void, she easily recalled the crucial information she needed.

    First of all, this was practically a dungeon created by the Evil God of the Void.

    It wasn''t fully corrupted yet, so monsters wouldn¡¯t appear, but the strength of the Void Followers would be much stronger than usual, and while fighting them, she would have to constantly differentiate between the real and the fake.

    When they had tackled the forest dungeonst time, Lucy had done everything for them.

    Because of that, there were no issues attacking the fakes. But Lucy wasn¡¯t here now.

    So it was up to her.

    The best approach would be to constantly use magic to dispel the illusions, but that wasn¡¯t feasible. There was a limit to her mana.

    Without knowing how long this situation mightst, she had to be as efficient as possible.

    <em>¡°Nothing but a useless idiot can only mimic others. They¡¯re too ipetent to create anything themselves.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°So when dealing with that idiot, just remember a few steps.¡±</em>

    <em>¡°First, find out what the ipetent idiot is trying to copy. It¡¯ll be easy. Just because they try to act impressive doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re not pathetic.¡±</em>

    What had the Evil God of the Void mimicked to create this ce? Joey surveyed the surroundings and mentally organized the information.

    The first thing she noticed was that the academy itself hadn¡¯t changed much.

    The walls. The decorations. The students lying unconscious. Everything was the same.

    The sounds were also the same. This ce was eerily quiet.

    The Void Followers must be running around in a panic here, yet there wasn¡¯t a sound to be heard.

    Disturbing the senses.

    A dungeon created by the Evil God of Darkness.

    <em>¡°Once you figure out what they¡¯ve been mimicking, it¡¯s time to show that pathetic fool how useless they really are. That fool can¡¯t even mimic properly.¡±</em>

    The dungeon mimicked by the Evil God of Darkness was an inferior version of the original.

    The gaps that appeared when the Evil God of Darkness copied this dungeon were sensory.

    At first, it seemed like the senses had vanished, but if you focused hard enough, you could tell that all the senses were still there.

    The most significant gap was the sense of smell.

    "Master Sword Saint! You can trust your senses, especially your sense of smell!"

    "I think I get what you mean!"

    Hearing Joey¡¯s words, Uden confidently began swinging her sword.

    The once blurry sensations gradually became clearer.

    Her senses hadn¡¯t disappeared.

    The Void, which only mimicked the darkness, couldn¡¯t fully negate the Sword Saint''s senses.

    "Faybi! Instead of just pushing back the Void¡¯s energy, try to copse its umtion by using divine magic!"

    While Uden was fending off the attacks of the Void Followers, Joey tried to exin to Faybi how to respond, but this wasn¡¯t an easy task.

    The problem was that Faybi wasn¡¯t a mage; she was a cleric.

    Joey, who only understood magic theory, couldn¡¯t exin it in a way that would make sense to a cleric.

    "So, what I mean is, intervene with the enemy¡¯s magic..."

    "I understand what you¡¯re saying."

    Despite the odd and somewhat difficult exnation from a mage''s perspective, Faybi smiled softly and nodded.

    Having trained under Bishop Johan, Faybi was not just a simple cleric¡ªshe had the rare ability to handle divine magic as if it were regr magic.

    "Is this the kind of format you''re referring to?"

    Faybi, whose mastery of divine magic was so impressive that even Lucy, an Apostle of the Sun God, was in awe, quickly demonstrated what Joey had described.

    As a result, the surrounding darkness faded, and the true nature beneath it began to emerge.

    "...I don''t think I can maintain this for long. The Void''s energy is growing stronger."

    "Saint! How much longer can you hold it?"

    "About ten minutes."

    "That¡¯s enough! Both of you, stay close behind! I¡¯ll smash everything in our way!"

    Under the guidance of the little kid, Arthur arrived at a mysterious ce that resembled a hallway he had walked through with Lucy.@@novelbin@@

    "Where is this?"

    "A trial to verify your qualifications. When you reach the end, you¡¯ll gain the authority to control the magic circle."

    "How do I proceed?"

    "That¡¯s up to you. Trials are trials for a reason."

    The little kid crossed her arms and spoke confidently, while Arthur furrowed his brows.

    "Given how urgent the situation is, do you really want to stick to this?"

    "This is not stubbornness; it''s procedure. You can''t gain the authority without following the steps."

    "Then tell me how to clear this. We need to get through this as quickly as possible."

    "Think, you idiot. If that were possible, I would have sent you right past this point."

    As Arthur understood the seriousness of the situation by looking at the kid''s expression, he realized she wasn¡¯t joking.

    Sighing, Arthur knew there was no choice but to move forward.

    If he just stood still, nothing would change. He decided to go through the door.

    The moment he opened it, the door mmed shut behind him, and the way out vanished.

    Does that mean there¡¯s no turning back now? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I wasn¡¯t nning on retreating anyway.

    As he stepped forward, Arthur stopped briefly to inspect the path ahead.

    "Could it be... the trial involves conquering a dungeon?"

    ...It can¡¯t be, right? Why would navigating a dungeon be necessary for verifying my qualification to handle the magic circle?

    Shaking his head, Arthur¡¯s doubts began to turn into certainty as time passed.

    The way the path wasid out.

    The traps in between.

    The monsters blocking his way.

    Everything resembled the structure of a dungeon.

    Before long, Arthur was certain and couldn¡¯t help but let out a smallugh.

    "Of course. So this is why Lucy Alrn didn¡¯t say a word to me."

    Now I get it. If the trial is about conquering a dungeon, I don¡¯t need to prepare at all.

    I¡¯ve learned how to conquer dungeons from her endlessly¡ªwhat would I need to prepare for?

 Chapter 494

    Arthur had read the dungeon¹¥ÂÔ guide that Lucy had given him countless times.

    At first, he was curious about how Lucy Alrn had be so proficient in dungeon raids.

    Then, he marveled at the vast knowledge contained within the book.

    After a while, his thoughts shifted to getting back at Lucy for all the times she had belittled him.

    Recently, his determination had grown stronger, vowing to win at least once so that he could hear the answer he wanted from Lucy.

    He kept reading that book.

    What Arthur realized over time was that the knowledge Lucy Alrn possessed was not simply bestowed upon her by the Sun God.

    Though her journey had begun with the blessings of the Sun God, it was Lucy Alrn who had absorbed and made that power her own.

    Every trace of effort she had put into her work was preserved in that book.

    The perfect strategies for dealing with insignificant monsters that, to Arthur, seemed trivial.

    The methods for bypassing traps that could be physically ovee.

    The ways to find paths in already-existing dungeons, and even how to navigate entirely new ones.

    All of these writings reflected Lucy Alrn¡¯s sincerity toward dungeons and the countless hours she had dedicated to mastering them.

    Because of that, Arthur never doubted the content of the book Lucy had written.

    Despite the yful tone of Lucy¡¯s writing, which made it seem like she was teasing someone, he knew that whaty beneath it was her genuine sincerity.

    By embracing that sincerity and seeking to internalize it, Arthur hade to appreciate his own progress.

    There was a trap on the right. It¡¯s easy to spot, but behind it, something well-hidden lies in wait.

    Looking at the trap''s structure, it seems that once it¡¯s triggered, the path ahead will be blocked.

    A barrier to prevent escape.

    That¡¯s not the right way.

    I should find another path.

    Hmm, the monster ahead looks like one of those creatures Lucy Alrn had described.

    Those weak little dogs are sensitive to sound. If I make too much noise, they¡¯ll whimper and roll over in fear, she said.

    And she was right. Thanks to that, I can easily slip past them.

    Now it¡¯s a puzzle. Based on the clues I¡¯ve etched in my mind so far, the answer wille quickly.@@novelbin@@

    Arthur, moving smoothly through the dungeon, began to grow confused as he tried to understand why the little kid had such a serious expression on her face.

    Was this trial supposed to be this easy?

    If the trial was directly influenced by the pieces of the ancestor, then it should have been much more difficult to prove one¡¯s worth.

    It doesn¡¯t make sense. It¡¯s way too easy. I¡¯m even starting to think that the dungeon Lucy Alrn made me face duringst year¡¯s finals was harder.

    No, objectively speaking, that one was more like hell.

    If I had been given another chance to conquer that dungeon, would anyone even manage toplete it on the first try?

    Arthur chuckled bitterly as he quickened his pace.

    If I waste time here, I¡¯ll be the subject of ridicule from Lucy Alrn.

    Right now, it¡¯s clear I¡¯d be theughingstock for a long time, but if I dy any further, I can only imagine how badly my reputation will be shattered.

    Not long ago, Arthur had witnessed Kal crawling on the floor like an inanimate object. He shuddered, imagining himself in Kal¡¯s ce.

    That can¡¯t happen. If it does, I¡¯d rather bite my tongue and die.

    ¡°Kid.¡±

    Arthur, sweating, moved forward but suddenly squinted at the little kid who had appeared next to him.

    ¡°Has the trial ended already?¡±

    ¡°I wish it had. But no. It''s the worst-case scenario. The Evil God¡¯s influence has started seeping into this ce.¡±

    "...What?"

    ¡°I¡¯m doing my best to stop it, but it seems like I''m too outdated.¡±

    The little kid¡¯s bitter smile made Arthur¡¯s expression turn serious.

    Now that he thought about it, Erginus had also mentioned that it was time to start reinforcing the barrier.

    A magical circle that had been in ce for hundreds of years couldn¡¯t retain its initial strength.

    Arthur understood that logically, but epting it emotionally was another matter. Damn it.

    ¡°That means the Evil God¡¯s influence is starting to take over, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already gradually happening. Look, you can barely tell the real from the fake among those monsters in front of us, right?¡±

    The little kid''s words rang true. Arthur could already see the blurring of truth and lies in his own vision.

    ¡°We have to break through the trial before theypletely seize control. Is that possible?¡±

    ¡°By now, it¡¯s not about whether it¡¯s possible or not.¡±

    At this point, Arthur realized there was no other option. It was a race against time.

    Would the Void¡¯s powerpletely take over the magical circle first, or would Arthur manage to ovee this trial first?

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Arthur was confident in his ability to win when it came to races against time. He had always fought desperately against opponents who were more skilled in this area.

    Arthur had never thought he would lose this fight.

    ¡°If I fail in the ce Lucy trusted me with, how can I show my face to her?¡±

    <ul>

    <li>You killed us.</li>

    </ul>

    No. It wasn¡¯t me who pushed you to your death, it was your own actions.

    Had you ovee the trial, you could have be a star, but it was you who failed.

    <ul>

    <li>You sacrificed us for dreams that could never be achieved.</li>

    </ul>

    Wrong. My dream seemed distant because your talents were insufficient.

    Look at the star of Lucy Alrn.

    Look at that star shining brighter than the sun from the sky. If you had shone as brightly as that, my dream would have already been fulfilled.

    <ul>

    <li>In the end, you are a useless fool who can¡¯t do anything alone.</li>

    </ul>

    Yes. I gave up on shining brightly on my own.

    Is that wrong? Is it a sin to choose reality instead of struggling in vain with dreams that could nevere true?

    Why is romance called romance? It¡¯s called that because it can never be achieved.

    Rather than living as a fool who clings to impossible dreams, I swore to make my dream a reality.

    As Luca walked through the corridor, he answered each of the voices that echoed and tore apart their existence.

    There was no hesitation. No guilt.

    If I had been stopped by my conscience, I wouldn¡¯t havee this far.

    As he moved, Luca felt something foul spreading from the broken vows he had made.

    It spread faster than it ever had before.

    Exactly what was happening, Luca didn¡¯t know, but he couldn¡¯t ignore what was happening to his body. He kept his focus forward.

    Thinking coldly, what Lady Alrn did was just a dy tactic.

    Even if thesemanders surround me, they won¡¯t inflict any decisive damage.

    A few might be reduced, but that¡¯s it.

    But thinking it over, it¡¯s odd.

    What advantage is there in dragging out time?

    The longer the Void¡¯s corruption grows stronger, the more advantageous it will be for me, won¡¯t it?

    I don¡¯t know exactly what they¡¯re aiming for, but I have no need toply with their intentions.

    By now, the corruption must have progressed enough. Should I start making them panic?

    ¡°Lemnus. Can you contact the outside? I want to know the progress of the corruption.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already consumed more than half. However, the resistance outside is growing more intense.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s start using what we¡¯ve prepared.¡±

    The golems he had ced under the guise of using them for the academy dungeon.

    Once the Void''s power corrupted them, these objects would be instruments of destruction when powered up by the Void followers, wreaking havoc within the barrier.

    ¡°Lady Alrn. If you¡¯re listening, I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªthe golems will massacre everything. Those trapped inside the barrier will die helplessly. It¡¯s because of your ipetence. It¡¯s because you allowed it.¡±

    Now, can the weak you, who pretends to be strong, stand by and do nothing when you hear this?

    Can you turn a blind eye to their deaths?

    I¡¯m certain you won¡¯t be able to. If you could overlook the sacrifice of others for your own purpose, the Sun God would never have chosen you.

    ¡°Ha ha ha?¡±

    As expected.

    From beyond the darkness of the corridor, theughter of a young girl echoed. It was bright, beautiful, and impossible to ignore¡ªa mocking, infuriatingugh.

    ¡°All day long~ babbling, babbling?¡±

    Her red, twin-tailed hair fluttered in the air.

    "Doesn¡¯t it make you feel ashamed to act so tough??"

    Her blood-red eyes shone brightly, even in the dark.

    ¡°You must feel likemitting suicide when you realize how pitiful your own situation is, don¡¯t you??¡±

    Her smirking lips made it seem as though she had the upper hand.

    ¡°Maybe you can¡¯t tell the difference between your imagination and reality?? Heh? How pathetic? I wonder how ugly you must be in reality to have gone mad??¡±

    The small, beautiful girl standing confidently before Luca and the Void Followers was undeniably captivating.

    "What reality are you trying so hard to deny?? Is it that you¡¯re impotent in your usations?? Is your talent as pathetic as your decorative hair?? Or is it your dream that will never be fulfilled??"

    Luca could feel his temples tightening with every word Lucy said, but he forced himself to control his emotions.

    If he fell for her words, it would y right into her hands.

    That could not happen. The one in control must be me. It must be the craftsman.

    "Ha ha. Do you really have time to keep babbling like that?"

    "..."

    As Luca spoke, Lucy fell silent. Though she pretended to remain calm, it was clear she was in a hurry.

    "Meanwhile, the ones on the surface will begin to die one by one, won¡¯t they? The weak..."

    "Ha ha ha?"

    Just as Luca was about to continue, Lucy¡¯sughter interrupted him.

    At first, when he heard theugh, Luca thought she was just pretending, trying to act calm byughing.

    "You think yourughter will erase the embarrassment?"

    "Heh? Heh heh? Perverted professor? You¡¯re really stupid, aren¡¯t you?? Do you think I¡¯m fakeughing??"

    "Trying to act tough, huh?"

    "Heh heh? The one acting tough is you? With no talent or passion, just a fool with a pathetic little head!?"

    ...Not pretending?

    No?

    That can¡¯t be.

    If something had changed, I should have known by now!

    "Ah? Do you really think what you¡¯re saying is true?? Do you think my pathetic n won¡¯t be interrupted??"

    "Ha. Go ahead, say whatever you want. It won¡¯t change anything."

    "...Professor Luca! On the surface!"

    The confused voice of a Void follower reached Luca, and he hurriedly turned his gaze toward Lucy.

    "Heh heh heh? I have to deal with such an idiot?? How pitiful I must be? Don¡¯t you think so??"

    Herugh held a certain ease to it.

 Chapter 495

    A week ago, Lucy used her History Check skill to uncover the ns of the Void Followers.

    At that time, she couldn¡¯t exactly confirm what was happening because of the Evil God¡¯s interference.

    However, she was able to figure out where the events were taking ce.

    The presence of strange symbols in the history check indicated that the Evil God¡¯s followers were wreaking havoc in that location.

    If it¡¯s possible to find out where something is happening, it¡¯s not too hard to guess what might be urring there.

    Based on her deduction, Lucy made several ns, most of which she entrusted to others rather than handling herself.

    The three people now rushing through the academy grounds¡ªKal, Erin, and Lina¡ªwere given one task.

    That task was to destroy the golems being prepared for the Soul Academy¡¯s dungeon.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange. Why is there so little interference?¡±

    Kal, running with Erin in his arms, voiced his concerns about the eerie calmness around them.

    The Void Followers had nned a grand scheme to seize control of the academy. Yet, as they ran through the outer grounds, no interference came their way.

    Kal had expected many to try to stop them, so he suspected there might be a trap waiting ahead.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re just busy dealing with outside interference.¡±

    It was Lina who eased his worries.

    She had spread small mist foxes around, and through them, she observed that the external forces¡ªthe Void Followers and the priests of the Holy Church¡ªwere engaged in a fierce struggle through the widening holes in the barrier.

    ¡°The Evil God¡¯s power is strengthening the Void Followers, but the external forces are also growing. For now, we don¡¯t need to worry about their interference,¡± Lina exined.

    The bnce was slowly tipping in favor of the Void Followers.

    Even though reinforcements from outside were arriving, the number of powerful individuals among them was small. There would be no dramatic changes.

    On the other hand, the Void Followers were growing stronger with each passing moment, so it was only natural for the bnce to shift in their favor.

    ¡°We just need to do our part.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    As the trio entered the Dungeon Studies building, Lina furrowed her brow. The space was filled with the power of the Void.

    It could be managed with her mist, allowing them to distinguish truth from illusion, but that would take time.

    ¡°Knight, please go right.¡±

    ¡°...The right?¡± Kal asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Yes. That way is less... disgusting.¡±

    Though Kal hesitated at Erin¡¯s confident words, Lina did not. Knowing who had blessed her, Lina smiled and moved in that direction.

    ¡°Did Lucy predict this situation too?¡±

    She had wondered why Lucy insisted on bringing her maid along, but now it seemed there was a reason.

    ¡°Lina?¡± Kal asked.

    ¡°You fool. Follow the child in your arms. It¡¯s your master¡¯s n,¡± Lina chided.

    ¡°...I understand. Erin, please continue guiding us.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Erin¡¯s directions were precise. In a space where truth and lies mixed, she always found the correct answer, much like how she had pierced through the Evil God¡¯s power in the forest during their previous trial.

    When they reached their destination, they were greeted by a few Void Followers and a group of golems beyond them.

    ¡°Are you here to stop the n?¡±

    The leader of the Void Followers, standing at the front, smiled as he faced the trio.

    ¡°If you were going to stop us, you should have arrived sooner. It¡¯s toote now. You¡¯re nothing but trash.¡±

    As he spoke, the Void''s power filled the golems around them. Just moments ago, they were lifeless metal constructs, but now they began to take on human-like forms.

    The Evil God¡¯s power gave them a semnce of humanity.

    Kal, witnessing the hopeless scene, gently lowered Erin to the ground and drew his sword from his waist.

    A white aura emanated from him, pushing back the surrounding darkness.

    ¡°Lina, please take care of Erin.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If anything happens to this child, Lucy will never acknowledge me,¡± Lina replied.

    ¡°Ha. She¡¯ll probably do worse than that.¡±

    Seeing their casual conversation, the leader of the Void Followers narrowed his eyes.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind? Don¡¯t you see what¡¯s right in front of you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I see it. I have eyes too,¡± Kal responded calmly.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be nervous. It just didn¡¯t seem like there was a need for concern.¡±

    Kal chuckled lightly, which made the Void Follower grit his teeth. He ordered the golems to eliminate the obstacles ahead.

    Without hesitation, the golems, now infused with the Void¡¯s power, charged forward.

    They were willing to sacrifice themselves to eliminate the interference.

    However, their charge was unsessful.

    Before they could even reach their target, Kal¡¯s sword cleaved through the golems, cutting them in half.

    ¡°They¡¯re really soft, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    As Kal¡¯sughter grew deeper, the Void Followers could feel cold sweat running down their backs.

    Kal, once hailed as a promising member of the Alrn Knight Order, had proven his worth. Despite his talents, he had always worked diligently to protect his master and stand by her side. Now, his sword, honed by experience, shone brightly.

    Phew. It¡¯s a relief. It seems Kal arrived just in time. When Luca had been talking so confidently, I thought there might be a twist, but it was just a dy.

    ¡°Hey? Hey? Keep talking! Hurry up?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the golems would kill the people?? But now those weak golems are getting destroyed??¡±

    Trying to hide her anxiety, I chuckled and mockingly looked at the confused ones.

    ¡°You thought I wouldn¡¯t notice your flimsy n?? Ha ha! You reallyck a sense of reality! You¡¯re such an idiot?¡±

    The sharp gazes from Luca and the Void Followers pierced me, but I straightened my shoulders.

    It¡¯s not because I¡¯m confident I can overpower them all.

    Actually, it¡¯s the opposite.

    I want them to think there¡¯s something waiting behind me, so they won¡¯t attack.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for months, wondering what those bugs would prepare, and it turns out they¡¯re just bugs after all? ying in the palm of a little girl¡¯s hand?¡±@@novelbin@@

    Most of the things I nned areing to fruition, but that doesn¡¯t mean everything¡¯s going perfectly.

    The problem is Arthur. That perverted bastard, now sleeping like a prince underground, hasn¡¯t woken up yet, and it¡¯s throwing off the foundation of my n.

    ¡°Why are you frowning?? Aren¡¯t you crawling in the palm of a cute girl¡¯s hand?? Shouldn¡¯t you be happy??¡±

    Damn it. I¡¯ve been trying my best to dy things, but he still hasn¡¯t woken up.

    If things go on like this, if the magical circle ispletely overtaken before he wakes up, things will getplicated.

    I¡¯ll have to move myself!

    ¡°Ah~? Are you disappointed because you can¡¯t climb up my arm?? Heh heh? You filthy perverts?¡±

    If I keep this up, even if everything gets resolved, it¡¯ll still go the way Luca wants it.

    I¡¯ll have to watch him grin as he reaches enlightenment!

    This is still a rtively good scenario. In the worst case, people might end up dying in blood. Because of my negligence, people will die.

    ¡°Should I show you with my eyes?? Want to climb up with my gaze??¡±

    I need to drag this out. As much time as possible, until Arthur wakes up.

    ¡°You¡¯re trying to dy, aren¡¯t you, Lady Alrn?¡±

    Luca cut off my provocation, speaking up.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not going ording to n, is it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s not going ording to n? Your ipetence is ruining your n, isn¡¯t it??¡±

    ¡°Aha. I admit it.¡±

    Luca¡¯s eyes, which had been narrowed moments ago, now glimmered with amusement.

    ¡°The things I prepared aren¡¯t going as nned, it¡¯s true.¡±

    A sense of ease crept into his tone.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, you¡¯re a much more capable person than I thought.¡±

    ...Why is he suddenly acting like this?

    Why is he suddenly admitting defeat?

    Could it be¡­

    ¡°However, in the end, the core of this n is still proceeding as expected.¡±

    As Luca smirked, darkness enveloped the hallway.

    Not the darkness created by Adrienne, but the darkness of the Evil God¡¯s power.

    ¡°Lady Alrn! Fire ahead! And Faeby!¡±

    Yuden heard Joy tightening her voice and inwardly marveled.

    Wow. The way Lady Partan ismanding is quite impressive.

    What kind of training does the Duke family give to their children that even a child who hasn¡¯t be an adult yet canmand like that?

    At my age, I could barely charge forward like a beast.

    Having worked with so many people, Yuden couldn¡¯t help but admire Joy¡¯s leadership.

    Yuden, having worked with many people, couldn¡¯t help but admire Joy¡¯s leadership. It was refined to the point that even Yuden, who had vast experience, was impressed.

    Thanks to her, the three of them, despite the constant interference from the Void Followers, made their way quickly to their destination.

    The ce where the great wizard, Erginus, had left his magic circle.

    It was where many of the Evil God¡¯s followers had gathered, and where the power of the Void was at its most concentrated.

    And the center of all this, the one who was at the heart of the n:

    The Apostle of the Void was in that room.

    "It¡¯s been a while, Sword Saint. How many years has it been since west met?"

    "I don¡¯t need your pleasantries, trash."

    Yuden, meeting the enemy she had missed years ago during a mission to hunt down the Evil God¡¯s followers, didn¡¯t even bother to hide her disdain.

    "Ahaha. But we¡¯re connected, aren¡¯t we?"

    "Don¡¯t talk about connections. You¡¯re just another dead man waiting to happen."

    "No, Sword Saint. We are connected. You, the Saint, and Lady Partan. Our connection willst for long years, through eternity."

    Beneath the robe of the Apostle of the Void, his smile could be seen.

    "The Evil God will make sure of that."

    Behind him, the magic circle glowed dark¡ªpitch ck.

    "Can you clear the way for me, Sword Saint? And Faeby¡­"

    Yuden couldn¡¯t help but admire the way Joy wasmanding. Even though she wasn¡¯t even an adult yet, she was handling the situation well.

    "What kind of training does the Duke''s family give to their children?" Yuden mused to herself, impressed. At her age, she was only capable of charging forward blindly.

    As she worked with Joy, who was so refined, Yuden had to acknowledge her leadership abilities. It was the mark of someone with a great future.

    With that, the trio quickly reached their destination despite the constant hindrances from the Void Followers.

    The ce they had arrived at was a room filled with the power of the Void, where the magic circle left by Erginus, the great wizard, was located.

    They now had to face the culmination of all their efforts: the room where the Void Apostle was waiting.

    The Void Apostle stood, waiting for them.

    ¡°Ah, Sword Saint, it¡¯s been quite a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡± he asked with a grin.

    Yuden was quick to respond with scorn. "Don¡¯t waste my time, trash."

    "Ahaha, but we¡¯re connected, aren¡¯t we?" he repeated, almost smugly.

    Yuden¡¯s eyes narrowed. "You¡¯re already dead, so why bother pretending to be important?"

    The Void Apostle¡¯sugh only grew louder. "You¡¯re mistaken. We are bound by the Evil God¡¯s will, and this connection is eternal. This is just the beginning."

    The ck magic circle behind him pulsed ominously, signifying the culmination of all the ns of the Evil God¡¯s followers.

    "Go ahead and fight, Yuden," said Kal with determination, his hand on his sword. "We¡¯ll take care of the rest."

    But the Void Apostle¡¯s smirk didn¡¯t falter.

    The room, bathed in the dark aura of the Void, now seemed to take on a life of its own. The final battle was about to begin.

 Chapter 496

    Uden, seeing the magic circle stained in ck, immediately swung her sword.

    This wasn¡¯t a mere test strike. It was a single, decisive blow aimed at severing the opponent''s neck.

    The attack, so brilliant it could be called the pinnacle of swordsmanship, pierced the air like light and flew toward the Void Apostle, cutting through the sound of the wind.

    The moment her sword swung, Uden was certain that it had connected.

    Her long, umted experience. The intuition honed from countless battles. It was this intuition that foretold Uden¡¯s victory.

    The reality confirmed that Uden''s instincts were correct.

    As the Apostle¡¯s body and neck separated, red liquid sttered around.

    ¡°But what do you think the Void is, Sword Saint?¡±

    However, the Apostle¡¯s voice did not cease. His head, which had floated into the air and rolled across the floor, was still speaking.

    ¡°Many schrs call the Void an empty space. A hellish ce devoid of any positive elements that govern the world,¡± he continued, his disembodied voice ringing out.

    ¡°Saint! Lady Parn! The power¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already using it!¡±

    ¡°The energy in this room is too overwhelming!¡±

    From the moment they arrived in this room, both Faebi and Joy had been working to counter the Void''s power.

    Despite their efforts, they could not expel all the energy, for the Void''s influence was far too vast.

    Even Faebi, possessing the holiness befitting her title, and Joy, a talented individual sought after by many professors in her department, struggled. The sheer magnitude of the energy was enormous, making it impossible for the two of them to easily dispel it.

    Damn it. With this situation, there¡¯s no time to spare. Even if I have to sacrifice a bit, I must disrupt their ns!

    With a strained expression, Uden was about to swing her sword again when she noticed that the Apostle¡¯s disembodied head, still rolling on the floor, was filled with arrogance.

    ¡°Some others say that the Void is a power not worth discussing. They ask why one should care about an existence that is nothing.¡±

    Once again, Uden¡¯s sword swung. The head, still rolling on the floor, and the Void Followers hidden within were all cut down. Yet the Apostle¡¯s voice continued to echo in the room.

    ¡°But that¡¯s not true. The Void is not like that. The Void is purity. It is pure, untainted whiteness.¡±

    As the Apostle¡¯s words continued, the scenery of the room shifted.

    Those who had been severed by Uden earlier stood up, unharmed.

    The magic circle, which had been stained ck, was now a pure white.

    The view outside the window, which had darkened, had turned whiter than a snowy field.

    The Apostle¡¯s eyes, staring at the group, were now nk, devoid of any color, as if they were empty sheets of paper.

    ¡°There are far too many things in this world. Over the long course of time, many things have piled up, making it far removed from purity,¡± the Apostle continued.

    Uden, listening to the Apostle¡¯s ramblings, decided to momentarily stop her attacks.

    If I keep attacking blindly, the situation won¡¯t change. It¡¯s just a waste of energy. What is this really? It¡¯s not the same as those fools¡¯ bodies regenerating.

    I¡¯ve dealt with these kinds of idiots before. If it were something like that, I would¡¯ve just kept shing until they couldn¡¯t regenerate and be done with it.

    ¡°The many impurities piled on top of purity are now staining the world in ck. If things continue this way, everything will be stained ck and be irreversibly corrupted,¡± the Apostle continued.

    ¡°So, are you going to blow everything up and reset it?¡± Uden replied, her voiceced with sarcasm.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Yes! We will start over from this world, and everyone will begin again from purity!¡±

    The Apostle spoke of a world without ss, without capital, without discrimination, and without nations.

    ¡°Lady Parn, you were born with privilege, so you wouldn¡¯t understand. I understand! That¡¯s what power is! But the other two¡­ you, Saint, who grew up in an orphanage and experienced hell! You, Sword Saint, who was once a lowly mercenary! You should know just how much the old order was a pile of garbage!¡±

    The Apostle¡¯s voice grew louder, veins bulging from his neck, but neither Faebi nor Uden seemed to be moved.

    Faebi looked down at the Apostle¡¯s madness with a pitying gaze, while Uden merely shook her head as if she didn¡¯t even think it was worth responding.

    Seeing the looks in their eyes, the Apostle stared nkly for a moment before suddenly bursting into manicughter.

    As the room filled with the sound of hisughter, Joy stepped forward between Faebi and Uden and spoke in a small voice.

    ¡°Attacking them now is meaningless. No matter how much we attack, it will all return to the beginning.¡±

    ¡°¡­Please exin in detail,¡± Faebi asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Apostle¡¯s Void power. What just happened has been undone, returned to nothing.¡±

    Joy recalled what Lucy had written in her notes and continued exining.

    The origin of the Void¡¯s power, ording to Lucy¡¯s exnation, began with casting oneself into the Void.

    Because it is nothing, it can be anything.

    Most of the followers can only throw themselves into the Void, and only to a limited extent. But the Void Apostle is different.

    The Apostle, favored by the Void God, can turn not just himself, but the phenomena around him into nothingness.

    Even if that means his own death.

    ¡°Lucy said that there¡¯s a limit to this, but¡­¡±

    What the Void Apostle was demonstrating now seemed to be far beyond those limits. It was likely because he had been endowed with immense power by the academy¡¯s magic circle.

    Not only was he supporting the massive structure of the 100-floor dungeon, but he was also imbuing the academy with positive energy and maintaining a barrier that prevented external intervention. The magic circle¡¯s power was being used to perform what could only be called miracles.

    ¡°Lady, if we approach the magic circle, can we sever the connection with him?¡±

    ¡°Theoretically, yes.¡±

    Having learned from Erginnus, the creator of the magic circle, Joy believed that if they could get close enough to the circle, they could sever the connection.

    But that alone wouldn¡¯t be enough. With Faebi by her side, dismantling the evil energy infused into the magic circle would be possible.

    The real issue, however, was not just approaching the magic circle¡ªit was how to get close to it in the first ce. How can one defeat those beings who can turn even death into nothingness and step forward?

    ¡°¡­This is troublesome.¡±

    Uden too found the current situation daunting. Cutting down those in front of her wasn¡¯t the difficult part.

    No matter what they did, she was confident she could make everything meaningless.

    But what was the point of that? Whatever she did would ultimately be nothing.

    Hmm. I guess I have no choice but to keep swinging my sword until the magic circle¡¯s output reaches its limit.

    ¡°I think I can be of help.¡±

    Just as Uden and Joy¡¯s faces filled with frustration, Faebi stepped forward.

    The warm divinity surrounding her turned the pure whitendscape, returning everything to its original color.@@novelbin@@

    Was it possible that even the influence of the divinity couldn¡¯t be ignored? The Apostle¡¯sughter stopped in an instant, and his eyes narrowed as he red at Faebi.

    ¡°Help? Are you talking about the false Saint created by the Church of the Sun?¡±

    At the Apostle¡¯s words, Joy¡¯s eyes widened, and even Uden turned in surprise. But Faebi remained calm.

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! What a ridiculous story! What can you do? You, the disgrace of the Sun, what could you possibly do! You should have started from the beginning! In purity, even you, a sinner, could be pure!¡±

    ¡°I refuse. You, nothing.¡±

    Despite the Apostle¡¯s provocation, Faebi smiled. His eyes tightened with anger as he stared at her.

    ¡°That trial, that suffering, that sin, all of it has made me who I am now. What would I achieve by turning it all into nothing?¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps your true faith might finally be recognized?¡±

    ¡°You really don¡¯t understand anything, do you? I have already been rewarded by the Sun.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    Faebi revealed her divinity. It wasn¡¯t the ordinary divinity used by the priests of the Church of the Sun, but the divinity that contained the warmth of the sun itself.

    As the great divinity spread outward, the Void¡¯s power retreated, and the pure white scenery began to regain its colors.

    ¡°Unlike the petty god you serve, the Sun is infinitely merciful.¡±

    Standing proudly at the center, Faebi smiled confidently as she faced the Void Apostle.

    ¡°Enough to embrace this sinful person.¡±

    ¡°¡­Such arrogance.¡±

    The Void Apostle¡¯s veins bulged as his red eyes red at Faebi. Yet despite the numerous enemies targeting Faebi, despite facing the Void¡¯s power in various forms, she remained unperturbed.

    It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t afraid of the current situation.

    It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t value her life.

    It was simply because she believed.

    She believed in the great Sun who had just pushed her forward. And in the Apostle of the Sun who had created this entire situation.

    ¡°Why do you look so unhappy? ording to your words, everything will return to purity, and what I¡¯ve said will vanish, right?¡±

    ¡°If you wish for everything to return to the Void, I will grant it.¡±

    With her enemies¡¯ hostility right before her, Faebi unleashed her magic.

    The very same magic that Lucy had once performed miracles with¡ªand now it was Faebi¡¯s.

 Chapter 497

    As the room, once filled with the Void''s power, now began to be enveloped by the divine energy of the Sun, the Void Followers retreated in fear.

    The reason they could stand confidently was that, due to the Void''s power, they could ovee death.

    Without the Void¡¯s existence, their severed heads would never reattach to their bodies.

    "...How?"

    A look of bewilderment clouded the Apostle¡¯s eyes.

    This was impossible.

    How could this false Saint wield the divinity of the Sun?

    A being created by human hands, who seemed to be closest to the Sun but was, in fact, the furthest from it. A symbol of the corruption of the Church of the Sun¡ªhow could such a being wield the divinity of the Sun?

    His understanding failed him, his eyes shaking uncontrobly, but the reality of the situation didn¡¯t change.

    The energy of the Void God, the energy of the one who had been sealed after thest war, the energy of the one who had tried but failed to rebel¡ªit was all powerless before the Sun¡¯s divinity.

    ¡°How!?¡±

    ¡°I told you already, didn¡¯t I? The one you worship and the one I believe in are entirely different beings.¡±

    As Faebi spoke with a sly grin, Uden, who had been standing beside her, swung her sword.

    The sword moved with such speed that it couldn¡¯t even be seen, its force threatening the followers, forcing them to step back even further.

    With the path to the magic circle now open, Joy hurriedly stepped forward, cing her hand on the magic circle that was slowly regaining its color.

    Thanks to Faebi¡¯s divine territory, the evil god¡¯s energy, which had been enveloping the circle, had retreated.

    Although some influence still remained, it was enough for me to intervene now.

    Joy took a deep breath, recalling the teachings of the grand mage Erginnus.

    This magic circle contained a mix of many spells, but ultimately, the core was the energy flowing from the academy grounds, converging and transforming.

    To find the source of this magic circle, I need to first locate the function it serves.

    Connections to the barrier and the energies flowing into the evil god''s followers can be solved once I reach the source.

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha!¡±

    The Void Apostle, pushed back to the side, seemed to realize something and let out a loudugh.

    ¡°Saint! The hypocrite you worship may be merciful, but it seems they are not verypetent!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Why are you barking all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Your grandstanding is meaningless! The divine territory you''re maintaining is not by divine power, but by your own abilities! It is nothing more than your limited power!¡±

    The Apostle shouted with veins bulging in his eyes, ring at Faebi, but she merely hid her bewilderment behind a smile.

    He¡¯s sharp.

    What he¡¯s saying is correct.

    The Sun has given me the ability to create a space formed by His blessings, but He did not grant me the strength to maintain it forever.

    This space is formed only by my divinity. While it shines brightly now, eventually, the light will fade.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you deny it! No matter how many lies you speak, your limitations won¡¯t disappear!¡±

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°More grandstanding?¡±

    ¡°What difference does it make? In the end, the truth remains that you can¡¯t do anything until my power is gone. You, pathetic losers.¡±

    However, the situation did not change. The followers of the evil god could do nothing but wait.

    As long as Joy seeds in intervening with the barrier before my power runs out, we win.

    ¡°The losers will be you!¡±

    ¡°Aha-ha! What a funny joke.¡±

    Faebi was confident in their victory.

    Not only did she believe in her friend Joy¡¯s abilities, but, more importantly, she trusted in Lucy Alrn, who had designed all of this from the start.

    ¡°While you¡¯re growling outside the fence, pray to your disgusting god for your dream toe true.¡±

    Faebi had no doubt that they would win.

    Arthur, struggling with excruciating pain in his chest, desperately moved his legs.

    Were the traps ahead real, or were they illusions created by the Void?

    I can¡¯t afford to make a mistake in distinguishing them. The moment I falter, the trap will activate, and what¡¯s real will be distorted.

    Arthur, having already failed a few times at discerning the traps and getting into trouble, continued to scrutinize the traps even as he ran.

    Strange parts. Parts that don¡¯t match what I know. Odd sections.

    Ah! That de part is different!

    It¡¯s fake... right?

    Ah, forget it! It¡¯s toote to turn back now! If it¡¯s real, I¡¯ll just get a few more holes in my body!

    With his eyes wide open, Arthur charged headlong into the trap, preparing for the pain that mighte, but fortunately, nothing happened.

    The trap didn¡¯t stop him. It vanished before even touching his body.

    Having narrowly avoided another close call, Arthur muttered curses under his breath.

    Damn it. How did Lucy Alrn figure out everything in that forest? Even in this rtively less chaotic dungeon, I can barely handle the information, and how did she manage the massive amount of data from the forest?

    Is she even human?!

    Ugh! Damn it! Again! Something¡¯s wrong. Something¡¯s wrong. There! That¡¯s real! I have to deal with it!

    After deflecting the knight¡¯s sword strike, Arthur used wind magic to blind his attacker and decapitated him. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he felt the darkness approaching from behind and, with a yell, moved again.

    ¡°We¡¯re notpletely out of the woods yet, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re still here! If we were fully overrun, we¡¯d already be dead!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going insane! Damn it! How much longer?!¡±

    ¡°Two more! Just two more!¡±

    Hearing the shout from the child, Arthur bit his lip.

    After all this running, there¡¯s still 20% left?! I¡¯m going crazy!

    His lungs had been threatening to burst for a while now.

    His heart was no different. The force with which it pumped blood was so violent that it felt like his bones would break.

    His muscles in his arms and legs screamed, as if they were melting away.

    And his mind was shouting countless times to just give up.

    But it¡¯s fine.

    I can hold on.

    I can do this.

    A person doesn¡¯t die from this.

    If I was going to die from such suffering, I would¡¯ve died when I was training with the Alrn Knights!

    ¡°Run faster! We¡¯re almost caught!¡±@@novelbin@@

    That brat¡¯s flying around acting all casual!

    How am I supposed to run faster?!

    I¡¯m already speeding up using magic and mixing several spells!

    He might as well tell me to cross dimensions!

    Arthur bit his lip and pushed harder with his thighs.

    He made the wind that was pushing his body even stronger.

    But the darkness following behind him was faster.

    Seeing the darkness creeping closer to his feet, Arthur, gasping for air, desperately tried to think of a way out.

    Is there no way to escape this situation?!

    If it were Joy, if it were my brother, if it were Lucy Alrn, how would they handle this?!

    ¡°Grrk!?¡±

    His legs gave way, and Arthur stumbled to the ground, forcing himself to rise despite his uncooperative body. He had no idea what would happen if he didn¡¯t, so he desperately braced himself against the floor.

    And then, he realized that the encroaching darkness had suddenly stopped.

    ...What¡¯s happening? Why did the darkness stop?

    No, I don¡¯t have time to think about that now. I can figure out what happened after everything is over.

    Staggering to his feet again, Arthur gritted his teeth, clutching his body, and continued forward.

    Luca, listening intently to the events happening on the surface, heard the golems they had prepared breaking apart.

    The battle between the cracks caused by the Sword Saint showed no signs of slowing.

    Their goal, to erode the magic circle, was temporarily halted by the Saint and the Sword Saint.

    It was not difficult to guess what the next step in all of this would be.

    ¡°Lady Alrn.¡±

    ¡°Huh?? Why?? Are you going to dere your shameful defeat now??¡±

    ¡°You n to make Uden a hero.¡±

    Right now, Lucy Alrn was thinking of having Uden resolve the events taking ce at the academy.

    Using what Luca had prepared for her, she was going to raise the star that Luca despised even higher.

    ¡°Wow,? the perverted professor had such insight?? I thought you were too distracted, trying to peek at my insides~?¡±

    The shape of Lucy¡¯s eyes confirmed that Luca¡¯s thoughts were true.

    Ah, I¡¯m not sure what trick you¡¯ve pulled, but Lady Alrn seems to see right through me.

    She knows exactly what dreams I had. Why I gave up on those dreams. How I found another path. And now, what my goal is.

    She sees all of it.

    At this point, she¡¯s not just an Apostle of the Sun, she¡¯s practically a prophet.

    But...

    ¡°But the n is not ruined yet.¡±

    ¡°Huh?? Woof, woof,? what nonsense are you going to say now??¡±

    ¡°The barrier, still tainted by the Void¡¯s power, has not yet regained its true color. Even with Lady Parn¡¯s intervention, it remains under the influence of the evil god. This means the Void¡¯s power still upies this space.¡±

    Though the Saint performed something close to a miracle, after all, she is still just human. The chances of her miracle touching the realm of myth are extremely slim.

    We are still at an advantage.

    ¡°And, Lady Alrn, we¡ª¡±

    No matter what¡¯s happening up there, it¡¯s irrelevant to the current situation. Lucy is in more danger than ever now.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Upon hearing Luca¡¯s question, Lucy smiled slyly as she partially covered her face with her shield.

    ¡°Should I be scared?? Would you like me to cry, saying the bad adults are bullying the cute girl?? I can at least fake crying while licking the shoe soles?¡±

 Chapter 498

    I wish those fools would stay in more chaos for just a little longer. It''s a shame.

    If I could buy more time until the work was done, I could dere victory without lifting a finger.

    And then, after kicking Luca into the dirt, I would enjoy watching him gnash his teeth and sob. That would have been a true joy.

    It''s a shame. Well, but this isn¡¯t bad either.

    Watching the fool who thinks they can¡¯t defeat me being squashed underfoot is also a fun thing.

    Lifting my shield, I pretended to stifle augh as I examined their formation.

    There were three fewer people since we began the dungeon. Now only Luca and five of the Void''s followers remained.

    It goes without saying that Luca, who had once been amon adventurer before bing a professor at the academy, was an extraordinary figure. The other followers of the Void, too, seemed to possess quite impressive skills, having survived many persecutions.

    Considering that this area was being consumed by the Void''s power, their strength was likely far greater than I had expected.

    Could I handle them all on my own? Honestly, it¡¯s difficult to say.

    But it¡¯s fine. Just as they aren¡¯t alone, neither am I.

    <ul>

    <li>It¡¯s nice to see you again, Void followers. Yourrades are desperately searching for you. What will you do when you see someone else?</li>

    </ul>

    Adri appeared from behind, leading her undead servants. At the forefront were the recently fallen Void followers.

    Though dead, they were not allowed to rest, forced to do the unwanted bidding of their pastrades. The sight sent shivers down the spines of those who had once fought alongside them.

    ¡°Hello, Professor Luca.¡±

    And then Freya appeared behind me.

    ¡°Oh, hello. Lady Kent. Impressive. You managed to escape the hallucination.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that impressive. Is it really something to be proud of?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm. I see I was wrong. You¡¯re far more capable than I thought, Lady Kent.¡±

    Not long ago, Freya had been facing Luca, who had once been her instructor. Yet, there was not the slightest hesitation in her expression.

    To her, Luca was a person not worth paying much attention to.

    ¡°In a way, this works out. Now I can give you a trial.¡±

    ¡°A trial? Are you going to do something fun?¡±

    Freya asked, drawing her sword and wrapping herself in an aura of colorless energy before charging at Luca.

    Luca, holding daggers in both hands, prepared himself to meet the force of Freya¡¯s strike.

    His actions were simple.

    He didn¡¯t swing his daggers gracefully.

    He didn¡¯t press down with tremendous force.

    He didn¡¯t show any remarkable speed.

    He simply took a few steps.@@novelbin@@

    With those few steps, Luca not only avoided Freya¡¯s sharp strike but also burrowed into her space, forcing her to retreat.

    ¡°¡­Did you read me?¡±

    ¡°Lady Kent, you see, I pay close attention to those who seem to possess talent. You¡¯re no exception. In fact, you can¡¯t be an exception. You¡¯ve always been with Lady Alrn.¡±

    That was Luca¡¯s specialty¡ªanalyzing each person and devising strategies tailored to them.

    ording to descriptions, this strategy wasn¡¯t just about understanding someone¡¯s preferences or dislikes. It went so far as to analyze the brief gaps between weapon swings, like a 0.3-second opening, and then exploiting those openings.

    When implemented in a game, it was as though the protagonist¡¯s party was ready with everything¡ªtheir weapons, skills, traits, andbinations¡ªwaiting in anticipation.

    And so, certain strategies were forced upon Luca.

    He might be handed the massive two-handed axe, deemed a "trash weapon" at Soul Academy, or made to fight like a shy magical girl.

    Testing those strategies was incredibly fun. I spent a whole night wondering how I could make things even worse for him.

    In any case, there were two main approaches to dealing with Luca.

    One was to build up stats and specs so much that anything Luca prepared would be destroyed. The other was to reverse-engineer his strategies and counter them.

    The former would be the most satisfying in terms of tormenting him, but realistically, that wasn¡¯t possible.

    So right now, I had to choose thetter.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t youing, Lady Alrn?¡±

    ¡°Eh?? Do I have to go?? Why should I go near that creepy pervert who makes me sick just breathing the same air??¡±

    ¡°Haha. Right. You¡¯re not the type to lead the way. I knew it.¡±

    As Luca grinned sickly, a battle broke out behind us between the Void followers and Adri¡¯s undead. The Void followers had the upper hand individually.

    Even though they were dead, those undead had been drawn to Adri, their leader, and their strength was naturally enhanced by the evil god''s power.

    However, Adri overcame this disparity with hermand of the undead and her own necromantic magic.

    I knew they were strong, but to think they were this strong? They seem even stronger than I remembered. At this rate, won¡¯t they openly be targeted by the Church of the Sun?

    <It seems the one you should be hunting isn¡¯t the church, but your opponent.>

    ¡®When it really gets dangerous, the Sun will do something. He¡¯s sensitive about these things.¡¯

    While I had been focused on the situation, seeing Adri take the lead caught me by surprise. I quickly grinned and turned my attention back to Luca.

    ¡°Why are you just standing there?? Shouldn¡¯t a pervert like you be drooling and charging at me?? Or are you really that pathetic andcking in courage, even as a pervert??¡±

    ¡°¡­Fine. Since you asked, I¡¯ll indulge you just a little.¡±

    ¡°Pffhahah? Asked?? Such an inted sense of self-worth? How repulsive?¡±

    Seeing Luca charge toward me, I analyzed everything.

    How forceful his steps were. How much power he was putting into his legs. Where his weapon was aimed. Where his eyes were focused.

    I observed it all.

    And I was certain.

    The strategy he had devised wasn¡¯t much different from the one I already knew.

    It was a close-quarters fight so intense that even moving my shield felt awkward.

    If I couldn¡¯t break the walls, I would just climb over them.

    I had anticipated this and, rather than holding up my shield, I lowered it and mmed Luca¡¯s face with my forehead.

    It seemed he hadn¡¯t expected this. With a light thud, Luca staggered backward.

    And just like that, Luca¡¯s first move failed, and my shield blocked his path.

    ¡°You acted like you knew everything, but couldn¡¯t handle my skin touching yours?? This is why virgins are disgusting?¡±

    Instead of reacting to my provocation, Luca moved forward again.

    Hmm. I thought he¡¯d modify his strategy on the spot, but is he trying to dive in deeper?

    It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s a decisive blow from him, though. His moves and my many skills are too quiet.

    I¡¯m a bit disappointed.

    Though he pretends to remain calm, it¡¯s clear he¡¯s already rattled by my taunts, his mind unraveling.

    Well, that¡¯s fine.

    If he¡¯s in a state where he can be yed with, then it¡¯s my turn to have fun.

    ¡°Did my skin feel that good when it lightly brushed against you?? Pffhahah? You¡¯re really desperate, charging at me like that? What should I do?? Should I y with you some more??¡±

    With Luca as the first test subject for my new bludgeoning technique, he¡¯s not too bad at all.

    Luca was aware that his sanity was no longer functioning properly.

    His emotions had turned a bizarre, deep red, allowing only one thought¡ªkill the child in front of him.

    Realizing how strange this was, Luca struggled to regain hisposure while continuing to move instinctively.

    If this continues, I¡¯ll be dragged around by Lady Alrn, and time will be wasted.

    Considering how she read and countered my strategy, if I lose my mind, I might truly lose.

    I can¡¯t let that happen. Since my previous strategy was countered, I must switch to another one.

    I need to think. Think.

    ¡°¡­This is bad.¡±

    Luca, trying to regain hisposure, made a mistake, leaving an opening that allowed Freya¡¯s sword strike to get too close. Only then did he hurriedly insert his dagger to defend.

    Maybe his reaction was too slow. Even though he twisted the trajectory, a deep cut appeared on Luca¡¯s face.

    If his response had been even a little slower, he would have died.

    Realizing how close he hade to danger, a chill ran down Luca¡¯s spine, and for a moment, he could shake off the anger that had been clouding his mind.

    In that instant, Luca realized what had taken hold of him.

    Hearing Lady Alrn¡¯s voice always triggered his anger.

    It wasn¡¯t just her tone, expression, or behavior that annoyed him¡ªthere was something about her voice that stirred emotions in a way that he couldn¡¯t ignore.

    He was well aware of this.

    He¡¯d seen her use it countless times.

    Because of that, he thought he could handle it and prepared countermeasures.

    But all that was meaningless the moment he stood before Lady Alrn.

    The power she held so easily stole his reason.

    What is it? What¡¯s different? Why has my reason been devoured by her?

    Why is it so hard to even think?

    Ah.

    As he barely regained his senses, Luca realized what the problem was when he saw Lucy¡¯s movements.

    She was so beautiful that his gaze naturally drifted to her.

    But as he watched her, he became entranced by the yful energy within her.

    It was like a dance.

    Incredible.

    Look.

    Even those burning with anger to avenge theirrades couldn¡¯t look away.

    Even those fighting alongside them slowly found themselves gazing at her.

    Amidst all their gazes, Lady Alrn stood with that infuriating smile.

    Ah.

    I want to crush her.

    I want to make her cry.

    I want her to beg for forgiveness with her face pressed to the ground.

    I want to see her trembling in fear.

    A vow?

    What does a vow mean?

    It¡¯s already been broken, tainted beyond repair.

    From the depths of his heart, Luca heard a whisper.

    And he decided to follow it.

    To be Lucy¡¯s trial.

    To make his wishe true.

    To teach that damned child some manners.

    [The Evil God Agraga gazes upon you.]

 Chapter 499

    Standing before Erginnus'' magic circle, Joy continued to steady herself, analyzing it calmly.

    "This is rted to the magic circle. This part is connected to the academy¡¯s maintenance... and this one..."

    Ah.

    She found it.

    The source of the magic circle.

    The great magic at its core.

    For now, the state of the magic circle was quite decent.

    Erginnus, the grand mage who had painstakingly created this circle, had managed to preserve its form even hundreds of yearster.

    There were some cracks in certain ces, but they weren''t irreparable.

    With this condition, repairing the barrier wouldn¡¯t take long.

    Finding a way to resist the Void¡¯s power wouldn¡¯t take much longer either...

    No! No! Joy! Never be too sure.

    Don¡¯t think it¡¯s a sess.

    Don¡¯t rx.

    Doubt yourself until everything is over!

    You¡¯re a fool who doesn¡¯t know when you''ll make a mistake!

    Joy was well aware of her own foolishness, which was recognized not only by Lucy and Arthur but even by Faebi.

    That¡¯s why, over and over, she repeated not to rx, as she continued working on repairing the magic circle.

    While Joy, sweating profusely, worked on the magic circle¡¯s repair, on the other side, a fierce confrontation was taking ce between the Void Followers and the Sword Saint.

    The Sword Saint, cutting down anyone who dared approach her divine territory, and the Void Followers, using every trick to nt their feet into the divine territory, trying to taint its warmth.

    Without a doubt, the one at an advantage here was Uden, the Sword Saint.

    Her sword, moving at super-speed, possessed a sharpness that perfectly suited her style.@@novelbin@@

    Just the fact that she could counter her opponents¡¯ attacks was enough to recognize her as a formidable fighter.

    As her sword relentlessly flew toward the Void Followers, what could they possibly do?

    The Void Apostle, while constantly shifting forms to dodge Uden¡¯s sword, couldn¡¯t make any meaningful impact on the divine territory.

    In the end, there was only one thing the Void Followers could do.

    Pray that Faebi¡¯s smile, from behind, was just arrogance.

    Realizing that things weren¡¯t going well, the Void Apostle grimaced, but there was nothing he could do to change the situation.

    What should I do? How can I turn this situation around?

    Great Void God, purer than anything else, who wishes to return the world to purity...

    Please grant me your teachings. Share your wisdom, so that I may fulfill your will.

    This humblemb prays desperately.

    Please grant this humblemb the power to fulfill your will!

    ¡°Void God!¡±

    The change was instant.

    The world became drenched in pitch ck, where nothing ahead could be seen.

    Anotheryer of energy was superimposed on the Void¡¯s power.

    The groan of someone in pain. The scream of someone in rage. The sob of someone in sadness. The pointlessughter of someone in madness.

    Sounds.

    Sounds.

    The eerie sounds of someone, impossibly ominous, overpowered everything, pressing down on them.

    Faebi recognized whose work this was.

    Joy, too, felt a sense of deja vu in the shifting surroundings.

    Having witnessed Lucy¡¯s miracles firsthand, the two of them couldn¡¯t be unfamiliar with this phenomenon.

    It was no wonder.

    The energy surrounding them was the same as the one who hated the Sun more than anyone in the current world.

    It was the energy of one who sought to harm those dear to the Sun.

    It was the energy of the one who had caused all this.

    "...Joy! Is the repair of the magic circle done yet!?"

    ¡°Just a little longer, please!¡±

    The word "a little" made cold sweat drip from Faebi¡¯s forehead.

    As the environment changed, the pressure on the territory grew much stronger.

    It was a level that couldn¡¯t even bepared to before.

    This was the Evil God Agraga.

    The being who once sought to lead thisnd to destruction, an adversary of the Sun, and a being I will eventually face by Lady Alrn''s side.

    The divine territory Faebi had created cracked.

    The burden of the Evil God¡¯s power was too much, causing blood to trickle from Faebi¡¯s mouth.

    Her hands trembled from the pain, and her once lively face had turned pale.

    But still, Faebi managed to smile softly.

    After all, this was a being she would have to face one day.

    She couldn¡¯t step back now if she wanted to protect Lady Alrn¡¯s side.

    If a person bearing the title of Saint fled in fear, who would stand in front of them?

    "Just a little more. I can do this. I can¡¯t let Lady Alrn down.¡±

    With a determined heart, Faebi was about to step forward when Uden, the Sword Saint, stepped out of the divine territory first.

    ¡°Sword Saint!?¡±

    ¡°Stay inside, Saint. I¡¯ll need to take the lead here.¡±

    ¡°Eh? That¡¯s... Ah.¡±

    A momentter, Faebi¡¯s gaze followed Uden¡¯s as she noticed something approaching from the darkness settled on the ground.

    Lina, frantic as she spread her smoke, was busy with her task.

    Though she had taken some of her main body¡¯s power, her current physical form was still just a fragment.

    There were limits to what she could do. Yet, she didn¡¯t stop moving the smoke.

    If she let her smoke disperse, innocent victims might appear in the academy.

    ¡°Hah! Damn it, knight! Run more steadily!¡±

    Focusing all her attention on her smoke, Lina urged the sword strapped to her back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! But please understand! The surroundings... Damn it! Erin!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s to the right!¡±

    It hadn¡¯t been long since the situation turned so dire. Until recently, everything had been going well.

    The knight had proven how he became one of Alrn''s knights, single-handedly destroying golems, while Lina and Erin were leisurely watching.

    Everything changed when the darkness suddenly descended.

    As the Void¡¯s power was covered by another force, the golems grew stronger than ever, and the Void Followers gained immense strength at the cost of their sanity.

    Though the knight could handle a few of these stronger enemies, with the number rising to dozens, even the knight had limits.

    Though he had shouted that he would sacrifice himself to carry out thedy¡¯s n, Erin¡¯s words made him realize that if he died, Lady Alrn would suffer too. He chose to retreat.

    Meanwhile, Lina used her power to gather those sleeping within the academy to safety.

    If there were any casualties, she knew that Lucy would be devastated.

    The fragile girl, no matter how strong she appeared on the outside, wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the deaths of others.

    She couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    ¡°Ugh! I feel like I¡¯m going crazy! If I had brought all the power of my main body, this wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡±

    Comining about the limits of her fragment, Lina continued running, while the knight finally managed to escape the building.

    And then he saw it.

    ¡°¡­Lina?¡±

    ¡°What is it!? This isn¡¯t the time for¡ªWait, what¡¯s that?¡±

    A massive figure moved in the darkness.

    ¡°Damn it! Looks like things are going south for the employer!¡±

    ¡°I agree. Lady Alrn wouldn¡¯t make ns based on the sacrifice of others.¡±

    The sudden surge of power from the Void Followers confirmed to Karia and Frete that things were slipping in the wrong direction.

    Lucy may have been arrogant and irritating, but she wasn¡¯t evil or cold.

    In fact, she was probably more fragile than anyone else, incapable of bearing the death of others.

    ¡°Frete! Hold on!¡±

    ¡°Please take care of Lady Alrn!¡±

    Without saying much, Frete understood Karia¡¯s intentions and cleared the way for her.

    As Karia stepped into the ckened barrier, she frowned at the sinister energy that had taken over and saw something moving in the distance.

    She couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    ¡°¡­Ah. Damn. Of all the things to appear, it¡¯s that?¡±

    In the ckened world, the massive wings moving stirred dark memories in Karia.

    The ominous, sinister, terrifying, and repulsive energy filling the underground.

    Adri, who had lost control.

    The Void Followers attacking theirrades.

    And Luca, whose eyes were ckened.

    It was the first time she had witnessed such a scene, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what had happened.

    [Agraga gazes upon you.]

    In front of me, as the spear rose, was the taunting presence of the one who created this situation.

    Agraga! That damn bastard!

    It¡¯s you again?!

    You were just waiting for an opportunity to interfere, weren¡¯t you?! You cowardly, petty bastard!

    If this is how a god behaves, it¡¯s no wonder the perverted Sun got beaten by you!

    ¡°Lady Alrn.¡±

    While I was cursing Agraga, I heard Luca¡¯s voice, now lowered, and turned to look at his face.

    A cruel smile formed at the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°It seems I¡¯ve be your trial.¡±

    In his hand, arge ck sword gleamed with a repulsive color.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to give it my all.¡±

    My senses screamed a warning.

    I shouldn¡¯t let that sword strike me.

 Chapter 500

    "Is this the end?" Arthur panted, his breath ragged as he reached thest door of the dungeon.

    "This is the final trial."

    However, the small child beside him revealed the harsh truth to Arthur. There was still something left.

    Hearing the voice, Arthur lifted his head and red at the child, but the child merely crossed their arms, wearing a neutral expression.

    "You should know by now. This is a dungeon. And at the end of it, something waits."

    What awaits at the end of the dungeon? The master of the dungeon. Is it the same here?

    "...Damn it. Can¡¯t I just ignore the procedures for once!?"

    "You¡¯ll have to repeat what I said... Just go inside! Now!"

    Hearing the child¡¯s urgent voice, Arthur suppressed his racing heart and turned his head.

    The thick, ck darkness spread like a crashing wave, quickly taking control of the dungeon.

    Damn it. Did it just stop for a moment? If I stay like this, I¡¯ll be swallowed by the darkness, he thought, hurriedly reaching for the boss room¡¯s door, but before entering, he asked onest question.

    "Just in case... what¡¯s inside?"

    "Your nightmare awaits you! Don¡¯t falter! That¡¯s all you need to do!"

    With the desperate voice fading behind him, Arthur stepped into the dungeon¡¯s final room, only to let out a hollowugh.

    The interior was a stark contrast to the dungeon¡¯s menacing appearance.

    The meadow was full of life, as if it had weed the spring.

    The sky, a brilliant blue with scattered clouds, was so beautiful it could only be described as refreshing.

    And standing before him, smiling, was a woman dressed in lively clothes, matching the vibrant scenery around her.

    "Wee, Arthur."@@novelbin@@

    His nightmare, holding a teacup, greeted him.

    The hairs on his skin stood on end.

    His back went cold.

    The instinctive warning echoed in his mind.

    Everything was telling him.

    That Luca was very dangerous right now.

    His response was simple.

    Why even ask such an obvious question! Anyone can see that she¡¯s dangerous! Even if I put a five-year-old in front of that, they¡¯d cry instantly!

    "Shall we start light?"

    The moment Luca¡¯s foot left the ground, Arthur began thinking.

    How should I block the massive sword descending from above? It may look like a simple downward sh, but judging by his arm movements and Luca¡¯s steps, this is a trap.

    Is he aiming for me to panic and freeze so he can strike sideways? Reading the opponent''s intentions, Arthur adjusted his shield to counter.

    Luca¡¯s movements didn¡¯t deviate from his prediction. It was a straightforward downward sh, and then he waited for the follow-up.

    The timing for raising the shield was perfect.

    With a sessful parry, the impact wasn¡¯t too strong.

    <em>BAM!</em>

    The moment the shield shed with the sword, an explosion-like sound filled the air, followed by a sharp pain shooting up Arthur¡¯s arm.

    "Truly... your shield skills are remarkable."

    Ignoring Luca¡¯s nonchnt words, Arthur clenched his teeth. Even though he seeded in the parry, the shock was still significant.

    Not only did his physique seem to have changed, but his physical abilities were clearly enhanced too.

    "Shall we continue?"

    Luca¡¯s movements, swinging his massive sword with clean precision, were reminiscent of someone who had wielded it for years.

    <Lucy. Are you okay?!>

    ¡®I can manage.¡¯

    However, the shocking from his sword was manageable.

    Though threatening, it wasn¡¯t nearly as strong as Rasha or Benedict¡¯s level.

    Which means I can block it.

    Being used to facingrge swords helped as well.

    In the many duels with Alrn¡¯s knights,rge weapons like that were a frequent challenge.

    I close the distance so the weapon can¡¯t swing widely and use its length to its advantage.

    I continuously interrupt his attempts to create distance.

    As I moved, usingbat logic built through numerous duels, suddenly Luca¡¯s whole body turned into darkness.

    Caught off guard by the phenomenon, I hurriedly raised my shield when an axe de shot out of the darkness.

    "...Ugh!"

    The blow aimed to split me in half, hitting my shield with such force it sent a shockwave through my whole body.

    I gritted my teeth, tasting the blood leaking from my lips as I faced Luca¡¯s twisted gaze.

    "Now you¡¯re not talking back? Is it hard to keep up with me?"

    Luca, still grinning, once again stepped forward with renewed fury. His intense focus made me hesitate for a moment, but instead of replying, I swung my mace at him.

    I didn¡¯t want to admit it, but Luca¡¯s words had a strong possibility of being true.

    Agraga, that damn bastard, must¡¯ve targeted me alone.

    There¡¯s no way he didn¡¯t influence everything around here.

    Damn it. If I want to check on the situation above, I have to get rid of Luca, that perverted bastard.

    "How does it feel when the roles are reversed? Are you getting angry?"

    That crazy bastard knows exactly when I¡¯m desperate and is dragging this out.

    I keep provoking him, hoping to get a moment, while Freya¡¯s surprise attack wounds him, but all of it is nullified by the Void¡¯s power.

    Ugh! Damn it!

    Is there no way out?!

    Think, you idiot!

    Why can¡¯t I think of anything with all the academy¡¯s rotten schemes to guide me?!

    "Do you have the luxury to think about other things?"

    As I parried Luca¡¯s attack again, I noticed something strange about the energy flowing through his strike.

    The power he wielded wasn¡¯t just the Void¡¯s power.

    There was something else, Agraga¡¯s power mixed in.

    Thinking about it, it didn¡¯t make sense that Luca, who hadn¡¯t sacrificed anything to the Void God, could wield its power.

    Wait.

    Hold on.

    If I use this to my advantage...

    Suddenly, a realization struck me, and my eyes widened.

    It¡¯s possible.

    It¡¯s totally possible.

    At the end of that thought, I found myself unconsciously smiling.

    If someone asked who the strongest being on the continent is, everyone would give a different answer.

    Everyone¡¯s values and strengths differ, so it¡¯s understandable.

    However, if you asked which species is the strongest, everyone would answer the same.

    Dragons.

    Massive wings that could nket the sky.

    ws that pierce theke¡¯s surface with the same ease as mythical metal.

    Scales that make evenva feel warm, immense magical power that could make even grand mages kneel, and mes that could burn everything in the world.

    The privilege of the dragon species is something other beings could only dream of achieving through extraordinary talent and effort.

    No one would deny that dragons are the strongest species.

    "The master of purity has sent down his fangs!"

    Under the youthful voice of the Apostle, Uden tightened her eyes.

    A full-grown dragon was already a terrifying disaster, but a dragon strengthened by the Void¡¯s power approaching? That¡¯s something no one could handle.

    "I... Is that an illusion?"

    "No, Saint. Can¡¯t you feel it? The immense power inside."

    A being with power equal to that cannot be an illusion. Even if it were, it would be more terrifying than the real thing.

    Uden spoke firmly, and Faebi bit her lip.

    "Lady Partan. The magic circle..."

    "...I¡¯m sorry."

    Turning her head, Uden saw the magic circle had turned ck and chuckled bitterly.

    Did the darkness spreading just now influence this too?

    That damned Alrn brat, what the hell is she nning? This is really frustrating.

    "Run, both of you."

    "...Huh?"

    "I can¡¯t handle this on my own."

    Uden had defeated numerous strong enemies after bing the Sword Saint. Among them were those with dragon blood.

    So Uden thought that if it were just a normal dragon, she could somehow deal with it.

    But this one was enhanced by the Void¡¯s power, and once the divine territory fades, she would have to fight not just the dragon, but also the Void Followers.

    In the process, they would wear down, and the enemies would only grow stronger. How could they defeat such a thing?

    Better to die alone.

    "It¡¯s not possible! Sword Saint!"

    "Yes, we¡¯ll stay until the end!"

    "If you have time for nonsense, just go already! Now!"

    "Hahaha! What a tear-jerking sight!"

    As the Void Apostleughed maniacally, Uden¡¯s sharp senses detected a tiny shift.

    The energy that had wrapped around the dragon just moments ago seemed to flow downward.

 Chapter 501

    Although Agra is a cowardly, petty, and despicable weakling, the power and authority he wields are real.

    The moment he rebelled, several deities joined in his rebellion. If those gods thought victory was impossible, would they have clung to Agra?

    Even now, with Agra divided into many pieces and sealed, his authority remains unchanged.

    He is still the center of the evil gods and the deity at the core of all wickedness.

    Look at how he granted Luca power, ignoring the will of the Void¡¯s evil god. Agra¡¯s power is so immense that it crushes even the thoughts of other gods.

    Now, if we twist this thought a little...

    If Agra, this weakling, truly wanted to crush someone, could he not easily draw the darkness that¡¯s been pushed outside back into this ce?

    I posed this question to my grandfather. I thought he would know, since he had actually fought against the evil god Agra.

    "What kind of insane thought are you having?!"

    My grandfather was horrified as soon as he heard my question.

    ¡®Is it not okay?¡¯

    "This isn¡¯t a matter of whether it''s okay or not! Lucy! What you''re saying means you¡¯re willing to take on the darkness lurking inside the barrier alone!"

    ¡®It¡¯s not that extreme.¡¯

    What I meant wasn¡¯t that I was going to face the evil gods alone or anything like that.

    That kind of noble sentiment is more suited for Feibi, right?

    "So then what is it? Why are you asking such a thing?"

    ¡®Because this is my mess. At least I should take responsibility for it.¡¯

    What I¡¯m trying to do right now is just something idiotic like not running away.

    If heavy words like "sacrifice" get involved, it¡¯d be too much to bear.

    It would feel like I¡¯m being forced to die.

    I really don¡¯t want to die even the slightest bit.

    "You really¡ª!"

    ¡®Ah! Seriously! Stop lecturing and just answer me! It¡¯s urgent!¡¯

    I don¡¯t have the luxury to persuade you one by one right now! I can¡¯t even tell what¡¯s happening up there, and you¡¯re going to keep whining forever!?

    "But..."

    ¡®I can¡¯t trust you?!¡¯

    "...Fine. It will happen. It¡¯s just spection, but still."

    ¡®That¡¯s enough!¡¯

    After getting the confirmation, I used Luca¡¯s blunt weapon¡¯s shock to quickly retreat.

    "Already tired?"

    "What are you talking about?? I''m not a premature ejactor like you?"

    I knew it was possible to provoke Agra and gather energy. But that doesn¡¯t mean I should just recklessly gather it.

    If I did, I would definitely die¡ªme, the idiot swordsman next to me, or that old hag over there.

    So, I need to do something.

    I need to make sure that the immense energy within this barrier can stay here and endure.

    I need to make the best possible ending, not just a dirty one.

    "Idiot swordsman. Help that old hag over there. At this rate, she¡¯ll die without even leaving a will."

    "Huh? Lucy. But¡ª"

    Freya tilted her head, seemingly about to argue, but when she saw my face, she just nodded and moved swiftly.

    I¡¯m d she listens to me. Hmm. No, I can askter. For now, it¡¯s enough that I¡¯ve removed the variables.

    "Perverted professor? Do you know what that Uncle Fetishist thinks of you??"

    "Are you trying to buy time with nonsense? I¡¯d wee it, but."

    "You¡¯re weird, but not a bastard? Hahaha? Isn¡¯t it hrious?? You swore an oath and sold your soul to a retard, and yet you¡¯re not a bastard??"

    The n starts with throwing Luca off bnce. I can¡¯t let him keep making rational decisions.

    If his tiny brain keeps working properly, the foundation of my n will copse.

    "Ah? Right? And that person thinks of you like a benefactor?? They said you could be the Sword Saint because of him?? Hahaha?"@@novelbin@@

    "Is that so? Hahaha. That¡¯s quite an honor. To be the benefactor of the Sword Saint."

    "So? The ugly you just wanted to kill him because you were jealous of his talent, but benefactor?!? It¡¯s lucky for you that your skills are so poor? Right?? If you were just a little better, the current Sword Saint wouldn¡¯t exist?"

    Lucaughs indifferently, but it¡¯s clear his insides are twisting.

    How do I know? Because I can feel the satisfaction welling up. The satisfaction from the Mesugaki skill, proving that the opponent is pissed off because of me.

    "Why don¡¯t you just stick to that horny woman now?? Isn¡¯t she the greatest achievement of your life??"

    "It¡¯s toote. It would¡¯ve been nice if you¡¯d told me that months ago."

    "Yeah? If you were a pathetic pervert like you, you¡¯d be rushing over and licking her feet right now? Maybe that Fetishist would¡¯ve liked it if you sucked on his toes??"

    "¡­True."

    "Ah~? That was impossible, huh?? A thin fool like you just doesn¡¯t fit with that Fetishist, huh?? You don¡¯t work as a human, and you don¡¯t work as a man, so a useless loser like you should just jerk off alone in your room? Right??"

    I let Luca know that the person he¡¯s obsessed with has no interest in him at all, and for a moment, Luca¡¯s expression disappeared.

    Heh. Normally, Luca wouldn¡¯t react to such tant provocation. That disgusting human who¡¯s worn a mask his whole life couldn¡¯t show his true nature so easily.

    But now, it¡¯s different. The Luca in front of me is currently possessed by the power of the evil god. Can he really withstand provocation in a state where his rational thinking is already struggling?

    "Why the face?? The only thing you can do is that, right??"

    "¡­"

    "So, what do you think you can do with that horny woman?? Hahaha? Can¡¯t you self-reflect?? A stone like you can¡¯t affect the stars? Useless!?"

    The energy around us shifts as if it resonates with Luca¡¯s emotions, and Luca charges at me. His weapon hasn¡¯t changed, unlike before.

    Good. It looks like his rationality is finally gone. Now, the next step.

    Boom!

    I grin through the shock transmitted beyond the shield.

    "Are you in a hurry?? Do you think your pathetic attack willnd twice??"

    There¡¯s a lot of bravado in this statement. I¡¯m not strong enough to casually absorb Luca¡¯s attack after he¡¯s gained the Void¡¯s power.

    Normally, Luca would have noticed my bravado, but now, I¡¯m not so sure.

    "Then how about this?"

    Suddenly, Luca¡¯s body is enveloped in darkness, and his weapon changes. When I saw the daggers in his hands, I couldn¡¯t help butugh inwardly.

    I confirmed that my bravado worked, so now it¡¯s just a simple task.

    I¡¯ll lead him.

    To the weapon he¡¯ll use.

    A weapon I can easily handle.

    By making Luca, who¡¯s normally hard to deal with in Soul Academy, into a fool.

    Luca¡¯s logic is ultimately about how he can teach me a lesson. If I show him a weakness on purpose, he¡¯ll inevitably fall for it.

    "You look like you¡¯re struggling!"

    I pretend to be exhausted. I stagger as if it¡¯s hard to block his attack.

    "How long do you think you can keep this up?!"

    I twist my shield to make a grotesque sound on purpose, pretending that it¡¯s about to break.

    "Is this all the light your star produces?!"

    I minimize my steps. I deliberately act clumsy, bing his target.

    "Alrn Young Ladyyyyy!"

    At the end of this performance, Luca¡¯s hands grasp a double-headed axe.

    A weapon that serves as both a spear and an axe. It¡¯smonly known as a halberd. The worst weapon that will make Luca, the boss, look like an idiot.

    As the power of the evil god crashes into my shield, I grit my teeth as I endure the shock.

    "You¡¯re such a fool, getting beaten by a loser god and a weakling like me?"

    "What nonsense are you talking about?!"

    Luca¡¯s face contorts as he hears my voice, but I don¡¯t respond to him. The one I want to provoke with this taunt isn¡¯t Luca.

    "This garbage has no chance of defeating me, so why even use it as a proxy??"

    The one behind, the one beneath. The wicked one who always watches me. The pathetic pervert, the cowardly and ugly one.

    Struggling to win, but destined to crawl at the bottom forever.

    "Yeah~ If you knew that, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten your ass beaten by that perverted god, huh??"

    I imbue my voice with the god¡¯s divinity. I make the shield and mace in my hands shine with divine power.

    "Or not?? I guess that perverted god isn¡¯t as stupid as I thought.?"

    I illuminate the room with the presence of Agra, the evil god, who would most likely despise this target.

    "So why, huh?? Why do you keep getting beaten and clinging to me like this?? Why don¡¯t you even think??"

    Luca¡¯s eyes, which had been listening to my words, had turned ck.

    No. I shouldn¡¯t be calling him Luca anymore.

    Calling that fool Luca now would be an insult to the real Luca.

    "Are you a masochist?? Aren¡¯t you?? You get pleasure from getting beaten, right?? Don¡¯t lie!? There¡¯s no other exnation for your stupidity?"

    Luca, nowpletely ck, grasps the halberd¡¯s shaft with both hands.

    "Hmm? If you¡¯re a masochist,? is that why you¡¯re clinging to that perverted god? Do you like him?? Poor guy~? To be tormented by a loser like you? For the first time, I feel sorry for that perverted bastard."

    Darkness surges over Luca¡¯s weapon.

    It¡¯s the power of the Void. But now, it¡¯s the energy that¡¯s escaped from the Void¡¯s control.

 Chapter 503

    As the Wrath of the Dragon shot forth, the ck dragon that had been rampaging in the sky retreated far back.

    The damage was undeniable.

    No matter how tough the dragon¡¯s scales might be, what was just shot was the dragon¡¯s breath, capable of erasing everything in its path. How could a dragon of a different species withstand that?

    However, the visible damage to the dragon soon vanished.

    The power of the Void. The strength of the evil god in the barrier healed the wound. Seeing this, Karia unconsciously furrowed her brow.

    "How frustrating. This scroll was expensive and hard to obtain."

    "Did you think the Judgment sent by the gods would fall to such petty tricks?!"

    Seeing Karia''s frustration, the Void Apostleughed mockingly, but Karia calmly responded.

    "Of course not. If it could be solved with something like this, I wouldn''t even havee here."

    "Try all you want to act nonchnt! In the end, everything will fall under the Void¡¯s dominion!"

    "Shut up, you fool. I can tell exactly what you''re thinking without you shouting it, so could you please be quiet?"

    Karia retorted effortlessly to the maniacal voice and pulled out another scroll.

    If I can¡¯t physically kill them, then I¡¯ll buy some time. Given who I¡¯m up against, I can¡¯tst long, but it should be enough to confuse them.

    When Karia tore the scroll, numerous chains shot out from the air, binding the dragon''s limbs.

    Chains made from the dragon¡¯s blood and bones, infused with curses, wrapped around the dragon¡¯s limbs.

    The scroll seemed a little old, so the effect was somewhatcking. It wouldn¡¯t hold for long.

    But it doesn¡¯t matter. I still have plenty of scrolls left.

    "Stop that woman!"

    As Karia pulled out another scroll, the Void followers transformed into different forms and charged, but Uden blocked their path.

    The Sword Saint''s de severed the legs of the followers, forcing them to stop.

    "Do you think you can block us with just that?!"

    Watching the attack being rendered useless, Uden raised an eyebrow.

    It¡¯s slower.

    It¡¯s definitely slower than before.

    The power Luca had is weaker than it was.

    Well, he is, after all, just a proxy for the evil god.

    Without the god¡¯s power, he can''t do much.

    But the bastard¡¯s master is causing countless problems inside here right now.

    He needs to empower those fighting near the cracks in the barrier.

    He¡¯s probably investing power in handling the dragon as well.

    And he¡¯s certainly sending energy to all themotion happening all over the academy grounds.

    But most of all, the massive power heading underground is a big issue.

    There¡¯s a crack forming.

    The enormous power that was pouring out from the magic circle is now cracking.

    What¡¯s needed now is a slight variable.

    Just a little bit more, and everything will copse!

    <strong>Shift to Arthur''s Situation:</strong>

    "What are you doing standing there?"

    Arthur, holding his teacup, added more force to his gaze as he looked at his mother, who was smiling at him.

    The child who called himself the fragment of the founder had referred to this ce as a trial.

    If that¡¯s the case, then what is the trial supposed to test?

    At that moment, as Arthur¡¯s suspicion grew, something caught his eye below him.

    A woman¡¯s face, twisted in pain, dead.

    A woman who died after vomiting up everything inside her. Her appearance was so horrifying that it was impossible to speak of it in any kind terms.

    It was his mother when she died. His mother was there.

    "Arthur?"

    Hearing his mother call his name again, Arthur lifted his head to see another mother standing behind the one holding the teacup.

    The mother who had been impaled by an arrow, her body mounted on a spear.

    His mother never died like that. No. She had never even gone anywhere near dangerous weapons like a bow.

    She had only ever been in the safest ces.

    So what is this?

    After thinking for a moment, Arthur soon realized what the body was.

    It was his nightmare.

    More specifically, it was one of his nightmares.

    Not long after his mother died, when Arthur couldn¡¯t sleep more than an hour a day, he would dream of his mother dying in various ways.

    Arthur noticed the presence on his shoulder before long.

    He slowly turned his head, horrified to see the dried-up, shriveled hand of a woman.

    As he stepped back, the mummy copsed, and with a sickening crack, blood began to seep from the wound.

    Following the smell, Arthur turned and discovered a body pinned to a tree, its blood dripping down.

    "Can¡¯t you hear me?"

    As the endless cycle of death repeated before him, Arthur understood why the little child who called himself a fragment of the founder told him to endure.

    Every time he saw a body, the feelings that little Arthur had experienced in his nightmares began to flood back.

    Fear.

    Guilt.

    Sadness.

    Despair.

    Resignation.

    Anger.@@novelbin@@

    Longing.

    Over and over.

    Again and again.

    It kept digging into his mind.

    As the strength drained from his legs, Arthur fell to the ground, and the bodies that had been lying there reached out to grab his arm.

    He could hear voices.

    He could hear resentful words.

    He could hear hatred for him. Under the usation that his very birth was a sin, Arthur couldn¡¯t respond.

    The Arthur who used to be confident in front of his friends was no longer here. The one who stood firm despite being teased, the one who spoke his mind, was no longer here.

    The Arthur here was simply the one who, after losing his mother, couldn¡¯t find a reason to live and wished for death instead.

    "Can¡¯t you hear me?"

    He raised both hands to cover his ears, just like when he used to cover himself with a nket to block out the noises.

    "Arthur. Our son. Are you alright?"

    Despite the voice digging into his ears, Arthur couldn¡¯t help but notice something odd and raised his head.

    Among the countless corpses, his mother stood perfectly unharmed.

    The one who first spoke to him, and now, despite the nightmare, stood looking at him with genuine concern.

    She was the only one who remained unharmed in a world full of death.

    In a ce meant to break his spirit, she remained calm.

    "What¡¯s so scary?"

    Arthur, hearing the voice meant to calm him, stared at his mother¡¯s living face.

    Logically speaking, her existence was strange.

    Why would there be something like a pir of support in a trial meant to break someone¡¯s mind?

    No matter how much he thought about it, it didn¡¯t make sense.

    It was a trap.

    It was definitely a trap.

    "Why don¡¯t you tell this mother?"

    But what does that matter?

    Even if it¡¯s a trap, it won¡¯t take away her warmth.

    If he holds her hand, maybe the storm of emotions in his mind will vanish.

    Maybe he can escape the pain he¡¯s been enduring.

    How could he resist?

    "Are you scared? It¡¯s okay. Arthur. Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t have you me me."

    Arthur, who had been about to reach for her hand, suddenly froze.

    His mother, the one he once loved, tilted her head in confusion at his sudden change, but Arthur only smiled bitterly and pulled his hand away.

    "Thank you. You made me remember something from the past."

    "Arthur? Why are you saying that suddenly?"

    "Mother was just someone who was lucky enough to be the queen, nothing more."

    A nameless noble who became the queen due to the king¡¯s whims.

    A fool who never even received proper education.

    That was Arthur¡¯s mother.

    Aftering to the pce, she was forced to learn some manners, but even so, her innocence, built over decades, never vanished.

    Even at the moment of her death, she remained pure in both good and bad ways.

    "My belief that my mother died because of me is, at the end of the day, my own thinking and assumption."

    Arthur didn¡¯t think his assumption was wrong.

    It was clear that the one who was supposed to support him, the one who had been there for him, died because of him. Otherwise, there was no reason for her death.

    "My mother couldn¡¯t have made such an assumption. As a son, I feel like I should say this, but she never had the ability to think like that."

    But whether his mother could have made that assumption was another matter.

    In Arthur¡¯s mind, his mother had known nothing.

    She never understood the pce''s scheming, and no matter how much she suffered, she would only smile.

    She never thought someone would try to kill her.

    Especially not someone rted to her child.

    "You too... you were my nightmare."

    Arthur¡¯s mother, the merciful woman whom he thought had caused him the most pain, nodded and stepped back.

    Seeing her, Arthur sighed deeply and stood up.

    The sounds around him were still horrifying.

    The smell was disgusting, making him nauseous.

    All the emotions surging inside him were still there.

    But now, he could endure it.

    He had realized, thanks to that long-forgotten memory, that it was all a lie.

    All that guilt was never going to be atoned for.

    Arthur stood, surrounded by the continuing horrors of the scene, but now something within him had shifted. He could now endure the emotions swirling inside him. The old memories¡ªthough painful¡ªhad helped him realize something crucial: everything around him, all the guilt, was a lie. He understood now that there would be no redemption for it.

    "Thank you," he muttered to himself, his voice a hollow whisper. "It¡¯s because of you that I realized."

    The surroundings continued to tremble as the horrible sights and sounds pressed in on him, but Arthur had made his choice. His past, his guilt, the haunting memories¡ªhe was finally seeing them for what they truly were. Lies. A maniption of his own mind.

    He moved his hand slightly, wiping away the tears that had gathered in his eyes.

    Arthur wasn¡¯t the child he once was, the one crushed by the past and unable to let go. This was a new beginning for him¡ªone that had begun when he acknowledged the truth. The people he had loved, the pain they had caused him, all of it would remain in the past, locked away where it belonged.

    His resolve steeled as he looked forward. The battle was still ongoing, but now, Arthur was prepared to face it with a newfound strength. He wouldn¡¯t be bound by the chains of his memories any longer.

    The future awaited, and with it, a new path he would walk.

 Chapter 504

    I block Luca¡¯s strike. The attack, imbued with the power of the evil god Agra, is deflected by my shield filled with divine light.

    I meet Luca''s red, bloodshot eyes with my own.

    He won¡¯t understand. He can¡¯tprehend.

    Why I don¡¯t fall apart.

    Luca, tainted by the power of the evil god, overwhelms me in every way.

    His physical strength is on a level that makesparisons meaningless.

    His speed is at a point where it¡¯s hard to even track with my eyes.@@novelbin@@

    Each of his strikes carries such power that I¡¯m certain I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up even if I lost an arm.

    So, from a logical perspective, facing Luca in directbat should be impossible.

    It¡¯s something that shouldn¡¯t even happen.

    But...

    "If you''re going to y with me, do it properly.? If you keep it this monotonous, it''s boring, you know?? Is your brain so small that thinking is hard for you??"

    Reality is reality.

    <em>ng!</em>

    Luca¡¯s attack is once again blocked by my shield.

    Ugh. It really feels like my life is shortening in real-time.

    The thought that I might be smashed by that axe with a single mistake is truly horrifying.

    A boss where every pattern is a one-hit kill!

    This game is such a disaster, isn¡¯t it?!

    And while I¡¯m responding to every attack, I can¡¯t reallyin, but at least give it some bnce!

    You useless god! This is for you to hear!

    <em>ng!</em>

    A slight shock passes through my shield.

    Did I mess up the timing a bit?

    Damn it. The power is gathering, and it seems to be strengthening further.

    Objectively, what I¡¯m doing right now is a kind of circus act.

    A bncing act on a tightrope with no safety.

    A perilous stunt where the moment I stumble, I¡¯ll fall to my death.

    And the rope beneath my feet is gradually getting thinner with time.

    ...How much longer can I hold out? How much longer can I keep up this act? How long will it take to reach the end, which is still out of sight?

    Suppressing the growing anxiety, I focus on the spearhead flying toward me.

    The energy gathered at the tip, waiting only for the moment to explode.

    And then, it happened.

    A sudden shift.

    The energy gathered at the spearhead wavers.

    As a result, the sharpness of Luca¡¯s attack dulls.

    I use the shock from the strike to leap back, my gaze turning to my surroundings.

    Adri, shouting in triumph as the control over themander¡¯s power has been returned.

    The Void followers, thrown into confusion.

    The darkness surrounding us slowly fades.

    Without adding any more power, my divine light spreads naturally.

    Has the sleeping prince in the forest finally awoken?

    Seems like after pretending to sleep for so long, he finally realized no one is going to kiss his stinking lips.

    I chuckled as I shifted my gaze back to Luca.

    The darkness that had been lingering around him was gradually disintegrating.

    The magic circle that had been maintaining the Void¡¯s power was losing its strength, and as a result, the power granted to Luca was fading.

    Agra¡¯s anger hasn¡¯t dissipated, so the evil god¡¯s power still clings to Luca, but that¡¯s all.

    Right now, Luca isn¡¯t the overwhelming force he was just moments ago.

    Thank you, Armadi. I appreciate the quick bnce patch. Now, it¡¯s much more fun to y with him.

    "Why are you standing still?? You said I would be your trial, right??"

    I lowered my shield slightly and gave a wide grin.

    "Is the pathetic, petty loser Agra running away and getting scared?? A useless fool who can¡¯t do anything alone??"

    As the barrier crumbles, the Void followers are copsing. The remaining focal point is no longer them, but Luca.

    If I take down that bastard, who¡¯s empowered by Agra, they¡¯ll disbandpletely.

    "So, what now?? Could it be that you think the trial is something you, the clueless, pathetic, premature, perverted idiot, shouldn¡¯t be mocked for??"

    I provoke him. I get under Luca¡¯s skin again. I disrupt his ability to think, make him act without using his brain.

    How should I provoke him? There¡¯s no need to think about it. No matter where I touch, he¡¯ll be enraged.

    "Ha ha ha!? If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯ll never pass!?"

    As the darkness fades, Luca¡¯s eyes, now visible, are bloodshot, veins running through them.

    "I¡¯m sorry~? Pervy professor~? I¡¯ve lost~? Your trial was too difficult, I can¡¯t do anything!~?"

    Luca¡¯s hands, veins bulging, grip the halberd.

    "So what are you going to do now?? Are you going to force your perverted preferences on me?? Heh? I¡¯m so terrified seeing you eye me with those red eyes, I can¡¯t do anything!?"

    Luca assumes the same stance as his first attack. It¡¯s the same stance I remember.

    "Wow? You get all excited just because I adjusted to your taste?? Pervy~? Disgusting? Go die already?"

    I raise my shield and prepare to face his attack. I remember the past. I think back to the me that was on the other side of the monitor.

    I recall the effort I put in back then.

    And soon enough, the sharp sound of metal rings in my ears.

    With a sessful parry, I dive into Luca¡¯s exposed side.

    Looking at the confusion in his eyes, I raise my mace high.

    Alright, Luca. I¡¯m going to make you the first test subject for this newly acquired skill of mine.

    Consider it an honor.

    Given your hidden masochism, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll still be smiling even after enduring the bear-like strength I¡¯m about to unleash.

    Right?

    As I decide to use my skill, an immense strength, far surpassing that of a human, flows into my arm.

    Without dulling it even a little, I channel all of that power into the mace and swing it.

    Even as Luca tries to block with his arm, his human limbs can¡¯t withstand the beastly strength.

    The blow tears through his flesh and breaks his bones. For a moment, Luca is sent soaring through the air.

    Luca, free from gravity for an instant, soon crashes to the ground, rolling several times before lying still.

    ...He¡¯s not dead, right? That would be troublesome!

    Even though he¡¯s the type who deserves to die, there are still things he needs to see!

    I rush over to Luca and check to confirm he¡¯s still breathing, letting out a sigh of relief.

    Thank goodness. I almost left him to die, thinking I had won mentally.

    <strong>Change in Focus to Joy''s Realization:</strong>

    The first person to notice the change was Joy.

    She had been working tirelessly to interpret and enhance Erginus¡¯s magic circle, and she immediately sensed the change in the circle.

    The massive flow of energy that had been pouring into the magic circle stopped.

    Why? What happened? Did I touch something wrong?

    For a moment, Joy hesitated, nning to pump more magic into the circle, but then stopped.

    No, there¡¯s no need to maintain the magic circle anymore.

    The magic circle is currently empowering the Void followers.

    If it copses, the immense energy sustaining the Void followers will disappear as well.

    Realizing this, Joy actively worked to help the magic circle crumble.

    She destroyed the structure of the magic circle, disrupted the emergency power that kept it running, and erased the coreponents.

    Under normal circumstances, with her abilities, Joy wouldn¡¯t have been able to break down the magic circle, and even if she did, it would have quickly been restored. But not this time.

    The magic circle, now devoid of power, couldn¡¯t resist its copse, and it crumbled rapidly.

    The change it brought about was evident, but the most noticeable was the barrier.

    The barrier.

    The barrier that had surrounded the entire Soul Academy.

    The barrier, once stained ck with the power of the Void.

    The barrier that had been giving its power to the evil god and failing to protect the students.

    It began to crack from the top, slowly but surely. Shards of magical energy fell from it as it crumbled away.

    Soon, the warm light of the sun poured into the academy, pushing the darkness back.

    "No!"

    Seeing this, the Void Apostle desperately tried to hold onto the barrier, but the cracks only grew.

    "No!"

    The Apostle, who had been nearly omnipotent due to Erginus''s magic, could only watch as everything crumbled.

    "Good work, Lady Patran."

    Uden, bathed in sunlight, said with a rxed voice, and the Void Apostle¡¯s veins stood out in frustration.

    "No! It¡¯s not over! The judgment sent by the Void is still here! We haven¡¯t lost yet!"

    Uden listened to the Apostle¡¯s words with one ear, looking upward. The Apostle was right.

    The ck-scaled dragon was still in the air.

    But the energying from the ck-scaled dragon was nowhere near as strong as it had been before.

    The dragon, sustained by the evil god¡¯s power, had lost everything. Now, it was just a creature.

    "That thing?"

    And if it¡¯s just a creature, a lizard who has lost most of its power, it cannot be a trial for Uden.

    In the gradually brighteningndscape of the academy, Uden drew her sword. She poured everything she had into it.

    The Sword Saint Uden¡¯s technique. The ultimate strike created to sh with the strongest man she knew.

    Her sword, imbued with her entire life¡¯s energy, severed the dragon¡¯s neck with the clouds.

    "So now, it¡¯s over?"

 Chapter 505

    As soon as Arther intervened in the magic circle, the little boy appeared by his side.

    "Good job. You''ve regained control before it waspletely taken over." "Did you sever the connection with the other magic circles?" "Yes. Now, there is no risk of being controlled by the evil god..." "That¡¯s enough! Get me out of here! There¡¯s still so much I need to do!" "Wait a moment. There¡¯s something I need to exin to you." "That can wait. No, I¡¯lle backter! I¡¯ll listen to you then, endlessly!" "What?! Wait! Just a bit! Only a little! You impatient fool!"

    Leaving behind the little boy''s mutteredints, Arther quickly turned his gaze around after leaving the space of trial.

    Damn. Where did the others go?

    What happened outside while I was enduring the trial?!

    I don¡¯t think Luca Alrn is someone who would easily be overwhelmed by others. But still...

    ¡®...I¡¯m sorry.¡¯

    Thinking of Lucy¡¯s tearful face, Arther bit his lip and hastily rushed out of the room.

    There were no signs of battle in the hallway.

    This means someone likely went outside to prevent anyone from infiltrating.

    Making use of any means necessary, Arther emerged through the broken walls, greeted by amander disguised as a maid.

    She bowed her head as soon as she saw Arther and then quickly turned away.

    Is she signaling me to follow?

    Knowing that themander was under Adri¡¯s control, Arther followed without hesitation.@@novelbin@@

    Seeing that someone came to meet him, it seemed that the worst situation hadn¡¯t happened.

    <ul>

    <li>DING.</li>

    <li>DING.</li>

    <li>DING.</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 506

    After the dragon fell, the followers of the Void continued to struggle, but their resistance was meaningless in the face of the Sword Saint, a formidable opponent.

    Having easily suppressed all the enemies, Yuden chuckled as he watched Joy and Faivy rebuilding Erginus'' magic circle.

    ¡°Faivy. Is this right? I didn¡¯t make a mistake, did I?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to confirm every stroke with me, you know.¡±

    ¡°B-but...¡±

    ¡°If you have no confidence in yourself, why did you copse the magic circle entirely?¡±

    ¡°I thought that was the best option at the time!¡±

    Even the saint, who had reached the peak of mercy, couldn¡¯t help but feel frustrated at Joy¡¯s apparent carelessness.

    However, the way Joy drew the magic circle was different.

    Despite being a student, her mastery of mana control, overwhelming even many active wizards, made Yuden silently marvel.

    Could she be someone descended from Parn¡¯s bloodline? If left alone, she¡¯d probably solve it on her own.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Lady Karia, whether it¡¯s the church or the kingdom, just hand these trash over to me.¡±

    ¡°Why not do it yourself? It¡¯s your victory, after all.¡±

    ¡°Haha. What have I really done? I¡¯ve just been entertained by Lady Arlen all day today.¡±

    Everything that happened at Soul Academy today was ultimately yed out on the palm of Lady Arlen.

    The followers of the Void, herself, and everyone else had all been mere actors on a stage set by Lady Arlen. How could anyone im credit for this?

    Yuden didn¡¯t need des served on a silver tter. If she had cared about such honors, she wouldn¡¯t be wandering like this now.

    ¡°Lady Arlen is truly strange, though. She doesn¡¯t seem to have taken a liking to me, so why give me credit?¡±

    ¡°Well... I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    Hearing Karia¡¯s smug tone, Yuden frowned but then sighed deeply.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what she was after, but I¡¯ve put in the effort as an actor, so please be sure to keep your promise and pass that along.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more convincing if you said it yourself?¡±

    ¡°...I get heated when talking to her.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I understand. Our employer does have a knack for making people lose their temper.¡±

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 Chapter 507

    Why is she worried about me?

    Did she not notice that I¡¯m rted to the Evil God?

    That can¡¯t be true.

    Just a moment ago, I was drenched in the power of the Evil God. My body was wrapped in so much energy that it could make my sanity disappear.

    Yuden, who has even earned the title of Sword Saint, could never fail to recognize that aura.

    This woman knows all of it and still worries about me.

    Me.

    Me.

    She still considers me her friend.

    ¡°Ha. Damn it.¡±

    With a bitterugh, Luca spat out curses and looked at Yuden with eyes that had burst blood vessels, now red.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Yuden. No. Sword Saint.¡±

    ¡°¡­Hm?¡±

    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯m so pathetic? Even though Imitted crimes worthy of being erased from the continent, you still think you should worry about me?!¡±

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 Chapter 511

    As people slowly woke up, the entire academy became noisy. At that moment, the head of the Department of Magic urgently ran toward the location of the magic circle, seeing the copsed barrier.

    ording to those who had stayed awake the longest, the academy¡¯s barrier turned ck, and that¡¯s when everything started.

    This implied that the followers of the Void had taken control of the academy¡¯s barrier!

    The magic circle left behind by the Grand Wizard Erginus was known only to those trusted within the academy.

    The fact that such a ce had been revealed meant that an insider must have cooperated with the followers of the Dark God.

    It was highly probable that the current magic circle¡¯s weaknesses had also been identified.

    This was an issue arising from the extraordinary talent of the Grand Wizard Erginus.

    He hadn¡¯t left proper records on the magic circle, so even after such a long time, no one had been able to fully decipher it.

    As a result, the magic circle had deteriorated over time, with various gaps and vulnerabilities emerging.

    If the followers of the Dark God had noticed and exploited these weaknesses, the magic circle would have been in a terrible state by now.

    It might even be beyond the point of restoration!

    To confirm the situation, the head of the department rushed to the location of the barrier''s magic circle and found two female students frantically trying to fix it.

    Neither of them appeared to be ordinary students.@@novelbin@@

    One was ady from the Patran Duke family.

    As someone with Patran blood, she possessed extraordinary magical talent. If she hadn¡¯t been the firstdy, the head of the Department of Magic would have done whatever it took to keep her in the department as an invaluable asset.

    The other was a saint from the Church of the Divine God, one of the most highly respected figures on the continent.

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 Chapter 512

    ¡°Greetings, First Queen.¡±

    ¡°Greetings to the First Queen, who works tirelessly for the kingdom.¡±

    As Cecil and Arthur knelt and offered the highest respects, the First Queen slightly lifted her eyes and then smiled.

    ¡°Both of you, please rise. How can the future of the kingdom bow to me?¡±

    ¡°However¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Both of you.¡±

    Once the ceremonial greeting ended, Arthur stood up and faced the First Queen, who wore a subtle smile.

    She seemed to be preparing for action, dressed in armor, but the appearance of the armor was too pristine. She hadn¡¯t participated in directbat.

    Had shee simply to show her readiness to respond?

    ¡°Are both of you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. As you can see, we are unharmed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the same. I have no significant injuries.¡±

    The First Queen listened to their words, inspecting their bodies, as though trying to determine whether what they said was true. Her snake-like eyes passed over Cecil andnded on Arthur, then paused.

    ¡°That is indeed fortunate.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Seeing the slight smile at the corners of the Queen''s eyes, Arthur was sure that she had noticed he was awake.

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 Chapter 513

    As I turned my back, receiving the sharp gazes of those around me, I felt cold sweat dripping down my back.

    Ugh... The stares from everyone hurt. It feels like those crazy looks are piercing right through me.

    <By now, you should be getting used to it, right?>

    ¡®I think I should be, but it¡¯s not that easy.¡¯

    <Then you shouldn¡¯t have provoked the First Queen.>

    ¡®...I couldn¡¯t avoid it. The atmosphere from the First Queen just now felt like she was ready to eat someone alive.¡¯

    If the conversation had just been a casual greeting, I would have waited quietly until the First Queen left.

    But the atmosphere she radiated was far from ordinary.

    Her imposing presence, which sent chills down my spine, pushed me forward even though I knew this moment wasing.

    This must have been why Freya stepped up in front of Arthur. Her brain and instincts are both beast-like, after all.

    Ha... Why was the First Queen trying so hard to tear Arthur apart?

    She had never threatened Arthur throughout the entire story, so why suddenly make a fuss over him now?

    Arthur... has changed so much since his portrayal in the story...

    Has he changed?@@novelbin@@

    <ul>

    <li>Well done, kid! Your face is the first thing I¡¯ve been d to see in a while!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Don¡¯t pretend you don¡¯t know! You should be feeling the underground air right now!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>What do you want me to do? The Dark God¡¯s power is hard for me to deal with!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Huh? Why? What do you want to do?

    ¡°Stay if you want to be purified with the other spirits.¡±</li>

    <li>I¡¯ll disappear right away!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 515

    Even though Lucy, who had taken the lead in all matters, had fallen asleep, time in the academy continued to flow normally.

    First, the chaos within the academy quickly settled down.

    The biggest factor in this was the face of the Saint of the Divine Church.

    She had always been at the forefront in the fight against the Dark Gods, and it was her, along with the Sword Saint, who was considered the person who had resolved the current crisis.

    With her presence in the center of the gradually restored barrier, the major problems had been resolved, and with the deration that the remaining issues would also be addressed alongside the Divine Church¡¯s followers, who would worry further?

    The people inside the academy, who had witnessed the Sword Saint severing the dragon¡¯s neck, trusted the Saint¡¯s words and the deration from the First Queen, who would actively assist the Saint. They decided to wait for theter announcements.@@novelbin@@

    The fact that most of the students and faculty had fallen into a deep sleep within the barrier also yed a significant role in calming everyone.

    For those who had slept soundly through the night, today¡¯s event was merely a small disturbance that urred in the middle of the night.

    For those who woke from a nightmare, it would be hard for them to feel the gravity of what had nearly happened.

    Thanks to that, the students who underwent several tests and returned to their dorms, along with the faculty members working inside the academy, disyed very different moods.

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 Chapter 520

    "Already, a letter has been sent to the Alrn family. Benedict should be finishing up his work soon, so he should check it right away, don''t you think?"

    "Ma¡¯am, do you know what¡¯s written in it?"

    "Probably nothing important. Anyway, the one at fault in this matter is the First Queen. With a monster like Benedict standing behind her, the ones with a legitimate cause, like our employer, should be treated with respect."

    What Grandpa said was right. I was so brazen in that situation that even that vicious First Queen couldn¡¯t say anything.

    <Even after so many years, the way things turn out in human affairs is always the same.>

    The fool who could onlyugh with a stupid grin when something good happened.

    The magician who devoted his life to studying magic, losing all social skills.@@novelbin@@

    The knight who could only think of seducing women wherever he went.

    Luel¡¯s political skills in negotiating with various factions, even after hundreds of years, had not dulled.

    <Now, based on the various justifications you have, all you need to do is tie the First Queen¡¯s hands and feet. Then you can get just about anything.>

    ¡®I don¡¯t want anything from that insane person.¡¯

    <It doesn¡¯t have to be material. Promises. Contracts. Debts. Anything without a price. You can get that.>

    It¡¯s not that¡ªI just don¡¯t want to have a prolonged rtionship with the First Queen.

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 Chapter 522

    Seeing the massive figure of Benedict copse, we wondered what had happened outside, but it didn¡¯t take long to realize our worries were unfounded.

    The joyful smile on his face told us everything about why Benedict had copsed.

    He had fainted simply because his daughter was so cute. What kind of person is this?

    ¡°To think you¡¯ve brought down the continent¡¯s strongest man like this. Amazing. Boss.¡±

    As I listened to Karia¡¯s nonsense, I approached Benedict, who seemed to be in a dream-like state. I poked his cheek, which was slightly twitching as though he were mumbling in his sleep.

    ¡°Foolish papa.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Eh?!¡±

    The moment I spoke, Benedict opened his eyes, and upon meeting my gaze, he blinked a few times before chuckling and closing his eyes again.

    ¡°Were you that tired? To dream of me speaking so kindly to you, Lucy.¡±

    ¡°¡­Foolish father. Have youpletely turned into a troll in your brain too? If it¡¯s like that, could you cry and say ¡®woe is me?¡¯ That way, we can quickly figure out there¡¯s no hope.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Eh? Lucy?¡±

    After I said that a little more aggressively, Benedict finally rose from the floor.

    To realize that the father only learns the reality when his daughter insults him...

    What kind of dream was he having?

    Was he hearing something like "Papa, I love you so much!" in his fantasy?

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 Chapter 523

    When the news broke that Soul Academy would be closed for several months, students gradually began preparing to head home.

    Some couldn¡¯t resist the pressure from their parents, who were worried about them.

    Others faced the reality of needing to earn money for the next semester¡¯s tuition.

    Some, more irresponsibly, thought they should rx a bit more after all the hard work.

    Others still had their own reasons for packing their bags.

    Because of this, as the day grew brighter, the atmosphere at the academy became more chaotic. But Joy was detached from all of this.

    ¡°This part of the magic circle had this meaning¡­¡±

    ¡°Looking at it this way, it fits together in some ces. Especially this part, which seems more aligned with healing-type holy magic.¡±

    ¡°Erginus¡¯s ideas are truly amazing.¡±

    ¡°Do you think this can be applied to existing magic?¡±

    ¡°Definitely. We could even use it in our academy¡¯s training ground¡­¡±

    In front of the many professors of the Department of Magic, Joy, far beyond the level of a student, listlessly listened to their conversation about the magic circle¡¯s interpretation. She sighed inwardly.

    When the head of the Department of Magic first asked Joy to help interpret the magic circle, she hadn¡¯t imagined things would turn out like this.

    It wasn¡¯t because she underestimated the professors'' passion. She had been learning for so long, how could she not understand their enthusiasm?

    The reason Joy initially thought the task would be simple was simply because she didn¡¯t know much.@@novelbin@@

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 524

    The First Queen, as I know her, starts every thought with the kingdom''s interests.

    To put it another way, she can¡¯t stand things that harm the kingdom.

    Of course, she knows what the greater good is, so when there¡¯s no choice, she¡¯ll ept losses. But until that point, she¡¯ll use everything at her disposal to minimize those losses.

    Knowing this, I decided to review the information about the Fairy Forest once again before meeting the First Queen.

    It¡¯s true that the enemy¡¯s memories remain faint behind the monitor, but this is a bit ambiguous.

    The Fairy Forest was a ce that only existed as a backdrop in the game.

    There were various settings spread across the game, but none of them really impacted the game itself, so over time, it was naturally forgotten.

    The only reason I even remember it is because, during the time when we expected the release of DLC, I used to specte about it.

    If I hadn¡¯t been making a fuss on the forums back then, I wouldn¡¯t even have these blurry memories.@@novelbin@@

    In this state, if I went to meet the First Queen, despite having a valid reason, I might end up getting ripped apart.

    So, I decided to organize the information one more time.

    Ibined the data left in the academy and the memories still lingering in my mind, then finally asked my grandfather for advice to prepare for the negotiation.

    With this in mind, I told the perverted apostle to contact me once he woke up and then went back to the academy.

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 Chapter 525

    The moment I heard that I was being followed, I instinctively stopped in my tracks. But after a moment of thought, I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off.

    ¡®I know they¡¯re skilled, but are they good enough to deceive Benedict?¡¯

    Is there anyone capable of fooling a monster like Benedict? If they were following me, I might as well just allow them to continue.

    <That¡¯s not it. Your father probably noticed them already.>

    ¡®So he¡¯s letting them be?¡¯@@novelbin@@

    <One of two things. Either he considers them harmless to you, or he¡¯s too bothered to deal with them. Personally, I think it¡¯s thetter.>

    ¡®Why¡¯s that?¡¯

    <If not, your father would never just let those who are following you get away with it.>

    That¡¯s true.

    Benedict¡¯s obsession with his daughter borders on excessive.

    He¡¯s not the kind of person to leave matters that threaten me unchecked.

    If he could, he would¡¯ve torn apart the ones following me right on the spot.

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 Chapter 527

    ¡°Did the church send someone to follow us?¡±

    ¡°¡­You mean they were trying to watch Lady?¡±

    When I exined what had just happened, Karia snickered as if she couldn''t believe it, while Faibi''s voice, tinged with unmistakable displeasure, came out cold.

    ¡°Lady. What was that inquisitor''s name again?¡±

    ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d remember the name of that lunatic?¡±

    ¡°It was Nian. Nian, the Inquisitor, Lady.¡±

    Because of the Mesugaki skill, which makes it almost impossible for me to call someone by name, I furrowed my brows, and Benedict, who was standing beside me, spoke up on my behalf.

    ¡°If it''s Nian, then he''s one of the direct subordinates of the Pope''s secretary. He''s known for being a bit extreme, but other than that, he''s considered to be without ws.¡±

    ...Directly under the Pope!?

    Wait a minute. Does that mean the Pope has taken an interest in me now!?

    Because I caused a miracle, now I¡¯m being watched by the Pope!@@novelbin@@

    Agh, I¡¯ve thought countless times sinceing into this world that I was screwed, but this time... it feels like I¡¯m <em>really</em> screwed.

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 Chapter 529

    The day after themotion caused by the perverted apostle. Many students left the academy to enjoy their sudden break, but we remained.

    There was a ce we needed to go before heading back. We had gathered early in the morning to discuss it, but unfortunately, I failed to get to the point.

    ¡°If something so fun happened, you should¡¯ve woken me up! That¡¯s just mean!¡±

    The friends who had gathered before me were talking about yesterday¡¯s events.

    ¡°The apostle of the Art Church actually demonstrated the process of creating the paintings inside the essories!¡±@@novelbin@@

    Ugh. Even now, thinking about yesterday, it was too much. How long did I have to be exposed to people¡¯s gazes?

    What irritated me more was the few idiots who were so bothered by the attention I was getting.

    When they said it was worth watching me stay quiet, I almost snapped without realizing it.

    I couldn¡¯t say anything since others criticized me first, but among them, the pervert and the furious one were something else.

    ¡®Hah! Lady doesn¡¯t know anything! Her usual sharpness only makes her angelic side even more beautiful!¡¯

    ¡®The problem is not knowing the charm that arises from that ind! How dare someone as ugly as dirtment on Lucy!¡¯

    There were no more disgusting people than these when they were making noise under my feet, but watching them berate others gave me a sense of reassurance.

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 Chapter 530

    After the second and third attempts both failed, I looked at the still-intact floor and stepped back, leaving the bombs I had ced behind.

    ¡°Did you make a mistake or something?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, useless, ipetent prince. Would you stop treating me like your foolish sidekick? It¡¯s a bit annoying to hear that from someone as indecisive as you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡±

    ¡°What''s wrong? Saying something like that is an insult!¡±

    Joy and Arthur raised their voices, caught up in my words, but instead of responding to them, I reflected on what I had just done.

    There was no mistake. Thebination of bombs and magic circles was perfect. So, under normal circumstances, the ceiling should have copsed just likest time.

    ¡®Did Erginos somehow manage to counteract the bug already?¡¯

    <It¡¯s highly likely.>@@novelbin@@

    The skeleton with Erginos¡¯ memories was given less than a month¡ªa very short period.

    And in just that short time, it managed to counter this bug?

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 Chapter 531

    Since sending off the young girl who came carrying her friend''s mace a while ago, Erginos has been organizing all the research he has done so far.

    Knowledge umted over hundreds of years spent underground.

    The various results he could offer, having obtained immortality, were all a consequence of possessing the genius knowledge of Erginos himself.

    This was all preparation to pass on that knowledge. He didn''t feel regret.

    After all, the great wizard Erginos left his marks in this world, but it was purely for the sake of atoning for the future generation, so how could there be any sense of loss?

    Moreover, the person receiving the knowledge this time was someone precious to his dear friend, one of the few people Erginos acknowledged, and simultaneously, the one chosen by the great god Aramadi as his apostle.

    The skeleton bearing the memory of Erginosmented that it could only pass on so much to her, but it had no intention of feeling regret.@@novelbin@@

    Thus, after several days of preparation, Erginos finished getting everything ready to impart his knowledge and, before facing the end, attempted to resolve the newfound curiosity that had arisen.

    The ceiling that must never be broken. Even if it were to fall, it should only be due to something miraculous, not shattered by something as mundane as ordinary bombs or scrolls.

    He devoted himself to understanding how such an event could ur. The process was not easy.

    All the knowledge and theories umted by the great wizard Erginos could not exin the phenomenon that clearly happened before his eyes.

    It¡¯s easy to dere something impossible.

    It''s convenient to ignore the events that transpired before you.

    However, a wizard should never do that.

    A wizard, a schr who carries the mission to explore and resolve all phenomena of the world, must exin the events that have happened before their eyes.

    If they can''t exin it with existing theories, it only means the original knowledge was wrong.

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 Chapter 534

    <em>Ugh¡­ Telling a good story is so tiring. Why do I have to struggle so much just because I said there¡¯s no need for a price?</em>

    Erginos was thoroughly mistaken, so he could at least understand what I was saying. If I had said something like that to an ordinary person just now, they would have frowned and walked away.

    When ites to antagonizing someone, nothing beats the <em>Mesugaki Skill</em>. But when ites to trying to persuade someone nicely, it¡¯s the most troublesome skill imaginable.

    Anyway, since the conversation seems to be going smoothly, let¡¯s get to the main point¡ªthe Fairy Queen¡¯s Forest.

    I sat with my legs crossed, staring into Erginos¡¯s rxed eyes as he let out a defeatedugh.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I heard about a forest that smells like a chicken coop from a pathetic nerd who only cares about research just recently.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re talking about the Fairy Queen¡¯s Forest, right?¡±

    ¡°Is there any other ce I could be talking about right now? Are you so consumed by magic that you¡¯ve lost all other judgment skills?¡±

    Erginos made a subtle face, his lips mumbling as he looked unsure. Just then, Arthur walked over.

    ¡°Erginos, it¡¯s better to just leave him be when he starts talking like that. We can sort out the detailster.¡±

    ¡°But if we don¡¯t confirm it properly¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought the same at first.¡±

    Looking into Arthur¡¯s eyes, which had lost their light, Erginos closed his mouth quietly.

    ¡­Have I been tormenting Arthur that muchtely? When I think about it, I might¡¯ve gone a bit too far with my teasing.

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 Chapter 536

    The royal pce''s reception room was so impably clean that it almost felt unhealthy.

    No matter where you looked, there wasn''t a speck of dust, and the pristine white decorations adorning the room were wless without even the tiniest blemish. The view outside the window was equally calcted¡ªbeyond the warm sunlighty a lush greenndscape, likely meticulously crafted by the pce gardener, causing me to imagine the amount of headache he must have endured.

    What was truly strange, however, was how cleanliness did not automatically equate to beauty. The reception room was so sterile that it created andscape thatcked any aesthetic response, making it feel almost too dry to appreciate.

    It was so unusual that, while I was still marveling at the surroundings, the man waiting by my side leaned in and whispered softly in my ear.

    ¡°The queen will be here soon.¡±

    ¡°Finally? Ha. Is it because she can¡¯t think of anything but her own delusions? She really is busy.¡±

    At my remark, the expressions of several courtiers who had been waiting in the reception room visibly cracked. It was a bit awkward. This wasn¡¯t even much of an insult, yet they were already bothered by it.

    If I started really speaking harshly, it seemed like it would escte to shouting.

    But since Benedict was standing next to me, it shouldn¡¯t escte to anything major.

    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s be a habit for me. Even knowing I can¡¯t handle everything, it¡¯s hard to let go of the work.¡±

    While I exhaled deeply in my mind, a voice came from behind.

    Surprised, I quickly stood up and saw the First Queen standing by the door, apanied by her attendants.@@novelbin@@

    Wait. When did she arrive!? I didn¡¯t feel a thing!?

    No, even if I didn¡¯t notice, Benedict and even Grandfather didn¡¯t feel her presence? That¡¯s odd!

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 Chapter 537

    There are many ways for a kingdom to grow stronger, but the most intuitive one is through territory.

    Expanding thend means more citizens for the kingdom, more taxes to be collected, arger army that can be mobilized, and, in itself, a sign of the kingdom''s power.

    Even someone like me, who knows little about politics, can recognize these benefits. It¡¯s no wonder that so many rulers in the past became obsessed with conquest wars; it¡¯s perfectly natural.

    "...You say there¡¯s a way to expand the territory?"

    And of course, the madwoman in front of me, who would do anything to make the kingdom great, couldn¡¯t help but focus on the word "territory."@@novelbin@@

    She understands what expanding usablend means better than I do.

    "Yes. Unlike the delusional queen who¡¯s too busy trying to manage the kingdom, I¡¯m quite capable."

    "I can¡¯t imagine it. If there were such a way, I would have tried it already. Any possible benefit from increasing the territory would surely be outweighed by the chaos it would cause."

    "There¡¯s no chaos. Well, not none at all. There will be plenty of perverted weirdos, like those who can''t control their attraction to children, who will emerge, unable to do anything about it."

    "...Pardon?"

    Due to the distortion caused by my Mesugaki skill, the First Queen blinked in confusion, and Benedict, who was standing next to me, let out a lightugh as he unfolded a map.

    "We¡¯re nning to restore the Fairy Queen¡¯s Forest."

    Upon hearing Benedict¡¯s words, the First Queen¡¯s earlier excitement vanished as though it were a lie, and she became cold.

    "Was that what you meant?"

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 538

    Joy took a deep breath in front of the Duke''s office. From a very young age, she had been afraid of crossing this threshold.

    Contrary to the opinions of outsiders, she knew that Duke Parn, despite his role as the head of one of the five ducal families, was a man of ordinary temper. But at the same time, she also knew he was capable enough to be the leader of a prestigious house. So, Joy hesitated to enter the ce where her father handled his affairs.

    But today, things couldn¡¯t be the same. She had chosen this path herself.

    She hade to a ce where she had confidently dered her intentions, for Lucy, the person she considered her lifelong benefactor and close friend, had decided to take action. If Joy couldn¡¯t do this, how could she ever stand by Lucy¡¯s side?

    To walk alongside Lucy on equal footing, Joy couldn¡¯t afford to merely circle around the same spot.

    "Father."

    Just as Joy knocked on the door, a voice from within invited her to enter.@@novelbin@@

    Those who did not know Duke Parn might call his voice suffocating, a voice that could grip one¡¯s heart. Even those who knew the duke shivered at its sharpness.

    Hearing it, Joy forced a calm expression and opened the door.

    "Come in, Joy. I¡¯ve heard a lot from Jeff. They say you¡¯ve aplished much at the Academy?"

    "I haven¡¯t done much."

    "Not much? I¡¯m a mage myself. I know well what it means to interpret the magic of the great wizard Erginos."

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 540

    "You''re saying the dungeon won''t disappear even if the Evil God is gone?"

    "How can you be so sure? Do you have evidence?"

    Both the First Prince and Erginos fixed their intense gazes on me. Feeling the weight of their scrutinizing stares, I broke out in a cold sweat.

    The reason I knew the dungeon wouldn''t disappear was simply because I had seen it in the game.

    Even after defeating all the Evil Gods sealed within the dungeon, and even after vanquishing their leader, Agra, I saw the dungeons¡ª including therge one¡ªremaining intact.

    But how could I exin why the dungeon didn''t disappear? What proof did I have? Was there any change? When asked these questions, I couldn''t answer them.

    No, wait.

    I¡¯ve seen birds flying.

    So, when I say birds can fly, can I really exin <em>how</em> they fly?@@novelbin@@

    I can only say that I¡¯ve seen them fly!

    <Are you really sure the dungeon doesn¡¯t disappear?>

    ¡®...I think so.¡¯

    And, honestly, in the worst case, maybe that only applies in the game. In reality, it¡¯s possible that I might never be able to raid another dungeon again.

    If something like that happens after I made such a bold im, I¡¯d have to deal with the consequences myself!

    Ah, right! I should ask Chumman!

    <ul>

    <li></li>

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 Chapter 541

    The moment Erginus set foot in the dungeon where the Dark God resided, he could immediately feel the presence of the malevolent deity. He clenched his lips tightly in response.

    The Dark God that remained in his memories was a disaster so far beyond the word "horrific" that it could not be expressed in such simple terms.

    The Dark God¡¯s power, which stripped away all the senses of a human, crushed hope, burdened the shoulders with helplessness, and made one wish for death rather than face the terrifying sights that awaited under the light.

    Even in the final moments when they faced the Dark God, the hope for the heroes was not great.

    Had not the pdin, Ruel, sacrificed his future to create a miracle, they would certainly have been defeated.

    And so, now, at this moment, as they headed to confront the Dark God once again, Erginus, his eyes gleaming with a vow of revenge for the past, clenched his teeth to steady his trembling hands.

    ¡°Alright, you pathetic lot. Follow along, and if you can manage even that, I suppose that¡¯s good enough for people like you who only have their titles and no real skills.¡±

    However, Lucy was different. Having faced the Dark God before, surviving several life-threatening encounters because of it, she remained calm despite being surrounded by the Dark God¡¯s energy.

    It was as though she didn¡¯t know what fear was.

    ¡°Right. The useless prince here will be shaking like a leaf after just a few steps, so he probably won¡¯t be able to keep up. Want to be carried on your daddy¡¯s back?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! I¡¯m not the weakling I used to be! Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡±@@novelbin@@

    Perhaps putting on a strong front? It seemed so. After all, no human could be unaware of the feeling of fear.

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 Chapter 542

    The process of transferring the seal of the Dark God went much smoother than expected.

    ording to Erginus, the entity was much weaker than when it was originally sealed, to the point where it couldn¡¯t even put up a struggle.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t absolutely necessary for our ns, I would have erased its existence entirely,¡± Erginus said, eyeing the seal with a touch of regret, though he did nothing to act on it.

    ¡°Lady Alrn, Apostle of the Goddess, please channel your divine energy into the seal,¡± he continued.

    ¡°How am I supposed to understand that? Pathetic wizard, can¡¯t you even exin properly?¡± Lucy responded, her tone mocking.

    ¡°All you need to do is infuse it with divine energy,¡± Erginus rified.

    ¡°Oh. That¡¯s what you meant? You should¡¯ve just said so earlier. There wouldn¡¯t have been any strange outbursts if you did.¡±

    Following his instructions, Lucy infused the seal with divine energy. Almost immediately, something inside the seal writhed, but after a short time, the entity within was neutralized. The immense energy of the Dark God¡¯s master likely crushed it from within.

    ¡°Good enough, I suppose,¡± Lucy muttered as she stepped back, just as the perverted apostle made a strange noise and ced his hand on the seal.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Go die. No, I find even the thought of your corpse repulsive. Just bury your head in the seal and disappear. Be erased from this world. Please.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but show sincere contempt at his expression, but the perverted apostle merely grinned and muttered his thanks, clearly unfazed by my disdain.

    Ugh! I really hate him! Why does he only act like this with me? If you¡¯re going to be a pervert, at least spread it around to others!

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 Chapter 545

    The Kingdom''s First Knight Order is the elite of the elite, the most powerful military force in the country.

    If we exclude the Allen family¡¯s knights, there¡¯s no one who could defeat the First Knight Order in a direct confrontation.

    Thus, their assertion to take the front lines was undoubtedly a positive development in terms of military power, but if we rephrase it...

    "Are you iming all the credit for yourselves?"

    This was essentially a statement that they would swallow all the benefits. Despite the sideways nce from the Second Queen, the First Queen maintained a calm smile.

    "Even though this is something Erginus has definitively dered, there are always variables. We''re dealing with a formidable evil. If such variables arise, wouldn''t it be better to have the most reliable people at the forefront?"

    "If that''s the case, it would be better for Count Allen to lead his knights to the front," the Second Queen pointed out. "After all, I can confidently say the Allen family¡¯s knights are the strongest on the continent."

    Instead of discussing her own Second Knight Order, the Second Queen shifted the conversation toward Allen¡¯s forces.

    She did so to emphasize that it wasn¡¯t a power struggle, and to check the First Queen¡¯s unteral decision.

    "Count Allen? What do you think?" the First Queen asked, turning the focus to him.

    Despite the attention now on him, Benedict¡¯s expression remainedposed.@@novelbin@@

    "I¡¯m not sure if ''the strongest'' suits our knights. However, I, Benedict, can say with confidence that, as the kingdom¡¯s protector, no matter what happens, we will not falter," he said.

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 Chapter 547

    The moment Inuki was inspired by seeing Lucy Allen, he left the street of Soul Academy.

    ¡°Master! Didn¡¯t we already rent the forge?¡± ¡°Do you think you can make proper weapons in a ce like that?¡±

    Originally, Inuki had nned to rent a decent street forge to make armor. It turned out the facilities were much better than expected, so he thought that would be enough.

    However, that was only when making weapons for promising knights. Since he had decided to craft a weapon that would carry his entire life¡¯s worth of effort, everything had to be perfect.

    ¡°Are you seriously going toe back after all this time and demand that I hand over my forge?¡±

    One of the few cksmiths Inuki respected had been reluctant when Inuki, after many years, asked to rent the forge for a few days.

    ¡°Unlike you, who only makes weapons for people you like, I¡¯m a business. How could I not work for a few days?¡±

    Inuki handed over some of the material that Lucy had once called "demon earth."

    He had given Lucy more than half of it, but for some reason, following his instincts, he kept the rest. He didn¡¯t know exactly what he would use it for, but when he faced Lucy, he found rity. The thoughts that filled his head could be called nothing short of a revtion.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you¡¯ll mix this worthless-looking dirt with iron?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just iron. I¡¯m going to use mithril.¡± ¡°...Are you senile?! Why would you mix this valuable material with dirt?!¡±

    The cksmith shouted in disbelief, but Inuki calmly ignored him.

    The cksmith, who had reluctantly epted Inuki due to their past connection, watched with suspicion as Inuki worked with his apprentice.

    ¡°Is that guy sane? Inuki isn¡¯t the type to mess with metals.¡± ¡°He was his usual grumpy self yesterday. So, yeah, I guess.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Hey! You, stupid apprentice! Stop gossiping about your master ande help!¡±

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 Chapter 549

    When I put on the armor I received from Inuki and looked in the mirror, the first emotion I felt was disgust.

    Oh no. Where in the world would an adult dress a girl who isn''t even an adult like this!

    Pedophiles are the worst of the worst of the criminals! Even thieves and robbers are the kind of people who curse at me for being such trash!

    Even in this world, the perception shouldn''t be that different, so why are there so many maggots around me?

    <...To be honest, it''s a bit shameful.>

    ''It''s a problem that should end with shameful!?''

    If I think about it carefully, Inuki came to me after receiving a revtion from someone else.

    So, could it be that the sloppy god''s scheme that gave me this armor!?@@novelbin@@

    Haaak haaak. Messagaki in a full-body suit and bikini armor is the best! I''m dying! Are you talking about something like that up in the sky!?

    Or who are you! Are you that pervert crow!? Is this your taste!? You have such noble tastes! I wish you would go out and search for it!

    <Still, that''s what it is. It''s something a skilled cksmith made with his soul. Let''s check if there''s anything there.>

    ''...I guess I should do that.''

    My motivation was at rock bottom, but I thought I had to do what I had to do, so I examined the armor with my appraisal.

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 Chapter 550

    Benedict, who had been watching the sh between the Kingdom''s Knights and the Alrn Knights from behind, sighed and pressed his forehead.@@novelbin@@

    When Lucy said she would participate in the duel, he had already expected this oue. To have his daughter on the front lines meant someone¡¯s reason was about to be thrown out the window.

    Benedict had seen countless knights losing their sanity, swept away by Lucy¡¯s voice, only totere to their senses with the realization of, ¡°What did I just do to my lord¡¯s daughter!?¡± He was certain that when Lucy stepped forward, there would be chaos.

    Even so, he hadn¡¯t stopped her simply because he was endlessly indulgent when it came to Lucy.

    His cute, sweet daughter. Calling him ¡°Papa,¡± and shouting that she wanted to test the new armor¡¯s abilities¡ªhow could he refuse her?

    The conversations he¡¯d had with Lucy, filled with teasing and insults, had all been mentally corrected in his mind, leaving only the image of his adorable daughter.

    ¡°Lord, is it alright if you don¡¯t join the fight?¡±

    Poseil, themander of the Alrn knights, asked with his arms crossed, and Benedict chuckled.

    ¡°Why, what are you doing then?¡±

    ¡°I think it will help the knights grow,¡± Poseil replied.

    ¡°Same for me,¡± Benedict said.

    The gap between the Kingdom¡¯s First Order and the Alrn knights wasn¡¯t asrge as people thought. Despite all the politics involved, the knights of the Kingdom were truly exceptional talents, and they had the strength to match the Kingdom¡¯s sword.

    What was especially threatening was the knightmander, Tavol.

    The man who survived countless battles with Benedict and was marked by defeat and hardship, who had turned his back on his own family but still remained asmander of the knights¡ªit was no small feat.

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 Chapter 553

    Once a decision was made, things moved quickly. Or at least, that¡¯s what I wanted to say, but it wasn¡¯t exactly that simple. After all, we were people with pretty significant positions.

    ¡°The Saintess is our symbol and our beacon! We cannot send her to the most dangerous ces!¡±

    ¡°Even now, when the atmosphere within the church is so ominous, people still rely on the church because of the Saintess. We cannot send her away!¡±

    ¡°Saintess, please reconsider. Without you, we...¡±

    At first, the church¡¯s opposition was fierce.

    As the Pope nned internal purges, many had fallen, and new faces kept appearing. That was the current situation of the church.

    Yet, despite this turmoil, the faithful clung to their faith because the church¡¯s symbol, Faby, stood like the sun, unwavering.

    Priests who understood this feared what would happen if Faby were put in danger, and above all, they hoped she wouldn¡¯t fall into harm¡¯s way.@@novelbin@@

    There were those who truly considered Faby a Saintess, and others who knew she was a created Saintess.

    ¡°Everyone, please be quiet.¡±

    Because of the scale of this issue, John, the bishop sent for the task¡ªno, now filling the vacant cardinal¡¯s seat¡ªraised his hand to silence the priests before quietly turning to look at Faby.

    ¡°Saintess.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Cardinal John.¡±

    ¡°As you know, your light is essential to the church. It has be necessary.¡±

    ¡°I see. It¡¯s a great honor.¡±

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 Chapter 555

    The fairies did not know why, when, or how they had awakened from their long slumber. Just as they didn¡¯t know why flower buds bloom by themselves in spring, they also didn¡¯t know the reason for their awakening from a sleep that should have been eternal.

    <ul>

    <li>I wanted to sleep more.</li>

    <li>The dream was happy.</li>

    <li>The dream was even happier.</li>

    <li>So many beautiful flowers.</li>

    <li>So many fun things!</li>

    </ul>

    However, one thing was clear: they were still fairies.

    Even though their once-beautiful appearance had faded, and even though they had lost the voices that once blended with the spring breeze, and could no longer receive nature''s love, they were still the mischievous fairies who boasted of the beautiful visions in their dreams.

    "I see."

    Faby, who had effortlessly organized the fairies¡¯ chaotic talk, nodded her head and smiled again.

    "Then, I have another question."

    However, the fairies'' attitude was now different. Gone was their cooperative demeanor in front of Faby''s bright smile. They had crossed their arms, resembling insects.@@novelbin@@

    <ul>

    <li>Now it¡¯s our turn to talk!</li>

    <li>Right! We¡¯ll take turns asking!</li>

    <li>Are you a genius?</li>

    <li>Me? A genius?!</li>

    </ul>

    "Yes, that''s right. Wecked manners. Fairies, feel free to ask us anything."

    <ul>

    <li>Why did youe to the forest?</li>

    <li>There¡¯s nothing fun here!</li>

    <li>It¡¯s boring and dark.</li>

    <li>Yes, too dark.</li>

    </ul>

    After a brief pause, Faby, who had been listening to the fairiesining about the forest, smiled brightly again and spoke.

    "I came to see you."

    <ul>

    <li>Us?</li>

    <li>See us?</li>

    <li>Why?</li>

    </ul>

    "Is there a reason toe see something you like?"

    It was such a careless statement that anyone else would have furrowed their brows, wondering what nonsense she was talking about. But to the brainless fairies, Faby¡¯s answer was well-received.

    <ul>

    <li>You like us?</li>

    <li>You like us?</li>

    <li>Really?</li>

    <li>Then let¡¯s y!</li>

    <li>What shall we do?</li>

    <li>What should we y?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>We¡¯re not fools!</li>

    <li>We know more than you!</li>

    <li>Isn¡¯t hide and seek fun?</li>

    <li>It¡¯s fun, but...</li>

    <li>Hey!</li>

    <li>Anyway, we don¡¯t want that! Something else!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Absolutely not!</li>

    <li>Annoying!</li>

    <li>We don¡¯t like you!</li>

    <li>You little brat!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>A challenge!</li>

    <li>I won¡¯t lose to you!</li>

    <li>Bring it on!</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 557

    Arthur watched closely as Joey cast her spell.

    Her skill has improved again in just a few days. The structure of her magic has be more refined.

    He had been worried she might make a mistake, but it seemed that concern was unnecessary.

    Letting out a sigh of relief, Arthur rxed his shoulders, but the sudden sound of something falling made him quickly turn his head. Lucy Allen had copsed on the floor.

    The mace, which she had been holding tightly, now rolled on the ground, and the shield, which had made her look the most reliable, couldn¡¯t even make a clink of sound. Her posture, now as chaotic as a broken doll with its string snapped, felt ominous, as if it were signaling death.

    Ignoring the surrounding noise, Arthur stared nkly at Lucy. Was she trying to mock us again?

    Ha ha. Of course, she was. What reason could there possibly be for her to copse right now?

    If she was going to pretend, she should at least make it convincing.

    The very same person who had been unting how much she was loved by the gods just a moment ago, suddenly copsing¡ªwho would believe that?@@novelbin@@

    ¡°<strong>She¡¯s fine. Nothing¡¯s wrong. Everything¡¯s fine. But why? Why? Why isn¡¯t she waking up?</strong>¡±

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 Chapter 558

    The Fairy Queen, slowly opening her eyes, smiled as she inhaled the scent of flowers wafting in from around her.

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Your Majesty!</strong></li>

    <li><strong>You look beautiful today!</strong></li>

    <li><strong>I brought flowers!</strong></li>

    </ul>

    The fairies, who had been waiting for her to awaken, immediately surrounded her as soon as she opened her eyes, each proudly presenting the flowers they had brought, iming their own superiority.

    The Fairy Queen, used to such whining, soothed them by saying that all the flowers were beautiful, but then she heard amotion from a distance and tilted her head.

    ¡°<strong>Did guests arrive from outside?</strong>¡±

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Yes! There are some really great people!</strong></li>

    <li><strong>They¡¯re all amazing!</strong></li>

    <li><strong>That¡¯s right! They¡¯re incredible!</strong></li>

    </ul>

    Seeing the fairies praise them so enthusiastically, it seemed that the guests from outside must surely be heroes of great renown.

    Now that I think about it, I heard recently that a party of heroes wasing from another forest. Could it be that these great heroes, chosen directly by the great god of destruction, have arrived?

    ¡°<strong>Everyone, I must ask. Are you ying pranks on them right now?</strong>¡±@@novelbin@@

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Yes!</strong></li>

    <li><strong>Nothing works on them!</strong></li>

    <li><strong>We all tried our best but failed!</strong></li>

    <li><strong>What if we try just a little longer?</strong></li>

    </ul>

    Feeling the tremor in her lips, the Fairy Queen, after reluctantly offering praise to the fairies, hastily headed toward the source of themotion.

    These guests were the heroes chosen by the great god of destruction himself! We must not cause them any trouble!

    The Fairy Queen, running with a desperate speed that was nearly unnatural, soon discovered the party of heroes caught up in the fairies'' pranks.

    ¡°<strong>So this is how noble they must be for the great god of destruction to choose them personally.</strong>¡±

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 Chapter 559

    <ul>

    <li><strong>What a pathetic man.</strong></li>

    </ul>

    As soon as I opened my eyes, a fragment of Sdin started picking a fight with me. This wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d done this, so I tried to ignore him, but his next words made me stop.

    <ul>

    <li><strong>You passed out, bleeding from your nose, just from seeing some armor with a little bit of exposure.</strong></li>

    </ul>

    ...Oh, right. I had been distracted by that ridiculous armor of his, hidden under the outer garment.

    ¡°<strong>Honestly, I wanted to hang myself.</strong>¡±

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Isn¡¯t that tree over there good enough for that?</strong>

    ¡°<strong>If I hang myself, the branches would probably break.</strong>¡±</li>

    <li><strong>It¡¯d be much more pitiful and pathetic to roll around on the dirt, wouldn¡¯t it?</strong>

    ¡°<strong>You... are you sure you¡¯re not actually a servant of the dark gods?</strong>¡±</li>

    </ul>

    I snapped at the fragment, but my desire to die wasn¡¯t a lie.

    Of all ces, in front of that Lucy Allen, after hearing his insults, I passed out like that!

    This is no mere embarrassing history! If I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯ll be relegated to the level of some lowly figure like Rina or a mere apostle of the Art Church!

    ...Come to think of it, there¡¯s more than one way to die. Maybe I should consider how to die cleanly and painlessly.

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Tch. I can¡¯t believe someone like that is my descendant. The brat, loved by the gods, and the mischievous kid who likes ying pranks, are truly pathetic.</strong>

    ¡°<strong>I won¡¯t deny that. But let me at least exin.</strong>¡±</li>

    <li><strong>Go ahead, I¡¯ll mock you all the way.</strong>

    ¡°<strong>Don¡¯t you think Lucy Allen is also to me for this incident?!</strong>¡±</li>

    <li><strong>...What?</strong>

    ¡°<strong>That brat is way too defenseless!</strong>¡±</li>

    </ul>

    Sometimes I think about it. Is Lucy Allen unaware of what kind of person she is?

    She is too defenseless.

    She doesn¡¯t pay attention to the people around her.@@novelbin@@

    <ul>

    <li><strong>So, you¡¯re saying that little brat is entirely at fault?</strong>

    ¡°<strong>Well... not exactly.</strong>¡±</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li><strong>At this rate, that child¡¯s dullness will never be fixed. Outsiders can target her dullness, but insiders can¡¯t even tell her about it.</strong>

    ¡°<strong>What else can I do? I¡¯ll just try my best not to be misunderstood and y the role of her toy.</strong>¡±</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Just a word of advice: It¡¯s better not to approach her right now.</strong>

    ¡°<strong>It was an ident earlier. A perfectly executed ambush. I¡¯ve seen it once and suffered, so I won¡¯t fall for the same thing twice.</strong>¡±</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li><strong>I wasn¡¯t trying to mock you. I was just giving you serious advice.</strong>

    ¡°<strong>Advice? From you? You haven¡¯t taught me anything useful except how to enchant a sword with magic!</strong>¡±</li>

    <li><strong>If you think I¡¯m talking nonsense, feel free to ignore me, but prepare yourself. I don¡¯t want to see my descendants passing out in front of women again.</strong></li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li><strong>Oh my. How am I supposed to raise someone like this to fit their role?</strong></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 563

    Theughter of the Fairy Queen, who remembered me, was bright and pure, but inside my heart, the sight of it filled me with terror.

    Wait, didn¡¯t I do something incredibly rude back then!?

    I thought we¡¯d never meet again, so I just vented all my frustration about that damn brat, Ganshu, and made a loud scene!@@novelbin@@

    If she remembers that, of course, I¡¯m going to get revenge!

    <...Isn¡¯t there a more pressing issue at hand?>

    While I was panicking in the Fairy Queen¡¯s gaze, my grandfather¡¯s voice scolded me with a sigh. A more important issue?

    Ah. Right.

    <em>¡°Ganshuuuuu!¡±</em>

    That stubborn old man! Why did the trials affect reality? What did I do to make things turn out like this!?

    I should have exined it beforehand! Or at least told her what was going on, even if it waste!

    This is why gods can¡¯t be trusted!

    People on the surface always get by thinking, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s how it is,¡± and just ept things without exnations! They always mess things up!

    Look at people! Look at them!

    But not like that pathetic god or that perverted crow, staring way too intently!

    If those two were around, it would be more than just interest¡ªit would be stalking!

    <No, that¡¯s not it.>

    <em>¡°...Is it? Are you trying to deflect the topic because you''re worried about Ganshu?¡±</em>

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 Chapter 564

    ¡°Hoohoohoo.¡±

    As the Fairy Queenughs,ughter follows her from all over the ce.

    Above the tree that has bloomed ck leaves.

    Above the utterly ck flowers that do not allow even a single ray of light.

    Under the earth that emits a sticky ck color through the cracked gaps.

    In the fierce wind that brushes past our skin and tries to leave a scar.

    Eachughter flows out and fills the Queen¡¯s dream.

    ¡°You are as rude as ever.¡±

    I hold the shield shining with the divine power of the Lord and stiffen my body. All my senses tell me that the current situation has reached its worst.

    I shout that I must escape from here immediately in order to survive.

    I think so too. I doubt that there is a way to win against the Fairy Queen who is having a lucid dream.@@novelbin@@

    There is no way to escape, so I cannot escape even if I want to.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. How can you be so noisy even in the face of death? Are you stillcking in a sense of crisis? Should I push you a little further?¡±

    With each step, I spread divinity across thend, blocking the tricks of the earth elves who were trying to scatter what we had prepared.

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 Chapter 568

    The man, drawing the darkness that enveloped him, could be seen rushing forward.

    Gathering a tremendous force to crush the restrictions ced upon him by Erginus¡¯s magic, the sight of him trying to silence me was as awe-inspiring as night itself advancing toward me.

    However, night was merely spreading across the world, not deep nor thick. With my light, I could be the sun itself and turn the night into dawn.

    ¡°Haha!? Just like its master, a pitiful darkness!?¡±

    Even though the darkness recedes, facing the man is still a daunting task.

    Even without his power, the presence standing before me is clearly divine.

    It is no easy task for a mere human to inflict harm.

    However, if it is about blocking his attack, hindering his movements, I can do that much.

    Boom!

    The punch the man threw with all his might was not a significant attack from the perspective of emptiness. However, with the overwhelming power of a god behind it, the story changes.

    The shock from his punch, whichnded directly on my shield, vibrated through my weary body.

    ¡°Heh? Is this all??¡±

    Enduring the shock transmitted through my bones, I lifted my lips.

    The man, his eyes wild, tried to attack again, but before that, the three knights waiting by my side reached for their swords.

    The weapons they wielded carried the divine power of the Lord, which I had bestowed upon them! For a man restricted in his power, it was not an attack to be ignored.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Tch!¡±

    The man, retreating into the shadows to avoid the attack, attempted to reveal himself from behind me, but that was within the scope of my expectations.

    Erginus¡¯s divine magic, which I had prepared in advance, shot toward my shadow.

    ¡°I cannot understand. How can you, a mere child, predict my actions?¡±

    ¡°Why ask such an obvious question?? It¡¯s because your intelligence is that of a beast. You fool?¡±

    Hmm. It seems he''s somewhat immune to ordinary provocation. Perhaps he resists status effects with his divine powers.

    Had I not known his weakness, this would have been a very troublesome situation. But now, knowing his weakness, it¡¯s a different story.

    ¡°Why y with the others? Come y with us. Stay with us.¡±

    ¡°Damn.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>What prank are you pulling?</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 569

    Benedict Allen''s sword struck the monstrous creature that had risen from the earth.

    The creature, which was a fusion of life sprouting from the earth below and life born above, became something neither here nor there. It let out a fierce cry, even in the face of a massive great sword that wasrger than its own form, but the scream didn¡¯tst long. The moment Benedict''s great sword touched the creature, its body burst open.

    ¡°Please, be a bit more thorough, Sir. Wearing the monster¡¯s skin isn¡¯t exactly pleasant.¡±

    Posel, who had been guarding Benedict¡¯s side, grumbled as he wiped the blood and flesh off his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Are you worried about the youngdy?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Not long after Lucy entered the barrier with her friends, the battle began.

    At first, a horde of monsters, the likes of which could be found anywhere in the world, poured out from the forest.@@novelbin@@

    Soon, however, grotesque figures twisted into strange shapes appeared.

    They had nine wings, five eyes, and walked on one leg, reaching the ground with arms that had never existed before.

    They were cursed beings from the moment of their birth, iplete creations born from the dark fairy queen who had been consumed by darkness.

    Benedict and the knights, regrettably, had no choice but to mourn these creatures who had gained life and then defeat them. They stood at the front lines, waiting for the moment when the n woulde to fruition.

    But despite the passing of time, the barrier didn¡¯t falter, and the monsters emerging from the forest grew increasingly bizarre.

    Even now, as the sun slowly descends after noon.

    ¡°I remember the time when the highest-level dungeon appeared.¡±

    Themander¡¯s voice rose, blood veins bulging, as he shouted.

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 Chapter 570

    ¡°Erginus¡­?¡±

    After hundreds of years, the fairy''s voice carried through the warm wind of the forest.

    Mesmerized by the sweet voice echoing in his memory, Erginus turned his head, only to freeze upon seeing the woman who made even the surrounding spring seem fleeting.

    Like a broken doll, he repeatedly opened and closed his mouth, turning what was meant to be a reunion¡ªa miracle upon miracle¡ªinto a farce.

    ¡°Heh heh. So, it is you.¡±

    With a lightugh at the sight that could hardly be called graceful, the Fairy Queen carefully approached and took Erginus¡¯s hand, which seemed lost and without direction, in both of hers.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Your Majesty!? W-wait, this...?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I won¡¯t let go. I¡¯m no longer the pure little girl I once was.¡±

    Proving her words true, the Fairy Queen¡¯s soft hand, which stroked his skin, slowly sank Erginus into oblivion.

    ¡°Your Majesty. It would be troublesome if you broke the Master so soon.¡±

    As Erginus, who was on the verge of losing his initial dignity, struggled, Joy, no longer able to stand the pathetic sight of her teacher, stepped in between them with a sigh.

    ¡°But the evil god of darkness is still there, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°No. I have no need to care. Continue your little farce. I find it quite amusing, seeing the pitiful hero who tormented me.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Hahaha!</li>

    <li>You¡¯re right!</li>

    <li>So that¡¯s why you were talking so much!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Not going to sing?</li>

    <li>Yeah! We¡¯ll only hear our own songs!</li>

    <li>The Queen should go away!</li>

    <li>You¡¯re banned!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>So scary!</li>

    <li>We need to run!</li>

    <li>What¡¯s eternal torment?</li>

    <li>I don¡¯t know.</li>

    <li>But isn¡¯t it kind of cheesy?</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 571

    Feeling the hostility directed at him, not only towards himself but also towards the child he holds in his arms, Benedict gave a sloppy smile and lowered Lucy to the ground.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Go rest with your friends in the back.¡±

    ¡°Are you... sure?¡±

    Even as her legs gave way and she slumped down, Lucy looked at her father with a concerned gaze, and Benedict smiled confidently.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not entirely sure, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll lose.¡±

    After the grueling battle, Benedict carefully stroked his daughter¡¯s messy hair and took a deep breath before slowly turning around.

    The face of the knight, standing on the battlefield, was serious, heavy, and grim, unlike when he was standing in front of his daughter.

    ¡°I will ask you, O Lord of Darkness. Were you the one who hurt my daughter?¡±

    ¡°My only regret is that I couldn¡¯t torment that damned woman any longer! Damn it! I should have killed her while she was trembling in fear. I should have made sure she could only spit blood from her vile lips!¡±

    ¡°I see. So, that is your answer.¡±

    The knight, whose fame had spread across the continent, drew his sword from his back.

    It was a sword that, unless wielded by a man of great size and strength like Benedict, no one would dare lift.

    A weapon so huge that even great warriors in history would not choose it, a weapon that might appeal only to strongmen or circus performers.

    With both hands gripping the gigantic greatsword, Benedict swung it with his aura, and the roar of an explosion echoed from the spot where the man had been standing.

    The strike of a sword swung by one man created an explosion that no ordinary magic could replicate.

    ¡°Indeed! A great strength that endures against fire!¡±

    The man¡¯s body, caught in the st, disintegrated without a trace, but his voice did not stop.

    ¡°However, it is meaningless! Darkness will not disappear!¡±

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 Chapter 573

    The darkness was split.

    It wasn¡¯t just a simple slicing of waves.

    Like how the sea parts to reveal thend, the swordsman¡¯s strike cleaved the darkness in half, and the crimson sunset appeared, revealing itself.

    This was beyond the man¡¯sprehension.

    How could the darkness be split? A human sword. How could the strength of an ordinary human, with no divine power, possibly touch the realm of the gods!?

    The bewilderment in the man¡¯s eyes made his pupils tremble, but there was no time to ponder the answer.

    Before he could process it, a monster appeared before his face, spinning around in the air.

    Its massive mouth and sharp fangs resembled the wolves of bards¡¯ tales, as if they could rip apart even concepts. The sight was terrifying enough to tear at his very being.@@novelbin@@

    Staring into the mouth of hell, the man briefly lost his focus, feeling his body rise.

    ¡°Haha! Yes! Even if I split the darkness for a moment, what good is it!? If I cannot sever your power, it is all meaningless.¡±

    ¡°Pleasure meeting you.¡±

    The knight¡¯s greeting, as he wielded a sword the size of his own body, was casual.

    ¡°And farewell.¡±

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 Chapter 576

    The disaster that had urred in the Fairy Forest copsed in an instant, as if it had all been a prank by the fairies themselves.

    The light that rose from the center of the forest not only illuminated the darkness but also purified all the shadows that had burrowed into thend.

    Watching the forest regain its former lushness, the priests praised the Creator and the Saintess. The knights and mercenaries mobilized for this task expressed pure admiration, while the mages let out a sigh of relief.

    However, strangely enough, several sages who had entered the forest did not return for quite some time.

    Even as the sun descended and the crimson glow of the sunset disappeared, the forest remained eerily silent, fully enveloped in the night.

    As anxiety began to take hold of the frontlines, a sound of dozens of footsteps, but seemingly all one, echoed across thend.

    It was the Arlen Knights, the kingdom''s most formidable order, making their appearance.

    Though the army had cheered for the knights¡¯ arrival, especially given their heroic lineage from the mythic era, their subtle reaction caused the cheers to slowly fade into silence.

    "...Huh? Where are the others?"

    In the midst of this, an inquiry arose. The return procession consisted only of the leaders who had entered the forest first and the Arlen Knights.

    "Why only them?" "What happened inside?" "Could the battle still be ongoing?"@@novelbin@@

    With no clear answers, uncertainty turned into rising anxiety, but it was the royal elites, including Queen Consort 1, who quelled the mood.

    "Sir Arlen, may we inquire about the situation?" "It is difficult to summarize in one sentence, may I speak separately?" "Of course. But for now, please answer this¡ªdid we win?"

    Noticing the Queen''s intention, Benedict nodded and cleared his throat.

    "Everyone, listen!"

    A single knight¡¯s voice reverberated through the dimly lit world. Those who had been drained by fatigue raised their heads upon hearing the voice.

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 Chapter 578

    The typical mount often easily surpasses a human¡¯s legs, but that¡¯s only the norm.

    The exceptions are overflowing across the continent, and most of these exceptions belong to the elite who use mounts, yet, despite this, the fact that mounts are still intact in this world is because the mere act of riding one has be a symbol of authority. Sometimes, the shabby appearance of the mounts themselves hides their true worth.

    For instance, it¡¯s hard to imagine the Pope of the Creator¡¯s Church and one of the continent¡¯s strongest knights riding in a carriage pulled by a low-quality horse, indistinguishable from a pony, with a body made of rotting wood.@@novelbin@@

    Normally, Lasha would never ride such a slow thing, but this time, it was an exception.

    No matter who the other person was, even Lasha, who maintained an impolite attitude, found the creature smiling happily while looking out the window at the greenery to be an awkward presence.

    "Hey, old man, haven¡¯t you been wandering around too muchtely?" Lasha growled, her dissatisfaction with the way she had been used showing, but the Pope merely shrugged his shoulders with a rxed smile.

    "That just means a lot is happening on thisnd. It¡¯s a joyful thing. If this old body hadn¡¯t been able to witness so many things until myst breath, I would¡¯ve been buried in silence."

    What nonsense. If nothing happened, it¡¯d be the worst kind of troublemaker causing chaos. Lasha, who had faced the Pope before and seen his true nature, couldn¡¯t help but click her tongue.

    "Haha. Don¡¯t be like that. Thanks to working by my side, haven¡¯t you had the chance to face many strong ones easily?"

    "Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I¡¯m hoping for a struggle that will make my soul shudder. Not to take the necks of worn-out, useless animals who don¡¯t want to admit they¡¯ve been abandoned."

    If someone asked Lasha whether the people she had dealt with under the Pope were strong or weak, she would willingly say they were strong.

    Those individuals were definitely capable of making a name for themselves across the continent, but only if they were at their best.

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 Chapter 580

    As the fairies that had wanted to sparkle alongside me began to swarm, I gradually began to understand what the power of "Embrace" truly meant.

    "Embrace" means to hold someone close. It is aboutforting them, no matter who they are, and making them release any lingering grudges or resentments, all while nurturing them with your warmth.

    To put it more specifically, think back to the purification miracle I performed in the Fairy Forest.

    The act of enveloping the fairies, who had been tainted by darkness for centuries, in that miracle and returning them to their original forms was an act of "Embrace."@@novelbin@@

    ¡®No matter how I think about it, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m suited for this power.¡¯

    The fairies, now freed from their dark forms, were darting across thend, scattering starlight everywhere. Their presence, as described by their own vocabry, was truly sparkling. They had likely lived with that same radiance for all these years.

    Now I understand why people were so often charmed by fairies.

    <Why do you think so?>

    ¡®Because I don¡¯t seem like the type to fit with "Embrace," right?¡¯

    How could someone like me, who enjoys teasing, mocking, and stomping on others'' weaknesses, ever fit with something as pure as "Embrace"?

    <Why don¡¯t you try telling that to your friends? You¡¯d get an interesting reaction.>

    ¡®Well, they¡¯re precious to me, so...¡¯

    <Hmm. You¡¯re not quick to admit it, are you? Then let me ask you this: What about yourpassion, which you can¡¯t even shake, for Lina and the Goddess¡¯ apostles? Even when they¡¯ve done horrible things, you still haven¡¯t cast them off!>

    ¡®That¡¯s notpassion, it¡¯s resignation.¡¯

    It¡¯s the only way I can deal with these perverted idiots who enjoy being hated!

    <ul>

    <li>Huh?</li>

    <li>I haven¡¯t sparkled yet!?</li>

    <li>That¡¯s unfair!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>That¡¯s right!</li>

    <li>Sparkling is nice, but being just like our Queen is the best!</li>

    <li>No sense at all!</li>

    <li>Pity!</li>

    <li>What¡¯s ¡®pity¡¯ mean!?</li>

    <li>I don¡¯t know! But definitely pity!</li>

    <li>Nerd!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>The past heroes left behind their lingering hopes for future generations.</li>

    <li>The pdins who served the gods vanished, leaving their all in their weapons.</li>

    <li>The knights who lived for honor closed their eyes, leaving their will in their castles.</li>

    <li>The magicians who challenged the gods left countless possibilities buried beneath the earth.</li>

    <li>The warriors who never doubted miracles ced hope in ces even fairies could not reach.</li>

    <li>Child of the warrior¡¯s soul, meet their dreams, and smile toward the will they left behind. Prove that the hero¡¯s legacy was not in vain.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 581

    Before I could say anything, my grandfather¡¯s self-imposed answer to the tax was disappointing.

    He was nning to move my body in case the n failed.

    Why is he so unnecessarily noble like this! It¡¯s so irritating! He should just be more true to his desires!

    If that were the case, even if he had doubts about carrying around a mace, it would have been fun to tease him!

    ¡®Why did you try to hide it? You got my hopes up for nothing.¡¯

    <...I can¡¯t say.>

    ¡®Did I say something strange when I borrowed your body?¡¯

    <Oh. How did you know?!>

    Ah, I see. This is the curse of the Mesugaki Skill.

    It¡¯s disorienting when it¡¯s distorted at first. Even now, though I¡¯ve somewhat adapted, I still can¡¯t help but say, ¡°Why is it tranted like that?!¡± Yeah. Yeah.

    ¡®Once you adapt, it¡¯s actually pretty fun.¡¯@@novelbin@@

    If you can¡¯t avoid it, just enjoy it, right?

    The Mesugaki Skill still has the potential to provide insults all day long, but it¡¯s not without its advantages.

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 Chapter 582

    When Joy arrived at the ce where the Parn family members were, she quickly washed herself off and threw herself onto the bed.

    Her mind was filled with countless thoughts, but in the face of the overwhelming fatigue that consumed her, she was powerless.

    Before she even realized it, she had fallen asleep, but upon waking up, she quickly lifted her head and looked around. When she confirmed that she had returned, she let out a slow sigh and slouched her shoulders.

    Right. It¡¯s over, right? There¡¯s no longer an enemy here.

    ¡°Rxing your guard so easily¡­¡±

    ¡°Eek!?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    At the voice that came from the side, she screamed and, forming a spell, fired a cursed bullet in the direction the voice came from.

    ¡°Though your appearance is shabby, your magic seems fine. Lady Arln has trained you well.¡±

    However, the curse did not reach its target. The intruder casually waved their hand, scattering the curse.

    Joy was horrified by the intruder¡¯s power, but quickly prepared another spell.@@novelbin@@

    The opponent is a mage far superior to me. If I confront them directly, I won¡¯t stand a chance.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m willing to just die. I can at least buy time until the Parn mages arrive.

    ¡°Before you sharpen your gaze, wipe the drool off your mouth. What¡¯s a noblewoman like you doing losing her dignity?¡±

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 Chapter 585

    It was a phrase I had heard somewhere before.

    Direct intent to kill is terrifying, but it is not the most frightening thing.

    Knowing that the opponent wants to kill you, you can be afraid, but at the same time, you can prepare for it.

    However, when the opponent¡¯s actions deviate far beyondmon sense and the expected, when you can''t even guess where their foundation lies, it bes terrifying, as someone once said.

    In the past, I thought that was nonsense. Even after narrowly escaping death multiple times, I couldn''t feel the weight of those words. But now, I understood that they were true.

    "Why are you so afraid, my little kitten?" With a fresh smile that would not feel out of ce, the First Prince, staring at me, was more terrifying than the Dark God I faced yesterday.

    "Lady Arln?"

    With an uncertain tone and a hand extended toward me, I quickly stepped back, unwilling to touch it.

    If it were up to me, I¡¯d want to strike the First Prince¡¯s head with my mace and knock some sense into him, but the surrounding situation was too tense for me to draw my weapon.

    <Lucy, would you try speaking the way I told you to?> ¡®Won¡¯t it make the situation worse if I speak?¡¯ <Don¡¯t worry. No one here can harm you. So just destroy his self-esteem without hesitation.> ¡®...No. I shouldn¡¯t do that.¡¯

    Normally, I¡¯d have been told to keep quiet, but why is he suddenly saying this?

    Of course, I¡¯d like to do that, but I can¡¯t! I don¡¯t want to stack up more karmic debt here!

    "Brother. Lady Lucy Arln is still fatigued from the battle. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to n a conversation for ater time?"@@novelbin@@

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 Chapter 588

    Though entering the ind immediately was important and I had put everything else on the back burner, my task wasn¡¯t just about entering the ind and conquering the dungeon.

    After all, the reason I was guided by the Fairy Queen was to collect the remnants left behind by the heroes.

    I still had to visit the figurines left by Erginus, Grandpa, and the hero. I also needed to conquer Garad¡¯s castle. The ce I decided to go to with Benedict was Garad¡¯s castle.@@novelbin@@

    The hero''s skeleton was someone I¡¯d like to meetter for a long conversation, and Grandpa¡¯s skeleton was someone I wanted to meet alone.

    Why? Because that way, I could tease Grandpa! Grandpa, who even through the monitor gave off a nagging vibe, I couldn¡¯t wait to see how he would act in reality.

    Ah, I¡¯m so excited! Just imagining how Grandpa will twitch from just his voice makes me thrilled!

    <...I¡¯m not excited at all. Why don¡¯t you just leave me behind and go?>

    ¡®Grandpa¡¯s my weapon. How can I not take it with me?¡¯

    <Well, that¡¯s true...>

    Thinking about facing his past, Grandpa naturally fell silent, as if he were getting depressed.

    Hmm. If I were to meet myself from my past, the me who used to say strange things because I was in my "chuunibyou" phase, I¡¯d probably have a fit. Grandpa must feel the same way.

    ¡°Lina, is there really a reason to be so cautious here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the current situation. You never know when that trash will pop up. We have to be prepared to leave a scar on that irritating face.¡±

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 Chapter 590

    The reason I sought out Garad''s castle was not only to show Benedict the strength I now possessed, but also to objectively assess how far I hade and what I could aplish.

    After all, the way I had fought until now was always by gaining an advantage¡ªwhether it be through stats, information, or some other form of dominance¡ªand then overwhelming my opponents.

    If none of that worked, I resorted to provocation, shaking my enemies to make sure they couldn''t fight properly.

    But even now, it''s hard for me to assess just how far I''ve truly gone in martial skill.

    The fact that the God of Martial Arts recognized me with a single skill must mean I''m at a respectable level, but if I can''t feel it myself, it means nothing.

    In that sense, the knights guarding Garad''s castle made for excellent test subjects.

    These knights, trained by Garad himself with the help of his close friend Erginus, were the perfect measure for me to test how far I could go with my current strength, and determine what level I''ve reached.

    The reason I didn¡¯t use provocation or take the shortest route to conquer Garad¡¯s castle was precisely because of this.

    ¡°Thank you. Hero of the future.¡±

    My thoughts shifted when I heard the knight''s final words as he crumbled into dust.

    His words of gratitude, after having lived for centuries following themands of his master, Garad, stirred something indescribable within me.

    It reminded me of the time when I witnessed Garad¡¯s legacy, embodied by an automaton, fade away.

    Conflicted, I wondered if I could ever embrace the regrets of these knights after facing a few more of them.@@novelbin@@

    The answer soon came to me. I was a servant of the God of Darkness, bestowed with the power ofpassion.

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 Chapter 591

    In exchange for saving the Fairy Forest, I had gained the power of Embrace, and I continued to think about the word "embrace."

    It wasn¡¯t because I was a serious or good person.

    I just thought that if I didn¡¯t think this way, I wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the power of Embrace.

    It couldn¡¯t be helped!

    The perverted priest had shut his mouth, saying that there was no other way but to figure it out for myself from now on!

    The grandfather was only rambling, asking if I didn¡¯t already know everything!

    Cheon-eon, who couldn¡¯t answer, kept silent!

    Even the long-awaited tutorial feature showed a "tutorial unavable" message!

    So, what was I supposed to do when none of these guys who were supposed to give me advice could give me proper answers? I had to figure something out, even if it was by trial and error!

    In my frustration, I even looked through the dictionary, and this was the definition of Embrace I found:

    ¡°To ept something generously. To respect and try to understand opinions that arepletely opposite to your own.¡±

    As I read the definition over and over, I suddenly recalled a video I had seen before stepping into this world.

    In that video, the clergyman, instead of scolding the one who was causing a disturbance and insulting not only himself but also the church''s god and its followers, embraced the person.@@novelbin@@

    He defended him, saying that he was just a poor, wounded littlemb.

    The video spread widely, but beneath it, there were more mockingments than praise.

    People called it maniption, said he was a fool, and imed he would regret itter.

    Although I couldn¡¯t ept these opinions, given how deeply the video had moved me, the clergyman himself, despite the ridicule, only smiled.

    He said that if others epted it that way, that was also fine.

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 Chapter 592

    When I opened my eyes in the training ground, I didn¡¯t have any particr thoughts. After all, this is the ce where I swing weapons to the point of death every night.

    The training ground is a nice ce because I don¡¯t have to worry about the fatigue from reality.

    Today, I¡¯m going to test what I learned at the castle on Grandpa!

    Today, I¡¯ll give him a taste of defeat!

    And then, I¡¯llugh at him! I¡¯ll tell him, ¡°You¡¯ve be a relic, Grandpa!¡±

    I¡¯m going to change the oue where he always falls in the end!

    Feeling excited, I raised my shield and mace, striding forward with confidence, only to find a man sitting next to Grandpa, looking grumpy...

    A man? Is he really a man?

    His body is clearly that of a man, but there¡¯s something oddly pretty about him.

    The white hair makes him look older, but everything else about him only makes him seem like he¡¯s in his forties at most.

    What should I say¡­ He looks like someone who would be called ¡°Mother¡± in a mafia movie.

    Hmm. The more I look at him, the more I feel like I¡¯ve seen him before.@@novelbin@@

    Could I know him? If he were a character from the Soul Academy, I wouldn¡¯t have forgotten him.

    Ugh, I don¡¯t know. Who is this person who has entered my mental world?

    <ul>

    <li>If you think that way, it means you¡¯re not as pure as that pervert.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>If you¡¯re awake, hurry up and flip to the page about theing-of-age ceremony.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Stop it.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Fool. This part is crucial in the ceremony. Upon hearing the word ¡®ceremony,¡¯ Arthur focused his eyes.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Hmm. There¡¯s change, but the important parts remain the same.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>If you don¡¯t think about the ceremony¡¯s location, that¡¯s what it looks like.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>You¡¯ve seen the underground, so you must understand. The ceremony¡¯s location and the underground scenery are eerily simr.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>The prince¡¯sing-of-age ceremony is a trial.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Exactly. That¡¯s the pact Erginus made when Sdin was created.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>That¡¯s right. He failed miserably when he took the test before.</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 593

    Rene propped his face up with one hand and quietly waited for Arthur to answer.

    Though his actions and expression were no different than usual, Arthur couldn''t ept it so easily.

    Not long ago, Arthur had seen the cold eyes directed at him. Less than a few days had passed, and now, had he reallye to terms with it?

    No matter how extraordinary his older brother was, something like that would be impossible. Arthur had always watched him closely.

    He knew how hard his older brother had worked to be someone worthy of being a king!

    Yet, this man had lost the very goal he had pursued his entire life.

    Arthur couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine how immense the frustration must have been!

    And yet, to think he could throw away that frustration in just a day or two?

    <ul>

    <li>I think the same. This guy is still wandering in despair. Don¡¯t react, just listen. Don¡¯t let him notice.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Don¡¯t let him notice?¡± That¡¯s a tough request. I¡¯ve never told a proper lie to my older brother, after all.

    <ul>

    <li>If you say anythingforting now, the hidden hostility under the mask will show. So, treat him as you always do.</li>

    </ul>

    Treat him as I always do. Even that was difficult. How did I usually treat my older brother?

    ¡°Arthur?¡±

    ¡°You asked about Lucy Alrn, but what exactly do you want to know?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°It¡¯s the usual conversation boys have. What he likes, dislikes, what he¡¯s interested in.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Lucy, you¡¯re so beautiful!</li>

    <li>Lucy, the best!</li>

    <li>Even more impressive than the queen!</li>

    <li>Hey, that¡¯s...</li>

    <li>Isn¡¯t it true?</li>

    <li>Maybe.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Lucy! Inside!</li>

    <li>It¡¯s dangerous!</li>

    <li>There¡¯s trouble!</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 594

    Holding my sword and looking ahead, I see my older brother standing as naturally as ever.

    There¡¯s no sense of tension in his posture at all. It may seem arrogant at a nce, but that¡¯s not it.

    It¡¯s only natural. Who would get tense when a fly is buzzing right in front of them? The gap between my older brother and me is that kind of difference.

    <ul>

    <li>Do you think you can win?</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°I can¡¯t win, not at all.¡±

    I¡¯ve changed my mindset from the past, struggling in various ways.

    To win just once against Lucy Alrn. To not fall behind that Freya. To prove my worth to others. I¡¯ve given it my all.

    But if you ask what the origin of all this effort is, I would, of course, point to one person.

    Rene Sdin. The first prince of Sdin. A genius no one can deny, and my older brother. The goal I have to surpass.

    <ul>

    <li>Is it your hobby to just build walls without surpassing anything?</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t mock me. I didn¡¯t create walls because I wanted to.¡±

    I kept pushing forward. But suddenly, walls appeared before me.

    From the start, Freya wasn¡¯t even a wall. I haven¡¯t been overtaken yet.

    <ul>

    <li>I think you¡¯ve already been overtaken.</li>

    </ul>

    I ignored the fragment¡¯s words and kept moving forward, when my older brother waved his hand with a fresh smile.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±

    ¡°If you want a handicap, tell me beforehand. I¡¯ll amodate most things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with this.¡±

    ¡°¡­Really?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t ask for a handicap when you face little brother, do you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s an idiot. If he¡¯s going to get crushed, he¡¯ll use all his strength until he copses.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve be an idiot too.¡±@@novelbin@@

    <ul>

    <li>Don¡¯t rx.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>It¡¯s a waste to use it here.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>The opponent is the opponent, so perfect replication is impossible. Just know that.</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 597

    Excited about the food that wasing, I paused to recall what Rene had just said, my shoulders tensing up as I shuddered.

    Wait... what did he just say? He thought I had changed, but there are still parts of me that haven''t?

    He just casually dropped a line that coulde straight from a childhood friend romance without a second thought!

    Rene... don¡¯t you have more of a talent for being a host than being a prince?

    If this world were a gender-reversed one, he''d probably be called the nation''s beauty!? Is this what they mean by a man with a maic allure?!

    Ugh. If I were watching this from behind a screen, I could enjoy it with pure thoughts, but being the one on the receiving end of that line gives me chills down my spine!

    ...Forget the food. Maybe I should just run away. My instincts are telling me I¡¯m about to scream at any moment.

    But no. I¡¯ll hold on for just a little longer. If I think about it, that line is actually what I was hoping for.

    I¡¯m just going to think of it as me trying to please my superior. If I imagine a forty-year-old manager saying something like that, I think I can make it through.

    ¡°Ugh.¡±

    Imagining that made it even worse. My stomach turned, and I felt sick.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to openly gag like that, I¡¯m hurt too.¡±

    ¡°...Don¡¯t mind me. I meant to hurt you with it.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°You¡¯re still just as picky as before.¡±

    Thinking back to the conversation we had at the Patran Festival and the things he was saying now, it was clear that Lucy had once been quite close to Rene.

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 Chapter 599

    The next day, right after making my decision, I immediately contacted my friends. I told them that I needed their help and asked for their cooperation.

    Of course, this was a significantly softened version of what I really said. In truth, I was more like arrogantly offering them an opportunity to be of use, but my friends, now used to my tone, didn¡¯t ask any questions and just asked when they shoulde.

    ¡°A doll resembling the old Ruel, huh?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to fight with the hero?¡±

    Not long after, when they arrived at the estate, I told them about the enemy we were going to face, and Arthur and Freya¡¯s eyes lit up.

    One was a hero-worshiping otaku, and the other was a fool who didn¡¯t care much about strong opponents.

    Hmm. They really do make a good pair. Even though Arthur denied itst time, I still wonder if there¡¯s something between them. Maybe they have feelings they don¡¯t even realize themselves.

    ¡°But... Lucy. Ruel, you¡¯re in the weapon, right?¡±@@novelbin@@

    I nodded at Joy¡¯s question. Since Grandpa had mentioned that I was embedded inside, denying it would be pointless.

    ¡°Now, we¡¯re going to meet the fake created by the desperate virgin. The old man recreated his reckless youth in that doll.¡±

    Even though it was fake, it wasn¡¯t something we could defeat easily.

    Especially now, when I¡¯m nothing more than a burden.

    However, with the friends I have now, we should be able to handle it. With a team like this, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re losing.

    <ul>

    <li>"Cardinal Johann, I need to speak with you urgently."</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>"I¡¯m nning to visit the holynd with my friends. Could you help us with the preparations?"</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>"Yes."</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>"Please wait a moment, Cardinal Johann. The oneing is my friend, Lucy Alrn, the noblewoman of House Alrn."</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>"The sooner, the better."</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>"Cardinal Johann."</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>"I have one more request."</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>"...It¡¯s embarrassing, but yes.¡±</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>"...Can I have my friends wear the church''s attire?"</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>¡°Thank you!¡±</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 601

    After finishing his conversation with the Pope, Lazarus, the former cardinal and current papal deputy, let out a long sigh and straightened his back.

    "I don''t know what exactly you¡¯re doing, but it seems you have no ns to return to the church anytime soon."@@novelbin@@

    It had been quite a long time since he had stayed in the Holy Land with that person, but this year, the Pope¡¯s outings had been more frequent than ever before.

    Fundamentally, the position of the Pope is symbolic of the Church itself, a figure who embodies the divine. While the role of the Saint was created and some of the Pope¡¯s significance was divided, it remains a mere mascot and cannot fully rece the Pope.

    The Church always requires someone holding the position of Pope.

    Therefore, the Pope of the Church of the Almighty, the most influential on the continent, must live without ever resting for as long as he holds the position.

    In fact, many past Popes have died from exhaustion, so it¡¯s not hard to imagine the overwhelming weight of their duties.

    Before this year, the current Pope had worked more fervently than any other Pope in history.

    While those below him were stumbling, struggling with the limits of their physical strength, the Pope worked tirelessly.

    As the years passed, the current Pope became an immensely powerful figure within the Church.

    His influence reached every corner, and that was only natural.

    Right now, I am maintaining the status quo by keeping continuous contact with the Holy One, but I know this won''tst long.

    The difference in ability is on a different level. While His Holiness can solve matters with just a nce, I am stuck struggling for minutes, so it¡¯s impossible for me to keep up.

    "There''s simply not enough people."

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 Chapter 602

    It''s been nearly two years since I first stepped into this world, and some things are starting to blur. But there are still a few things I can never forget.

    One of those things is the dungeon.

    Memories carved into my body, rather than my mind, instantly flood back the moment I face that ce.

    Because of that, I can say this for certain: There is no way there¡¯s any smell of blood in the dungeon where Ruel¡¯s puppet waits. How could a dungeon watched over by a noble and meticulous pdin ever reek of decay?

    Ah, damn it. Nothing ever goes ording to n. In a situation where I can¡¯t even properly swing a weapon, this is just one more variable.

    "...What¡¯s going on?"

    "What do you think? Another useless fool found this ce first."

    The condition for entering this ce isn¡¯t to "hold the holiness of the Almighty," but to "breathe the holiness into it."

    The former is something only Faivy and I can do, but thetter is something that can be achieved in many ways.

    Just raiding the Arteia family¡¯s warehouse would be enough to gather countless entry passes.

    So, it wouldn''t be that strange if someone else had discovered this ce.

    Especially when you consider that this is the Holy Land, filled with priests.

    The problem, however, lies elsewhere. The puppet pretending to be Pdin Ruel is far more troublesome than my grandfather.@@novelbin@@

    He wouldn¡¯t stand by watching his home be ruined.

    If someone had caused trouble here, Ruel would have certainly acted to eliminate the intruders.

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 Chapter 603

    I observed Ruel, approaching with sluggish steps.

    There is no trace of the Evil God''s aura. It''s only natural, given that the Holy Land, filled with the presence of the Almighty, cannot be tainted by the Evil God''s influence.

    But, to put it another way, someone from the Church must have intentionally damaged Ruel.

    The first suspect thates to mind is the Pope, but after thinking it over, it seems unlikely that such a madman, who appearspletely sane, would dare interfere with a Pdin.

    "Lucy Allen! Orders!"

    Arthur, using the wind barrier to deflect Ruel''s mace, raised his voice urgently. It seems there¡¯s no time to think it over.

    "Old man! ? You¡¯ve be a beast, haven¡¯t you? ?"

    I provoked him, showing Ruel¡¯s mace, and was immediately met with a murderous re.

    I watched as the monster swiftly changed direction and charged at me.

    Its movements weren¡¯t all that different from the Holy Technique I knew.

    The body may be different, but it was only moving in a more brutal manner.

    I can predict its movements. And there¡¯s a weakness visible in the left arm.@@novelbin@@

    It¡¯s likely a wound left by one of the Inquisitors. If I can exploit that weakness...

    <Don¡¯t trust that weakness! It¡¯s intentional!>

    If that¡¯s the case, you should have warned me earlier, you damn old fool! Has age dulled your reaction speed as well!?

    "Useless Saint! Barrier! Now!"

    <ul>

    <li>Ugh, this is scary.</li>

    <li>I think I¡¯m going to be eaten!</li>

    <li>I¡¯m trembling.</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 604

    I moved my body lightly in front of the dungeon door.

    Unlike my original body, which couldn¡¯t use its strength due to the repeated bacsh of miracles, the body in my mental world waspletely intact.

    Entering the mental world after forcing my body to move felt incredibly light! This is what a body should feel like!

    Excited, I jumped up and down, humming with satisfaction, and opened the door.

    What greeted us for the first time was a castle that resembled a prison, made of stone.

    The castle, which seemed to hold a history of no one ever escaping from it, made it hard to breathe just by looking up at it.

    "Is this Ruel¡¯s family¡¯s mansion?"

    "...I¡¯m losing my mind. So it wasn¡¯t just showing me the puppet¡¯s memories?"

    "Wait a second, old man. This gloomy ce is a mansion? Were you not a noble but a prisoner back then? It suits you in a way."

    "The mansion from my youth always looked like this. Back then, the concept of a state was loose. With wars always threatening, who had the time to care about appearances?"

    I had no words in response to his brutally realistic reason, and I followed behind the slightly somber grandfather.

    "Though I say this, I didn¡¯t like this ce when I was young. Like you said, it looked barren."

    "This is why I chose to be a Pdin. Compared to this dark, grim ce, the Church is bright and majestic."@@novelbin@@

    "Don¡¯t steal my words."

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 Chapter 605

    As I faced the Pope''s rxed smile, I couldn''t hold back my shock.

    What is going on? Why does the Pope recognize me? This is my mental world! Shouldn¡¯t he bepletely devoid of reason?!

    "Hah. Even meeting a disciple of the Almighty has me at a loss for words, but to think I would meet the two great heroes like this, I¡¯m truly overwhelmed, to the point of not knowing how to act."

    Not just me, but is grandfather and Garad also seeing this?! This ruins the theory that they moved based on predicting I would descend into the dungeon!

    "Did you embed your consciousness in the divine power?"@@novelbin@@

    "Exactly as you said, Ruel! To notice right away, you are indeed incredible!"

    I turned my gaze toward the exnation, but grandfather shook his head. Apparently, this wasn¡¯t something to be said in the presence of enemies.

    Understanding his intention, I was about to step back quietly, but the Pope raised his voice instead.

    "Please exin, Disciple. After all, I do not intend to harm you."

    "Anyone who says such things never means it."

    Garad, now standing in front of me, mocked him, but the Pope wasn¡¯t fazed.

    "I swear on the Almighty and my faith in Him, that I have no ill intentions."

    "How do you even say that?"

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 Chapter 606

    The pope, waking from a short nap, turned his gaze to Lasha after noticing the bodies of several people lined up around him.

    "Did you handle them already? These were once considered the elite of the church."

    "These guys? Stop talking nonsense. These are the kind of people who''d get beaten by a brat like Arln. What do you mean ''elite''?"

    "When addressing that person, show some respect. No matter who you are, there¡¯s a line you cannot cross."

    Lasha, who had been wondering if the pope was joking, became flustered when she saw his expressionless face and spread her hands in disbelief.

    "Why?! You justughed it off when I called them that before!"

    "At that time, I hadn''t yet formed an opinion about the Apostle of the Lord."

    "So you¡¯ve formed one now?"

    "Ha. Hahaha! Yes, I have! That person is undoubtedly the one chosen by the Lord!"

    The pope, recalling the scene from earlier, couldn''t help but feel his lips twitch uncontrobly.

    It had nothing to do with the beauty of the Goddess of Beauty and Art, who poured her affection into her appearance.

    He paid no mind to the offensivenguage that might anger the evil gods.@@novelbin@@

    The pope only saw the person''s inner qualities. He wanted to confirm whether they were someone worthy of the Lord¡¯s recognition.

    And the result he found this time was immensely satisfying.

    Lucy Arln was unquestionably someone worthy of being chosen as the Lord''s apostle.

    She was a hero and warrior in whom the Lord would stake Hisst hope!

    "I should have realized from the moment the saint extended her hand to help be a true saint! Ah! How I regret doubting! How I despise my own doubts, questioning the will of the great Lord! I wish I could tear apart the foolish me who doubted the will of the Lord!"

    Had I only resisted tearing apart the doll of Lord Ruel, I wouldn''t have had to endure the pain in my heart!

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 Chapter 607

    The pope, waking early before dawn, a time when everyone is supposed to be asleep, made his way to the church''s confessional.

    Those who know his actions would say that he cannot overlook even the smallest of sins, but the truth is a bit different. It is not that Cardinal Cesare doesn''t repent.

    He always considers himself a sinner and therefore offers his daily apologies to the heavens.

    Though he knows his actions are wrong, he prays, asking that he be sent to hell for the things he must continue doing.

    So, what is different?

    What is different is what happens after he finishes his repentance.

    Cardinal Cesare does not leave the confessional immediately after his repentance.

    Instead, he approaches the sacred statue, cing the ne blessed by the great Lord against it.@@novelbin@@

    He looks directly at his own sins, faces them, and prepares to fall into hell.

    "I did not expect to see you like this, Cardinal Cesare."

    As the man most aware of his own sins, Cesare could not help but freeze upon seeing the saint''s face at the entrance, along with the ne of the hero hanging from her neck.

    The fact that someone with the Lord''s divinity was visiting meant that all his sins had been exposed.

    "...This is indeed unexpected. It¡¯s the same for me, Saint."

    There was no room for excuses, but that was fine. No problem. He had never nned to make excuses anyway.

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 Chapter 610

    After Rene left, the first thing I did was to clean up the situation.

    You might ask, "Is there really a need to clean up now that the root of the problem is gone?"

    Yes, there is. If I don¡¯t take care of those who deserve punishment now, it¡¯ll just fizzle outter.

    I blocked the knights, who were about to go back to training, and asked the one who looked most bewildered,

    "Are you running away because you¡¯re scared of me?"

    "No, of course not, mydy. It¡¯s just... we have some work to do."

    "Is that more important than me?"

    "Well... no! What could be more important than you, mydy!"

    "Right?"@@novelbin@@

    I gave a sly smile, tilted my head, and got the knight, Posel, to kneel. Then, I whispered in his ear,

    "If you promise to be a loyal dog, I might let this pitiful coward go."

    "What should I do, mydy?"

    "I told you to be loyal, not to empty your brain. Heh, our little dog. Were you scared?"

    I patted his chin, and Posel trembled.

    "I¡¯ll make sure they experience hell like they¡¯ve never known before."

    <ul>

    <li>We can do it!</li>

    <li>The queen always listens to us!</li>

    <li>Queenniiing!</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 614

    I couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief as I watched Lucy sobbing pitifully and Rene desperately trying tofort her.

    Before meeting Rene, Lucy had been so fragile, like she could copse at any moment.

    So this was the first meeting that Joy had talked about.

    It''s only normal not to know how they grew closer. How could anyone have predicted that Lucy would understand Rene just by reading his heart?

    <em>¡®What should I do to make her stop crying¡­ Fine. Let her cry as much as she wants.¡¯</em>

    At this moment, Rene reminded me of the Rene I had seen in the game, the one who had finished everything.

    I suppose the kindness that seeped out of his grumbling was part of Rene''s true nature.

    Hmm? Thinking about it this way, it feels a little odd.

    There was no reason for them to fall apart.

    Since I knew her innermost thoughts, there wouldn''t be any misunderstandings caused by the Mesugaki skill''s distortion.

    Lucy, who needed someone to take care of her, wouldn¡¯t be cold to Rene. And from Rene''s side, he wouldn''t do anything to jeopardize his rtionship with the heir of the Allen family.

    Rene was skilled at charming women, after all. It would''ve been easy for him to sweet-talk a vulnerable girl.

    No matter how I thought about it, there was no reason for this rtionship to go awry, except for Lucy.

    Ah! Could it be that Lucy had be obsessed with him? That seems usible! To Rene, Lucy was just one of many acquaintances, but to Lucy, Rene was everything!@@novelbin@@

    <em>¡®I¡¯ll be on my way. I still have many people to greet.¡¯</em>

    <em>¡®...Are you really leaving, abandoning a girl who''s in distress? You vile, despicable trash!¡¯</em>

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 Chapter 615

    Rene, who had been ufortable being with the First Queen, had slipped out of the office with some work in hand. Yet, his hands kept moving, pausing, then moving again, repeatedly.

    Normally, it wouldn''t have taken him even an hour to finish what he had to do, so why was he hesitating so much now?

    As soon as Rene asked himself that, the memory of a long-lost connection resurfaced.

    <em>¡°That damn kid.¡±</em>

    When they first met again at the Partan Festival, Rene thought it was intentional to ignore him. He assumed the kid was deliberately being distant, misinterpreting things and leaving without saying a word.

    Even though a long time had passed, that same kid made him angry. Seeing himughing with others, after abandoning Rene, made him even more irritated. He intentionally picked fights, even though he could have let it go.

    Rene never thought he would lose. After all, the kid had only just gotten out of his confusion and was no more than a year older than him.

    Meanwhile, Rene had been continuously training to be king, so the gap between them must have been enormous.

    His only concern and agonizing thought had been what kind of punishment to impose on the kid after winning.

    And then, he lost.

    Even now, thinking about it, Rene could only let out a bitterugh.

    What kind of strategy was that?

    What was even more ridiculous was Lucy Allen''s usual way of tackling dungeons, ording to her brother¡¯s testimony.@@novelbin@@

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 Chapter 616

    <em>¡°Do you really think we can escape without being caught?¡±</em>

    <em>¡°It¡¯s the power of the God of Darkness. No human can detect it.¡±</em>

    Rene, who was anxious, looked at Alsatin, who appearedpletely unruffled. It didn¡¯t seem like he was just pretending to be calm, but had he ever truly felt the power of a god before?

    As Rene calmed down in the presence of Alsatin¡¯s calmness, he finally breathed a sigh of relief when the Queen entered the room. He had erased all traces, but could he truly deceive the First Queen so perfectly?

    Considering her temperament, she would thoroughly check if even the slightest suspicion arose.

    Holding his breath, Rene watched her move. When he saw her head straight for the bed without hesitation, he felt a wave of relief.

    Thank goodness. Just as Alsatin had said, the power of darkness was working as expected.

    Did shee here every day? The First Queen sat down by the bed, her movements familiar, and she stared silently at the mummified corpse.

    Her gaze was calm, as if she were looking at someone peacefully asleep.@@novelbin@@

    That was when Rene felt a shiver run down his spine.

    Even though she was his mother, there were many times when he couldn¡¯t understand her, but he had never felt this level of iprehension before.

    Until now, the actions of the First Queen had always seemed rational, as if they were all done under the guise of restoring the kingdom. It had been unsettling, but if one tried, it was possible to understand her.

    But today wasn¡¯t the same. The King¡¯s death had been expected. Everyone had been preparing for it, thinking that it was only a matter of time before it happened.

    Once the King¡¯s death was known, there might be a small amount of confusion, but it wouldn¡¯t shake the kingdom.

    However, the actions of the First Queen now were highly problematic.

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 Chapter 618

    The hero¡¯s eyes were clearly fixed on me, but what he was looking at was not me.

    It was the presence lurking behind me, the one giving me strength now, the transcendental being who had once protected the hero¡¯s back.

    The god Armaidi. Towards the god, who existed in a higher position than anyone else, the hero sent a gaze of protest.

    ¡°God! This is against the will!¡±@@novelbin@@

    For an ordinary human to endure for hundreds of years is physically impossible.

    Even if all other constraints are ignored, lifespan cannot be changed.

    That¡¯s why the hero had made a wish to the god. He begged that he be allowed to continue guarding the seal.

    For an ordinary opponent, this would be dismissed as nonsense, but for him, it was an exception.

    The hero, who sacrificed for the world without expecting anything in return, made a humble wish.

    Even though the god could dissuade, persuade, and suggest another way, if the hero refused to change his mind, was there anything Armaidi could do?

    ¡°Do not turn your back on our promise!¡±

    Even if it remained with regret and remorse for the god, there was nothing the god could do.

    Was there anyone who could surpass the malice created by Erginus?

    As long as the hero stayed trapped here, it was impossible to even speak to him.

    The god knew this too.

    That¡¯s why the god created that awful dungeon mode.

    To find someone who could save the past hero.

    ¡°Hey? Hey?¡±

    In the end, the hero standing before me was the culprit who prevented any sequels, let alone DLC, and the enemy that caused me to dedicate my life to this wretched game.

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 Chapter 619

    I let out a sigh of relief after hearing that the reason for wearing it was because he lost a bet and had to wear it as a penalty.

    It would be terrible if another person with such perversion added to the already perverted people around me.

    And one with a cross-dressing hobby and an attraction to men, no less.

    Hmm? Isn¡¯t this better than the foolish fox?

    Aside from how grotesque it looks, it doesn¡¯t really harm me.

    ¡°So it was just the price for losing the bet? I¡¯m relieved! Actually, I was a little scared! If I had thought of you as my friend all by myself, that would have been sad!¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Am I crazy to think of you like that in such a way?!¡±

    ¡°Is it just that our tastes don¡¯t match? That¡¯s a relief too!¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯ve told you several times already!¡±

    ¡°Why are you angry? Did I say something weird?¡±

    I suppose the saying "Innocence is the most painful" applies here.

    Even as Garad, who was about to copse from the heat, held his neck in frustration, the hero just smiled brightly.

    ¡°That''s why everyone gave up eventually.¡±

    The culprit who caused this situation, the old man, watched the two of them bickering with satisfaction before stepping in between them.

    ¡°Both of you, calm down. This will never end if you keep going.¡±

    ¡°This is all your fault from the beginning!¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Ding!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Really? Is itfortable? People dying outside day and night?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Then why not be a king?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Just pass the work to someone else. That¡¯s why everyone wants to be king.</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 620

    The Allen family responded smoothly despite the sudden arrival of the three princes.

    The knights, who had just been making strange sounds while enduring tough training, immediately got into formation, and inside the house, preparations were made to receive the princes ording to the butler''s orders. Benedict and the lord of the forest came down to wee them.

    Rene, who had recently tasted the madness of the Allen family, and Arthur, who had even trained in the Allen family, found it all quite fascinating, while Cecil, who had only heard stories about the family, nodded knowingly, recognizing it as typical of the Allen family.@@novelbin@@

    However, this calm atmosphere couldn''tst long.

    "The King has passed away," Rene''s statement was far from peaceful.

    "Is that true?" Arthur asked on behalf of the confused Cecil, and Rene nodded.

    "I confirmed it with my own eyes."

    "Is there a possibility of a mistake?"

    "The Fairy Queen showed me the evidence. I don''t think there is any mistake."

    The faint doubts that those gathered in the reception room had quickly faded with the mention of the Fairy Queen.

    After all, no one in the current continent could deceive the Fairy Queen, who had even epted the deities of darkness.

    "From the state of the body, it seems the King has passed away for at least a few days. It must have been at least several months."

    "That''s... strange, isn''t it? The King has passed away, but why is there no news from the pce?"

    "Her Majesty the 1st Queen concealed it herself. Nothing has leaked out. Even I, who was close to her, didn''t know."

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 Chapter 623

    The woman, who had just woken up, initially spat out a string of curses, but when she assessed the faces surrounding her, she quickly quieted down.

    Seeing the two princes and a noblewoman from the ducal family, she must have realized that if she made any wrong moves, her life could be at risk.

    "Kanarine. You were always good at reading the room, even if you were half-hearted in your work, right? What do you think you should do to survive?"

    "...What are you asking?"

    "About the King. You know, right?"

    The woman appeared confused, as though she had no idea what was being referred to.

    Could it be that she knows nothing? Despite being in a prominent position, she hadn¡¯t heard the rumors?

    "Khaha! Oh, you''ve really gotten better at pretending."

    "No, really. I don''t know anything."

    "I can see right through you, you idiot."

    However, her well-executed performance was meaningless in front of Karya¡¯s abilities.

    Even if she had some telepathic powers, Karya would have easily unraveled the thoughts imprinted in the woman¡¯s mind, simply epting the truth without hesitation.

    "Do you remember how I interrogated you before? Now we''re talking, aren¡¯t we? This should make things easier."

    As Karya let out a sly smile, the woman visibly flinched, her shoulders trembling.@@novelbin@@

    "Would you rather go somewhere private and be alone with me, or cooperate here? Either way, I don¡¯t mind."

    "K-Karya-sama, you know the restrictions ced on us..."

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 Chapter 624

    Cecil, who had taken a seat in the corner of the reception room, expressed his misery with his whole body.

    Though Arthur and Rene did their best tofort him, his crushed self-esteem, shattered by a single word and a sneer, was not something that could be easily rebuilt.

    Even after he had put his clothes back on, the confidence and arrogance that had once defined him were nowhere to be found.

    <Lucy, you might not understand since you''re a woman, but the issue of size is a very sensitive topic for men.>

    I know that too!? I¡¯ve only been a woman for a year! How could I not know how much ament about size can hurt!?

    <So this is entirely your fault.>

    ¡®You think I wanted to talk about someone else¡¯s... that!?¡¯

    I definitely thought that to myself! But that was as far as it went!

    I swear I never intended to talk about anyone¡¯s sensitive areas!

    No, seriously. Who talks about something like that, about their private parts, out of nowhere!?

    I might be losing myself to the Mesugaki skill, but I still havemon sense!@@novelbin@@

    I wouldn¡¯t say something inappropriate without any ill intentions!

    From my point of view, this whole situation is an ident! An ident!

    ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s not even that small!¡¯

    I only saw the silhouette, but I still had enough confidence to think it wasn¡¯t bad! Why is he suddenly so insecure!?

    <...How do you know about size? >

    Oh no! I made a slip-up!

    ¡°Let¡¯s move on and stop talking about Prince Peanut.¡±

    As soon as I tried to change the subject, another disaster unfolded.

    I didn¡¯t expect my nickname for him to catch on!

    <ul>

    <li>Ding.</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 625

    The Duke of Kurten, having invited the guests inside, struggled to suppress his rising anger as he continued exining the reasoning behind the wager.

    ¡°The reason I ask for a price in a bet is merely to confirm the opponent''s resolve. It''s exhausting dealing with someone who approaches with half-hearted intentions. If I could confirm the resolve in another way, I wouldn¡¯t care about the price at all.¡±@@novelbin@@

    The bet, after all, was just a hobby for the Duke.

    He wasn¡¯t looking to gain anything from it. After all, doing so would tarnish the name of Kurten.

    A man like the Duke of Kurten, who respects strength and strives to be someone worthy of respect himself, would never stoop to the petty tricks one might see from someone like Count Newman.

    ¡°Prince Cecil even wagered his sword at first. A warrior offering his weapon ¡ª I understood what it meant, so I epted the wager. Later, when I took his clothes, it was merely in fulfillment of Prince Cecil¡¯s own desires.¡±

    It was partly because he was excited to meet a young challenger who brought a sense of thrill, but the true root of the embarrassmenty with Prince Cecil. If the Duke were to rebuke him for it, he would feel unjustly med.

    ¡°Benedict. How long have you and I fought together on the frontlines, that you would misunderstand me like this? Do you think of me as the kind of trash who enjoys this sort of thing?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I have no words to say!¡±

    As the Duke raised his voice in rebuke, Benedict bowed deeply, and the others, following suit, apologized as well.

    In this room where everyone was watching the Duke, the only one unflinching was Lucy Allen, the one involved in the bet.

    ¡°Sigh. How long do you n to keep acting like this? If you keep it up, I¡¯ll go take a nap.¡±

    The Duke¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile at her audacity. She truly was a child who had done everything she could get away with. No matter who the opponent was, it seemed she considered them no more than equals.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. While we¡¯ve been talking, the servants will have finished preparing for the bet.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up. You don¡¯t have much time left, you should use it wisely.¡±

    Her insolent remarks silenced the others, but the Duke, his hands raised, shot her a sharp look with his crimson eyes.

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 Chapter 627

    After the doll was restored, the prince spent much of his time with her.

    He introduced her to the world she didn¡¯t know, modernized her old-fashioned way of speaking, bought her clothes, and adorned her with jewelry. It almost seemed as if he had fallen in love with the doll.

    Though Duke Kurten was aware that this couldter be a big issue, he didn¡¯t stop the prince. Even if he hadn¡¯t, the prince¡¯s love would have likely ended up as nothing more than a bittersweet memory.

    The problem was twofold.

    First, the understanding of magical tools possessed by both the prince and the Duke was far from that of the genius Erginus.

    The second problem was that the doll was too old and damaged to be fully restored with their skills.

    The doll, which had identally been reactivated, was only temporarily functioning. The gears inside the doll were slowly growingrger.

    Every time the prince met with the Duke, he showed his anxiety about the doll''s eventual breakdown. But in front of the doll, he always smiled brightly.

    Perhaps because of the precariousness of their daily life, which could copse at any moment, the prince, insisting on creating a happier experience, made a bold n: the three of them would sneak out on festival day and enjoy themselves.

    Considering their positions, this was something that should never have happened, but the prince insisted.

    "Seiji, this might be thest chance for her!"

    Though he knew he shouldn''t indulge the prince''s whims, the Duke couldn¡¯t bring himself to refuse his request.@@novelbin@@

    Perhaps it was because the Duke had also grown attached to the doll during the restoration process.

    Thus, on the day of the festival, at the appointed time, the three of them gathered, wearing masks, and roamed the streets.

    "If His Majesty finds out about this, I will be in great trouble."

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 628

    The Duke¡¯s exnation revealed the 1st Queen¡¯s intentions and goals, but questions still lingered.

    ¡°Then why was the 1st Queen so obsessed with the heir?¡±

    Arthur voiced the question. If she was going to resurrect the king, then the heir wouldn¡¯t even be necessary.

    If it was just an obsession with Rene, it could be seen as a mother''s love for her child. But if the 1st Queen truly cherished Rene, then the moment she saw a budding interest in Arthur, she wouldn¡¯t have cast aside Rene so easily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know that much either.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Weren¡¯t you close with the 1st Queen?¡±

    ¡°Prince, to her, I was only a close friend of His Majesty. There was no reason to tell me everything, as I was just a tool for His Majesty¡¯s stability.¡±@@novelbin@@

    The Duke, speaking of how even after long acquaintance, he was merely a tool to the 1st Queen, had a solemn expression that made Arthur, who had been arguing just moments ago, fall silent.

    ¡°When I met her not long ago, she simply told me not to interfere. I asked for at least some basic information, but she refused. I even lost a wager, having to beg her for a little more information. That¡¯s really all I know.¡±

    Karia nodded, confirming that what the Duke had said was indeed true.

    Like me, the others who had confirmed this with Karia all remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

    A heavy silence lingered, and then Karia suddenly shrugged her shoulders and covered her mouth with one hand.

    "...I think I understand."

    "Karia! Is that really true!?"

    The Duke shouted suddenly, snapping Karia out of her reverie. She slowly lowered her chin.

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 Chapter 632

    After stepping back a step, I looked at the king.

    I still couldn¡¯t sense the aura of the evil god emanating from him, but at this point, it no longer mattered.

    Whether he had gone mad due to the evil god¡¯s control over his mind in his past life or whether he was already crazy from the start, the fact remained that the king himself was one of the participants in this n. This meant that the best option had already been ruined.

    <ul>

    <li>That person¡­ He¡¯s a necromancer. A ck magician, and quite skilled at it, I must say.</li>

    <li>Hah, I never imagined there would be a necromancer of this caliber. I was truly surprised at first.</li>

    </ul>

    If Adri is saying he¡¯s skilled, then he must have dabbled in ck magic long before. Was he a lost cause from the start?@@novelbin@@

    <ul>

    <li>But now, I must thank you foring. Thanks to you, the saint won¡¯t be able to act too aggressively.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Still trying to struggle pathetically?? You¡¯d be better off being embraced by the pathetic saint and ascending!?¡±

    <ul>

    <li>No thanks. I have too many regrets.</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty obvious? That ugly heart of yours shows clearly on your face??¡±

    Since Adri was here, it was difficult to use the method of purging the entire castle, but so what?

    There were other ways to suppress the necromancer, plenty of them.

    As soon as he took the bait and gave me even a moment¡¯s gap, Frey would swing her sword, just as I had nned, and afterward...

    <ul>

    <li>Sorry, but I don¡¯t like taking risks like that.</li>

    </ul>

    The moment the king raised his hand, the ground beneath our feet disappeared, and gravity weed us.

    What the hell!?

    <ul>

    <li>He¡¯s possessed! He¡¯s taken control of the entire pce with his own soul!</li>

    </ul>

    ¡°Can that even happen!?¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Normally, it doesn¡¯t! But he had the ability, time, and power to pull it off!</li>

    </ul>

    Just like Adri had once controlled his mansion, taking control of something possessed was no great feat.

    In other words, right now, for the king, the pce was like an extension of his own body.

    Tsking my tongue, I created a divine barrier beneath me and kicked off the air, pulling Vishee into my arms.

    <ul>

    <li>That person has quite a bit of pride. I¡¯ll make sure to return it.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Still a piglet. Just wait. I¡¯ll show that little one its ce.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>...You¡¯ll see for yourself!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>That little one missed something. The history of this pce stretches back hundreds of years.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>What about those bastards working with the pig!? How do you deal with that!?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Shut up!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Let¡¯s go!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>After such a long reunion, you bring out something so grim.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Still, I am your father, you know?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>So, you n to defeat me?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Arrogant. Did you think we didn¡¯t foresee this situation? You will never defeat me. You were raised for this very purpose.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>So I¡¯m trying to borrow some help from others.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>How did someone who should be in the forest end up here?</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 633

    The king opened his mouth, but his words did not fit the atmosphere of the room. Rene shot him a puzzled nce as well.

    The Fairy Queen, who had just spoken those lines, was fluttering her wings in excitement.

    "I¡¯ve always wanted to say that line! It¡¯s from a novel I borrowed from Lady Parn, and it sounded so cool!"

    "Was this really the time to say that?"

    "If not now, when?"

    The Fairy Queen tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t see what was wrong, and Rene gave up on trying to convince her, simply raising his sword.

    <ul>

    <li>Your Majesty, you¡¯re underestimating me too much.</li>

    </ul>

    "Eh? Why? It¡¯s an objective evaluation. A man who¡¯s dirty and unattractive is out."

    <ul>

    <li>We¡¯ll see how long you can keep ying around.</li>

    </ul>

    The king furrowed his brows, and as he raised his hand, the entire building seemed to obey him, attacking Rene and the Fairy Queen.

    "This is amazing. It¡¯s like a scene from a fairy tale!"

    "Is there a fairy tale where the protagonist is a necromancer?"

    "Of course, they¡¯re the enemy!"

    "Then I must be the hero."

    "That depends on how you look at it!"

    Rene responded to the castle¡¯s movements, which sought to trap, strike, suppress, and drop him, only with movement. Then, he saw the sword the king held tightly.

    A legendary sword passed down through the royal family, forged to y evil. It was ironic that it nowy in the hands of evil.

    "Grandmother, would it be alright to borrow your power now?"@@novelbin@@

    <ul>

    <li>How did the ancestor get here!?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Damn! I had it almost caught!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Don¡¯t struggle!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Fulfill the purpose of your life!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>You were born to be flesh!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>This is an order! Don¡¯t resist!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Damn you. To trouble me this much.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Well, it¡¯s fine now.</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 634

    Although Adri had opened the path, it was by no means smooth.

    From the perspective of the necromancer duke, our existence was something we should never get too close to.

    He was trying every trick to block us, weaving the pce into various traps.

    So, we smashed them. Everything in our way was destroyed.

    ¡°It¡¯ll take decades to restore the pce!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle it hasn¡¯t copsed!¡±@@novelbin@@

    The necromancers attacking us were suppressed by the shouts of the ancestors and Adri¡¯s necromancy. The knights, enchanted by dark magic, were subdued by the clergy. And then...

    ¡°We can¡¯t go!¡±

    Just like in the game, the knightmander, who had been captured with great effort, could not be saved even by the saint¡¯s purification.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we go? This will be my castle.¡±

    ¡°The second prince, we¡¯ve told you several times. Please maintain your decorum.¡±

    The second prince and the second queen blocked our way.

    ¡°Ugh. Sorry, mother. I¡¯m just not used to it.¡±

    ¡°Not mother, but second queen. She will one day be the queen, so please.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Fool!¡±

    ¡°¡­This man has always been without dignity. Well, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve been wanting to beat him once anyway.¡±

    ¡°Mother?¡±

    ¡°Cecil. Grab your weapon. We¡¯ll proceed in the Bedfer style.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    <li>

    </li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 635

    The king thought Erginus¡¯ suggestion was strange.

    Even when considering the differences in their powers, the king had an advantage.@@novelbin@@

    With the divine power of the Evil God now in his grasp, he had ovee thest of his physical weaknesses.

    Even if the five brilliant talents faced him, he could not be defeated.

    Though there were miracles that could happen due to the Apostle of the Lord, the fact that he had the advantage remained unchanged.

    Yet, in this situation, Erginus suggested that the king make his own dungeon.

    He directly told him to create a castle and hide in it. The advantage between the defense of a castle and an open battlefield was clear to anyone not a fool.

    Erginus, having acquired the power of darkness, could not have failed to understand the disparity in strength, and he surely knew the advantage of constructing a castle. So why suggest this first?

    Why offer the king an advantage? What could he possibly be nning?

    The king thought and thought, but no matter how he tried, he could not figure out why.

    Could it be that he believed in the dungeon-rted power that Lucy Allen possessed?

    Was it possible that, in a situation where the divine power of the Evil God neutralized the Lord¡¯s powers, he truly believed that only the power itself could make a difference?

    Could it be that Erginus, the hero, and the god of darkness, had failed to consider such a thing?

    Impossible. There was something else. Something I didn¡¯t anticipate.

    "Scared?? Can''t even hide in a corner by yourself??"

    "I will."

    Ha. Whatever Erginus believed in, it didn¡¯t matter.

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 Chapter 636

    The falling debris and soldiers created chaos in itself.

    The formation made by the spearmen copsed, and the knights'' attention was diverted, shouting to maintain order, while those standing above were also reluctant to move, fearing that they too might be attacked.

    In other words, this was our opportunity.

    "Follow me, you losers."

    I knocked the shield-bearer aside and grabbed the cor of the next soldier behind him.

    Ignoring the confusion in his eyes, I threw him aside, and those who stood behind him crumbled one after another.

    The power of the manyes from the formation and tactics.

    In a fantasy world where a single person can handle thousands, the copse of a formation is no different than losing the means to block a strong force.

    "Hmm!"

    Of course, the king knew this and had ced knights between us at intervals.

    "Smelly?"

    No matter how strong one is, once their attention is diverted, they can''t avoid the swords that fly toward their neck at supersonic speeds.

    And if those swords are even faster due to the blessings of the saint, the difficulty increases even more.

    With Freya''s sword, a knight''s head flew into the air, and panic spread among the soldiers.

    In the midst of it all, Arthur grabbed a soldier''s spear and, infusing it with his magical energy, hurled it toward the railing.

    The spear pierced through the stone wall, and soon exploded within the defense barrier, creating even more chaos.

    "Everyone!"@@novelbin@@

    Are they finally starting to respond?

    <ul>

    <li>Finally!</li>

    <li>Are you singing?!</li>

    <li>I¡¯m so confident!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Ah~ - Ah~ - Ah~</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 641

    I cut off a piece of meat that smelled quite good and savored the tough meat in my mouth before wiping my mouth.

    "Who brought this??" "It was me."

    I waved my hand, and the man hurriedly approached me. I smiled at his awkward grin and then raised my te, mming it into his face.

    "You brought this to eat??" "I''m sorry." "Clean it up?" "Yes. I''ll get the tools right away..." "You want me to stick my head on the ground and lick it clean like a dog, don''t you??"

    I scowled and pointed to the floor, and the man took a deep breath before kneeling down. Then, he stuck out his tongue and began to lick the spilled sauce on the floor.

    "Pffhahaha!? You¡¯re doing well!? Are you not a knight but a ve with talent??"

    I pped and mocked him, and the surrounding gazes turned sharp. I met each of those gazes and, with a snort, stood up and stomped on the man¡¯s head, who was licking the floor.

    "If you''re jealous, speak up? I''m a merciful apostle of the lowly dog-like god, so I can y with trash that''s worse than beasts?"

    The man struggled as it seemed harder for him to breathe, but I didn¡¯t lift my foot and instead looked around.

    When the man''s movements became almost desperate, a woman raised her hand.

    "May I do it instead?" "No?? You look so disgusting, I can¡¯t have you do it? I feel like your ugliness might rub off on me?"

    The woman¡¯s smile stiffened, and the man next to her lowered his head.@@novelbin@@

    "Then I shall ept the honor." "Is that how you ask for a favor?? I don¡¯t feel any respect from you at all?"

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 642

    Erginus, who had settled in an inn near the pce, lifted his head at the sound of a knock on the door as he pondered the 1st Queen¡¯s words in the dark.

    ¡°Excuse me, Master. I have something to ask.¡±@@novelbin@@

    Hearing Joy¡¯s cautious voice, Erginus stood up, brought her inside, and seated her on the bed.

    ¡°You must have a question about what the doll said today?¡± ¡°Is it really possible, like the person said, for us to return to the mythic age?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it. To put it simply, yes, it is possible. The mythic age ended not for any specific reason but because the gods¡¯ power weakened.¡±

    The wars of the mythic era had caused massive damage to both formations.

    Some gods lost their very existence, and those who sided with the evil gods were all sealed away. Even among the surviving gods, none retained the former grandeur.

    ¡°Thus, the glory of the gods diminished, and the mythic era came to an end.¡± ¡°So, if we can restore the gods¡¯ powers, the mythic era could unfold again.¡± ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s entirely possible. I can say so with confidence because I possess the power of a god.¡±

    If Agras were to be resurrected, other evil gods would also be affected and descend to the earth.

    Then, those on the opposite side would naturally gain strength, and once again, a war between gods would surely unfold on the earth.

    ¡°As someone who lived through that time, let me say this. Such a thing should never happen. In a war of divine beings, humans are mere disposable tools. The current prosperity will vanish in a few years, and all civilization will regress to the past. We can¡¯t even guess how many people will die, and even if we win after countless sacrifices, there¡¯s no guarantee. What the Pope is trying to bring about is such a disaster.¡±

    It was difficult to understand the Pope¡¯s judgment. If things went wrong, he might witness his own faith copse, so how could he try to resurrect Agras?

    Was his faith truly sincere? Does he truly not care who wins in the end?

    <ul>

    <li>Is this the child chosen by the founder?</li>

    <li>He seems to have talent.</li>

    <li>Is he really talented? He looks like a fool.</li>

    <li>At least he¡¯s better than your face.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Kid. Be aware. You¡¯ve made your moves, but now you¡¯re going to ruin everything?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>You¡¯re feeling inadequatepared to your friends. If you can charm them, that¡¯ll ease things up a bit. ¡°...Tell me more.¡±</li>

    <li>Though they look outdated, they were heroes of their time. If you ept their skills and mimic them, you¡¯ll be very versatile.</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 643

    Wrapped in the Fairy Queen¡¯s arms, Joy descended to the ground and sat down, catching her breath.

    She thought she had used teleportation magic as taught by her master, but why did she end up on a cloud!?

    If it weren¡¯t for the others, I could have died! As she recalled the scene of the fall thatsted only a moment, Joy hugged her arms and trembled.

    ¡°You did well for your first try, Joy.¡± ¡°Was that really good? If I had moved alone, we would have had a funeral for that guy today.¡±

    Lina spat out her words, and Joy shrunk her shoulders. However, Erginus smiled and shook his head.

    ¡°Anyway, the coordinates were urate. No one was left behind. If you did this well on your first try, it¡¯s genius. You know that too.¡±

    In defense of Joy, who had once fallen in the middle of the sea, Lina nced at her and sighed.

    ¡°Sorry. I was a bit sharp and said unnecessary things.¡± ¡°Eh? Ah, no. I was the one who was wrong.¡±

    Lina awkwardly smiled at Joy¡¯s apology, and the Fairy Queen, with admiration, spoke up.

    ¡°Lina, you were thisposed?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always beenposed. It was Lucy¡¯s scent that threw me off track, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°You should stand like this even next to Lady Arlen.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t hear the insults. I like it better when Lucy finds me disgusting.¡±

    Lina, who had been smiling wide, suddenly stiffened and clicked her tongue before brushing her hair back.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Fairy Queen, would you send a message through the fairies?¡± ¡°I already sent it. They¡¯re on their way.¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Lucy, are you okay?</li>

    <li>You¡¯re a bad person!</li>

    <li>If we were in the forest, I would have scolded you!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Are you okay?</li>

    <li>If it¡¯s too hard, let me know. ¡°I¡¯m enjoying seeing your disgusting perspectives. It¡¯s not bad.¡±</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 644

    Rasha didn¡¯t particrly like Lucy Allen, but as a warrior, she thought Lucy was quite a capable person.

    Not only did she relentlessly hone her skills, but she also understood the importance of the body and tirelessly engaged in arduous training. Even when faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, she always did her best to find a way out, and she had the heart to take risks to win, even if it meant her life was on the line.

    There was no need to speak about her talent in martial arts. She was the daughter of Benedict Allen, and even the gods had recognized her. What more could be said?

    Perhaps that¡¯s why Rasha often found herself thinking, whenever she saw Lucy Allen, how much better it would have been if only she had a few more years to grow.

    Even now, Lucy was an attractive and strong individual, but in a few years, when she had fully matured, she might even be on par with Benedict.

    Despite her mind wavering, Rasha¡¯s trembling hand managed to gather strength and hold her weapon. Even though she knew she would likely lose, she taunted Lucy to challenge her once more.

    She would face the inevitable defeat, but that didn¡¯t stop her from going after Lucy.

    She had no intention of following the rules or respectingmon sense. Instead, she would grow stronger and soon stand beside Lucy, perhaps even surpassing her in time.

    But Rasha knew she wouldn¡¯t be around to see that. Whether Lucy or she herself perished, one of them would die in the end.

    Well, in that case, it would be better for her to die. It would be less frustrating to see the one who crushed her rise to the top than to survive and feel the emptiness of it all.

    ¡­Wait, am I really into that?

    She had thought it was just the ambition of a warrior, but maybe it was more than that.@@novelbin@@

    No. That can¡¯t be it. After all, the countless opponents she had crushed, all of them, she couldn¡¯t possibly wish for defeat deep down.

    ¡°Filthy bugs.¡±

    As Rasha contemted, Lucy, who had staggered to her feet, summoned her fairies to her side.

    At this point, even if they moved, it wouldn¡¯t matter. If this were a forest, it might be a bit troublesome, but it wasn¡¯t, so what use were they now?

    Despite considering it a meaningless action, Rasha waited patiently for Lucy to make her move. When Lucy raised her shield, Rasha mockingly tried to dissuade her.

    <ul>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Dead!</li>

    <li>Don¡¯t bully Lucy!</li>

    <li>Bad girl!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>I don¡¯t know about that!</li>

    <li>I¡¯ll get you back!</li>

    <li>I¡¯ll make you payter!</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 645

    The benefits of the third-person perspective turned out to be much greater than I had anticipated. In the end, martial arts are designed to align with the structure of life.

    To target a human''s line of sight, various techniques were devised.

    But if I could see from a third-person perspective, all of this effort could lose its meaning.@@novelbin@@

    Because I could see everything.

    The opponent''s deceptions. The subtle movements. The nces of the opponent.

    All of it.

    When Ipare the sheer volume of information I can now process to what I could see with my two eyes, it''s almost ridiculous. In just a few days, I was able to stall even against Rasha, who was starting to show some serious intent.

    At first, it was tough to adjust. The perspective was one thing, but moving my body from a third-person viewpoint was incredibly difficult.

    But once I adapted, it became incrediblyfortable.

    What¡¯s more, the best part is the newfound confidence.

    It wasn¡¯t the forced confidence created by the Mesugaki skill, but the confidence I had when I used to rage at the screen in the past.

    Pride from the Soul Academy¡¯s stagnant waters.

    No matter how grotesque the enemies, I believed I could face them.

    It also made it easy to find areas for improvement. I could immediately see my movements from an objective perspective, which allowed me to correct them on the spot.

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 Chapter 648

    When I mentioned that I didn''t know how to use the Power of Purification, Grandpa audibly sighed.

    <You¡¯ve already experienced the Power of Embrace, so you should know. It¡¯s the same ability, just used in different ways.>

    ¡®Is that so?¡¯

    When I first used the Power of Embrace, it felt much more natural.

    The moment I decided to embrace the resentment andmentation of others, I instinctively knew what to do.

    But in contrast, the Miracle of Purification waspletely elusive. I had no idea what I was supposed to do.

    <When you used the miracle before, didn¡¯t you do it well enough? >@@novelbin@@

    ¡®That was a simple technique, though. To be honest, I didn¡¯t really do anything.¡¯

    The prayer I spoke during the Miracle of Purification, the divine energy flowing through my body, or the resulting phenomena¡ªnone of it was perfectly in line with my will.

    It was barely half of my own intention. Asking me to do something like that again is likeparing pulling a trigger on a crossbow to aiming and shooting an arrow.

    <Then just specify the details. Say you want to purify the power of Agras.>

    ¡®Right. That should work.¡¯

    Nodding at Grandpa¡¯s words, I ced my hands on the fairies again.

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 Chapter 651

    "What the hell is she doing, jumping in with me!?"

    "I gave up on my n to ambush you from behind and drag you off, but why are you following me!?"

    "You¡¯re supposed to be up there! Damn it!"

    Nevira, who seemed to be enjoying free fall with a slight smile, was driving me crazy.

    The Nevera in this city waspletely different from the one I knew.

    The arrogant, proud woman who enjoyed bossing people around and refused to admit her mistakes¡ªwhere did she go? The Nevera in this city was now a noble who knew how to care for others.

    Though I had only been watching for a day, it was clear that the person I had once sworn to defeat wasn¡¯t who she was anymore.

    So, I decided to go in alone, conquer the dungeon at full speed, and leave.

    At least, that was the n until this woman decided to follow me.

    <Then isn¡¯t it all okay? You can just follow the original n.>

    ¡®There¡¯s a problem! It¡¯s going to be hard to justify what I¡¯m about to do!¡¯

    If it were someone I could crush without a second thought, I¡¯d tell them, "I have no time to exin. Just lie down and stay out of my way. You¡¯re probably morefortable like that, seeing as nothing sticks out." But when it¡¯s someone I need to cooperate with, it¡¯s a different story!

    How do I exin what I¡¯m about to do without a proper exnation?@@novelbin@@

    Even without the Mesugaki skill, how could I carry out such a tough task while wearing the distortion of that skill!?

    Haah, the more I think about it, the more I get pissed off!

    Yeah, fine! I get that you were surprised when I was falling and caught me!

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 Chapter 652

    The monster bared its chest and roared.

    One step forward from my current position.

    Then, counting silently to 3.5 seconds, I thrust my shield forward, and the monster''s massive arm, now many timesrger, lunged toward me.

    "ng!" The clear sound rang out again.

    The monster¡¯s center copsed, creating a gap in its form.

    I took advantage of the opening and, from the ground up, I crawled over its body with ice.

    "Kraaagh!"

    "You look like a monster, but you''re pathetic inside? You can¡¯t even withstand this much??"

    Its red, glowing eyes locked onto me, and just as they did, the monster''s ws, which had been sprawling across its body, shot toward me.

    I had anticipated this pattern and had already adjusted my position, so there was no need for Nevira to worry.

    I kept my shield raised and dashed forward.

    As I approached the monster, I took a step back just in time to dodge its two swipes.

    I struck its exposed head with my weapon, then backed off.

    Perhaps it had been stuck underground for too long, but this monstercked intelligencepared to any other enemies I¡¯d faced before.

    The game¡¯s knowledge applied so perfectly that it was almost awkward.

    If this continues...

    No, better not to speak. There¡¯s no benefit in saying anything foolish.@@novelbin@@

    <At this rate, victory wille easily.>

    ¡®Aagh! Grandpa, how can you say that!¡¯

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 Chapter 657

    As expected, Ganshu took a seat in the magic church''s reception room, dismissing everyone except for me and casually pulling out a cigarette that looked like a cigar from his coat pocket.@@novelbin@@

    He then naturally trimmed the end of the cigarette, but before lighting it, he nced at me as if waiting for my reaction.

    "What?"

    "I thought you''d naturally tell me not to smoke something that stinks."

    "Then why did you take it out? Do you want to be scolded that badly?"

    "I suppose it¡¯s a habit I picked up when I descended to the mortal realm."

    Showing some reluctance, he set the cigarette down, checked the magic around him, and began speaking.

    "Last time, through Erginus, the gods learned of the Pope''s intentions. He¡¯s dreaming of some foolish n to bring the era of myth back to this world."

    "He''s a crazy pervert. I can¡¯t even begin to understand it with my head."

    "From that event, I gathered the opinions of several gods. If that madness is genuine, our existence will be threatened as well."

    The Pope''s n, in conclusion, was to erase the existence of all gods.

    Any coteral damage that may ur in the process was considered inconsequential.

    "So, what are those voyeuristic idiots up in the sky saying?"

    "They¡¯re all offering their opinions, but... well. To put it simply, the gods don''t mind the era of myth returning. In fact, many of them wee it."

    For hundreds of years, the gods in the heavens had to live as mere bystanders.

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 Chapter 660

    Was it because I subdued the gods who were in charge of the main roles one after another?

    The gods below me conveyed their intention to cooperate through Ganshu and Erginus, even though I didn¡¯t say anything.

    As expected, it¡¯s faster to show an example than to talk, whether they¡¯re human or god.

    They only be more nimble when they¡¯re in a situation where they¡¯re about to get screwed.

    After listening to the reportsing up one after another, I was satisfied, but after a while, I encountered a huge problem.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°I think Alun Yeong-ae should stand in front of the other apostles.¡±

    Erginus called together Ganshu, the pervert apostle, Faby, and others rted to the gods and confidently spouted out crazy things.

    ¡°Are you addicted to the smell of chicken coops? What kind of crazy nonsense are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to show you up at official events either. I don¡¯t want to make you give a speech in front of many people! I know what you''ll say in front of everyone, so why call me crazy!"

    "Ugh. What a stupid way of thinking. Do you think you''ve done anything good by embracing a rotten woman for hundreds of years?"

    "Listen carefully! Lucy Arlen! I''ve been called a sympathetic idiot by you, and my only lover has been used of smelling like a chicken coop! And yet, can you say that I don''t know about the disaster your tongue will bring!?"

    Erginus''s shout, filled with anger, made me lick my lips.

    Why do you insist on putting me in front when you know so well?

    If we''re not careful, the Pope won''t be the problem? A war between religions could break out because of the Messaggi skill!

    "It''s truly miserable to have to say this, but this is the reality. Lucy Arlen. You have no choice but to step forward."

    "Just listen to what I have to say, employer. You''ll be convinced, damn it."

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 Chapter 661

    Feeling the gazes filled with shock and bewilderment, old memories came to mind.

    Even when I first entered the academy, I would panic and not know what to do when I received such gazes.@@novelbin@@

    Now, when I see such bewildered gazes, I feel a little happy.

    Maybe it¡¯s really irreversible now.

    Of course, so what? If you¡¯re happy now, that¡¯s enough.

    I headed toward the center seat while receiving gazes that wouldn¡¯t leave me.

    As I sat on the center chair and crossed my legs, a man who had been hit by me and had lost half of his reproductive function came into the room after receiving healing from Faby.

    The guy who had called me a brat the moment he saw me returned to his seat without saying a word despite my mocking gaze.

    Ugh. I want to touch him.

    I want to trample on his pride and make him cry like a child who dropped a candy.

    But that won¡¯t work. There¡¯s no justification for that anymore.

    As I was licking my lips, feeling regretful, my grandfather said something.

    <So how do you n on cleaning up this mess?>

    ¡®Do you really have to clean it up?¡¯

    <Are you serious?>

    ¡®I have to prove that I¡¯m the Lord¡¯s disciple anyway.¡¯

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 Chapter 662

    The holy ground, which I visited after a long time, was quiet.

    It wasn¡¯t because of the situation caused by the Pope.

    That crazy man had left the church with his own people, and the internal conflict within the church had been pacified by the true saint.

    Even so, the reason why the holy ground was quiet instead of lively was because of me.

    Not long ago, Fabi had publicly dered to the people of the holy ground that I was the Apostle of the God.

    Fabi didn¡¯t act recklessly.

    On the day I told the apostles that I would reveal the truth, Fabi, after everyone else had left, came to me and cautiously, desperately asked me.

    If it was okay to reveal the truth to those in the holy ground.

    At that time, I had thoughtlessly said yes.

    The reason I had hidden the fact that I was the Apostle of the God until then was because of the Pope and those who might oppose me.

    Now that they were all gone, there was no reason to keep my identity hidden.

    I didn¡¯t think anything would change just because my identity as the Apostle of the God was revealed now.

    Whether before or now, I was still someone with many ws in front of others.@@novelbin@@

    At first, they would probably look at me with surprise, but soon enough, their gaze would grow cold.

    The most it would do is lessen their jealousy towards me, I thought.

    And on the day I decided to visit the holy ground.

    I realized how naive I was.

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 Chapter 663

    When I talked about the concept for this video, I emphasized mystery.

    Forget rational persuasion!

    If I make it look like there¡¯s something there, the other side will misinterpret it on their own!

    Especially if it''s the fantasy dwellers who are not used to such videos!

    The luxurious chapel of the holy ground.@@novelbin@@

    The divinity of the God that both Fabi and I hold.

    On top of that, receiving the blessing of the Goddess, I filmed the video and, satisfied with my appearance in the crystal ball, nodded my head.

    This should be fine. If I posted it on a modern video site, it would probably cause a stir just based on my looks.

    Definitely, as long as I keep my mouth shut, it¡¯s fine. The problem is I can¡¯t keep my mouth shut.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t it!¡±

    Staring nkly at the broken crystal orb, I grabbed my head and red at the perverted apostle, who was muttering like a madman.

    Normally, he would have reacted to my gaze, but today, he was too busy grabbing his head and spinning around.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t enough. You can¡¯t capture the full beauty of Lady. Damn it. I¡¯m the fool who was boasting about the limits of my recording skills without thinking. I feel like strangling myself.¡±

    Huh. I thought this was good enough?

    At least I didn¡¯t think it was something to break a crystal orb over, but is it just me?

    ¡°Prete, even so, I think breaking the video of Lady is a bit too much.¡±

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 Chapter 664

    In the capital of Sdin, Arthur hurried his steps when he heard that Karia called for him, despite being busy assisting Cecil with the session tasks for the throne.

    The mocking remarks of the statue, the nagging from the ancestors, and the never-ending pile of work¡ªthis was a chance to escape, even if just for a moment! He couldn¡¯t afford to miss it!

    Passing through the knights who were assisting with the restoration efforts, Arthur arrived at the back alley, stopping when he saw men praying around a statue.

    If I remember correctly, those should be Karia¡¯s subordinates. But why are they doing this?

    What¡¯s up with that statue?

    Hmm? That¡¯s a statue of Lucy Alrn, isn¡¯t it?

    It¡¯s very intricate.

    It must have been made by the Art Church.

    I can tell that it¡¯s a decent piece of art, but I don¡¯t understand why these tough-looking men are praying in tears.

    If someone doesn¡¯t know much about Lucy Alrn, I can understand it, but these guys must have been affected by her misdeeds at least once.

    ¡°Prince 3rd, you¡¯vee quickly.¡±

    ¡°Karia, this is going too far.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that? I didn¡¯t tell them to do it.¡±

    ¡°Then were they trying to mock me?¡±

    ¡°No, they¡¯re doing this of their own volition. Do you think such earnestness woulde out in a performance?¡±

    Arthur paused, staring at the man sobbing loudly. Am I dreaming? Have I copsed from exhaustion and am now having a nightmare?@@novelbin@@

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 Chapter 666

    The Apostle of Authority, Zarax, stood at the top of a hill covered in a nket of snow, gazing down below.

    The ck pit, a precursor to the appearance of arge dungeon, was so deep that its end was impossible to discern.

    Hadn''t the Apostle of the God of War jumped in there to defeat the enemy before the dungeon waspleted?

    Such courage. Anyone who saw that scene would surely tremble in fear.

    "How¡¯s the situation?"

    His close friend, Kyle, appeared, making soft steps in the snow.@@novelbin@@

    "For now, it¡¯s just as we were informed through the crystal ball."

    "I hope there are no surprises."

    "It¡¯s what the Apostle of the God of War said. We just need to trust and wait."

    The ns made by the Apostle of the God of War had resulted in remarkable sesses so far.

    Monsters that ravaged thend during the mythological era had beenpletely eradicated, leaving no meaningful trace behind.

    Seeing that Erginus constantly praises him with the words "You should have been our leader," there¡¯s no doubt about the wisdom of that person.

    Though it wasn¡¯t without sacrifices. Dealing with the remnants of the mythological era wasn¡¯t an easy task.

    However, no one disagreed that this was the best course of action.

    No one, no one at all, could create a more perfect n than the Apostle of the God of War.

    How could they?

    How could anyonepare to the wisdom of that person, who returns after seeing countless possible futures and picks the best path?

    "It feels ominous that the Apostle has sent his friend here."

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 Chapter 667

    I stood before the newly emerged dungeon, with Frey and Joy by my side.

    I already knew how this ce was structured.

    After repeating it so many times, there was no chance of making a mistake.

    Drawing the picture in my mind once more, I took a long deep breath and turned my gaze sideways.

    Is it really necessary for all of us to go in? It might be better if I just go in alone and leave the two of them outside.

    ¡°Lucy.¡±

    How did Joy notice my hesitation? This is why people who are quick to catch on are so annoying.

    ¡°It seems like I¡¯ll be in the way.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Right, right. You won¡¯t.¡±

    It seems like they won¡¯t back down unless I forcefully push them away. But Frey¡¯s here too.

    It¡¯d probably be harder to subdue her with force than to deal with the trash inside.

    <If you want to be hated by your friends, you can do as you please.>

    ¡®I won¡¯t. I¡¯m not that clueless.¡¯

    I clicked my tongue,ining to my grandfather. These two are people who know how to take care of themselves. I¡¯ll trust them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Stepping into the dungeon, I bestowed blessings upon my friends and stamped the ground.

    The gloomy aura, characteristic of ces where the minions of the evil gods dwell, pressed down on my shoulders.

    Even with the protection of the divine power of the God of War, I felt ufortable. I wonder how the others are feeling.@@novelbin@@

    I can¡¯t even guess.

    <ul>

    <li>The cursed dog of Agras has arrived!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Do you think ignoring us will hide your unease?</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>You damn bitch!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>We did well too, right?</li>

    <li>Right?</li>

    <li>Praise us!</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 670

    Kicking the knight away with my foot, I put on a rxed act, but inside, I was far from calm.

    That was really close!

    If I had been just a second slower, Bishi¡¯s head would have been flying off!

    I still haven¡¯t given her what I promised! If that happened, it¡¯d be a huge problem!

    I¡¯d be the bad girl!

    This is all that idiot¡¯s fault!

    If he had just teleported to a proper spot, I wouldn¡¯t have been in this much of a hurry!

    When Adril asked me for help, I was just about to enter the dungeon.

    I was still considering how to handle the dungeon inside, thinking about how to force my way through, when I suddenly heard a call for help.

    There was no one around who could handle it, so sending someone else wasn¡¯t an option!

    And if I moved with my friends, I had no idea what kind of mess might unfold in the dungeon!@@novelbin@@

    Besides, the person I had to save was a necromancer¡ªsending someone unqualified would definitely make things worse!

    So, I was debating what to do when Faybee grabbed my shoulder.

    "Young Lady, we¡¯ll handle this. You don¡¯t need to worry."

    I had already gathered all the information I could about this dungeon.

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 Chapter 671

    ¡°Hmph. Sniff.¡±

    After a while, Bishi finally calmed down and lowered his head to hide his bloodshot face.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    His mother¡¯s expression filled with worry.

    - Bishi.@@novelbin@@

    Adri, who somehow clung to him and had no intention of letting him go.

    ¡°Pheuheu.¡±

    Lucy narrowed her eyes as if she was watching something interesting.

    Surrounded by these three, Bishi couldn¡¯t raise her head because she felt so humiliated.

    Even she could feel her cheeks getting hotter and hotter, she felt like they were going to burst.

    But she couldn¡¯t help it.

    Tears kept welling up in her eyes just thinking about the scene from before.

    Her mother, who knew that she was a warlock, stepped forward to protect her.

    Lucy, who told her mother that she was a good person.

    And Adri, who thought that in the worst case scenario, she would turn everything upside down.

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 Chapter 672

    2 AM.

    In the northwestern city of Burege.

    A dungeon appeared at the outskirts of the territory.

    The Apostle of the God had anticipated it earlier than expected, but since preparations had already been made, they swiftly began to address the situation.

    Then, at 3 AM.

    In the eastern city of Kotor.

    A dungeon appeared by the coastline.

    People were shocked by the timing, which didn¡¯t match the Apostle¡¯s predictions, but the personnel already stationed in the area moved to stabilize the situation.

    And then, at 3:30 AM.

    A dungeon appeared at the ruins of Trir.

    The people who had failed to evacuate were caught in the chaos, with the ruins copsing and causing temporary confusion before things were finally brought under control.@@novelbin@@

    In addition to that, the chaos that suddenly started in the middle of the night continued to confuse people until the sun rose.

    From the dismay that the Apostle of the God, who had never been wrong before, had made a mistake, to the damage caused by the dungeons not being properly prepared, the discrepancies between the local andmand centers, and the sudden appearance of evil beings.

    That night, people were filled with fear, as it seemed like the age of myth was approaching.

    Many believed that the resurrection of the evil god was imminent, and the Karia intelligence department, which had the role of connecting different regions, also thought that some variables had appeared.

    No one could have imagined it.

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 Chapter 673

    The day after the Pope''s attack.

    At the call of Feybi, I arrived at the sanctuary and blinked as I saw several high-ranking individuals bowing in my direction.

    Why are these people, who should be desperately working in their own countries, here?

    Isn''t it more urgent to prepare for the impending disaster rather than this?

    Why are they trying to get to know me!?

    Feeling flustered, I turned my gaze to Feybi, and she gave me a gentle smile.

    "I told youst time, didn¡¯t I? If you create an environment where Lady doesn¡¯t need to sacrifice herself, wouldn¡¯t that work?"@@novelbin@@

    Feybi''s words about shifting the responsibility to the countries were indeed correct.

    Correct, but...

    Can¡¯t I have a little time to prepare myself?! Meeting people for the first time is really stressful!

    And especially if they are people of high status!

    Ah, I used to think that no matter who I met, they were just people unrted to me, so I could be bold and confident, but now I can¡¯t do that!

    I can¡¯t act coy because of this damn <em>mesugaki</em> skill!

    I had so much to say, but I suppressed it andplied with Feybi''s intentions.

    Since she had prepared this environment for me, I couldn''t say anything.

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 Chapter 674

    In short, the disaster began with carelessness.

    Originally, dungeons, where the minions of the Evil Gods lurked, should have been feared by people.@@novelbin@@

    Just by appearing, they should have been capable of annihting entire cities, causing countless casualties, leading many heroes to their deaths, and threatening the very existence of nations.

    Even if there had been prior preparation, the oue would have been the same. These ces were meant to always carry the thick stench of blood. Everyone living in the mythic age knew this.

    They never doubted that the appearance of a dungeon near their home would surely mean death.

    However, hundreds of yearster, thend was only scattered with the joys of victory. Due to thiscency, death, which should have urred, was blocked by the apostles of the divine, and naturally, people began thinking:

    "Wait, perhaps the minions of the Evil Gods have been overhyped?"

    "Even if all the terrifying records from the past were true, perhaps they have weakened by now, after hundreds of years?"

    "That little child is clearing dungeons so easily. If they can do it, surely we can too."

    Many didn¡¯t understand how extraordinary Lucy was.

    They didn¡¯t grasp how bizarre her method of clearing dungeons was.

    Even those who had listened to her exin her approach couldn¡¯tprehend it.

    The dungeons Lucy spoke of were incredibly simple.

    All she did was run to the boss room, and after knowing the boss¡¯s strategy, she toyed with it and killed it.

    Lucy Allen had shared only that, and she had indeed cleared dungeons with that method.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 676

    I had never once considered that my struggles might cause others to suffer.

    I always thought the reason others worried about me was because they feared I might fail.

    So, I proved that I was strong, to reassure them.

    I wanted to show them that they didn¡¯t need to worry.

    No matter what happened, I would win.

    No matter what happened, I wouldn¡¯t fall.

    I thought it would be fine if I let them know that.

    But that was my mistake.

    The reason others worried about me was simply because I was carrying too much on my shoulders.

    It pained people to watch a little child throw herself into so many hardships, and that was why they showed concern.

    I didn¡¯t know that. I didn¡¯t want to know. I thought it was only natural for me to step forward, so I didn¡¯t stop to think about what those worried about me were really thinking.

    That¡¯s why I was confused when Feyvi looked at me and stepped back.

    I wondered if I had done something wrong.

    Had it only been a moment, I might have thought I was mistaken and moved on, but Feyvi kept ncing at me anxiously.@@novelbin@@

    Seeing this, I realized something must be wrong, so I asked Grandpa, but he didn¡¯t answer me.

    ¡°That¡¯s not something I should answer. Ask your friends.¡±

    Iined, but Grandpa¡¯s answer was the same.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 677

    The disaster that struck a city resulted in countless sacrifices, but it didn¡¯t just bring about sacrifices.

    The disaster that nearly destroyed the city served as a warning to other countries.

    Ignoring the words of the Apostle and acting recklessly could lead them to the same fate.

    One mistake could lead to the destruction of an entire city.

    The reason the Apostle so easily conquers dungeons is not because they are simple, but because of the Apostle¡¯s greatness.

    At Johan¡¯s request, Karia worked with the Art Guild to spread this awareness as quickly as possible. Thanks to their efforts, within a few days, people across the continent learned how terrifying the followers of the Evil God were.

    Even the leaders of various countries began to feel uneasy when Johan sent them a message.

    In the name of the Church of the True God, it was dered that there would not be a second chance for salvation.

    If the same disaster were to happen again, the Apostle might not help them.

    Mercy does notst forever.

    Even if the Apostle were to save them, it would not be out of kindness.

    At first, the nations treated this as a mere warning, but when they saw Johan and the upper echelons of the Church of the True God use all their influence to pressure one country and hold them ountable for their sins, they realized it was not just a warning.

    They also realized the overwhelming power the Church of the True God held.@@novelbin@@

    They saw how, even when a religion threatened a nation, no one dared to resist.

    The people shouted that the Church of the True God and the Apostle were right.

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 Chapter 678

    Agras, the Evil God, was one of the oldest beings in existence.

    Wherever there is a beginning, there is an inevitable end. As long as Aramadi, the one who started the beginning, exists, behind that will inevitably be Agras.

    However, Agras was weak at that time.

    The world, freshly begun, was the ce where the concept of an end was faint, so Agras had to watch quietly as the world flowed by, not even being aware of his own existence.

    After many ages had passed, when humanity had settled on the earth, Agras gained self-awareness. He learned what his mission was.@@novelbin@@

    He was the being who would lead the world to its end and confront the world¡¯s demise.

    He was the god who would pronounce the world¡¯s end. Agras moved the world ording to his mission.

    He lured humans with sweet words, growing his influence.

    He gathered gods who shared his will aspanions.

    He dered war.

    Under the pretense of pulling down Aramadi, the one who monopolized power, his true aim was to bring about the world¡¯s end, and he ignited the fire of war on the earth.

    The war was favorable for Agras.

    War, by its nature, leads to the end of many things. As countless lives perished, hope faded, the future scattered, and life dwindled, Agras'' power grew stronger.

    Had a miracle not urred, Agras would surely have pronounced the end of the world in the age of myths.

    Had the miracle of the hero not arrived on the earth, had Aramadi not risked everything on a gamble, had the world not rejected the end in the final moments, Agras would have won.

    But the world did not want to end.

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 Chapter 680

    After Lucy Allen left, Erginus created a chair from darkness and sat before the iron bars.

    Agras, seeing himself reflected in Erginus'' eyes, smiled.

    "If you''re thinking of hurling insults, reconsider. I have no memory of you doing anything important."

    "Does that really matter? After all, you''re the continent''s public enemy."

    "I don''t care what humans on the ground have to say, but words from the same divine rank as mine do matter."

    Despite being shrouded in darkness, Agras remained calm, as though he wouldn''t mind disappearing right now.

    "So, what do you want here?"

    "I told you earlier. I wanted to ce my spoon above the Apostle of the Lord."

    "You tried to persuade the Lord''s Apostle to be an ally? What nonsense. You''re not that kind of person."

    Erginus held the knowledge of the tendencies of the End''s Evil God in his memories.

    The grand sorcerer, who had once shed with the End''s Evil God on the battlefield under themand of the gods, had described the End''s Evil God as a calcted evil.

    He said that the End''s Evil God was a demon who guides all things toward their end, after seeing the end of this world.

    "I''ll ask again. Why are you here?"

    "I came here to be trampled by the Lord''s Apostle."@@novelbin@@

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 Chapter 683

    While looking out over the city of Dungeon from atop the city walls, Nebera, the Apostle of Magic, felt an odd sense of stillness filling the city.

    The Dungeon city was always a bustling ce.

    Adventurers hoping to strike it rich, merchants trying to squeeze money from them, pretenders who came following rumors, mages looking for research materials, and countless others¡ªthis ce was the noisiest city in the Mage Empire.

    But today was different. With the news of the resurrection of the Evil God of Fire, everyone had fled, leaving only those who were determined to face theing disaster.

    ¡°We¡¯ve received a report from the Empire¡¯s Knights! There are heretics outside the city who worship the Evil God of Fire! They are about to enter battle!¡±

    ¡°It seems the time hase.¡±

    The Apostle of the Lord had sent word that the appearance of heretics worshiping the Evil God was a sign of the god¡¯s resurrection.

    They mentioned a specific time¡ªan hour after the heretics were spotted.

    ¡°Elyon. Can you track the time for us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, space-type mages aren¡¯t clocks.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious if what the Lord¡¯s Apostle said was true.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°That the Evil God would be resurrected an hour after the heretics were discovered.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Alright. Should I start now?¡±

    <ul>

    <li>Finally! Finally, the day hase!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>How dare you! How dare you! A mere human dares to defy fire again! ept the fire! Burn to ash in the warmth! That is the true blessing!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>World! Wee the fire!</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 684

    As they were heading towards the location of the second dungeon, news arrived that the battle with the Evil God of Fire had begun.

    Theva pouring down from the volcano had been sessfully solidified, and now, ording to the n, the Evil God would be subdued.

    ¡®The Apostle of Magic asked me to deliver this message to the employer. Until now, your predictions have never been wrong. He says there''s no reason to doubt they won¡¯t continue to be urate, so the employer shouldn''t worry and should do their best.¡¯

    The fact that such a proud person said this? Especially with the Evil God descending right before them?

    Without realizing, I thought of Nebera beyond the monitor and smiled lightly, recalling the gap between the real Nebera and the Nebera in the game.

    Why is it that, rather than feeling burdened by others'' expectations, I find it oddly pleasant?

    Chuckling, I nced around, and my friends were looking at me, their mouths curving into smiles.

    Feeling embarrassed by the warm gaze directed at me, I tried to hide my feelings and pretended to get angry.

    ¡°Idiot! Are you seriouslyughing right now!?¡±

    ¡°The teleportation preparation has already beenpleted.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure everything is properly prepared?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t make any more mistakes!¡±

    Is that really something to be proud of? Forgetting the embarrassment, I stared at her, and Joy coughed awkwardly before activating the magic circle.

    ¡°Then, I''ll teleport right away!¡±

    ¡°Wait, Joy. Before that, I need to ask Lucy Alrn something.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that? If it¡¯s a stupid question, I¡¯ll kick you, you know?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°When we entered the first dungeon today, the scenery inside was different from what you expected, right?¡±

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 Chapter 686

    As Agra watched the devastated dungeonndscape, he let out a bitterugh. The Demon of Eternal War is not something that could so easily crumble.

    He is the one who firstunched the signal for the destruction of the continent, the nightmare who overthrew numerous nations, and the monster who led dozens of battlefronts alone. To think he would die under the pressure of his own subordinates.

    "What a magnificent n. You said you would torment the Apostle of the Lord, and yet, what is this? Did I hear that wrong? Was your n actually to torment your own allies instead?"@@novelbin@@

    Agra mocked the Pope, checking the situation of the other evil gods who had been resurrected on the earth.

    The mes that should have engulfed the earth upon resurrection were now fading, trapped in the mountains, unable to escape.

    The one who should lead the world into an emptiness where everything could be transformed was being swallowed up by darkness little by little.

    The darkness that should have appeared next had already long since faded, and given the current circumstances, it seemed nothing would be different from destruction.

    In the end, all the Pope had prepared would disappear without causing any harm to the Apostle of the Lord.

    "Why not just abandon everything now? It doesn''t seem like there''s much difference in the chaos you n to create."

    With the situation like this, would the Pope¡¯s main objective be achieved properly?

    That was an overly optimistic assumption. How could they win when they had already exposed all of their cards, facing the Apostle of the Lord?

    "Indeed, it seems the Apostle knows everything I nned. Truly the wisdom of one chosen by the Lord."

    "So, will you just stand there and take it?"

    "Hmm. Honestly, it''s not too bad even if I were to lose."

    If one could lose by the miracle of the Lord, that would be an honorable thing. There was no reason to mourn or be angry about it.

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 Chapter 687

    Realizing the betrayal, Lashaughed for a while before starting to rampage like a beast.

    Every time she reached out, something shattered, someone''s life was endangered, buildings copsed, and screams echoed incessantly.

    "Is this all you''ve got!? Did you think you could kill me with this!? Cowards!"

    The first to stop Lasha''s relentless advance was Benedict¡¯s great sword.

    Even before the punch infused with the power of destruction could break, Benedict pushed back, and the sight of it made a smile spread across Lasha¡¯s face.@@novelbin@@

    "Suppressing power with dense aura! Insane!"

    "I can¡¯t cut power like some people. Instead, I¡¯ve chosen this method."

    Lucy¡¯s friend, Frey, had shown Benedict how to cut through pure power, but that was only something those who reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship, like her or the Swordmasters, could do.

    Compared to them, Benedict''s sword skills were slightly inferior, and while he could match their level, he could neverpletely cut through power.

    In a battlefield where a single mistake can cost your life, trusting in uncertainty is suicidal. So, Benedict had developed his own style.

    A strategy only possible because of his natural body and vast aura. Simply put, it was a method of suppressing with sheer strength.

    "Hahaha! You really don¡¯t look human!"

    "And you don¡¯t look like one either!"

    Every time the two shed, the earth twisted. Some parts of the weakened foundation from the previous earthquake sprang up and sank down.

    The unstable buildings copsed.

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 Chapter 689

    Yuden, the Swordmaster, ced his hand on the sword as he observed his opponent.

    Up until now, I¡¯ve pushed hard, but I don¡¯t sense any sign of fatigue from him.

    He still has plenty of room, but then again, so do I.

    It¡¯s clear. That bastard is sizing me up too.

    No surprise there¡ªsomeone with the power of the evil god Agras, the center of the evil gods, shouldn¡¯t be this weak.

    I felt itst time, when I faced the Dark Evil God. How absurd the gods truly are.

    Those who twist the rules of the world to fit their desires have proven why they bear the name of god.@@novelbin@@

    Even now, I sometimes wonder.

    What would have happened if Erginus hadn¡¯t been there?

    Would I have still been able to im victory in that extreme situation, when I had to endure the power of the evil god?

    The result of these thoughts is always the same.

    Impossible.

    If I stood alone in front of the Dark Evil God, I would have been defeated.

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 Chapter 690

    I finished conquering the fourth dungeon, and as soon as I stepped outside, I used Joy¡¯s magic to head toward the Holy Grounds.

    The vige, which had been ordered to evacuate, was quiet. Recently, every time I arrived, people gathered to see my face, and I almost felt like I was losing my mind from the attention.

    I thought this was better, so I hoisted Joy on my shoulder and shouted to Frey to carry Fabi.

    "I can run on my own!"

    "How long are we going to wait for a slow pig who¡¯s gotten fat?! I can¡¯t take it anymore!"

    I know that Joy and Fabi did their best to catch up with me, but still!@@novelbin@@

    They¡¯re just a mage and a priest!

    Compared to people who actually move, they¡¯re bound to be slower!

    Do you think we have the luxury to take it easy in a situation like this?!

    "Holy Maiden. Excuse me."

    "Ah... y-yeah."

    Leaving behind the somewhat disappointed Fabi, I rushed forward.

    As I got closer to the Holy Grounds, the air became thick with an unpleasant aura.

    Something instinctively repelled me.

    A vibe that no living being would wee.

    Is this the aura of the end?

    It¡¯s disgusting.

    No wonder it smells foul¡ªjust like the evil god¡¯s presence. With my brow furrowed in disgust, I rushed forward.

    I saw the pir that stood in the center of the Holy Grounds copsing.

    <ul>

    <li>Lucy!</li>

    <li>Sess!</li>

    <li>It¡¯s Lucy!</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 693

    With aughter that showed no sign of hesitation, the Pope strangely watched as the Apostle of the God approached him.

    The Pope¡¯s understanding of the Apostle of the God had always been that they were noble, despite their weakness. They were beautiful for their resilience, standing tall despite facing their own frailties, bravely moving forward.@@novelbin@@

    In other words, they were also people who were honest with their doubts.

    Therefore, ordinarily, when he saw others bleed, he would have lost his smile and rxed his grip.

    But Lucy didn¡¯t hesitate.

    Realizing this, the Pope granted his power to his knights and took a step back, watching the world¡¯s state unfold before him.

    It was a ce that should not exist, a hell that he had created with the power of the End.

    And then he understood. The reason Lucy didn¡¯t hesitate. The Apostle of the God believed in humanity, and humanity was repaying that faith.

    Why?

    The Pope, observing the people raising their weapons in various ces, felt confused.

    Why are they standing up?

    ¡®Stop!¡¯

    ¡®Fight!¡¯

    ¡®We will win!¡¯

    ¡®For the Great God!¡¯

    Why are they filled with such will?

    ¡®Don¡¯t be afraid!¡¯

    ¡®The Apostle has already walked this path!¡¯

    ¡®The one who trusts us and has given us this task! We cannot retreat!¡¯

    Why are they pushing forward, suppressing their fear?

    ¡®Don¡¯t fear!¡¯

    ¡®The God is watching over us!¡¯

    ¡®For the salvation of the world!¡¯

    ¡®For our nation!¡¯

    ¡®For our families!¡¯

    Why are they marching forward without fear of death?

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 Chapter 696

    The Pope, driven by divine power, was pushed back but reached my side, looking at me with eyes filled with mixed emotions before forcing a smile.

    ¡°This time, Papa''s notte, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Papa. You''re a little bit cooler today?¡±

    ¡°Really? Is that so!? Alright! I¡¯ll have to show you an even cooler side!¡±

    With a loud shout, Benedict charged forward, and the knights of An followed him.

    The scene of monsters being torn apart by a ck wave reminded me of a passage from the Bible that I once saw on a screen.

    As I stared absentmindedly at it, the monster horde beside me was shed in half.

    ¡°Ah, this is so frustrating. What the hell is that weird dungeon?¡±

    The Popemented about the dungeon he had thrown in, and as if to repay his frustration, she rushed alone into the heart of the army.

    Normally, I would have called it suicidal, but... well, seeing a hole form like a bomb dropping in the middle of the army, it seemed okay.

    ...Is it the case that anyone who reaches the position of Swordmaster ends up like this?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As the apostle of the god, I will protect that person¡¯s side.¡±

    At almost the same time as the Swordmaster¡¯s appearance, Ruel¡¯s puppet bowed respectfully and dashed into the ughter.

    ¡°Woohoo! Lady An! May I ask for your permission to be allowed the honor of meeting you, such a beautiful and noble being!?¡±

    A perverted apostle, whose origin was unknown, did not look at me with his usual passionate gaze but instead kept his eyes on the ground.@@novelbin@@

    <ul>

    <li>DING.</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 700

    The moment Armadi infused her powers into the cross, hidden lines began to emerge.

    It was the object that the Pope had intended to gift to Armadi at the end of his n.

    The thing he had prepared for his entire life.

    This ne, cast onto the earth by Armadi to end the age of myth, was made from the blood of countless people. It was something that the powerless Armadi had to helplessly watch, and now, with her authority gone, she could do nothing about it.

    Now, the souls of the sacrificed couldn''t beforted.

    As the saint who once served her had said, this would be one of the sins that Armadi would have to bear for eternity.

    She knew that, but at least she hoped that the miracle she was about to perform would give meaning to their sacrifices.

    She prayed earnestly, hoping that, even if just a little, their names would be left in this world.

    With this prayer, when Armadi raised her hand, the light created by Lucy shone brightly, and gods began to appear in the sky, one by one.

    These were the gods who had once stood by the Lord during the age of myth and now stood on this earth to defeat the evil gods.

    "A motley group has gathered."

    Even when faced with them, Agras remained unfazed. His tone was full of certainty, as if he believed he could handle them all by himself.

    "How surprising. Even after seeing their ipetence in the past, you would still think to rely on them?"

    "And what of you? You, who were defeated alone in the past, still believe you can win now?"@@novelbin@@

    "Of course. The end is drawing near. The beginning and the end of the world are immutable rules. This world has already lost its power. What meaning does a world that is about to disappear have?"

    Agras spoke with the certainty of someone who believed that no matter how much the cursed beings in front of him struggled, they could not change the inevitable end.

    "But you know one thing, and not the other."

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 Chapter 701

    Another sun rose in the sky, scattering its light across the world.

    "Stop them!"

    "Hold on!"

    "We need more weapons!"

    "Casualty! Escort to the rear!"

    "Fight with the resolve to die! Move forward!"

    Themander of one of the armies, shouting like a madman at the front lines, bit his lip as he watched the soldiers being pushed back.

    This was something that had been predicted the moment the dungeon went into rampage. Not everyone could transcend human limits like heroes.@@novelbin@@

    The soldiers had already given more than they were capable of. Expecting anything beyond this was madness.

    The front lines had to be pulled back. Sacrifices woulde, but the choice had to be made. If not, everyone would die.

    Wiping the blood from his face, themander saw a vision of a girl in the center of the front lines.

    The hero who had returned after dealing with the disaster in front of his territory just hours ago.

    The hero still facing the evil god in the heart of the disaster.

    The apostle of the god of the earth, the one with the smallest yet greatest back.

    "Commander!"

    Themander, who hade to his senses after hearing the shout of a soldier who had crushed the head of a spider-like monster, smiled and steeled himself.

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 Chapter 702

    The scene where the so-called heroes, praising themselves, alternated between staring at me and Mama with mouths agape was quite amusing.@@novelbin@@

    Despite all the reasons they gave, I could clearly feel they were just people with human emotions.

    It was so obvious where I could poke to make their faces turn red. I had to hold back, and it was quite a struggle, but I''m an adult! This is nothing!

    I hid my twitching fingers behind my back, trying to remain still, when the old man, finallying to his senses, forced his gaze away from Mama.

    "Could you exin what happened so far?"

    "Grandfather, you''re being too obsessive. Even a child like me needs some privacy, you know?"

    "Please, I beg you. From my perspective, the situation has escted so quickly, I feel like I¡¯m losing my mind."

    Following the old man¡¯s sigh, the Fairy Queen softly opened her mouth.

    "I also have a request, Alrn Young Lady. What do you mean, the god of the earth is your mother? And you scolded her? This doesn''t make any sense to me..."

    "Calm down, I¡¯ll exin. Lunebia. Let me exin it slowly."

    "...Are you referring to me as Lunebia?"

    "Well, I can¡¯t always just call you ''Queen,'' can I? So, I picked the name that I liked most from the list of names Erginus had written in his journal."

    "How... how did you¡ª?"

    I showed Erginus the mark of the god of history carved on my hand.

    Not only did I reveal who I could me, but I also made a threat, telling him that I knew much more, so he should justply.

    The genius Erginus, who would go down in history, understood my intent and immediately kept silent. But, having just removed his sympathy, he was still oblivious to his lover¡¯s heart.

    Though I could help, it was more amusing to let him squirm, so I decided to stay quiet.

    "Lunebia... is it?"

    "Don¡¯t you like it? Should I call you the same as before?"

    "No, no. I really like it. Alrn Young Lady."

    Fairy Queen Lunebia, her cheeks flushed with a soft pink, bowed to me, but her eyes stayed on Erginus.

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 Chapter 704

    When the persistent whining of old men, older than most countries, finally ended, my vitality had hit rock bottom.

    It was a good thing that Agras had already been defeated. If this scene had urred before, my mind would have been shattered by now.

    Sighing in a way that was almost a relief, I stepped out of the Fairy Queen¡¯s embrace and stood before the Hero.

    "Did you understand everything? Then hurry up and tell me what you want. Our deity has ack of empathy, so if you don¡¯t tell us, we won¡¯t know."

    "A wish, huh? Should I say something like ''the peace of the continent'' or ''everyone''sughter''?"

    "Heh. Even if you didn¡¯t say it, there are plenty of people who could achieve that, right? So, the pathetic losers should quietly step aside."@@novelbin@@

    "Hahaha. You¡¯re right. You, far more than me, are a much better person, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do it well."

    Nodding, the Hero scratched his head awkwardly and forced a strained smile.

    "However, even if you ask me to speak about personal desires, nothing reallyes to mind. It¡¯s been so long since I thought about anything like that. I think I used to have a dream, but now I can¡¯t recall anything."

    "That¡¯s true. The mental age of the Hero, who has long been discarded, is probably worse than a child¡¯s."

    The Hero had lived for others since the time of the myth.

    After fighting against the evil gods and bringing peace to the continent, he had stayed alone in the dark, guarding the seal of the evil gods.

    For someone like him, hoping for autonomy would be difficult.

    "Then, try everything."

    "...Hmm?"

    "Try anything. Be a hero of a peaceful continent and be praised by everyone. Be a powerful noble and abuse your power. Enjoy some peaceful time in a quiet vige. Live like the cross-dressing knight next to you, being obsessed with women."

    <ul>

    <li>Right!</li>

    <li>We¡¯re here!</li>

    <li>We can take Lucy there too!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Why are youughing!?</li>

    <li>We¡¯re serious!</li>

    <li>Yeah! We¡¯re really serious!</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>Yep!</li>

    <li>We know!</li>

    <li>We¡¯ll guide you!</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 705

    When Joy returned to the mansion, she was greeted with overwhelming congrattions from the members of the Duke¡¯s family.

    She was the official disciple of the Grand Mage Erginus and had made significant contributions during the War of the Gods.

    Her achievements were so great that it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if they had announced her as the next Duchess, pushing the eldest son aside.

    If Joy had desired it, Jeff would have dly given up his title, but in reality, Joy had no interest in power.

    Thus, she epted the congrattions from those around her with pure intentions.

    However, when the loud party ended and she was left alone in her room, Joy thought that everything she had experienced felt like a daydream.

    Looking back, her two years had been filled with unreal events.@@novelbin@@

    She had fought against various evil gods. She had be a disciple of the Grand Mage Erginus. She had taken the lead in the War of the Gods. And in the end, she had won.

    These were all things too grand for a fool like her to have aplished, and so Joy was afraid to sleep.

    When shey in bed and closed her eyes, she felt as if everything she had experienced would disappear like bubbles, and only the false smile of the Duchess would remain in the harsh reality. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to fall asleep.

    What would Lucy have said if she had been here? Would she haveughed, calling her silly for thinking such things?

    Heh heh. I hope shees back soon.

    I found out that the mother I had missed so much was actually alive, so it would be difficult to meet her for a while, but I still want to see her and spend time together.

    When I''m with Lucy, I have so much fun that I don''t even think about other trivial things.

    Since lying still doesn''t seem to help me sleep, I guess I should think about what to do with Lucyter.

    Lucy¡¯s mission is alreadyplete, right?

    So now, I should enjoy myself like a proper academy girl!

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 Chapter 707

    Arthur returned to the royal pce and, along with the key figures of the court, including Rene and Cecil, enjoyed the celebration before quietly slipping away from the crowd.

    His temperament wasn¡¯t fond of noisy gatherings, but more importantly, he had a question that he had been dying until today.

    Following the moonlight shining down from a cloudless sky, he arrived at the tower at the edge of the pce.

    Perhaps due to the loosened security from the celebrations, Arthur gave a slight warning to the guards, handed them some food, and ascended the tower.

    "With the banquet still going on outside, why have youe here? Those people shouldn''t be treating you differently," she said, her voice soft from behind the bars.

    Once, she had been the dignity of the kingdom, but now she was merely a woman who had be a mere criminal.

    She had nearly led the kingdom to ruin.

    Even now, she could not forget her love.

    The woman, whose name had been lost, smiled faintly from behind the bars.

    "Are you intentionally distancing yourself?"

    "Eventually, I will, but not right now."

    "Then, why have youe? I doubt you''re interested in the throne."

    "I have something to ask you."

    "Is it about the mother of the Third Prince?"

    "...Yes."

    Arthur''s mother was assassinated by poison hidden in her tea.

    At the time, it was concluded as a crime by a servant, but the true mastermind behind the assassination was never clearly revealed.@@novelbin@@

    "You think I was the mastermind behind the assassination, don''t you?"

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 Chapter 708

    Using Joy''s magic, Frey returned home to a warm wee from her family and servants.

    Though Frey was filled with thoughts of annoyance, she didn¡¯t escape. Based on her past experiences, she knew that running away would only lead to even more troubleter.

    ¡°Wait just a bit! I¡¯ll bring you some wonderful food!¡± Lady Kent moved busily with a few servants while Parna stuck close to Frey and stared at her quietly.

    Her sparkling eyes revealed her curiosity, but strangely, she didn¡¯t speak.

    Frey, while killing time with a yawn, felt a sense of unease at Parna''s unusual behavior.

    Normally, Parna would cling to her and ask about the day¡¯s events, but today was different.

    ¡°Why are you like this?¡±

    ¡°Me? Why? I¡¯m doing well, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Then why are you being nice?¡±

    ¡°Why, why nice?! I¡¯ve always been nice!¡±

    ¡°No, you weren¡¯t nice before.¡±

    ¡°I was nice!¡±

    ¡°Liar.¡±

    ¡°...Maybe I was a bit mischievous, but I was still nice!¡±

    ¡°A bit?¡±@@novelbin@@

    Lucy would get annoyed by this kind of behavior, so could it be right to say it was just ¡®a bit¡¯?

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 Chapter 709

    Rene ced the teacup in front of Lucy, studying her expression carefully.

    She seemed to be in a good mood. She was so oblivious that she was absentmindedly kicking her feet and humming.

    She didn¡¯te here first, that¡¯s for sure¡ªshe must have seen everyone else beforeing to me.@@novelbin@@

    It wasn¡¯t unusual. If it were in the past, maybe I would have felt differently. But now, the connection between Lucy Allen and me is only this much.

    "Here. This is chocte made by the most famous pastry chef in the capital."

    "You act so confident, and this is all you brought?"

    "If you want, I can have all the pce chefs summoned right away. If I tell them it¡¯s for the hero who saved the continent, they¡¯ll dly cook."

    "...No, I¡¯ll politely decline."

    "Isn¡¯t this exactly the grand gesture you wanted?"

    "Men who say things like that aren¡¯t popr."

    "Haha. I¡¯ll be careful."

    Reneughed lightly as he saw Lucy frown at his response.

    Even though she had be the hero who saved the continent and carried the grand title of the Daughter of the Deity, you haven¡¯t changed, have you?

    That¡¯s why I enjoyed the time I spent with you.

    No matter where I stood, you treated me as me.

    Unlike everyone else, who had to pay attention to every gesture and expression, I could simply smile when I was with you, without thinking too much.

    I¡¯m sure you¡¯d want the same. All the grand titles you¡¯ve acquired now don¡¯t matter; you just want to be treated as you.

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 Chapter 712

    "Is it that hard to say a word to me?! If you''d just given me the smallest hint, I wouldn''t have fallen into such despair!"

    "What about you?! I asked you to be Lucy''s pir, so why did you just leave her alone?!"

    Each word spoken shifts the air around us.@@novelbin@@

    It¡¯s not just a change in atmosphere. The very feeling in the air is changing.

    As a result, several of the servants caught in this fight had lost consciousness, and even the distant branches of the Allen family were gasping for breath. The knights, who were still somewhat intact, were unsure of how to intervene and were looking around nervously.

    "What are you all doing?"

    Seeing their pathetic state, I narrowed my eyes and scolded them. Immediately, everyone rushed to me as if they had found a savior.

    "Lady! Please stop this fight! You''re the only one who can do it!"

    Seeing the usually calm butler kneel before me made me realize the situation was indeed serious.

    "Right now, they¡¯re fighting, but who knows when it¡¯ll escte!"

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 Chapter 715

    Several days had passed since the war that determined the fate of the world had ended, but the continent was still in turmoil.

    However, that turmoil was a pleasant one. They were the victors of the war, people who had lived through a miraculous generation.

    The Sanctuary, which had been at the heart of the war and was still undergoing restoration, was the same.

    Despite losing most of their previousnd, the people of the Sanctuary still lived with smiles on their faces.

    They didn¡¯t doubt that things would get better.

    How could they doubt? With gods descending from the heavens, sitting together and contemting how to restore the Sanctuary.

    ¡°Ganshu, what do you think of this design? I put a lot of effort into it.¡±

    ¡°For a crow, you¡¯ve put a lot of thought into it. You¡¯re trying to represent religious harmony through various colors, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I think this will fit perfectly with the newly rebuilt Sanctuary!¡±

    ¡°Your opinion is noted. Teravis, what does the God of Architecture think?¡±

    ¡°I want to say that practicality is for the dogs, but this design is too good to give up on. I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    As the God of Architecture folded his arms and mumbled, the Goddess of Beauty and Art stood up with a bright smile.

    ¡°Then, I can leave now, right?¡±

    ¡°Will you? There are still many buildings to be rebuilt, and there¡¯s a lot of work for you to do. Where do you think you¡¯re running off to?¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Just for a day! Please let me go! It¡¯s something I must do!¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s something rted to the God¡¯s paintings, why not leave it to your apostle?¡±

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 Chapter 716

    Frete continued thinking about the song he would share with the bards as he headed toward the Allen estate.

    How should he convey the heroic tale of this being, the Apostle of the God and the Daughter of the God?

    Lady Allen would hate for her story to be made grand, but as an Apostle of the Goddess and a wandering figure of the continent, he could not avoid sharing her story.

    For everyone living on this continent is waiting to hear it.

    Anyway, even if I do nothing, people will make up stories on their own and spread them.

    False tales filled with personal opinions that would make Lady Allen terribly ufortable.

    To prevent that, it¡¯s necessary to quickly create and spread a proper story.

    Considering the authority I hold among the bards, I should be able to prevent most distortions.

    ¡°The story should begin with her childhood, I suppose.¡±

    A child born with a curse, unloved by anyone, who lost all her support before bing an adult.

    Yet, she did not crumble even in the face of great despair.

    Even as she recalled her pain, she awaited the day of her beginning.@@novelbin@@

    Then one day, when everyone had nearly forgotten the misfortunate girl, she stepped back into the world, called by the Goddess. To be a ray of light in a world descending into darkness.

    ¡°...Even if I just tell the story I¡¯ve heard from the Goddess of History, there¡¯s so much to create.¡±

    The girl who could barely climb the stairs began her training.

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 Chapter 718

    Joy, who had been invited to Allen Estate, had been very excited since the night before.

    She had asked not only the maids but also her brother and mother what kind of outfit would be best for the asion, thought about what kind of gifts to bring, and smiled as she wondered what she would talk about with Lucy once they met.

    On the day of the visit, as soon as morning arrived, she got up,pleted her preparations, and headed towards Allen Estate.@@novelbin@@

    It had only been a few days since she parted ways with Lucy, but why did it feel like such a long time had passed?

    Looking back, in thest few years, Lucy and I were always together.

    At the academy, we trained together, spent our holidays together, and even in the battles that followed, we were always side by side. So, it made sense that I felt her absence.

    Honestly, I wanted to go meet Lucy as soon as the family business was taken care of.

    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that I had to discuss things with the family¡¯s mages, I would have done so already.

    But those people, once they started talking about magic, got me all worked up, and when my father joined in, the situation escted.

    We called in Erginus for advice, and then the Goddess herself joined, and it turned into a mess.

    <em>Sigh</em>. Even now, just thinking about it makes me groan.

    What were those two thinking?

    At first, I thought it was impressive how they focused on every little detail, trying to push their opinions through, but as time went on, it started to feel like a petty pride contest between kids.

    If it were Lucy, she probably would have said that out loud.

    Oh, forget it. Let¡¯s not think about it anymore.

    From now on, I¡¯m going to have fun with Lucy, and I don¡¯t want to waste any time thinking about that nonsense.

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 Chapter 719

    "By the way, where could Lucy be right now? Fabi, don''t you feel anything?"

    "I''m sorry, Joy. It''s hard to pinpoint with Lucy''s presence spreading across the entire city."

    Normally, Fabi would have answered without being asked, but today, she hesitated, wearing a subtle expression as she held back her response.@@novelbin@@

    The entire Allen domain was engulfed in Lucy¡¯s presence, making it impossible to pinpoint her exact location.

    "Could it be because of all the things Lucy has decorated with?"

    "No, it probably isn''t just that. When we visited the Art Guild before, it wasn''t like this."

    As Fabi pondered the difference between then and now, she arrived at one answer.

    Back then, Lucy hadn''t fully realized who she was.

    Now, Lucy is very aware of her own identity¡ªshe knows she is the daughter of the deity and is close to divinity.

    If this difference is causing the phenomenon, then it means the widespread belief across the continent is affecting Lucy.

    In other words, she...

    "Fabi?"

    "Ah, yes. Sorry, I couldn¡¯t be of any help."

    "No, it¡¯s alright."

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 Chapter 720

    After finishing their meal, Lucy, with a serious expression, carefully examined the clothes in the capital¡¯s clothing store.

    You might ask what¡¯s so special about a girl looking at clothes, but if she¡¯s browsing outfits that clearly wouldn¡¯t fit her, then the situation changes.

    Joy and Fabi, who knew what had happened to Armandi, flinched and shuddered every time Lucy showed interest in the clothes.

    "Joy. Why are all the clothes like this?"

    Unable to hold back any longer, Fabi leaned in next to Joy and whispered in her ear.

    Every time the shopkeeper rmended an outfit, it was incredibly revealing.

    It wasn¡¯t just exposing shoulders or the chest¡ªmany of the skirts intentionally left gaps to show off the legs.

    Some outfits looked like they could pass for lingerie, but fortunately, Lucy rejected those.

    If Lucy had handed me one of those outfits as a gift and then started to cry, wondering if I was disregarding her feelings¡­@@novelbin@@

    Ugh. Just imagining it makes my face heat up.

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 Chapter 721

    I sat silently, looking at the two people in front of me, unable to stop the words from escaping my mouth: "Why are these two acting like adults?"

    "Make an excuse."

    "Well, I really have no excuse."

    "I''m sorry, Lucy."

    "I specifically told you to make an excuse."

    I was already sick of hearing "I''m sorry." So now, tell me <em>why</em> you''re sorry.

    After spending time with my friends, my anger had cooled, so now I could listen calmly.

    I stared at them, and Mama cautiously spoke up.

    "I know you may not trust my words, but I didn¡¯t do this out of personal greed."

    "So, there is some personal greed involved, then?"

    "...Well."

    "A deity putting their personal desires into a public matter. I should let all those who praise you know that this is the deity you serve."

    "Lucy, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d listen?"

    "Then why aren¡¯t you speaking? If Mama keeps staring at my face like that, these curses will slip out."

    I mocked them, tapping my feet, and Mama started to look like she was about to cry.

    Seeing that, I felt a tiny bit of sympathy, but that was all.@@novelbin@@

    Until they gave a proper excuse, I wasn¡¯t going to show any kindness.

    "So, as for the excuse... you remember when Lucy received divine power at the end of thest war?"

    That was true. The reason I was able to open a new beginning was because I received power from Mama.

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 Chapter 723

    Recently, as I felt people worshipping me, I started to feel a sense of crisis. I kept wondering how I could reduce their faith in me, even just a little.

    This wasn¡¯t something I¡¯d been thinking about for just a day or two.

    Now, I¡¯ve reached a point where it feels dangerous if I don¡¯t act soon, so I was desperate.

    But no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn¡¯te up with a solution.

    Should I torment them and denounce them?

    I¡¯ve been doing that every day already. I¡¯m still doing it often!

    I even tormented Mama in front of everyone, so what more could I do here?

    But even then, my reputation doesn¡¯t change at all!

    It¡¯s not like I can cross a line andmit a crime either, because my conscience would be pricked, and I¡¯d be worried about the impact on those around me!

    I¡¯m no longer alone like I used to be! If I do something bad, it naturally affects those around me!

    I¡¯ve already caused enough trouble, and I don¡¯t want to get into more debt!

    How far would I have to go to ruin my reputation? What kind of crime would I need tomit?@@novelbin@@

    I feel like even something minor would just get buried without a trace by Karia!?

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to do something stupid like that idiot Agras!

    <If you''re not going to start a war across the continent, it might be better to just give up.>

    ¡®I can¡¯t give up! I can¡¯t live like this!¡¯

    Even if I were to give up, I wanted to at least try something first, so after some thought, I decided to just do whatever I could do right now.

    Rather than giving up after assuming it¡¯s over, it¡¯s better to try different things.

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 Chapter 724

    The casino in Sdin. The VIP room of the Golden Mirage was filled with well-known nobles, people you would probably have seen in the social scene at least once.

    Among them was Avery from the Rumley Count family.

    She, who had once led the nobledies under Joy Parn¡¯s guidance, was now sitting at a casino table, sweating coldly as she looked at her hand.

    Originally, she had no interest in casinos.

    She had once visited with a family elder and quickly grew tired of gambling when things didn¡¯t go her way. After that, she never came back.

    But now, she found herself in the VIP room of the casino, a ce where entry required spending a significant amount¡ªthanks to her older brother.

    The eldest son of Rumley, who had been destroyed after making a pass at the Allen family¡¯sdyst year, had eagerly plunged into all sorts of misdeeds.

    Even before that, Avery¡¯s older brother wasn¡¯t exactly a model person, but at least he tried to act like the heir to the countship.

    But now, he couldn¡¯t even manage the bare minimum.

    Every day he went out drinking, buying women, and mingling with unsavory crowds, gambling away his allowance. To make up for the money he lost, he even started selling off his family¡¯s valuables on the ck market. He was nothing more than human scum.@@novelbin@@

    It was so bad that the elders of the family even shouted that they should strangle him.

    If it weren¡¯t for the family head shouting that they couldn¡¯t afford to lose their only son, by now, Rumley¡¯s eldest would have been buried deep in the ground.

    It would have been great if he had sworn to change and be grateful for his life, but the mindset of a piece of trash who had fallen into the abyss didn¡¯t work that way.

    Instead of bing a better person, he stole Rumley¡¯s treasures, used them to enter the casino, and squandered everything.

    As for what happened to him when he was left penniless? Don¡¯t bother wondering. He¡¯s someone who will never appear in the world again.

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 Chapter 725

    Toby learned how to gamble from his father, not by cheating, but by mastering the skill of gambling itself.

    In a world filled with countless strong figures, cheating will eventually be exposed, but true skill will bring victory without the risk.

    "Listen carefully. There is skill in gambling. However, in order for skill to exist, certain conditions must be met."

    Toby¡¯s father said that if you can create an environment free from cheating and make it a long game instead of a single round, gambling bes fair.

    You might win once by luck.@@novelbin@@

    It¡¯s also possible to win two or three times in a row.

    But if it happens ten, a hundred, or a thousand times, in the end, the one with the better skill will win.

    This is also the secret behind how casinos make money.

    Once or twice, a customer might win, but in the end, the casino wins.

    "If someone can keep their luck all the way through? That¡¯s skill, what else can it be?"

    His father said that such an impossible thing would never happen and that if he was worried, it would be better to worry about his own bad luck, but Toby realized there was an exception to what his father said.

    From the moment she sat down at the gambling table, the girl who had never lost a single game was the exception itself.

    "...What is this?"

    "What do you think it is? Proof that you¡¯re an idiot."

    Lucy,ughing as she collected her winnings, threw a coin in front of the trembling man, whose eyes were bloodshot.

    "Here~ I got a lot, so I¡¯ll share a bit~ Ahaha, I¡¯m really kind, aren¡¯t I?"

    Her colleague grabbed the woman who was about to rush in, abandoning her reasoning.

    The woman, struggling as if it was a fight to the death, looked like a demon, but Lucy only gave a yful smile in response.

    The woman, enraged, pointed at the dealer.

    "Hey! This is cheating!"

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 Chapter 726

    Recently, Benedict had been living in extreme happiness.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡±

    When he woke up in the morning, the lover he had once loved more than anyone, whom he thought he would never meet again, greeted him.

    ¡°Papa, you¡¯re still wearing that silly face today.¡±

    When he went to have breakfast, his daughter, the cutest girl in the world, smiled and greeted him.@@novelbin@@

    ¡°My lord, good morning.¡±

    ¡°Here¡¯s the matter you entrusted to me.¡±

    The work Benedict used to handle alone was mostly now taken care of by the branch family¡¯s children.

    ¡°My lord!¡±

    ¡°A new work has arrived! Shall we take a look?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the one¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m jealous.¡±

    The residents of the fief greeted Benedict with smiles, not fear, and the tourists openly showed envy towards him.

    It¡¯s no wonder the gossips call Benedict Allen the man who has everything.

    A good family, excellent vassals, a prosperous fief, personal health, and overwhelming strength.

    On top of that, after a series of events, he had built rtionships with various power figures across the continent, so he no longer had to worry about politics.

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 Chapter 727

    In the mansion''s drawing room, Rene looked at Lucy with genuine confusion as he asked.

    "Why would you do something like that?"

    "Because I don''t want to cater to those damn idiots."

    "If that''s the case, it would be better to invite the high-ranking people right from the start and crush them. If we get Karia to spread rumors, they''ll run away on their own."

    While Lucy''s value was undoubtedly high, it was almost too high to handle.

    Could there be anyone in the current continent who could match her worth? Thus, even the powerful had to tread carefully around Lucy.

    If she showed signs of being upset and decided to strike back, how could anyone handle that?

    "Last time, a certain prince kept hitting on me even after I told him to go away."

    "What an idiot. Not even worth remembering. He¡¯ll be forgotten soon enough."

    If Lucy expressed her displeasure with that prince''s country, that prince would naturally lose everything.

    Turning Lucy into an enemy was akin to dering war on the entire continent.

    It would be better to erase that person and pretend nothing happened.

    "...She''s family, though."

    "After what your mother did recently, you¡¯re still saying that?"

    "Oh... well, that..."@@novelbin@@

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 Chapter 730

    In the following preliminary round, Asa and Joy easily secured victories.

    The challengers in this scramble weren¡¯t weak. No one foolish enough to challenge the arena would do so seeking humiliation.

    The reason they won so easily was simply because of their strength and experience, which far outstripped that of the others.

    ¡°Fighting like this, I realize how ridiculous our past experiences were. They don¡¯t even know the battlefield,¡± Asa muttered.

    When he was a third prince traveling through small kingdoms, Asa had encountered many who believed in their own strength.

    At the time, he had admired those strong figures, wondering if he could ever be as strong as them.@@novelbin@@

    But now, facing those same former strong ones, Asa no longer felt any admiration.

    Having met many of the continent¡¯s most renowned powerhouses, battled enemies worthy of myth, and narrowly escaped death more than once, he could no longer view these people as strong.

    What good is a glimmering weapon?

    What¡¯s the meaning of using a martial art with a deep history?

    No matter their lineage or traditions, what does it matter?

    If you¡¯re weak, then those things lose all meaning.

    ¡°Well, there were a few standout people, weren¡¯t there?¡± Joymented.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll have to tell little brother about them,¡± Asa replied.

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 Chapter 731

    It wasn¡¯t something I had allowed, and there¡¯s no way winning here would mean that they could im me, but strangely enough, on the day of the finals of the tournament, which was named the "Lucy Scramble."

    In the underground arena¡¯s stands, all sorts of high-ranking individuals had taken their seats.

    The heads of various religions whom I had met during the time of the Apostles¡¯ meeting.

    High-ranking individuals I had exchanged greetings with while eliminating the dungeons that had appeared all over the continent.

    And the gods of each religion.

    ¡°Kyaaah! Lady Allen! You look even more beautiful today!¡±

    Did she even realize how many people were looking at her?@@novelbin@@

    When the crow in the middle of the stands let out a shrill voice, Ganshu, who was sitting next to her, sighed and pressed his head down.

    Now that he was able toe down to the continent in his child form, he scolded the crow, then ordered his apostle to record things properly while looking forward.

    Other than that, there were many gods seated around. From the famous ones to the rtively lesser-known.

    What could they possibly be doing here? I swear, I can almost hear the gods'' followers screaming in frustration from over here.

    There were many other groups that I hadn¡¯t mentioned yet, but one thing was clear: everyone in the stands had considerable power.

    If this were when I first entered Soul Academy, by now I¡¯d be dead from the pain of having my disguise ripped apart.

    <Is it any different now?>

    ¡®Not really. There¡¯s no need to worry about it.¡¯

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 Chapter 732

    <Is this really okay?>@@novelbin@@

    Grandfather''s worried voice echoed as I cloaked myself in divinity.

    <There¡¯s no need to amodate that guy. He¡¯s a deeply ungrateful person who doesn¡¯t even appreciate the help he¡¯s been given. You can just chase him off.>

    ¡®That¡¯s true.¡¯

    If I lowered my head here and told him to get lost, the hero would dly retreat.

    A hero who values duty more than his own desires, that¡¯s the kind of person he is.

    ¡®But I don¡¯t want to do that.¡¯

    Listening to the hero''s words, the desire boiling deep inside me clouded my judgment.

    It¡¯s a risk I don¡¯t need to face. The fight would bring more losses than gains. The possibility of losing is much higher than winning, but those kinds of battles are the ones that feel the most exhrating when you win, aren''t they?

    <...Don¡¯t think this will be the same as the fights deep in the dungeon. The one who has regained his will is far stronger.>

    ¡®I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m stronger than I was back then too.¡¯

    Since receiving my powers from Mama, I¡¯ve never given my all in a fight.

    To be precise, I don¡¯t even know how to give my all.

    I have no idea how far I can really go.

    Although people keep saying my name is spreading across the continent, and I¡¯m bing a god, I don¡¯t feel any different.

    But, facing the hero in front of me... if we really fight with everything we¡¯ve got, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll learn something.

    ¡°Hey, everyone. Let¡¯s have some fun together.¡±

    With a burst ofughter, fairies spread out around, releasing the scent of flowers.

    As their wings fluttered, their powder scattered, creating a stage full of flowers and grass on the dry dirt below.

    I stepped onto the stage I had seen every morning while greeting people and grinned as I looked beyond my shield.

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 Chapter 735

    Joy couldn''t hide her pity as she watched Arthur being teased by Lucy.

    It was practically a direct hit, but Arthur had no clue.

    This wasn''t just ack of awareness. He simply wasn¡¯t seeing her as a potential romantic interest from the start, so his thoughts never went in that direction.

    What made it even sadder was that Lucy¡¯s misunderstanding was based on her trust in the prince.

    Lucy, with her small stature andplex about it, doesn¡¯t believe she could ever be anyone¡¯s romantic target.

    She knows better than anyone that she''s beautiful, but she believes that beauty and desire are separate things.

    There are exceptions, like Lina, but that just makes it worse.

    She believes that unless someone¡¯s a disgusting pervert, they wouldn¡¯t like her.

    Because of that, if someone says they like Lucy, they¡¯d be seen as a pervert with sexual intentions.

    But does that mean she won¡¯t confess her feelings?

    That¡¯s illogical.

    What she¡¯s hoping for is for Lucy to realize her feelings first, but Lucy, as it stands, has no interest in romance at all.

    The problem isn¡¯t with the prince.

    He¡¯s definitely a good person, even without considering his position.@@novelbin@@

    He¡¯s perfect in both appearance and ability.

    There are nobles aiming for the prince, after all.

    Just from the gossip I¡¯ve heard, there¡¯s quite a lot, and when you add in the whispers behind the scenes, there are even more.

    If the prince shows kindness to another noblewoman, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll provoke some interesting reactions.

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 Chapter 736

    The moment I heard Mama¡¯s tone, a chill ran down my spine.

    Even when I heard all sorts of insults from her, Mama¡¯s voice was always soft, but now, the voice I hear from behind me ispletely devoid of emotion.

    The air felt like the cold, suffocating atmosphere of hell, and cold sweat ran down my back.

    I can¡¯t let this go. If I do, something big will happen.

    ¡°Mama?¡±

    Following my instinct, I raised my head and called out to Mama, adding as much charm as I could.

    If it were the Mama I knew, this voice would have made her smile awkwardly, but today, Mama just smiled slightly and took a step forward.@@novelbin@@

    The moment I saw that, I realized. I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop Mama.

    ¡°It''s quite surprising. Coming to meet a man who already has a wife. Is that knight really that attractive?¡±

    ¡°What can I say? He is the best and the strongest.¡±

    ¡°You seem to be in a position where you could also be called the best, so why do you not know proper manners?¡±

    ¡°I know, but I chose to ignore them.¡±

    Both the Swordmaster and Mama were raising the corners of their mouths, but the atmosphere waspletely different.

    The space between their gazes felt like the heavy atmosphere was cracking under the tension.

    ¡°It''s quite surprising. Do you think you have the worth to surpass the person I gave to you?¡±

    As Mama tapped her chin, pretending not to know, the Swordmaster immediately shook his head.

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 Chapter 738

    When the hero shouted about the position of being the strongest, Frey, who had been sitting in the audience, felt her heart beating wildly.

    If this had been the old Frey, she wouldn¡¯t have felt anything from the hero shouting his foolish dreams.

    To her, the word "dream" contained only the emptiness of hope, fluttering, and liveliness¡ªsenseless emotions.

    But the Frey now was different.

    She knew what a dream was.

    She understood how much romance could be embedded in such foolish shouts.

    She understood all too well that it was the absurd stories that were worth running after with a smile.

    The girl who had taught Frey what emotions were had always challenged the impossible and won. How could Frey, following in those footsteps, not know romance?

    The strongest.@@novelbin@@

    She wanted to be the strongest.

    She wanted to be stronger than anyone else.

    And most of all, she wanted to hear plenty of praise from Lucy.

    And she wanted to see Lucy trembling with jealousy.

    How cute would Lucy be, pretending not to care while clearly annoyed?

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 Chapter 739

    As Frey smiled, looking amused, Arthur broke out in a cold sweat.

    He had shouted confidently, but now, what should he do? Objectively, the odds were against him.

    If they collided head-on, there was no hope.

    What he had to target was the unexpected.

    Frey Kent¡¯s strategies¡ªstrategies he could never have imagined.

    Until now, Arthur had primarily relied on magic as a supplement to his swordsmanship. Since those around him preferred physicalbat, he had naturally followed suit.

    Even when sparring with Frey Kent, he always considered magic as just a supportive element.

    But this time, it would be different. He would make magic just as important as, or even more important than, the sword.

    Looking back now, how arrogant he had been. If his talent was mediocre, then he had to use everything he had right away. Why waste time choosing between better and worse?

    ¡°Shall we begin, Prince?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to put that cocky nose of yours in its ce.¡±@@novelbin@@

    ¡°Heh. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    The sword wrapped in colorless aura dyed everything it touched in shades of gray.

    Seeing this, Arthur stepped back a pace and inscribed something onto his sword.

    The biggest issue with using both magic and swordy was concentration.

    Engaging in closebat with a master like Frey was like walking on a de''s edge.

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 Chapter 740

    Frey remembers the day she first met Lucy.

    The girl, smaller than Frey, who disyed the strength of a warrior.

    Having developed some social skills, Frey now understands just how crazy her actions were that day.

    Had she made one wrong move, Frey might have earned Lucy¡¯s hatred, never to have a proper conversation with her.@@novelbin@@

    The reason Frey was able to stay by Lucy¡¯s side was entirely because Lucy had taken her feelings into ount.

    At some point, Frey began dreaming about that day, recalling the scene in her mind from time to time.

    However, the content of the dream was different. In the dream, Lucy didn¡¯t ept Frey¡¯s foolish behavior but instead spat out curses in disgust, and from then on, pretended not to know her.

    "I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong."

    Even after begging and begging, Lucy turned her back on Frey, and just as she was about to fall into despair, she woke up from the dream.

    Sweating cold in what could only be called fear, Frey would meet Lucy the next morning with more enthusiasm than usual, and every time, Lucy would grumble but still let her indulge in her childish behavior.

    The first time Frey heard about Lucy¡¯s marriage proposal was also after waking up from such a nightmare.

    Tossing and turning in a strange sense of anxiety, Frey, upon hearing about the marriage, moved impulsively.

    Without even fully understanding what the marriage proposal was, driven by the simple desire not to have Lucy taken by someone else, she acted rashly.

    Later, she realized it was something Lucy would likely despise, but the sudden appearance of Lucy didn¡¯t drive her away after scolding Frey.

    The Lucy of the dream was just that¡ªa dream version of Lucy. The real Lucy was a fool who couldn¡¯t push others away.

    "Ready to be defeated?"

    Seeing Lucy¡¯s yful smile, Frey grinned brightly.

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 Chapter 744

    "Hu-gaek!"

    With a sound that could make anyone chuckle, Astrika woke up, wiping the cold sweat from her face.

    What a strange dream. A viiness with the warmth of spring. That can¡¯t possibly exist.

    Lately, the endless days have been causing her so much mental strain that she ends up having such dreams.

    I need to stop reading novels for a while.

    "Astrika-nim."

    "Hik?!"@@novelbin@@

    Startled, Astrika turned her head and trembled when she saw the woman standing beside her bed.

    Though the woman hadn¡¯t introduced herself, Astrika immediately recognized her.

    There was only one being with the grace and epassing nature that could make even the guardian of the forest humble.

    "Your Majesty?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s right. I am Lunebia, the Fairy Queen."

    "Y-Your Majesty, how did you end up here? No, wait, that¡¯s not the point. I am Astrika, the guardian of Phainis, the one who watches over the end of the world."

    As Astrika fumbled nervously, she lowered her head while trembling.

    Lunebia lightly smiled.

    "You¡¯re adorable."

    "Ah, hehe... T-Thank you."

    <ul>

    <li>"We can make you fly too."</li>

    <li>"Astrika, no."</li>

    <li>"Chi-ee."</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>"We¡¯ll do it too!"</li>

    <li>"I want a reward if I find something!"</li>

    <li>"I¡¯ll look around hard!"</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 745

    Cradled in Lunebia¡¯s arms, I arrived atop the cliff, using divine energy to banish the chill and surveyed the surroundings.@@novelbin@@

    The snow, lightly piled, was so white that there were no traces of human footsteps.

    The towering mountain, piercing through the clouds, exuded a mysterious atmosphere, as if an unknown life resided there.

    I knew that this wasn¡¯t the path leading to the Garden of the Gods, so I didn¡¯t give it much thought.

    If someone unaware had arrived here, they would likely have red eyes and be looking around in confusion.

    <If I had known about this ce, I would havee to see it much earlier.>

    "Not much here."

    But Frey was the exception. Being infinitely far from the ordinary, she remained indifferent even after seeing a world that touched the clouds.

    Every time I saw that, I felt a rising sense of unease.

    After all this trouble, what if I showed her the night sky and she had no reaction? I¡¯d probably shed a tear.

    "Astrika-nim. Is there something strange?"

    Sighing as I let my worst thoughts take hold, I turned my head at Lunebia¡¯s words.

    "Me? What about me?"

    "You, being the guardian of this ce, must have been here before."

    Astrika, in the form of an owl, turned her head 180 degrees, scanning the surroundings, then voiced her suspicion.

    "The snow has shrunk."

    "Could you exin further?"

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 Chapter 746

    After learning emotions from Lucy, Frey¡¯s sensibilities were still different from those of ordinary people.

    If one had to pinpoint it, her essence itself was likely to be like this.

    She was more interested in weapons than jewelry, enjoyed watching swordsmanship disys over admiring artworks, and preferred sparring with someone rather thanughing and chatting at social gatherings. She was more suited to being a knight than a noblewoman, and more suited to being an adventurer than a knight.

    Even before meeting Lucy, Frey had been told by many people that she was unusual, and she was well aware of the disparity she carried within herself.

    However, she never really thought about changing it. She was content with who she was.

    Though, just a little bit, she was curious.@@novelbin@@

    She wondered what an ordinary life was like.

    If she could learn to live like others, maybe she could enjoyughing and talking alongside Lucy, even without sparring.

    So, Frey had asked her younger sister about the everyday life of ordinary people.

    ¡°Are you really curious about that!? Of course, I can tell you! What should I start with? Just say the word!¡±

    But there was no sess.

    What her younger sister described as daily life was something Frey had seen many times before.

    However, just because she had seen it often didn¡¯t mean she could empathize with it. Frey couldn¡¯t understand the joy her sister described with all the fuss.

    ¡°I¡¯d have trouble answering if you asked why I¡¯m enjoying this. But I¡¯m enjoying it, aren¡¯t I? You can¡¯t exin why you enjoy sparring with the noble youngdy either, can you?¡±

    At her younger sister¡¯s words, Frey unknowingly epted it and, rather than probing further, asked Lucy for help.

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 Chapter 747

    While Frey and Lucy were repeatedly sculpting and breaking pottery under the aurora, those left at Kariya''s shop were engaged in a fierce game of social chess, fighting over the order of Lucy''s use rights.

    There were two main points of discussion. One was about the order itself, and the other was about which order would be slightly more advantageous.

    At that moment, as every word on the table was loaded with a myriad of thoughts, Joy, hiding her face behind a ck fan, smiled slyly.

    "Honestly, I don¡¯t care when I¡¯m with Lucy. Even if it¡¯s not an opportunity like this, I¡¯m always with Lucy."

    The most she could hope for was to force Lucy into doing something she couldn¡¯t usually ask for.

    But even that didn¡¯t hold much significance because causing trouble and getting Lucy to hate her would be troublesome.

    Though she could do whatever she wanted for a few days, how long could that reallyst?

    If she didn¡¯t think about the future after this was over, she might face serious consequences.@@novelbin@@

    Considering that, the importance of this matter was not significant to her.

    But others were different.

    "The negotiations are quite difficult, aren¡¯t they?"

    Faybi thought that Lucy would want to do something like giving a sermon or something even greater at the Holy Ground.

    While the deration of the blending of various religions during the mythical wars might seem simple, it wasn¡¯t easy to achieve.

    Though a sense of camaraderie was born through the war, the process of blending cultures was anything but easy. Even though the gods from different realms had descended to help, it was hard to eliminate even the seeds of distrust.

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 Chapter 748

    As Armandi gently stroked Benedict''s head by the bedside, she couldn''t help but chuckle lightly at the sight of Lucy looking uneasy.

    When the attendants hurried in, iming that a great disaster had urred, Armandi wondered what it could be, only to realize that it was because of Lucy''s clothes.

    "I only changed my clothes, and yet everyone¡¯s causing such a fuss. It seems a lot must have happened while I was away," Lucy said with a shrug.

    "There probably aren¡¯t many who truly experienced that time, are there? I caused such a ruckus that everyone ran off," Armandi replied.

    Lucy, smiling wryly, noticed the attendants flinching every time she turned her gaze toward them.@@novelbin@@

    They probably weren¡¯t even around during my worst days. Why are they acting like this?

    It''s not like no one survived my dark past. But most of them were reced after I entered the academy.

    It¡¯s natural, though, since those who used to belittle me under Benedict¡¯s neglect.

    So, only a few people probably remember the chaotic times from back then. Maybe the butler, the head maid, or themander of the knights, those kinds of people.

    For everyone else, my childhood is probably more like an urban legend¡ªa scary tale passed down rather than a real terror.

    <So, that¡¯s why they¡¯re so panicked. Rumors tend to grow exaggerated and strange the more they¡¯re spread.>

    "The attendants are one thing, but why is Papa reacting this way?" Lucy wondered aloud.

    It was natural for the attendants to fear a temperamental master.

    However, Benedict was someone who stood in the position of a master, not just an ordinary servant.

    Moreover, he was the person who had been most aware of Lucy¡¯s changes. It didn¡¯t make sense that he would faint just because she was wearing clothes simr to what she used to wear.

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 Chapter 751

    ¡°Hah. So. Ugh. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    After barely escaping the giant¡¯s footsteps, I set the cat down and exined the situation to Joy, who was breathing heavily.

    ¡°The giant who was managing the garden pulled out a sword as soon as he heard a cat sound?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! He looked like he was actually going to kill me, it was that scary!?¡±

    The murderous intent of the giant, approaching with thudding footsteps, was real. I had wandered through countless battlefields. I wouldn¡¯t mistake real malice for anything else.

    ¡°¡­If what Lucy says is true, it looks like this cat is the one ruining the garden, huh?¡±

    ¡°Is the cat really that much of a troublemaker?¡±

    ¡°Well, if we were on a farm, maybe, but I doubt that would be the case in a garden.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    People often talk about how cats have strange personalities, but it¡¯s not like they immediately flip out and attack when they hear a sound.

    At least this one is cute! It has the kind of appearance that you could forgive for being a nuisance!@@novelbin@@

    <No matter how cute, there are limits. You¡¯ve been a great example of that in the past.>

    ¡°Even so, if it looks cute, hesitation starts to creep in.¡±

    Appearance generally has a bigger impact than people think.

    If a weird-looking bug approaches, most people would scream and run away, but if a cute animales near, they would smile brightly and extend their hand.

    <ul>

    <li>No, it¡¯s not.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>They¡¯re the ones making peace between the flowers, not harming them.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>That cat is kind of like a fairy, too.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>It wants you to follow it. There¡¯s a cat you must meet, Lucy.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>That¡¯s what it says.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>It¡¯s happy to do that.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>It¡¯s asking if it really has to.</li>

    </ul>

    <ul>

    <li>It says to forgive it for what it said earlier.</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 752

    To survive in high society, one must be able to read the intentions behind every facial expression, tone, and movement.

    Of course, Joy is not like Karia. She cannot deduce every thought by observing someone''s actions.

    If Joy were tasked with something like Karia¡¯s role, she would likely miss half of it.

    Still, the reason Joy survives in high society is not simply because she is a Duke''s daughter.@@novelbin@@

    Political rhetoric operates within an unspoken framework, so even without reading someone''s mind, one can still grasp their intentions.

    For instance, right now, Elder Cat is smiling, but in reality, she is ufortable with me stepping forward.

    She needs to speak directly with Lucy, the person she must persuade, but now that I¡¯m in the middle, I¡¯m probably making her uneasy.

    She will likely try to push me out of the conversation in some way. Even if she doesn''t, she won¡¯t listen to me with full attention.

    I understand. If I were in her position, I¡¯d probably do the same.

    When conversing with such a person, the first step is to ensure they cannot dismiss you.

    Once they believe there¡¯s something to you, the opportunity for meaningful conversation opens up.

    ¡°First, allow me to greet you. Noble representative.¡±

    See? She¡¯s already trying to establish dominance.

    Even though I introduced myself earlier, she refers to me as a representative.

    Moreover, she has no intention of introducing herself. She doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m worth it.

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 Chapter 753

    Every time the cats took a step, a faint vibration rippled through the ground.

    Their slit eyes, focused on the prey. Sharp ws scraping the dirt. Bodies ready to pounce at any moment.

    Surrounded by a pack of about a dozen cats, the Giant felt a threat to his life and swallowed nervously.

    Cats are naturally fierce hunters. This is evident even when considering the reason they were chosen as pets.

    Nowadays, they are loved for their small size and cuteness, but this wasn¡¯t always the case.

    In the past, people chose cats as pets because they hoped they would hunt creatures like mice, which were small and hard to catch.@@novelbin@@

    In other words, right now, the Giant is surrounded by about ten hunters selected by humans, all of whom pose a lethal threat to him.

    The Giant, who had never once looked up at anyone, hesitated and drew his sword as he looked at the monster-like group staring down at him.

    The giant ck sword was a source of pride and confidence for the Giant, able to cut through even the thickest branches. But now, the sword, alongside its wielder, seemed utterly pitiful.

    At this point, it might be considered as good as dead.

    Damn it. Fine. If you want to kill me, go ahead.

    But if you do, I¡¯ll take you all down with me.

    With resignation towards his life, the Giant raised his sword, and the ground shook with a heavy thud.

    The look in his eyes was one of shock as he saw a little girl standing firm, casting a shadow that pushed the entire pack of hunters backward.

    ¡°Leave now while you still can, you damn cats.¡±

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 754

    The social gathering at the Parn Dukedom was attended by all the prominent figures in the kingdom.

    Not only were the nobility and magicians who served under Parn present, but also the second prince, who was confirmed to seed the throne, along with his family. The other dukes, influential figures, and many who had made a name for themselves across the continent were also in attendance.

    This was partly due to the great prestige of the Parn family, but the fact that even those who would usually remain in their own territories hade suggests that it wasn¡¯t just the Parn''s grandeur at y.

    The reason even Avery, the daughter of an Earl family, was growing cautious was twofold.

    On one side, there were those with high hopes for Lucy Allen, who had been confirmed to attend the gathering long ago.

    On the other side, there were those who expected the fairy tale created by Erginus.

    Erginus, who reappeared after centuries, had created countless magical innovations whilepeting with the god of magic.

    Though not all of his endeavors had been sessful, the traces left by his sessful creations had imprinted themselves in the minds of many.

    Those who had forgotten the failures and only remembered the sesses came to the gathering, eagerly awaiting what kind of miracle Erginus might deliver this time.

    Nebera, a priestess of the god of magic and a magician who had been leading magical research, had recently lost track of when shest slept, and now looked around the social hall with dark circles under her eyes.

    ¡°There are indeed many great people here. Even I, who¡¯ve been away from social gatherings for a while, recognize most of the faces.¡±

    It would be truly amusing if Erginus failed spectacrly here, but unfortunately, that¡¯s not likely to happen.

    The god of magic had sent Erginus a somewhat irritated message to go and offer praise, so it seems whatever he¡¯s prepared must be impressive.

    It''s hard to imagine how something worthy of praise coulde from someone who stubbornly refuses to acknowledge Erginus, but I guess we''ll see.@@novelbin@@

    But what¡¯s strange is how ordinary the social hall looks.

    While there are traces of magic, they¡¯re all basic things. There¡¯s nothing that would warrant praise from the god of magic.

    <ul>

    <li></li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 756

    Armandi felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu as she observed the world created by Erginus.

    She had repeatedly experienced the same world countless times, and when she first decided to create something like a game, this was the kind of scenery she hade up with.

    Having decided to seek support from another world, she knew that her first attempt would hardly yield anything that looked promising.

    In this other world, Armandi was not a god, but merely an outsider, and there was no way she could catch up with the culture they had built over a long period in just a few days.

    While she quickly adapted to handling tools likeputers, there was still a vast gap between simply using them and creating a game.

    A game was aplete embodiment of the culture of a world. Creating a fun game out of a blend of various arts and entertainment wasn¡¯t an easy task.

    After several failures, the approach Armandi settled on was creating a small artificial space within her own world.

    She made many small worlds here, then, one by one, asked the god of amusement to test them, finally finding the best result.

    That was how the game "Soul Academy" came to be.

    Recalling that time, Armandi grinned as she set foot on the world.

    If I¡¯d known this was going to happen, I should have brought that guy with me. I rushed over alone, but if I hade with him, it would have been more enjoyable.@@novelbin@@

    If I could, I¡¯d go back and return with him, but since Lucy asked me to do something, I must at least get the bare minimum done.

    As she felt the eyes of those around her, Armandi calmly ced her feet on the dirt ground.

    Fairy tales each have their differences, but there¡¯s onemonality¡ªthey¡¯re stories for children, and they always carry a lesson.

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 Chapter 757

    Ren¨¦ thought quietly. Fairy tales are usually for children. It''s not just because they are simple and fun.

    Fairy tales are books for children because they convey the lessons children need as they grow up.

    Though he didn''t know about the fairy tale of the Giant¡¯s Garden, this story likely wouldn''t be much different.

    The conflict within this garden was intense. The parties involved were unwilling to listen to each other, each adamantly iming their own opinion was right.

    So, what would the conclusion of this fairy tale be?

    Harmony. After the sh between the two sides, they woulde to a realization and reconcile.

    The problem, however, is that simple harmony can¡¯t provide a meaningful lesson.

    In order to provide a real lesson, a problem must first arise.

    In other words, for a proper ending, the conflict needs to be pushed to the extreme.

    With this conclusion in mind, Ren¨¦ wandered around the flowers, speaking to the fairies.

    Perhaps it was because Lunebia had recognized him as her bloodline, but the fairies were extraordinarily kind to him.

    They would approach him without him needing to speak to them.

    <ul>

    <li>

    "The man with the cool beard just passed by!"

    <ul>

    <li>The Duke of the Empire. Enchanted by the cat¡¯s tail, he moved toward their side.</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    <li>

    "Ugh, a fat, sinister-looking man just passed by."@@novelbin@@

    <ul>

    <li>The noble from the North. Joining the giant¡¯s side.</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    <li>

    <ul>

    <li>One of the kingdom''s ministers, currently contemting his political position.</li>

    </ul>

    </li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 758

    Arthur did not doubt the giant''s victory.

    To put it simply, the problem was that the catscked justification.

    Currently, the cats imed that the garden was maintained because of them, but there had been no proof to confirm that as a fact.

    Furthermore, although the giants shouted that they were oppressed, they treated the cats humanely, despite being the ones destroying the garden.

    It was true that the process involved neutering, but from the cats'' perspective, it was a cruel act. From the humans'' perspective, however, it was nothing more than a reasonable action.

    And above all, the fact that those present were nobles was an important aspect.

    Would the harmony of nature resonate with those who always had a gardener by their side, or would it be the aesthetic sense of an expert that would speak to them?

    Although they spoke of simr things, there was a clear difference in understanding.

    The giants were able to suppress the faction that supported the cats by holding onto political legitimacy.

    It wouldn''t take much longer before the bnce would naturally copse.

    Then what would happen? How would this beautiful garden fall apart?

    And how would they ovee it? As Arthur pondered this, he lightly caught something falling from above his head.

    Arge yellow petal,rger than his head, was now held in his hand.@@novelbin@@

    "Here it begins."

    <ul>

    <li>"Pfft."</li>

    <li>"You¡¯re a coward."</li>

    <li>"Wanna dance?"</li>

    <li>"It¡¯ll be fun!"</li>

    </ul>

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 Chapter 759

    Rene continued dancing with the others.

    Even though there was no need to, considering he had discarded his title as prince.

    It wasn''t due to a habit ingrained in his body. At first, Rene had intended to push people away. He thought spending time in such a ce was a waste.@@novelbin@@

    But his mind changed the moment he saw Lucy dancing with Joy atop the flowers.

    Without any political intent or ulterior motives, seeing the two of them simply dancing for the joy of it made him not want to interfere.

    So, he extended his hand to someone else, just as he always had, thinking that Lucy would want the end of this fairy tale to be painted in green.

    "Excuse me."

    Just as the song ended and he was about to politely greet the youngdy, she cautiously spoke up.

    "What''s the matter?"

    Having been in such situations before, Rene couldn''t help but chuckle to himself.

    The ones seeking attention don¡¯t even nce at me, yet the others keep talking to me¡ªhow cruel.

    He had initially nned to decline politely, but the words that came from the youngdy weren¡¯t about that.

    "Has Lady Allen changed a lot?"

    "...Are you referring to Lucy Allen?"

    Rene unknowingly lowered his voice, and the youngdy quickly bowed her head, apologizing for her rudeness.

    Realizing his mistake, Rene cleared his throat and softened his voice more than usual as he responded.

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 Chapter 760

    Arthur, who was dancing with Frey, regretted his decision.

    He should have realized the moment he saw the sparkle in her eyes.

    Frey Kent, who was rarely interested in anything besides swords, was now so excited as if she were in a duel¡ªthere had to be something wrong!

    "Your Highness, you''re not tired already, are you?"

    "What are you talking about?"

    Following the dance moves naturally, Arthur tried to act strong.

    Objectively, Frey was a skilled dancer.

    It wasn¡¯t just that she could perform the typical social dances; she was skilled enough to improvise depending on the situation.

    However, one issue remained: when it came to a duel-likepetition, she moved relentlessly as if trying to overwhelm her opponent.

    The way Frey broke up the rhythm as if expecting Arthur to keep up was too advanced for most people to even attempt.

    Arthur couldn¡¯t understand why they had to be in apetition when they were supposed to be dancing together, but he didn¡¯t voice anyints.

    His pride was at stake, and after all, his opponent was Frey.

    However, after dancing for about thirty minutes, his thoughts began to change.

    As he focused on keeping up with Frey¡¯s movements, she raised the corners of her mouth every time he managed to follow her.

    And then she pushed even harder. He had heard that Frey Kent once danced for hours, only to still be unsatisfied and torment Count Kent when she got home.@@novelbin@@

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 Chapter 762

    Fortunately, Joy didn¡¯t make the same mistake twice.

    After several checks, she used magic and safely brought me home.

    ¡®Is this the end?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be with Lucy no matter what, so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    After Joy left with those words, I fell asleep with a peaceful heart.

    Then, around two dayster, I realized that events in high society were starting to affect the continent.

    To put it simply, the number of visitors to our territory had increased.

    Usually, people who came to visit the Allen territory were mostly from outside the kingdom.@@novelbin@@

    Those who didn¡¯t know much about my past or had only heard vague rumors didn¡¯t have any resentment toward me, easily getting immersed in the heroic tales anding here.

    Sometimes, there were a few people from within the kingdom who visited, but for the most part, they were people who hadn¡¯t experienced anything unpleasant with me. Those who had negative connections with me rarely came.

    That¡¯s normal.

    If I were them, I wouldn¡¯te either.

    How could respect suddenly appear for a brat who used to mock me with all kinds of insults, saying things about my face and my personality, only to be a hero?

    However, since the incident in high society, people who had previously wronged me started visiting more and more.

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 Chapter 764

    The most important thing when stirring up trouble is not revealing your true nature from the start.

    If someone suddenly brings up a sensitive topic with their nickname on a message board, the person on the receiving end is bound to realize they¡¯re being trolled.

    Even in an anonymous message board, it¡¯s the same. If it¡¯s the real world, there¡¯s no need to mention it.

    Moreover, the people here are those who have been around in the political arena long enough.

    Would they not recognize someone deliberately trying to cause trouble?@@novelbin@@

    So, first, you need to nt some trust in the other person.

    They need to think, "This person can be trusted."

    At least they should believe that what you say isn¡¯t nonsense.

    Once that perception is established, you can start your real mischief.

    But gaining trust isn¡¯t that easy.

    People who¡¯ve yed in the political arena have seen enough wolves trying to cling to them. They can easily tell if someone has ulterior motives or not.

    That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to present a truth they can¡¯t help but trust.

    Then, once I¡¯ve earned their trust, I¡¯ll slowly sneak in the powder keg.

    Heh. Just thinking about it makes me excited already.

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