Chapter: 62
The unexpected words that popped out of Karl’s mouth left me momentarily blank.
Calm down. I didn’t start a conversation with just one or two kids yesterday, did I?
For all I know, Karl might have brought a terrible quest.
No need to get all worked up.
Expecting something too much will only lead to feelings of betrayal.
‘So, Karl, that request you mentioned…’
“Ugh, is it that you want me to fetch an item from some rundown shack in the back alleys?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
‘Then…’
“Did you get the key too?”
“Seeing that you knew, it seems this was indeed a revelation from Armadi.”
Karl nodded to himself and pulled out a rusty iron key from his pocket to hand it over to me.
The moment I received it, a message window popped up right in front of my eyes.
– Ding!
[Student’s Request]
[Please enter the abandoned house and retrieve the item belonging to a female student.]
[Reward: 30 Silver]
Don’t get worked up, what do you mean “get worked up”?
Karl! You did well!
I thought he was just a useless knight stalking me, but it turns out he’s a loyal knight who always thinks of me!
So happy that I almost wanted to jump into Karl’s arms, but my Mesugaki skill wouldn’t allow that.
Instead, my Mesugaki skill moved my body to stand in front of Karl, raising my hand confidently.
I had no clue what that gesture meant, but Karl surely knew.
The moment he saw me move, he knelt down on one knee.
Karl’s head landed precisely where my hand reached.
Wait a second. Huh?
Whatever I was thinking, the Mesugaki skill just moved my body on its own.
My hand gently patted Karl’s head, and the corners of his mouth subtly rose.
…
Hey, do you realize you’re being treated like a dog right now?
Are you okay with being seen as a loyal hound instead of a knight?
That thought crossed my mind, but I kept it to myself as it felt like I’d be jinxing his smiling face.
‘Thank you, Karl.’
“Not bad considering you’re a loser.”
“No, I just did what I’m supposed to as a knight.”
Petting the head of a grown man naturally brought on a moment of enlightenment, but I did my best to ignore it.
Time to think of something else. Something different.
Yeah, thinking about the quest seems appropriate.
The Student’s Request quest you can start at Soul Academy initially seems like no big deal, just a simple fetch quest with a reward.
But the real essence of this quest is not what the student offers as a reward.
It’s the fact that you can enter the abandoned shack.
Inside that building lies a way to access a hidden dungeon!
Originally, one would need to reach level 10 and get some skills before entering while playing the game, but now I’m all set and ready!
Perfect. I’ll just dive in this evening.
As I thought more about the quest, a new question arose.
How did Karl manage to snag this?
This is a quest you can only get after talking to the student first, right?
There’s no way Karl, who has no interest in anyone besides training and dungeons, would have casually struck up a conversation with her.
‘Karl…’
“Ugh, how did you hear about this request?”
“About that?”
As I asked, Karl excitedly replied.
He casually heard a female student talking about me while he was on the way to meet me yesterday.
So, he pretended to ask for directions while offering to help if she was in trouble.
“And then the next day, she came to me and shared her worries.”
Listening to Karl, I couldn’t help but feel a divide between our circumstances.
When I approached, she was incredibly guarded.
Yet, the moment Karl tried talking, she just spilled her troubles to him?
That’s just unfair!
I know I might be a bit aggressive due to my Mesugaki skill.
True, my reputation really isn’t stellar either.
But we’re both meeting for the first time!
What’s the difference that makes her trust Karl right away?
Is it his looks? Is that what it’s about?
Karl does look quite handsome.
He’s the only one who can make people smile among the humans who ordinarily burst into tears at the mere act of talking to a child.
But really, is his appearance enough to completely shatter her defenses?!
Karl’s face isn’t some kind of hypnosis app!
It’s so unfair.
Some people get treated with suspicion just for saying hi while others instantly gain favor!
“Ahem. It seems people are starting to come in.”
Karl said this, carefully pulling away from me and rising back to his feet.
“Unfortunately, I can’t acknowledge you in a place where there are people around. Given my status as a knight of the Alrn family, it won’t do anyone any good.”
‘Do as you please.’
“Just go ahead as you wish, loser.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
Once he got up to prepare for the lesson again, people started walking into the classroom.
They cast bewildered looks at my face and promptly moved to keep their distance.
You’d think I’d be overjoyed for finally getting a quest I thought I’d never receive in my lifetime, yet why does my heart feel so empty?
Fortunately, that feeling didn’t linger long.
An atmosphere destroyer, who doesn’t care about my expressions or tone, entered the scene.
“Are you in on this too?”
Frey came into the classroom, smiled brightly upon spotting me, and ran over.
Her sudden interest was all too obvious.
She must be looking forward to sparring with me.
Since Professor Anton’s Combat Studies class aims to enhance skills through sparring.
Bit of a nuisance, but maybe this is actually good.
It’d be easier to engage instead of having to brush her off later post-class to be all, “Let’s fight?”
Amidst Frey’s incessant chatter, another guy approached me.
I swear I’ve seen that face somewhere before.
Can’t remember the name, though.
Aside from my Mesugaki skill casually referring to him as the “Small Fry” Leez.
Eh, whatever?
The Mesugaki skill referred to him that way anyway, so it doesn’t matter what I call him inwardly.
“Greetings, Lady Alrn.”
‘Hello, Small Fry.’
“Hey, Small Fry. You’re looking well?”
“Thanks to you, I guess.”
As Small Fry greeted me, everyone’s attention shifted to us.
Mostly curiosity, and some concerned.
Is it so unusual for someone to talk to me?
Thinking back, I realized only a handful of people have spoken to me today, so I guess it is unusual.
“Just came to thank you. Last time, I might’ve been flustered sending my gratitude through a letter, but it feels right to express it face-to-face.”
Small Fry seemed to bow down nearly touching the ground while going on about his deep respect.
“Thank you. If not for you, Lady Alrn, I wouldn’t be alive.”
I knew well the heart behind his words, but it was burdensome for me.
That incident happened because of me, after all.
‘Don’t worry about it.’
“Were you waiting for the right moment to thank me? How typical of a Small Fry. No need to fuss over it; I didn’t exert myself for your sake or anything.”
“Aah, yes. But I owe you my life.”
*
“Hey, are you crazy?!”
As Jacob Leez returned to his seat, his close friend Harry Sobor shouted in shock.
“Why?”
“Why?! Why would you talk to Lady Alrn?!”
Harry was about to scold Jacob, but he soon glanced over at Lucy Alrn, who had formed her own little space in the corner, lowering his voice.
“Because she’s the one who saved my life, that’s why.”
Jacob vividly remembered that hellish place.
Had it not been for Lucy Alrn, he wouldn’t be here now.
“Still, her reputation isn’t great, you know. You can’t know what might happen.”
As Harry furrowed his brow, Jacob chuckled.
True, Lucy Alrn doesn’t have the best reputation.
Anyone noble who’s ventured into high society has likely heard the terrible rumors about her, and Jacob was no exception.
But he didn’t believe all those tales.
While there surely are some grains of truth, most of it must be just misunderstandings.
Someone who willingly risks themselves for others can’t be that bad, right?
“Most of those must be misunderstandings.”
And Lucy Alrn had proven it by acing the academy entrance exam, nullifying the rumors about her studying skills.
Surely there are many other malicious stories floating around, Jacob thought.
“Still, keep your distance. There’s word that Lady Alrn has caught the eye of the Third Prince.”
“The Third Prince?”
“Yeah.”
Harry’s concern was palpable, the last thing he wanted was to attract the prince’s attention as well.
What could she have possibly done in just a day?
As Jacob considered asking Harry for more details about the rumors circling, Professor Anton appeared.
He arrived with footsteps that demanded attention, looking around the room before breaking into a grin.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Anton, your Combat Studies Professor. I’ll be teaching you how to fight.”
“As you know, this class aims to gain experience through sparring among students. Specifically…”
Even as Professor Anton delivered a lengthy explanation, the students’ reactions were lukewarm.
Noticing their disinterest, Professor Anton cleared his throat and quickly spoke up.
“Um. Is it hard to grasp? It’s much better if I show you while I explain, so do we have a volunteer to demonstrate?”
The moment Anton spoke, one student shot their hand up.
It was Frey Kent.
The talented lady from the Kent family, renowned for her lineage of exceptional swordsmen, most likely to become the next Sword Saint.
“I’ll spar with Lucy Alrn!”
“Ugh, loser swordswoman.”
“Didn’t we agree on this?”
“If you fight me, you’ll know how pathetic your swordsmanship truly is, you sure about that?”
“Scared?”
“Please, you’re just being silly! You really think I’ll lose to your shabby sword?!”
No one dared to intervene in Frey and Lucy’s standoff.
They knew stepping in could lead to unforeseen mishaps.
As Frey and Lucy stepped forward, Professor Anton beamed.
“How exciting to see the two of you, the best performers from the entrance exam, sparring—what a joyful scenario!”
As they each set their stances apart, Harry nudged Jacob.
“Who do you think will win?”
“Lady Alrn.”
“Are you seriously brainwashed? There’s no way Kent would lose in a spar! She’s renowned as the greatest talent in the Kent family’s history!”
Logically, Harry was right.
Frey Kent had repeatedly shown her overwhelming prowess in various competitions, trouncing her opponents left and right.
No matter how excellent Lucy Alrn performed on the entrance exam, she couldn’t possibly defeat Frey Kent.
But Jacob thought otherwise.
“I know, but I think Lady Alrn will win. I’m down to bet on it.”
“Bet? I’ll wager 1 gold.”
“Isn’t that a whole month’s worth of meals?”
“Scared?”
“Naah.”
Jacob recalled how Lucy Alrn triumphed over the witch-like creature in the dungeon.
How could someone with that kind of skill lose to another?
Jacob couldn’t fathom such an outcome.
“Let’s bet.”
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