Chapter: 68
Arthur presented me with the terms.
The conditions for the duel involve conquering the dungeon.
Five days from now, on Saturday at 11 AM, we’ll both enter the dungeon and see who can go deeper by 6 PM that same day.
The dungeon team must consist of all first-year students, except for one professor or returning student.
Attacking each other is strictly prohibited.
There were many nitty-gritty rules, but I wasn’t too worried about those.
[What are you thinking? ]
As soon as I parted ways with Arthur, the old man quietly asked me.
‘What am I thinking? I have to win, of course.’
[You think you can even find someone to enter the dungeon with you in this state?]
That’s a fair point.
I already have a bad reputation.
With my confrontation with Arthur, rumors must be going around that I’m on bad terms with the Third Prince. In this situation, who would have my back?
Who would willingly side with a troublemaker young lady like me against Arthur?
No one, I bet.
And even if there was someone willing, they’d probably have a few screws loose, making it not worth the trouble to recruit them.
‘But I do have one person.’
Normally, the one walking beside me right now, Frey, would fit the bill, but in this situation, she seemed like an angel.
‘Frey…’
“Pathetic sword-wielder.”
“Are you asking if I want to party with you?”
Oh? Is she actually picking up on cues today?
Usually, she’d be tilting her head in confusion!
“I’ll join you, but I’ve got a condition.”
Something Frey would want in return?
Do I even have anything she could want?
She’s the type to think simply swinging swords and sparring is enough.
“Just spar with me!”
‘Huh? Sparring?’
“What? Spar?”
“Yep!”
‘Every day…’
“We’ve been doing it every evening after class, you know. Pathetic sword-wielder, is your head on straight?”
Frey and I have been sparring every evening after class because we’re both just too good for anyone in our year to challenge us. It helps us both improve.
So asking for a sparring session is more like a regular routine than a request.
“I might make excuses and not show up later!”
Ah, so she’s planning on putting a leash on me to make sure I don’t run away, huh?
You’re surprisingly crafty even while acting all dumb!
‘Alright, I get it.’
“Got it. Pathetic sword-wielder.”
I wasn’t even considering bailing on sparring with her.
Finding someone to spar with in this damned academy is just too hard.
Ever since I beat a third-year upperclassman to unlock the Underdog skill, everyone at the training grounds avoids making eye contact with me!
The only substitute for Frey is Karl, but he seems to be busy lately, so calling him out of the blue feels awkward.
“Is it a promise?”
‘Yes.’
“Great.”
Seeing me nod, Frey looked satisfied and dashed ahead.
[At least I’ve filled one spot. Now, if I can find someone for one of the other two spots… ]
‘That’s what I need to think about now.’
Considering the current circumstances, Joy or Phoebe would be best.
I could handle the front lines solo, so I need someone for the backlines to provide support.
While I can heal, it’s best if Joy joins as a party member, but ever since the pathetic prince incident, I haven’t even talked to her.
I have no idea how she feels about me now.
With her kind nature, she wouldn’t hate me, but I doubt she’d want to help either.
As for Phoebe…
Well…
Since she’s got a heart as white as snow, maybe if I bang my head on the ground and cry for help, she might take pity on me and lend a hand.
But with my Mesugaki skills, I can’t stoop to such ugly behaviors.
“Pathetic saint, may I give you an opportunity to help me?” Would she even listen to that kind of talk?
Still, I should at least give it a shot.
If that doesn’t work, I guess I’ll have to threaten some extras to get them on board.
*
“Third Prince!”
During lunchtime at the academy, Arthur was having a meal with his friends when Joy Partran suddenly approached him, causing him to shrug his shoulders.
He never looks pleased, but today it seemed even worse.
On top of that, coming to see me all alone speaks volumes about how annoyed he must be.
“Joy, what’s up?”
“I have something to discuss. Can we talk privately?”
“Hmm. Great timing. I also have something to discuss.”
Arthur, acting very princely, asked his friends for a moment and headed out to the garden with Joy.
As soon as they arrived at a location far from others, Joy spoke with an icy voice.
“I assume you can guess why I’m here.”
“Is it about the challenge you made against Lucy Alrn?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“I don’t see the problem. We simply agreed to have a fair duel.”
“Fair? From what I hear, the conditions are heavily against Lady Alrn.”
The very fact that the condition involves conquering the dungeon is a red flag.
While Lucy struggles to form a party, Arthur can gather whomever he wants.
Even if Lucy Alrn is exceptional, the party disparity will put her at a disadvantage.
And it doesn’t stop there.
The clause about prohibiting attacks against each other is also an issue.
Not to mention no limitations on using familiars.
All the conditions stacked in Arthur’s favor.
Even the rewards based on the duel’s outcome were skewed.
Arthur risks nothing, while Lucy has everything to lose. It’s an unfair contract.
Claiming fairness under these circumstances is an insult to contracts.
“Is that even a problem? Both parties agreed, after all.”
Arthur answered nonchalantly, receiving an intense glare from Joy.
“Didn’t you set up the situation for her to have no choice but to agree?”
Upon hearing that, Arthur chuckled in acknowledgment.
“I did pressure her using her reputation, that’s true.”
“Still, she accepted because she had no other option.”
Joy shot back, maintaining her firm stance.
It’s not politically incorrect for Arthur.
“Besides, this whole fiasco was started by Lucy Alrn, wasn’t it? I only decided to act because she called me ‘pathetic prince.’”
Despite that, there’s really no moral high ground to stand on.
Lucy Alrn instigated the whole thing.
Arthur was only choosing revenge for his humiliation.
“I don’t understand why you’re bringing this up.”
Joy knows this, of course.
Even if she’s been raised like a flower in a greenhouse, she’s still the daughter of a duke.
She has at least a shred of political sense.
“Joy, do you still think you owe Lady Alrn a debt?”
But the reason she came to Arthur is that she sees Lucy as a benefactor.
When Arthur pointed this out, Joy bit her lip.
“Yeah, I think so. Is that wrong?”
“No, it isn’t. But it does make me feel a bit hurt.”
Arthur stepped closer to Joy, his voice rising.
While Joy is tall for a girl, she’s still no match for the towering Arthur.
His ice-blue eyes looked down at her.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve known each other, and here you are siding with that arrogant lady.”
“I was taught to repay kindness, you know.”
“You have great parents who taught you well.”
Even though he spoke half in jest, seeing Joy stand her ground with no intention of backing down made Arthur smirk internally.
If this had been the old days, she’d have shown fear in her eyes.
People have changed since returning from the dungeon.
“So, what is it that you want to say?”
“Honestly, I don’t think you ever intended to forgive Lady Alrn. The challenge was merely to humiliate her. That’s cruel.”
“Yes, Joy, you’re right. So tell me, what’s wrong with that?”
Arthur raised his voice, arms spread wide.
“Your upbringing differs from mine. I learned not only to repay kindness but also to settle scores.”
“Lucy Alrn touched a nerve. She exposed my deepest issues!”
“Thus, I aim to repay that humiliation! Is there something wrong with my line of thinking?”
As Arthur shouted, he caught sight of Joy’s stern expression and cleared his throat, smoothing down his face.
“If you’re thinking like that, I presume you have no intention of accepting my proposal.”
“Were you trying to recruit me as a party member?”
“Yes.”
“I must politely decline. However, out of consideration for our bond, I won’t help Lady Alrn either.”
“Much appreciated.”
As Joy wrapped up her statement, Arthur grabbed her before she could leave.
“Joy, may I ask you one thing?”
“What is it?”
“Who do you think will win?”
“I believe Lady Alrn will win.”
Joy answered without a moment’s hesitation, despite having just argued that the situation was unfairly stacked against Lucy.
Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle at her response.
“Why do you think that?”
“Didn’t I just say? If it weren’t for Lady Alrn, I’d be dead by now.”
No one had believed Joy when she praised Lucy Alrn until now.
That was because, to the masses, Lucy was nothing more than a troublemaker young lady.
Everyone had been obnoxiously complimenting the Partran young lady’s humility.
Regardless, Joy continued to speak on Lucy’s behalf.
Because, in the end, that’s the truth.
“I have little experience with dungeon raids, but I doubt anyone can navigate the dungeon better than Alrn.”
As she finished, Joy bid farewell and turned to leave.
After Joy left, Arthur stared at the air for a moment, then released a long sigh.
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