Chapter: 93
“Clueless Young Lady! Are you too scared to move your legs? What a coward~”
Lucy made a teasing grin as she watched Joy freeze in the corridor leading to the dungeon.
It was a scene Joy recognized all too well.
There was Lucy, confidently striding ahead in her armor and holding a shield in one hand.
Back then, Joy had followed her, only to sit down on the floor when confronted with the dungeon door.
The difference now was that Joy and Lucy meeting wasn’t just a coincidence.
This morning, after finishing her preparations and stepping out of her room, she found Lucy waiting right there.
‘I thought the cowardly young lady would never show up, cowering in her room, trembling like a scaredy-cat.’
While Lucy might tease, it was clear why she was waiting for Joy.
She was here to check on Joy, who was terrified of entering the dungeon.
Lucy had transformed into someone like that—always teasing but filled with genuine concern.
She was a person who would put her life on the line for others.
And when everything was said and done, instead of proudly boasting about her accomplishments, she’d just smirk and say, “I merely did something that the useless one couldn’t do.”
Up until this morning, Joy had wondered if she would even manage to enter the dungeon, but seeing Lucy wait for her dispelled that doubt.
It wasn’t about whether she could or couldn’t go.
To be of help to Lucy, she had to go.
Standing in front of the dungeon entrance, Joy continued to think about her.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied her mind and started self-hypnotizing, assuring herself it was going to be alright.
She promised herself she had to enter the dungeon, even to repay her debt.
“Clueless Young Lady!”
At that moment, Lucy thumped Joy’s back with her gauntleted hand.
“Eek?!”
Joy, caught off guard as she tried to steady herself, yelped.
Normally, she would never act like this.
Her face turned red from the noise that escaped her mouth, and she shot a glance to check if anyone was around, sensing an ominous premonition, then turned her gaze to Lucy.
There stood Lucy, chuckling with her hand over her mouth.
“Ha ha! Clueless Young Lady! Wow, that was so cute! An ‘eek’ from you? Hahaha!”
“That was because of you, Young Lady Alrn.”
“Me? Why is it my fault the clueless young lady is clueless? It’s her fault for being such a timid coward.”
“Ugh…”
Joy wanted to rebut, but she couldn’t.
She owed Lucy far too much for that.
As Joy fidgeted with a red face, Lucy stopped laughing, stepped in front of her, and thumped her chest.
“Clueless Young Lady! Don’t trust the useless you; trust me instead. Got it?”
Trust me.
Now that she thought about it, Lucy had never gone back on that promise.
Not during the entrance exam, not when faced with a strange foe, and not even when they were in grave danger.
Lucy confidently told her to trust her, and she always came through to save Joy.
That realization made Joy feel all her distracting thoughts vanish.
Lucy smiled as she noticed Joy’s gaze fixated on her and led the way.
Then, she opened the door that led to the academy dungeon entrance.
The moment the dungeon entrance revealed itself, it still exuded nightmares.
Joy lowered her head.
Her hands were shaking.
Her teeth were chattering.
Memories of that day’s nightmare continued to weigh down on her shoulders, and she felt helpless.
But then, she caught sight of Lucy’s small but sturdy back, and it gave her the courage to lift her head again.
Facing the dungeon entrance straight-on, Joy realized one important thing.
That it was just a door.
Not something meant to threaten her.
And even if something happened inside, this small but dependable back in front of her would protect her.
After slowly exhaling, Joy took a cautious step forward.
Then another step.
Finally managing to reach Lucy, who was standing ahead.
“Are you alright, Clueless Young Lady? If you’re scared and about to cry, it’s perfectly fine to turn back.”
“I’m okay, Young Lady Alrn.”
As long as I’m with you, I think I’ll be alright.
Feeling shy to speak those words, Joy smiled instead, and Lucy grinned right back.
“Oh, right! Clueless Young Lady! You’ve never been in a dungeon before, have you?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Looks like we’ll have to start all the way from the first floor. Just a moment.”
As Lucy stood at the dungeon entrance manipulating something, Frey Kent, who had been waiting since they arrived, approached Joy’s side.
“Hey.”
Having developed a friendly rapport through training together, Joy returned the smile and greeted him.
“Yes, Kent Young Lady.”
“Are you gonna be okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“With your strength, Clueless Young Lady, it might be tough.”
However, hearing the term “clueless young lady” made Joy’s eyebrows twitch slightly.
Right, Kent was also someone who marched to the beat of her own drum.
She didn’t often appear in official settings outside sparring but had momentarily forgotten that.
She wouldn’t change course just to provide some caution, so Joy understood that much.
“Is it hard?”
“Yeah. I had a tough time. Almost died.”
“Kent Young Lady?”
No way.
This was someone who could keep pace with Lucy in the mornings, running at breakneck speed for hours. You can’t be serious that you almost died.
But Frey’s expression was too serious to dismiss it as a joke.
If that were true…
…I might end up traumatized by the dungeon again.
*
Frey’s words were entirely truthful.
Since they were to start their dungeon conquest from the first floor, the rigorous campaign began from Lucy’s suggestion to push through to the 50th floor and lasted for four hours around lunchtime.
At first, Joy was fascinated, thinking, “So this is the academy dungeon,” or gasping at what Lucy was instructing.
But soon enough, the only thought she had became “This is exhausting.”
She could hardly manage to keep up with Lucy’s pace and orders.
By the time they reached the 30th floor, Joy had done her best to stay close to Lucy’s heels.
But sadly, that was the limit of her current abilities.
Completely drained, Joy had to be carried over Lucy’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“Haha. The Clueless Young Lady has transformed into a bag of potatoes. So useless in endurance and skills. What exactly are you good at?”
As a noble from the Partran family, it was humiliating, but it couldn’t be helped.
How could she maintain her pride when even walking felt nearly impossible?
After finishing the conquest up to the 50th floor and on the way out, Joy clung to her trembling legs, forcing herself toward the dormitory.
They had said something about repeating this level of training every weekend.
Could she really endure that?
It’s not like Young Lady Alrn became so strong without reason.
She had to have rolled through this kind of training without batting an eyelash to get so strong.
So if she toughened up and persevered, perhaps she, too, could become someone strong.
Let’s do this!
“Clueless Young Lady, you look utterly drained.”
As she made that resolution and clenched her fists in determination, Joy lifted her head at the voice that called out from the front.
There stood Arthur.
Had he just finished some training? He was dripping with sweat.
“You’re looking pretty worn out yourself, Your Highness.”
“Haha, I’ve been inspired a lot lately. You too, right?”
“Yes.”
Perhaps it was because they were both inspired by the same person, both nodded and then broke into laughter.
“So, how was it? The dungeon with Young Lady Alrn?”
“It was hell. Young Lady Alrn judges everything by her own standards. Good luck trying to keep up.”
“I agree. She doesn’t understand her own uniqueness. Must be thanks to her absurd talent.”
“She thinks that since she’s grown this much in just a year, everyone else should easily do the same.”
“So frustrating.”
“Jealousy!”
Both complained about Lucy, but neither of their expressions matched their words.
One had shifted from a long-time target of dislike to a benefactor.
The other had transformed from an object of hatred to a rival to be surpassed.
“Hang in there. I’ll give my all until I can beat Lucy Alrn.”
“I bet you won’t. While you’re growing, Young Lady Alrn is sprinting ahead.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“Yes. I’ll be watching closely.”
With that, the two smiled at each other and headed toward their respective dorms.
*
Days after Joy became part of the party, Alsetin contacted her.
He said he had gotten the shield she had requested.
Eagerly waiting for this day, she hurried off to the back alley of the academy street as soon as class was over.
It was the shield.
A new shield.
Until now, she had only used basic shields.
Just as she’d gotten attached, it would break, forcing her to find another one.
Finally, she was getting a shield she could cherish and use consistently!
If it was crafted by a dwarf, she could use it until she found a top-tier shield!
Feeling elated, she entered the tavern in the back alley, eyes sparkling as she gazed at the shield.
The beautifully crafted curve of the shield.
A clean and smooth front face without any dents.
The leather grip was snugly and comfortably attached.
Perfect!
Dwarven craftsmanship really is the best!
No comparison to any mass-produced models out there!
Ahh. What am I going to do?
Could I possibly go back to using a mere basic shield after this?
Absolutely impossible.
I’d rather stick with a divine-crafted shield.
Got to save it.
From the moment I got this top-tier shield, I wouldn’t have to worry about it breaking, so I should just manage to keep it intact until then.
This dwarven shield likely won’t break during my first year, but still, I should be careful.
After admiring the new shield for a while, trying it on, swinging it around, and holding it with both hands, she smiled as she strapped it onto her back.
Ahh. So happy.
Maybe it’s because I’ve only had shabby ones before, but this shield feels so lovable now.
[Hey, girl. I didn’t know you were a person like this?]
‘Huh?’
[Which is understandable since you never showed this side of yourself to me.]
‘Grandpa, do you even have a conscience?’
Well, after getting grandpa, there were just way too many slip-ups and incidents!
That old man nearly got me killed!
Just thinking about it makes me so mad.
I did show him that I’ve tasted the bitter side of the Alrn family, but I never introduced him to the Alrn Academy’s side.
Should I go ahead and show him the difference between the two?
“Hey, Young Lady Alrn!”
While plotting her ‘revenge’ on Grandpa in her head, she raised her head at Alsetin’s voice.
‘What’s up?’
“I just wanted to inquire.”
“And what else could you possibly need me for?”
“There’s another reason I’ve called for you.”
‘What is it?’
“About the Burrow family necklace. There’s been an obstacle in acquiring it.”
Huh?
Why?
This kind of thing never happened in the game.
The Burrow family necklace was always something Alsetin would procure before she even mentioned it.
‘What kind of problem occurred?’
“Information broker! Can’t you do just that? So useless~ to have the title of an information broker~”
“…It involves the Newman family.”
The Newman family? One of the noble houses of the Solomon Kingdom?
What would they want with the Burrow family’s necklace?
There weren’t many places that even recognized the true value of that item at the moment, anyway?
“From what I’ve gathered, it seems they’ve jumped in upon realizing you’d shown interest in it.”
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