Chapter: 428
The professors at the Academy had two reactions upon witnessing Lucy Alrn tackle the 99th floor in her unique way.
Those like Jesel, who had taught Lucy or witnessed her antics firsthand, chuckled knowingly, thinking, “Ah, there goes the Young Lady Alrn being herself again.”
On the other hand, those who had only heard stories of Lucy’s behaviors stared wide-eyed at the scene of the door to the 99th floor opening before them.
“…How is that even possible?”
One of the latter group, a monitoring staffer, voiced his bewilderment, filled with confusion, while his colleague nodded in agreement.
“It’s hard to believe, even seeing it with my own eyes.”
What Lucy Alrn demonstrated was simply too unbelievable.
The fact that someone from the prestigious Alrn knight family—the one who wielded the divine power of the God—could skillfully handle poison.
Not to mention the young child, who had only trained within the family, expertly manipulating explosives.
And where in the world did she find those two to begin with?
The scope of Lucy’s divine capabilities was beyond comparison to any other clergyman.
However, having seen all this with their own eyes confirmed one thing:
Simply put, it all came down to Lucy Alrn’s incredible talent.
Yet there was one thing.
Just one thing.
No matter how much they thought about it, something didn’t add up.
How on earth could she take down her boss almost simultaneously?
“What do you mean by how? She must have calculated it.”
Jesel smiled lightly as he responded to the two questioning his explanation, but they struggled to accept it.
“She must’ve tested her strength by hitting the kids on the lower floors, gauged that, and then assessed her opponent’s durability. She defeated them based on that.”
“…That only makes sense in theory.”
“True. But it doesn’t mean we’re not talking about a theory packed with leaps in logic. And Lady Alrn is someone who can turn that theory into reality.”
Having endured Lucy Alrn’s antics while serving as a professor last year, Jesel coughed lightly as he continued observing the screen.
Lucy, seen through the screen, started bouncing with glee, showcasing her happiness.
As the very person who had pulled off an unbelievable feat not long ago, watching her display such childish joy made Jesel break into an unintended smile.
Honestly, if she didn’t engage in conversations, she could really be considered adorable.
And the other professors in the monitoring room felt the same way.
Their momentary frustration at having their preparations rendered pointless faded as Lucy expressed her joy wholeheartedly.
Some even started talking about purchasing jewelry made by the Art Guild for Lady Alrn.
“Professors, please focus. We still have things we prepared.”
“Ah, right. I had forgotten about that.”
“The Young Lady’s feats are so astonishing that I momentarily lost my train of thought.”
As one person spoke up, it became clear that there were still preparations left by the Academy professors for Lucy.
“If you think about it, that’s the real deal.”
The professors from the Dungeon Studies department chuckled mischievously as they watched Lucy Alrn head towards the 100th floor.
When they saw the real Lucy Alrn meet the Lucy they had crafted, with veins of determination etched into her hands, the Dungeon Studies professors burst into bright laughter.
“Kwaha!”
“Gah!”
“Seems like all the insults she throws at others have backfired on her.”
Lucy’s bewilderment didn’t last long. She quickly composed herself and began poking at the doppelgänger’s flaws.
The Lucy on the screen was already calling her doppelgänger ugly.
And honestly, she was right.
While the two might look similar at first glance, the differences became glaringly apparent the more you looked closely.
“Couldn’t we recreate the beauty praised by the Apostle of the Art Guild?”
“What can we do? We can’t directly ask the Apostle for help.”
“We kind of expected this though. So, we aimed to win in other areas.”
Typically, a doppelgänger is automatically created based on the experiences a student from the academy has accumulated while tackling floors 1 to 100.
But Lucy Alrn’s doppelgänger was different.
It was crafted with significant effort by the Academy professors.
Moreover, it was directly checked by Karl, Lucy’s escort knight, meaning the professors were well aware that there might be some shortcomings when they started creating the doppelgänger.
That’s why they opted for different tactics to play around with Lucy.
“Tiny older sister~”
The professors, deeply focused on the landscape presented before them, didn’t miss the moment Lucy clenched her teeth.
As previously mentioned by Karl, Lucy had a considerable complex regarding her height.
The professors who had been at the receiving end of her insults felt a sense of relief upon seeing Lucy’s face turn beet red.
Especially Jesel, who had to match Lucy’s persona right next to her, even cheered on the doppelgänger.
Even those who had no personal grievances against Lucy had no difference in looking on with delight from the other side of the screen.
A cute and pretty girl throwing a tantrum was an adorable sight.
However, not everyone was laughing comfortably.
In the monitoring room, there was one such person.
Karl.
The personal escort of Lucy Alrn, who inadvertently got roped into this whole affair, was sweating bullets as he saw Lucy’s expressions soured.
How did it come to this?
He had merely shared what was requested of him: to assist in crafting something dedicated to the Young Lady.
How had it turned into something that put her in an uncomfortable position?
It seemed this was no enchanting trinket crafted by the Art Guild.
It was something he could have fetched himself, and if that didn’t pan out, he could have asked Alsetin!
That useless thing…not that it was useless. More like it was incredibly precious, and it reminded him of the Young Lady he had to protect!
But he absolutely couldn’t lose himself to that!
Did that lead to this current state?
Karl couldn’t shake off his growing sense of guilt while also worrying about what if Lucy misunderstood him.
It would be a disaster if she thought he was plotting rebellion!
This was never intended!
Once it was all over, he planned to seek Lucy out and apologize, but if this misunderstanding deepened, he wouldn’t even have the chance to explain!
Karl silently prayed for Lucy to remain oblivious to his blunder as he watched the clash between her and the doppelgänger.
The doppelgänger, created based on Karl’s advice, executed movements reminiscent of Lucy Alrn as he remembered her.
Clean and precise maneuvers that anyone could see as proper and graceful.
But that wasn’t Lucy Alrn.
The moment he saw her movements, Karl immediately thought of a dance.
Not motions aimed at taking down an opponent—but motions aimed at drawing everyone’s gaze and eliciting admiration.
Each of Lucy’s movements was elegant, soft, and beautiful enough to remind one of an actress on stage.
Yet the power behind those movements was anything but soft.
Despite the doppelgänger reinforcing itself with magic, it was sent staggering back.
Karl’s eyes widened in shock.
He realized that Lady Alrn was crafting her own unique weapon—rather than learning from others, she was inventing one that suited her.
But for that weapon to already be usable in real combat…
He realized Lucy’s new weapon wasn’t finished yet.
There were noticeable clumsiness and hesitation scattered throughout the motions.
But Karl wasn’t concerned.
Just in a month or two, Lucy had invented something that looked so convincing. There was no way she’d remain lost for long.
“Looks like it’s indeed tough to perfectly recreate the Young Lady Alrn with a doppelgänger.”
“Well, even with the output from Soul Academy, you can’t replicate something that’s off the scale. Just recently, the Crown Prince Kurten was tough to replicate too.”
“Well, still, I’m satisfied since I got revenge on Lady Alrn.”
As the doppelgänger started to show signs of losing, the professors chipped in with comments. Lucy let out a small noise and said in a tiny voice,
“…Pathetic brat♡”
Knowing who that title was aimed at, Karl’s expression turned a shade of deep green as he considered whether to approach Erin.
To delay any chance of making excuses, he needed Lucy’s maid, Erin, who wouldn’t treat Lucy carelessly like the others.
*
Erin, Lucy Alrn’s personal maid, currently working in the Academy, had come to tidy up Lucy’s room.
And there, she saw a woman cuddling various accessories adorned with Lucy’s image, grinning widely.
The joy of having something depicting Lucy was so profound that even with the door open, the woman remained oblivious to Erin’s presence.
…Should I maybe fetch someone from the Academy?
Just as Erin managed to pull herself out of her bewilderment and started to step back, the woman perked up her fox ears and spotted Erin.
Like Erin, who had been frozen upon entering the room, the woman hastily called out to Erin as she attempted to run away.
“Wait! Just for a moment! Let me talk! I’m not a strange person! Um. I mean! Yes! I’ll share one of these pretty things, so please, just hear me out for a second!”
Having intended to leave without looking back, Erin suddenly recalled a beast often caught in the laundry room during Academy breaks upon hearing the woman’s dreadfully heavy voice.
“Fox Lady?”
“That’s right! It’s me! Lucy’s pet! I’d like a collar, but I’m sad since no one gives it to me!”
Faced with the raw desire emerging before her, Erin realized the woman before her was indeed that perverted fox.
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