Chapter: 437
After accepting the bet with Lucy, Arthur and his party began their dungeon exploration, only to realize that progressing through the dungeon was surprisingly easy.
The monsters inside the dungeon were no challenge at all, the paths were almost laughably simple to navigate, and the traps that threatened their lives were just so predictable that it almost made them chuckle.
It got to the point where they even started wondering if there was some sort of trap waiting for them in the process of advancing through the dungeon.
“Lucy Alrn wouldn’t bring us to such an easy dungeon.”
“Exactly. There’s definitely something going on. We can’t lower our guard.”
With their caution dialed up to eleven, Arthur and Joy cautiously moved forward, considering every possible variable. Yet, nothing went wrong until they reached the end of the dungeon.
What awaited them at the end was a golem infused with ancient runes.
Even though this golem bore the wisdom of the mythological era and had aged over time, it retained most of its abilities. This golem was beyond what mere students could handle.
The unfortunate thing for the golem was that Arthur’s party had already surpassed the limits that students usually confine themselves to.
The magically reinforced armor was swiftly cut through by Frey’s aura, the various spells the golem wielded were instantly analyzed and neutralized by Joy, and even the golem’s secret curse, which could have been a trump card, got purified by Phebe. Without even posing a minor threat, the golem crumbled away.
With the dungeon cleared, a door leading outside appeared, but Arthur and his companions still wore suspicious expressions.
“Isn’t there a chance that door is a trap?”
“Quite likely.”
“I don’t feel any ominous vibes, though.”
“Come on. We’ve already received our rewards. Isn’t it over?”
“What kind of nonsense is that? Frey Kent! We’re dealing with Lucy Alrn here!”
Having defeated the boss, and even with the ability to manage their mana better after overcoming a golem that housed the wisdom of myths, Arthur’s party was still on high alert because their standards were set against Lucy Alrn.
No matter how difficult a dungeon was, Lucy could tackle it as if she were leisurely strolling, so there’s no way it could be this easy!
With this perception in their minds, the party was certain that there had to be something more hidden away as they began rummaging through the boss room.
Unbeknownst to them, this suspicion was something Lucy couldn’t have anticipated when she sent them into the dungeon.
Since she wasn’t aware of how much Arthur and the others had grown, she still viewed them as adorable newbies stuck in stagnant waters, making it impossible for her to perceive their transformations.
Had this dungeon been an ordinary one, even if their assumptions and misconceptions tangled, Arthur’s party would have just exhausted themselves without any significant issues arising.
The problem was that this place was not an ordinary dungeon.
The dungeon Lucy had introduced wasn’t merely a challenge; it was a location where the followers of the evil god had interconnected their abode, creating their very own dungeon from this forest, which meant hidden paths leading to the woods existed within.
“Ha! Here it is! Of course, it can’t just end here!”
“Wow, you really hid it well. I almost missed it.”
“…Wait, what?”
Inside the path, Phebe caught whiffs of an ominous energy and quickly raised her head to warn her friends, but it was already too late.
The eager explorers had already dove headfirst into the newly found path.
“…I’m going to lecture you all day later.”
Phebe sighed, resolved to spend an entire day under the divine guidance of her teachings, and followed behind them.
The place Arthur’s group ventured into beyond the path was a fog-laden forest.
This gloomy and sinister atmosphere was the kind of place that any normal person would instinctively shy away from.
The first to arrive amidst the thick fog was Frey, who scrunched her face and cloaked her entire body in aura.
Something feels off. This place is definitely different from the dungeons I’ve traversed.
It’s hard to tell where the right path lies, and figuring out where the monsters lurking around are is a lot tougher.
…Should I just wait, then?
Struggling to suppress the urge to dash out according to her instincts, she saw her friends’ arrival and counted the moments while she waited.
But something felt strange.
They should have followed right after, so why are they taking so long?
Is something wrong?
Something…
Tilting her head in confusion, Frey trusted her instincts and swung her sword.
Her sword clashed against an aura-laden blade, producing a dull sound.
The shadowy figure visible through the fog exuded a sinister energy.
An enemy…?
For some reason, Frey couldn’t quite accept that her attacker was an actual enemy.
Her instincts were resisting with all their might against the urge to strike.
Clang!
At the moment the blades collided again, Frey realized that her opponent hesitated just like she did.
Why? The moment that question popped into her head, she suddenly recognized that the technique she had witnessed earlier bore a striking resemblance to someone she knew.
“Prince.”
Clang!
From the rhythm of her opponent’s breath, it was clear that they were trying to communicate.
But the words failed to reach her.
What could be obstructing it?
The foremost irritation would be this fog, no doubt.
Hmm.
Maybe I should clear it away.
Using the shockwave from her opponent’s sword, Frey took a swift step back and focused her aura atop her blade.
The sword of House Kent echoed the sound of the wind.
Free, fast, sharp, and not blunt at all.
If wished upon, it could become the very essence of Kent’s wind itself.
Recalling the technique her father had demonstrated long ago, she mimicked him on the spot.
Having never trained, nor requested to be taught, and having only imprinted the sight once, Frey’s talent manifested that fleeting memory into reality.
Her sword transformed into the wind, leading the fog skyward.
Following suit, the face of her opponent flickered into view, now illuminated by the dispersing mist.
A sharply featured man. Someone she thought was fun to play with when Lucy wasn’t around.
“Prince.”
“Hold on a moment. We cannot yet confirm that we’re both real.”
“…Aren’t we real? There’s nothing strange.”
“I made a mistake once and can’t afford to repeat it again. First, let’s discuss what we know of each other.”
As Arthur furrowed his brow, pondering how to distinguish themselves, a warm light began to spill from the fog, pushing the gloominess away and illuminating the dark forest as if it were midday.
Emerging from that light were Phebe, wearing a somewhat stiff smile, and Joy, who was watching Phebe closely.
“Prince.”
“…Yes?”
“When you step outside the dungeon, brace yourself.”
“Prince. Congratulations. The Saintess has something special for you.”
“Kent Young Lady. Same goes for you.”
“…Okay.”
The adage that says a usually calm person becomes frightening when angry proved applicable in this situation as both Arthur and even Frey shrank back before Phebe’s warning.
Seeing this, Phebe let out a soft sigh and withdrew her gaze from her friends to survey the surroundings.
This place is surely related to the evil god.
Based on my encounter with the followers alongside the Young Lady, it resembles the domain of the Void’s minions.
This is not good.
Though we are strong for our age, we are still just students. I can’t be sure how far we can go against the followers of the evil god.
…In a way, this is also my fault.
If only I had sensed the evil energy sooner and warned my friends, we wouldn’t have needed to come here.
Being entrusted with my friends by the Young Lady and then making such a blunder feels shameful.
As Phebe chewed her lips in self-reproach, something familiar approached from afar, causing her to quickly lift her head.
Seeing the dense fog dissipate, she exhaled a breath of relief.
Thank goodness. It’s the Young Lady. If she’s here, we’ll surely manage to navigate through this crisis.
That sense of relief was shared among the others as well.
Noticing Lucy approaching from afar made them slowly ease their tension.
Seeing that, Phebe couldn’t help but wear a bittersweet smile.
The difference between having one person here and not is such a big deal.
Is this the power of the great god’s apostle?
*
At the end of the direction the old man had guided them, her friends were indeed waiting.
Those who had stayed under Phebe’s protection shared the tale of how they had transitioned into this place while tackling the dungeon I provided them.
Hearing their account made my head spin.
Wait, that dungeon was fairly challenging, and you cleared it effortlessly!?
You found a hidden path while shouting, “Lucy wouldn’t have us tackle such a place!” and ended up here!?
Every single word from my friends vastly exceeded my expectations.
I didn’t hide any hidden paths in that dungeon!
I wasn’t even aware a location could connect with another!
What kind of variable is this!?
As I internally screamed in frustration, the realization hit me; the connection between the dungeon outside and this location indicates this place is under the influence of Agra’s power.
Damn it.
I need to think about the rest later.
For now, I’ve got to focus on clearing this dungeon as quickly as possible.
It wouldn’t be too late to strategize after getting out of a place where Agra could meddle.
Right now, it seems my friends are doing better than I had expected; taking down the boss shouldn’t be difficult.
We can handle this.
No problem at all.
As long as we manage things before Agra jumps in.
– Ding!
Ah, crap.
[Agra is watching you.]
This is bad.
You may also like Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy
