Chapter: 293
It’s been nearly a year since Ruel started spending time with Lucy.
Their first meeting wasn’t exactly pleasant, but now Ruel cherishes Lucy like his own flesh and blood.
He even feels genuinely regretful about having to send her into battle since he himself lacks a physical body.
That’s why Ruel knows Lucy very well.
Thanks to the blessing from the Lord, she may act like a little brat, but deep down, she’s kind-hearted.
She often shows weakness, yet when it’s time to act for others, she’s steadfast and strong enough to endure all pain.
She’s secretly quite lonely too.
Having garnered so much hatred from those around her, she doesn’t even think others would like her.
Typically, she’s an utterly rational girl, but occasionally, she behaves in ways that are far from rational.
Like now, when she gets so absorbed in something that she forgets about everything else.
Lucy received paper for dungeon creation from the Dungeon Studies Professor and barricaded herself in her room right after the academy classes ended, clutching the paper.
Under normal circumstances, she would have trained until the doors of the training grounds closed at sunset before returning to engage in divine training late into the night. But today, she’s forsaken her entire routine to focus solely on dungeon creation.
It’s not like there was an imminent deadline. The professor said it would be fine as long as it was completed in three weeks.
The reason Lucy is so engrossed in creating the dungeon is simple: she can’t resist how much fun it is.
‘Using a gimmick to target weaknesses here sounds good, but how can I give clues? Making them obvious would just be cliché. Then…’
Unaware that her thoughts were spilling out of her head, Ruel smiled contentedly at the sight of Lucy moving her pen.
Is it really this wonderful to create a dungeon with her own hands?
Well, it would be strange if she weren’t grinning like a fool since she’s usually so emotionally invested in anything related to dungeons.
Under normal circumstances, Ruel would have nagged Lucy, who usually forgets to eat while racking her brains, but today was different.
Seeing Lucy so jubilant and unable to contain herself was exactly how a kid her age should be.
She was a child who didn’t enjoy even the most playful joys due to the pressure of her own obligations. Sometimes she needs to be allowed to indulge in things she enjoys.
‘…Huh? Why is the capacity already full when I haven’t even input anything?! Am I being told to make a dungeon or not? Damn it. Fine, let’s simplify the complicated gimmicks as much as possible. And…’
Seeing Lucy frantically pondering, it looks like creating a dungeon is more complicated than one might imagine.
Considering she’s shown near omniscience regarding dungeons, it feels like the demon gods must have had their fair share of struggles too.
Ah, that’s why she got so mad when her party smashed their dungeons.
‘What?! I shouldn’t use this gimmick yet?! Why?! This is a fundamental part of dungeon strategies!’
Wanting to chime in while she’s struggling, Ruel decided against giving unsolicited advice since Lucy takes great pride in her dungeon creation.
He didn’t even know what advice to give at that point, so he resolved to wait for Lucy to ask something, ready to give a good answer.
This determination stemmed from Ruel’s genuine desire to help Lucy, but also from wanting to hear her say, “Grandpa! You’re amazing!”
Compliments from a granddaughter-like girl were more than enough to warm the heart of Ruel, who often went unnoticed.
Sadly, Lucy never asked Ruel any questions. She sought answers through numerous trial and error alone, without seeking help from others.
Ruel kept trying to be hopeful, only to shrink back, repeating that cycle a few times.
Before long, it was past dinner, and as dawn began to break, sunlight streaming through the window, Lucy continued to move her pen with bloodshot eyes.
“Does that kid not know exhaustion?”
Having gone to bed at dusk, Lina approached Ruel after seeing Lucy’s back as she worked at her desk.
“Did she even take a break during all this?”
[I did, sure. The kid is a person too.]
“Then she returned to her seat before long and grabbed her pen again, huh?”
[Yes.]
“Really. What kind of magical labyrinth is she trying to create?”
Ruel chuckled lightly at Lina’s comment about potentially traumatizing first-year students.
[I doubt it. With all the warnings she's received from others, Lucy will surely be cautious.]
“She will be, but no amount of caution will change how weirdly difficult it is.”
Lucy has a habit of subconsciously judging others based on herself.
Whether due to long-term neglect from others, she fails to realize she’s exceeded the standard by quite a bit.
It’s obvious just by looking at the assignments she hands out to those around her.
She thinks it’s manageable, but the recipients are often struggling to keep up with the rapid pace.
Currently, her peers are all superhumans like Arthur, Joy, Frey, and Phoebe, who manage to keep up.
Otherwise, someone would’ve dropped dead from overwork by now.
“It’s clear. Lucy will probably create a magical labyrinth that nobody can pass.”
Ruel couldn’t bring himself to contradict Lina’s words.
“If she hands something like that to a professor, they’ll surely tell her to redo it, and while Lucy may think it’s easier, what she’ll produce will still be far beyond first-year level.”
<…It’s clear she will say something like it’s possible for the Third Prince too.>
“Ha. That’s definitely true. That Third Prince is a genius without a doubt for someone his age.”
Besides, when the Third Prince sees the dungeon Lucy created, he’ll probably be like, “You think I can clear this?! What nonsense are you spouting?!”
Lucy, especially when it comes to dungeons, is someone who totally lacks self-restraint.
“Let’s filter out the unnecessary stuff before handing it to the professor. We don’t want to waste time unnecessarily.”
[Today, you’re unusually meticulous.]
Ruel wondered why Lina, who usually distanced herself from Lucy’s troubles, was showing so much interest today.
Did she change her mind after the incident in the Burrow Territory?
While Ruel was taken by Lina’s mature disposition when it came to things unrelated to Lucy, he noted how she was beaming like a melted fox—what a peculiar sight.
“This work needs to be done quickly so Lucy can show off her bunny girl outfit.”
<…Pardon?>
“I’m looking forward to it. When Lucy wore a bunny girl outfit before leveling up, it felt like my mind was about to vaporize! If she wears that outfit now… And if she gives me that disdainful look while stepping on me… Hah. Just imagining it makes my body tremble in excitement.”
Ruel’s head went cold at the scene of him drooling and twisting in excitement.
What on earth could he say?
Surely, Lady Lina was capable and dignified, yet why does she turn into a pervert in front of Lucy?
Though it’s true Lucy has an eye-catching appearance, she’s become stunning to the point of rendering one speechless upon making eye contact.
But come on, reacting like that in front of a child is just too much!
If he still had a body, he would’ve smacked some sense into himself with a mace.
“It’s done!!!”
As Ruel’s disgust mounted while Lina’s face melted away, Lucy stood up triumphantly, her voice filled with joy.
“Grandpa! Quickly, look! I worked super hard on this!”
“Grandpa, take a look quickly! I made a dungeon that even a fossil brain like you wouldn’t even dare to think of!”
How many times has he had to say to keep those thoughts to herself?
She looks so exuberant that worrying about it seems unnecessary.
With Lucy so happy, he can’t bring himself to dampen her spirits with nagging.
…Hmm. And he needs to keep any bad reputation comments in check too.
Recently, she’s pulled a lot of pranks, so even though he toyed with the idea of teasing her to see her pout, he couldn’t ruin that radiant smile.
If there’s something that needs correcting, he’ll try to address it positively.
With that resolve, Ruel slowly took in the dungeon Lucy had created.
First off, it’s quite small. It seems like Lucy could complete it in less than ten minutes.
Even if it’s a test for children, is this not a little too short?
Though he bore that question, he swallowed it down and began to read through the dungeon’s details.
This was made by Lucy; there must be a reason she made the dungeon so short.
His speculation was correct.
“The dungeon repeats the same area infinitely, huh?”
“Yes! Exactly! The scenery of the dungeon changes when specific conditions are met, and to move on, you have to achieve more conditions!”
Indeed. This could perfectly assess one’s ability to strategize gimmicks.
[That's a good idea.]
“Right? Right?!”
As Ruel continued to read through the dungeon Lucy created, he heard her cheerful laughter in response to the compliments.
The overall structure is good; nothing feels forced, and the previous insights are effectively utilized in the next phase, which is appealing.
Haha. He had been wondering why she was punching her brain, but now it makes sense.
Creating something like this requires a lot of thought.
…Huh? That’s not it?
Considering past trends, she would reuse previously utilized gimmicks again, right?
Ah! Is this how it was?
How could Ruel, this person, make such a mistake? He must be getting rusty.
Initially aiming to find flaws in the dungeon, Ruel found himself transported back to his adventurous days solving dungeons alongside heroes.
[Ha! Exactly! If you're caught in it, this should be nothing!]
How long had it been since he felt that way?
After defeating the final boss of the dungeon and successfully reaching the end, he raised his voice in a somewhat bizarre fulfillment, realizing Lucy was grinning widely.
“Grandpa! Grandpa! I made something really great, right?!”
<…I cannot deny it.>
This dungeon serves not only as a testing ground but also as a space for enlightenment and a stage for theatrical play.
If anyone reaches the end, even the coldest would surely voice their admiration.
The dungeon was crafted that well.
[If I were to praise what you made, it might go on forever.]
“Hehe. Of course. Who made this?”
[So, let me point out just one flaw before we continue.]
However, that doesn’t mean there are no problems.
“A flaw? Does this dungeon even have one?”
[Yes. The problem is that none of the first-year students will make it to the end of this dungeon.]
‘…What?’
[Even someone like me, who has tackled numerous dungeons, had to grapple with endless thoughts partway through—there's no way a first-year can clear it in one go!]
Even upon rethinking, the difficulty was absurd.
How could she even think to present this as an exam to children who have yet to experience real combat?
Thank goodness Lucy is an Apostle of God. If she had gone under the Evil God’s influence, and made a dungeon filled with malice…
Just imagining it sends chills down his spine.
That place would have definitely been a horrifying venue where even the hero party, including himself, would have to brace for death.
“Ugh. But… the monsters that come out are weak, and there’s nothing particularly dangerous, so with some time…”
[Could that happen? Students aren’t just focusing on Dungeon Studies during their exam period, you know?]
Lucy visibly sulked at the outright declaration that it couldn’t be cleared.
Normally, she presents herself boldly, but now, despair crept into her demeanor.
Ruel and Lina, next to her, readily dismissed her demeanor, though Lina raised her voice saying it was also charming to see.
Lina often makes odd comments, after all.
‘Argh. There’s nothing more to cut. If I cut any more, the concept of the dungeon will vanish.’
[I agree on that part. Reducing this dungeon isn’t a good choice.]
‘So what should we do?! Should I scrap it and start from scratch?!’
[No need for that. You have a correction opportunity.]
‘…What opportunity?’
[If no one can clear it in one go, then allow them multiple attempts to clear it.]
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