Chapter: 326
“What’s the deal with that?”
Luca, who couldn’t make sense of the scene in the video, approached Jessel, thinking she might know something since she participated in the dungeon’s design. However, Jessel was just as perplexed.
“It’s baffling.”
She also didn’t know why such a phenomenon occurred. After all, the academy’s artificial dungeon was something created by human hands. No matter how meticulously prepared it was, there would inevitably be shortcomings.
It seemed like the phenomenon was some kind of error that occurred during the dungeon’s creation. But why did that error arise?
As Jessel rummaged through her mind for the dungeon’s blueprints, the red magical energy outside the door gradually diminished.
The pervert’s last-ditch effort to unleash a great magic to kill everyone in front of him couldn’t be maintained for long, no matter how high his specs were set. The magic, having lost its target, had to scatter without destroying anything.
Just as the outside grew calm, Lucy Allen kicked the door open, which showed the exhausted form of the pervert sprawled on the ground.
With blood tears flowing from his eyes filled with rage and hatred, he glared at Lucy.
“You wretch!”
“Why?♡ You’re the one who didn’t use magic!♡ You’re the coward who stopped because you were scared your own stage might break! So why are you angry at me?♡”
…Ah, so that’s it.
Jessel understood the situation after hearing Lucy’s words. The door at the end of the corridor was a passage leading to the stage created by the pervert. Breaking down that door would mean destroying his stage.
The pervert, who could exert his power only when standing on his stage, couldn’t break that door. Was he using a trick only someone who knows the dungeon better than anyone else would know?
He was seriously using every means to clear the dungeon in the shortest time possible.
Jessel, smiling wryly, looked at the pervert turning to ash and checked the time.
“5 minutes 48 seconds.”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s how long it took the Young Lady to clear the dungeon.”
To clear a dungeon most academy students had struggled with for a week in under 6 minutes? Truly, Lady Allen was a person who couldn’t be judged by common sense.
“How remarkable.”
“Indeed.”
Jessel agreed with the enthusiasm in Luca’s voice. It was a pity. If she weren’t the only bloodline of the Allen family, he would have done everything possible to lead her down the path of academia.
*
“Third Prince.”
“Joy. And Saintess.”
“The reason the Young Lady is showing this is surely…”
“Ah, that must be it. There’s no way she’d do this otherwise.”
“Hehe. You’ve changed so much that it’s hard to believe you once made the social circle a riot.”
*
5 minutes 48 seconds, huh.
Hearing the time it took to clear the dungeon from Grandpa made me pout. I took a safe route and ended up prolonging the clear time.
Especially the method I chose to avoid the boss’s last-ditch effort was a problem. If I had chosen to block it with my shield instead of skipping the pattern by going into the room, I would’ve saved a few dozens of seconds.
Thinking about that, various alternatives popped into my head. If I improved my build and tried a few more times, I could probably bring it down to the 4-minute mark.
However, I couldn’t be satisfied with this record. My pride as a shabby loser wouldn’t allow it.
Let’s hit the reset button. I’ll keep challenging until I achieve the best record.
[Just take it easy, would you? You made everyone else’s week-long effort meaningless in just 6 minutes.]
“5 minutes 48 seconds. Make sure to get it right. This is a sensitive matter.”
<…Sigh. Alright. As long as your 5 minutes and 48 seconds made everyone else’s struggle meaningless, what more do you want to do?>
After all, in a speedrun, it’s a battle against oneself. Even after taking the top spot, people spend day and night trying to shave off 0.01 seconds, so how could I let go of an opportunity to save close to a minute?
It reminded me of the days when I used to struggle to update the Soul Academy speedrun record, and I raised my voice, but Grandpa didn’t understand my feelings at all.
[For heaven's sake, just quit it here. There’re plenty of people waiting out there for you.]
Reluctantly, I stepped outside the dungeon, and the gazes of those inside turned toward me.
Hmm. Everyone’s looking at me as if they find me pathetic.
Isn’t there anyone saying something like “Wow, amazing!” or “Of course, it’s the Allen lady!”?
In the community filled with jealousy, whenever I post a speedrun video, I get loads of compliments in the comments.
Why are the people in reality so cold compared to those in the community?
[I told you, didn’t I? You made their week-long struggles pointless.]
“Did it look like I was trying to deceive them?”
In other words, they thought I struggled through an easy dungeon when they themselves had to suffer!?
…Then there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t say I didn’t have that intent.
I must accept my karma. Yep.
As I was lost in these thoughts, Luca and the Dungeon Studies Professor appeared.
“Outstanding work, Lady Allen. Your performance left everyone speechless.”
“Right? Lady, I never imagined you would bypass the boss’s last-ditch effort like that.”
Hehe! Right? Isn’t it amazing?
While basking in their praises, excitedly puffing out my chest, a loud voice rang out from among the student crowd.
“I think so too! Young Lady! I was greatly inspired by what you showed us!”
I was startled to see Ruhbi Kurten, who grinned saying he found it splendid. I barely stifled the words threatening to spill out.
Calm down! If I reply, it’ll probably be something like, “You must be thinking of some idea that never crossed your muscle-bound head,” and I don’t want to give more people reason to dislike me!
With many enemies already, I don’t want to increase the number of people who hate me here!
As I was mulling this over, Kurten turned toward the students.
“What do you all think? Isn’t the dungeon created by Lady Allen truly wonderful?”
Eh?
Excuse me?!
Can you not see the atmosphere right now!?
Everyone looks unhappy!
Asking a question in this situation will hardly yield good responses!
The reactions of the people were not much different from what I expected. They chose silence in response to Kurten’s question.
Even if they didn’t like me, they wouldn’t dare speak against him because of the noble lineage of the Ruhbi family, so they remained tight-lipped.
Seeing their frozen expressions, Kurten seemed genuinely oblivious to the atmosphere.
Is he just another musclehead like in the games?
As I watched Kurten, bewildered, something unusual happened: a path among the students opened up, and Arthur, Joy, and Phoebe emerged.
What’s this? Why are you suddenly popping out? Got something to say…
Wait. Are you changing what you wanted to ask me?
You’re planning to ask something in front of all these people?!
No way, right?!
There’s no way you would pull a stunt worthy of the Shoddy Pervert Righteousness Criminal, right?!
I haven’t done anything wrong to you… Well, not entirely true, but still!
I trust you!
I believe in your characters!
“Lucy Allen.”
“Yes!”
“What is it, Pitiful Prince? Got something to say?”
“There was no need to show in such a manner that our method of clearing the dungeon is also a valid answer.”
…Huh?
What does that mean? Arthur?
I just showed a speedrun because I was annoyed by the clueless shoddy ones talking nonsense about my dungeon!
I meant to tell them to shut up if they didn’t know better!
“Indeed. Lady, it was our fault for not realizing a proper way to clear the dungeon. You didn’t need to defend us.”
Joy? Why are you saying that?
I’ve never thought that deeply about it!
Think about how I usually am!
Do I look like a considerate person?! No way!
“What do you mean? You didn’t realize a proper clearing method?”
Was Kurten raising an eyebrow in suspicion over the comments from Arthur’s group, who were initially the first to clear the dungeon?
“That’s embarrassing.”
Phoebe answered that, her usually awkward smile replaced with an appealing tone developed from her time as a saintess, as she continued.
“We didn’t notice the gimmicks of the dungeon. We didn’t even consider the idea of going back to the starting point.”
“Your saintly words are strange. But how did you clear the dungeon?”
“We faced the boss head-on and defeated it.”
“…Excuse me? Is that even possible?”
“It is. Just as Lady Allen showed, if you can dispel the last spell.”
In a clear voice that rang throughout the examination room, Phoebe began to explain how they had taken down the pervert.
The pervert was relatively weak due to being a freshman dungeon boss, while Arthur’s group was far beyond freshman level.
They had infinite opportunities granted to them.
“After countless attempts, we came to this conclusion: if we can’t block the magic, why not prevent him from casting it in the first place?”
Though it wasn’t the right clearing method, at that time, Arthur and his group firmly believed in their idea and, through desperate effort, flipped a wrong answer into a correct one.
“Regardless of the success in clearing it, it was a failure in terms of the exam. We couldn’t grasp the examiner’s intent at all.”
That’s right. Even Jessel said she couldn’t give them high marks.
But what does that have to do with my speedrun?
“Professor Jessel.”
At that moment, while my mind was filled with question marks, Phoebe turned her head.
“Before entering, Lady promised to show us a method for clearing the dungeon.”
“…Ah, I see. I hadn’t thought of that. Using brute force to clear also counts as a method.”
Hearing Jessel’s words, I finally understood what they were trying to say.
So they were taking my speedrun as a defense for their own clearing method.
…But that wasn’t my intent at all!?
It makes sense, but it’s purely a matter of words!
“Ah. Professor Jessel, of course, we acknowledge our mistakes. We know it’s right to receive a penalty regarding our grades. Still, we just wanted to defend this poor girl.”
“Exactly. We didn’t want to see the Young Lady hated because of us.”
Arthur glanced at me with sidelong eyes as he spoke, and Professor Jessel sent him a warm gaze.
…This is definitely heading in a direction I can’t reverse.
“The dungeon was well-made. Although it was malicious.”
Suddenly a new voice broke the silence, and I turned to see a familiar face.
Despite the eyes of many people focused on her besides me, Avery shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.
“Why are you all acting like this? I merely answered the question posed by Lord Kurten.”
What’s up with her? Just because she’s saying something nice doesn’t mean her status improves!
“Indeed. Among the countless dungeons I’ve seen during my time in the mercenary group, this was among the excellent ones.”
Toby?!
Why would you jump in too?
Do you want something from me or what?
“I never imagined there would be so many clues.”
Visi?
What did Adri make you say?
Are you trying to build up a favor from me?
“Creating the dungeon, I saw the thought and care put into it.”
And then…
Who are you?
Why are you praising me?!
“You can’t deny that Lady Allen designed it.”
“Right? If she wasn’t the designer, there’s no way she could show such peculiar sights.”
“…But I don’t think being the designer alone means one could do this.”
“Well, Lady’s skills at clearing dungeons are legendary.”
Full-on flattery mode engaged!
But hey, they’re giving me compliments, so I guess it’s fine.
Wait…
I can’t take this anymore!
This embarrassingly awkward atmosphere is unbearable!
Just insult me instead!
Why are you acting like you know something that only the designer knows and then acting superior?
Are you trying to point out how incompetent you were?
Call me out for being mean!
Ahhhh!
No! I can’t stand this cringy atmosphere!
Ever since I stepped into this world, I’ve always faced hatred, so it made me weak to compliments, and thus I was desperate to escape.
But the Mesugaki skill blocked my path.
Why are you turning on me too!
No, right! You’ve always acted this way! This is just too much!
The ever-confident Mesugaki shouldn’t flee from this situation!? Right!?
[Why are you like this? Weren't you the one who wanted compliments?]
“I didn’t want it to come to this!”
Someone please pull me out of this hell!
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