Chapter: 103
Of course, the dungeon conquest went smoothly.
“Who dares approach the Young Lady!”
Every time a monster appeared, Karl made sure not even a step could be taken towards me as he dispatched them swiftly.
“I’ve disarmed the traps. You may proceed.”
Alsetin, an elite NPC rogue, easily disabled all the traps present in the dungeon.
‘From now on…’
“Useless fools, from here on!”
I assisted them as the party leader and a makeshift healer.
Excluding myself, they possessed specs that were excessive for a starting dungeon.
Even dropping a sword in this dungeon would result in calamity, and with Alsetin added, our firepower was already more than enough.
Considering my knowledge as a veteran on top of that, this party was like a sleek ship sailing briskly with its sails wide open towards a tailwind.
Originally, I planned to conquer only one dungeon a day and take a break, but at this rate, tackling two or three dungeons daily won’t be an issue.
I knew Karl was capable, but Alsetin exceeded expectations.
How amazing is it to have someone like this at my command while being in debt?
I can only imagine the profit the Newman family is raking in from this.
Should I perhaps let that old man Kurz know how to make a good wig later on?
Just as I was pondering this, a message window popped up in front of me.
It’s almost unheard of for the “pathetic god” to contact me without reason in the dungeon, so this must be the sneaky evil god.
[Agra is watching you.]
Hello there, you grouchy and sinister evil god who tries to kill someone just because you were a little inconvenienced!
I knew you would come.
Since last time you pulled your pathetic trashy curse on me, I suspected you’d show up when I opened a portal.
Do you think I brought just Karl without a hint of a threat because I am foolish?
I was ready for your petty antics.
So, what will you pull this time?
Are you going to create a new dungeon?
With our current strength, we can conquer just about any dungeon, so it’d be no problem.
Are you going to teleport us again?
I could take on this dungeon solo if I wanted!
It may just take a bit longer, though.
What else do you plan to do?
I’m curious to know how you’ll meddle this time.
To be honest, calling it meddling feels a bit off now.
If I had to swap terms, I’d say it’s more like support for farming.
If you could avoid teleportation this time and give me something else, that’d be great.
Teleportation just wastes time without any benefit.
[Young Lady, something is approaching from afar.]
‘Really?’
[It’s a powerful opponent for this dungeon.]
A high-level named monster appears.
Well, that’s just perfect for farming.
That one’s neat and ideal!
‘From which direction?’
[In 10 seconds. Straight ahead.]
The voice of the grandpa who’s been chatting with me was exceedingly calm.
This is the first time hearing grandpa so relaxed while issuing a warning.
In times like this, he usually yells in panic.
But back then, every moment was a life-or-death situation, so it was understandable.
What he told me was almost spot on.
Approximately 9 to 10 seconds later, a monster revealed itself before us.
With a silver mane that held the moonlight and fierce golden eyes that cradled the moon.
It was a Wolra, born under the moon.
A rare named monster that doesn’t spawn here but rather in other dungeons.
That thing is definitely strong.
Clinging to a magic nullification attribute, it’s fast, hits hard, and thanks to its hide, has high defense, making it tricky to handle.
Moreover, that creature knows a few spells as well.
There’s a reason people say it’s tougher than the boss of the dungeon it spawns in.
Had I met this guy when I was with Joina or Arthur, I would’ve had to prepare for death. But not now.
“It’s a Wolra! A picky beast, indeed.”
Seeing it, Karl leisurely drew his sword.
“Pathetic knight, please handle it carefully. That fur can fetch a nice price.”
“Hey, information monger. No one but the Young Lady can call me pathetic.”
“Is that so? My apologies for the oversight.”
While these two exchanged light-hearted banter, the Wolra bared its teeth and lunged at Karl.
Its teeth could probably snap iron in half, but alas, it couldn’t grasp anything at all.
Karl sent it flying with a punch.
“Does all the income go to the Young Lady?”
“Can’t I get a commission for the sale?”
As I spectated their tension-free conversation, I felt I didn’t even need to give directions.
Thanks, you petty evil god!
By sending an elite named monster from a higher dungeon, you’re giving me experience and enriching my wallet!
Now that I think about it, my developing friendship with Joina and Arthur is likely thanks to that petty god as well.
It was the impending crisis you created that brought us closer together.
Who knew your curse would provide me so much aid!
Are you a tsundere?
Hmph. You secretly hate me, don’t you?
No need to name names, but I know a god who is utterly pathetic and continuously shows off perverted tastes.
Ah, I’m not referring to anyone specific.
Just know there are such gods out there.
Anyway, I expect nothing less than your generous support moving forward.
After all, I have to break your headpiece sooner rather than later.
“Lady! It’s done.”
“Knight! It’s not done yet. We still need to process it.”
Standing with my arms crossed, I watched Calvin brutally take down the Wolra without damaging its hide, while Alsetin pulled out a dagger from his waist and began to skin it.
At the same time, I felt a surge of energy within my body.
Farming in the Soul Academy dungeon used to take hours of tedious grinding, but thanks to that petty god’s help, I leveled up in one shot!
While I can’t vocalize my thanks due to the Mesugaki skill, please know I am genuinely grateful.
Not that it matters if you’re not being sincere.
You should feel blessed I’m not saying this face-to-face…
No need to tempt fate; let’s just keep it here.
Alright, with that momentum rolling, shall we conquer about three more dungeons today?
*
Joy, having solved the magic studies problem set gifted by her brother the previous year, opened her answer sheet with a confident expression.
There wasn’t a single question she didn’t know!
Moreover, to avoid any mistakes, she had double-checked her answers.
She was absolutely sure she’d score full marks.
Without a shadow of a doubt, she raised her red pen only to frown upon spotting a mistake on the fourth question.
What? Isn’t it supposed to be error-free?
Confused, she kept alternating between her answers and the questions but couldn’t find a single fault.
Could it be that the answer sheet her brother provided was flawed?
“You’re an idiot, Young Lady. Didn’t you make a mistake here?”
She looked up at the ridicule, only to find Arthur Soladin standing there.
He pointed to the question, indicating where Joy had stumbled.
It was a trivial and absurd mistake on Joy’s part.
She couldn’t fathom why she hadn’t noticed it before, she was nearly lamenting.
“You seem to be getting dumber by the day.”
“That’s quite the slander, Prince!”
“Still, you keep making these elementary mistakes as if you’re improving.”
Not knowing how to respond, Joy kept her lips sealed.
Joy and Arthur had been close since their childhood.
Arthur knew all too well how often Joy had made such trivial mistakes.
So if she tried to refute now, all she’d accomplish is dredging up her past misadventures.
As Joy looked down at the ground sulking, Arthur took a seat beside her effortlessly.
“Why are you studying alone? Where are the others?”
“It just turned out this way.”
Normally, Joy would have been studying with other ladies.
She had received invitations from them to join in today, too.
But Joy had turned them down.
The recent incident with Lady Rumley had left her feeling quite awkward.
“Is that so?”
“And what brings you here, Your Highness?”
“I came to study. After all, midterms are coming up soon.”
Hearing he came to study, Joy felt quite surprised.
Arthur usually hated for his efforts to show in any significant way.
He thought he should always appear perfect, maintaining a relaxed demeanor while tirelessly working behind the scenes.
So him being present at the library, studying, was unprecedented.
He never would’ve done this before.
“To defeat Lucy Alrn, I must give it my all.”
“You plan to win this time during the midterms?”
“Yeah. I’ve heard that Lucy Alrn spends all her time glued to her desk during class. Surely she hasn’t achieved academically yet. This is the perfect time!”
Arthur displayed a fervent competitive spirit.
He wasn’t laced with the disgust and anger he’d shown last time.
“I’ve put forth my utmost effort preparing for this exam. No matter how talented Lucy Alrn is, her laziness can’t possibly best my determination.”
“So when you win, will you ask me to stop calling you by your nickname?”
“Of course, I will mention that too, but there’s a different purpose behind my words. I have something to ask.”
Something to ask?
Joy wondered about that phrase but kept quiet, looking into his determined gaze.
Just like how Arthur didn’t pry into Joy’s matters earlier, it was now Joy’s turn to consider Arthur’s feelings.
“Oh, by the way, Joy. I have something to ask you too. You’ve been getting closer to Lucy Alrn recently, haven’t you?”
“Perhaps?”
‘Closer’ felt like a stretch; she was constantly caught under Lucy’s thumb, yet Joy nodded nonetheless.
“Is Lucy studying somewhere I should know about?”
Arthur’s question prompted Joy to think carefully.
Is she studying?
She wakes up, trains until classes start.
Usually, during class, she naps, and right after class, she resumes training until falling asleep.
Even on weekends, she’s only been tackling dungeon conquests and physical training.
“I don’t know.”
“A secret, then?”
“No, I genuinely don’t know.”
No matter how Joy thought of it, it seemed impossible for Lucy to find time to study, right?
But last time, she claimed confidence for this test…
What’s going on? Is Young Lady Alrn actually putting in effort behind the scenes, just like Prince Arthur?
Could it be that she didn’t just hastily proclaim her confidence without any groundwork?
Nah, no way that’s true.
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