Chapter: 230
The reason this idiot prince has earned such a harsh nickname comes down to his pathetic behavior, which epitomizes the incompetent boss.
He is neurotic, sharp-tongued, and utterly clueless—shoving all responsibility onto his subordinates while taking all the credit for himself. It’s the kind of situation that leaves you scratching your head, wondering how on earth this fool got into such a position in the first place.
The character of Prince 2, crafted as though by a team of writers channeling their office nightmares, has left countless victims suffering from PTSD.
Thus, the nickname “Dumb Prince” was born, fueled by the grudges and resentments of many voices in the community.
But sure, Prince 2 isn’t without his own backstory.
He has been compared to Prince 1 his entire life, deeply embedding feelings of inferiority and victimization in his heart. Family, friends, and even the wealthy all see him not as a peer, but as a mere tool to be exploited, which has only magnified his negative emotions.
Consequently, he has developed a self-centered, arrogant demeanor while dodging accountability left and right.
If we dig deeper, there are certainly plenty of sob stories that accompany Soul Academy’s main characters, but frankly, that’s not crucial.
If I can’t call him Prince 2 without reservation, I won’t ever be able to be his savior.
Honestly, what kind of crazy person would dump their sorrows on someone calling them a fool?
“Lucy?”
As I fell into silence, Frey tilted her head, but I just couldn’t bring myself to explain this mess.
So I simply answered that what’s the problem with calling a fool a fool? And I ended up getting lectured by Joy and Arthur.
But whatever. At least they realized that I’m not your average crazy person. I’m just a madwoman who thinks and acts outside the box, and they decided not to try to stop me. There’s even a chance they might help.
I’m not opposed to that. No matter how grandpa’s plan sounds, you never know when things might twist sideways.
Since that day, I’ve continually waited for the right moment to call Prince 2 the “Dumb Prince.”
While I was determined to do so, I couldn’t waltz right into his classroom shouting “Dumbass!” out of nowhere.
That would be more than a challenge; it’d be a declaration of war. I wasn’t looking to blow up that way.
The trick to grandpa’s plan is to tread that fine line.
Right now, I have no intention of lining up with him, but who knows? If he plays his cards right, I might change my mind. I can’t make the first move; that would ruin the balance we’re trying to maintain.
Just wait and naturally, the right moment will come. The second prince seems to have a keen interest in me…
With grandpa’s words in mind, I continued my daily rituals while waiting for that moment to strike.
First, I scuttled over to the administrative professor, ready to redo my class registration.
Then, I dropped by Luca to hear how he’d handled the trio of morons and to snag the materials he promised to whip up.
After that, I paid Visi a visit to pass along some books and gossiped about Belma.
Next, I hit up Alsetin for various items needed for the second semester dungeon conquest.
I trained hard as usual, jumped around with Joy and Arthur, sparred with Frey, and, while wrestling with my sweat-soaked clothes, I forced the ecstatic Clumsy Fox to take a bath.
Time passed like this until one day, just as grandpa predicted, the moment to start my plan finally arrived.
That day marked the announcement of the second semester dungeon at the Academy.
In order to prevent previous incidents, a plethora of magic spells were integrated, ensuring that student safety would be perfectly secured. When I confirmed the wording about being able to solo the dungeon, I clenched my fist in determination.
At this point, I wouldn’t need to worry about forming a party. But even so, navigating the actions of others while going solo does come with its own challenges.
While the usual advice might suggest that more people are better when it comes to dungeon crawling, my case is a little different.
If I want to utilize the “rotten water” method, it’s better to go it alone. That way, I can completely eliminate the variable of others.
Hmm. I had already prepped Alsetin, so by the time the dungeon opens, everything I need should be at the ready.
If I hustle a bit, it seems very doable to tackle the Academy dungeon on the first day!
As I pondered, a ruckus in the distance caught my attention.
Wait, could it be that there’s someone capable of managing the crowd this skillfully?! I thought this was a skill only I, Lucy Alrn, had!
Amazed at this spectacle from afar, I caught sight of Prince 2 and his gang, breaking into a smirk.
Each one of them was staring in my direction, but the looks held completely different meanings.
Some were hopeful, some resentful, others contemplative, and a few were filled with pure hatred.
Even though it was clear that Prince 2 wanted me, the mixed responses among his followers were hilarious. This bunch was a perfect match for the term “disorganized mob.”
“Lucy Alrn.”
Without bothering to glance anywhere else, Prince 2 walked straight towards me, looking down with a smug grin.
“Honestly, I intended to wait for you to make a decision, but my patience ran thin.”
From that smile and those confidently shining eyes of his, it was clear: Prince 2 didn’t even entertain the notion that I would reject him.
And judging by the resentful glares from those at his back, I could tell that those sweet whispers were filling his confidence.
“I’d like to hear your answer to a question I posed long ago.”
As he extended a hand towards me, I took a deep breath.
‘I’m sorry, Prince 2.’
“I’m sorry, Dumb Prince.”
The words “Dumb Prince” slipped from my lips, thickening the atmosphere with an unexpected silence.
The crowd, Prince 2’s entourage, even Prince 2 himself… they all stood there, staring at me, clearly in disbelief at the reality of the situation.
Yet, someone like me, who’d predicted this very outcome ages ago, remained unfazed in the dense silence.
This wasn’t my first rodeo after all.
The first to snap out of the shock was actually Prince 2’s followers.
“Are you insulting Prince 2 right now?!”
“Have you lost your mind?!”
“Now that you’ve got talent, you think the sky’s the limit?!”
“Shame on the Alrn family!”
As the vitriol poured in, the murmuring grew louder among the crowd.
Meanwhile, Prince 2 widened his eyes in surprise, veins popping at his temples, then lifted his hand high.
Instantly, the crowd fell quiet.
Regardless of how inferior he was to Prince 1, a prince is still a prince. He knew how to showcase his authority.
“…Dumb Prince, you say? Who? Me?”
‘Yep!’
“Is there another prince aside from me here? Doesn’t seem like it~”
The sound of his teeth grinding echoed in my ears, but Prince 2 refrained from yelling.
Instead, he took a deep breath, regaining composure for a moment, before lowering his voice again.
“Right. Considering your abilities, I suppose I can overlook such outrageous slanders.”
Eh?! Seriously?! He’s gonna let that “Dumb Prince” slide?!
Has my worth exceeded his expectations after all?!
If that’s the case, there’s no need to keep pushing through with the plan…
“Provided you come under my command.”
Ugh, I thought we might be driving down the easy street, but nope.
Naturally, after being called a “Dumbass” to his face, there’s no way he would let that go without demanding something in return.
‘I’m sorry, but…’
“I have no intention of serving someone I consider inferior.”
When I recited my pre-prepared lines, Prince 2 frowned deeply.
His face flushed crimson, clearly struggling against his anger.
“Are you saying that I’m inferior to you?”
‘Do you think you’re better than me?’
“Do you think you’re really superior? Well, everyone’s entitled to their own opinions, so I’ll respect your judgment as “Dumb Prince.””
“Enough with the nonsense. Am I… inferior to you?”
The raw fury in Prince 2’s reddened gaze screamed intimidation, but I wasn’t scared.
I’ve been through way worse than this.
‘You really think you’re better than me?’
“Seriously, do you?”
“A year hasn’t even passed since that brat started showing off, and this Cecil dude is not a total loser.”
‘Really?’
“Eh, really? You don’t look that way to me.”
My laughter made the atmosphere around us even more intense.
The piercing glares felt painful, but I couldn’t back down now.
Having gone this far, my only option was to keep pushing forward.
‘The first prince has lost to me, so the second prince can’t possibly be better!’
“Really? Weird. As far as I know, didn’t the ‘Dumb Prince’ lose to that creepy stalker last time? I won. I achieved what you’ve only dreamt of your whole life. So, isn’t that a clear indicator that I’m way better than you?”
Suddenly, Prince 2 lunged forward, grabbing my wrist.
That was quite a move.
He had some strength based on the pressure against my wrist, for sure.
He was definitely a character who excelled in raw stats.
But I could hold my ground against this kind of force.
I pulled back against his grip, causing a look of shock to cross Prince 2’s face.
‘You’re resorting to brute force now…’
“Ha ha ha. So resorting to strength because you can’t handle words, huh? Now, that’s primitive! Lack of restraint is a severe flaw, you know? Ah, I’m sure you’ve heard the term ‘restraint,’ right?”
“Don’t test my patience. Your father’s prestige won’t protect you forever.”
A warning that if we kept pushing, he’d go after Benedict or anyone else in my circle.
I thought about pretending to be scared by his implausible threat, but I decided to refrain because I could tell that any further provocation would genuinely inspire him to swing.
‘Are you angry because I ignored you?’
“Are you pissed about a girl nagging you who’s hovering near your chest?”
“…What are you trying to imply?”
‘So, here’s the deal…’
“If you’re so confident, prove it, Dumb Prince. Show me how you’re superior. Beat me in an area where the creepy stalker prince has already lost to you.”
– Ding!
Just as I wrapped up my statement, a notification chimed in my ear.
The sound of a quest being handed down from the pathetic god.
Hearing that, I reflexively turned my head.
[Teach Prince 2 a lesson!]
“Pfft! Cough! Cough cough!”
I found myself caught off guard by the unexpected trap.
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